Religious Education
Religious Education Key Stage 3
What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?
- Enter the Spirited Arts competition - this runs in July every year.
- Challenge themselves by completing the additional homework projects available for each unit of work.
- Create a revision guide for the unit of work that they are studying.
- Create a glossary of new vocabulary that they acquire during R.E. lessons.
- Take a lead role in teaching key concepts and ideas to others during lessons.
- Try to make links to religious scripture in their class work.
What wider reading can be completed to support the curriculum?
- Students could read and critically evaluate the presentation of religion within any national newspapers.
- Students could keep a 'Religion in the news' scrapbook - printing off or cutting out any stories they hear about that are related to religion.
The following texts may be of interest:
- The Chronicles of Narnia - C S Lewis.
- The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne.
- The Philosophy Files - Stephen Law.
- Read extracts from sacred texts such as The Bible, all of which can be accessed on the internet.
What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?
www.christianaid.org.uk
www.bbc.co.uk/religion
www.humanism.org.uk
www.bbc.co.uk/education
www.amnesty.org
www.churchofengland.org
Can television and film assist with supporting the curriculum?
Certain television programmes can be useful:
- The Big Questions - Sunday mornings on BBC One.
- See if you can identify moral/ethical/religious themes within programmes you watch such as soaps and dramas.
Watching films such as:
- Bruce Almighty/Evan Almighty.
- The Prince of Egypt.
- The Chronicles of Narnia.
- The Miracle Maker.
- The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
- The Golden Compass.
- Wall-E.
How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?
- Discuss and debate current affairs, particularly issues related directly to religion.
- Discuss religious events/festivals that are taking place, e.g. discussing Christmas, Diwali, Eid.
- Encourage your son or daughter to explain their own views on a range of philosophical/ethical issues, but also encourage them to reflect on why others may not share these views.
- Visit places of religious interest, either locally (e.g. Grimsby Minster, Lincoln Cathedral) or further afield (Stonehenge, Canterbury Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, etc.).
- When on holiday, take note of religious customs/dress/places of worship - many popular destinations have a lot to offer in terms of deepening understanding of religion.
- Look for evidence of religion where you might not expect to find it, e.g. in an art gallery, a museum, on the football pitch, etc.
Religious Education Key Stage 4
What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?
- Attend after Academy revision sessions.
- Challenge themselves by completing the additional homework projects available for each unit of work.
- Create a revision guide for the unit of work that they are studying.
- Create a glossary of new vocabulary that they acquire during R.E. lessons.
- Take a lead role in teaching key concepts and ideas to others during lessons.
- Develop their knowledge of religious scripture beyond the basics covered in lessons.
- Ask teachers for access to past exam papers/sample questions and answers.
What wider reading can be completed to support the curriculum?
- Students could read and critically evaluate the presentation of religion within any national newspapers.
- Students could keep a 'Religion in the News' scrapbook - printing off or cutting out any stories they hear about that are related to religion.
The following texts may be of interest:
- Sophie's World - Jostein Gaarder.
- The Life of Pi - Yann Martel.
- The Philosophy Files - Stephen Law.
- The Book Thief - Markus Zusak.
- Religious Scripture - e.g. The Bible, Hindu scripture/stories such as the Ramayana.
What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?
www.christianaid.org.uk
www.salvationarmy.org.uk
www.corrymeela.org
www.tearfund.org
www.cafod.org.uk
www.amnesty.org
www.bbc.co.uk/religion
www.humanism.org.uk
www.bbc.co.uk/education
www.religionfacts.com/hinduism
www.theguardian.com/world/religion
www.churchofengland.org
www.rsrevision.com
Can television and film assist with supporting the curriculum?
Certain television programmes can be useful:
- The Big Questions - Sunday mornings on BBC One.
- Watch documentaries related to ethical issues, e.g. those by Robert Winston, concerning IVF, Trevor MacDonald - Life on Death Row and Life and Death Row.
- Identify moral and ethical issues such as adultery, divorce, euthanasia, etc within soaps and dramas that you watch.
- Use BBC iPlayer to watch programmes and documentaries about religion.
Watching films such as:
- Selma.
- Gandhi.
- Jesus of Nazareth.
- Schindler's List.
- The Truman Show.
- Philadelphia.
- The Colour Purple.
- The Help.
- Hotel Rwanda.
- The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
- Gattaca.
- Million Dollar Baby.
- Philomena.
Additionally, follow people such as the Pope, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Richard Dawkins, Church of England, etc. on Twitter.
How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?
- Discuss and debate current affairs, particularly issues related directly to religion, e.g. Meeting between Pope Francis and Donald Trump.
- Discuss religious events/festivals that are taking place, e.g. discussing Christmas, Diwali, Eid.
- Encourage your son or daughter to explain their own views on a range of philosophical/ethical issues, but also encourage them to reflect on why others may not share these views.
- Visit places of religious interest, either locally (e.g. Grimsby Minster, Lincoln Cathedral) or further afield.
- When on holiday, take note of religious customs/dress/places of worship - many popular destinations have a lot to offer in terms of deepening understanding of religion.
- Look for evidence of religion where you might not expect to find it, e.g. in an art gallery, a museum, on the football pitch, etc.
