Topic chart Units Religious Education topics Content Unit 1: Introduction Messages and methods of communication Ways of communicating important messages Sacred books in worship Sacred books and communities Sacred books are read in Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Sikh worship The significance of sacred texts to many faiths and religious communities Places of worship The interiors of a synagogue, a cathedral, a mosque (the madrasah) and a gurdwara Unit 2: Judaism The Torah The composition and copying of the Torah (e,g. laws, history, poetry and stories) The Ten Commandments The Tenach: the Hebrew Bible Places of worship: the synagogue Worship Community Jewish stories Creation God and humankind Forgiveness Standing up for beliefs Moses and the giving of the Ten Commandments: rules for living The composition of the Hebrew Bible A Torah scroll read in a synagogue Synagogue worship The importance of stories, such as the Creation, David and Goliath and Jonah A short version of the story of the creation of the world A reading of the Shepherd s Song (Psalm 23 in the Christian Bible) The story of Jonah Unit 3: Christianity The Bible The writing of the New Testament Jesus the Jew and the scriptures he read The Old and New Testaments The Gospels The life of Jesus The Epistles/The early Church Jesus the teacher/parables Places of worship: churches Bible translation and distribution The worldwide Church The influence of the Bible Beliefs about God: love and forgiveness The composition of the Christian Bible: the Old and New Testaments The life of Jesus The spread of the Early Church The Epistles or letters written to the Early Church Jesus the teacher: the importance of parables The Bible being read in churches The story of Mary Jones Bible Translation in Papua New Guinea Christians who have made a difference (e.g. Dr Martin Luther King and Mother Teresa) 7
Units Religious Education topics Content Unit 4: Islam The Qur an Holy book of Islam revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) over 1400 years ago in Makkah, Arabia Allah s words written in Arabic to guide people Makkah The Ka bah Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the final messenger Calligraphy Keeping the message accurate Studying the Qur an Life in Makkah at the time of Muhammad (peace be upon him) Previous messengers of Allah Revelation of the Qur an Oral tradition Islamic calligraphy Muslims show great respect for the Qur an. Contents of the Qur an- the surahs Mosque schools Messages from the Qur an on how to live Work of a Hafiz Ibadah How people put Allah s guidance into practice Unit 5: Sikhism The Guru Granth Sahib The ten human Sikh Gurus The final and everlasting Guru Origins of Sikhism Teachings of the Gurus Stories of Guru Nanak Teachings from the Guru Granth Sahib Gurdwara Putting teachings into practice Written in Gurmukhi Guru Nanak Guru Gobind Singh Teachings The story of the time when Guru Nanak vanished The story of the Great Feast The Mool Mantra Equality Kirat karna Respect shown to the Guru Granth Sahib in gurdwaras The Guru Granth Sahib being read in services of worship Granthi Akhand Path Sewa The story of Bhai Ghanaya Khalsa Aid 8
Unit 4: Islam The Qur an: Instructions for life Islam is the second largest religion in the world with over one billion followers. The UK 2001 census recorded 1 591 000 Muslims living in the UK, this is around 2.7 per cent of the population (office for National Statistics, 2001 figures; Muslim population). There are several different groups of Muslims, but all of them, in every country and community, regard their faith as a bond between them and as a major part of their identity. The Qur an is the holy book of Islam and has a great impact on the lives of the millions of Muslims across the world. It was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) over 1400 years ago in Makkah, Arabia. Because Islam began in an Arabic speaking country, the Qur an is written in the Arabic language. When Muslims talk about God they call him Allah, the Arabic name for God. Muslims believe that the Qur an contains Allah s words, as dictated to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) by the Angel Jibril (Gabriel). For Muslims, the Qur an is a set of instructions and the supreme authority on how to live life. It guides Muslims in their worship of Allah as well as relationships between people and all aspects of life. Muslims believe that Islam has always existed, but for practical purposes, date their religion from the time of the migration of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to Madinah where he set up the first Muslim community. Muslims base their laws on the Qur an and the Sunnah, which is the practical example