GCSE Religious Studies B (Philosophy and Applied Ethics)1 of 33
Contents
Introduction
Sample Scheme of Work: Unit B601: Deity, Religious & Spiritual Experience, End of Life (Sikhism)
Sample Lesson Plan: Unit B601: Deity, Religious & Spiritual Experience, End of Life (Sikhism)
GCSE Religious Studies B (Philosophy and Applied Ethics)1 of 33
Introduction
Background
Following a review of 14 – 19 education and the Secondary Curriculum Review, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has revised the subject criteria for GCSEs, for first teaching in September 2009. This applies to all awarding bodies.
The new GCSEs have more up-to-date content and encourage the development of personal, learning and thinking skills in your students.
We’ve taken this opportunity to redevelop all our GCSEs, to ensure they meet your requirements. These changes will give you greater control of assessment activities and make the assessment process more manageable for you and your students. Controlled assessment will be introduced for most subjects.
From September 2012 assessment tasks may be undertaken at any point between release of the task and the examination series for which the task must be submitted. Centres must ensure that candidates undertake a task that is valid for submission in the year in which the candidate intends to submit it.
OCR has produced a summary brochure, which summarises the changes to Religious Studies Sikhism. This can be found at , along with the new specification.
In order to help you plan effectively for the implementation of the new specification we have produced these Schemes of Work and Sample Lesson Plans for Religious Studies Sikhism. These Support Materials are designed for guidance only and play a secondary role to the Specification.
Our Ethos
OCR involves teachers in the development of new support materials to capture current teaching practices tailored to our new specifications. These support materials are designed to inspire teachers and facilitate different ideas and teaching practices.
Each Scheme of Work and set of sample Lesson Plans is provided in Word format – so that you can use it as a foundation to build upon and amend the content to suit your teaching style and students’ needs.
The Scheme of Work and sample Lesson plans provide examples of how to teach this unit and the teaching hours are suggestions only. Some or all of it may be applicable to your teaching.
The Specification is the document on which assessment is based and specifies what content and skills need to be covered in delivering the course. At all times, therefore, this Support Materialbooklet should be read in conjunction with the Specification. If clarification on a particular point is sought then that clarification should be found in the Specification itself.
A Guided Tour through the Scheme of Work
GCSE Religious Studies B (Philosophy and Applied Ethics)1 of 33
Sample GCSE Scheme of Work
Unit B601: Philosophy 1 (Deity, Religious & Spiritual Experience, End of Life) (Sikhism)Suggested teaching time / 10 hours / Topic / Belief about Deity
Topic outline / Suggested teaching and homework activities / Suggested resources / Points to note
The Nature of Waheguru
Beliefs about the nature of
Waheguru /
- Students investigate the meaning of Waheguru [Wonderful Lord] by reading the Mul Mantra which reveals gods nature in the simplest terms
- Students create a spider gram taking the key words of the Mul Mantra and giving a simple description of each
- Students create a leaflet using Sikh symbolism such as Ik Onkar and their analysis of the Mul Mantra to explain what Sikhs believe about Waheguru
Key Stage 3
- The Sikh Experience [Philip Emmet]
- Sikhism for Today [Kanwaljit Kaur-Singh
- Teach Yourself Sikhism [W.Owen Cole]
- This text is particularly useful in its investigation of the Sikh teachings about god as all powerful and all knowing with named references related to the Adi Granth
- Students should focus on the belief that for Sikhs there is only one God [monotheism] who they believe to be the creator
- It is worth noting that Sikh’s do not like Waheguru to be referred to using gender-specific terms as God’s genderless nature is specified in the Mul Mantra
- Students should be encouraged to concentrate on extracts from the Adi Granth as revealed by the individual guru’s that will help them to understand the different elements attributed to the nature of Waheguru
Belief in Waheguru /
- Discussion about the ways different religions were revealed through prophets and founders of the faith
- Students analyse the way God revealed godself to Guru Nanak Dev Ji and investigate the nature of Waheguru as the ultimate guru
- Students investigate the authority Guru Granth Sahib Ji to Sikhs and the contribution of the human guru’s to reveal their belief in the nature of Waheguru
- Homework activities:
- What is the Nam Japo and why is it an important part of worship?
- Look at the ways hymns are used in the gurdwara to convey the nature of Waheguru
- Use GCSE Bitesize link section
- Sikhs believe that God is……
- Sargun [immanent-everywhere and everything]
- Nirgun [transcendent-above and beyond creation]
- Sat Nam Eternal reality
- Raheguru Wonderful Lord
Miracles
Different beliefs within Sikhism. / Stimulus: Students work in pairs to create a spider gram of well known miracles.
