Why can holding beliefs be difficult? (9-12 years) People of Faith: insights from inside the religion and belief traditions Subject Knowledge and links to further information Mystery: Should Iran fast? Video clip: www.bbc.co.uk/news/ uk-14675425 Questions for pupils and questions pupils ask Focus for Learning & Assessment: pedagogies and areas of enquiry Learning Activities: supporting pupils progress 1
REonline Banquet Why can holding beliefs be difficult? (9-12 years) Subject Knowledge Here is some key vocabulary to help you prepare for using this resource: Five pillars The basic precepts of Islam including belief in One God and his prophet Muhammad, prayer, giving of charity, fasting and pilgrimage to Mecca. Id-ul-Fitr Celebration of breaking the fast on the day after Ramadan ends, which is also the first day of Shawal, the tenth Islamic month. Also known as Id-ul-Saghir - the Lesser Id and Sheker Bayram (Turkish) sugar feast. Iftar A meal served at the end of the day during Ramadan, to break the day's fast. Literally, break-fast. Imam Leader. A person who leads the communal prayer, or a founder of an Islamic school of jurisprudence. In Shi ah Islam, Imam is also the title of Ali (Radhi-Allahu-anhu may Allah be pleased with him) and his successors. Ramadan The ninth month of the Islamic calendar, during which fasting is required from just before dawn until sunset, as ordered by Allah in the Qur an. Salah Prescribed communication with, and worship of, Allah, performed under specific conditions, in the manner taught by the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and recited in the Arabic language. The five daily times of salah are fixed by Allah. Sawm Fasting from just before dawn until sunset. Abstinence is required from all food and drink (including water) as well as smoking and conjugal relations. Ummah Community. World-wide community of Muslims; the nation of Islam. Here are some key concepts to help you prepare for the teaching and learning activities: 2
Belief a confidence that something is true that is not easily proved and is something that others will have different views and opinions about. The term often refers to people s faith or religious convictions. Fasting for Muslims, going without food or liquid between dawn and dusk. Fasting also means not taking medication or smoking. Muslims undertake this for 29-30 days at the time of Ramadan. Muslims also undertake extra prayers and believe fasting brings them closer to Allah. Commitment showing dedication to something that is important to you perhaps a particular belief, activity or cause, even if that commitment means forgoing other things. We think the following links related to this resource should prove useful if you would like to explore the subject further: Beliefs and concepts in Islam >> www.reonline.org.uk/knowing/what-re/islam/ BBC basic introduction to Islam: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/ Information on fasting in Ramadan and sport http://www.sportingequals.org.uk/pics/se- %20Factsheet%20Ramadan%20Amended.pdf 3
REonline Banquet Why can holding beliefs be difficult? (9-12 yrs) Focus for Learning and Assessment Approaches to learning in the aims of the Learning Activities for this Resource Broadly ethnographic/interpretative: encouraging pupils to relate to a way of life that is different from their own, by: introducing them to material from religious traditions and helping them to connect it with their own personal knowledge and experience; providing opportunities for pupils to actively interpret religious meaning, not just passively receiving information about a tradition. Elements of Human development: learning about / learning from, approach: encouraging pupils to develop their own patterns of belief and behaviour through exploring religious beliefs and practices and related human experiences; providing opportunities for pupils to develop spiritually, morally, socially and culturally. The sample learning activities provide a stimulus to some key ideas within religion about the challenge of holding beliefs. The example of the Muslim pillar of Ramadan, fasting, is used to help pupils learn about religion and belief. The activities also contain ideas for pupils to ask and answer their own questions and to learn from Islam as they think about the beliefs held by people from different religions and people with non-religious beliefs. This resource and subsequent learning activities also encourages pupils to think about and develop their own beliefs. The example makes potential cross-curricular connections with the following: Literacy, e.g., in speaking and listening, writing persuasive and balanced arguments; PSHE/SEAL e.g., in expressing the importance of respecting different beliefs and learning to listen to ideas that are different from their own The lessons could be used in discrete RE time or as part of a creative curriculum approach where RE links with other curriculum subjects around a theme or key question, such as Inspirational people, Diversity and difference, Sporting heroes. 4
