AQA syllabus Religious Studies for Philosophy and Ethics. An A-level lesson introducing the concept of philosophy with a particular focus on exploring meta-ethics. There is an outline of the major branches of philosophy introduced through video clips from popular Hollywood films to allow students to connect with the quite abstract nature of philosophical inquiry; meta-physics, epistemology, meta-ethics, philosophy of religion, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language and ethics. If watching all clips and allowing for discussion of student understanding, this can last a full 60 minute lesson, This is followed by a peer-teach style lesson on meta-ethics, where peer-teachers are chosen from among the students (I usually choose high ability) and the rest of the class carousel between them to gather information. This is followed by a reflection using De Bono's Hats. The meta-ethics element of the lesson can also be stretched to last 60 minutes, making this cover 2 sessions. This lesson always divides the class into those inspired and those who feel their brain has been squashed - I love teaching it.

A KS3 lesson on the Jewish Kashrut laws with a killer starter task that students love every year. The kashrut laws are cut out into jigsaw pieces and the students have to assemble them correctly in teams, where only one person is allowed to touch the pieces and the rest have to give verbal instructions - AND the student assembling the jigsaw is blindfolded (N.B. this does require blindfolds of some sort!) This task really encourages team work and motivates even the most disengaged students, especially if the teams compete for a prize. Covering the main Kosher laws and with a main task where students are asked to create their own Kosher menu. A winner with the kids every time.

A GCSE lesson introducing Fair Trade and the ethical and moral issues it addresses. No previous knowledge of ethics or morality are necessary and the lesson is based around plenty of case studies for students to get their teeth stuck into. I have used this as a stand-alone lesson with KS3, or as the start of a Fair Trade project with KS4 and as part of a Business Ethics topic at A-level and found students to be very receptive.

NEW 2016 Religious Studies KS3 curriculum on Christian denominations in the UK. A short introduction to the history of the Church of England is followed by a detailed comparison between the Roman Catholic Church and Protestant Churches. The Nicene Creed is used as a source of wisdom and authority for students to analyse how far Christian denominations share core beliefs and if the split in the Church seems reasonable or not. Students then complete a Venn diagram to compare any areas of overlap between Protestants and Catholics. The plenary follows the Blooms taxonomy structure and offers stretch and challenge of all abilities with a specific question for students to answer following each level of Blooms from 'description' through to 'evaluation'. The homework asks students to research another Christian denomination and explain what separates them from other Christians, with a choice between Baptists, Methodists, Quakers and Jehovah's Witnesses.

NEW 2016 Religious Studies KS3 curriculum lesson on the purpose of worship and prayer for Christians. The lesson is based around the Lord's prayer as a source of wisdom and authority and introduces the concepts of liturgical and non-liturgical worship. Students are also introduced to the difference between worship and prayer through video clips from 'Chuck knows Church' which offer an engaging and student friendly introduction to the two. Quotes from the Bible ask students to suggest what kind of relationship Christians hope to achieve with God through worship and prayer. This allows a fantastic opportunity to stretch and challenge the more able students.

A creative and engaging lesson for KS3 about why Jesus is still remembered today with a focus on sources of wisdom and authority. Jesus' core message about how to treat others is explored through the parable of the Good Samaritan and students are given a chance to be creative and work independently by allowing them to write a speech about why Jesus' message is still relevant in today's society. Students respond very well to this lesson, especially those who usually put up barriers to learning in RE. If you have the time, there is scope for this to last for two lessons, as students can deliver their speeches in front of the class in the second lesson.

A KS3 lesson investigating the history behind the Jewish festival of Pesach (Passover) and asking students to explore why it is still central in Judaism today. The main task is a peer-teach, with student teachers teaching groups of students who circle from teacher to teacher. I usually choose high ability students to be peer teachers (five are needed for this lesson). There is a work sheet for the students to fill in as they visit each peer teacher. The lesson also introduced the Seder plate and finishes with a creative De Bono task of writing a diary entry from the perspective of a modern day Jew.

NEW 2016 Religious Studies KS3 curriculum lesson on the Bible as a source of authority for Christians. A visual starter asks students to identify the content of the Bible through the interpretation of pictures to each represent certain elements, e.g. the life of Jesus. Sources of wisdom and authority are used through quotes from the Bible to suggest why it has such authority within Christianity, focusing on the elements of worship, the conscience, the nature of God and the creation story. Students are then asked to complete a diamond 9 activity in pairs, to evaluate a number of reasons why Christians consider the Bible as a source of authority. The plenary asks students to reflect on their learning through the PLTS (Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills).