of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Pupils are asked to consider how guidance can help them in aspects of their life. This helps to set the scene for consideration of teachings and authority in Islam, considering what sacred books say about God, the world and life. Muslims show great respect for the Qur an. They do not handle it more than is necessary. Many Muslims prefer to see it placed very high and wrapped in cloth for storage. They would never place it on the floor or write in it. Many Muslims believe you should be very clean yourself when handling it. In order to avoid anxiety about handling the Qur an, a non-muslim is advised to always use a translation. Even though a translation is not the actual Qur an, it should still be treated with great respect because it still conveys the same meaning. Storage of Qur ans, including translated books, should always be respectful so it is suggested you do not leave these items on displays in classrooms or corridors. Wrap the books and store them in a safe, clean place. Some Muslims are also very worried about the disposal of photocopies of texts of the Qur an; the use of on-screen text will help you to avoid these concerns. The gift of the Qur an: Part one Muslims believe that, over time, many messengers, or prophets, and books were given by Allah to guide people on how to live and have the right relationship with Allah. People did not always listen to the messages or they forgot them. The long list of Allah s prophets in the Qur an begins with Prophet Adam and includes Prophets Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Dawud (David) and Isa (Jesus). Muslims believe each prophet had a message, for the time in which he lived, to bring people back to Allah and that Muhammad (pbuh) was the final prophet with a message to last until the end of time. Muhammad (pbuh) lived in Makkah, a city that had a good supply of water and was the centre of many trade routes across the desert. Muslims believe that Makkah was also a special city to Allah as a special building there called the Ka bah (an Arabic word that means the cube ) was built there. It had been built as a place to worship Allah by Prophet Ibrahim and his son Prophet Ishmael, many centuries before the life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). However, by the time that Muhammad (pbuh) was born, the use of the Ka bah had been changed by many Arab tribes who travelled through or set up businesses in the city and had become a place to worship their many tribal gods. Makkah was not a place based on an Islamic way of life and was full of sinners, dishonesty, slavery and cruelty. Muslims believe Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was chosen to be a special messenger, passing on Allah s words to all people because he was wise, honest and concerned about other people and society. Every year, during the month of Ramadan, Muhammad (pbuh) went to a cave outside the city, on Mount Hira, to think about the meaning of his life and what was happening in his community. The gift of the Qur an: Part two This page continues the story of the revelation of the Qur an. It explains that, during the month of Ramadan while Muhammad (pbuh) was spending time in thought and prayer in the cave, he was visited by the Angel Jibril who began to reveal Allah s words to him a great and final message that Allah wanted the prophet to take to his people. These first special words explain that Muslims believe Allah created the world and has helped human beings to develop since Creation. The first words emphasise Allah as creator of all and as humanity s teacher. 19
Read in the name of your Lord who created, created man from a clot. Read, for your Lord is most generous, Who teaches by means of the pen, teaches man what he does not know (sura 96, verses 1 5). Muslims call that night, when the Angel first visited Muhammad (pbuh), Laylat al-qadr (the night of power), because the power of Allah s message was being revealed to all people. Muhammad (pbuh) was not unusual in being unable to read at the time when he lived, although memorizing the Qur an was a huge task and a weighty responsibility. Today, in the west, little regard is given to an oral tradition, but before people were able to learn to write they had to memorise what they were told. Indeed, in some parts of the world today, those who hold the oral history of their people are held in great respect. Pupils might investigate the West African tradition of griots (travelling poets, musicians and storytellers), who are still held in great regard. The notepad pages encourage pupils to learn a short poem or set of instructions off by heart in order to appreciate the effort and concentration required. They will also be