In terms of assessing pupils progress in RE, the focus for this example is on the following Areas of Enquiry: Area B (Practices and ways of life) and Area F (Values and Commitments). Pupils participating in the investigation of this resource might be expected to make progress within the following range of expectations: Expectations: B & F refer here to the focus areas of enquiry identified above. By the end of this sequence of learning: All pupils can: B3 describe some of the things that are the same and different for religious people. F3 link things that are important to them and other people with the way they think and behave Most pupils (majority class expectation) can: B4 use the right religious words to describe and compare what practices and experiences may be involved in belonging to different religious groups. F4 ask questions about the moral decisions they and other people make, and suggest what might happen as a result of different decisions, including those made with reference to religious beliefs / values Some pupils can: B5 describe why people belong to religions and explain how similarities and differences within and between religions can make a difference to the lives of individuals and communities. F5 ask questions about things that are important to them and to other people and suggest answers which relate to their own and others lives. 5
REonline Banquet Why can holding beliefs be difficult? (9-12 yrs) Questions As well as the key question, this example can be built around questions that pupils ask about the resource. How to develop pupils question-making powers >> See How RE How to build pupils enquiries into the assessment scheme >> See Assessing Here are some examples of questions pupils might ask, based on this Resource: How does it feel when Muslims are fasting? Why do Muslims fast? What happens if Muslims don t fast? Do people in other religions fast? Can they take medicines during Ramadan? Here are some more questions to ask pupils, some that may provoke learning about religion and belief, and some that may inspire learning from religion and belief: What beliefs are important to you? What challenges do you face because of the beliefs that you hold? Do you know anyone who has had to stand up for their beliefs? How can you show respect for other people s beliefs? What other beliefs do some religious people hold that might make some parts of life a challenge? Can people s beliefs change? Is it important to hold beliefs? Should everyone believe the same thing? 6
REonline Banquet Why can holding beliefs be difficult? (9-12 yrs) People of Faith Here are some links to what Muslims and Sikhs say about their religion: People of Faith >> [pof.reonline.org.uk/] Children Talking >> [ http://www.natre.org.uk/db/profile2a.php ] Or, you can search for Muslim answers to your questions at: pof.reonline.org.uk/ or email a Muslim or an RE Expert to find out an answer to your own question(s). RE Today s publication, Opening up Islam, Joyce Mackley (ed) 2009 also contains teaching and learning ideas related to fasting in Islam. BBC Class clips clip 4605 on Ramadan and the Festival of Id-ul-Fitr: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/4605.html BBC Class clips clip 3053 on Fasting during Ramadan: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/3053.html 7
REonline Banquet Why can holding beliefs be difficult? (9-12 yrs) Learning Activities Here are some ideas to use in the classroom to make the most of the Resource. Set the learning activities in the context of the enquiry question, in this example we have suggested the question, Why can holding beliefs be difficult? However, much of the learning suggested could be adapted to questions relating to a religion specific question, e.g., What are the challenges of fasting for Muslims? Ask pupils what they recall about the practice of fasting. Can they think of different practices in different religions concerning the length of the fast, what the fast consists of and what exceptions there may be? For example, do they know about the Christian observance of Lent and giving up of luxuries during the whole period of 40 days? Can they compare this with the Muslim practice of fasting during the month of Ramadan and the abstinence from food and drink during daylight hours? [Assessment opportunity: B3 describe some of the things that are the same and different for religious people; and B4 use the right religious words to describe and compare what practices and experiences may be involved in belonging to different religious groups.] If pupils are not already familiar with the practices of Muslims at Ramadan, explain that for practising Muslims over the age of puberty, about 11, they will fast in daylight hours for approximately 30 days. Fasting means going without food or drink, even water, during the hours of daylight. In the height of summer this means approximately 18 hours with no liquid or food. There are however exemptions from fasting, e.g., for those who are ill or pregnant. Ask pupils to make a connection between the Muslim practice of fasting during Ramadan with something they could do to (a) remind themselves of people in the world who do not have enough to eat and (b) improve their own will-power and self-control. [Assessment opportunity: F3 link things that are important to me and other people with the way I think and behave.] Share with pupils that the Olympic games in London 2012 was during Ramadan, and that around 25% of the athletes taking part were Muslim. Introduce pupils to the mystery: Should Imran fast during the Games? (The event and sport that Imran is potentially competing in can be adapted to make it topical, e.g., in 2016 this could be the Olympics in Brazil; in 2014 the Wimbledon Tennis Championships will coincide with Ramadan). Provide pupils with the following scenario: 8
