Humility: Session 1 INSPIRE Concept Cracking
Learning Objectives
- To identify previous knowledge about virtues and values
- To be able to explain the concept of the virtue
- To recognise different sources for virtues learning including from the Biblical text
- To understand the significance of key questions in enquiry learning
- To identify further key questions to start an effective virtues enquiry.
- To creatively reflect on learning about the concept of humility using Wordles
Learning activity 1 What are virtues and where do they come from?
Teaching Point
Explain that it is important to identify what we already know about virtues and values in order to identify further key questions inspired by the topic to start an enquiry task.
Ask pupils to think of questions to ask about virtues and consider why they are important.
Select introductory questions to suit class pre-knowledge and understanding. Explain that these are the kinds of questions that we can explore together in this enquiry.
Use their questions or some of the following as an entry point:
What kind of person do you want to become? For example – Do you want to live by a set of virtues that: help others? help us make lots of money? help ourselves?…
Can we group virtues into categories to help us understand them better?
Can we identify specific virtues that we aspire to develop? (see Appendix 2 for more information)
- Intellectual virtues e.g. autonomy; critical thinking; curiosity; judgement; reasoning; reflection; resourcefulness
- Moral Virtues e.g. compassion; courage; gratitude; honesty; humility; integrity; justice; respect
- Civil virtues e.g. citizenship; civility; community awareness; neighbourliness; service; volunteering
- Performance virtues e.g. confidence; determination; motivation; perseverance; resilience; teamwork.
- ‘Fruit of the spirit’ virtues e.g. love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control – Galatians 5
Where do we get our virtues from? Who teaches us about virtues and virtues?
How do we develop a moral compass and individual virtues? Why is it important?
Who are our role models? (family, friends, celebrities, sports coaches, religious leaders, characters).
N.B Select introductory questions to suit class pre-knowledge and understanding.
Introduce pupils to the fact that different cultures and communities adhere to an agreed set of core virtues, some of which are universal virtues or come from a philosophy, Sacred text and religious teaching or are part of a political framework – for example British Virtues. Many virtues are common across different sources but the interpretation and significance of these will be distinct.
Extension: Look in more detail at The Jubilee Centre categorisation of virtues as a stimulus for further discussion.
A Christian viewpoint on Virtues. In Christianity the ‘fruit of the spirit’ are biblically inspired virtues (personal qualities) that Jesus taught about and modelled to his followers, that believers seek to acquire as part of their faith-based character development. They believe that this process is an outworking of their relationship with God, believing in God as their saviour and the Holy Spirit as the teacher and enabler. This unit will help pupils explore some of the distinctions and overlaps between universal moral and biblically inspired virtues. The design and content of the learning activities focussed on the study of moral and biblical virtues will require them to exercise intellectual virtues as well as reflect upon them. The Bible drama workshop will deepen awareness of performance related virtues.
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