How should we live our lives? The children can look at some life choices and see what they would choose and why.
The second lesson plan looks at a man called Zacchaeus who was very greedy and cheated people out of their money, that is until he met Jesus…
Table of Contents:
1. Teacher’s background information.
Some people live for the moment without considering how that might impact other people.
Others waste their lives hoping to win the Lottery and then everything would be okay, but they do not enjoy what they have got at the moment.
Another group of people enjoy helping others in a worse state than themselves.
Adults and children have to make moral decisions regularly, so how do we choose what is best for us and other people?
2. Lesson plans and resources for Lifestyle and moral principles
Updated March 2022. Lifestyle and Moral Principles lesson plan
Lifestyle and Moral Principles Worksheet 1
Lifestyle and Moral Principles Worksheet 2
Updated March 2022. Values example: ‘bad’ Zacchaeus lesson plan
Values example: ‘bad’ Zacchaeus worksheet 1
Values example: ‘bad’ Zacchaeus worksheet 2
3. Free children’s songs:
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A song about not grumbling…
‘Without grumbling or arguing, but shining like stars’ By Slugs and Bugs.
A song and story about Zacchaeus.
[1] A simple, short children’s song: ‘Zacchaeus Was a Wee Little Man’ By Jacqueline Hegarty.
[2] ‘The short story of Zacchaeus.’ By Crossroads Kids’ Club.
Zacchaeus was a tax collector who had no friends because he took people’s money to make himself rich. Jesus showed him love, and it changed his life.
When Zacchaeus realized that Jesus loved him even though he had messed up, he wanted to show that kind of love to others.
4. How to fulfil the locally agreed syllabus for ‘Lifestyle and moral principles’
Hopefully you will be able to match your local agreed syllabus with what is here which satisfies eight councils:
These lesson plans are based on the Progression Documents of The Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education’ Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Peterborough, Rutland County Councils. This is in the light blue text.
The green text is from other Councils: Lewisham Borough, West Sussex, Hull and East Riding.
Here are the main aims for the lesson plan:
Making moral decisions and lifestyle choices.
Explore Christian life and practice in another country.
What are some of the rules by which Christians believe they should live life? Interpret and respond to beliefs, teachings and sources of wisdom and authority, in order to understand Christianity as a coherent system or way of seeing the world.
Evaluate the responses of Christians to moral and ethical questions, using reasoning which draws on a range of examples from real life, fiction or other forms of media.
Explain how a person shows religion in their life.
Make links between religious rules and values for living.
What do religions teach about forgiveness and reconciliation?
What is the ultimate question?
Identify what makes some questions ultimate.
What is the meaning of justice and freedom?
Explain what freedom means to people of faith.
Why should people be good?
Explain the values that motivate people of faith to respond to a cause.
Give reasons why people may choose to make sacrifices to improve the lives of others.
Key vocabulary: Advent, Baptism, Bible, Christ, Church, Disciple, Faith, God, Gospel, Grace, Holy, Holy Spirit, Incarnation, Jesus, Lent, Pentecost, Prayer, Saint, Salvation, Sin, Soul, Ten Commandments, Worship.