Half term 1 - Belonging

1. Write a leaflet describing what Christians believe to someone that has never heard of Jesus, maybe an alien.
2. Research Christian symbols. Copy out two and write what the symbol represents about the Christian faith.
3. Write a prayer to God which says both thankyou and help. This can be about anything you wish.

Half term 2 - Aspects of God

1. Define the words ‘Truth’ and ‘Fact’ and state why they are different.
2. Write two paragraphs which explain reasons why people do not believe in God. One reason in each paragraph.
3. Who was William Paley? Half Side A4.

Half term 3 - Matriarchs and Patriarchs

1. Homework’s will focus on the prophets. Storyboard the story of Jonah.
2. Homework’s will focus on the prophets. Storyboard how Samuel heard Gods call.
3. Homework’s will focus on the prophets. Storyboard how Elisha healed Naaman.

Half term 4 - Judaism

1. Research any Holocaust memorial site and explains how and what it remembers.
2. Find a label the inside of a synagogue, make sure you know if it is Liberal or Orthodox synagogue.
3. Find out about either Ephraim Mirvis or Jonathan Sacks.

Half term 5 - Greek Gods

1. Make an information leaflet about one of the lives of the Greek heroes.
2. Make 4 Top Trump style cards of Greek Gods.
3. Research one Greek God and their selfish actions and compare with how the Christian or Jewish God might act.

Half term 6 - Hinduism

1. Draw and label the inside of a Mandir.
2. Write a short story or poem about the phrase, ‘Karma: What goes around comes around!!’
3. Research a famous Hindu and write a brief biography about them.

Term 1 -Buddhism

1. Research draw and label the inside of a Buddhist Temple.
2. Write a diary entry of a Buddhist Monk.
3. What are the similarities and differences between the 10 Commandments and the 8 Fold Path?
4. Revision for assessment

Term 2 - Sikhism

1. Research how wearing Religious Symbols in public, such as Turbans, Kirpans, Kippah, or Crosses might have caused problems. Do you think that Religious people should be able to wear religious symbols in public?
2. Research and write at least half side A4, ‘how do Sikhs use their Holy Book? What is it called?
3. Research a Sikh Ceremony, get lots of detail.

Term 3 - Passion to Pentecost

1. Story board the last week of Jesus life.
2. Write a poem about how Jesus might have felt during an event in Holy week of your choice.
3. Why did Jesus die? To save or sins, or because he upset the authorities? What do you think? Half side A4.

Term 4 - Christ to the Crusades

1. Find out who Timothy was. What was his relationship to Paul?
2. Research a Crusade. Anyone of your choice.
3. Find out about any one of the following people. How did they work for God? Thomas Bernardo; Elizabeth Fry; William Wilberforce; Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury.

Term 5 - Denominations

1. Find the symbol of the World council of churches, copy it and label it. Explain what it means.
2. Draw and label a diagram of the inside of your church and explain how different elements help people worship.
3. What is your opinion? There are too many denominations. Discuss this in class first.

Term 6 - Islam

1. Find out how Allah is depicted in Art, and explain why. Print of a small picture 75mm Square.
2. Find out and label the inside of a Mosque.
3. Write a Diary entry for a Muslim on a typical Friday.

Unit 1…

3.2.1 Theme A: Relationships and families

Students should study religious teachings, and religious, philosophical and ethical arguments, relating to the issues that follow, and their impact and influence in the modern world. They should be aware of contrasting perspectives in contemporary British society on all of these issues. They must be able to explain contrasting beliefs on the following three issues with reference to the main religious tradition in Britain (Christianity) and one or more other religious traditions:

•• Contraception.

•• Sexual relationships before marriage.

•• Homosexual relationships

3.2.1.1 Sex, marriage and divorce

•• Human sexuality including: heterosexual and homosexual relationships.

•• Sexual relationships before and outside of marriage.

•• Contraception and family planning.    •• The nature and purpose of marriage.

•• Same-sex marriage and cohabitation.

•• Divorce, including reasons for divorce, and remarrying.

•• Ethical arguments related to divorce, including those based on the sanctity of marriage vows and compassion.

3.2.1.2 Families and gender equality

•• The nature of families, including:

•• the role of parents and children

•• extended families and the nuclear family.

•• The purpose of families, including:

•• procreation

•• stability and the protection of children

•• educating children in a faith.

•• Contemporary family issues including:

•• same-sex parents

•• polygamy.

•• The roles of men and women.

•• Gender equality.

•• Gender prejudice and discrimination, including examples.

Unit 2…

3.2.2 Theme B: Religion, peace and conflict

Students should study religious teachings, and religious, philosophical and ethical arguments, relating to the issues that follow, and their impact and influence in the modern world. They should be aware of contrasting perspectives in contemporary British society on all of these issues. On the following three issues they must be able to explain a belief from the main religious tradition in Britain (Christianity) and one or more other religious traditions:

•• Violence.

•• Weapons of mass destruction.

•• Pacifism

3.2.2.1 Religion, violence, terrorism and war

•• The meaning and significance of:

•• peace

•• justice

•• forgiveness

•• reconciliation.

•• Violence, including violent protest.

•• Terrorism.

•• Reasons for war, including greed, self-defence and retaliation.

•• The just war theory, including the criteria for a just war.

•• Holy war.

•• Pacifism.