A GCSE or A-level lesson outlining the content of the four Vedas in Hinduism and focusing on the God Agni in Hindu worship and how each Veda contributes to overall worship in Vedic Hinduism. There are links to the origins of the Vedas, including Aryan and Indus influences and the role of the four Brahmin priests in the Vedic sacrifice (Agni).

NEW 2016 Religious Studies KS3 curriculum assessment based on a unit of work including the following lessons, available in my shop. 1) The nature and purpose of Church in Christianity 2) The importance of worship and prayer in Christianity 3) The Bible as a source of authority for Christians 4) Christians denominations in the UK. 5) Symbols and Artefacts used during Christian worship. There are two assessments included, which offer a choice for students. Assessment option 1: Students to create their own religious symbol to be used during worship. Assessment option 2: Students to create a podcast about worship in Christianity. There is also included a confidence and revision sheet for students to reflect on their progress during the topic.

NEW KS3 History curriculum on British Reforms following the NEW 1-9 grading criteria. This lesson focuses on the work of the Suffragists (NUWSS) and the tactics they employed to gain equal rights for women including getting the vote. Students are given the opportunity to practice source analysis skills by investigating the successes and failures of the Suffragist movement. Students reflect on their learning by using De Bono's thinking hats to examine the strategies employed by the Suffragists. All tasks are clearly differentiated and this lesson is suitable for all abilities.

GCSE Edexcel Religious Studies lesson on the role of women in society for the topic Community Cohesion. The idea of gender stereotypes is introduced through a variety of posters and videos to engage the students and then followed by discussion of gender roles in society. A team work task with information about the legal and historical changes of the role of women in society is delivered through peer-to-peer 'experts' from each team sharing specific knowledge for students to fill in a worksheet. Finally, students can consider gender equality in the 21st century through their own experiences.

NEW KS3 History curriculum on British Reforms following the NEW 1-9 grading criteria. This lesson examines how women were treated in prison and how the Suffragettes fought against the government by going on hunger strike. Two video clips introduce the Suffragette movement leading up to the hunger strikes and students then analyse a primary source from a Suffragette publication on the Cat and Mouse Act (Temporary Discharge for Health Act) linked to information about how the government reacted to Suffragette hunger strikes and how the Suffragettes used the Cat and Mouse Act to their advantage in campaigning for the right to vote. All tasks are clearly differentiated and this lesson is suitable for all abilities.

NEW KS3 History curriculum on British Reforms following the NEW 1-9 grading criteria. The lesson asks the key question if Emily Davison's death was an accident or an act of protest and students investigate reasons to support both claims before analysing how far Davison's death played a part in the campaign for women to get the vote. A YouTube clip summarises Emily Davison's role in the Suffragette movement and another clip analyses how far her actions were a deliberate act of protest or not. The main task supports student's literacy as it is a reading task; this can be done in pairs, groups or as individuals and allows students to pick out reasons for and against the key question as well as evaluating the impact Emily Davison's death had on the Suffragette campaign. The plenary asks students to reflect on the information they have learnt during the lesson. All tasks are clearly differentiated and this lesson is suitable for all abilities.

NEW 2016 KS3 Religious Studies curriculum lesson on the topic of 'Belonging' with a specific focus on Judaism and the Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremony for Jewish boys and girls. This lesson introduces the notion of the Jewish covenant and the concept of promise-keeping and responsibility. A YouTube video follows a modern Jewish boy as he prepares for his Bar Mitzvah and students take notes before getting the opportunity to write a piece of creative writing in the form of a diary entry, immediately following the ceremony. The plenary uses HOTS (higher order thinking skills) and invites students to analyse a picture of a Bar Mitzvah ceremony and pose questions of their own to cement their learning.

NEW KS3 History curriculum on British Reforms following the NEW 1-9 grading criteria. This lesson focuses on the Reform Act of 1832 and how this led to the People's Charter in 1838. Students explore the divergent attitudes of Moral Force Chartism and Physical Force Chartism and have the opportunity to write a speech from either viewpoint to support an equal society. This lesson builds analytical skills and allows students a creative way of investigating the changes to voting laws in the UK through the use of De Bono's hats as the platform for deeper questioning. All tasks are clearly differentiated and this lesson is suitable for all abilities.