New
New
Year 5

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

I can explain key teachings from the Parable of the Good Samaritan for Christians today.

New
New
Year 5

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

I can explain key teachings from the Parable of the Good Samaritan for Christians today.

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Jesus was Jewish.
  2. Jesus often taught in parables which would have challenged the society of the time.
  3. At that time, Samaritans lived apart from other Jews, who regarded them as not pure.
  4. The Parable of the Good Samaritan would have deeply challenged the audience who heard it.

Keywords

  • Parable - a short story that usually has a deeper meaning

  • Neighbour - someone who lives very near you

  • Commandment - a rule about how you should behave

  • Samaritan - a charitable or helpful person

  • Compassion - showing care and concern for the sufferings of others

Common misconception

The Parable of the Good Samaritan is simply about kindness.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan answers the question, ‘who is my neighbour?’ in a radical way. Jesus has the hero of the story as someone who his audience would have considered unclean and would have been shunned by most people.


To help you plan your year 5 religious education lesson on: The Parable of the Good Samaritan, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Divide the pupils into five groups and ask them to freeze frame one of the five picture slides that tell the story, before you tell them the story. Can they guess the meaning of the parable from the picture?
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of upsetting content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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5 Questions

Q1.
What is Rosh Hashanah?
a celebration of Queen Esther’s bravery
Correct answer: the Jewish New Year
the festival of lights
Q2.
What do Jewish people do during Yom Kippur?
Correct answer: say sorry and ask for forgiveness
eat lots of sweet foods
dress up in costumes
Q3.
What is remembered during the festival of Purim?
the miracle of the oil
the giving of the Torah
Correct answer: the bravery of Queen Esther
Q4.
Why is Hanukkah called the Festival of Lights?
because it happens in summer
because people light fireworks
Correct answer: because the menorah burned for eight days with a small amount of oil
Q5.
Match the food to the correct Jewish festival.
Correct Answer:apples and honey,Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah

Correct Answer:hamantaschen pastries,Purim

Purim

Correct Answer:fried foods (e.g. latkes, doughnuts),Hanukkah

Hanukkah

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Jesus was born into a family and followed its traditions.
Correct Answer: Jewish, jewish
Q2.
The parable teaches that everyone is your , even strangers.
Correct Answer: neighbour, Neighbour
Q3.
Why did Jesus tell the story of the Good Samaritan?
to explain temple rules to neighbours
just as a reminder to be kind
Correct answer: to answer the deeper question ‘Who is my neighbour?’
Q4.
Who helped the injured man in the story?
a priest
a Levite
Correct answer: a Samaritan
Q5.
What does “compassion” mean in the story of the Good Samaritan?
Correct answer: caring and helping someone who is suffering
saying a kind word and walking away
following the rules of the temple
Q6.
What was the main message of the parable?
always follow every law exactly
Correct answer: help others no matter who they are
stay away from strangers

Additional material

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