Father of many nations
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how Abraham is seen as a literal and metaphorical father of many nations.
Key learning points
- Abraham was blessed with children much later in life than is usually possible.
- Abraham having descendants was part of the Abrahamic covenant.
- Abraham's descendants become significant in shaping the Abrahamic religions.
- Abraham may be seen as a metaphorical father of many nations, as Judaism, Christianity and Islam trace back to him.
Keywords
Abrahamic - referring to a group of monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam)
Descendants - your children and any further generations of children that begin from them
Nation - a large body of people, united by social and territorial commonalities
Tribe - a social group made up of many families sharing the same customs and values
Common misconception
Judaism, Christianity and Islam have nothing in common.
Judaism, Christianity and Islam are Abrahamic faiths and all three religions can be traced back to Abraham through his sons Ishmael and Isaac and their descendants.
Teacher tip
Abraham was still referred to as Abram in the Bible when Ishmael was born. This is why the teacher or students may notice this change in name in the scripture used in Learning Cycle 1.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of sexual content
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which promise is linked to Abraham's name change?
Q2.What was the sign of the Abrahamic covenant?
Q3.God changed Sarai's name to .
Q4.Which keyword refers to a person's child or children?
Q5.Many still practice circumcision during the Brit Milah ceremony.
Q6.Why did Abraham leave his home?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What were the names of Abraham's two sons?
Q2.Which one of Abraham's sons had 12 sons?
Q3.Whose son was Jacob?
Q4.Jacob's 12 sons became the heads of the twelve tribes of .
Q5.Which Abrahamic faith can be traced back to Abraham through Ishmael and his descendants?
Q6.Christianity can be traced back to Abraham through Judaism because __________ was Jewish.
To help you plan your 7 religious education lesson on: Father of many nations, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 religious education lesson on: Father of many nations, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 religious education lessons from the Abraham: what is the significance of covenants for Jews, Christians and Muslims? unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.