SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

RE LESSON PLAN
Pre-Primary/
Primary

LESSON ORGANISATION

Unit of work: Special Me Salvation topic: Prayer Human person Topic: Names
have meaning
Year Level: PP Students’ Prior Knowledge: (include faith
situations/previous lessons/Units)
Key Understanding:
A1 Wondering at being special Students will have been baptised and will understand that
they are children of God and that God loves them.

In the previous unit ‘God created everything’ students learnt

that God is the creator of everything, and that they are
Learning Point(s):
members of God’s family.
A1.1 Recognise their own names
In the previous unit ‘Remember God’s Love’, students
learnt about showing love for others.

Spiritual and Religious Capabilities (that may potentially be covered in the lesson)
Prudence Justice Fortitude Temperance Faith Hope Charity
eg Right choices eg Right eg Inner strength eg Moderation eg Prayer eg Reconciliation eg Service
relationships
General Capabilities (that may potentially be covered in the lesson)
Literacy Numeracy ICT Critical and Ethical Personal and Intercultural
competence creative behaviour Social understanding
thinking competence

Cross-curriculum priorities (may be addressed in the lesson)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Asia and Australia’s engagement with Sustainability
histories and cultures Asia
Lesson Objectives (i.e. anticipated outcomes of this lesson, in point form beginning with an action verb)
As a result of this lesson, students will be able to:
• Recognise and trace their own name

• Identify the importance of their own Christian name

• Identify and explain the importance of being given names at Baptism

Teacher’s Prior Preparation/Organisation: Provision for students at educational risk:

(include Teacher Witness) Sensory impaired:
Whilst the other students will create and trace their name card, the
The teacher will gather materials: teacher will allow this student to use twigs and leaves in playdough
Coloured card to make their own name.
Godly play resource box
Godly play script ADHD:
Textas and pencils This student will sit up front near the teacher so the teacher can
ensure they are on task and listening whilst on the mat. During the
The teacher will have set up the prayer table. activity, they may require an EA to assist them and to ensure they
The teacher will have printed out traceable names on the coloured card. stay on task.

The teacher has wondered at the specialness of themselves and their
name and has done the reading from Isaiah 43:1-5.
They (may) have read the RE unit of work.
The focus of this unit is that everyone is special. How can I show others
they are special like Jesus does?
Extension - Students will write their own name without tracing.
Engagement – Students will trace their own name with the help of
an EA or skilled partner. They may be required to make their name
out of playdough or another tangible material.
LESSON DELIVERY attach worksheets, examples, marking keys, etc. as relevant
Resources/References
Time Motivation and Introduction:
Align these with the segment
where they will be introduced.
The teacher will ask the class to sit in a circle on the mat. The teacher Appendix #1
will sit at the front, ensuring everyone can see them and begin with the
Godly Play Script
Godly Play script “The Good Shepherd” (see appendix #1). The Good Shepherd

5 min

The teacher will use wonder questions like:

I wonder why we all have names?
I wonder why our names are all different?

Lesson Steps (Lesson content, structure, strategies & Key Questions):

The teacher will introduce the topic of names. The teacher will explain
that in the story we heard before, The Good Shepherd knows all of his
sheep by name just like Jesus knows all of you by name.
The teacher will explain that each of us is special.
2 min “Each of us is so special that our parents have chosen a name just for
us. Our full name, that is Christian name and surname, is special
because it tells us, and others who we are and to which family we
belong.”

Discuss their names and how their parents give the name to them at their
Baptism. The teacher will explain what Baptism is.

Lead the children to an awareness that each child has a special name
even though some may be the same. (Building on EYLF Outcome 1:
15 Children have a strong sense of identity).
min
The teacher will then introduce the activity. Each child will be given a
piece of coloured card where they will trace their own name and decorate
the card with natural materials e.g. leaves, flowers etc.
After the lesson has finished, the students will use the individual name
cards to decorate their own personal tub. This emphasise the focus of
names being special and individual just like each one of God’s children
are.

Lesson Closure:(Review lesson objectives with students)

8-10
min The teacher will gather the name cards at the end and bring them
towards the prayer table. They will light a candle and ask the children to
sit on the mat where they can see. They will then say this special name
prayer together from Isaiah 43:1-5. The teacher will read out the prayer
and invite the children to practise tracing their own name on their
erasable boards.

Name Prayer
‘Do not be afraid ... I have called you by your name
You are mine ... You are precious in my eyes ...
and I love you ...
I am with you.’
The children place their names into a special ‘thanking’ box or basket.
As they do so, invite the children to clap and pray.
‘Every time I see or hear my name, I know that God is with me.
Thank you, God.’

