Term

(Year 10)

Topic / Key Concepts

Specific Knowledge

Specific Skills

Rotation 1 (taught over half the academic year)

Religion, Peace and Conflict – Christianity & Islam

·         Intro to religion, peace and conflict

·         Reasons for war

·         Protests and terrorism

·         Nuclear war and weapons of mass destruction

·         Just and Holy war

·         Pacifism

Key concepts: war, peace, legitimate violence/killing, remembrance, justice, forgiveness, reconciliation, protest, terrorism, retaliation, self-defence, nuclear weapons, weapons of mass destruction, pacifism.

·         Understand war as a way of resolving differences

·         Understand why wars are fought and the variety of attitudes (non / religious) towards the reasons for war

·         Understand terrorism as a means of conflict, and Muslim/Christian attitudes towards violence, violent protest and terrorism

·         Know about different types of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons and understand the implications of using them and consider some justifications for using them

·         Understand the criteria for a just war and how they should be applied

·         Understand the features of a holy war and consider of religion is a cause of war and violence

·         Consider pacifism as an alternative to conflict; understand religious positions in relation to pacifism

Rotation 2 (taught over half the academic year)

Religion and Life – Christianity & Islam

·         The origins of the universe

·         The origins of human life

·         The value of the world

·         The use and abuse of the environment

·         Pollution

·         The use and abuse of animals

·         Abortion

·         Euthanasia

·         Death and the afterlife

Key concepts: Creation, Big Bang, evolution, stewardship, dominion, responsibility, sustainable development, deforestation, renewable energy, non-renewable resources, environment, pollution, vegetarianism, sanctity of life, quality of life, eternity.

·         Explore religious and non-religious beliefs about the origins of the world; consider similarities and differences; evaluate the compatibility of believing in both ideas

·         Explore the relationship between evolution and creation

·         Understand religious views about the value of the world and the duty of humans to protect it

·         Understand religious beliefs about the use and abuse of the environment including natural resources

·         Explore the problems caused by different types of pollution and religious responses to them

·         Explain religious attitudes to the use and abuse of animals, including animal experimentation

·         Understand the UK law relating to abortion and euthanasia; explore the arguments for and against them; consider religious opinion relating to them

·         Understand religious beliefs about life after death and the impact these beliefs have on the daily life of Christians and Muslims