3.2.2.2 Religion and belief in 21st century conflict

•• Religion and belief as a cause of war and violence in the contemporary world.

•• Nuclear weapons, including nuclear deterrence.

•• The use of weapons of mass destruction.

•• Religion and peace-making in the contemporary world including the work of individuals influenced by religious teaching.

•• Religious responses to the victims of war including the work of one present day religious organisation.

3.1.1 Christianity

Students should be aware that Christianity is one of the diverse religious traditions and beliefs in Great Britain today and that the main religious tradition in Great Britain is Christianity. This knowledge may be applied throughout the assessment of the specified content. Students should study the beliefs and teachings of Christianity specified below and their basis in Christian sources of wisdom and authority. They should be able to refer to scripture and/or sacred texts where appropriate. Some texts are prescribed for study in the content set out below and questions may be set on them. Students may refer to any relevant text in their answers and AQA will publish a list of appropriate texts as part of the supporting material for this specification. These additional texts will not be required for study, alternatives may be used, and questions will not be set on them. Students should study the influence of the beliefs and teachings studied on individuals, communities and societies. Common and divergent views within Christianity in the way beliefs and teachings are understood and expressed should be included throughout.

Students may refer to a range of different Christian perspectives in their answers including Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant. They must study the specific differences identified below.

3.1.1.1 Key beliefs

•• God as omnipotent, loving and just, and the problem of evil and suffering

•• the oneness of God and the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

•• Different Christian beliefs about creation including the role of Word and Spirit (John 1:1–3 and Genesis 1:1–3).

•• Different Christian beliefs about the afterlife and their importance, including: resurrection and life after death; judgement, heaven and hell.

3.1.1.2 Jesus Christ & salvation

•• Beliefs and teachings about:

•• the incarnation and Jesus as the Son of God

•• the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension

•• sin, including original sin

•• the means of salvation, including law, grace and Spirit

•• the role of Christ in salvation including the idea of atonement.

3.1.2 Islam

Students should be aware that Islam is one of the diverse religious traditions and beliefs in Great Britain today and that the main religious tradition in Great Britain is Christianity. This knowledge may be applied throughout the assessment of the specified content. Students should study the beliefs and teachings of Islam specified below and their basis in Islamic sources of wisdom and authority. They should be able to refer to scripture and other writings where appropriate. Some texts are prescribed for study in the content set out below and questions may be set on them. Students may refer to any relevant text in their answers and AQA will publish a list of appropriate texts as part of the supporting material for this specification. These additional texts will not be required for study, alternatives may be used, and questions will not be set on them. Students should study the influence of the beliefs and teachings studied on individuals, communities and societies. Common and divergent views within Islam in the way beliefs and teachings are understood and expressed should be included throughout.

Students may refer to a range of different Muslim perspectives in their answers, including those from Sunni and Shi’a Islam. They must study the specific differences identified below.

3.1.2.1 Key beliefs

•• The six articles of faith in Sunni Islam and five roots of ‘Usul ad-Din in Shi’a Islam, including key similarities and differences.

•• The Oneness of God (Tawhid), Qur’an Surah 112.

•• The nature of God: omnipotence, beneficence, mercy, fairness and justice (Adalat in Shi’a Islam), including different ideas about God’s relationship with the world: immanence and transcendence.

•• Angels, their nature and role, including Jibril and Mika’il.

•• Predestination and human freedom and its relationship to the Day of Judgement.

•• Life after death (Akhirah), human responsibility and accountability, resurrection, heaven and hell.

3.1.2.2 Authority

•• Prophethood (Risalah) including the role and importance of Adam, Ibrahim and Muhammad.

•• The holy books:

•• Qur’an: revelation and authority

•• the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospel, the Scrolls of Abraham and their authority.

•• The imamate in Shi’a Islam: its role and significance.

For A Level Religious Studies, students follow the specification from OCR. The title of the course is ‘Christianity, Philosophy and Ethics’.

(Many other schools and colleges will refer to this only as Philosophy and Ethics A Level; this is misleading. If this is the way it is presented in a post 16 prospectus you should be aware that the wording on the A Level Certificate will say ‘Religious Studies’. There is no such A Level course offered by any exam board simply called Philosophy and Ethics and as of September 2016, all Religious Studies courses have to contain the study of theology from at least one major world faith.)

Over the duration of the course students complete units;

The Philosophy of Religion

• Ancient philosophical influences including Plato and Aristotle
• The existence of God including classical arguments from observation and reason
• Experience of God including ‘religious experience’ and ‘the problem of evil’
• Theological and philosophical understanding of God including concepts such as omniscience and freewill
• Religious language; understanding and modern debate

Varying Religious and Non-Religious Approaches to Ethical Theories

• The religious approaches of natural moral law and situation ethics
• The normative approaches of Kantian and Utilitarianism ethics
• Applied ethics including issues such as euthanasia and business ethics
• Ethical language
• Significant ideas behind ethical theory including Aquianas’ theological approach and Freud’s contribution from psychology
• Further development in ethical though regarding the ethics of sex

Development of Christian Thought

• Theories of insight including Augustine’s view of human nature
• Death and the afterlife
• Knowledge of God’s existence
• The person of Jesus
• Christian moral principles and action
• Religious pluralism and secularism
• Religion, gender and society

The course is assessed at the end of Year 2 in three, 2-hour exams. Each exam relates to one of the units above and in each paper, students are required to write three 40-minute essays.