8.5 Where is God€¦ · the completion of a key task part way through the unit. Students shall be...

Illuminating Pathways -‐ Religious Education: A Programme of Study

© Blackburn Diocesan Board of Education – 2018

-‐-‐

Unit Title: 8.5 Where is God?

Core Christian Concepts: (As identified in the Understanding Christianity material) Fill in core concepts Theological Concepts: Trust, Wisdom, Endurance, Koinonia, Compassion.

Key Questions: Where is God? What is God like? Does God exist? How can we know if God exists? How can we know if God does not exist? Where is God hiding? Where do we find an invisible God? Is God dead?

Religious Texts/Theological ideas: Matthew 14: 13-21(feeding of the five thousand), Matthew 22: 33 (Jesus walks on water), Luke 24: 1-11 (resurrection of Jesus), Genesis 1 (the creation story), Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20 (resurrection accounts).

Religious Literacy (Key words): Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Immanent, Transcendent, Benevolent, Cosmological, Revelation, Awe, Salvation, Redemption, Miracle, Philosophy, Belief, Faith, Understanding, Proof, Trust, Wisdom, Endurance, Koinonia, Compassion.

Progression: Where have students come from? Students will have studied unit 8.4 Is death the end? The will also have looked at the challenges of belonging to faith, issues of prejudice and discrimination and how religion might help those in crisis and when facing death. Where will students go next? Students shall go on to study ‘What is God?’ A unit looking at the trinity and how the trinity might help Christians to understand what God is like. (Unless students are in a shared class and units of study shall be determined by the class teachers.)

Aims and Expected Outcomes: Aims: students to engage with the timeless, ultimate questions surrounding the existence of God. Students will be challenged to explore the philosophical aspects of religious enquiry and theological concepts linked to this study. Students will draw upon prior learning on the nature of God and engage in the new study of complex arguments which have engulfed the Christian Church over the centuries. Expected Outcomes – By the end of this unit students are expected to be able to: AOI to explore the theological and philosophical concepts around the existence of God. AO2 to evaluate the arguments for and against the existence of God.



Summary of the unit: This unit of study requires students to engage in debate and informed consideration of the existence of God. They will be introduced to an overview of the major theological and philosophical sources, questions and arguments that have over time shaped views and opinions on both sides of the debate. Students will undertake an evaluation of the impact that world events have had on the developments on this on-going ‘Does God exist?’ debate. Various viewpoints and a range of sources, theological and philosophical, will be examined and students will be encouraged to present persuasive arguments to support their own views and those of others.

Opportunities for Assessment: Students shall be assessed through the completion of a key task part way through the unit. Students shall be provided with the task and the success criteria – which shall be level linked to enable pupils to identify the level at which they are working. Opportunities for peer (and/or self) assessment are identified throughout; teachers will need to ensure that success criteria are made available to students when embarking on any form of assessment.

Notes for Teachers: This is a demanding unit and teachers need to be secure in their own understanding of the theological and philosophical

arguments which are to be studied. Ground rules for debate and contracts for behaviour will need to be set at the

beginning of the unit, to ensure that debate is focussed and personal opinions are shown respect within an atmosphere

of critical reflection. Opportunities arise within this unit for structured debate and extended writing. There is also the

possibility for students to engage in National Competitions such as RE Today ‘Spirited Arts’

http://www.natre.org.uk/spiritedarts/ or the National Geographic photography competition.

http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-contest/2013/

Cross Curricular Links can be made with: English, Art, Music, PHSE, History, Philosophy, Classics. Links to Diocesan Syllabus and Framework Themes: Concepts: Belief, Authority Framework: Beliefs and concepts 1a,b,d,e; Authority 2a,b; Religion and Science 6 a,b; Ethics 7d, Global Issues 9a-c

Resources: Link to Diocesan Resources: Religious Resources Centre (RRC) visit the website: http://www.resourcescentreonline.co.uk/

Suggested resources may include: Christian/Creation Talking Tub, post it notes.

Websites: http://www.cleo.net.uk, http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/



Unit title: 8.5 Where is God? National Curriculum/GCSE link: All programmes of study for GCSE RE KS: 3 Year: 8 Term: Summer

MEDIUM TERM SCHEME OF LEARNING

Possible teaching/learning activities: (varied diet over the topic; does the first lesson suggest an activity that will identify learners’ prior attainment?)

