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!

Your task is to write an essay looking at places of worship in different religions.

Suggested structure:

• Introduction: You should have a paragraph explaining that “Places of Worship” tell us about the religions that worship in them. You should then introduce the Places of Worship that you are going to explore.
• Section One: Choose a religion and explain what its place of worship tells us about the religion. Remember to consider all the “Think about” things below and EXPLAIN them. How do these things tell us something about the religion involved?
• Sections Two and Three: Choose another two religions and repeat what you have done for section One.
• Analysis: Are there similarities and differences between the places of worship? What are they? Do they tell us anything about the religions involved? Are there similarities between Christians, Jews and Muslims? Are there similarities between Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists?
• Evaluation: “Which place of worship most fully reflects its religion?” Which place of worship tells us most about its religion? How do you know? What’s your evidence?

Think about:

• What objects might be in the place of worship
• What events might happen in the place of worship
• How is the place of worship laid out?
• Are there special rooms?

Below is a list of resources to help you out. There are also lots of books in the classroom.

General Help
REOnline – Places of Worship
BBC Religion – Places of Worship in pictures

Sikh Gurdwaras

Sikh temples are quite interesting because they have a “langar”, a food hall for everyone to use (Sikh and non-Sikh), which shows their belief in the equality of all human beings. They also have a special “bedroom” for their holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, which they treat as a person and so put to bed every night.

Sikhs.org – the Gurdwara
LearningLive
Gurdwara virtual tour

The Jewish Synagogue

Jews have met in the Synagogue for many centuries. It is not so much that the structure of the building tells us about Judaism, but they have lots of special things in there which tell us about them. You might talk about the idea that different Jews called their place of worship by different names and explain why.

Chabad.org – Interactive Tour
BBC Religion
JewFAQ.org

Christian Churches

There are lots of different kinds of churches – it would be excellent if your presentation showed some of the differences between them!

RE:Quest – Virtual Tours
h2g2 – Church Layout

Muslim Mosques

There’s loads of stuff to find out about mosques. There is meaning in both what the building looks like, and lots of stuff to say about what happens inside too!

Birmingham Council of Muslims – Virtual Mosque Tour
BBC Religion
Hitchams School Mosque website

If you find anything else that might help please leave a comment!

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

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 task is to finish your essay on how RPE has changed over the last 100 years. Because of curriculum extension day this is due on Friday 4th November. That means you have lots of time so MAKE IT GOOD!

• How has RPE changed over the last 100 years?
• Writing Frame

Please feel free to type it up, also speak to people and ask them to get quotes to include!

Please also leave a comment if you have any questions.

Hi 8s!

Your task is to write a newspaper article tackling the question: “Are past-life experiences proof of an afterlife?” (I say newspaper article – it could be an essay, PowerPoint, poster or filmed news report as long as it includes all the key sections)

You need to look at at least one example (could refer to more than one if you want your work to be more detailed):

• Cameron MacAuley: The Boy who Lived Before – some of the story is summarised here
• There is an index of past-life experiences, which has a range of different stories from people about their previous lives

Structure:

It’s very important to structure your work well to get your views across clearly.

• Introduction: Tell the person reading your article what it’s all about. Introduce the idea of past-life experiences and say something about the example(s) you are going to look at. You might also want to be clear about whether you’re going to argue in favour or against these being real experiences.
• Arguments in favour: Explain why some people might think these are true stories and show that there really is an afterlife. What evidence is there to show that these are real? Are these good arguments?
• Arguments against: Explain why some people might think these are not true stories. What evidence is there to show that these are nothing to do with an afterlife? Are these good arguments?
• Conclusion: Given all the evidence on either side do you think there is enough evidence to say that past life experiences are “proof” of an afterlife? Why (or why not)? Try to articulate why you think the evidence agrees with your point of view.

Style:
Remember: this is a newspaper article. It should have a headline, be presented in columns, include pictures, perhaps have other articles or adverts around it…

Level Guidance:

• Level 5 – Explanation: To achieve this you must give reasons to explain why some people might consider past-life experiences to be good evidence for an afterlife. eg. “Some people might agree that this experience was real is… This suggests that…”
• Level 6 – Analysis: To do analysis you need to consider whether the evidence for the different sides of the story is any good or not. eg. You might explain that Cameron knew about Barra, the house and got the surname of his “father” right. Do you consider this to be good evidence? What are the strengths and weaknesses of this evidence? How else might this be explained? Try to pinpoint the problems with the arguments that disagree with your point of view.
• Level 7 – Evaluation: This mainly comes in the conclusion and is about weighing up all the evidence you’ve explored to come to a final answer. Do you think the evidence is in favour or against these experiences being real? Why? Your job is to be as convincing as possible.

