With Advent starting soon, and Christmas on the horizon, the Nativity story is back in our focus. But when we are teaching about these topics it is important to consider how different cultures view the birth and significance of Jesus. And, also to remember that Jesus is a key figure for Muslims too.
The agreed syllabus is careful to weave the Christmas story into its spiral curriculum, avoiding the tendency to teach about the baby in the stable year on year. Here is a summary of the way the topic of the Incarnation is explored:
- FS: Crib scene and celebration of Jesus' birthday
- KS1: Journey to Bethlehem, angels and shepherds
- Lower KS2: Jesus as part of the Trinity
- Upper KS2: Jesus the promised Messiah, the visit of the Magi
- KS3: Jesus as God: the 7 'signs' and the 'I am' statements from John's Gospel
Challenging question: In what sense is the Nativity story 'true'?