Religious Studies
Head of Department: Mrs. Frances Proud
Assistant Teacher: Ms. Caroline Snaith
Religious Studies is all about questioning and considering ultimate issues, values and respect for others and their right to hold and practise different religions or none. The focus is on finding out about what religions believe, why. and what difference it makes to the lives of those who believe.
YEARS 7-9
Year 7 - Faith, Founders and Features in Christianity, Islam. and Judaism. Symbols and buildings, festivals and food; and an introduction to the lives of Jesus, Muhammad, Abraham and Moses. Visit a virtual church, or try the baptism quiz.
Year 8 - The teaching of Jesus (Who was Jesus? + Quiz), plus a study of pilgrimage in various religions.
Year 9 - How Christianity came to Britain, plus Rites of Passage in various religions. Try the RS Quiz.
GCSE AQA Religious Studies B 3067
Module 1: Thinking About God and
Morality
The AQA Short Course "Thinking about God and Morality" (a basic introduction to Philosophy and Ethics) is studied by all pupils - it includes a considerable amount of PSE material e.g. right and wrong, prejudice, marriage and divorce, abortion, euthanasia , capital punishment, war and the environment Religious topics include creation, evolution, suffering, evil , the existence and nature of God. Assessment is by examination only; there is no coursework.
GCSE SCHEME OF WORK
Year 10: Christmas Term
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Topic |
Content |
|
Definitions Technical terms Patterns of morality |
Islam, Judaism, Christianity – Religious Leaders, Sacred Texts, Places & Days of Worship. Theist, Atheist, agnostic, monotheist, polytheist.Immanent, transcendent, personal, impersonal. Absolute/relative morality. Conscience, Situation ethics |
|
Abortion: |
Abortion: The Law Christianity (RC & Protestants), Islam, Sanctity of Life Quality of Life |
|
Where does the universe come from? Genesis Big Bang & Evolution |
Genesis chapter 1 |
|
Exam/Feedback (Crime & Punishment Capital Punishment – not in the exam) |
Year 10: Easter Term
|
The Existence of God |
Freud – Psychological Necessity |
|
Prejudice & Discrimination (Christianity & Islam) |
Prejudice & Discrimination the Law; Christianity, Judaism, Islam Martin Luther King Stephen Lawrence Gandhi |
|
Suffering & Evil (Christianity & Judaism) |
The Fall : Gen. 3 The Holocaust Dunblane Massacre The Problem of Evil Evil as a Personal/ Psychological force |
|
(Euthanasia – not in the exam) |
Euthanasia – the Law Attitudes in Christianity (denominations), Islam, Judaism |
Year 10 Summer Term
|
War & Pacifism (Christianity & Islam) |
Just War – Gulf War ? Holy War – Crusades; Islam – Lesser jihad Nuclear War - Gandhi - Pacifism |
|
Crime & Punishment |
5 Aims. Types of punishment |
|
Capital Punishment |
Arguments for & Against Attitudes in Christianity, Islam, |
|
Recap & revision Exam & Follow-up |
|
Year 11 Christmas Term
|
Sex, Marriage & Divorce |
Sex, Marriage & Divorce Law, Attitudes in Christianity, Islam |
|
Causes of Poverty Debt Christian Aid Fair Trade |
|
|
The nature of God (recap & complete) |
One or Many? Personal or Impersonal? Transcendent/ Immanent? Christianity, Islam, |
|
How can God be known? (recap) |
Specific & general revelation.; nature Christianity, Islam, Worship |
Year 11 Easter Term
|
Exams & Debriefing |
Mock Exam – 1 x 1¾ Hour paper |
|
The natural world |
Environmental conservation, pollution, animal rights. Debate fox hunting, experiments on animals, vegetarianism. |
|
Structured Revision Programme in class and via preps – tests, timed questions, revision presentations. |
|
|
Issue Revision Guides and Packs o f Past Papers 2 weeks before Easter holiday. Last year’s paper must be completed by the end of term. AT LEAST ONE more paper must be completed during the holiday – hand in on the first day of term. |
|
Year 11 Summer Term
|
Half Day RS Revision Workshop with AQA Examiners |
|
|
Revision |
Past exam questions – some with open books, some as tests. Use of AQA mark schemes. Useful for pupils to mark some tests using the mark scheme. Content tests. |
|
Study Leave & GCSE |
1 x 1¾ Hour exam Wednesday 14th May 2008 (afternoon). |
AS/A2 LEVEL-OCR Religious Studies:3877,7877
Jewish Scriptures
New Testament
The OCR course covers a study of Jewish Scriptures and the Gospels. The three AS modules are taken during the Lower Sixth and encompass the social and literary settings of the texts (including an introduction to biblical archaeology ( Masada, Biblical archaeology ) plus a study of the Old Testament themes of Covenant and Suffering. New Testament texts focus on the Passion and Resurrection narratives (The Passion of the Christ) . In the Upper Sixth Old Testament prophecy featuring the Messianic Hope and Social Justice is balanced with a study of Jesus as Teacher and Healer in the gospels. There is an optional long essay in place of one examination in the assessment.
