Exploring the value of courage through the story of Daniel in the Lions’ Den.
The video
BEN: Hiya, I'm Ben, and this is the exciting story of Daniel and the Lions.
KIDS: Roar!
BEN: Oh, phew. On with the story. Daniel was a servant to the king and lived in a place called Babylon. Daniel did lots of jobs for the king, like maybe polishing his crown. Now, the king of Babylon liked Daniel very, very much.
DANIEL: Here's your crown, my king.
KING: Thank you, Daniel. Now, you know I like you. In fact, I like you so much I'm going to put you in charge of the whole country.
DANIEL: Wow!
BEN: But some of the other servants to the king were jealous of Daniel, because they wanted to be in charge instead of him.
So, the servants thought how they could get Daniel into trouble. But, getting Daniel into trouble was very tricky because Daniel was a good person who worked very hard.
Very hard indeed! Phew! So, they tricked the king into agreeing to a new rule.
KING: What's this?
BEN: The servants told the king it was a new rule he'd made up and so he announced it.
KING: Thanks very much. From now on, people will only pray to me. Anyone caught praying to anybody else will be thrown to the lions!
KIDS: Roar!
BEN: This meant that Daniel had a really big decision to make. Praying to his God was even more important than being a good servant to the king. So, Daniel was very courageous and kept praying to his God every day just as he'd always done.
But the servants spotted him.
KING: What's this?
BEN: The king was told Daniel had broken the rule and had to be punished?
KING: Thank you, thank you. Now, I still like Daniel very, very much, but he did not pray to me and broke the rule. So now, he must be thrown into the den of ferocious lions!
BEN: Daniel was trapped face-to-face with the big-toothed, hungry beasts.
What would happen to him?
That night, the king couldn't sleep. He was worrying about Daniel.
KING: Oh, what have I done? What have I done?
BEN: So, in the morning, he rushed to find him.
KING: Oh dear, Daniel's been in the lions' den all night and it's my fault.
BEN: But as the king got closer to the den, he looked in and saw Daniel was fine! The king was amazed. How had Daniel survived? Courageous Daniel said…
DANIEL: "My king, when I was in the lions' den, I prayed and all the lions' mouths were shut tight. The lions didn't hurt me because I've done nothing wrong."
KING: "Wahoo! Daniel's okay!"
BEN …said the king.
KING: "You were very courageous, because you stood up for what you knew was right."
BEN: Come on in, guys. Thanks for helping me tell today's treasure story. It's a very old story from the Bible and Hebrew Bible. See you again soon, bye!
KIDS: Bye!
The story of Daniel in the Lions' Den is found in the Old Testament part of the Bible and the Tanach within Scriptures, in the Book of Daniel, Chapter 6.
Daniel was a trusted adviser to King Darius. He was Jewish and his faith was very important to him. Daniel was honest and always worked hard; he also prayed three times a day. Other advisers and servants to the king were jealous of the relationship between Daniel and King Darius, so they tricked the king into making a new law that prohibited praying to anyone other than the king. Daniel remained faithful and continued praying to God, even though he knew this would put him in danger. He was spotted praying to God and it was reported to King Darius that Daniel had broken the law and Daniel was punished by being thrown into the Lions’ Den. Darius worried all night about the fate of Daniel, so rushed to the den the following morning. He found Daniel safe and Daniel explained that God had sent an angel who protected him. He had shown courage in his trust of God. The law was then changed so all others could pray to God as well. This can help us to reflect on the value of courage.
Video questions
- What was Daniel's job? (A servant)
- Where did he live? (In Babylon)
- What new rule did the King make? (That people were only allowed to pray to him. Anyone caught praying to anyone else would be thrown to the lions)
- What happened when Daniel prayed to God? (The King had him thrown in the Lions' Den)
- Why could the King not sleep? (He was worried about what would happen to Daniel)
- How did Daniel survive in the Lions' Den? (He prayed that all the lions' mouths would stay shut tight)
Teacher Notes
Children could find this story in the Bible and show an understanding of the Old and New Testament formats.
Retell the story as a piece of drama.
Compare the faith, bravery and courage in the story of Daniel to the story of David and Goliath.
Discuss Daniel’s character. Do they know anyone who shows similar character traits?
Draw a cartoon/storyboard version of the story.
Explore the concept of trusting in God and having God’s protection. Why is it sometimes hard to keep following your faith?
Discuss what 'courage' means to pupils. Record key words about a time they have needed to show courage.
Use a persona doll to explore how a new child has joined the school and wants to pray but others are saying mean things. What can they do to help that child?
Send a letter to someone in the community who the children feel has shown courage.
Have a speaker visit to talk about how they have overcome personal difficulties, and the steps they had to take which required courage or perhaps personal faith.
Curriculum Notes
This short film will be relevant for teaching KS1 Religious Studies in England and Northern Ireland, the Curriculum for Wales (particularly RVE as part of Humanities) and Early and 1st Level Religious and Moral Education in Scotland.
Further resources
