Curriculum Content:

Aims and ambitions:

Our GCSE covers both Buddhism and Christianity and four contemporary ethical themes so that our students have a diverse choice of intriguing subjects to explore. Students will be challenged with questions about belief, values, meaning, purpose and truth, enabling them to develop their own attitudes towards religious and moral issues. Students will also gain an appreciation of how religion, philosophy and ethics form the basis of our culture. They will develop analytical and critical thinking skills, the ability to work with abstract ideas, leadership and research skills. All these skills will help prepare them for further study in all P16 pathways and help them consider a wide range of moral issues in the modern world.

Year group

Topics include

By the end of the year, students should be able to:

7

Who am I?

A – Z of religion

Creation and the environment.

Buddhist Beliefs

The Old Testament

Religious Rebels

Recall key religious teachings. Reflect on what they are being taught about other people’s religious beliefs. Reflect on their own opinions when looking at social and moral issues. Covering the following subjects:

Who am I? What is religion? What does religion teach people? The Golden rule. Why are some people religious when others are not? Religious symbols.

Explore ideas of Creationism and Evolution.

Christian Creation Story. Causation argument. Design argument. Hinduism and Creation. Islam and the environment. Environmental charities. Buddhism interdependence.

The story of Siddhartha. Existence. Karma. The 4 Noble truths. The 5 Precepts. The 8 Fold Path. Buddha Image.

The Big Story. Creation. The Fall. Commandments. Sin. Forgiveness. Sacrifice and Atonement. The Prophets. Exile.

What is a Rebel? Abraham. Ghandi. Mohammed. Guru Nanak. Martin Luther King Malcolm X.

8

Global Citizenship

China (Buddhism)

Castleton

Chatsworth

Breaking News

Recall key religious teachings. Reflect on what they are being taught about other people’s religious beliefs. Reflect on their own opinions when looking at social and moral issues. Explore how religious people practice and use art to express their faith. . Covering the following subjects:

Children’s Rights. Refugees. Multi-Ethnic Society. Stephen Lawrence. Christians promoting racial harmony. Multi Faith Britain.

Buddhism as a religion. Existence. Mediation. Life of a Buddhist Monk. Buddhist worship. Buddhist festivals.

Religious Art

Ethical Choices. Utilitarianism. Applying Utilitarianism. Doing your duty. Animal ethics. Religion and animal rights.

Religious prejudice. Islamophobia. 911. Radicalisation. Religion in the media. Religion in modern films.

9

Buddhist beliefs

Crime and Punishment

Peace and conflict

Christian Beliefs.

Students should be aware that Buddhism 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 of Buddhism specified and their basis in Buddhist sources of wisdom and authority.

They should be able to refer to scripture and/or sacred texts where appropriate. Some texts are prescribed and questions may be set on them. Students may refer to any relevant text in their answers.
Students should study the influence of the beliefs on individuals,
communities and societies.
Common and divergent views within Buddhism in the way beliefs and teachings are understood and expressed should be included throughout.

Students may refer to a range of Buddhist perspectives in
their answers, for example, Theravada, Mahayana, Zen and Pure Land.

Students will 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 Christianity and Buddhism: Corporal punishment, Death penalty and Forgiveness.

Students will 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 Christianity and Buddhism: Violence, weapons of mass destruction and Pacifism.

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.

Students should study the beliefs of Christianity 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 and questions may be set on them. Students may refer to any relevant text in their answers.

Students should study the influence of the beliefs 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.

10

Christian Practices.

Relationships and Families

Buddhist Practices

Understand different forms of worship and their significance: Different forms of worship and their significance:

• Liturgical, non-liturgical and informal, including the use of the Bible
• Private worship.
• Prayer and its significance, including the Lord’s Prayer, set prayers and informal prayer.
• The role and meaning of the sacraments:
• The meaning of sacrament
• The sacrament of baptism and its significance for Christians; infant and believers’ baptism;
• different beliefs about infant baptism
• The sacrament of Eucharist (Holy Communion) and its significance for Christians, including ways in which it is celebrated and different interpretations of its meaning.

The role and importance of pilgrimage and celebrations including:

• Two contrasting examples of Christian pilgrimage: Lourdes and Iona
• The celebrations of Christmas and Easter, including their importance for Christians in Great Britain today.
• The role of the Church in the local community, including food banks and street pastors.
• The place of mission, evangelism and Church growth.
• The importance of the worldwide Church.
• Working for reconciliation
• How Christian churches respond to persecution
• The work of one of the following: Catholic Agency For Overseas Development (CAFOD), Christian
• Aid, Tearfund.
• Students should study religious teachings, and religious, philosophical and ethical arguments, relating to current issues, and their impact and influence in the modern world. They should be aware of contrasting perspectives in contemporary British society on all these issues. They must be able to explain contrasting beliefs on the following 3 issues with reference to the main religious tradition in Britain (Christianity) and one or more religious traditions: homosexuality, sexual relationships before marriage and contraception
•  
• Students should be aware that Buddhism is one of the diverse religious traditions and beliefs in Great Britain today and that the main religious tradition in Great Britain is Christianity.
• Students should study the practices and their basis in Buddhist sources of wisdom and authority.
• Students should study the influence of practices studied on individuals, communities and societies, such as worship, meditation, festivals and ethical ideas. Students may refer to a range of Buddhist perspectives in their answers, for example, Theravada, Mahayana, Zen and Pure Land. "

11

Religion and Life.

Course Re-visit

Students will 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 Christianity and Buddhism: Abortion, Euthanasia and Animal experimentation.

Review of key content.

GCSE Key Information

Qualification

GCSE

Exam board

AQA

Website link

https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/religious-studies/gcse/religious-studies-a-8062

Exam structure and content

Two one hour and 45 minute exams. Paper 1 – Christian and Buddhist beliefs and practices. Paper 2 – Thematic studies.

Recommended revision guide

aqa-gcse-religious-studies-a-christianity-and-buddhism-revision-guide

Extra-curricular opportunities in

Outside Speakers. NATRE artwork competition.