Hi 8s!

Your task is to write up your newspaper article on a Near Death Experience (NDE). Think about style and structure, so you might want pictures, a headline and subtitles. Ideally present it in columns too! Feel free to do it on the computer, or by hand, I don’t mind either way!

All the information about the NDEs we looked at in class are available here. There’s also a massive archive of NDEs at the Near Death Experience Research Foundation – you’re very welcome to look up information of your own!

Remember, the article needs to include:

• A description of the Near Death Experience
• Arguments people might give For and Against the NDE being real
• Your opinion about whether the experience was real and is proof of an afterlife

Possible arguments in favour of NDEs being real are:

• Lots of people experience similar things – they can’t all be lying, can they?
• Often there are no drugs involved so there is no reason for people to hallucinate
• Lives are changed for the better by an experience of the afterlife
• Here is an article explaining an argument FOR (quite complex)

Possible arguments against NDEs being real are:

• People experience similar things in normal dreams – are these any different?
• It is comforting to people to feel that there will be an afterlife
• The brain cannot function when a person is dead – how can anything happen?

Of course you might have arguments of your own! You might like to look at these questions about NDEs.

Levels:

• Level 4: Description of the Near Death Experience
• Level 5: Explanation of the arguments for and against NDEs being real
• Level 6: Analysis of the arguments. You start to go into depth with the arguments. You think about whether the arguments are any good or not.
• Level 7: Evaluation of the arguments. You analyse the arguments for and against to come to a balanced conclusion about which side of the story is stronger.

Good luck! Email me if you have any questions, or you could always leave a comment…

***STOP PRESS – 18th OCT***

Now we’ve done some analysis on whether Cameron’s “past-life experience” might be evidence of life after death I’d like you to add another section to your article. Remember from above the importance of exploring the arguments in favour of Cameron’s experience being real and those against. I’m particularly looking for those who discuss which reasons are the most convincing!

It’d also be great to develop the article you’ve already written based on the feedback you were given today…

Either add another page to the article you’ve got, or you can combine them together. Either way the finished piece of work needs to address the question of whether there is evidence of life after death.

The final, final piece of work needs to be handed in on Thursday 8th November!

Well done again for your work today… You were excellent!

Dear Year 11s,

We’re starting to go back through Year 10 topics as revision homework. You need to dig out your Year 10 books to answer the following:

(a) What does contraception mean? [1]
(b) Name two forms of contraception that might be acceptable to some Christians. [2]
(c) Describe the attitudes towards sex before marriage of some Christians. [3]
(d) Explain Christian beliefs about the value of sexual relationships. [6]
(e) ‘It is the duty of religious people to encourage contraception to avoid overpopulation.’ [12]

Due dates:
11D – Tuesday 18th September

Please speak to me BEFORE it’s due if you don’t understand anything!

Hello 9I,

As you know, you’re supposed to be working on the above assessment. The is a James Bulger Essay Outline to help you if you need it. You could also look at the assessment I set to for last year’s Year 9 which is slightly different but the same basic idea.

Due on March 22nd please!

By the time you read this you should have decided on your own Key Question for your project. Now your task is to write it!

Suggested Structure

• If you’re comparing the same rite of passage in different religions…
• Introduction: Explain which rite of passage you are looking at and which religions you will study.
• Then spend a paragraph or two looking at the rite of passage in each separate religion. Remember to explain! Don’t just say what they do but try to find out why! For eg. in Jewish weddings the bride and groom are married under a canopy called a “Chuppah”, which symbolises the new home the couple will be starting together. Remember to link each paragraph back to the question you have asked!
• Now compare and contrast. What are the similarities and differences between the rite of passage in the different religions? Good comparison will explain how what each religion done relates to what that religion believes. Remember to link each paragraph back to the question you have asked!
• Conclude: Summarise what you have found out so the reader has a clear idea about what the point of your essay is.
• If you’re comparing different rites of passage in the same religion…
• Introduction: Explain which rites of passage you are looking at and which religion you will study them in.
• Then spend a paragraph or two looking at each rite of passage within the religion. Remember to explain! Don’t just say what they do but try to find out why! For eg. in Muslim birth rites they shave the baby’s head and give the equivalent weight in gold to charity. This shows that they acknowledge the baby is a gift from God, so give a gift of appreciation in return. Remember to link each paragraph back to the question you have asked!
• Now try to show how the rites of passage within the religion you have chosen tell us something about what the religion believes (because rites of passage are usually related to belief). Remember to link each paragraph back to the question you have asked!
• Conclude: Summarise what you have found out so the reader has a clear idea about what the point of your essay is.

