Lincolnshire Agreed Syllabus

KEY STAGE 3 (Years 7-9) Scheme of work planning sheet

Key Stage Three Examples

Scheme of Work Materials for the Lincolnshire RE Agreed Syllabus

The following five units of work for key stage three offer teachers planned suggestions to support and guide implementation of the 2000 RE syllabus.

The units are titled:

What is sacred in Christianity? (Y7 or 8)
What is sacred in Sikhism? (Y7 or 8)
Community: Where do we belong? (Y8 or 9)
How can you express spiritual or religious concepts through the arts? (Y8 or 9)
What uses do humans make of nature and animals? (Y8 or 9)

These five units do not, of course, cover the whole of the key stage, but they do provide illustrative materials of the ways in which schools might approach the delivery of RE at this key stage, responding to the wishes of secondary teachers in consultation. Teachers’ attention is also drawn to the Scheme of Work for RE published by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in Spring 2000, and sent free to all schools. Additional materials for schools from DfES / QCA may also become available during the life of this syllabus. QCA’s schemes of work contains much that may help teachers in Lincolnshire to deliver this Agreed Syllabus.

A blank outline of the planning grid is included in this section for school use.

KEY STAGE 3 (Years 7-9) Scheme of work planning sheet

Outline Planning Sheet

Title:What is Sacred in Christianity?Key Stage 3 Year(s) 7 or 8

Notes: Work on this topic might involve 12-16 lessons.

This will be used by many schools as a ‘core unit’, and will set the groundwork for much other work on Christian religion and on the concept of the Sacred.

Teachers may find it useful to draw on units from the QCA Scheme of work about incarnation and resurrection in teaching this unit.

Religions, concepts, skills and attitudes / Aims and intended learning outcomes / Teaching and learning activities A balance between learning about religions and exploring human experience [AT1] and learning from religions and responding to human experience [AT2] must be kept. / Assessment Opportunities / Suggested resources for learning

Religions

Christianity

Concepts

The Sacred

Skills

Investigating
Analysing
Reflecting
Discerning
Synthesising
Expressing

Attitudes

Commitment
Fairness
Enquiry / Pupils will be enabled to:

Explain what Christians hold to be holy or sacred.
Understand some of the ways Christian believe that Jesus was unique.
Begin to reflect for themselves on what they value most, or hold sacred.
Analyse some Christian accounts of the sacred, and develop their own ideas about these.
Explore and express a response to some artistic and creative approaches to the Sacred in Christianity.

/ Teaching might include:

Comparing and contrasting Christmas and incarnation narratives from two or three of the Gospels (Matthew, Luke or John). What do the writers believe about the meanings of the story?
Teaching about Christian understandings of the way the life of Jesus illustrates the meaning of love. Asking: What would a life of perfect love be like? Was Jesus like that? Pupils might write stories about a life of love.
Comparing and contrasting accounts from two gospels of the story of Good Friday and the first Easter day. What do the writers believe about the meanings of the story?
Examining what contemporary Christians say about the ‘risen Jesus’ stories. What is sacred here?
Investigating how the texts of the stories behind Christmas and Easter have inspired artists, musicians and / or film makers to express their insight into the stories: How would pupils film or illustrate such stories?
Investigating some ways in which Christians symbolise and understand God in Jesus (incarnation, trinity).
Analysing why Christians believe human life, love, forgiveness and self sacrifice are sacred, and how these values are exemplified in Jesus’ life.
Reflecting upon what is sacred to Christians about Jesus.
Developing pupils’ own self understanding through exploring questions such as: who do I follow? Whose disciple am I? What would I be willing to live for? To die for? What is sacred to me?
Evaluating Christian accounts of what is sacred in the light of their own understanding and experiences.

/ Teachers might assess this work by:

Setting a group task to prepare a report: choose three artefacts which show some things that are sacred to Christians. For each artefact, explain: what does it symbolise? What does it say about the sacred in Christianity? What is its importance to Christians today? (AT 1, Learn about religion, level 4: pupils connect beliefs and teachings of Christianity with other features, such as celebration or meaning expressed symbolically. They use terms accurately)

Asking pupils to design an expression of what they hold sacred, and write a short piece of liturgy, prayer, poetry or other text to explain it. (AT2, learn from religion, level 4: pupils refer to the sacred in Christianity when asking and answering questions about that which they hold sacred)

/ As well as a range of text books, video and ICT resources, teachers might use:
Artefacts from the Christian religion which express the sanctity or uniqueness of Jesus.
Film, art, music, video or text which is used in Christian worship.
Bible text from the Gospels which expresses Christian belief about Jesus.
Sorting and ranking activities using anonymous pupil statements about what matters most to them.
The key questions about the sacred for key stage three from the syllabus.

