Religious Studies (RS)
THIS COURSE IS RUNNING IN YEAR 9 IN 2017 ONLY
THIS COURSE IS RUNNING IN YEAR 9 IN 2017 ONLY
Examination Board: AQA
Religious Studies is an ever-popular and relevant GCSE course, which covers a range of contemporary moral issues as well as addressing the fundamental questions of life. It is a subject that enables you to think for yourself about religious and moral issues in a critical and enquiring way.
Students will be challenged with questions about belief, values, meaning, purpose and truth, enabling them to develop their own attitudes towards religious issues. The GCSE will develop students’ ability to construct well-argued, well-informed, balanced and structured written arguments, demonstrating their depth and breadth of subject knowledge. Students will also gain an appreciation of how religion, philosophy and ethics form the basis of our culture. They will develop analytical and critical thinking skills, the ability to work with abstract ideas, leadership and research skills. Students will also be given the opportunity to reflect on and develop their own values, beliefs and attitudes to moral and ethical issues.
The ability to consider, justify and evaluate a range of different perspectives on philosophical and ethical issues is vital. It is also an advantage to be able to form personal opinions on these issues. Students must be willing to learn about and discuss (primarily) Christian views. Students need to be confident readers and willing to write at length.
Students should consider different beliefs and attitudes to religious and non-religious issues in contemporary British society. They should be aware that the religious traditions of Great Britain are, in the main, Christian, and that religious traditions in Great Britain are diverse. They include Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism, as well as other religious and non-religious beliefs such as atheism and humanism.
Christianity
Key beliefs include the nature of God, different viewpoints on creation and the afterlife. As well as the study of Jesus Christ the Salvation including sin, the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension as well as the idea of atonement.
Practices include liturgical, non-liturgical, the use of the Bible, prayer and the meaning of the sacraments as well as the importance of pilgrimage and celebrations including Easter and Christmas.
The role of the church in the local and worldwide community including evangelism and church growth as well CAFOD, Christian Aid and Tearfund.
Islam
Key beliefs include the six articles of faith in Sunni Islam and five roots of Usul ad-Din in Shi’a Islam, the nature of God, including different ideas about God’s relationship with the world, angels and life after death.
Authority includes Prophethood (the role and importance of Adam, Ibrahim and Muhammad) and the holy books (Qur’an, the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospel, the Scrolls of Abraham and their authority.
Worship includes Five Pillars of Sunni Islam and the Ten Obligatory Acts of Shi’a Islam, Shahadah: declaration of faith and its place in Muslim practice as well as how and why Muslims pray including times, directions, ablution (wudu), movements (rak’ahs) and recitations.
Duties and festivals include, Sawm, Zakah, Hajj, Jihad and the festivals and commemorationsfor Muslims in Great Britain today, including the origins and meanings of Id-ul-Adha, Id-ul-Fitr, Ashura.
Theme A: Relationships and families
Students must be able to explain contrasting beliefs on the following three issues with reference to the main religious tradition in Britain (Christianity) and one or more other religious traditions: Contraception; Sexual relationships before marriage; Homosexual relationships.
Theme B: Religion and life
Students must be able to explain contrasting beliefs on the following three issues with reference to the main religious tradition in Britain (Christianity) and one or more other religious traditions: Abortion; Euthanasia; Animal experimentation.
Theme D: Religion, peace and conflict
They must be able to explain contrasting beliefs on the following three issues with reference to the main religious tradition in Britain (Christianity) and one or more other religious traditions: Violence; Weapons of mass destruction; Pacifism.
Theme E: Religion, crime and punishment
Students must be able to explain contrasting beliefs on the following three issues with reference to the main religious tradition in Britain (Christianity) and one or more other religious traditions: Corporal punishment; Death penalty; Forgiveness.
There is no coursework in GCSE Religious Studies. You will sit two exams at the end of Year 11, with each exams equivalent to 50% of the overall qualification.
Beliefs, teachings and practices of Christianity and Islam.
Questions:
Each religion has a common structure of two five-part questions of 1, 2, 4, 5 and 12 marks.
Each religion is marked out of 48.
Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
96 marks (plus 5 marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG))
50% of GCSE
Religious, philosophical and ethical studies themes:
Theme A: Relationships and families.
Theme B: Religion and life.
Theme D: Religion, peace and conflict.
Theme E: Religion, crime and punishment.
Questions:
Each theme has a common structure of one ve-part question of 1, 2, 4, 5 and 12 marks.
Each theme is marked out of 24.
Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
96 marks (plus 5 marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG))
50% of GCSE
Religious Studies is an acceptable academic subject at all the major universities. At AS and A2 Religious Studies is of interest to both Arts and Science students. It complements other humanities subjects whilst providing a useful contrast to others, by introducing the ethical and philosophical issues and helping develop an enquiring, critical and reflective approach to the student’s studies.
Students find the skills and knowledge gained in Religious Studies useful in careers such as law, journalism, social care, the army, child care, the police, probation work, counselling, teaching, nursing and leisure and tourism.