Session/Lesson: 1

Big/Lead Question: What is God?

Connect: Students to brainstorm words that might be commonly used to describe God. Share thoughts, discuss key terms (key words/vocabulary must be introduced here; for instance Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Benevolent, Transcendent, Immanent).

Literacy/Numeracy and Cross-Curricular Links across topic:

Learning Objectives: Summarise Christian belief in God.

Activate: Students to watch clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftFb2O30zog up to 1min 42. What do the people in the clip say about God? Compare the clip with the passage ‘Augustine Calls in God’. Students to produce a venn diagram to compare the similarities and differences. Students to discuss the possible reasons for some of the differences in how God is described.

Ideas for personalisation (SEN/MAT):

Learning Outcomes/Success Criteria: Explain, using key terms, the main Christian beliefs about God.

Demonstrate: Students to write a poem titled ‘What is God like?’ from a Christian’s point of view. Augustine’s could be used as a basis for thought, as should the words and descriptions shared throughout the lesson. The poem is to be based on Christian belief in God, but could take into account the different beliefs people hold about God.

Key Tasks/Assessments:

Resources: Post it notes. Key words list – see unit resources Youtube channel Jesus Rocks

Consolidate: God can never really be known.’ What do you think? Why? Students to review this statement and put their initial three focussed thoughts as bullet points on a post it notes to use later in this unit.

Homework:






Session/Lesson: 2

Big/Lead Question: Why do people believe in God?

Connect: Students in pairs consider whether or not there is life somewhere else in the universe. Show students images of the universe/aliens to assist them in their thought. Share ideas with the class. Introduce the key words – Atheist, Theist and Agnostic - to use when discussing belief (or not) in God.


Learning Objectives: Explain why some people believe in God.

Activate: In small groups, students to create a spidergram listing all of the reasons as to why people believe in God. Discuss why some people might disagree with these reasons for belief.


Learning Outcomes/Success Criteria: Give different reasons to explain why some people believe in God.

Demonstrate: Students choose to complete one of the following tasks either (1) Choose one of the reasons for believing in God and write an email from an atheist explaining why they cannot agree with the person’s belief or (2) Create a postcard sized art work that could express why people believe in God. Exam style question – key task: Explain two contrasting reasons why some people believe in God. (4 marks)Your answer should give examples to help explain the reasons.

Key Tasks/Assessments Exam style 4 mark question.

Resources: Key words, post-it notes

Consolidate: Drawing on their initial thoughts on their post it notes from lesson one, students to write a brief passage – independently – about their own beliefs and how it compares to others that they know. Explain their own belief in God and why they hold that belief, using the key words. Students should also be encouraged to question whether or not it is important to question belief about God.

Homework: Create a collage based on one of the reasons for believing in God – what images could you use? What materials? What colours? Why?





Possible teaching/Learning activities: (varied diet over the topic; does the first lesson suggest an activity that will identify learners’ prior attainment?)

Session/Lesson: 3

Big/Lead Question: What can the cosmological argument tell us about God?

Connect: Pupils, in groups, to set up a domino run. Once they are set up just leave them for a minute – what happens? What happens if you touch the first domino? What do God and dominoes have in common? Think, Pair, Share. Using analogy (as taken from Aquinas, found in Philosophy of Religion, D Hunt) compare the dominoes to the universe. Something is needed to start the dominoes falling, just like the universe cannot have begun unless something started it.


Learning Objectives: Outline the point points of the cosmological argument.

Activate: Using the domino runs as a learning tool explain the cosmological argument to students. Students to watch the advert ‘Tipping point’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP-v95g2RU8. How does the advert explain the cosmological argument? In pairs students devise an answer to the question using no more than 50 words.


Learning Outcomes/Success Criteria: Evaluate the cosmological argument as evidence for God’s existence.

Demonstrate: Student to investigate counter arguments such as the ‘Big Bang’ Theory and the ‘Pulsating Universe’. Is the cosmological argument a good argument? Student to evaluate the argument, sharing their conclusions and reasons with the group.


Resources: Arguments sheets - see unit resources, Youtube channel Jesus Rocks.

