This lesson is designed to be adaptable to the needs of your class. It can build on previous knowledge of Gandhi, and works best if that is the case, but can also be used as an introduction to Gandhi’s teaching and life. (To this end, I’ve included a link of him burning the passes and his famous non violence speech that followed it, which are both short and excellent insights into his teaching and philosophy. On non violence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKzKj_8CO2g Burning of the passes (ahimsa):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50gNryy9JnA) It includes extension tasks for able and talented, and differentiated activities including ethical dilemmas, youtube videos, group discussions, treasure hunts as well as written tasks. A broad range of activities, in my experience, always bosters engagement. (there is a need to print 10 slides here) The lesson aims to remind students’ of Gandhi’s teachings and inform them of the Caste system. There is also a short video about Narayanan Krishnan, an inspirational Hindu who has disregarded his Brahmin caste to help untouchables or down and outs in Indian Society. 2 differently worded Learning Objectives here for lower and higher ability or age groups: To remember who Gandhi was. to explain what the caste system was. To know Gandhi’s opinion of the untouchables. To develop and evaluate my own opinion about the caste system. To empathise with people who are in the caste system. Or, for KS4, All will be able to explain what the caste system was, and why Gandhi was against it. Most will be able to relate the situation to contemporary issues re: jobs and status. Some will be able to explain why the caste system became a source of prejudice and discrimination.

This assessment aims to be a creative one, where students research a war and try to apply the just war theory, jihad, religious attitudes, the approach of a peace making organisation and their opinion to it. It is an attempt to have students using their critical thinking skills in a project that fosters analytic, creative and original thought. I know. I’m an optimist. Sarcasm aside, I think our students are getting smarter all the time: they are exposed to more information than any preceding generation and deserve the opportunity to show off and really apply themselves.

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?

An entire scheme of work on Immortality for Religious Studies GCSE. Including powerpoints, worksheets, activities, revision resources and clips, plenty to keep your kids interested, entertained and immersed in an educational experience. Shaped around the AQA Religious Studies B syllabus 1) What is reality 2) The evidence for immortality (NDEs and Reincarnation Stories) 3) Religious Attitudes 4) Scriptures and Life After Death (LaD) 5) The Resurrection 6) Muslim attitudes to the Resurrection 7) Paranormal Activity and Evidence for Life after Death 8) Revision 9) Revision 2

A little resource to help students to get to grips with quotes in Religious Scripture

When I ask my students: ‘What is money?’, they hardly ever know. Most adults don’t either. This lesson looks at what money is, how the banking crisis happened, what the difference between good debt and bad debt is, and the current global inequality in wealth. It includes individual and group work activities, as well as whole class discussions, to try and stimulate students understanding and critical engagement with the world as it is. A lesson that could work as an introduction for economics, PHSE, SEAL, SMSC and Careers lessons for children aged 11+. Extensions, start and plenary are included to aid differentiation and the learning journey. Learning questions also increase in difficulty as the lesson progresses. Learning questions include: What is money? What’s the difference between good debt and bad debt? What is crypto-currency? Extension: Is financial inequality out of control, and if so how can it be resolved? Instructions on how to use the resource are in the notes of the powerpoint, which also includes a number of youtube videos, and included here is also a short word document which has some of the debate about where money originated from and what preceded it. This document is made from a summary of Graeber’s recent work and watching the ‘crash course’ video on money. Adam Smith’s idea that barter preceded minted coinage seems, in recent academia, to be incorrect. Rather, minted metal coinage seems to have been part of a ‘military-mining-slavery complex’ where wars created slaves to mine metal to pay soldiers.

A lesson which explores Christian Attitudes to War. Learning Questions include: What are Christian Opinions to War? Why do Christians disagree with each other? EXT: How do you think social background affects peoples opinions? This powerpoint looks includes extension activities, independent learning activities and joint discussion. It covers citizenship, PHSE, SEAL, SMSC and Religious Studies syllabi (I love that plural) and I have found it to be a fairly engaging lesson for many students. It also includes a link to a youtube video animation to the parable of the lost son, and links this to the topic of war and peace for students to consider how religious teachings may be applied to modern day dilemmas. Not dilemmi. Sadly.

This lesson has been a long one in the making. Having found resources from all over the web, edited my own video compiling footage from 9.11 and interviews from Geroge Bush and Osama Bin Laden, this lesson aims to give as an impartial view of 9.11 as possible. It includes neo-conservative explanations for 9.11, to Noam CHomsky esque critique of American Foreign Policy that Michael Moore would be proud of, and even allows al-Qaeda to explain their opinion. Obviously it makes explicit that targetting civilians is never, under any circumstances, acceptable, but tries to explain that 9.11 was a complicated event with historical, cultural, social and religious causes using a redacted and edited document which summarises complicated historical commentary into a digestible PDF. It even includes a brief mention of conspiracy theories for those more inquisitive students. Above all, it encourages critical thought and human compassion. A wide range of differentiated and extension activities here. Learning Questions: What was 9/11? How did it cause a war? Why did the the USA and al-Qaeda say it happened? Ext: Why do you think it happened? Independent, group and whole class activities included to bolster engagement and learning. There’s enough for at least 2 lessons here. But I’m selling it as one, because I’m nice like that.