able to consider how distractions can hamper their efforts and how long they are able to hold information in their heads. The passing of Allah s message It took Muhammad (pbuh) 23 years to commit all of Allah s messages to his memory. Pupils might consider how this responsibility would make him concerned to ensure the message stayed accurate and was able to be transmitted to the people of Makkah. The Qur an contains over 6000 verses making 114 surahs, or sections, written in Arabic. Each surah is given a name. All the surahs except for one start with, In the name of Allah the most merciful and the most kind, the thought with which Muslims believe they should start everything they do. The arrangement of surahs in the Qur an does not correspond to the chronological order in which they were revealed by the Angel Jibril. In the clip, the names of some surahs are seen on the film scrolling upwards in Arabic and in English. Pause the clip in the appropriate places so that pupils can locate the names for surahs 22, 29, 40, 54, 71. The names of these are shown on notepad page two. It is explained to pupils on notepad page three that the narrator uses the words peace be upon him after the name of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Muslims often use this phrase in Arabic or in English after the names of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) or the other Prophets of Allah. Muslims believe Adam, Abraham (Ibrahim) and Jesus (Isa) were all Prophets of Allah and so these words would be used after their names as a mark of respect to them all. Making Allah s words beautiful Qur anic or Islamic calligraphy is a special form of artistic writing using the Arabic script. Calligraphy became important in many Muslim societies because images of people and animals are not usually used by Muslims in decorative art as many Muslims believe those images should not be reproduced. The main difference between Christian and Islamic illuminations is the use of images of people and animals in Christian art. Calligraphy designs can be found on the outside and interiors of buildings in the Muslim world, particularly in mosques, on coins, on vases and pots, on jewellery and to produce beautiful books, especially the Qur an. For example, beautifully decorated Qur anic verses can be seen on the exterior walls of the Taj Mahal, a very famous Muslim building in Agra in India, where the words of the Qur an have been created from jasper inlaid into white marble panels. Reciting the Qur an It is extremely important to Muslims that the message of Allah in the Qur an is passed on without any changes. This is because they are the actual word of Allah and Muslims have the responsibility to keep the words as they were revealed to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Following the example of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), many Muslims around the world want to learn to recite the Qur an from memory and this film introduces pupils to a young Hafiz, who explains how the work of memorising the entire Qur an helps to keep the Qur an identical to the message Allah sent to the world. The maintenance of an oral tradition in Islam is therefore important to ensure that the words of the Qur an do not change. Muslims do not consider that translations of the Qur an into languages other than Arabic produces an identical text as they appreciate that the language change may change the original message, even by subtle nuances of meaning. This is why learning Arabic is an important part of a Muslim s development or growth within their faith. Pupils might compare the importance placed on keeping the words of a sacred book from changing in Islam with that of Judaism. What happens when books are translated? Do pupils think that opens up the text to a risk of changing? 20
Learning the Qur an This clip shows Abdul, a young Muslim living in Wales, and other young Muslims going to mosque school to learn to read the Qur an in Arabic. Abdul also wants to learn the Qur an by heart and to become a Hafiz. Many young Muslims around the world attend mosque school to learn Arabic, to learn the Qur an and to learn more about their faith. There may be members of the school who attend your local mosque - perhaps they would be happy to explain how their lessons are organised, show some of their books and read some Arabic to the class. Following the teaching in the Qur an For believers of all faiths, once you have learned the teaching of a faith, putting beliefs into practice in daily life at all ages is an important challenge. This clip shows three young London Muslims talking about how they put the Muslim teaching of Ibadah into practice. For them Ibadah means respect and is an important message of the Qur an that they try to follow in their lives. There are broader and more adult definitions of Ibadah all relating to obedience to Allah and carrying out his commands, being mindful of his teachings in all that you do. So worship can be Ibadah as can obedience to other commands of Allah. 21