Consolidate: Devise a list of questions that you would ask Aquinas about his arguments, should he visit the class today. How might he answer these questions?

Homework:






Session/Lesson: 4

Big/Lead Question: Can religious experiences prove God’s existence?

Connect: Tell the students a famous ‘street myth’. Ask students to comment on the story. Is it a true story? What do you think really happened? How would you react to such an experience? Show students images of Mother Teresa, Mary the Mother of Jesus and Bernadette Soubirous. What do they all have in common? In pairs discuss what they think the link might be. Share ideas as a class.


Learning Objectives: Outline the arguments for and against the arguments from religious experience.

Activate: Introduce to the students the Religious Experience Argument. Divide the students into home groups, provide each group with the arguments/theories of each of the following; William James, Alister Hardy, Francis Bacon, Father Frederick Copplestone and Bertrand Russell. Students move into specialists groups discuss argument and theories. Move back into home groups to share findings and place into a mind map?


Learning Outcomes/Success Criteria: Evaluate the religious experience argument as evidence for God’s existence.

Demonstrate: Students are to look at a number of examples of religious experiences. In pairs students must take one example and put a case together for it being an illusion or a real experience. In pairs students then come together as a four and present the case for it being either real or an illusion and as a group come to a conclusion. (Examples could be that of Mother Teresa, St Francis, Nicky Cruz, Mary the Mother of Jesus, St Paul, Brian Welch, Debby Ryan.) Alternatively students could participate in a formal classroom debate. The class divides into four, two groups for the motion, two groups against. Each of the groups for the motion devise arguments to support their thinking.


Resources: ‘Angel Street myth’ - see unit resources folder.

Consolidate: Are religious experiences real or illusions? What do you think? Why? Explain your point of view, considering others and using sources to support points made.

Homework:






Session/Lesson: 5

Big/Lead Question: Can miracles happen?

Connect: What is a miracle? Students to arrange the triangles into a pyramid using the statements as a guide. The statement they agree with the most, goes on the top and the three that are less convincing make the pyramid base. Students to discuss the ordering, giving reasons for their choices; if completed in groups/pairs students, will have to discuss the placing of the triangles and their reasons.


Learning Objectives: Outline the miracle argument from different perspectives.

Activate: In groups students to each research a particular point of view regarding the miracle argument. Areas to research are St Augustine’s book ‘The City of God’, Spinoza/Woolston and Hume’s books – The Laws of Nature, The Bible Miracles, Healing Miracles and the Psychosomatic, The God Hypothesis, The honest witness argument research notes see unit resources.


Learning Outcomes/Success Criteria: Evaluate whether or not miracles are possible.

Demonstrate: Students to answer the question ‘Can Miracles happen?’ using De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats’ strategy.


Resources: Research notes miracles, Miracles Thought pyramids, De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats’ see unit resources.

Consolidate: Students to place themselves on a human continuum in answer to the statement; ‘Many miracles have occurred’. Students must be prepared to explain their reasons behind their placing within the continuum.

Homework:



Unit title: 8.5 Where is God? National Curriculum/GCSE link: All programmes of study for GCSE RE KS: 3 Year: 8 Term: Summer MEDIUM TERM

SCHEME OF LEARNING Possible teaching/learning activities: (varied diet over the topic; does the first lesson suggest an activity that will identify learners’ prior attainment?)

Session/Lesson: 6

Big/Lead Question: Do miracles prove God’s existence?

Connect: Watch a clip of the resurrection of Jesus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDlCFqy7KG4 Complete a 5W task based on the clip.


Learning Objectives: Question whether or not miracles help to prove the existence of God.

Activate: Is the resurrection of Jesus a miracle? Think, Pair, Share. Discuss the resurrection of Jesus and the accounts in the Bible that are given. Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20. Are these accounts evidence of the miracle? Is there other evidence that could be included? (A selection of Biblical accounts from the New Testament should be shared.)


Learning Outcomes/Success Criteria: Evaluate whether or not miracles are proof of God’s existence.

Demonstrate: Split students into teams to gather evidence to debate the statement: ‘Jesus’ resurrection was a miracle caused by God, not a happy coincidence or work of fiction.’ Students to create a presentation to put forward their arguments for and against (students could work in teams – half the class for, half against). Share thoughts.


Resources: YouTube channel Jesus Rocks.