Resources

Due Dates:

For 8V this is due on Monday 17th October.
For 8L this is due on Monday 31st October (first day back after HT).
For 8T this is due on Wednesday 2nd November (first Wednesday back after HT).

Good luck! Please leave a comment if you have any questions! DON’T turn up when you’re due to hand it in and say you didn’t understand… Come to me first!

Hi 9s,

As promised here’s a load of information to get you started on the homework, the title of which was:

“Killing is never acceptable”

Your task is to respond to this statement in a way that shows me that you’re aware of the ethical issues involved.

Suggested structure:

This is a possible outline for the essay. You don’t have to follow it, but if not make sure you include all of the points…

• Introduction: The purpose of the introduction is to make clear to the reader what the essay is going to be about. Assume they know nothing about the topic. It should include:
  1. An explanation saying what the statement is trying to say. You basically need to put the statement in your own words so you are clear about what it means. (“The key statement above is trying to express the idea that…”)
  2. Thinking about the key term: killing.. Make it clear what you mean by these terms. Give some examples of different types of killing (war, self-defence, meat for food, hunting, murder etc) and explain them. (“Some key terms in the statement are… They mean that…”)
  3. Explain that there is a difference between absolute and relative truth. Give examples.
  4. Finally, you might like to state the conclusion you will come to. You don’t have to explain it here, but it helps if the reader knows where you are going. This means you need to PLAN! Before you write your introduction you need to know what your conclusion will be… Make sure you have thought about this before you start writing. Possible conclusions could be that you disagree with the statement, that you agree with the statement, or perhaps you think it is a relative truth.
• Sections: Different types of killing: Each paragraph should explain how a different “type” of killing relates to the statement. Why might some people think that meat for food is acceptable, or killing in war? You need to put these ideas across for the reader. However, for level 6 you need some analysis. Make sure you think about the pros and cons of the arguments you are putting across. Are these good reasons for agreeing/disagreeing with the statement? If so, why? If not, why not? Look at the resources section below for extra information.
• Conclusion: This part is essential for level 7. Once you have done your level 6 analysis in sections one and two you need to draw it all together into a conclusion. This means that, given all your analysis, is that statement true or false (or something else)? You need to show that you have enough evidence to back up your argument, including not only why your opinion is good but why the other option is not so good. Please leave a comment if you want to think about level 8…

NOTE: The key thing to remember the whole way through is that the concept of “killing” is broad. You cannot talk about murder in the same way as killing animals for food. You will need to treat different ideas of killing in different ways.

Resources:

• Writing Frame : Some sentence starters in case you get stuck
• 'Killing is Never Acceptable' Level Guidance
• Controversial Killing Case Studies

Presentation:

As we discussed, you have a choice in how you present your work. It could be:

• An essay (recommended – people usually do best in this format
• A poster
• A PowerPoint
• A newspaper article
• A film
• Anything else you can think of (recommend you ask me first though)

However you choose to present your work make sure you include all the key features! Don’t spend ages on presentation and then forget about information.

Due Date:
For 9I: 20th October
For 9B: 17th October

Good luck! Please leave a comment if you have any questions!

I’ve spent about an hour typing all this up for you – please pay me back by producing some excellent work… It is due 20th October for 9I. It will NOT be good enough to turn up next week with an excuse.

Your job is to choose someone (or more than one person) to interview about what RPE was like when they went to school.

Open a copy of the 7I RPE Interview. Then you can either:

• Print it out and fill it in then bring it to school.
• Fill it in on the computer, then print it out and bring it to school.
• Fill it in on the computer then save a copy and email me.
• Write it out in your book and bring it to school.

Please find someone suitably old to interview and make sure you don’t catch them at a bad time!

If you have any trouble with this then please come to find me or email me BEFORE the lesson so we can sort it out. I won’t be impressed if you tell me there was a problem at the beginning of the lesson.

Good luck! Please leave a comment if you have questions…