These analysis mind maps sumarise each topic by page for the whole unit of Philosophy of Religion (AS and A2 years). Each map is downloaded as both a Word document and a PDF, for compatibility.
The maps specifically follow the requirements of the OCR A Level Religious Studies Spec, but due to similarities across specifications they are relevant for other exam boards. They can also be edited easily for other specifications.
They explore appropriate AO1 (knowledge and understanding) followed by AO2 (analysis and evaluation) of that specific point. I encourage my own students to add another layer to the map, evaluating the analysis, to develop their AO2. This could continue on indefinitely or end each ‘arm’ with a personal judgement.
I also like to cut up the maps and ask the student to re-construct them. This aids in their revision skills and supports their logical structuring of arguments.
Maps included:
Ancient Philosophical Influences
Soul, Mind, Body
Teleological Argument
Cosmological Argument
Ontological Argument
Religious Experience
Problem of Evil
Nature of God
Religious Language
20th Century Perspectives
Please give feedback! I am always happy to respond to comments - whether positive or constructive - this will help to improve the quality of my resources in the future and, more importantly, the quality of pupils’ RE/RS education in general - which is what we’re all here for!
This is a unit of 5 lessons for the OCR unit on Developments in Christian Thought: Death and the Afterlife. Lessons cover a variety of tasks, activities and learner styles, geared towards the final exam. Also included is the A3 and A4 Learning Mats / Revision Mats for this topic. In addition, included for free is the Workbook for home-study and revision!
Lessons are:
Intro and Parable of the Sheep and the Goats
Heaven
Hell
Purgatory
Election
Please give feedback! I am always happy to respond to comments - whether positive or constructive - this will help to improve the quality of my resources in the future and, more importantly, the quality of pupils’ RE/RS education in general - which is what we’re all here for!
This is a learning mat indented for independent study or revision for the topic of Religion and Ethics: Meta-Ethical Theories, as part of the OCR AS/A Level specification, although it can be applied across specifications. Document can be downloaded as an A3 Word document and as an A4 PDF, for compatibility.
Resource Includes:
Ethical naturalism
Intuitionism
Emotivism
Ethical terms as objective and meaningful
Ethical terms as subjective or meaningless
‘What is good’?
Prescriptivism and error theory
Created with the OCR RS AS/A Level in mind, though can be applied across specifications and qualifications.
Please give feedback! I am always happy to respond to comments - whether positive or constructive - this will help to improve the quality of my resources in the future and, more importantly, the quality of pupils’ RE/RS education in general - which is what we’re all here for!
This is a unit of 3 one-to-two-hour lessons for the OCR unit on Philosophy of Religion: Arguments (for the existence of God) based on observation, though could be applied across specifications. Lessons cover a variety of tasks, activities and learner styles, geared towards the final exam.
FREE with this unit is the A3 and A4 Learning Mats / Revision Mat for this topic, and the Word/PDF Workbooks.
Lessons are:
Teleological Argument
Cosmological Argument
Challenging the Arguments
Each lesson also includes assessment of the arguments proposed and an essay-style question for discussion and development.
Please give feedback! I am always happy to respond to comments - whether positive or constructive - this will help to improve the quality of my resources in the future and, more importantly, the quality of students’ Philosophy education in general - which is what we’re all here for!
Our school bought a poster pack for careers within different subject areas, however, unsurprisingly, there wasn’t one for RS/Philosophy… sigh
So, I made one myself! Download it as an A3 Word document or as an A4 PDF
I hope you’ll find it useful :)
This is a unit of 3 two-hour lessons for the OCR unit on Philosophy of Religion: Soul, Mind and Body. Lessons cover a variety of tasks, activities and learner styles, geared towards the final exam. Also included is the A3 and A4 Learning Mats / Revision Mat for this topic.
Lessons are:
Plato and Aristotle on Soul
Descartes’ Substance Dualism
Materialism
Learning Mat on Soul, Mind and Body
Each lesson also includes assessment of the arguments proposed and an essay-style question for discussion and development.
Free 30-page workbook with this unit!
Please give feedback! I am always happy to respond to comments - whether positive or constructive - this will help to improve the quality of my resources in the future and, more importantly, the quality of students’ Philosophy education in general - which is what we’re all here for!
Creative and visually engaging learning mat / revision sheet for inductive arguments for the existence of God
Created with the WJEC/Eduqas A Level in mind, though can be applied across specifications and qualifications.
