A differentiated activity with Marketplace, opinion line and video clip which explores these key questions: What are new religious movements and cults? What are the benefits and challenges of such movements? Should these new religious movements be made illegal? A Powerpoint and extensive word resource which has information on 8 of the world's new religious movements & cults.

A resource which is intended to run over 4 lessons: independent study with some introduction and video clips which can be uploaded to your server, and students can access them in their own time using headphones. Great for independent study, differentiation, SMSC, PHSE, Religious Studies and Citizenship, as well as General Studies, this resource stimulates outrage, insight and curiosity. It also includes historical and cultural insights, like the Ecuadorian Government signing in the rights of nature into law.

A powerpoint with embedded documentary about Alcohol use which is really good. It also has a venn diagram which compares Christian and Muslim attitudes to alcohol and drug use. Finishing with a discussion based plenary, this is an engaging, differentiated by activity and outcome lesson that explores the tricky world of drug and alcohol use. Objectives explored include What is a drug? Is alcohol a drug and what are its effects? What do Muslims and Christians believe about drugs? What is your opinion on drugs?

A lesson to explore the UN and what it does. This lesson aims to give students an understanding of the organisation and the means to question if it is a reasonable use of resources, or a waste of them. Class debates included, as usual, with extension activities, youtube videos, and some varied activities to bolster engagement. A SEND worksheet also attached here. Learning Questions What is the United Nations? What are its aims? Do you think it’s a good organisation? Note: Where do you stand activities are like opinion lines but split into four corners. More information has been embedded in the PPT rather than from youtube videos, which have also been updated and variations offered in the notes of the PPT. Feedback warmly welcomed, and always looking to improve.

A 1 hour lesson including a 30 minute documentary, debate, opinion line, extension activity and reflection exercise to measure students improvement in their understanding. Lesson objectives include: What is life like in North Korea? Why is the world talking about it so much? Should we or the USA attack North Korea? There is a discussion included about nuclear war: try to draw out students understanding of the long term effects of nuclear weapons. Good luck, and if I may try to remind students that most things that happen in the world are good, that's why the news (which is always negative) is 'news': the good things people do are the norm. Try not to let them leave the room pessimistic. For instance, there are 12.7 MILLION volunteers in Britain every year. That's almost 20% of the population. Awesome.

This lesson aims to give students (particularly British ones) some understanding of the histories and activities of Britain we don’t mention as much as the 2nd World War, the Tudors and the Romans. It is an exploration of the slave trade, the arms trade, native american indians, aborigines and transportation and our involvement in India during the empire. It aims to give students an alternative perspective on Britain without undermining them as individuals, invalidating their experience or burdening them with guilt. Hopefully it leads to some interesting discussion and learning. It certainly does in my classroom! Group activities, based on SOLE (Self Organised Learning Environments), which need some monitoring but the resources created would work well with a variety of exercises including marketplace and others. It aims to meet the Global Citizenship Education aims, specifically 4.7 (which focuses on global citizenship education and education for sustainable development). Any feedback greatly received Learning Questions include: What are the histories we learn about in school? What was Britain’s role in the slave trade, Native American Indians, Aboriginal peoples, the arms trade and India? How do these histories affect our opinions about today’s world? Extension: can you figure out what/whose histories are not included in this lesson? How would you find out about them? Are we responsible for our ancestors’ actions?

This lesson is an introduction to global citizenship, part of a module on Global citizenship, that begins with a personal look at the individual. It includes youtube videos, mindmaps, one print out and structured questions to help students understand their own biases and the biases of the class they are in. It is a powerful step forward for self reflective learners, uses PELTS well, and incorporates SMSC, Ethics, PHSE, Citizenship and geography into one topic. Tasks are differentiated, with questions going from easy to more difficult. Ideal for KS3-4 (11-16yr olds). Learning Questions include: What is global citizenship? What is my own personal, social, historical and economic background? How might my background affect how I see the world?

This small bundle of resources is designed to help students revise together and independently so they really know what embryology, cloning, IVF, surrogacy, human experimentation and transplants and transfusions are, as well as the key terms essential for a good grade. Learning objectives are: Be more confident about the topics involved in Medical Ethics Have a more fluent understanding of the religious issues raised by these topics. Have begun to evaluate the various merits of different opinions about modern medical procedures.

A lesson that explores the pros and cons of human experimentation: how it is essential for new safe drugs, as well as the darker sides of using humans for purely ‘scientific’ progress. Learning Questions: What are some examples of human experimentation? What ethical issues do they raise? What may religious responses be? Particular examples are included as a seperate word document, as well as youtube links to modern versions of Milgrams electric shock experiment in the 60s.

A lesson which explores and explains genetic engineering, looking at some specific examples (such as glow in the dark mice) as well as a case study activity. It builds on previous lessons on religious attitudes to medical ethics particularly well, but also stands alone. Learning Objectives are: To know the difference between: Genetic Screening & Genetic Engineering To evaluate religious arguments about genetic screening and engineering To develop my own opinion on these technologies. Starters and plenaries included with activities differentiated by outcome.

