Curr- RS

Curriculum Plan: Religious Studies

Year Group 7

8

Half-term

Units of work

Assessed piece/skills

1

Christianity - symbols

2

Hinduism – gods and goddesses

3

Islam – the Five Pillars

4

Christianity – the birth of the Church

What is religion?

Signs and symbols My family shield Hindu worship at home What does ahimsa mean to Hindus?

Hindu gods and goddesses Who was Muhammad?

The Five Pillars of Islam Hajj diary Pentecost newspaper report

5

Christianity – love in action

Mother Teresa project

6

Buddhism – the life of the Buddha

My eightfold path

1

Christianity – the Bible

2

Sikhism – the Guru Granth Sahib

3

Islam – the Qur’an

Creation The parable of the Prodigal Son newspaper report Bible cover The journey of life Who was Guru Nanak?

The meaning of the Five Ks Respecting the Qur’an

Reading skills

Writing skills

Reading skills to be developed in class and through personal research to complete homework.

Extended writing required in many of the assessed pieces of work.

Reading skills to be developed in class and through personal research to complete homework.

Extended writing required in many of the assessed pieces of work.

Year Group

9

Half-term

Units of work

Assessed piece/skills

4

Christianity – Jesus, This Is Your Life

Muslim restaurant guide Muslim dress code Jesus, This Is Your Life project

5

Hinduism – the Bhagavad Gita

A Hindu guide to the afterlife

6

Christianity – justice

What justice means to me

1

Christianity – the Eucharist

2

Hinduism – Diwali

3

Judaism – the Holocaust

4

Christianity – the life of Martin Luther King

5

Islam – the mosque

The Last Supper – disciple’s diary Eucharist order of service Heaven and hell How is Diwali celebrated?

The story of Rama and Sita The similarities and differences between Diwali and Christmas Where was God during the Holocaust?

Why is it important to remember the Holocaust today?

Introduction to Martin Luther King biography I have a dream ….. my personal vision for a fairer world Mosque visitors guide

6

Christianity – looking for meaning

Belief in life after death is the most important religious belief.

Discuss

Reading skills

Writing skills

Reading skills to be developed in class and through personal research to complete homework.

Extended writing required in many of the assessed pieces of work.

In years 10 and 11 all students follow the WJEC course for GCSE Religious Studies. They study Christian and Muslim responses to a range of philosophical and ethical issues.

Year 10 – Religion and Life Issues The units are as follows:    

Relationships – issues of love, marriage and divorce Is It Fair? - issues of justice and equality Looking for Meaning – issues about God, life and death Our World – exploring creation and the place of humanity in the world

Year 11 – Religion and Human Experience The units are as follows:    

Religion and Conflict – issues of peace, forgiveness and conflict Religion and Medicine – issues of medical ethics and the sanctity of life Religious Expression – how faith is shown Authority, Religion and State – issues of law and order in religion and society

The final assessment, which determines the GCSE grade, is through two external exams taken at the end of year 11. 5% of the total mark is allocated to spelling, punctuation and grammar. There is no coursework in GCSE Religious Studies. However, students’ written work, based on past exam questions and marked according to the exam criteria, is assessed by class teachers throughout the year and at least at the end of each unit.

In years 12 and 13 those students who have opted to take A level Religious Studies follow the OCR course (the philosophy of religion and ethics papers).

Year 12 Philosophy of Religion 

Plato, Aristotle and the biblical concept of creation

 

The traditional arguments for the existence of God (ontological, cosmological, teleological and moral) Challenges to religious belief from the problem of evil and from modern science

Year 12 Ethics  

Ethical theories (natural law, Kant, utilitarianism, religious ethics) Applied ethics (abortion, euthanasia, genetic engineering, war and peace)

Year 13 Philosophy of Religion    

Religious language Life after death The nature of God Religious experience, including miracle

Year 13 Ethics     

Meta-ethics Free will and determinism Conscience Virtue ethics Applied ethics (environmental and business ethics, sexual ethics)

There are two external exams at the end of year 12 which comprise the AS award. There are a further two external exams at the end of year 13 which are added to the AS results to make the A2 award. Each of the four papers has equal weighting. There is no coursework.