christmas and easter
4 detailed 50-minute lessons with teaching scripts, worked examples, parent guides, and assessment criteria.
Lesson Overview
Total Lessons: 4
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA
Learning Objectives
- Explain the key ideas of christmas and easter
- Apply christmas and easter to exam-style questions
- Develop independent study skills
- Build cross-topic connections
Prerequisites
- Read the revision notes for christmas and easter first (GCSE Revise summary)
- Key vocab to pre-teach: Exam Tip, RS Exam Tips — Christmas and Easter
- Basic skills: reading the summary notes and answering the practice questions there
Materials & Equipment
- Exercise book, coloured pens
- Ruler
- Printed revision notes (link below)
- Internet for videos (see Resources)
Lesson 1: Introduction: christmas and easter
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Quick Recall
Write down everything you already know about christmas and easter. Then check against the key terms: Exam Tip, RS Exam Tips — Christmas and Easter. Use a mini-whiteboard or paper.
Main Content (35 minutes)
Parent/Teacher Guide:
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: Exam Tip, RS Exam Tips — Christmas and Easter.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: Exam Tip, RS Exam Tips — Christmas and Easter.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Teaching Script (35 mins):
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: christmas and easter. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Religious Studies because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: christmas and easter. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Religious Studies because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
First Look
Start with the revision notes summary, then attempt: Explain why Easter is the most important Christian festival.
Plenary (5 minutes)
Check Out
Your student states one thing they learned and one question they still have about christmas and easter.
Lesson 2: Core Concepts: christmas and easter
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Review Previous Lesson
Quick recap: write 3 key points from Lesson 1 on christmas and easter. Check them against the notes below.
Main Content (35 minutes)
Exam Tip: Some Christians are concerned that Christmas has become too commercialised — the focus on presents and Santa Claus can overshadow the birth of Jesus. Churches work to keep the religious meaning central through nativity services, carol concerts and Advent reflections.
RS Exam Tips — Christmas and Easter: 1. For Christmas and Easter questions, always include specific scriptural or source references where relevant 2. Explain both religious and non-religious viewpoints 3. Use specialist vocabulary precisely (e.g. terms from the specification) 4. Evaluate by analysing strengths and weaknesses of different views before reaching your conclusion 5. Link your discussion of Christmas and Easter to its real-world impact on believers and society
| Term | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| What it celebrates | Jesus' birth (incarnation) | Jesus' resurrection |
| Theological importance | God became human | Jesus conquered death — salvation |
| Mood | Joyful, celebratory | Mixed: solemn (Good Friday) then joyful (Sunday) |
| Key practices | Nativity, carols, Midnight Mass, gifts | Lent, Holy Week, Good Friday services, Easter Vigil |
| Commercial impact | Very commercialised (gifts, decorations) | Less commercialised (chocolate eggs but less than Christmas) |
Practice (10 minutes)
Q: Explain why Easter is the most important Christian festival.
Answer: Easter is the most important festival because it celebrates the resurrection — the event on which the entire Christian faith depends. Without the resurrection, Jesus would be just a dead teacher, and there would be no salvation. As Paul wrote: "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith" (1 Corinthians 15:14). The resurrection proves Jesus' divinity, demonstrates God's power over death, and gives Christians the hope of eternal life.
Plenary (5 minutes)
Explain Back
Your student teaches the key points back to you without looking. Fill any gaps immediately.
Lesson 3: Application: christmas and easter
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Quick Recall
Recall the key terms: Exam Tip, RS Exam Tips — Christmas and Easter. Define each in one sentence.
Main Content (35 minutes)
Parent/Teacher Guide: Let your student attempt each question alone first, then compare with the model answer. Award method marks for correct working even if the final answer is wrong.
Q1: Explain why Easter is the most important Christian festival.
Answer: Easter is the most important festival because it celebrates the resurrection — the event on which the entire Christian faith depends. Without the resurrection, Jesus would be just a dead teacher, and there would be no salvation. As Paul wrote: "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith" (1 Corinthians 15:14). The resurrection proves Jesus' divinity, demonstrates God's power over death, and gives Christians the hope of eternal life.
Q2: Explain two ways Christians celebrate Christmas.
Answer: 1) Many Christians attend a Midnight Mass or Christmas Day service, which includes nativity readings from Luke's Gospel, carols, and a celebration of Jesus' birth. 2) Christians set up nativity scenes in churches and homes, depicting the birth of Jesus in a manger with Mary, Joseph and the shepherds, to remind themselves and their families of the true meaning of Christmas amid commercialisation.
Plenary (5 minutes)
Error Review
Review any questions answered incorrectly. Identify whether the error was knowledge, method, or reading the question.
Lesson 4: Exam Practice: christmas and easter
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Command Words
Review what these command words require: state (one point), describe (say what happens), explain (say why), compare (both sides), evaluate (judgement).
Main Content (35 minutes)
Exam-Style Question
Attempt a past-paper style question on christmas and easter from the exam board past paper finder (see Resources), then mark it against the scheme.
Exam Tips: Always refer to specific sources of authority (scripture, sacred texts, religious leaders) | Explain contrasting beliefs — different views within and between traditions | Use key terminology precisely (e.g. tawhid, atonement, sanctity of life) | For 12-mark evaluation questions, consider both sides before reaching a justified conclusion | Link beliefs to their impact on individuals, communities and society | Acknowledge diversity — no religious tradition has a single, uniform view
Common Errors: Watch Out! Students often think all Christians celebrate the Eucharist in the same way. Wrong: "All Christians believe the bread and wine literally become Jesus' body and blood." Correct: "Catholics believe in transubstantiation; Protestants have different views including consubstantiation and memorial symbolism."
Stretch & Challenge (Grade 8-9):
- Synoptic links: explain how christmas and easter connects to another Religious Studies topic you have studied
- Real-world: research one real-world use or example of christmas and easter
- Critical: "What are the limitations of the models used in christmas and easter?"
Plenary (5 minutes)
Assessment Criteria
- Got it: Confident explanation + correct worked examples
- Getting there: Main points OK, needs support with detail
- Not yet: Confused on key concepts - re-run Lesson 2
Homework & Consolidation
- Consolidation: Re-answer any Lesson 3 practice questions answered incorrectly (20 mins)
- Retrieval: Write flashcards for the key terms: Exam Tip, RS Exam Tips — Christmas and Easter (10 mins)
- Exam practice: One past-paper question on christmas and easter from the board websites (15 mins)
- Extension: Explain christmas and easter to someone else in your own words (10 mins)