KEY STAGE 2
Mid-term planning
Year 6: Unit 6 / Term:Summer 2 / Year:
Does it matter what we believe about creation?
Key Concepts:Multi faith; Creation; Care for world
(possible cross curricular unit, linked to literacy); Stewardship, Tawhid, Aum, Creator / Learning Objective:to explore different views of creation and consider the consequences of holding certain beliefs
Background information for teachers
Most of the world faiths have a creation story and a key part of each account is that the Earth/universe has been created. Whether by the word of God, or hatching from an egg, created from the body parts of a divine being, each myth/account puts a Creator at the centre. For many believers, especially Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims, there is no contradiction between the religious account(s) and the modern scientific theories of the Big Bang and Evolution. For Sikhs and Hindus in particular, there is a belief that the universe has been created and destroyed many times. After each creation it evolves, until it is destroyed again. Hindus believe that the avatars of Vishnu (Rama, Krishna, Buddha etc.) have intervened in this universe to maintain it, but that in the end it will be destroyed. Sikhs do not believe that God (Waheguru) intervenes directly, but that wise people (Gurus and contemplatives) can connect with the divine and act to preserve the world, until it is time. Both faiths incline towards a belief that the world was called into being by a word (the words of Waheguru) or the sound “Aum” and that it has been expanding and growing, but as the goal of each faith is to achieve liberation from the constant cycle of death and rebirth in complete unity with the Divine, eventually it will all re-combine into one. A similar sense of unity can be seen in Islam, with the belief in the oneness of God (Tawhid). Surahs 7:55-59; 51:56 and 21:31-34 all speak of Allah’s creation of the world and other passages encourage respect for the Earth (Surah 30:30 and 13:3-4). There is also a passage in the Hadith about care for the world: The Earth is green and beautiful and Allah appointed you his stewards over it. The whole earth has been created a place of worship, pure and clean. Whoever plants a tree and diligently looks after it until it matures and bears fruit, is rewarded. The Christian and Jewish creation accounts are well known; there is more discussion in Jewish and Christian circles about the difficulty of reconciling these accounts with the modern theories, but a range of views are expressed from those who take the accounts literally to those who read them metaphorically. There is also very little in either the Old or New Testaments on care for the environment. Genesis 1:28 is taken by both Jews and Christians to give humankind responsibility or stewardship over the earth. There are passages in Deuteronomy about the care of trees, particularly during warfare (Deuteronomy 20:19), and many Jewish believers will never cut down a fruit tree. Jesus talks about the way that God cares for the earth and the creatures he has created (Luke 12:27-8).
Expected
Pupils will know a variety of creation accounts and be able to compare and contrast at least two of them, focusing particularly on what a believer might learn from these accounts and how they might impact their views about the world. They will be able to use other religious texts to inform their responses to environmental issues, comparing their responses with those of believers in other faiths or none.
Developing
Pupils will be able to identify some similarities between different creation accounts and show how these stories might influence believers to behave. They will identify some environmental issues and talk about what might motivate people to set out to solve them / Excelling
Pupils will be able to suggest reasons for some of the similarities and differences between creation accounts, and compare them to scientific views. They will be able to talk about the challenges faced by those who chose to read texts literally and by those who dismiss them. They will use religious material to create responses to environmental issues and compare the responses of adherents to different faiths.
Engage:
- Use the picture book “Window” by Jeannie Baker or other similar book that shows the world being changed or damaged by man. How did the change in environment make the children feel? Hold a discussion about care for the environment. Get the pupils to choose the question for the debate. Ensure that somewhere along the line the motives for caring for the environment are raised. Use a human bar chart activity to ascertain the majority beliefs in the class or put some statements about creation onto a True – False spectrum line.
Enquire & Explore:(AT1)
- Find out which creation stories the children already know. Revise the Judeo-Christian creation story, perhaps using pictures. Find out about the varying views of creation in a variety of world faiths(Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam) paying particular attention to the consequences of holding certain beliefs. Research other creation accounts as required (e.g. Aboriginal) Read the two biblical accounts of creation (Genesis 1-2) and explore some other religious texts that mention creation and human responsibility for the world.
Evaluate: (AT2 Impersonal)
- Does holding a belief affect the way people behave? If so how? Does a belief in “creation” always result in the same response to an issue? Explore a news issue, such as fracking or wind power to see if all believers respond the same way and discuss the reasons why or why not. Does belief in a creator God really make a difference to the way people treat the environment? Should it make a difference? What difference do the children think it should make? Do people have to believe that God made the world to care about it? What other motivation could there be?
ReflectCommunicate: (AT2 Personal)
- Do the children themselves look after the environment? Why? Do they think the reason for looking after the world matters? Would they feel and behave differently if they believed the universe was made by God or by accident? Discuss the consequences of not caring for the environment. Have their ideas changed as a result of thinking more about creation? Are they going to make any changes to their behaviour as a result of what they have learned?
Evaluation:
- What went well?
- Even better if:
Some suggested resources:
- Quest Videos – creation stories
- “Window” by Jeannie Baker
- RE Today Publications: Picturing Creation
- for a Jewish view of creation
- the nature of God, from a Jewish point of view
- A Sikh view of God and creation
- A Muslim creation site
- a Hindu view of Creation with useful information and references
RE SCHEME OF WORK
CLASS RECORD SHEET
Assessment opportunities & activities
Year 6: Unit 6 / Term: Summer 2 / Year:
Does it matter what we believe about creation?
Some pupils will have made more progress will use a developing religious vocabulary to:
- Compare two creation stories, suggesting reasons for the differences and similarities between them
- Explain what it might mean for a Jew or a Christian to read Genesis 1 literally
- Choose some symbols of creation that express the diversity of views within and between faith groups
- Plan an investigation into an environmental issue and write a report from a faith bias of their choice
- Explain and justify their own view on environmental issues with reference to one or more of the creation stories
- Suggest three reasons why some scientists will see creation stories as a problem, and others see them as a partner
- Create headlines for an environmental news story from the perspective of two different faiths
Most pupils will be able to use an increasing religious vocabulary to:
- Compare two creation stories, showing understanding of at least two similarities and differences between them
- Make a poster showing why Christians or another faith group might engage in environmental issues
- Create a statement about environmental issues referring to two creation stories
- Examine a news story about the environment from a Christian or other faith point of view; compare it to their own point of view
- Describe something they find spiritual in the approach to environmental issues or respond in artistic/poetic form
Some pupils will have made less progress and be able to use religious words and phrases to:
- Compare two creation stories, listing some similarities between them
- Make a poster showing the link between the biblical creation story and care for the environment
- Ask questions on environmental issues and suggest the answers that a Christian or other faith believer might give
- Suggest the reasons for their own relationship to environmental issues referring to Christian or other faith teaching
- Write a reflection on why religious believers might care more for the environment than a non-believer
- Create an advert for an environmental issue that would appeal to a Christian or a member of another faith