Encounter Christianity: In Journeys about Jesus lesson plan 10

Lesson ten - Footprints (pages 20-21)

Text from the book

Christians believe that Jesus shows the way and they try to follow in his footsteps.

Learning objectives

Pupils will:

develop an understanding that Christians believe they must try to follow in the footsteps of Jesus;
be aware what Christians consider to be necessary if they are to follow in Jesus’ footsteps.

Background

Footprints are meant to be followed. Man Friday left a footprint for Robinson Crusoe in Daniel Defoe’s Treasure Island. Christians try to follow the example set by Jesus, metaphorically placing their feet in his footprints. There is a thirteenth-century story of a small, poorly-dressed man, following exactly in Jesus’ footsteps, while important Christian leaders, like bishops and abbots, failed to do so. The small man is St Francis of Assisi. Jesus, whatever is believed about him, left his footprints on time for people to follow.

Ways of using the picture

Ask the pupils about their own footprints. Can they recognise them? Are they distinctive? Do they like making them?
Are they inclined to follow footprints on a beach? What can they imagine of the person who left them? Where were they going? What sort of person were they?
Why do Christians want to follow Jesus’ footprints? Jesus didn’t actually leave any footprints, so what can Christians try to do in order ‘to follow in his footsteps’?

Bible reference

Luke 6.27-36

Key words

Footsteps
Jesus
Follow
Christians
Imagination
Careful
Mindful
Precision

Activity

You will need

Large sheets of paper
Pens for drawing
A Children’s Bible

Begin by looking at the picture and ask the children the two questions

‘Where are the footprints going?’ and ‘Who has been this way?’.

Allow the children to have fun and use their imagination.

When we admire someone and copy their behaviour; when we takeover an important role from someone; or when we show similar skills to those of another person, we are said to be ‘following in that person’s footsteps.’ Whose footsteps would the pupils like to follow in? Ask the pupils to draw around one of their feet and then write in the centre whose footsteps they would like to follow in, such as famous sports personalities, authors, artists, pop stars, politicians, their parents, friends, nurses, doctors, or people that they have met.

Why did they choose that person? What makes that person someone worth following?

Return to the picture in the book and imagine that they are Jesus’ footprints. Where is he going? Where has he been? Who is following him?

Christians try and follow in Jesus’ footsteps. Why? What makes someone worth following? If a Christian does follow in Jesus’ footsteps how would that effect their life? Interview a Christian and ask the pupils to prepare by thinking of questions to ask.

More drawing around feet! This time ask pupils to write in the footprint how a Christian might try to follow Jesus.

Be Bible detectives and ask the children to look at the life of Jesus in one of the Gospel accounts searching for clues as to how Jesus teaches Christians how to follow in his footsteps.

Assessment opportunities

Pupils will:

have reflected on whom they admire;
used a variety of learning methods to express their ideas;
have acquired an awareness of why Jesus is a model for Christians.

Learning outcomes

Pupils will have :

considered whom they would like to follow and why;
a greater understanding of how Christians try to follow Jesus;
enhanced their understanding of the teachings of Jesus.

Extension work

This work could be extended for the pupils by:

designing a wall display that indicates some of the ways Christians follow in Jesus’ footsteps;
creating an act of collective worship exploring the idea that Christians try to follow in Jesus’ footsteps;
researching the lives of famous people and /or saints who are believed to have followed in Jesus’ footsteps.

Web site links

http://www.books-4u.com/rpoems.htm
'One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, and the other to the LORD.' So begins one of the most famous Christian illustrations entitled 'footprints in the sand'. Another version can be found at

http://www.bibliomania.com/0/0/17/31/frameset.html
Daniel Defoe's most famous novel was published in 1719 with the full title, The Life and strange and surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe. It is based, in fact, upon the experiences of Alexander Selkirk who had run away to sea in 1704 and requested to be left on an uninhabited island to be rescued five years later. The famous story of Robinson Crusoe is summarised at this site. The complete story can be viewed at http://www.mostweb.cc/Classics/Defoe/crusoe/

http://tqjunior.thinkquest.org/4382/
Write an ode to your feet, discover the strange space racer shoes of the future. Weird and wonderful site dedicated to feet.

http://www.travel.it/relig/saints/francis.htm
Francis was born at Assisi in Umbria in 1181 or 1182. His father, Piero Bernardone, was a prosperous merchant, and Francis planned to follow him in his trade, although he also had dreams of being a troubadour or a knight. Discover more about the saint who loved animals and all creation.

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