Curriculum grid Unit 1: Introduction Sending important messages To stimulate thought about the variety of ways through which people send important messages and to consider the sorts of message which we would think of as important The special books of four religions To know that the Torah, the Bible, the Qur an and the Guru Granth Sahib are seen by Jews, Christians, Muslims and Sikhs respectively as sacred books containing important messages about God and humankind Learning about religion: a, c, e, g Themes: e, f, k, l Experiences & opportunities: q Unit 2: Judaism Introducing the Torah To learn what the Torah is and to note the significance Torah scrolls have in Jewish life and worship Learning about religion: b, e, g Learning from religion: a Themes: e, f, g, k The story of Creation To become familiar with the first creation story in the first book of the Torah and the sense of awe it engenders in the natural world Learning about religion: a, e, f Learning from religion: c, e Themes: e, f, i Experiences & opportunities: o, q Talk effectively, make relevant contributions Moses and the Ten Commandments To consider whether laws and rules are essential for humankind and to learn that the Ten Commandments are about people s attitudes to God and human beings Learning about religion: a, b, e, f, g Learning from religion: c, e Themes: e, f, i, k Experiences & opportunities: o, q Talk effectively, make relevant contributions The Commandments To consider which laws or rules are the most important for human beings to l ive by Learning about religion: a, b, e, f Learning from religion: b, c, d Themes: f, i, k Experiences & opportunities: o, q The story of David and Goliath To understand the significance of David as a great leader of Israel and to reflect on the theme of his courage and faith Learning about religion: a, g Themes: f, j En2 4a Recognise choice use and effect of language En3 1d Use and adapt the features of a form of writing The story of Jonah To enjoy the story and discover the what Jonah learnt about God s love and forgiveness Learning about religion: a, e, f Learning from religion: c, d Themes: e, f, j, k, q En1 4b, 4d To participate in drama activities and evaluate their own and others contributions The Shepherd Song To explore the message of this poem and the reasons that is a source of encouragement to many people at times of difficulties Learning about religion: a, e, f, g Learning from religion: c, e Themes: e, f, i, j 24
Unit 3: Christianity The Christian Bible: The New Testament To learn that for Jesus and his followers the Hebrew scriptures, later called by Christians the Old Testament, were important. To understand that the New Testament is about Jesus and the first Christians Learning about religion: a, c, g Learning from religion: c Themes: f, j Experiences & opportunities: q The life of Jesus To find out about the key events in the life of Jesus, as portrayed in the Gospels Learning about religion: a, c, g Learning from religion: c Themes: f, j Experiences & opportunities: q The Gospels: Four books about Jesus To understand the nature of the four Gospels and the way they were written. Themes: f, i, j The Parable of the Lost Son To find out about parables and the message of God s love expressed in this parable Themes: f, i, j Versions of the Bible To compare different language expressions of a biblical story in order to understand why translations are updated Learning about religion: a, d, e Learning from religion: a, b Themes: f, l Experiences & opportunities: s The first Christians To learn how the early Church grew throughout the Roman empire and the letters (epistles) which were circulated in Christian communities Learning about religion: a Learning from religion: a, e Themes: f, i, j Mary Jones Bible To recognise that it has been important for Christians to obtain translations of the Bible written in their own languages Learning from religion: b, c, d, e Themes: f, i, j, k En2 5g Engage with challenging and demanding subject matter Translating the Bible today To discover how Bible translation in Papua New Guinea has enabled one group of people to have their language written down for the first time Learning about religion: a, b, d, e, g Learning from religion: a, b, c, e Themes: e, f, i, j The influence of the Bible To consider the impact which Jesus and the teaching of the Bible has had on individuals such as Thomas Barnado, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa and Dame Cecily Saunders Learning about religion: a, b, d, e, g Learning from religion: a, b, c, e Themes: e, f, i, j En1 2b Ask relevant questions to clarify and follow up ideas 25
