Part of the Family

Religious Education Curriculum Resources

Religious Education Curriculum Resources

Our Further Learning Recommendations

We have shared additional curriculum resources to help your child excel in their learning.

Year 7 Learning Resources

Where can we look for wisdom today ?

Qur’an and Islam 

  • The Greatest Stories from the Quran -Saniyasnain Khan 
  • The Thread that Connects Us – Ayaan Mohamud 
  • Awesome Qur’an: Questions and answers for curious minds – Saniyasnain Khan 

Bible and Christianity 

  • The Good News Youth Bible for Teens – Bible Society Resources 
  • 10 Questions every teen should ask (and answer) about Christianity – Rebecca Mclaughlin 
  • Mr God, this is Anna – Fynn  

Torah and Judaism 

  • The Diary of a young girl – Anne Frank  

General 

  • The Usborne Book of world religions – Usborne Publishing Ltd 
  • The Religions Book : Big ideas Simply Explained (DK) 
  • https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zv6dxg8#zmrhg2p BBC Bitesize – Relevance of the Bible in the modern world 
    BBC Bitesize – God and authority in the Bible  

Extended links (websites or clips) 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zh3rkqt 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/articles/z4p8mfr 

Video clip about the Qur’an 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/articles/zhnyrj6 

Video clip about the Bible  

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/articles/zhs2t39 

Video clip about the Torah  

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/articles/zms2t39 

Video clip about the Guru Granth Sahib 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z78g4qt/revision/6 

BBC Bitesize GCSE – Holy Books in Islam  

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z6xw7p3/revision/2 

God and authority in Judaism – GCSE Bitesize 

  • Film : Prince of Egypt   
  • Film : Miracle Maker 
  • Film: Narnia 
  • Film: Harry Potter  
  • Film: Sister Act 

 Linked activities 

  • Visiting a place of worship, for example York Minster 
  • Visiting the Castle Museum in York
Year 8 Learning Resources

Extended reading for challenge 

Human Rights 

I am Malala  – Malala Yousafzai  

The Holocaust 

  • The Holocaust – a history for children : Philip Steele 
  • Night -Elie Wiesel 
  • The Promise – Eva Schloss 
  • When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit – Judith Kerr 
  • I am David – Anne Holm  
  • A Detail of History – Arek Hersh  

Refugees 

Refugee Boy- Benjamin Zephaniah 

Freedom  

Freedom 1 – Catherine Johnson  

War and Conflict  

Carrie’s War – Nina Bawden 

Good Night Mr Tom –  Michelle Magorian

Linked activities 

Andy Lewis – Judaism (a useful textbook/activities introducing the Jewish faith) 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zk94jxs

https://www.het.org.uk/primary  – Holocaust resources for pupils from the Holocaust Education Trust 

Other 

Visit in person or access on-line The National Holocaust Centre and Museum (Beth Shalom) 

Year 9 Learning Resources

Extended reading for challenge

Science and Religion

  • Let there be Science by Tom McLeish
  • The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
  • 101 Great Big Questions about God and Science by Lizzie
  • Henderson
  • Time Riders by Alex Scarrow
  • The Di Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Philosophy

  • The Puzzle of God by Peter Vardy
  • Minster God, this is Anna by Fynn
  • You Kant make it up! By Gary Hayden
  • The Philosopher Queens by Rebecca Buxton

Scientists

Albert Einstein Book for Curious Kids by Mark Lylani

The Design Argument

To Mars and Back: Explaining William Paley’s Argument for Design by B.J Condrey

Extended links (websites or clips)

BBC Bitesize – What questions do science and religion answer?https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zxc9fcw/revision/2

BBC Bitesize – Creation – Accounts of Creation

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zg3vxfr/revision/1

BBC Bitesize – Hinduism and Creation https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z99vxfr/revision/2

Charles Darwin’s ideas of evolution https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zfbjxg8

Finding out more about the religion of Hinduism –Neasden Temple https://www.neasdentemple.org/

 

KS4

Doing
Should war ever be a cause of celebration? Look at examples of war through history. Can any of them be justified?
What’s the difference between communism and capitalism? Give examples of countries that follow them. Is either approach justified in your opinion?
‘Science and religion are incompatible’ – to what extent do you agree? Look at arguments from Richard Dawkins, Albert Einstein, John Lennox and Richard Swinburne.

Watching and Listening

Watch Made in Dagenham , The Suffragettes and Hotel Rwanda or read Small Island by Andrea Levy, The Help by Kathryn Stockett and To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
Consider to what extent we are born free and equal? How have minority groups had to fight for equality?
Watch Life and Death Row programme – BBC iPlayer. Consider how criminals should be punished? Should the death penalty ever be an option?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/group/b071jy7p
Watch Vera Drake. At what stage should the abortion of a foetus become illegal?
Watch A Short Stay in Switzerland. Should euthanasia be made legal?
Watch Slumdog Millionaire, BBC Comic Relief or The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Consider how we should respond to poverty. Can money ever buy happiness?

Reading

Read We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler. Consider if animal
testing could ever be justified.

Read Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro and My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult. Consider whether people should be allowed to choose the gender of their baby. Should people be forced to donate their organs when they die? Should we clone humans so we can use their organs to cure cancer victims?

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life….And Maybe The World – William McRaven

The Silk Roads – Neil Packer

General resources

Doing

Visit local places of worship such as York Mosque & Islamic Centre – Jamia Masjid in the city of York, United Kingdom

When on holiday, find out about the religion of the country you are visiting and how the local people practice it.

Produce fact files for the six world religions – Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Judaism. Consider their origins, beliefs and practices.

Research the impact different pioneers for equality have had on society e.g. Gandhi, Jesus, Desmond Tutu, Oskar Schindler, Harvey Milk, Malala Yousafzai, Emily Wilding Davison, Jim Elliot, Benazir Bhutto, William Wilberforce, Elizabeth Fry.

Research the human rights act – find examples of countries around the world where people’s rights are still not being granted, Mayanmar for example.

Write a piece about whether you see religion as a force for good or for evil. Consider a range of examples throughout history.

Watching and Listening

Watch The Big Questions programme (Sunday 10am BBC1)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007zpll

Watch Life of Pi by Yann Martel or The Matrix. Consider how much truth actually matters.

Reading

Keep up to date with current affairs via newspapers, news programmes and the internet.

Read The Diary of Anne Frank and The Boy in Striped Pyjamas. Consider why The Holocaust
happened and what it was like for those involved

Causing Death and Saving Lives by Jonathan Glover

Being Human by Peter Vardy