Life
Year 7
Half Term 1
Introduction to Religion and Belief
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This unit aims to introduce students to Religious Studies at KS3. We look at the importance of understanding different religions, cultures and beliefs. In this unit students will start to form a basic knowledge of different religious and non-religious beliefs.
We will look at the main world religious and their ideas about God before looking at non-religious, atheist and Humanist views. Pupils will be given lots of opportunities to explore their own ideas and beliefs alongside learning about others.
This unit will equip students with a basic knowledge of the broad spectrum of religions, cultures and beliefs that make up the world around us.
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Religion - A particular system of faith and worship.
Monotheism – Belief in one God.
Polytheism – Belief in Multiple Gods.
Omnipotent – All powerful.
Omnibenevolent – All loving.
Omniscient – All knowing.
Transcendent – Beyond time and space.
Atheist – Lack of belief in God.
Agnostic – Unsure about the existence of God.
Humanist – An atheist belief system based on reason that focuses on human happiness and quality of life.
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Pupils will receive homework each three weeks, this will be set on teams therefore it is important that pupils are supported with accessing and navigating teams. One piece of homework will take the form of a quiz, one piece will be based on an article or piece of reading.
You can also support your child by discussing what they have been learning about and by discussing current affairs that link to religion. Encourage your child to come to school with any questions that they have and if they follow a religion, encourage your child to talk about it in lessons.
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Half Term 2
Judaism
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Judaism is the first of the Abrahamic religions and is the corner stone for Christianity and Islam.
Students will study the life of Abraham and the origins of Judaism before looking at the story of Moses, the exodus and the ten commandments. We will also discuss Jewish beliefs about God, rules about daily life and places of worship.
This unit will provide pupils with a strong basic knowledge of Judaism. Pupils will revisit Judaism in Year 8 and Year 9 to learn about key Jewish practices and festivals.
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Monotheism – The idea of only believing in one God.
Abrahamic Religion – Stemming from one key prophet, Abraham.
Prophet – A messenger for God.
Covenant – A promise.
Torah – The Jewish Holy Book.
The 10 Commandments – 10 laws given to Moses that must be followed.
Exodus – The freedom of Israelite slaves from Egypt.
Synagogue – The Jewish place of Worship.
Hebrew – The oldest Jewish language, the Torah is written in Hebrew.
Mitzvot – The mitzvot are Jewish laws. There are 613 mitzvot in the Torah.
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Pupils will receive homework each three weeks, this will be set on teams therefore it is important that pupils are supported with accessing and navigating teams. One piece of homework will take the form of a quiz, one piece will be based on an article or piece of reading.
You can also support your child by discussing what they have been learning about and by discussing current affairs that link to religion. Encourage your child to come to school with any questions that they have and if they follow a religion, encourage your child to talk about it in lessons.
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Half Term 3
Christianity
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Christianity is the second of the Abrahamic religions and has many links with Judaism and Islam. Students will study the life of Jesus and the origins of Christianity.
We will also discuss Christian beliefs about God, rules about daily life, the Bible and places of worship.
This unit will provide pupils with a strong basic knowledge of Christianity. Pupils will revisit Christianity in Year 8 and Year 9 to learn about key Christian practices and festivals.
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The Trinity - The Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Miracles – Things that seem impossible, but Jesus was able to perform.
Parables – Stories with hidden meaning sand morals.
The Bible – The Christian Holy Book.
The Church – The Christian place of worship.
The Disciples – Followers of Jesus.
Incarnate – In human form.
Omnipotent – All powerful.
Omnibenevolent – All loving.
Omniscient – All knowing.
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Pupils will receive homework each three weeks, this will be set on teams therefore it is important that pupils are supported with accessing and navigating teams. One piece of homework will take the form of a quiz, one piece will be based on an article or piece of reading.
You can also support your child by discussing what they have been learning about and by discussing current affairs that link to religion. Encourage your child to come to school with any questions that they have and if they follow a religion, encourage your child to talk about it in lessons.
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Half Term 4
Islam
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Islam is the third of the Abrahamic religions and has many links with Judaism and Christianity. Students will study the life of Muhammad, and the origins of Islam.
We will also discuss Muslim beliefs about God, rules for daily life, the Quran and places of worship.
This unit will provide pupils with a strong basic knowledge of Islam. Pupils will revisit Islam in Year 8 and Year 9 to learn about key Muslim practices and festivals.
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Muhammad – Key figure in Islam
Hadith – The words, actions, and habits of the Prophet Mohammad during his lifetime.
The 5 Pillars of Islam – Five core beliefs and practices of Islam.
Shahadah – The declaration of faith.
Salah – Praying five times a day.
Sawm – Fasting during the month of Ramadan.
Hajj – Pilgrimage to Mecca.
Zakat – Giving to charity.
Mosque – The Muslim place of worship.
Quran – The Muslim holy book.
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Pupils will receive homework each three weeks, this will be set on teams therefore it is important that pupils are supported with accessing and navigating teams. One piece of homework will take the form of a quiz, one piece will be based on an article or piece of reading.
You can also support your child by discussing what they have been learning about and by discussing current affairs that link to religion. Encourage your child to come to school with any questions that they have and if they follow a religion, encourage your child to talk about it in lessons.
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Half Term 5
Philosophy and Ethics
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This unit aims to introduce students to Philosophy at KS3. In this unit pupils will develop their critical thinking skills and learn to discuss and debate controversial topics.
This unit focuses on big questions such as ‘does God exist’ as well as some ethical questions such as how should we treat animals and the environment?
Pupils will look at contrasting arguments and the evidence to support them allowing them to develop their own ideas and philosophies.
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Religion - A particular system of faith and worship.
Monotheism – Belief in one God.
The Big Bang – Scientists believe, the universe began suddenly in an event called the big bang.
Moral evil - The acts of humans which are considered to be morally wrong, e.g., murder and theft.
Natural evil – Natural disasters, e.g., Earthquakes or tsunamis, which humans have no control over.
The Problem of Evil – The idea that evil cannot exist if God is all loving, knowing and powerful.
Morality – Ideas about what is right and wrong.
Climate Change – A change in climate caused by the use of fossil fuels.
Environment – the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives.
Animal Testing - The practice of performing experiments on animals.
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Pupils will receive homework each three weeks, this will be set on teams therefore it is important that pupils are supported with accessing and navigating teams. One piece of homework will take the form of a quiz, one piece will be based on an article or piece of reading.
You can also support your child by discussing what they have been learning about and by discussing current affairs that link to religion. Encourage your child to come to school with any questions that they have and if they follow a religion, encourage your child to talk about it in lessons.
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Half Term 6
Spirited Arts
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Spirited Arts is an RE & art competition run annually by the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education. The annual competition starts at the beginning of every school year in order to enable teachers to incorporate art and creativity into lessons.
Pupils will choose from a selection of themes and create a piece of art to represent their beliefs. Pupils can create entries individually, in pairs or in groups. Pupils will also complete a short write-up of their work to explain which theme they chose and what their piece of art represents.
The spirited arts competition allows pupils to express their beliefs in a creative and exciting way. Entries will be submitted to NATRE giving pupils the chance to win a national competition.
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NATRE – National Association of Religious Education
Spirited Arts – A national Religious Education and art competition.
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Pupils will receive homework each three weeks, this will be set on teams therefore it is important that pupils are supported with accessing and navigating teams. One piece of homework will take the form of a quiz, one piece will be based on an article or piece of reading.
You can also support your child by discussing what they have been learning about and by discussing current affairs that link to religion. Encourage your child to come to school with any questions that they have and if they follow a religion, encourage your child to talk about it in lessons.
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