This lesson has a hotseat starter which covers many key terms from Medical ethics (i.e. sanctity of life) as well as an interactive treasure hunt plenary for those of you with the luxury of smart boards. Learning Questions include: What is Cloning? What are the different kinds of cloning? What are religious responses to it? Extension: What quotes do you know that could apply to this topic and how? There is also a roleplay opportunity included here, as well as a variety of youtube links and a cover lesson linked to the sixth day which can be rented or bought on youtube (It’s no gattaca, but has some interesting ethical issues raised and debated in there). Differentiated by outcome, with extension task included with the learning questions.

This comprehensive lesson exploring the facts, benefits and religious responses to organ transplants and blood transfusions will need trimming to fit in one hour. There are plenty of case studies, youtube clips, embedded short videos about ‘cellular memory’, and comparative religious arguments from the six major religions. Activities are differentiated by outcome, with discussion or learning pyramid plenaries available. Went all out on this one. Learning Objectives: To know the possible benefits about organ transplants. To know some religious attitudes to blood transfusions and organ transplants. To evaluate and compare religious attitudes to medical ethics. It also includes a particularly close look at Jehovah’s witnesses opinions on blood transfusions.

This lesson explores surrogacy: what it is, the issues it raises, look at specific case studies and explore religious responses. It includes a moving article about an infertile woman, as well as 3 real life case studies of people who have gone through surrogacy. Plenary, starter and differentiated task included. Some printing is needed here to get the best out of the lesson, but not 100% necessary. Learning Objectives are: To know what surrogacy is and the issues it raises To debate the ethics of specific case studies To evaluate religious arguments about surrogacy

A powerpoint that explores assisted reproduction, specifically IVF (AIH and AID). It includes religious responses to the issue, which can be used in a variety of ways (as a treasure hunt or group exercise). Learning questions include: What is IVF? (AIH and AID) What are some Religious Responses to it? Learn a case study and consider if IVF is ethical? Case studies include Octomom, with a youtube video link included, to explore IVF at its extremes and help students evaluate how different situations may alter their opinions on how ethical it is. The exercises are differentiated by outcome, and groupings can be done using a kagan system of mixed ability. Side note: My preference with the religious responses exercise is to number the class 1-5, have them study, condense and write one opinion. I then re-number them 1-4 and have them sit in new groups, so each new grouping has at least one person from each of the 5 previous groups. They then teach each other all the information.

An introductory lesson to medical ethics focussing on embryology. This powerpoint explains what embryology is, as well as giving an introduction to one of the key questions behind most medical ethics issues: when does life begin? It includes high definition photographs of embryos in development and an embedded video which shows these stages. It also includes a case study, a research homework, plenty of information (including some religious opinions). These are developed more in the second lesson. Information can be printed out and Learning Questions include: What is Embryo Research? What are some potential problems and positives of Embryo Research? What are some religious opinions? What is my opinion? All feedback welcome! :)

Gender and sexuality can be confusing for students (and teachers!), many of whom do not understand the idea of gender being a spectrum rather than a binary role connected to biological sex. Indeed, most do not understand that gender and sex are different things. This presentation aims to present the different arguments around gender, varying from people who feel that their gender is different from their biological sex (transgender) or those who are biologically intersex (about 1-2% of the global population). It acknowledges that some people are very closed to the idea of transgenderism, whilst acknowledging the biological fact of intersex. It includes and article about Caster Semenya, the South African runner banned from competing in events because her testosterone is too high and told she would need to take medication to address this, as well as youtube videos, graphics, group discussion activities, opinion lines/corners, and written comprehension questions. There are also definition tasks too. Ideal for KS3-5 students. (11-18yr old) A range of tasks that will not fit into an hour, so pick which work for you. Learning questions include: What is gender? What is the difference between ‘intersex’, ‘transgender’, ‘transexual’ and ‘non-binary’? What is a ‘patriarchy’? Is gender a choice? Is gender a spectrum? This is a new resource on a tricky issue: feedback warmly, warmly welcomed. Many thanks.

With Brexit being a ubiqutous and fairly exhausting topic in the news, I made this to try and teach my KS3 and 4 students about and explore their opinions on it. Mostly, students respond to the first learning question with ‘Brexit means brexit’ which has about as much substance as the middle of a doughnut. Not the jam ones. Learning questions: What is Brexit? What is the EU? What are the different Brexit options? What are the arguments for and against it? Stretch and Challenge: After weighing up both sides of the argument, what is my opinion? Some differentiation included, with a brief summary of the seven main brexit options available. There is also a critical thinking extension which explores a claim that the PM’s deal meets all requirements, which is produced by a thinktank. Students will be shown how to use google power search’s ‘WHO IS’ function to find out who the director of that thinktank is, and how they have conservative leanings, hopefully boosting awareness of bias and independent thought. There are group tasks as well as individual work and opinion line activities included. Also attached here are the ‘four corners’ posters which can be stuck on the four corners of the room so students move to that area depending on their opinion.

An assessment to see how much students have engaged and learnt from this scheme of work. There are two options, with differentiated questions to answer one after the other or a creative assessment option where students create something of their choosing (poem, rap, painting etc. which answers the questions in their own way). It comes with printable questions and levelled marking grids to help you mark in a time efficient, clear way. Enjoy :)