Discussion:
- Do miracles have a scientific explanation?
- What can we learn from miracles about the power of God?
- Students debate the concept of miracle and why Sikhs do not believe in miracles but more the ‘will of God’
- Students investigate unexplained events connected to the lives of the guru’s to analyse the way the stories explain the existence of Waheguru and may indicate a miracle
- General revelation: Through sacred writings, the natural world, creation
- Special Revelation: the experience of individuals through visions, supernatural experiences, miracles
Waheguru intervening in the world / Students create a wall display to show the ways in which Sikhs believe Waheguru intervenes in the world revealing power, love, authority and compassion e.g.
- Creation and nature
- Revelation and messages to mankind through the lives of the guru’s
- The concept of sewa and charity
- The divine spark
- Students identify one example from the wall display to produce a written argument for how this might prove the existence of Waheguru for Sikhs
- Students video or audio record each others arguments to support their belief in Waheguru
- Is the nature of Waheguru a miracle in its own right?
- Why is it human nature to expect proof to facilitate belief?
Unit B601: Philosophy 1 (Deity, Religious & Spiritual Experience, End of Life) (Sikhism)
Suggested teaching time / 12 hours / Topic / Religious and Spiritual Experience
Topic outline / Suggested teaching and homework activities / Suggested resources / Points to note
Introduction to the concept of worship / Students divide into two groups to investigate the common strands connected to all forms of worship practiced by two other world faiths and how they may enhance belief and bring the community together.
- Holy buildings
- Sacred texts
- Prayer
- Hymns
- Religious Art and iconography
- ICT and internet research
- RE resources available within your department
- Students familiarise themselves with the concept of worship by analysing the ways in which other world faiths approach this matter
- Students will find evaluating the similarities and differences a valuable exercise as preparation for GCSE questions
Public Worship
- Worship in the gurdwara
- The use of symbolism in worship
- The use of art and music to express beliefs about Waheguru
- Students use text books and ICT research to create a guide booklet for the gurdwara
- They may approach this task thematically by dividing into small groups. Presentation through ‘speaking and listening’ skills or creating their own power point sessions can be undertaken for assessment purposes
- A selection of photographs which represent different styles of gurdwara including the Golden Temple at Amritsar
- The Nishan Sahib, this should include an analysis of the Khanda symbol and the use of the Ik Onkar symbol in the gurdwara...
- The cloakroom and rules for entering the gurdwara
- The diwan hall
- The langar
- The rest room for the Guru Granth Sahib Ji
- Classrooms
- Living Quarters
- The role of the granthis, ragis, gianis
- Kirtan and the singing of the shabads, the Anand Sahib composed by Guru Amar Das
- Students include a portrait of each of the ten gurus in a ‘hall of fame’. For each guru, students give factual information about their achievements and contribution towards the Sikh faith
- Suggested homework activity; ICT research for photographic evidence or illustrations to enhance guide booklet
- ICT and internet sources
- provides a virtual tour of the diwan hall at Smethwick Guru Nanak Gurdwara.
- The Sikh Experience [Philip Emmet]
- Sikhism for Today [Kanwaljit Kaur-Singh]
- Teach Yourself Sikhism [W.Owen Cole]
- Students should focus on the ways in which the teachings of the individual guru’s are recreated as part of the culture of the gurdwara
- The way equality between men and women is shown as both may read the Guru Granth Sahib Ji and present the kirtan
- The langar represents ultimate equality between all castes and social groups
- The way the Guru Granth sahib Ji is treated with respect
- A focus on the ways in which the gurdwara is reliant on the Sikh community to maintain the teachings of the guru’s and how this helps to bring the community together
Private Worship
Worship at home /
- Students focus on what is needed for Sikh prayer to take place in the gurdwara. e.g. Guru Granth Sahib Ji
- Students make a plan of how diwan hall is laid out to receive and show respect to the Guru Granth Sahib [e.g. takht, canopy, palki etc, bedroom]
- Stimulus: students investigate setting up their own diwan room to facilitate private prayer within their home by converting one of the rooms in their house into a diwan hall
- What are the advantages and limits of how respect may be shown to the Guru Granth Sahib Ji?