Please give feedback! I am always happy to respond to comments - whether positive or constructive - this will help to improve the quality of my resources in the future and, more importantly, the quality of pupils' RE/RS education in general - which is what we're all here for!
This is a workbook indented for independent study or revision for the topic of Religion and Ethics: Utilitarianism, as part of the OCR AS/A Level specification, although it can be applied across specifications. It is a 26 page document (PDF also included) to support your learners.
These workbooks are ideal for independent study or set as topic-specific homework/revision.
Resource Includes:
Bentham (utility)
Hedonic calculus
Mill’s utilitarianism
Act and rule utilitarianism
Analysing utilitarianism
Peter Singer (preference utilitarianism)
*Exam questions (35 marks) and exam technique
Created with the OCR RS AS/A Level in mind, though can be applied across specifications and qualifications.
Please give feedback! I am always happy to respond to comments - whether positive or constructive - this will help to improve the quality of my resources in the future and, more importantly, the quality of pupils’ RE/RS education in general - which is what we’re all here for!
These engaging and colourful learning mats are indented for independent study or revision for the topic of Religion and Ethics, as part of the OCR AS/A Level specification, although it can be applied across specifications. Each learning mat is downloaded as an A3 Word document and an A4 PDF, for compatibility.
Topics include:
Natural Law
Utilitarianism
Situation Ethics
Kantian Ethics
Euthanasia
Business Ethics
Meta-Ethical Theories
Conscience
Sexual Ethics
Created with the OCR RS AS/A Level in mind, though can be applied across specifications and qualifications.
Please give feedback! I am always happy to respond to comments - whether positive or constructive - this will help to improve the quality of my resources in the future and, more importantly, the quality of pupils’ RE/RS education in general - which is what we’re all here for!
Created with the AQA RS GCSE specification in mind, though can be applied across specifications and qualifications. Quick and easy revision presented in a creative way!
Each revision card includes definitions, teachings, the importance and an opinion question. Answers are also available on the reverse of each card for student to work independently.
The final slide (with practise questions) also comes with answers using the appropriate exam technique.
The flip cards include the following topics, according to the specification:
Origins of the universe
Value of the environment
Animals
Origins and value of life
Sanctity and quality of life
Abortion and euthanasia
Afterlife
Practise Exam Questions
Please give feedback! I am always happy to respond to comments - whether positive or constructive - this will help to improve the quality of my resources in the future and, more importantly, the quality of pupils’ RE/RS education in general - which is what we’re all here for!
Created with the AQA RS GCSE specification in mind, though can be applied across specifications and qualifications. Quick and easy revision presented in a creative way!
Each revision card includes definitions, teachings, the importance and an opinion question. Answers are also available on the reverse of each card for student to work independently.
The final slide (with practise questions) also comes with answers using the appropriate exam technique.
The flip cards include the following topics, according to the specification:
Human Rights and Social Justice
Freedom of Religious Expression
Prejudice and Discrimination
Gender Discrimination
Homophobia
Racial Discrimination
Wealth
Exploitation of the Poor
Responsibility to the Poor
Practise Exam Questions
Please give feedback! I am always happy to respond to comments - whether positive or constructive - this will help to improve the quality of my resources in the future and, more importantly, the quality of pupils’ RE/RS education in general - which is what we’re all here for!
This resource is Lesson 1 on a new Buddhism unit aimed at KS3. The lesson and PowerPoints include a range of engaging, high-quality activities covering an introduction to Buddhism and the life of Siddhartha Gautama.
Lesson includes:
Homework slide
Review of prior learning
Title, objective and date
Key Words
Reading introduction
Video task
Fact hunt
Analysis task
Evaluation
Plenary
Scaffolding is included in the Powerpoint itself and also in the resources to ensure maximum engagement and comprehension. Challenges (extension tasks) also exist throughout the lessons to further enhance skills and understanding.
There are a variety of knowledge, understanding and evaluation tasks throughout the lesson, including video and debate activities that the students always love - year-on-year.
Please give feedback! I am always happy to respond to comments - whether positive or constructive - this will help to improve the quality of my resources in the future and, more importantly, the quality of pupils’ RE/RS education in general - which is what we’re all here for!
AQA GCSE Religious Studies: Theme C: Existence of God and Revelation: exam practise pack
This 22-page pack was created to support learners to prepare for their GCSE examination in Religious Studies: Existence of God and Revelation - the whole unit, downloaded as both an editable Word document and a PDF (for compatibility). If you are teaching a different specification, the questions can easily be edited to suit these specifications, which assess the information in a simliar way, making this resource relevant to all specifications.
