Key Question
What is special about our world?
Key Vocabulary Christian, Muslim, nature, harm, care for, creation, create, creator, sorry, Bible, Torah, special, nature, natural, beauty, wonder, unique,
Key events and places
We should know
The Bible is a Holy book for some Christians . The Qur’an is the holy book for Muslim people
Many religious people believe that the world was created and designed by God.
Christianity / Judaism – The Torah is the holy book for Jewish people and like the Bible has a story about how God created the earth – The Creation story, which tells of how God created a wonderous earth full of beautiful things and how humans need to look after God’s creation.
Islam - The Qur’an has stories of how the earth was created which Muslims believe. Muhammed and the crying camel and Muhammed and the ants are stories which teach Muslims to treat animals kindly because Allah’s creations need care. Muhammed was so good in the stories that Muslim’s should copy him.
Religious symbols
Key Knowledge
What do you think is special in the world?
How do you think we should treat plants and animals? What do you do?
What is the same about the Christian and Muslim stories you have heard?
Think about the story of Muhammad and the Crying Camel - what can we do when we feel sorry? Is it easy to say sorry?
Who is a good example to you?
R.E. – Reception –
Special Places
Key Question
What do Hindus believe about God?
We should know -That religions use symbolism to express religious beliefs.
Key Vocabulary Roles Worship Imagery
Stories Shiva Vishnu Brahma Ganesh Murti Trimurti Deities
Key events and places
Hindus believe in one God (Brahman) who can be understood and visualised in many forms. Deities in Hinduism are a visual representation of beliefs about God.
Blind Man and the Elephant This is a story from India about six blind men who heard about an animal called an elephant. They are curious so visited the Rajah to find the truth. They each feel a different part of the elephant so have a different view of what an elephant is like and so argue. The Rajah tells them to share their ideas to imagine the creature. The story has a message how we should respect the views and ideas of others
Trimurti Hindus have many hundred of gods which represent different aspects of the ‘one God’ (Brahman). However, Hindus have three that are considered most important. These three are called the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) which help Hindus understand the true nature of God and the universe.
Murti These are the colourful figures and pictures of the deities found at Hindu shrines and temples. These figures usually form the focus for prayer, as they are believed to be filled with spirit of the god they represent.
Religious symbols
Key Knowledge
What do Hindus believe about God?
What do Hindus learn about God from the story of the Blind Man and the Elephant?
Why do Hindus use statues and Murti in their worship?
What is similar and different about the deities of the Trimurti?
R.E. – Year One –
Dharma
Hindu
Key Question
What unites the Christian community?
Two-Christianity (Church)
We should know
Christians are united in the belief of one God and Jesus Christ unite the Christian
The cross is an important Christian symbol.
The symbolism contained in the idea of Jesus as ‘the light of the world’.
Key Vocabulary
Community Worship Belonging Prayer Signs
Symbols
Bible message Church
Key events and places
Christian symbolic image and action A symbol is something that makes us think of something else. Christians use them to speak about or represent what they believe.
Crucifix Icthus Dove Candles Flame Rainbow
Bread and Wine Holy Bible
Sign of the Cross Joined hands in prayer Kneeling
The Church is the important place where Christians come together as a community to worship and praise God. It is the Christian place of worship.
Worship in Church Christian worship is about praising or thanking God. Worship in a Church is led by a priest, vicar, minister or pastor and the special day for Christian worship is Sunday. Members of the Christian community come together the sit in pews facing the altar where the bread and wine are blessed. There are lots of ways Christians worship God. in Church, through music, songs or hymns, reading from the Bible, saying prayers, listening to sermons, taking Communion or Holy Communion, giving some of their time or money charity.
Religious symbols
Key Knowledge
Why do Christians think it is important to come together to worship God ?
Which symbols (images and actions) are used in Christian worship?
What would you find in a Church?
R.E. – Year
Key Question
Why are the Gurus important to Sikhs?
We should know
What it means to make a commitment to something?
What ‘a leader’ is
Key Vocabulary Baisakhi
Role model Leader
Guru commitment
Dedication
Wisdom Commitment
Determination
Resilience
Guru Nanak
Guru Granth Sahib
Key events and places
Guru means teacher – but not like a teacher at school. It is used to refer to people who teach wisdom, often religious teachers and leaders.