Internet resources (if you find a link to add please email me):

• General
• RE Online – choose a religion, then choose a topic.
• Christianity
• RE:Quest
• TalkTalk Encyclopedia
• RS Support – links about all of the Rites of Passage
• Islam
• Muslim Weddings
• BBC on Muslim Weddings
• BBC on Muslim Birth Rites
• Answers.com on Birth Rites
• Muslim Funerals (simple)
• Muslim Funerals (advanced)
• Muslim weddings – Thanks Crystal
• Confetti.co.uk – Muslim Weddings – Thanks Nathaniel
• More on Muslim funerals – thanks Oliver
• Judaism
• Jewish Weddings
• Buddhism
• Buddhist marriage
• General Rites of Passage
• Confetti.co.uk – Buddhist marriage
• Booklet on Buddhist funerals
• Detailed account of Buddhist funerals
• Humanism
• Humanist Rites of Passage
• British Humanist Association – Humanist Rites

Due dates:
8L: 24th Feb
8V/8T: 2nd March

You were doing the above essay for me due next Tuesday (31st Jan).

You can find some guidance here…

Remember to highlight the difference between a Catholic (absolute) and Church of England (situational) point of view!

Hello 11D. Just a reminder that you need to complete this Part D question for Monday (16th).

Remember to use the Christian beliefs about the soul handout you were given and to EXPLAIN (ie, give reasons for) what Christians believe the soul to be like, how it separates us from animals, and how Plato and St Paul understood it.

Your job is to write a response to the statement: “There is sufficient evidence for the existence of God”. This is due on Thursday 12th Jan.

What arguments might someone put forward to suggest that this statement is true (think ontological, teleological, moral, cosmological arguments)?

Pick the two arguments you think are most convincing and discuss them. What evidence is there? Is this evidence good? Why might someone challenge these arguments? Are these fair challenges?

• Why would people say there is evidence for God? (Opening statement)
• Why would people disagree with this evidence? (Opening response)
• How might they discuss these arguments to put them to the test? (Discussion)
• What do you conclude? (What do the judges say?)

Useful links:

• BBC Bitesize
• a href=”http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/ar/Arguments_for_the_existence_of_God”>Kids Encyclopedia

As always, leave a comment if you have any questions!

Dear Maths Gang,

Your task is to produce a poster about how to solve quadratic equations (ax^2 + bx + c = 0).

It should include:

• How to factorise (perhaps including how to factorise equations that have more than 1 x^2 value).
• How to use the quadratic formula
• How to complete the square. (You might also include how to derive the quadratic formula by completing the square).
• Examples of how to do the above.

I’d particularly like it if your poster could include the strengths and weaknesses of different methods….

Good luck! You can leave a comment if you have any questions!

This next assessment task is a bit of a challenge. It’s all about the best way to make an ethical decision and looking at the pros and cons of the various systems.

Read the Ethical Decisions Handout for information on what to do. Use it to give you a suggested structure and advice on levels.

Here’s some information on the ethical systems you could consider:

Utilitarianism – Bringing the greatest happiness to the most people

• Pros: Aims to bring maximum happiness
• Cons: The outcomes of our actions are not always as intended. Can take advantage of minorities for the benefit of the majority. Doesn’t always take into account all relevant factors.
• Articles to look at: here, here, hereand here.

Situation Ethics – The right thing to do is the most loving thing to do

• Pros: Intends to produce love, which is inherently good.
• Cons: We often don’t agree on what the loving thing to do is. “Love” is hard to count so it’s not easy to work out.
• More useful information is here

Religious Ethics – The right thing to do is what God tells us to do

• Pros: Often quite clear-cut (see the 10 Commandments). God knows best!
• Cons: Religious extremists can distort the rules for evil (see 9/11). People don’t agree on which religion’s rules to use.

Virtue Ethics – Good people make good decisions

• Pros: Focusses on the person performing the action and their good intentions, not the outcome.
• Cons: Gives no clear guidance as to what to do in any situation. We don’t all agree on what a “good person” is and what counts as “virtue”.
• Links here or here.

Egocentric Ethics – The right thing is what is good for me

• Pros: Makes me happy
• Cons: Won’t make many friends

If you find any good links to useful information please leave a comment so I can make the link available to everyone!

Make sure you read the descriptions of the levels in the Ethical Decisions Handout so you know what you need to do to answer the key question well.

This essay is due on:

• 9B – Monday 9th Jan

Good luck! As always, leave a comment or email me if you have questions!

Your job is to write a response to the statement: “There is evidence for the existence of God”. This is due on the 2nd December (Friday).

Remember the boxing match we had in class. What arguments might someone put forward to suggest that this statement is true (think ontological, teleological, moral, cosmological arguments)?

Pick the two arguments you think are most convincing and discuss them. What evidence is there? Is this evidence good? Why might someone challenge these arguments? Are these fair challenges?

You might even write these up in a verbal boxing style:

• Why would people say there is evidence for God? (Opening statement)
• Why would people disagree with this evidence? (Opening response)
• How might they discuss these arguments to put them to the test? (Discussion)
• What do you conclude? (What do the judges say?)

As always, leave a comment if you have any questions!