Consolidate: ‘Miracles absolutely prove God’s existence’. Do you agree? Human continuum – students must be willing to share their thoughts and give reasons for them, linking to biblical accounts and theological concepts, where appropriate.

Homework:



Unit title: 8.5 Where is God? National Curriculum/GCSE link: All programmes of study for GCSE RE

KS: 3 Year: 8 Term: Summer



Session/Lesson: 7

Big/Lead Question: Do miracles prove God’s existence? Assessment.

Connect: Students to complete a silent debate on the tables responding to different miracle claims – giving own opinion, opinions of religious believers and philosophers studied. (Miracles could be – a healing miracle, a saving miracle, childbirth, turning water into wine).


Learning Objectives: Question whether or not miracles help to prove the existence of God.

Activate: Review the arguments for and against miracles (theological and philosophical arguments). Students mat refer to prior learning information sheets and Miracles arguments ppt slides Using the statement ‘Miracles prove the existence of God’, students to complete the 12 mark question preparation sheet (arguments for, arguments against, evidence).


Learning Outcomes/Success Criteria: Evaluate whether or not miracles are proof of God’s existence.

Demonstrate: ‘Miracles prove the existence of God.’ Evaluate this statement. Exam style 12 mark question.


Resources: Miracles arguments ppt slide, 12 Mark exam style question - see unit resources

Consolidate: Students are to finish the sentence as a no more than 280 character Tweet, using hashtags attached to the tweet, of the concepts, key terms and biblical texts that fit best with their twitter message. Your tweet will start with …. A miracle is… and will outline the key information that Christians believe about miracles.

Homework:







Session/Lesson: 8

Big/Lead Question: What is the problem of suffering?

Connect: In pairs, students to complete an odd one out activity. Look at three images of suffering. Which is the odd one out and why? Discuss the different types of suffering that are seen in the images. What other types are there? Students to produce a spidergram of all the different types of suffering. Share as many examples as possible with the class. As a class categorise the different types of suffering add these to the spidergram.


Learning Objectives: Outline different responses to the problem of suffering and evil.

Activate: Talk about suffering in the world today and the religious response to it, including the questions raised by suffering if God exists. Introduce the ‘Problem of Evil’. What is evil? Why is it a problem? – Nature of God, control arguments, the devil, natural evil, moral evil.


Learning Outcomes/Success Criteria: Consider the existence of God based on the problem of suffering.

Demonstrate: Students to respond to the statement – “If God was all loving, all powerful and all knowing, suffering would not be allowed. Therefore, God does not exist.” Using a variety of information given pupils are to build up a response to this statement (through envoying) including the cruel world argument, the devil at fault ‘v’ monotheism, free will and the fall, natural and moral evil. Pupils to conclude their response by stating which response they agree with the most and why.


Resources: Philosophical viewpoints in 8.5 resources folder.

Consolidate: ‘The problem of suffering and evil is a perfect argument for atheists to use to say God doesn’t exist.’

Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer.

Homework:







Session/Lesson: 9

Big/Lead Question: What does the story of Job teach us about God and suffering?

Connect: Students to review the triptychs, from the Dare to Engage Resource. Which image is the most striking? Why? Discuss the images and what the artist might be trying to tell us through the images.


Learning Objectives: Outline how the story of Job responds to the problem of suffering.

Activate: Students to watch the Video from Dare to Engage: https://youthscape.co.uk/store/product/rdhfilm ‘Rage, Despair, Hope.’ What are the key messages in the story? Share thoughts and feelings about the story, linking them to belief in God. Explain that the story is the Old Testament story of Job. What does Job say about his suffering?


Learning Outcomes/Success Criteria: Question whether or not the story of Job is a helpful response to the problem of suffering.

Demonstrate: Compare the Story of Job to other examples of suffering today; sickness, poverty, loneliness, grief…Use images to stir up thoughts and feelings. How might the story of Job help as a response to the problem of suffering in the world today? Think, Pair, Share. Students to formulate questions based on the story of Job and the images seen. Share the questions and vote on which one the class would like to discuss. Have thinking time in pairs and then begin discussion. (P4C / Community of enquiry activity).


Resources Dare to Engage resources – in film archive. Rage, Despair, Hope. YouTube channel Jesus Rocks, P4C – see unit resources folder.

