Activity 1 – Who is my neighbour?

As they consider the question, ‘Who is my neighbour?’, in this lesson pupils will explore the concept of ‘neighbour’ and identify well known people who show love to their neighbours in different situations.

They will consider who their neighbour is and focus on exploring the significance of Jesus teaching ‘to love God and to love your neighbour as yourself’, and its impact on Christian believers both individually, locally and globally.

Understanding Christianity Links

SIAMS and Global Neighbours

Activities in this unit are designed to be adapted for use with any Diocesan Companion Link, to support schools in engaging with Global RE and Citizenship linked to SIAMS and Global Neighbours as well as Understanding Christianity 

Key Questions

• Who is our neighbour?
• Who is a neighbourly person?
• Do some inspiring people save others?

Learning Objectives

• To consider the idea that we are all inspired by other people sometimes
• To consider the idea that some inspiring people save other people from danger or difficult situations

Starter

What are neighbours?

Discuss the concept of neighbours. Who are our neighbours? Are neighbours just people we know or live near?

Ask pupils in pairs to make lists of their neighbours – at school, at home:  (think, pair, share)

How do we ‘love’ our neighbours? What does ‘love’ in this context mean – help, care for?

Think of jobs people have that involve caring for people or keeping them safe e.g. nurses, firemen, refuse collection, teachers.

Ask the questions: are these people just doing jobs or are they ‘loving’ their neighbour? What difference do they make to our lives?

Main activity

Discuss with pupils the idea of having neighbours in other countries. What might it look like to ‘love’ them  from  a distance in the UK or by going overseas to be with them?’

Research examples of inspiring people in history who have helped others overseas? e.g. Mother Theresa, Mary Secole, Nelson Mandela. Create a class list of all the people they look up to. What do they admire or like about these people?  How would someone else be able to tell that this person is important to you?

Pupils could bring a picture of this person and this could form part of a ‘Love your neighbour’ class display on inspiring people.

Plenary

What might motivate these people?

Were some of these people following the Christian teaching ‘love your neighbour as yourself’?

Learning outcomes

• I can talk simply about the concept of neighbour and use words like ‘love’, ‘care’ and ‘help’ relationship to do so
• I can identify example of people helping others  overseas
• I can respond to the idea of loving neighbours for myself

Points to note and sources

The unit uses the big idea of ‘Loving your neighbour’ as a core concept, but also the idea of Jesus’ teaching and example as an inspiration. This latter idea makes space for learning from religion particularly for those who are not Christians but may yet find Jesus’ teaching inspiring.

Point out that Christians believe Jesus is real (not like the Disney heroes) and that people have been inspired by Him for 2000 years, in their millions to give up good things in their lives, to help others.