Lesson 4: Does being good always mean less suffering?
Interpreting what some stories from scripture might suggest about why people experience suffering.
Learning objective
- To explore beliefs about suffering and goodness through scripture and personal responses.
Success criteria
- I can interpret stories from scripture.
- I can consider what the stories of Job and Noah suggest about suffering.
- I can discuss beliefs about God based on interpretations of the stories.
Before the lesson
Check all images, videos, links and presentation slides are suitable for your class.
Presentation: Odd one out.
Presentation: Bad news.
Presentation: The story of Job.
Presentation: Noah's ark.
Presentation: Suffering snowflake.
Presentation: Controversial and contradictory.
Whiteboards and pens (optional - one each, see main event).
A children's Bible (optional - see Main event).
Children's copies of the Activity: Suffering snowflake (see Lesson 3: Why do we cause suffering?).
Check all images, videos, links and presentation slides are suitable for your class.
Presentation: Odd one out.
Presentation: Bad news.
Presentation: The story of Job.
Presentation: Noah's ark.
Presentation: Suffering snowflake.
Presentation: Controversial and contradictory.
Whiteboards and pens (optional - one each, see main event).
A children's Bible (optional - see Main event).
Children's copies of the Activity: Suffering snowflake (see Lesson 3: Why do we cause suffering?).
Lesson plan
Explain that the children will look at the pictures and decide which picture in each group could be the odd one out and why. Display the Presentation: Odd one out and arrange the children in pairs. Ask them to discuss which picture is the odd one out and why.
Explain that the children will look at the pictures and decide which picture in each group could be the odd one out and why. Display the Presentation: Odd one out and arrange the children in pairs. Ask them to discuss which picture is the odd one out and why.
Presentation: Odd one out
Invite children to share their ideas and encourage them to justify their answers. They may suggest:
The people praying because the other two show ideas about reasons for suffering, whereas the praying is a response to suffering.
The balance scale as the other two are both linked to Muslim ideas about inner jihad.
The scale, because it represents ideas about positive and negative spirits, but the others are more about focusing on God.
Note: there are multiple possible answers to this question.
Display the Presentation: Bad news and ask the children to think about how they might feel and react if they experienced the things in the images.
Display the Presentation: Bad news and ask the children to think about how they might feel and react if they experienced the things in the images.
Presentation: Bad news
Hand out the Activity: Bad events to each table group and ask the children to record their ideas. They could use thought bubbles, emojis and words around the images to record their ideas.
Share ideas and explain that during the lesson, they will explore a story about someone who experienced all of these things and interpret what the story might suggest to people about suffering.
The story of Job
Display the Presentation: The story of Job. Use slide 1 to explain some of the story's context to the children by clicking on each image to reveal some information.
Optional: hand out the Resource: The story of Job and ask the children to use a piece of paper or a whiteboard to cover the rest of the text as they read so they don't reveal what happens next.
Point out that when reading and discussing the stories, there were different ideas about their meanings (interpretations). Explain that stories can be interpreted in different ways and that people, even within a worldview, do not always agree on what they mean but discussing them and listening to other ideas can help deepen understanding.
Display the Presentation: Controversial and contradictory and talk through the meaning of each word using the definitions and examples.
Activity
Write a question-and-answer interview with either Job or Noah about their experiences, reactions and reflections on the stories from the lesson. This could be done in pairs, with one child writing the questions and the other writing the answers from the point of view of Job or Noah.
We value your feedback
We welcome your feedback to help make our resources even better
In this unit
Assessment – R&W Y6: Why is there suffering? (part 1)
Lesson 1: How do people suffer?
Lesson 2: What is free will?
Lesson 3: Why do we cause suffering?
- Current lesson
Lesson 4: Does being good always mean less suffering?
Lesson 5: If God is all-powerful, can suffering not be stopped?
Lesson 6: How might beliefs about Jesus affect responses to suffering?
- Optional
Optional Easter lesson: Why might some people take part in Easter traditions?