The pack includes:
RAG rating of the specification
Knowledge and understanding relating to the specification
Key words and definitions
Exam practise
Answers / sample answers
Topics covered:
Reasons to believe in God
Nature of God
Design argument
First cause argument
Religious experience: miracles
Religious experience: visions
Existence of evil and suffering
Arguments from science
Revelation and enlightenment
Created with the AQA RS GCSE in mind, though can be applied across specifications and qualifications.
Please give feedback! I am always happy to respond to comments - whether positive or constructive - this will help to improve the quality of my resources in the future and, more importantly, the quality of pupils’ RE/RS education in general - which is what we’re all here for!
KS3 Religious Studies/Philosophy and Ethics: Ethical Questions*
Lesson: What is Ethics?
This unit, ‘Ethical Questions, is devised as part of a brand new, interleaved scheme of work for KS3, aimed to prepare KS3 students for the move up to KS4, introducing some key concepts that can be developed later on at GCSE.
Individual lessons are intended as a double (roughly one and a half hours per lesson) however, due to time restrictions and the embedded support in the corresponding Work Pack, could also be taught in a minimal one hour per lesson.
This scheme of learning has been devised explicitly to support the Recovery Curriculum, interleave learning with previously-learned units and support cognition through interleaving techniques.
Although part of a unit, lessons can also be taught as a stand-alone lessons, e.g. for revision. The corresponding Resource Pack(s) would also support a home-learned curriculum as the PowerPoints and Packs themselves include differentiation and scaffolding, where required.
The interleaved schemed of work are specifically designed to promote the two skills desired for success at GCSE:
AO1 (Knowledge and Understanding)
AO2 (Analysis and Evaluation)
The resources are specifically created to ensure students are aware of the skill they are demonstrating and how to improve further through modelling.
These new units bring the relevance back to our topics, for example, through thought experiments and reference to current affairs. Students will experience greater engagement and enjoyment in a fair and balanced approach.
Lesson includes:
Homework Slide
Unit Cover and lesson overview
Starter activity, including interleaving
Key words (literacy focus)
Introduction of key information (AO1 - knowledge) and how this is used (AO1 - understanding)
Introduction of a contentious issue or debate (AO2 - analysis) and finalised judgement (AO2 - evaluation)
Plenary
The Work Pack:
If you would rather work in exercise books, the Work Pack is designed so that you can print off relevant pages - it is a resource pack. This would be useful if you have appropriate curriculum time to cover the content of the course. Unfortunately, this is not the case across all schools, and therefore the Work Pack helps by providing time-saving activities, whilst still being able to cover the breadth and depth of the course.
In addition, students who may be limited by literacy issues, e.g. slower writing paces, are not disadvantaged or capped in their progress. Therefore, some classes could use a mixed approach - part Work Pack, part exercise book - and all students will be able to progress through the same volume of content.
Please give feedback: I am always happy to respond to comments - whether positive or constructive - this will help to improve the quality of my resources in the future and, more importantly, the quality of pupils’ RE/RS education in general - which is what we’re all here for!
Unit of lessons for GCSE Themes: Crime and Punishment (AQA - though applicable across specifications - sometimes known as ‘Good and Evil’) . It includes PowerPoint-led learning through an engaging and well-designed Work Pack. This unit explores all of the nuanced and specialist learning by adopting socially distant teaching techniques.
The PowerPoints aid a ‘plug in and play’ approach which benefits both subject specialists and non-subject specialists alike.
In addition, the Powerpoint and the Work Pack now includes all resources that the students need to access an engaging, high-quality education.
Lessons include:
L1 Authority and Religion
L2 -3 Crime, Good and Evil
L4 Aims of Punishment
L5 Prisons and Treatment of Criminals
L6 Corporal Punishment
L7 Capital Punishment
L8 Suffering and Forgiveness
Comprehensive Work Pack also included with a variety of activities, development of analysis and evaluation skills and exam practise.
Scaffolding is included in the Powerpoint itself and also in the Work Pack to ensure maximum engagement and comprehension. Challenges (extension tasks) also exist throughout the unit to further enhance skills and understanding.
There are a variety of knowledge, understanding and evaluation tasks throughout the unit, including video and debate activities that the students always love - year-on-year.
Please give feedback! I am always happy to respond to comments - whether positive or constructive - this will help to improve the quality of my resources in the future and, more importantly, the quality of pupils’ RE/RS education in general - which is what we’re all here for!
