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 14-18
BI 3: A GOOD LIFE: AGE-RELATED BIG IDEA FOR AGES 14-18
Religious and non-religious groups agree on some moral issues and disagree on others. Different theories are offered about how and why humans ought to live a good life; these theories are not necessarily religious. When these perspectives are used in discussions about moral issues, they yield very different answers. Various religious and non-religious organisations have tried to identify rules and principles that should apply universally, and they often contain teachings about the character and virtues needed to lead a ‘good’ life. Some religions / worldviews have different expectations for different groups of people, often in relation to hierarchies within their traditions.
| Topic-related question | Pupils know and understand: |
| 1. Do people from all religions / worldviews agree on how to resolve the most important moral questions? | i. the general agreement of religions / worldviews on core values and attitudes, such as love / consideration for others and care for the environment ii. the differences of opinion that arise between and within religions / worldviews from applying these values and other teachings to specific moral issues iii. the impact of different attitudes to authority on the different opinions within religions / worldviews on specific moral questions. |
| 2. What are some of the main theories in Western philosophy about how and why we ought to live a good life? | i. the relationship between utilitarianism, virtue theory and normative ethics ii. the strengths and weaknesses of these and other normative theories such as egoism, consequentialism, hedonism and deontology iii. that there are other ways of thinking about ethics in non-Western traditions, such as Buddhist, Hindu or Confucian. |
| 3. How do we decide what to do? | i. how different people approach the task of resolving moral questions (from a range of religious and non-religious questions) ii. that within some religions / worldviews there may be different expectations of different members, depending on their status or role. |
EXEMPLAR(S) OF THIS MEDIUM TERM PLAN
(Word Download) Exemplar coming soon…
TRANSFERABLE QUESTIONS
Are there any moral absolutes regarding attitudes or actions?
How can we know what is the right thing to do in any situation?
Do we need ethical codes and guidelines? Is personal conscience enough for living a good life?
Who has the authority to lay down ethical codes and guidelines for others to follow?