Outline Planning Sheet

Title:What is Sacred in Sikhism?Key Stage 3, Year 7 or 8

Notes: Work on this topic might involve 8-12 lessons

Religions

Sikhism

Concepts

The Sacred

Skills

Investigating
Analysing
Reflecting
Empathising
Synthesising
Expressing

Attitudes

Commitment
Fairness
Enquiry / Pupils will be enabled to:

Explain what Sikhs hold to be holy or sacred.
Understand some of the ways Sikhs express their belief in God, eg in worship at the Gurdwara.
Respond for themselves to some teachings of the Sikh Gurus.
Begin to reflect for themselves on what they value most, or hold sacred.
Analyse some Sikh accounts of the sacred, and develop their own ideas about these. Explore and express a response to some Sikh values.

/ Teaching might include:

Investigating some stories of commitment and revelation in the Sikh tradition, eg stories from the life of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh. What were they committed to? What did they believe?
Analysing the Mool Mantar’s exploration of the idea of God: One, truth, creator, without form, without enemies, beyond time, not incarnated, self existent.
Responding to Sikh ideas about the divine: do pupils understand the concept of God held by Sikhs? What questions does this raise for them?
Developing understanding of the link between belief and the worship of the Gurdwara. What is sacred here? Why does langar (the common meal or kitchen) play such an important role?
Examining the values of the Gurus: equality of race, creed, gender: What would Guru Nanak’s message to our society be? Who teaches wisdom in our society? What makes a Guru worthy of following?
Reflecting on the ideas of sewa (service to humanity) and Nam Simran (meditation on the scriptures). What support or challenge do these practices provide to Sikhs? What supports and challenges me?
Examining empathetically what British Sikhs today say about their faith and tradition, its value, influence and what it holds sacred.
Developing pupils’ own self understanding through exploring questions such as: who do I follow? Who would my Guru be? What service to humanity matters to me? What kinds of equality do I build up? What is sacred to me? (skills of synthesis)

/ Teachers might assess this work by:
Setting pupils to write an encyclopedia entry, or internet home page for Guru Nanak, answering the question: What is sacred to Sikhs? (AT1, level 4: pupils describe key beliefs of Sikhs, and understand how Sikh beliefs and ideas are expressed, using Sikh terms accurately.)
Setting pupils to consider a summary of Guru Nanak’s teaching, and develop in the light of it some ‘sentences for a better world’ of their own, explaining how their ideas would change family, school, locality, nation or world for the better. (AT 2, level 4: pupils respond to the lives of key Sikh figures, referring to Sikh teaching about what is sacred and understanding the value of respect for diversity) / As well as a range of text books, video and general resources about Sikhism, teachers might use:
Artefacts: Pictures of the Ten Gurus and key events from their lives.
Resources which show what a Gurdwara is like inside. Tape or CD music from Sikh sources.
The Mool Mantar, Sikh statement of belief in God.
Websites which give access to contemporary Sikh ideas and reflections.
CDRom: Living Sikhism from I-seek.
Authentic resources from the Sikh community in Britain, eg the Sikh Missionary Society, 10 Featherstone Road, Southall, Middx, UB2 5AA.

Outline Planning Sheet

Title: Community: Where do we belong? (Sikhism, Islam)Key Stage 3 Year 8 / 9

Notes: Work on this topic might involve 8-10 lessons

Religions

Islam
Sikhism

Concepts

Authority
Religious belief and lifestyle

Skills

Investigating
Interpreting
Applying
Evaluating
Analysing

Attitudes

Enquiry
Empathy
Respect / Pupils will be enabled to:

Develop their knowledge and understanding of what it means to belong to the Sikh and the Muslim religions.

Be increasingly aware of and sensitive to the diversity of religious culture.

Explore aspects of their own identity, communities and sense of belonging, in the light of their learning from religions.

