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 7-11
BI 4: MAKING SENSE OF LIFE’S EXPERIENCES: AGE-RELATED BIG IDEA FOR AGES 7-11
Some people have amazing, puzzling or mysterious experiences that they may explain as an encounter with a power above, beyond or within the material world, and which they may claim has given them new insights into life.
| Topic-related question | Pupils know and understand that: |
| 1. What makes us go ‘wow’? | i. people feel wonder or amazement (wow moments) in response to ‘wonderful’ things in the natural world ii. people can also feel shock or amazement when they see bad things happening (e.g. starving children in Syria) iii. some people feel wonder and amazement at experiences, which they believe cannot be accounted for by everyday or scientific explanations. |
| 2. How do people explain experiences of wonder and amazement? | i. some people explain these experiences as encounters with a power beyond or within the universe some people believe that all experiences, however strange, are the result of natural phenomena and can be explained by science some people regard such experiences as mysteries and do not believe that they can be explained at the moment. |
| 3. How might stories from different religions / worldviews help us understand more about the mysteries of life? | i. there are many different stories, poems, songs and paintings on the theme of how wonderful the world is; some of them provide description and great detail and some are in picture-language ii. some of these stories come from religions / worldviews and that they offer different answers to some of life’s most puzzling questions. |
EXEMPLAR(S) OF THIS MEDIUM TERM PLAN
(Word Download)
Ages 7–9 EXEMPLAR 1: Why Do Some People Find Nature So Amazing?
Ages 9–11 EXEMPLAR 1: Encounters
TRANSFERABLE QUESTIONS
- What feelings do we have in response to different experiences?
- How can we best make sense of our different experiences and feelings?