Learning objective
- To discuss the impact of different Easter traditions by exploring Holy Week.
Success criteria
- I can explain how Easter traditions and practices can connect Christians to God.
- I can describe some shared practices during Easter and their significance.
- I can reflect on the importance of Easter to Christian communities globally.
Religious Education Council Curriculum Framework for RE in England (non-statutory guidance):
- A1: Describe and make connections between different features of the religions and worldviews they study, discovering more about celebrations, worship, pilgrimages and the rituals which mark important points in life, in order to reflect on their significance.
- A2: Describe and understand links between stories and other aspects of the communities they are investigating, responding thoughtfully to a range of sources of wisdom and to beliefs and teachings that arise from them in different communities.
- A3: Explore and describe a range of beliefs, symbols and actions so that they can understand different ways of life and ways of expressing meaning.
- B1: Observe and understand varied examples of religions and worldviews so that they can explain, with reasons, their meanings and significance to individuals and communities.
- C1: Discuss and present thoughtfully their own and others’ views on challenging questions about belonging, meaning, purpose and truth, applying ideas of their own in different forms including (e.g.) reasoning, music, art and poetry.
See REC Curriculum Framework for RE in England (non-statutory guidance) – Religious Education Council of England & Wales.
Cross-curricular links
English
Reading – comprehension
- Pupils should be taught to:
- Understand what they read by:
- checking that the text makes sense to them, discussing their understanding and explaining the meaning of words in context.
- Retrieve, record and present information from non-fiction.
Spoken language
Pupils should be taught to:
- Participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations and debates.
See National curriculum - English - Key stages 1 and 2.
RSE
Respectful relationships
Pupils should know:
- The importance of respecting others, even when they are very different from them (for example, physically, in character, personality or backgrounds), or make different choices or have different preferences or beliefs.
See RSE Statutory guidance – contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
British values
- Tolerance of those with different beliefs.
- Mutual respect.
See Promoting fundamental British values as part of SMSC in schools (non-statutory advice) – contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v2.0.
Before the lesson
Check all images, videos, links and presentation slides are suitable for your class.
- Presentation: Range of answers.
- Presentation: Palm Sunday.
- Presentation: Holy Week.
- Presentation: Wrapping up words.
Print in advance of the lesson.
Subject knowledge
Easter
Most people who follow the Christian worldview believe:
- Jesus died on the cross on a day called Good Friday and came back to life (resurrection) three days later as part of God’s plan to save humanity from sin (salvation). The Easter story is a crucial part of this belief.
- The resurrection of Jesus is remembered at Easter and celebrates victory over sin and death, offering hope of eternal life to believers.
The Last Supper
- In English translations of the Bible, it explains how Jesus shared bread with his disciples at the Passover meal.
- According to Jewish law, leavened food (food made with a raising agent such as yeast) would not have been eaten at Passover so it is likely that this was an unleavened bread similar to flatbread or crackers.
- In the Pupil video: Holy week just the word bread is used reflecting the language used in English translations of the Bible.
Easter dates
- Easter is celebrated worldwide in either March or April every year, with Western Easter (the official date for the UK) being the first Sunday after the full Moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox. This varies by 4-5 weeks for Eastern or Orthodox Easter.
Misconceptions
The children may believe that:
- ‘Easter is about chocolate eggs and bunnies’ – it is important to explain that while Easter is celebrated in different ways across cultures, its religious significance for many Christians focuses on the death and resurrection of Jesus. The symbols of eggs and new life are often used to represent the Christian message of hope.
- ‘Easter is only celebrated by Christians’ – it is helpful to explain that while Easter is an important religious festival for many Christians, some people with different worldviews also participate in cultural or family traditions during this season, such as egg hunts or spring-themed celebrations.
- ‘Jesus stayed on Earth after coming back to life’ – explain that many Christians believe Jesus returned to Heaven to be with God.
- ‘If you are Christian, you will be resurrected and come back to life’ – explain that many Christians believe Jesus is special because he is God’s son and most believe that after death, rather than the physical body, a person’s soul will be reunited with God, therefore having eternal life.
Lesson organisation
- Distribute copies of the Resource: Traditions around the classroom. A few copies of each page may be helpful so multiple groups access the information at the same time.
- Fold each page in half so the children have the opportunity to look at the images and title on side A before deepening their learning, by turning the page to side B.
External visitors
- Members of the local community could be invited to discuss how they celebrate Easter.
- For further guidance, see the link: Teacher guidance: External visitors.
If you know a child has specific issues, consider discussing the lesson with them in advance and adapting it as needed. They might benefit from adult support.
If problems emerge during the lesson, consult your Senior Leadership Team.
It is the teacher’s responsibility to check all resources and lesson content to ensure it is suitable for their class setting.
Sensitivities
Death
- This lesson explores Jesus’ crucifixion, death and resurrection.
- When teaching these themes, present them sensitively and age-appropriately, avoiding graphic details about death and punishment.
- Focus instead on the broader message of hope and new life.
- It is important to create a safe space for the children to discuss and consider their ideas about death. This will help them develop their own worldview while also preparing them for future experiences.
- Death can be a sensitive topic that may personally affect some children. It is important to approach this topic with compassion and consideration for the experiences and emotions of everyone.
- Remind the children that these are Christian beliefs held by some people and that different cultures and religions have their own interpretations of death and the afterlife.
- Explain the importance of respecting all views, even those that differ from their own or they do not agree with.
Resurrection
- The concept of resurrection might be unfamiliar to the children. They may have misconceptions about what it means or entails.
