BRINGING BIG IDEAS TO LIFE: MEDIUM TERM PLANNING
The bridge between the Big Idea and the substantive knowledge is the topic-related question.
Schools should interpret the following ‘pupils know and understand’ sections in relation to the religions / worldviews they have chosen to teach for this age-group. These decisions will reflect the national legal requirement and any local or denominational requirements.
Topic-related Questions and Learning Objectives for Ages 11-14
BI 3: A GOOD LIFE: AGE-RELATED BIG IDEA FOR AGES 11-14
Many of the rules of religions / worldviews were created a long time ago. Different interpretations of such rules may be needed for application to today’s world. Some religions / worldviews distinguish between rules revealed by God, those developed as a result of reasoned reflection, those that are customs and traditions developed by community leaders over many years, and those that reflect the nature of the world. This matters because people need to know the origin of a ‘rule’ before deciding how far it can be changed. All our moral actions have consequences for ourselves and others. Some believe that the consequences extend beyond this life.
| Topic-related question | Pupils know and understand: |
| 1. What might a ‘good life’ mean? | i. the meaning of key terms including good and bad, evil, morality and ethics ii. the teachings of the focus religions / worldviews on living a good life iii. for what reasons people come to live by one / some ethical codes rather than others iv. why in some religions / worldviews there are different moral expectations for different groups of people |
| 2. How do people approach moral questions? | i. how to distinguish between moral questions and other kinds of questions ii. how and why people of religions / worldviews interpret their texts and are influenced by them as individuals, in communities and in the wider world iii. utilitarian theory and virtue ethics. |
| 3. What is meant by absolute and relative morality? | i. the meaning of absolute and relative morality ii. conservative and liberal approaches to the interpretation of scripture in the context of morality (see BI 2) iii. how conservative and liberal interpretations lead to contrasting answers to moral questions. |
EXEMPLAR(S) OF THIS MEDIUM TERM PLAN
(Word Download) EXEMPLAR 1: The Goal of Living a Good Life
TRANSFERABLE QUESTIONS
How do we know what is right and wrong/good and bad?
Can there be an absolute answer to any moral question – an answer that is true for all times and all places?