This workbook is intended to cover approximately 10 hours of lesson time on the topic of: Happiness and Minfdulness - a combination of RS, Philosophy, PSHE and Ethics. The workbook is intended for home-study or as homework to complement an existing unit.
Topics include:
What is happiness?
The state of happiness (includes global happiness survey results)
The science of happiness
How do you measure happiness? (includes Betham, Mill, Buddhism)
What makes me happy? (includes myth of King Midas)
Happiness and the environment
Happiness and morality (includes Aristotle’s virtues)
Happiness and social media
There are a variety of knowledge, understanding and evaluation tasks throughout the workbook, including some research tasks.
Please give feedback! I am always happy to respond to comments - whether positive or constructive - this will help to improve the quality of my resources in the future and, more importantly, the quality of pupils’ RE/RS education in general - which is what we’re all here for!
This is a unit of 3 one-to-two-hour lessons for the OCR unit on Philosophy of Religion: The Problem of Evil, though could be applied across specifications. Lessons cover a variety of tasks, activities and learner styles, geared towards the final exam.
FREE with this unit is the A3 and A4 Learning Mats / Revision Mat for this topic, and the Word/PDF Workbooks.
Lessons are:
Presentations of the problem of evil
Augustine’s Theodicy
Irenaeaus and Hick
Each lesson also includes assessment of the arguments proposed and an essay-style question for discussion and development.
Please give feedback! I am always happy to respond to comments - whether positive or constructive - this will help to improve the quality of my resources in the future and, more importantly, the quality of students’ Philosophy education in general - which is what we’re all here for!
These engaging and colourful learning mats are indented for independent study or revision for the topic of Developments in Christian Thought, as part of the OCR AS/A Level specification, although it can be applied across specifications. Each learning mat is downloaded as an A3 Word document and an A4 PDF, for compatibility.
Topics include:
1.Augustine on Human Nature
2. Death and the Afterlife
3. Knowledge of God’s Existence
4. Jesus Christ
5. Christian Moral Principles
6. Christian Moral Practices/Action
7. Religious Pluralism
8. Challenge of Secularisation
9. Gender
10. Karl Marx and Liberation Theology
Created with the OCR RS AS/A Level in mind, though can be applied across specifications and qualifications.
Please give feedback! I am always happy to respond to comments - whether positive or constructive - this will help to improve the quality of my resources in the future and, more importantly, the quality of pupils’ RE/RS education in general - which is what we’re all here for!
This is a unit of 4 lessons for the OCR unit on Religion and Ethics: Euthanasia. Lessons cover a variety of tasks, activities and learner styles, geared towards the final exam. Also included is the A3 and A4 Learning Mats / Revision Mats for this topic. In addition, included for free is the Workbook for home-study and revision!
Lessons are:
Intro to Euthanasia
Quality and Sanctity of Life
Euthanasia and Ethical Theories
Exploring Ideas of Personhood
Free resources: Learning Mat / Revision Mat and Workbook also included!
Please give feedback! I am always happy to respond to comments - whether positive or constructive - this will help to improve the quality of my resources in the future and, more importantly, the quality of pupils’ RE/RS education in general - which is what we’re all here for!
All three units (Philosophy, Ethics and Theology), 28 PowerPoints in total, to revise the course from the specification.
It is advised that students revise from the specification rather than from any interpreted document, e.g. through revision guides (whether endorsed or not). Therefore, these PowerPoints enable students to revise the specific content and learn the language of the specification through directed note-taking (AO1) and questioning (AO2).
Philosophy topics:
Ancient Philosophical Influences
Soul, Mind, Body
Arguments from Observation
Arguments from Reason
Religious Experience
Problem of Evil
Nature of God
Religious Language
20th Century Perspectives
Ethics topics:
Utilitarianism
Natural Law
Situation Ethics
Kantian Ethics
Euthanasia
Business Ethic
Conscience
Meta-Ethics
Sexual Ethics
Theology topics:
Augustine on Human Nature
Death and the Afterlife
Knowledge of God’s Existence
Jesus Christ
Christian Principles
Christian Practices
Religious Pluralism
Secularism
Gender
Liberation Theology and Marx
This resource is indented for the OCR AS/A Level specification. For other specifications, the ‘what you need to know’ sections would need to be reviewed.
Please give feedback! I am always happy to respond to comments - whether positive or constructive - this will help to improve the quality of my resources in the future and, more importantly, the quality of pupils’ RE/RS education in general - which is what we’re all here for!