Appreciate some of the rich potential of social and cultural development in a plural community, country and world.

/ Teaching might include:

Comparing and contrasting the views and experiences of belonging of Sikhs, Muslims and members of the teaching group. This study could explore questions about interdependence, identity, co-operation and community.
Taking note of the nature and experience of racial, religious and gender prejudice, and of the call from Islam and Sikhism to treat all humans with justice.
Teaching about stories from historic and contemporary Sikhs and Muslims that point to the values of the community.
Enquiring into the religious complexion of Lincolnshire, the East Midlands, England and the UK: How would it compare to live in Lincoln, Leicester, Belfast, Bradford or Birmingham? This study could use internet links to schools in other parts of the country.
Examining how some Muslims and Sikhs experience prejudice and discrimination. Considering ways of reducing prejudice, for example by legislation, education, dialogue and encounter. Developing a ‘charter for a plural society’.
Evaluating what the school does to promote inter - cultural and inter – religious understanding: what steps are effective? What more could be done? What attitudes are common? What challenges would Guru Nanak or the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) issue to our school?
Enabling students to reflect on their own attitudes and values with regard to respect for those who live and believe differently to themselves. Applying their learning from religion.

/ Teachers might assess this work by:

Setting students to devise a questionnaire that explores attitudes to religious and cultural diversity, to run a survey and analyse the results. (AT1, level 6: pupils use their knowledge and understanding to explain what it means to belong to a faith community, corretly employing religious terms.)

Giving students a choice between a number of reflective writing tasks that show empathy with believers from the Sikh and Islamic traditions, for example: What do you think would be the most difficult or challenging parts of being a teenage Sikh in a school like ours? (150 words). (AT2, level 5: Pupils make informed responses to Sikh’s identity, values and commitments, exploring sensitively ideas about what is sacred).

/ As well as a range of text books, video and ICT resources, teachers might use:
Visits, visitors or internet contacts with Muslims and Sikhs.
Authentic ‘insider’ materials from, for example, the Sikh Missionary Society, 10 Featherstone Road, Southall, Middlesex, UB2 5AA.
Or from ‘Reflect’, the Islamic magazine for thinking young Muslims, publishers: Muslim Educational Trust, 130 Stroud Green Road, London N4 3RZ.
A range of textbooks on Sikhism and Islam.
Some examples of Sikh and Muslim responses to racism.

Outline Planning Sheet

Title:How can you express spiritual or religious concepts through the arts? (Christianity, Sikhism)Key Stage 3, Year 8 or 9

Notes: This unit of work will be enhanced by co-operation with expressive arts teaching.

Christianity
Sikhism

Concepts:

Celebration
The Sacred

Skills:

Investigating
Reflecting
Expressing
Discerning
Interpreting

Attitudes:

Respect
Enquiry

/ Pupils will be enabled to:

Explain how some examples of Sikh and Christian art relate to religious stories, questions, beliefs and symbols;
Develop their knowledge of how Sikhs and Christians express their understandings of the Sacred in visual and musical forms;
Consider what they might learn from Sikhs and Christians in relation to their own expression of meaning, belief and value

/ Teaching might include:

Research to find examples of how Sikhs and Christians use the arts in their faith, worship, celebration and expression of belief, for example in painting, sculpture, fabric and textiles, music, liturgy, poetry and other forms.
Exploring what some Sikh and Christian artists have to say about their work.
Simulating the judging of a competition to select works of art for use in a place of worship, and considering the spiritual criteria which might be applied to them.
Considering key examples of architecture as an expression of the spiritual, Sikh examples could include the Golden Temple at Amritsar, or a British Gurdwara. Christian examples could include Lincoln Cathedral, a local church building or an example from somewhere else in the world.
Comparing examples of Sikh and Christian art with the textual sources which lie behind them, analysing how a religious story is communicated in a painting.
Listening to a range of music for worship from Sikh or Christian sources, and analysing various ways in which ideas about God or the Sacred are expressed;
Considering questions about why it is hard to put ultimate ideas into words: Can we talk accurately about God? Can we express our deepest emotions? What helps us to do this?
Doing some creative work of their own, to express their visions, values or ideas about God or the Sacred in art, music, story, poetry or some other medium.
Applying their learning from religions to their own beliefs, values and / or spiritual reflection with discernment, through discussion or written work: What could I communicate about the spiritual dimensions of life?

