Uffculme School

Lennie Swait

 

What do Christian’s learn from the suffering of Jesus?

This unit of work lasted 6 weeks with two year 8 classes, one high ability and the other a lower ability group. The key questions that we looked at were:

  • What do we mean by suffering?
  • How did Jesus’ understanding of his suffering compare to that of his disciples’ understanding of his suffering?
  • Why did Jesus die?
  • What are the different Christian interpretations of suffering?
  • What is the Christian purpose for suffering?

The use of ICT in this work mainly centred upon using a shared file area on the network to set up documents for the pupils to process. This was certainly the case with the lesson on why Jesus died. Pupils were able to access two differentiated documents. They wrote their answers to leading questions, using the bible to research the ideas of the incarnation, atonement and resurrection. (click on document) An extension activity for the more able was to create their own crossword on Jesus’ death. The less able were given a crossword template to complete. Pupils also wrote their own poems on Jesus’ death, illustrated with clip art images.

When researching Jesus’ suffering, the more able pupils took on the role either of Jesus or of the disciples. They were able to access information about either Jesus or the disciples from a shared file area on the network. Biblical quotes were placed at the bottom of the screen document to aid the students in devising their own questions as either Jesus or the disciples. (Click here for the screen document)

The finished questions were then saved under their names. An opposing member of the group opened the question file and answered the questions. 

The less able pupils also took on the role either of Jesus or of the disciples. They were able to access simplified information about either Jesus or the disciples. They then accessed questions on a separate document from either Jesus or the disciples which they then answered. (Click here for the document)

When comparing artists’ impressions of Jesus’ death, I found the web site www.clark.net/pub/webbgeljesju/99.htm very useful. I took three of these paintings and imported them into a word document. A word document, differentiated for the less able, was created. The pupils were then able to open up both documents on a split screen and look at the paintings to answer the questions on document 2. (Click here for first and here for second)

A number of issues arose whilst doing this project. The main issue being the necessity to make sure that the pupils could work on these saved documents. The properties of the document had to be changed in order for them to do this. There were also differing IT levels amongst the pupils themselves. When doing some of the work again, I would make sure that I included instructions on the documents on how to carry out certain IT skills, especially for the less able e.g. how to cut and paste, which some of them had forgotten! Furthermore, when using images from the Internet, it is important to compress those images into a more usable memory size.

This topic allowed the pupils to reflect upon their own experiences of suffering and of being misunderstood. Pupils of all levels were able to evaluate the good and bad outcomes of suffering, giving examples to support their ideas

All pupils enjoyed investigating the motives behind leaving the understanding of the disciples unclear in the gospels . A lot of original and imaginative thinking came out of these responses. A good standard of response was produced from both ability ranges for these tasks. Most pupils were able to try to understand why the disciples’ understanding changed after Jesus died.

Pupils were able to understand the ideas of incarnation, atonement and resurrection. More able pupils were able to demonstrate their understanding of these terms through poetry. Less able pupils demonstrated their understanding by completing the crosswords. Only the more able were able to understand the importance of these terms for Christians.

All pupils were able to identify key Christian ideas in the paintings. However, only the more able were able to apply the terms incarnation, atonement and resurrection to these paintings.

 

What can a Christian learn from Jesus’ suffering?

ABOUT THIS UNIT

To analyse the concept of suffering and know how Jesus’ suffering was misunderstood. To establish why Jesus had to die and the Christian ideas behind this. To understand and know how these ideas have been symbolised through time. To evaluate how Christians would respond to suffering now in their own lives and in the world today.

Estimated time for this unit: 7 hours.

Where this unit fits in: The life of Jesus or Christian teachings about Jesus

 

Prior learning

Vocabulary

Resources

It is helpful if pupils have:

 

In this unit, pupils will have an opportunity to use words and phrases related to:

Specific examples on back of unit

General here

 

EXPECTATIONS

At the end of this unit

ATTAINMENT TARGET 1, ATTAINMENT TARGET 2

Where possible one strand from each

 

Most pupils will

  • Be able to give different responses to the problem of suffering in the context of their learning

  • Explain how Jesus’ death have been expressed differently by individual artists.

 

Some pupils will not have made so much progress and will:

  • Be aware of the problem of suffering and be able to give a response to the problem, possibly by referring to Christianity.

  • Be able to describe how Jesus’ death has been shown by different artists.

 

Some pupils will have progressed further and will:

  • Be able to explain different responses to the question of suffering, including Christian responses and be able to give an account of their own response.
  • Be able to analyse and account for the different artistic interpretations of Jesus’ death using appropriate evidence.

 

In addition, pupils should have the opportunity to: (include reflection on meaning and AT if not assessed

Key questions

Learning Objectives

Pupils should learn:

Possible teaching activities

Learning Outcomes:

Pupils

Points to note

Links

What do we mean by suffering?

1. How do people suffer?

2. Is there any purpose in suffering?

 

1. Reflection- Consider a time when they have suffered and discuss whether they learnt anything from this experience.

2. Look at different pictures of suffering and answer 
A . Who is suffering? 
B. How are they suffering?
C. What good/ bad has come out of this suffering?

3. In groups brainstorm ideas for the good and bad outcomes of suffering.

4. "The world would be a better place if there was no suffering" How far do you agree with this comment? Show that you have considered different views in your answer.

 

1. Will be able to reflect upon their own experiences of suffering and may of may not be able to draw conclusions from it.

2. All will discover how other people suffer.

3. Most will understand how suffering can be purposeful and how it may not be purposeful

 

Sensitivity towards any pupils who may recently have ad a difficult experience.

Could use the internet for pictures or newspaper articles on suffering.

