Adam and creation
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain diversity in the story and status of Adam across the Abrahamic religions.
Key learning points
- Across all Abrahamic faiths, Adam is considered the first man.
- The story of creation is almost identical in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
- Adam is seen as special because he had a soul breathed into him.
- In Islam, the creation of Adam can be seen as a symbol against racism.
- Adam is only given the title of 'prophet' in Islam.
Keywords
Ensoulment - the moment at which a human or other being gains a soul
Genesis - the first book of the Torah and the Bible, containing the story of creation
Hadith - the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad that have been recorded
Common misconception
The creation story in Genesis is unique to Christianity.
All Abrahamic faiths share this story, with Adam as the first human.
Teacher tip
The additional materials contain the story of creation for Genesis 2 expanded so it can be read in full to the class alongside the slide deck.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sexual content
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What name is given to people who receive and share God's message in Abrahamic religions?
Q2.Match each Abrahamic prophet with their Arabic name.
Q3.Which of these is not a quality of a prophet?
Q4.Which of these prophets was commanded by God to sacrifice his son?
Q5.Which of these statements shows the divergence between Jewish and Christian beliefs about Jesus?
Q6.Why does Islamic teaching differ from Christian teaching about Jesus?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the keywords to the correct definitions.
Q2.Which religions include the creation story of Adam?
Q3.What made Adam's creation special?
Q4.Which painting by Michelangelo depicts the creation of Adam?
Q5.In which source of authority can Muslims find stories about the creation of Adam from different soils?
Q6.Which religion sees Adam as the first prophet?
To help you plan your 7 religious education lesson on: Adam and creation, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 religious education lesson on: Adam and creation, 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 Prophethood: how are Abrahamic faiths connected through prophets? unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.