- It is crucial to maintain sensitivity and ensure that discussions remain age-appropriate.
- Some children might find the topics of crucifixion, death and resurrection to be a source of worry. Teachers should approach these themes with caution and be prepared to offer reassurance and clear, gentle explanations.
The wonder box
- Remind children that they can use the wonder box if they have questions or concerns they would rather not share in front of the class.
- The wonder box gives the children the opportunity to share questions they may not feel comfortable asking in class. More challenging questions can be researched and additional time can be given to consider them. Children who may find writing questions challenging could either use a recording device or ask an adult to scribe for them.
- See: Teacher video: The wonder box for information on how to create and use this resource.
Lesson plan
1: Recap and recall
Display the Presentation: Range of answers and ask the children which word they feel is best represented in the psalm and why.
Take feedback, emphasising that there is no right or wrong answer and that each word could be applied depending on different people’s interpretation of the psalm.
Presentation: Range of answers
2: Attention grabber
Show the Presentation: Palm Sunday and ask the children the following questions as they explore the images:
Presentation: Palm Sunday
- What do you think is happening?
- Why do you think this event is important?
- How might participating in these events create a sense of belonging?
Explain that the images show different Palm Sunday celebrations around the world. Ask the children which part of the Easter story they think Palm Sunday represents (Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem, before his death the following Friday).
Question
- Why might it be important for some Christians to recreate this event? (To create a sense of belonging and closeness to God; to feel like they were there; to connect to Jesus through experiencing a similar event.)
Use slide 2 to point out that many Christians believe Jesus fulfilled ancient prophecies. Many people thought he was the Messiah and he was welcomed like a king, showing how people felt about him. His entrance marks the start of Holy Week – a Christian term for the week leading up to Easter.
Pupil video: Holy week
3: Main event
Explain that there are many different practices and traditions observed at Easter, and Palm Sunday processions are just one of them. In different parts of the world, certain traditions are more popular than others, such as those followed by Orthodox Christians.
Point out that because the events of Easter last through Holy Week, many of these traditions are observed on different days, just as they happened at the time.
Show the Presentation: Holy Week and ask the children if they can identify what might have happened on each day. Use the arrows to display clues, and then click on each day to provide a brief overview of events. (Please note that Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, and Spy Wednesday may be less familiar to the children and are not explored in this lesson, but are included here for reference to the full week of Easter events.)
Presentation: Holy Week
Children may have previously completed the year 6 Religion and worldviews unit: Why is it better to be there in person? (Lesson 2), which explores how some people take a special journey to Jerusalem, called a pilgrimage, to visit the significant places from Holy Week. Remind the children of this learning and point out that this pilgrimage allows people to take part in some traditions where they originally happened, helping them feel closer to God and, often, forming a sense of belonging by experiencing it with others. Explain that in Jerusalem, the Via Dolorosa is the path Jesus walked through the streets of Jerusalem while carrying the cross, also known as the Stations of the Cross.
Ensure pages from the Resource: Traditions are distributed around the classroom (see Lesson organisation). Group the children into threes or fours and hand out a copy of the Activity: Easter traditions to each group, leaving the remaining copies in a pile.
Encourage the children to visit each station, or as many as time allows, discussing and making notes on:
- The symbolism of each practice.
- How the practice supports a sense of community.
- Ways the tradition can help a Christian feel connected to God.
Take feedback and then share the Pupil video: Easter traditions around the world.
Pupil video: Easter traditions around the world
Invite five children to the front of the classroom, each representing a different Easter tradition. The children can choose their role as they are picked.
Then, play the audio recording from the mayor of Meadowville, using slide 2 of the Presentation: Holy week.
Explain that each of the five children will explain why their Easter tradition should be chosen, emphasising its symbolism, its role in community support, and its connection to God.
After each child’s explanation, the ‘townspeople’ (the rest of the class) can ask questions.
Finally, hold a vote to decide which Easter tradition will be celebrated this year.
4: Wrapping up
Display the Presentation: Wrapping up words.
Presentation: Wrapping up words
Ask the children to discuss in pairs:
- Why and how is Easter celebrated? (Answers may include: to recreate events that happened in Holy week in order to feel closer to God and the Christian community; to remember Jesus’ sacrifice.)
Extended-mode explainer videos
How to extend your display to view the lesson page and preseantion mode simultaneously. Choose your operating system below to watch the video
If you need further support with extending your display,
please contact [email protected].
Extended-mode explainer video: For Mac
Extended-mode explainer video: For Windows
Adaptive teaching
Pupils needing support:
Could focus on one or two key traditions they are familiar with to deepen understanding; could have a copy of the Activity: Easter traditions and highlight their findings in colour coding for God, community and symbolism.
Pupils working at greater depth:
Should link the Easter practices to broader Christian concepts like redemption; should discuss how these practices can be both personal and communal and what impact that might have on different people.
Assessing progress and understanding
Pupils with secure understanding indicated by: explaining the meaning behind at least one Easter tradition and its impact on community and feeling a sense of belonging; suggesting which part of the Easter story different traditions might symbolise.
Pupils working at greater depth indicated by: making connections between Easter traditions and concepts such as forgiveness, hope or love; suggesting how Easter traditions can influence modern Christian life.
Vocabulary definitions
-
crucifixion
Killing someone by nailing or tying them to a cross.
-
Orthodox
Following traditional beliefs, practices, rules and customs.
-
resurrection
The action of coming back to life.
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?
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 Easter lesson: Why might some people take part in Easter traditions?