Transition: (What needs to happen prior to the next lesson?)

The teacher will ask the students to help pack away the materials and sit
back on the mat. They will then say their lunchtime prayer before lining
up at the door ready to go to lunch.

Assessment: (Were the lesson objectives met? How will they be

assessed?)
Appendix #2
The teacher will use a checklist and anecdotal notes to assess if students Checklist
have met objectives. They will also use questioning for understanding to
assess students knowledge. See appendix #2
Appendix #1

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

KWL Chapter 2
(John 10:3-5,14)

YOU WILL NEED:

▪ Good Shepherd figure, 5 sheep (see RE Online for 2D masters)
▪ Green felt underlay to create story on; paddle pop sticks or brown felt strips to make sheepfold; patch of
light blue felt to make water; patches of dark brown felt to make rocks and places of danger

Children are seated in a semi-circle ready to listen to the story. When the children are settled, go to the shelf
and carry the materials as you would the Bible. Place these beside you. Begin by saying:
Let’s tell a story together. We have some things here which will help us to tell the story.

Roll out the green underlay and say:

I wonder what this could be? Allow a few responses before saying: It’s very green and soft, it could
be grass. Let’s see what else we have.

Place the light blue felt patch and say:

This is a lovely cool place. It’s very blue. I wonder what it could be?

Allow a few responses before saying:

It could be water, nice cool water.

Place the dark brown felt pieces to create rocky areas and places of danger. As you create them say:
We also have some dark places in our story. It’s very dark in these places. It could be dangerous.
Maybe they are rocky areas. Let’s see what else we have to make our story.

Take out the paddle pop sticks or felt strips and create a sheepfold.
We have a special place that is very safe. It has strong fences and a gate to go inside and outside. I
wonder who lives here? Allow a few responses before continuing.

Take out the sheep and place in the sheepfold and continue…
Hmm… sheep. If sheep live here in this special place it must be a sheepfold. A sheepfold is a safe
place for sheep to be. I think we are ready to tell the story now, let’s begin.
Lots of people wanted to be near Jesus. They followed him and listened to everything he said. They
wondered who he was. He was different from anybody they had ever met.

Take out the Good Shepherd figure, hold it up and say:

Once when he wanted to tell them who he was, Jesus said: ‘I am the Good Shepherd’.

Move the Good Shepherd next to the sheepfold. Touch each of the sheep as you say:
The shepherd loves his sheep, and knows each one by its name.

Move the Good Shepherd to a space on the grass outside the sheepfold.
The sheep know his voice and come when he calls.
They follow him wherever he goes.

Move each of the sheep from inside the sheepfold to a space near the Good Shepherd.
Move the Good Shepherd to another place on the green grass. Move the sheep one by one to follow him.
During the daytime, he takes them out and goes with them. They would not follow a stranger.
Move the Good Shepherd and the sheep next to the water. Place the sheep around the water as if they were drinking.
He takes them to beautiful places with green grass, cool water and good things to eat. They are
happy.

Move the Good Shepherd and the sheep near to the rocky places and say:
The Good Shepherd goes ahead of his sheep and protects them.

Slide the Good Shepherd through the rocks to safety. Then move the sheep one by one through the places of danger
and back to the shepherd.
Move the Good Shepherd along with the sheep following until you get back to the sheepfold. Move the sheep one by
one back into the sheepfold and close the gate.
At night he leads them back to a special place called the sheepfold where they are safe.

Sit quietly for a moment and begin to wonder together. Use ‘I wonders’ from KWL (P/K)p14.

I wonder: how the shepherd knows one sheep from the other…how the sheep know
who their shepherd is…why they don’t follow a stranger...what the sheepfold is
like…how the shep feel when they are with their own shepherd….how the sheep
would feel if the shepherd wasn’t there…why the shepherd takes good care of his
sheep…who the Good Shepherd is like…who the sheep are like…who looks after
and protects us.

Light blue felt Brown felt

piece – water pieces – rocks,
area areas of danger

Green underlay
Route of Good – grassed areas
Shepherd

Pop sticks or brown

felt strips –
sheepfold

Carefully pack story materials into storage box and put on shelf. Ensure that children are watching so they know how to
pack the materials away and where to find them.
Appendix #2

Students will Achieved Limited Did not Not assessed

demonstrate
Recognise their own name when
called

Trace their own name

Identify why names are important

Recall the story of the Good Shepherd

and identify that Jesus uses our names
to show love