Students learn about the life and death of Jesus and the historical spread of Christianity, including the missionary work of St. Paul. Map study and a timeline ground their learning in chronology and geography as they explain the successful spread of Christianity across the Roman Empire. Finally, they interpret well-known universal sayings of Jesus.
Students are introduced to the focus of the experience—the birth and early growth of Christianity—and review the lesson objectives. They examine photos of Christian culture and leaders, then respond to a word cloud prompt by posting words or short phrases they associate with Christianity, such as customs, holidays, and well-known Christians.
Teacher MovesPresent the overview and objectives of the experience. After students contribute to the word cloud, lead a brief discussion of their responses, inviting volunteers to explain the meanings of the words they posted and highlighting the range of ideas that emerge.
Students examine an image of a 4th-century mural of Jesus from a Roman catacomb to consider early Christian art and symbolism. They then watch Land of Israel/Palestine: Early Christianity and read Birth of Christianity to learn about the life and death of Jesus, the roles of Jews and Romans in the story, and the early spread of Christianity. As they read, they complete a four-part graphic organizer with notes about Jesus, Paul and early Christians, Romans, and Jews to consolidate key information.
Teacher MovesProvide background on the mural image, including how depictions of Jesus changed over time and the meaning of symbols such as Alpha and Omega. Support students in reading Birth of Christianity, for example by reading paragraphs aloud and summarizing. After students complete the organizer, use their notes and the sources to spark discussion with questions such as the role of Paul of Tarsus, the importance of Jesus being Jewish, and why the story of Jesus interests many non-Christians as well as Christians.
Students study a timeline of key events in early Christian history, from the birth of Jesus through Christianity becoming the official religion of the Roman Empire. They then read selected sections of The Birth of Christianity and The Rise of Christianity in Ancient Rome to learn how Christianity spread after Jesus’ lifetime, including persecution and imperial support. Students answer multiple-choice questions about why Romans viewed Christians as criminals, how persecuted Christians were treated, and what can be inferred from a map in The Rise of Christianity that shows Paul’s travels, areas of Christian influence, and sites of persecution. Finally, they write a brief explanation on a class wall describing why Christianity spread successfully in the Roman Empire, using specific evidence from the texts, timeline, and map.
Teacher MovesUse the timeline to clarify the sequence of major events in early Christian history. Encourage careful reading of the articles and guide students to connect what they read with the quiz questions and map features (cities, regions of Christian influence, Paul’s routes, and persecution sites). After students post explanations about Christianity’s successful spread, highlight an interesting or exemplary response and use it to prompt whole-class discussion.
Students view an image of the Judaean desert and read several well-known sayings attributed to Jesus (for example, “love your enemies,” “turn the other cheek,” “the truth shall set you free”). They choose one saying, explain what they think it means, and give a real-life example of when it might apply by posting to a collaborative wall. Students then read classmates’ posts and respond to at least two with a question or positive comment.
Teacher MovesFacilitate discussion of student interpretations, steering conversation toward the universal moral ideas expressed in the sayings rather than specific theological debates.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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