I am curreny teaching across the Key Stages as the Head of Religious Studies in a comprehensive secondary school. Previously I have led a RS department in an inner-city school and also taught Humanities including experience of teaching Geography at KS3, as well as History at KS3 and KS4 and Sociology at KS5. I'm a Religious Studies and Philosophy specialist, having studied Philosophy at university and taught RS at KS3, KS4 and KS5.
I am curreny teaching across the Key Stages as the Head of Religious Studies in a comprehensive secondary school. Previously I have led a RS department in an inner-city school and also taught Humanities including experience of teaching Geography at KS3, as well as History at KS3 and KS4 and Sociology at KS5. I'm a Religious Studies and Philosophy specialist, having studied Philosophy at university and taught RS at KS3, KS4 and KS5.
A KS3 Religious Studies lesson, using an enquiry based approach to learning and based on Christianity as a way to explore belief in God. Following the 2018 Berkshire SACRE agreed syllabus with a focus on exploring the principles of ‘believing, belonging and behaving’ in a religious and secular context. This is lesson 5 of the topic ‘What do I believe’. Students start off considering the reasons why people pray before watching several videos about the nature of prayer for Christians. Students then apply what they have learnt to the analysis of a selection of Christian quotes about prayer and finish off with a creative task of writing a letter to an alien about prayer.
A KS3 Religious Studies lesson, using an enquiry based approach to learning and based on Christianity as a way to explore belief in God. Following the 2018 Berkshire SACRE agreed syllabus with a focus on exploring the principles of ‘believing, belonging and behaving’ in a religious and secular context. This is lesson 1 of the topic ‘Does God have a message?’ Students start off by considering how God’s core characteristics might be portrayed through symbols and art. Students then move onto exploring the concept of Jesus as the ‘Son of God’ and why the incarantion of Jesus can be seen as a good way for God to communicate with humans. The key question for this lesson is; ‘Why is taking human form an effective way for God to communicate with humans?’
A KS3 Religious Studies topic, using an enquiry based approach to learning and based on Christianity as a way to explore belief in God. Following the 2018 Berkshire SACRE agreed syllabus with a focus on exploring the principles of ‘believing, belonging and behaving’ in a religious and secular context.
This topic consists of seven (7) lessons, with the principal focus on the difference between atheist, theist and agnostic belief systems.
Christianity represents theism, with lessons covering the creation story, the nature of God, prayer and the problem of evil.
A KS3 Religious Studies lesson, using an enquiry based approach to learning and based on Christianity as a way to explore belief in God. Following the 2018 Berkshire SACRE agreed syllabus with a focus on exploring the principles of ‘believing, belonging and behaving’ in a religious and secular context. This is lesson 6 of the topic ‘Does God have a message?’
Students start off by watching a video explaining the meaning of worship, before investigating four types of Christian worship; charismatic, liturgial, non-liturgical and personal. Students then watch further video clips about liturgical and non-liturgical worship and consider which type may lead to a closer relationship with God.
Finally, students consider ways in which worship could be made more appealing and be better advertised to attract young Christians to worship. The plenary asks students to respond to the question; ‘how do Christians worship’ and complete a ‘how tree’ on this question.
A KS3 Religious Studies lesson, using an enquiry based approach to learning and based on Christianity as a way to explore belief in God. Following the 2018 Berkshire SACRE agreed syllabus with a focus on exploring the principles of ‘believing, belonging and behaving’ in a religious and secular context. This is lesson 7 of the topic ‘What do I believe?’ This is the final lesson in this topic.
The starter asks students to identify their level of belief or non-belief in God, before creating a bar chart of the beliefs of other students in the class. Students then suggest reasons behind someone being a theist, atheist or agnostic before considering why someone might change their belief. Two videos give students more insight into why someone may convert to a religion.
Finally, the plenary asks students to reflect on how their personal beliefs about God may have changed during the course of the lesson, as well as the entire topic.
A KS3 Religious Studies lesson, using an enquiry based approach to learning and based on Christianity as a way to explore belief in God. Following the 2018 Berkshire SACRE agreed syllabus with a focus on exploring the principles of ‘believing, belonging and behaving’ in a religious and secular context. This is lesson 4 of the topic ‘What do I believe’. Students engage with the Christian creation story and comparing it to the Big Bang theory and evolution. The key question for this lesson is; ‘Are science and religion compatible?’ leading to a discussion about why science makes people question belief in God.
