Subject Overview Curriculum pathway Course Summary AQA linear A level Religious Studies Unit / Module Component 1: Philosophy of religion and ethics Component 2: Study of religion and dialogues Course: GCSE Religious Studies Overall Summary Exam / Controlled % of course UMS allocation Marks available UMS / RAW mark grade boundaries from Assessment UMS RAW Grade Exam 50 100 A* Awaiting exam Awaiting Awaiting B board exam board exam board C Exam 50 confirmation 100 confirmation confirmation D E Half term 1 Half term 2 Half term 3 Half term 4 Half term 5 Half term 6 Religious Miracles. experience. Self and life after Religious language. death. Arguments for the existence of God. Evil and suffering. Ethical theories. Issues of human life and death. Issues of animal life and death Introduction to meta ethics. Free will and moral responsibility. Conscience. Bentham and Kant. Y13 Unit / Module Map Time allocation Half term 1 Half term 2 Half term 3 Half term 4 Half term 5 Half term 6 Self, death and the afterlife. Sources of wisdom and authority. God/gods/ultimate reality. Good conduct and key moral principles. Expression of religious identity. Religion, gender and sexuality. Religion and science. Religion and secularisation. Religion and religious pluralism.
Subject Overview 5 Year Curriculum pathway Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 Scheme of work Scheme of work Scheme of work Scheme of work Scheme of work Hinduism Hinduism Sikhism Sikhism Buddhism Buddhism Believing in God Believing in God Believing in God Matters of life and death Matters of Life & Death Matters of Life & Death Christianity: Beliefs and teaching Christianity: Practices Christianity: Practices Islam: Beliefs and teachings Islam: Practices Islam: Practices Religion and life Religion, peace and conflict Religion, crime and punishment Religion, human rights and social justice Revision and exam prep How learning of skills and knowledge will occur 5 year progression
Subject Overview 2 Year Curriculum pathway Year 12 Year 13 Scheme of work Scheme of work Component 1: Section A - Philosophy Component 1: Section A - Philosophy Component 1: Section A - Philosophy Component 1: Section - B Ethics Component 1: Section - B Ethics Component 1: Section - B Ethics Component 2: Christianity (1-2) Component 2: Christianity (3) Component 2: Christianity (4-5) Component 2: Christianity (6-7) Component 2: Christianity (8-9) Exam preparation How learning of skills and knowledge will occur 2 year progression
Year 12 A LEVEL RELIGIOUS STUDIES PHILOSOPHY & ETHICS Students must develop knowledge and understanding of the following: Exam specification requirements1 the meaning and significance of the specified content the influence of these beliefs and teachings on individuals, communities and societies the cause and significance of similarities and differences in beliefs and teachings the approach of philosophy to the study of religion and belief. The term belief(s) includes religious beliefs and non-religious beliefs as appropriate. They should be able to analyse and evaluate issues arising from the topics studied, and the views and arguments of the scholars prescribed for study. Students should also be able to use specialist language and terminology appropriately. Unit: Component 1 Philosophy of religion Autumn 1 The Big Questions: Does God exist? Can we logically prove existence? How can we argue from experience? How can we argue from logic? Week 2 subject knowledge test based on introductory materials. Not graded in A level manner but given a score out of 50. Week 3 AO1 paragraph which can be marked in A Week 4 AO1 full answer to sample question. Marked in A Week 5 AO2 full answer to sample question. Marked in A Week 6 Full AO1 and 2 exam answer. Peer and selfmarked as well as teacher assessed. Arguments for the existence of God Design Presentation: Paley s analogical argument. Criticisms: Hume Ontological Presentation: Anselm s a priori argument. Criticisms: Gaunilo and Kant. Cosmological Presentation: Aquinas' Way 3. The argument from contingency and necessity. Criticisms: Hume and Russell Students should study the basis of each argument in observation or in thought, the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments, their status as proofs, their value for religious faith and the relationship between reason and faith. Evil and suffering
The problem of evil and suffering. The concepts of natural and moral evil. The logical and evidential problem of evil. Responses to the problem of evil and suffering. Hick s soul making theodicy. The free will defence. Process theodicy as presented by Griffin. The strengths and weaknesses of each response. Autumn 2 Unit: Component 1 Philosophy of religion The Big Questions: How can we logically talk about religion? What religious proves do we have? How can we potentially verify the existence of God? Week 7 AO1 paragraph which can be marked in A Week 8 AO2 full answer to sample question. Marked in A Week 9 AO1 full answer to sample question. Marked in A Week 10 AO2 full answer to sample question. Marked Week 11 2 Full AO1 and 2 exam answers. Peer and self-marked as well as teacher assessed. Religious experience The nature of religious experience. Visions: corporeal, imaginative and intellectual. Numinous experiences: Otto, an apprehension of the wholly other. Mystical experiences: William James; non sensuous and nonintellectual union with the divine as presented by William Stace. Verifying religious experiences The challenges of verifying religious experiences. The challenges to religious experience from science. Religious responses to those challenges. Swinburne s principles of credulity and testimony. The influence of religious experiences and their value for religious faith. Religious language The issue of whether religious language should be viewed cognitively or non-cognitively. The challenges of the verification and falsification principles to the meaningfulness of religious language. Responses to these challenges:
eschatological verification with reference to Hick language as an expression of a Blik with reference to R.M.Hare religious language as a language game with reference to Wittgenstein. Component 1 Philosophy of religion Other views of the nature of religious language: religious language as symbolic with reference to Tillich religious language as analogical with reference to Aquinas the Via Negativa. The strengths and weaknesses of the differing understandings of religious language. Spring 1 The Big Questions How can we come to gain proof for the existence of God? What is the impact of miracles on religious belief? What can we learn about our destiny from understanding the nature of our body and soul. Week 12 AO1 paragraph which can be marked in A Week 13 AO2 full answer to sample question. Marked Week 14 AO1 full answer to sample question. Marked Week 15 AO2 full answer to sample question. Marked Week 16 2 Full AO1 and 2 exam answers. Peer and self-marked as well as teacher assessed. Miracles Differing understandings of miracle Realist and anti-realist views Violation of natural law or natural event. Comparison of the key ideas of David Hume and Maurice Wiles on miracles. The significance of these views for religion. Self, death and the afterlife The nature and existence of the soul; Descartes argument for the existence of the soul. Week 17 Subject knowledge test and Philosophy summary. The body/soul relationship. The possibility of continuing personal existence after death.
Spring 2 Component 2 Ethics and religion The Big Questions How should we act? Why should we act in this way? How do ethical theories influence people in society? Week 18 AO1 paragraph which can be marked in A Week 19 AO2 full answer to sample question. Marked Week 20 AO1 full answer to sample question. Marked Week 21 AO2 full answer to sample question. Marked Week 22 Subject knowledge test. Week 23 mock exam comprising of AO1 and 2 exam answers. Peer and self-marked as well as teacher assessed. Normative ethical theories Deontological: natural moral law and the principle of double effect with reference to Aquinas; proportionalism. Teleological: situation ethics with reference to Fletcher. Character based: virtue ethics with reference to Aristotle. The differing approaches taken to moral decision making by these ethical theories. Their application to the issues of theft and lying. The strengths and weaknesses of these ways of making moral decisions. The application of natural moral law, situation ethics and virtue ethics to: Issues of human life and death: Embryo research; cloning; designer babies Abortion Voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide Capital punishment. Issues of non-human life and death: use of animals as food, intensive farming, use of animals in scientific procedures, cloning, blood sports, animals as a source of organs for transplants.