/ Teachers might:

Give pupils one or two examples of artwork from the religions studied, and ask them to write ‘gallery notes’ of 150 words to explain the spiritual aspects of the work (AT1, level 5: pupils explain how communities use different ways to express their religion and understanding of the sacred)

Ask pupils to choose a concept that means a lot to them (eg love, goodness, God, hope) and devise a work of art to express their idea in depth (AT2, level 5: pupils respond to some ultimate questions of meaning, exploring sensitively their idea of the sacred)

/ As well as a range of text books, video and ICT resources, teachers might use:
Art of the Sikh Kingdoms
Artefacts: Pictures of the Ten Gurus and key events from their lives. Resources which show what a Gurdwara is like inside. Tape or CD music from Sikh sources.
Christian art and artefacts
Tape or CD music from Christian sources, eg Taize, Iona or Soul Survivor.
Access to resources of the design, music, dance, drama or art departments, to develop pupils’ own expressive abilities using RE concepts and ideas.

Outline Planning Sheet

Title: What uses do humans make of nature and animals?(Buddhism, Christianity)Key Stage 3 Year 8 or 9

Notes: Work on this topic might involve 12-14 lessons

Religions

Buddhism
Christianity

Concepts

Religious belief and lifestyle
Skills
Investigating
Analysing
Synthesising
Evaluating

Attitudes

Enquiry
Fairness
Respect / Pupils will be enabled to:

Investigate a variety of ideas, including religious ideas about the human use of animals.
Develop their understanding of how religious beliefs about animals and nature in Buddhism and Christianity influence the lifestyles of believers.
Consider their own beliefs and attitudes to the human use of animals, in the light of learning from Buddhism and Christianity
Explore some moral and religious questions about the human use of animals, evaluating issues for themselves.

/ Teaching might include:

Researching and examining the different ways we use animals (for food, clothing, sport, work, pleasure, medical or cosmetic research, as pets etc).
Asking how we see the animal and natural world: as in our care, or under our control? As having rights, or as there for our benefit? As ‘under’ us, ‘under’ God or what?
Considering the questions of origins and purposes that underlie different views of the natural world, including Buddhist and Christian views.
Examining what Christians and Buddhists do, say and teach with regard to the natural world in scriptures, sacred writings and in the contemporary world.
Reading the sacred texts of Buddhists and Christians, and examining how they are interpreted with regard to the human use of animals.
Surveying and analysing opinions about questions to do with animal killing, cruelty, animal use for sport or pleasure, vegetarian and vegan diets.
Analysing what views of nature come from science, from religions, or from other sources such as Humanism.
Considering their own attitudes to nature and the animal world, and noting what moral consistency might require.
Expressing their ideas about the topic through ‘inverted cartoons’, in which animals are seen treating humans in the ways we commonly treat them.
Developing Buddhist, Christian and personal codes of guidance for the ethical human use of animals.
Evaluating the role of religion in animal welfare, eg the Christians origins of RSPCA, the Buddhist commitment to harmlessness.

/ Teachers might assess this work by:

Testing knowledge and understanding of what has been taught. (AT1 Level 5: pupils explain how beliefs and teachings make a difference to individuals and communities)
Setting a task in which pupils apply the teaching of a particular religion to a new ethical dilemma or problem, eg how would a Buddhist or a Christian react if their job required involvement with animal testing of medicines? Why? What guidance is there in sacred text, tradition or story? (AT 1 and 2 level 7: pupils relate religious authorities and beliefs to their context and evaluate commitments using appropriate evidence.)
Using the ‘cartoons’ activity or the ‘code of guidance’ task to develop pupils’ expression of personal responses to the issues considered. (AT2, level 6: pupils relate religious perspectives on moral issues to their own views with sensitivity)

/ As well as a range of text books, video and ICT resources, teachers might use:
Materials from some of the agencies working in this field (RSPCA, IFAW, the Countryside Alliance)
Materials from some of the religious groups concerned with this area: Christian Ecology Link, The Clear Vision Trust (Buddhist, FWBO). The Assisi Declarations.
Books which particularly address the issues, eg RE in Practice: Whose World? (CEM, 2000)

Outline Planning SheetBlank for school use.