Guru Nanak is known as the man who founded the Sikh religion and is the first Sikh guru. Guru Nanak spent his life travelling around South Asia and the Middle East, preaching to Muslims and Hindus about religion. He also did a lot of writing and teaching. He taught people that he believed that there was one god and that everyone can have a relationship with God through meditation. The Sikh religion is based on the teachings of Guru Nanak and the other gurus that came after him.
Guru Granth Sahib A book which contains a collection of songs, prayers and hymns from the Sikh Gurus and other holy men, as well as teachings from other faiths. It is treated as a living Guru. giving Sikhs guidance on how to live their lives. The Sikhs do not regard this as their "holy book" but as their perpetual and current "guru", guide or master.
Baisakhi is the agricultural festival of happiness and prosperity, is celebrated every year on 13 or 14 April. It's also known as Vaisakhi and is a significant festival for the Sikh community. Baisakhi marks the beginning of the Sikh New Year and commemorates the formation of the Khalsa
Religious symbols
Key Knowledge
• Who founded the Sikh religion?
• What is a guru?
• What important beliefs do Sikhs learn through the story of Guru Nanak?
• How do Sikhs show respect to Guru Granth Sahib?
• What do Sikhs do to show commitment to their faith during Baisakhi?
R.E. – Year Three – Sikhism
Key Question
Why do Muslims fast during Ramadan?
We should know
• What it means to make a commitment to something?
• Islam – Submission to Allah through upholding the Five Pillars (Shahada, Salah, Saum, Zakah, Hajj).
Key Vocabulary Committed
Ramadhan
Eid al-Fitr
Fasting Service
Five Pillars Shahada Salah Saum Zakah Hajj Charity Revelation Society
Key events and places
The Five Pillars of Islam are the foundations for the Islamic faith and way of life. Commitment is required to uphold the pillars. The Shahada is an ongoing commitment throughout life; Salah is commitment to the five daily prayers; Saum is the annual commitment to fast during the month of Ramadhan – along with Zakah, the commitment to sharing wealth; and Hajj is the once in a lifetime commitment to going on pilgrimage to Mecca.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The exact dates of Ramadan change every year because Islam uses a calendar based on the cycles of the Moon. Ramadan starts when the new Moon first appears in the night sky and ends when it wanes to the other side. Most Muslims fast between dawn and sunset which them to devote themselves to their faith. It is thought to teach self-discipline and reminds them of the suffering of the poor. However, children, pregnant women, elderly people and those who are ill or travelling don't have to fast. During Ramadan, it is common to have one meal (known as the suhoor), just before dawn and another (known as the iftar), directly after sunset. Almost all Muslims try to give up bad habits during Ramadan. It is a time for prayer and good deeds. They will try to spend time with family and friends and help people in need. Many Muslims will attempt to read the whole of the Qur'an at least once during Ramadan. They will also attend special services in Mosques during which the Qur'an is read.
Night of Power Ramadan remembers the month the Qur'an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. The actual night that the Qur'an was revealed is a night known as Lailut ul-Qadr ('The Night of Power').
Eid al-Fitr is a big celebration that marks the end of Ramadan (the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast). Muslims are not only celebrating the end of fasting, but thanking Allah for the strength he gave them throughout the previous month. Mosques hold special services and a special meal is eaten during daytime (the first daytime meal for a month). During Eid ul-Fitr Muslims dress in their finest clothes, give gifts to children and spend time with their friends and family. Muslims will also give money to charity at Eid.
Religious symbols
Key Knowledge
How is Ramadan important in the context of the Five Pillars of Islam?
What does the Qur’an teach Muslims about Ramadan?
How and why do Muslims fast during Ramadan?
What impact does fasting have on the Islamic community?
R.E. – Year Four –
Islam
Key Question
How do people decide what to believe?
Christianity: Church
We should know
What is meant by the idea of one God in Trinity and be able to explain the role of each person of the Trinity. We should be able to explain these concepts using subject specific vocabulary and make connections between beliefs, teachings and practices.