A KS3 Religious Studies lesson, using an enquiry based approach to learning and based on Christianity as a way to explore belief in God. Following the 2018 Berkshire SACRE agreed syllabus with a focus on exploring the principles of ‘believing, belonging and behaving’ in a religious context and secular context. This is lesson 3 of the topic ‘What do I believe’. Students start off by discussing a ‘diamond 9’ list of reasons why people might believe in God, before going on to exploring the nature of the Bible, miracles, near-death experiences and prayers coming true as possible evidence for the existence of God. This is followed by a whole class discussion about the key question; ‘Is there any good evidence for the existence of God?’
A KS3 Religious Studies lesson, using an enquiry based approach to learning and based on Christianity as a way to explore belief in God. Following the 2018 Berkshire SACRE agreed syllabus with a focus on exploring the principles of ‘believing, belonging and behaving’ in a religious and secular context. This is lesson 6 of the topic 'What do I believe?’
Students start to considering sacred writing in the form of Bible quotes linking to God’s omnipotence and benevolence, before responding to a variety of picture stimuli about moral and natural evil as part of a discussion on the traditional argument for the problem of evil.
Students watch a video clip before evaluating a number of reasons why a benevolent God may have created, or is allowing suffering and evil to occur. The plenary asks students to consider the strengths and weaknesses of both sides of the argument for the problem of evil.
A KS3 Religious Studies lesson, using an enquiry based approach to learning exploring Islam. This is lesson 1 of the topic ‘What makes something special?’ which covers Islamic worship, particularly Salat and Hajj of the Five Pillars of Islam. The SoL follows the 2018 Berkshire SACRE agreed syllabus with a focus on exploring the principles of ‘believing, belonging and behaving’ in a religious and secular context. All tasks are differentiated by choice or challenge in order to stretch learners of all abilities.
Students complete a diamond 9 task why places take on religious significance and why religious people would want to visit one. Students then move on to investigate three holy cities in Islam; Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem.
Students then attempt to answer an evaluation question, requiring them to write in extended paragraphs for and against the statement; ‘Medina is the most sacred city in Islam.’ There are two model answers to go through as well as an opportunity for peer- or self-assessment.
Finally, students revisit the learning objectives and assess their progress in the lesson.
A KS3 Religious Studies lesson, using an enquiry based approach to learning and based on paranormal beliefs as a way to explore belief in the afterlife. Following the 2018 Berkshire SACRE agreed syllabus with a focus on exploring the principles of ‘believing, belonging and behaving’ in a religious and secular context. This is lesson 2 of the topic ‘Do you only live once?’
Students start by responding to a variety of experiences surrounding those who have had near death experiences and then watch three video clips, showing arguments for and against near death experiences being genuine.
Students respond to this information with a choice of creative tasks, choosing from a diary entry, a report or a debate.
Students then respond to an evaluative statement, with sentence starters and expectations modelled on the slide. The statement is; ‘Near death experiences prove that there is life after death.’ Students are expected to answer in three paragraphs, giving reasons for and aganist as well as concluding.
The plenary is a self- or peer-assessment task, with a selection of feedback demonstrating the expectations for answering an evaluative question.
A KS3 Religious Studies topic, using an enquiry based approach to learning and based on Christianity as a way to explore belief in God. Following the 2018 Berkshire SACRE agreed syllabus with a focus on exploring the principles of ‘believing, belonging and behaving’ in a religious and secular context.
This topic contains six (6) lessons focusing the relationship between Christians and God and includes lessons on Jesus’ miracles, Jesus’ parables, baptism and worship.
A KS3 Religious Studies lesson, using an enquiry based approach to learning and based on beliefs in the paranormal as a way to explore belief in the afterlife. Following the 2018 Berkshire SACRE agreed syllabus with a focus on exploring the principles of ‘believing, belonging and behaving’ in a religious and secular context. This is lesson 1 of the topic ‘Do you only live once?’