Unit 4: Islam The Qur an: Instructions for life To learn that the Qur an provides Muslims with a set of instructions for life. To learn that the Qur an is written in Arabic To understand why Muslims treat the Qur an with respect Learning about religion: a, b, d, e, g Themes: e, f, h, i, l, m To reflect on the sources of support and authority pupils have in their lives The gift of the Qur an: Part one To learn that Muslims believe Allah sent messages to the world before Muhammad To understand that Makkah was a special city and the Ka bah was a place built to worship Allah before Muhammad. Learning about religion: a, c, g Themes: e, f, j, k To understand that the people had turned against worship of Allah and Allah s teachings To appreciate that Muslims believe Muhammad was chosen to be Allah s messenger because he was good The gift of the Qur an: Part two To learn that the Angel Jibril brought Muhammad a special message from Allah to give to all people To appreciate that because Muhammad was not able to read and write he had to learn the message Learning about religion: a, g Themes: e, f, j, k En2 8c Read good quality modern poetry To know that this night is called Laylat al-qadr, the night of power The passing of Allah s message To learn that it took many years for all Allah s messages to be collected and that these are organised in the Qur an into surahs To understand that Muslims get guidance from the Qur an for their lives Learning from religion: a, b, c, e Themes: e, f, i, j, k, m Making Allah s words beautiful To learn about the use of calligraphy in the Muslim world To know some Islamic art conventions To appreciate the work of the calligrapher Learning about religion: a, b, c, e, g Themes: e, f, i, k, l, r En3 1e Use features of layout and presentation effectively Reciting the Qur an To know about the work of a Hafiz To reflect on the importance of keeping the message of a sacred book unchanged To appreciate and respect an oral tradition Learning from religion: a, b, c, e Themes: e, f, i, j, k, m Learning the Qur an To understand the importance to Muslims around the world of learning to read and write Arabic Learning about religion: a, b, c, e, g Themes: e, f, i, k, l, r Following the teaching in the Qur an To know that putting Allah s teaching from the Qur an into practice in daily life is important to Muslims To learn about the teaching Ibadah To understand how Muslims put the teachings into practice in daily life Learning about religion: a, b, c, e, g Themes: e, f, i, k, l, r 26
Unit 5: Sikhism The final and everlasting Guru To know there were 10 human Gurus and that the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book, is the last Guru To know Guru Nanak s teachings about God and the Mool Mantra Learning about religion: a, e, f, g Learning from religion: a, e Themes: e, f, i, j, k, En2 4f Consider poetic forms and their effects To understand that Sikhs treat the Guru Granth Sahib with great respect Sikh teachings about God To appreciate that equality is important to Sikhs To know that this story explores Sikhs teachings about God Learning about religion: a, b, e, g Learning from religion: a, b, c Themes: e, f, h, i, j Guru Nanak and the Great Feast To learn how this story demonstrates Sikh teachings of Kirat Karna Learning about religion: a, b, e, g Learning from religion: a, b, c Themes: e, f, h, i, j Teaching how to live your life To reflect on some core teachings of Sikhism from the Guru Granth Sahib Learning about religion: a, b, e, g Learning from religion: a, b, c, d, e Themes: e, f, i, j, k, l En3 2 Develop their writing Respecting the Guru Granth Sahib To learn about the respect shown to the Guru Granth Sahib in a gurdwara To know the central place of the Guru Granth Sahib in worship Learning about religion: a, e, f, g Learning from religion: a, e Themes: e, f, i, j, k Following the Guru s teaching To understand that Sewa is an important Sikh practice To know about the work of Khalsa Aid To reflect on how Sikhs can put their beliefs into practice in the world today Learning about religion: a, b, e, g Learning from religion: a, b, c, d, e Themes: e, f, i, j, k, l, m The story of Bhai Ghanaya To know how this story exemplifies putting Sikh beliefs into practice Learning about religion: a, b, e Learning from religion: a, b, c, d Themes: e, f, j, k, m, q What have we learned? To recall, reinforce and assess understanding of information covered across all four sacred books Learning about religion: a, b, c, g Themes: e, f, g, i, k Experiences & opportunities: q 27