Key Vocabulary
Source of authority
Trinity
Shared statement of belief
Taizé
Worldwide Christian Church
Ultimate authority
United in diversity
Different forms of
Christian worship
Anglican Catholic Quaker
Pentecostal Salvation Army
Key events and places
The Apostles’ Creed is an agreed and memorised statement of faith used in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and many Protestant churches where baptised members of the Christian faith declare their continued belief in God the Father and Jesus Christ his son. . According to tradition, it was composed by the 12 Apostles. Each denomination has its own variation in the wording for the creed, but the commonality in each, is the pledge of a belief in God, creator of heaven and earth, Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection , The Holy Spirit, the forgiveness of sins , and life everlasting.
Symbols of the Holy Trinity are representations of the Christian belief that God is one Being, made up of three distinct Persons who exist in co-equal, co-eternal communion as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There are many representations of this symbol but all have equal proportions such as an equilateral triangle having all sides of equal length and each angle equal represents one God in three Persons. or a single design composed of three equally sized, joined circles.
Denomination is a religious group that has slightly different beliefs from other groups that share the same religion, for example Protestantism and Roman Catholicism are both denominations of the Christian faith.
Ecumenism is the belief that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity throughout the world.
The Taizé Community is an ecumenical Christian monastic group in Taizé, France. It is made up of one hundred brothers, from Catholic and Protestant traditions, who come from thirty countries around the world. They live out the Christian Gospel in a spirit of joy, simplicity and reconciliation through Taizé's unique meditative music and chants, candlelit worship and prayer three times a day.
Religious symbols
Key Knowledge
What do Christians mean when they talk about one God in Trinity?
Describe and explain the symbols that might be used for the Trinity?
How might the symbols unite the worldwide Christian Church?
What are the beliefs contained within the Apostle’s Creed?
Why does the Christian community want this agreed statement of belief?
Why might Christians of different denominations want to come together to worship?
R.E. – Year Five–
Key Question
What do we mean by a ‘good life’?
Key Vocabulary
Happiness
Positive Meditate
Contentment
Virtue
Nirvana
Price Siddhartha
Four Noble Truths
Eightfold Path
Key events and places
We should know:
• This unit will build on their prior learning about life as a journey and deepen their understanding of how people might cope with change and difficulties in life. They should be able to make reference to other religions and worldviews that they have studied.
• The Story of Prince Siddhartha tells of how Prince Gautama Siddhartha left the comfort and safety of his father's palace in Nepal and saw 'Four Sights' that were to change his life. As he looked on old age, sickness, death and holiness, he determined to search for the real answers to the meaning of life. One day, while Gautama was sitting and meditating under a tree, he became enlightened, or free from both desire and suffering. In this way, he became the Buddha, which means “enlightened one” thus becoming the founder of Buddhism.
• The Four NobleTruths The Buddha taught others about Four Noble Truths he discovered. The first truth, Dukkha is that life is full of suffering. The second,, Sumdaya ,is that suffering is caused by desire for material things. The third, Nirodha, is that humans can free themselves from all that. The fourth truth, Magga, told the way to achieve this freedom (eight steps)
• In Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path is the path to the end of suffering. It is the fourth part of the Four Noble Truths. It can be summed up in three categories: wisdom (pañña), virtue (sila), and concentration (samadhi) It asks for the Right view and the right intention, as well as other things. It also asks for the right speech. These eight actions are important as a person’s actions in life will determine what they are reborn as in their next life. Kamma is gained through good actions and results in positive consequences. Bad actions, not following the path, mean negative consequences.
• The Dharma Wheel is the symbol used around the globe to represent Buddhism .The wheel represents the Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha. In the center of the wheel are three swirls that represent the three jewels of Buddhism, which are the Buddha (or the teacher), the Dharma (teachings of Buddha), and the sangha (the community). The eight spokes represent the Eightfold Path.
Religious symbols
Key Knowledge
What is contentment? Is it the same as happiness?
What are the belief and values of Buddhism?
How do Buddhists gain contentment?
Why are the Four Noble truths important?
What is involved in following the Noble Eightfold Path?
Why is meditation important for Buddhists?
R.E. – Year Six – Buddhism
