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      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can retell the Genesis story of Eve and The Fall, and explain different Christian perspectives on this.

      Key learning points

      1. The Genesis account of Eve and The Fall can be read in different ways, depending on the view of its genre.
      2. Original Sin is a belief that humans are born inclined to sin as a consequence of The Fall.
      3. The story can be read through different lenses which may influence the interpretation of the story.
      4. The story of Eve and The Fall has had different impacts on the view of women within Christianity and wider societies.

      Keywords

      • Literal - taking something exactly as it is stated without intepreting a deeper or symbolic meaning

      • Original sin - the idea that all humans are born with a tendency to sin because of Adam and Eve's disobedience in the Garden of Eden

      • Sin - wrong actions, thoughts or behaviours which go against God's laws and commands

      • Symbolic - something that represents or stands for a deeper meaning or idea

      • The Fall - the event told in Genesis when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, leading to sin entering the world

      Common misconception

      That all Christians believe in original sin.

      Different Christian groups and individuals may believe in original sin or not and even those that do believe in it may have differing interpretations of what it actually means.

      Teacher tip

      Showing clips of toddlers refusing to share, siblings pushing one another over and contrasting with toddlers being kind and gentle can stimulate interesting discussions around human nature; are we born with a tendency to sin or to do good?

      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

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Genesis 2 is about the creation of ...

      the Earth
      living things
      Correct answer: Adam and Eve

      Q2.
      When God made Adam, he breathed into him.

      Correct Answer: life, Life

      Q3.
      God filled Eden with plants and the __________ of knowledge of good and evil.

      Correct answer: tree
      river
      rock
      fruit

      Q4.
      God created animal companions for Adam but they were unsuitable, so he created ...

      Correct Answer: woman, Woman, eve

      Q5.
      Adam is considered a prophet by ...

      Jews
      Christians
      Correct answer: Muslims

      Q6.
      Jews and Christians consider the first prophet to be ...

      Adam
      Eve
      Correct answer: Abraham
      Ishmael
      Isaac

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      When we use the discipline of in religious education, we can look at types of text and interpretations of them which can then lead to different meanings.

      Correct Answer: theology, Theology

      Q2.
      The story of the first sin is known as ...

      Correct answer: The Fall
      The Creation
      Adam and Eve
      The Forbidden Fruit

      Q3.
      Some sources blame for the first sin entering the world.

      Correct Answer: Eve, eve

      Q4.
      The idea of 'original sin' was developed by ...

      Correct answer: Augustine
      Jerome
      Ambrose
      Bede

      Q5.
      Many Roman Catholic Christians read the story of Eve in a , rather than a literal way.

      Correct Answer: symbolic, Symbolic

      Q6.
      Most Quakers interpret Eve's story in a symbolic way because they believe ...

      Correct answer: that humans were 'created in God's image'
      that it could never have happened
      that Adam was as responsible as Eve

      To help you plan your 9 religious education lesson on: Eve and original sin, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...