Religious Studies - Routes to Remarkable

Festivals

Overview

Students will investigate the features of festivals, both religious and non-religious. They will then explore key religious festivals across the faiths, including why and how they are celebrated.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Festivals studied in the UK
• How people celebrate differently
• Knowledge of 5 major religions

New Learning

• Subject terminology within religions e.g. Wesak, Hanukah etc,
• Symbolism within Religious Festivals.
• How festivals link to religious beliefs.

Islam

Overview

This unit focuses on the key features of Islam, including the Five Pillars and why Muslims make a pilgrimage to Mecca as part of Hajj. Contemporary issues surrounding Muslims are then explored.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Basic knowledge of Islam
• How people are stereotyped and how this can be harmful
• How Islam is a popular religion in the UK.

New Learning

• Challenging misconceptions about Islamic beliefs i.e. religious clothing, the meaning behind the religion.
• Specific Islamic beliefs and why they are important to Muslims
• Subject terminology e.g. Qur’an, Hajj etc.

Sikhism

Overview

This unit focuses on newest religion of Sikhism, including its origins and the 5 K’s. It includes a case study of the Golden Temple of Amritsar in India and an investigation into Sikhs in Britain today.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• How beliefs influence action within religion
• Knowledge about Vaisakhi
• Sikhism as a major world religion

New Learning

• Specific beliefs that separate Sikhism from other religions
• Sikhism in Britain and the History of Sikhism
• The importance of their place of worship within the wider community.

Christianity (Life of Jesus)

Overview

This unit focuses on the Christian teachings surrounding Jesus; miracles, teachings, his death and his resurrection.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Basic knowledge of Christianity
• Basic knowledge on the importance of Jesus for Christians
• Important events for Christians.

New Learning

• Reading and interpreting religious texts
• Inferring meaning behind stories about Jesus
• Connecting the links between Christianity and other religious beliefs.

Religious Founders & Leaders

Overview

This unit focuses on key religious leaders and questions the attributes of a good leader… along with the attributes of a notorious leader! There is also an exploration of female leaders.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Basic knowledge of the religious leaders involved
• Knowledge of the religion behind the leaders
• Knowledge on important qualities for leadership

New Learning

• Ability to reason for another perspective
• Comparisons between leaders.
• Difficult Philosophical questions e.g. “Can a bad person be a good leader”

Just War

Overview

Students investigate ‘just war’ principles, and apply these to examples of conflicts. Christian views of war are also explored, along with protest songs during the Vietnam War.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Ability to form a reasoned judgement
• Ability to argue from another perspective
• Understanding of Christian views.

New Learning

• Understanding of case studies of war
• Knowledge of key concepts such as Pacifism and the Just War Theory
• Examples of key figures such as Desmond Doss, Martin Luther King.

Prejudice & Discrimination

Overview

This unit largely focuses on the civil rights movement in the USA, but broadens out to methods of protest and other key individuals who have fought for civil rights around the world.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Basic knowledge of MLK/ Rosa Parks
• Understanding of British Values
• Understanding of types of Discrimination.

New Learning

• Specific examples within the Civil Rights Movement
• Development of empathy to those who suffered injustice/ discrimination
• Skills of evaluating and forming reasoned judgements.

Morality

Overview

This unit focuses on morals and how the main religions guide followers in key moral dilemmas. The question of whether a person can lead a morally sound life without religion is also explored.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Certain knowledge on moral dilemmas
• Knowledge on 5 major religions
• Interpreting religious texts.

New Learning

• Introduction to Ethics, and different approaches to ethical issues
• Subject terminology
• How to make reasoned judgements on ethical topics whilst being sensitive to others.

The Holocaust

Overview

This unit focuses on Jewish life and identity prior to the Holocaust, then the persecution Jews experienced in Germany / Europe in the build up to the Holocaust. It also examines the role of rescuers such as the Kindertransport scheme and Oskar Schindler.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Understanding of Prejudice and Discrimination
• Empathy skills
• Knowledge of Jewish beliefs.

New Learning

• Detailed knowledge of the events of the Holocaust.
• Introduction of subject terminology such as Rehumanise, Rescuers etc.
• The importance of learning about the Holocaust and what we should learn from the events.

Medical Ethics

Overview

After a brief introduction to medical ethics, students study religious and non-religious attitudes to key issues in society. Attitudes are compared and students debate these key issues in the classroom.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Understanding of Ethics and Moral Dilemmas
• Religious approaches to ethical issues
• How to form a reasoned judgement

New Learning

• Case studies within the Medical field.
• Religious and non-religious approaches to these issues
• The law in the UK and around the world on these contemporary issues.

Crime

Overview

This unit focuses on why people commit crime with the ‘nature vs nurture’ argument. It also focuses on the criminal justice system, with custodial sentencing and the ethics of prisons explored. Christian attitudes to crime and punishment are also investigated.

Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Evaluation skills
• Knowledge of Christian views.
• Subject terminology

New Learning

• Introduction of case studies to provoke students debating skills
• Focus on Christian and Buddhist teachings on Crime and Punishment
• Introduction of key terms needed for GCSE e.g. Retribution, Deterrence, Reformation.

Christianity

Overview

An in-depth study of the diverse traditions and beliefs of Christianity, both traditionally and in the 21st Century. Students focus on how the faith influences their actions, and how sources of wisdom and authority are interpreted.