OCR PUPIL GUIDE:OCR ADVANCED SUBSIDIARY GCE- RELIGIOUS STUDIES (3877)
Module 2760: Foundation for the Study of Religion
This module is in eight equal parts, each part providing an introduction to and foundation for one of the other two modules candidates study for the Advanced Subsidiary GCE qualification.
In the examination candidates take the two parts they are following for their other modules.
Part 3 Jewish Scriptures – a foundation for Module 2763
(a) A time line of scriptures:
placing Jewish scriptures in their historical context and considering the probable dating of principal events e.g. Abraham, Moses, Exodus, David, Exile, Isaiah, the Maccabean revolt, the destruction of the
(b) Form Criticism:
the types of literature found in Jewish scriptures: myth, history, prophecy, poetry, law, wisdom (hohma), liturgy; their origins and purpose.
Part 4 New Testament – a foundation for Module 2764
B Gospels
(a) First century
The origins, particular beliefs and practices of Sadducees, Pharisees and Zealots;
The Roman occupation and its effect on the religious life of the Jews.
(b) Source criticism, with reference to the gospels;
An overview of the Synoptic Problem (a detailed knowledge of the various proposed solutions will not be expected).
Module 2763: Jewish Scriptures 1
The knowledge, understanding and skills developed in Part 3 of Module 2760 will be assumed as a foundation and preparation for the content of this module.
Content
The texts are to be studied with reference to their date, authorship, purpose and historicity.
Candidates should be able to comment in detail on the texts in relation to the concepts listed below, though questions focusing on the context of short passages (‘gobbet’ questions) will not be asked. Candidates are free to consider the texts from a traditional Jewish or a critical approach. It is very important that, although detailed textual questions will not be asked, candidates are nevertheless fully familiar with the set texts and able to quote (in paraphrase) from them where appropriate.
(a) Covenant – the idea of Covenant as a particularly Jewish concept and of the
way in which this idea develops through the following texts, moving from a largely single-sided agreement on the part of G-d to a two-way agreement between G-d and
humanity:
- Genesis 1:26-30, (Adam)
- Genesis 8:20-9:29, (Noah)
- Genesis 12, 17 (Abraham);
- Exodus 19-24 (Moses);
- 2 Samuel 7 (David);
- Jeremiah 31 (the new covenant).
The development of covenantal ideas is of great importance here and candidates should be absolutely clear about the differences between each of the seven covenants listed and the way in which they show the developing relationship between God and the Jews.
(b) God and suffering – the suffering of the Jews as demonstrated in the
following texts, in relation to the Jewish understanding of the nature of God:
- Jonah (obedience, the inability to hide from G-d or resist God’s wishes and the relationship with non-Jews),
- Job 1-14; 42 (the first series of arguments between Job and his ‘comforters’; Job’s suffering, his acceptance of G-d’s will and his final reward).
Candidates need to understand the unique nature of the books of Jonah and Job and the particular teachings about the nature of God which are found within them. For Job, they should have good textual knowledge of the Prologue (chapter 1) and the Epilogue (chapter 42) as well as the first series of arguments with his ‘comforters’ (chapters 2-14).
In discussing the texts they need to be able to refer to their structure and theological importance as well as simply knowing their content.
Bibles are not permitted in the examination.
Module 2764: New Testament 1
The knowledge, understanding and skills developed in the related section of Part 4 of Module 2760 will be assumed as a foundation and preparation for the chosen content of this module.
Candidates study one of these alternatives:
B Gospels
Content
Passion and resurrection narratives in Mark (14:1-16:20) and John (18-21):
- issues relating to the text: Purpose – the intended readership, historical accuracy; evidence for use of sources;
Candidates need to know the set texts thoroughly and to be able to use them (in paraphrase) in their responses to questions. They also need to have considered the other issues listed here and to be able to compare the parts studied of the two gospels in relation to these.
- Concepts and issues arising from the study of the texts: Sacrifice (extent of relationship to Old Testament ideas), basis for ideas of redemption, foundations for
Christian teachings on sin, resurrection, and eternal life;
Candidates need to place the ideas of sacrifice, redemption, sin, resurrection and eternal life in their context in terms of the Old Testament and first-century Jewish ideas. They need to be aware of Jewish material about the Passover and the Day of Atonement from Exodus 12-13 and Leviticus 16.
The differing theological approaches between Mark and John should be identified and explored.
- The significance of the actions of Jews and Romans in the Passion as recorded in the set texts;
Candidates need a thorough understanding of the texts and of the actions attributed to the Jews and the Romans, with a critical consideration of these.
- Jewish features in the account, e.g. Passover, Sabbath, Sanhedrin; texts from Psalms, Wisdom, Isaiah, and Zechariah.
Candidates need to be aware of the importance of the Old Testament and Jewish backgrounds to the narratives and the significance of the quotations from and allusions to Old Testament texts and Jewish practices, including the concept of Messiahship. The methods of exegesis should be examined, as should the possible use of collections of proof texts.
Bibles are not permitted in the examination, and questions focusing on the context of short passages (‘gobbet’ questions) will not be asked.
EXAM DATE SUMMER 2008:
Tuesday 3rd June (afternoon) All AS Modules
Humanities
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