A lesson that explores Muslim attitudes to war through Jihad. It explores the greater and lesser jihad, and gets students to collaboratively piece together what Jihad actually is whilst debunking the myth that it means ‘holy war’. Closer to ‘righteous struggle’ this lesson aims to draw comparison with the Just War Theory and help to see how in some ways it is more progressive than the JWT (avoids hurting plants and animals) and in others more religious (must be ordered by a religious leader). It also compares modern conflicts to Jihad, and the ways it has been misused. Learning Questions include: What are Muslim views to war? What is Jihad? How might Jihad be misinterpreted? Extension tasks included, as is a wordsearch starter for students to have a quick win at the beginning of the lesson to build learning engagement.

A differentiated resource, complete with worksheets and independent a scaffolded role-play task where students take on the role of Muslim, Christian or Atheist response to Capital Punishment. Intended to enable students to explore their own opinions about Capital Punishment using religious views as a springboard, this resource should stretch and challenge a range of ability levels. 1.What do Muslims and Christians say about Capital punishment? 2. How do people in the same religion disagree with each other? EXT: Why do people in the same religion disagree with each other?

A lesson to help students explore the Just War Theory and evaluate if they agree with it or not. The lesson includes a group task for students to explore 'JAILSAP' - an anagram for the 7 reasons for war. It includes independent learning, extension tasks, and even a chance for students to make a rap that encompasses the theory. There is also an example rap, composed by yours truly, for general educational and engagement purposes. Key learning questions explored are: What is the just war theory? Do I agree with it? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the theory? Reviews gratefully received

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 is a sensitive topic for many students, and this attempts to include the personal reality of old age and death whilst sensitively exploring the ethical issues around assisted dying/euthanasia. 28 files, including presentations, activities, debates, research tasks, a cover lesson template, word searches, clips and an assessment. Ideal for GCSE RS students. Including: Issues faced by the elderly religious (Christian and Muslim) attitudes to the elderly (resources here which can double as revision resources) euthanasia (and religious attitudes to euthanasia and suicide) care homes hospices revision lessons assessments Debate topics Feedback always gratefully received.

A set of 9 lessons about some of the most awkward stuff a teacher can try to teach. There are presentations, worksheets, online links and assessments all included here and plenty to personalize, adapt and tweek. Including: Self Esteem (4 Lessons) Pornography and Puberty Condoms Sexting Homosexuality and Christianity Break ups

This is of course a notorious issue for one that sparks conflict between groups. These 3 resources: a powerpoint, Prezi and roleplay try to help students empathise and understand both sides of the conflict without siding specifically on either one. The lesson objectives are: What is the conflict in Israel and Palestine about? What are the different responses to it? What do you think is the best response and why? There are about 4 hour long lessons worth of activities here with varying levels of difficulty: from role plays, youtube clips of varying degrees of debate (the hardest being the 15 minute clip by John Pilger, Palestine is still the issue). It's really worth putting this into context with the history of the formation of Israel (which this clip is quite good at, but I don't think very accessible to KS4 but more KS5 level https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wo2TLlMhiw). There's a simplified version in the powerpoint. It's excellent for world politics, terrorism and extremism, SMSC, PHSE, Religious Studies. I really recommend you watching the clips first if you can, and getting the students to engage with them. I usually get the students to watch the clips and do the roleplay in one lesson and then do more research written work in the next. The roleplay has 24 separate individual roles (sorry, I ran out of steam, i nearly made it to 30!) which vary in nationality, religious belief and is a very useful way to get students to empathize. If you have more than 24 people I recommend you let students chose their relationship to the families (aunts/siblings/grandparents/friends etc.) It also really helps for me to remember to ask questions rather than tell students they are wrong if they bring in extreme(ish) opinions from home (of which Arab and Jewish families often do pass on to their children). Prezis, if you've never used them, work just like powerpoints: you make them full screen and then just press the right arrow on your keyboard. Good luck in teaching this lesson with informed sensitivity, kindness, and with hope for a peaceful resolution!

A set of 7 lessons, including assessment, about inspiring people, including Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Nic Vujici, Aun San Suu Kyi and Gandhi. The Lesson on Nic Vujicic involves watching this clip, which is inspirational AND funny. It's 45 minutes, so will take up most of a lesson. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJvEoLPLIg8 My lot loved it. Enjoy.