 

How did Jesus’ understanding of his suffering compare to that of his disciples’ understanding of his suffering?

 

1. To engage with the idea of being misunderstood and how it feels.

2. To understand what Jesus thought of his suffering.

3. To understand what the disciples thought of Jesus’ suffering.

4. To reflect upon why there were these differences in understanding.

5. To investigate why the disciples’ understanding changed.

 

Engaging Discussion

In groups, discuss times when they have been told off/ got into trouble and they thought that they should not have been. Discuss why they think that they should not have got into trouble and why that person might have misunderstood them. Discuss how it feels to be misunderstood.

1. Half of the class have Jesus’ understanding of his suffering in front of them and half of the class have the disciples’ understanding of Jesus’ suffering in front of them.

2. Higher ability have clues into what each other believes about Jesus’ suffering by referring them to passages in the bible.

3. Using these clues, they have to work out questions to discover each other' s understanding. The questions then can either be E-mailed or sent across by saving onto the network The other half of the class must answer the questions from the fact sheet which they have.

4. For lower ability, they will have a simplified document of either Jesus’ understanding or the disciples’ understanding. The questions will have been worked out already and their task is to open up the question file and answer them according to the sheet in front of them. (In the class room, this could be explored as a role play)

5. In pairs or groups they can then discuss why they think that the disciples and Jesus may have had a different understanding of Jesus’ suffering. Consider the idea of the Jewish Messiah and get them to consider the motives of the writers of the gospels.

6. Extension questions to discuss. In Acts, the disciples change their ideas about Jesus’ suffering, what might have happened for this to occur? Also, why do you think that the purpose of Jesus’ suffering was not made clear in the gospels? Do you think that the writers were right to do this? Make sure you give reasons for your answers, considering different views.

7. Follow up activity: Higher ability can do a role pay, interviewing Jesus and his disciples about their understanding. Lower ability can do a poster with key words to sum up the understanding of the disciples and Jesus. eg fear, part of God’s plan etc.

1.All will know what Jesus understood of his suffering and what the disciples understood of it.

Most will have an idea of why they were different.

Some will understand why the disciples’ understanding changed..

Use the school’s network to have the fact sheets ready for the pupils to work on.

Use E-mail with pupils who are more able at ICT.

Link this work to the idea of the Jewish Messiah which may have been covered already.

This may link to English literature and interpreting texts.

1. Why did Jesus die?

 

To enable pupils to engage with the reason for the incarnation.

Why the incarnation is important for Jesus’ death.

To understand the idea of atonement.

Why is Jesus’ resurrection important to Christians?

How Jesus’ death helps Christians to deal with and understand suffering.

Listen to the first part of the story "The long silence". Ask pupils to discuss what they would have asked God to do before they would allow God to be judge.

Listen to the second part of the "Long silence". What did the people realise? Ask the pupils if they think that this should have allowed God to be judge, giving reasons for their answer.

Ask leading questions, getting pupils to research biblical evidence to discover the beliefs of atonement, resurrection and the incarnation. Lower ability can glue and paste questions with their answers.(See attached sheet)

Ask discussion questions to help pupils to understand Jesus’ death will help a Christian to understand suffering (See questions on attached sheet) (Groups)

Read an Easter poem and make up their own poem entitled "Why did Jesus die?", making sure that they include the ideas of the incarnation. Atonement and resurrection.

Lower ability pupils could be given an Easter poem and have to highlight where these ideas are being shown in the poem.

Create a crossword on the computer to test peoples’ knowledge and understanding of the key terms. Lower ability could complete a crossword.

Question task: Why are the ideas of atonement, resurrection and incarnation important to Christians? Why might you expect one of these ideas to be more important to some Christians than to others? Give reasons for your answer.

 

All will learn the terms resurrection, atonement and incarnation and how these relate to Jesus’ death.

Some will understand how Jesus’ death will help a Christian to understand suffering.

 

This will link to Jesus’ birth and the idea of atonement.

 

Links to ICT for the crossword and English skills.

 

What are the different Christian interpretations of suffering?

To know how different artists show Jesus’ death?

To be able to explain the ideas behind the paintings.

To be able to explain the importance of painting Jesus’ death.

To be able to analyse and explain why these paintings are different.

 

Imagine that they are an artist. Write down their own ideas about how they would show Jesus’ death. Explain which ideas you want them to show and points to consider.

Look at different paintings from the internet and answer leading questions about them, to understand if they have shown the beliefs in incarnation, atonement, hope or suffering.

(See attached sheet for questions)

Do an assessed task to test understanding of symbolism,

 

All should be able to describe how artists have shown Jesus’ death.

Some will be able to explain the paintings and recognise the importance of them.

A few will be able to explain why there are differences between the artists.

 

Links to art in the curriculum.

General links with the idea of symbolism.

 

 

What is the Christian purpose for suffering?

How do Christians answer suffering?

Would other people agree or not?

What do they think the purpose of suffering is?

 

Debate "This house believes that suffering has no purpose"

For lower ability, get them to consider for and against in groups and then give them a jumbled up summary of the arguments to use to help them. Sort out and then produce a speech. Could give a structure to the speech also.

Assessed evaluation task "There is always a purpose to suffering, Christianity has shown that through Jesus’ death." How far do you agree? Show that you have considered different views in your answer.

 

All will be able to give a response to the Christian purpose for suffering.

Some will be able to evaluate Christians beliefs and give alternative views.

A few will be able to give a balanced presentation of the arguments and a reasoned account of their own views.

 

Links to English with the skill of rhetoric.

Should link to current affairs as examples.

RE in practice, Why do people suffer p15, contains a good summary of the Christian arguments.