Transcript Name of presentation

Compelling Learning in Religious Education
The Importance of RE
RE provokes challenging questions about the ultimate meaning and purpose of life, beliefs
about God, the self and the nature of reality, issues of right and wrong, and what it means to
be human. It develops students’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity, other
principal religions, other religious traditions, and other world views that offer answers to
these challenging questions. It offers opportunities for personal reflection and spiritual
development. It enhances students’ awareness and understanding of religions and beliefs,
teachings, practices and forms of expression, as well as of the influence of religion on
individuals, families, communities and cultures.
RE encourages students to learn from different religions, beliefs, values and traditions, while
exploring their own beliefs and questions of meaning. It challenges students to reflect on,
consider, analyse, interpret and evaluate issues of truth, belief, faith and ethics and to
communicate their responses.
RE encourages students to develop their sense of identity and belonging. It enables them to
flourish individually within their communities and as citizens in a diverse society and global
community. RE has an important role preparing students for adult life, employment and
lifelong learning. It enables students to develop respect for and sensitivity to others, in
particular those whose faiths and beliefs and different from their own. It promotes
discernment and enables students to combat prejudice.
Designing compelling learning experiences in RE
What are the elements of a successful RE experience?
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grab attention, produce amazement, engage imagination or create a sense of
wonder;
involve a real-life choice or inspire action;
affirm identities and sense of belonging, relate to social interests, involve
working with others and leave nobody out;
offer an authentic experience or encounter, which challenges their own views
and extends their understanding of others;
introduce something new that they feel impelled to share with others; or help
them to see the significance of something already familiar.
Planning RE Enquiries
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A key question;
A ‘hook’;
A compelling activity;
A satisfying ‘outcome’;
A reliable structure.
A Range of Outcomes
Oral outcomes
Written outcomes
Visual outcomes
Presentation
Academic article
Lecture
Report
PowerPoint – picture/photo
selection
Documentary film: Movie-maker
Debate
Letter/email
Web pages
‘Panel’ discussion
Review
Exhibition gallery
Interview
Short biography
Museum / gallery / site guide
Tour guide / audio presentation
Fictional story
Souvenir
Radio documentary
Web debate
Model
Podcast
Text book spread
Film/stage set
Movie-maker commentary
Poem/song/rap
Board game
Peer work reviews
Blog
Interactive display
Exhibition commentary
Web site text
Multi-media storyboard
Speech to virtual character or
audience
Trailers for movies /
TV religion series
Graphic novel
Inspiring videos for the teacher of RE
http://www.natre.org.uk/secondary/video.php
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Brampton Manor
Holmfirth High
Kingsmead
Royal Manor
Using Visual Images and Photographs to Support
Learning in RE
Pictures can be read as texts in their own right,
not as mere illustrations
• Although children are surrounded by visual images, particularly on
television, they often cannot comment on or remember what they
have seen – they have not engaged with the images, have not ‘read’
them.
• For that they need to look deeply, to enter imaginatively into the
picture, to question, to hypothesise.
Develop use of Analytic and Evaluative Questions
Invite pupils to identify patterns and structures, to seek for
hidden meanings and to make judgements based on
evidence and ideas, for example:
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What are the most important features of this picture?
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What ideas might justify the behaviour you see here?
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Can you make a distinction between this type of activity and everyday life?
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What evidence can you find in the picture that might support belief / disbelief in God?
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Do you agree with the actions taking place here?
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What course of action would you recommend to the person in this photograph?
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Based on what you know, how might you explain / defend what is happening here?
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How would you rate the effectiveness of this photograph in getting over its apparent
message?
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Which of these pictures presents the most powerful message about the environment /
religious belief / value of human life?
Develop a sound structure for breadth and depth
Key Concepts in the Non-statutory framework for RE
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B.
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F.
Beliefs, teachings and sources
Practices and ways of life
Expressing meaning
Identity, diversity and belonging
Meaning, purpose and truth
Values and commitments
Key processes
AT1: Learning about religion
AT2: Learning from religion
The first three key concepts may be linked with AT1 and the second
three with AT2.
In devising a series of lessons on a topic, try to focus the learning
on one concept from AT1 and one from AT2 to assist assessment.
Autumn
Spring
Summer
R
B&D
C&F
A&E
Y1
C&E
A&D
B&F
Y2
A&F
B&E
C&D
Curriculum opportunities
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encounter people from different religious, cultural and philosophical
groups, where possible;
visit places of major religious significance, where possible;
use ICT to enhance understanding of religion;
discuss, question and evaluate important issues in religion and
philosophy;
reflect upon and carefully evaluate their own and others’ beliefs and
values;
use a range of forms of expression to communicate their ideas and
responses;
explore the connections between RE and other subject areas.
YEAR 7
AUTUMN TERM
SPRING TERM
SUMMER TERM
What’s worth celebrating and
why?
Key RE Concepts: B & D
Expressing beliefs about God:
who, what and why?
Key RE Concepts: C & F
Religion and environment: can
we save the planet?
Key RE Concepts: A & E
What’s the impact of Christians’
commitment on individuals and on British
society? How do varied Christmas
celebrations relate to Christian texts?
Pupils study gospel texts about Christmas
and Easter and relate these to the varied
practice of the celebrations in secular and
religious families, exploring Christian
diversity. A focus on the meaning of the
social impact of faith explores examples of
‘belonging’ including community life,
charitable giving, work with homeless
people.
Curriculum links: History, Literacy
Citizenship.
How can people in our community best
express and communicate their beliefs
about God and demonstrate their values?
Pupils use Hindu, Muslim and agnostic
ideas about belief about God found in the
local community to explore expressions of
belief in art, worship and architecture.
Using the NATRE ‘Spirited Arts’ Web
gallery, pupils produce works of art of their
own in response to a big theological or
philosophical question.
Curriculum links: Art, English, History.
Performing arts??
What makes a religion green? How green
will I be in my lifetime? Is God green? Do
creation stories imply green beliefs?
Exploring sources in texts, the history and
the practice of environmentalism in
religion, learners link science, religion and
green issues. They produce ‘green
charters’ for religious communities, and
ask ‘what can environmentalism learn
from Hindus and from Christians?’ They
explore their own sense of purpose in
relation to caring for the Earth, creating
action plans for local and global change.
Curriculum links: Citizenship, Science