Imran is a 17 year old tennis player...(sport could be adapted) who has qualified for the... [insert event]. A vital part of the event coincides with Ramadan and, as a Muslim, he is worried about whether he should fast whilst training and competing. He collects together information about the importance of fasting and what other athletes have decided to do to help him make his decision. Organise pupils to work in groups of 3 or 4 and provide them with the 20 pieces of information that Imran has collected [see Resource 1. The cards provide a variety of types of information with first hand believer accounts of whether they have fasted in similar circumstances, information about why Muslims fast and information about what happens if Muslims are unable to fast. Make changes to the Resource Sheet according to the event you are focussing on, e.g., Wimbledon, Olympics, etc. Ask pupils to read the information on the cards and group together information that links, e.g., narrative, facts, opinions, important information, irrelevant information. Pupils need to decide for themselves how to sort the information. The challenge for them is that at the end of the time allocated they must give Imran some advice. [Assessment opportunity: B3 describe some of the things that are the same and different for religious people; and B4 use the right religious words to describe and compare what practices and experiences may be involved in belonging to different religious groups.] As pupils are coming to the point of offering advice for Imran explain that he has located a new piece of information that they need to consider. Show pupils the BBC film clip http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14675425 and invite them to ask questions about the decision that Imran must make, suggesting what the consequences might be for different decisions he could make. [Assessment opportunity: F4 ask questions about the moral decisions I and other people make, and suggest what might happen as a result of different decisions, including those made with reference to religious beliefs / values.] Offer pupils a series of oral sentence starters to frame their group response to Imran: o I think Imran should... because... o I think this decision is hard for Imran because... o One argument for breaking the fast is... o One argument for keeping the fast is... o If I were a Muslim I would... [Assessment opportunity: F5 ask questions about things that are important to me and to other people and suggest answers which relate to my own and others lives.] 9
Once pupils have offered their responses ask them to think what the counter argument might be and how that might affect their life as a member of the Muslim community. You could link this work to literacy and ask pupils to write a balanced or a persuasive argument. [Assessment opportunity: B5 describe why people belong to religions and explain how similarities and differences within and between religions can make a difference to the lives of individuals and communities] Write in the centre of six large pieces of paper Beliefs about... and then finish the statement with food, behaviour or clothing. Give each group a piece of paper. 1. Ask the first group to write any beliefs that might have to do with this category, e.g., not eat meat. 2. Move the piece of paper to a different group. Ask this group to draw a line from a belief and write an example of an occasion when it might be a challenge to hold that belief, e.g., at a party. 3. Move the piece of paper to a final group. Ask this group to write suggestions of what believers might say or do to keep to their belief. [Assessment opportunity: B4 use the right religious words to describe and compare what practices and experiences may be involved in belonging to different religious groups.] As a result of this work support pupils to work in groups to enquire into people who have held a set of beliefs and had them challenged. Give pupils a series of people to choose from e.g., Sarika Watkins-Singh who as a teenager was banned from wearing the Kara but took her school to Court and won; the disciple Peter who denied Jesus three times; Samantha Devine, a 13-year-old Catholic pupil in Kent, who was told not to wear a crucifix on a chain because it breached health and safety rules. Ask pupils to create a presentation telling this person s story through drama, newspaper report or other method to share what the person s beliefs were, how they were challenged, and how they managed to resolve the dilemma. In their presentations, pupils should include: o different opinions that followers of the religion(s) involved in the story might have about what can be learnt from it; o at least TWO important questions that pupils think should be asked about the story they are investigating and the possible answers they think relate best to the way people should live their lives. [Assessment opportunity: B5 describe why people belong to religions and explain how similarities and differences within and between religions can make a difference to the lives of individuals and communities; and F5 ask questions about things that are important to me and to other people and suggest answers which relate to my own and others lives.] 10