Students start by considering why some people believe in an afterlife and use the stimuli of several video clips to consider what evidence there might be for life after death.
Students then complete a diamond 9 activity about reasons why people might believe in ghosts, followed by applying the belief in ghosts to theist, atheist and agnostic belief systems.
A KS3 Religious Studies lesson, using an enquiry based approach to learning exploring Islam. This is lesson 1 of the topic ‘What makes something special?’ which covers Islamic worship, particularly Salat and Hajj of the Five Pillars of Islam. The SoL follows the 2018 Berkshire SACRE agreed syllabus with a focus on exploring the principles of ‘believing, belonging and behaving’ in a religious and secular context. All tasks are differentiated by choice or challenge in order to stretch learners of all abilities.
Students are hooked into learning by being asked to respond to a map of the Middle East, with countries colour coded depending on a majority of either Shi’as or Sunnis. Students are invited to ask a question or make an inference from the map.
Students then move on to a short historical overview of the reason for the initial split within Islam before a mini-plenary summarises the learning so far and allows students to ask a question about Islam.
Students then complete a content clock with 12 blocks of information about the Sunni ‘Articles of Faith’ as well as the Shi’a ‘Roots’, supported by extracts of sacred writing from the Qur’an.
There is a further mini-plenary where students get to ask another question and summarise their learning and some might also be able to answer a question they posed earlier in the lesson.
Students are then given a choice of analytical question to answer in full paragraphs about how Islamic beliefs infuence Muslims in their daily lives, before a final plenary highlighting the similarities and differences between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims.
A KS3 Religious Studies lesson, using an enquiry based approach to learning exploring Islam. This is lesson 1 of the topic ‘What makes something special?’ which covers Islamic worship, particularly Salat and Hajj of the Five Pillars of Islam. The SoL follows the 2018 Berkshire SACRE agreed syllabus with a focus on exploring the principles of ‘believing, belonging and behaving’ in a religious and secular context. All tasks are differentiated by choice or challenge in order to stretch learners of all abilities.
Students are hooked into learning by a close up of Muslims on Hajj and are asked to respond to the image by imaging what it would be like to be in the crowd. Students then see a further six images and are asked to infer from them what is happening.
Students then watch a 15-minute video diary about a Muslim going on Hajj and get a choice of activities for how they want to respond, either a; diary entry, newspaper article, story board or flow chart.
Students then read additional information about the Hajj and have to respond by writing a paragraph about it, linked to the learning outcomes for the lesson.
Finally, a creative plenary asks students to create their own picture of their learning in the lesson.
A set of individual lessons or thorough revision resources (using PPT) following the 2016 Eduqas Religious Studies A-level course focusing on Christianity Topic 1E. This resource requires the use of the WJEC/EDUQAS RS FOR YR 2/A2 CHRISTIANITY textbook (ISBN: 978-1-911208-36-5).
Each slide represents 60 minutes worth of work, which can be done as a class or independently. The rationale is to encourage students to be as independent as possible when working through the information. Each slide includes a list of relevant key words (without definitions), a brief overview of core content, as well as a series of tasks, which can range from reading, to quote analysis, probing questions and graphic organisers. Each slide also features a ‘take it further’ task which allows students to explore the topic further. Wherever reference is made to resources other than the course textbook, these will be included as separate files.
Topic 1E includes; The early church, Kerygmata, Dodd and Bultmann on the Kerygmata.
GCSE lesson on the role of parish Church in Christianity, including the role of the priest/vicar and the congregation as a whole. Follows the 'NEW' Edexcel GCSE specification.
A selection of 34 - tried and tested - colourful and captivating pictures that will engage your students and motivate them to engage in Religious Studies lessons. Covering all major faiths and philosophy, they are perfect as presentation backgrounds (think powerpoint) or as hooks on individual slides.
A lesson that is equally suitable to KS3, KS4 or KS5 and to all abilities - the issue of abortion is discussed through a number of activities centred around the moral and legal interpretations of abortion. Perfect as an introductory lesson.
GCSE lesson on the Holy Trinity in Christianity, exploring Christian beliefs through quotes from the Bible. Follows the 'NEW' Edexcel GCSE specification.