Consolidate: God cannot exist if there is evil and suffering in the world.’ Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer, showing thought for other points of view.

Homework:







Session/Lesson: 10

Big/Lead Question: Where was God?

Connect: God cannot exist if there is evil and suffering in the world.’ Students to stand on a human continuum sharing their views on the given statement as a revision of the previous lesson.


Learning Objectives: Explore whether or not God is present when suffering is happening.

Activate: Where was God? Students to look at quotes from Bonheoffer; What did he believe about God? Share extracts of his biography. Share extracts from his letters from prison. Why was he in prison? Who was he? Watch the Bonheoffer clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XOexC-5ZOc –Stop clip as he walks to the gallows; what do you think his last words will be? Do you think he still believes in God? How do you think he will be remembered? Who do you think Christians might look to Bonheoffer for inspiration or when exploring questions of Gods existence? It may be that you introduce Nietzsche and the ‘God is dead’ movement that followed Bonheoffer’s death.


Learning Outcomes/Success Criteria: Explain why some people believe that suffering is evidence for God not existing but others might argue that it proves God’s existence.

Demonstrate: Watch the clip of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkROLJjYCpo- What is happening to Jesus? How does this link to Bonheoffer’s experience? Create a flow chart with Jesus and Bonheoffer at the top, identifying their key experiences, making links between them and illustrating what connects them both. (A simple hierarchical diagram could be used, similarly to a family tree/flow chart.) Did they believe God was present at their suffering? How do you know? Do you think God was present? Why?


Resources: YouTube channel Jesus Rocks, Bonheoffer quotes see unit resources folder.

Consolidate: Church attendance has dropped after major conflicts, such as WWII, Iraq, Afghanistan; why do you think this might be? Discuss. Students to support their thoughts and arguments using prior knowledge of biblical text and key theological concepts and vocabulary.

Homework:







Session/Lesson: 11

Big/Lead Question: Is God dead?

Connect: Students to answer the question ‘Is God dead?’ with a shoulder partner, giving answers and reasons. Share thoughts. The concept of God being alive, dead, eternal, should come up in the sharing of ideas; what other questions does this question raise? Discuss.


Learning Objectives: Question whether or not God is dead.

Activate: Students to mind map answers to the question ‘Is God dead?’ Focussing on the different arguments for and against the existence of God. Student should try to counter argue (it may be that the fish diagram is helpful to students when completing the mind map – using it to produce branches).


Learning Outcomes/Success Criteria: Review and evaluate the arguments for and against God’s existence.

Demonstrate: Using the information from the previous lessons, students are to write a newspaper article with the headline ‘Is God Dead?’ Students must include in the article a summary of each of the arguments for and against the existence of God and their personal thoughts/responses to each of the arguments. They should also use key words and theological concepts which have been identified throughout the unit. Students should be provided with a writing frame and success criteria (if necessary some students may also require sentence starters to support their writing.) This may be used to support students in the end of unit exam question next lesson.


Resources: Is God dead ppt. writing frame, writing frame with sentence starters, Fish diagram – see unit resources folder

Consolidate: Where is God? Students to facilitate a conscience alley, sharing thoughts.

Homework:







Session/Lesson: 12

Big/Lead Question: Is God dead?

Connect: Share with a partner the most convincing argument for God’s existence and the strongest argument against God’s existence. Class vote on strongest arguments. Why do we think these arguments came out the best? (It is evidence? Supporting examples?)


Learning Objectives: Question whether or not God is dead.

Activate: Students to complete the 12 mark question prep sheet – outline arguments to support and to refute the statement ‘God is dead’. Evidence to support arguments must also be given. As a class the arguments could be built up – going over the structure of the answer.


Learning Outcomes/Success Criteria: Review and evaluate the arguments for and against God’s existence.

Demonstrate: Students to complete the exam style 12 mark question: ‘God is dead.’ Evaluate this statement.


Resources: Is God dead ppt , 12 mark question prep sheet.

Consolidate: Is God dead? Human continuum, with reasons/evidence demonstrating secure knowledge of Christian teaching, concepts and biblical literacy, as part of their reasoning.

Homework:

8.5 Where is God€¦ · the completion of a key task part way through the unit. Students shall be...

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