- Investigate the use of the gutka as part of everyday worship
- ICT internet research
- Students may wish to create a virtual reality diwan room
- Students create their own wall display to show the necessary equipment to facilitate private worship
- A focus on private prayer should include the similarities and differences between the way a Sikh might worship at both the gurdwara and alone and the advantages and disadvantages of being part of the sangat ns participating in langar
- Students may wish to investigate the symbolism that may be used in a small room that best recreates the meaning of Sikhism and reflects its culture and history
Prayer /
- Students investigate the concept the prayer by analysing the meanings of the most popular prayers and how they are used to explain the concept of Sikhism
- The Mul Mantra
- The Japji
- The Sukhmani Sahib [Hymn of Peace]
- The Anand Sahib by Guru Amar Das [to look at the nature of God]
- Students find examples of prayer to describe God and behaviour towards God.
e.g. ‘You are both father and mother, we are your children,’ Sukhmani Sahib
- Teach Yourself Sikhism [W.Owen Cole]
For audio and visual links to many Sikh prayers with English translations
- It may be useful for students to compare extracts from Sikh prayer with prayers from other world faiths to obtain a whole a comparative overview of the concept of god, worship and commitment
Meditation /
- Discussion: What is meditation? What is its purpose?
- Introduction to key word, nam simran connected to the teaching of Guru Nanak as an example of private and individual worship and congregational worship
- Stimulus: Students look at power point display or use internet access to view virtual tour of a gurdwara
- Discussion: How can Sikhs use the diwan hall, symbols and meditation to focus on Sikh teachings?
- Look at examples of meditation that take place in the gurdwara e.g. chanting Waheguru to meditate on god’s name.
- Is there value in meditation, how does it aid worship?
- There are several internet sights that discuss the purpose and value of nam simran
- Nam Simran
‘repeating god’s name erases doubt and delusion’ [GGS 814]
- Students may wish to compare the use of rosary and prayer beads as part of private worship and how they help to focus and meditate on the meaning of the prayer being repeated
- Students should connect the use of nam simran as an example of sewa
Unit B601: Philosophy 1 (Deity, Religious & Spiritual Experience, End of Life) (Sikhism)
Suggested teaching time / 12 hours / Topic / End of Life
Topic outline / Suggested teaching and homework activities / Suggested resources / Points to note
Concept of the soul /
- Discussion: What is the soul?
- Students analyse common myths and beliefs about the soul and what is meant by an ‘afterlife’
- Students divide into small groups to find examples of religious and secular art work which describes the soul and its possible journey after death
- Feedback to group through presentation, discussion, power point, OHP etc
- Students make lists of films and television programmes that have given ideas about the soul and what the afterlife may be like
- ICT and Internet research
- RE department resources
- Discussions will generally reflect religious beliefs about heaven, hell, reincarnation and how students imagine these to be
- That Jews, Christians and Muslims believe that the soul continues into an afterlife but Sikhs, Hindus and Buddhists believe in reincarnation or rebirth
- Discussion may also lead to the customs of burial and cremation
The relationship between body
Atma /
- Introduction to the key word atma [soul] in relation to the Sikh belief that upon mukti, the atma is reunited with God
- ‘Why do Sikhs describe the atma as the divine spark?’
- ‘What is hukam and how can it help a Sikh to create good karma’?
- ‘Explain the meaning of being gurmukh and describe why it is the opposite of ‘man-centred’?
- Students should understand the examples of human nature that may damage the relationship between the physical body and atma:
- Pride
- Desire or lust
- Anger
- Greed
Life after death
Samsara
Karma
Rebirth
Relationships between moral
behaviour and future rebirths. /
- Student’s works in pairs, each are given one of the following key words to explain, Samsara, Karma, and Rebirth
- Students role play their findings writing a short script to define and explain their part
- GCSE Question ‘Mukti is the ultimate aim of most Sikhs.’ Do you agree?
- Students make a list of the ways in which a Sikh may achieve positive karma during different stages of their life
- Stimulus: power point pictures or newspaper articles of examples of negative behaviour or crime
- Students suggest the appropriate rebirth circumstances to match the offence
- Students investigate the law of karma and the way in which this places responsibility for their next life on the individual concerned
- Draw a diagram of the three rules to live by; Nam Japna, Kirat Karni and Vand Chhakna, for rule give a list of examples to describe ways of obeying the rule
- Create a list of ‘commandments’ for Sikhs to live by to assist mukti
- The Sikh Experience [Philip Emmett]
- Sikhism for Today [Kanwaljit Kaur Singh]
- Teach Yourself Sikhism [W. Owen Cole]
- English translations of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji can be found on the internet
- Is there a difference between the concept of reincarnation and rebirth?
- Can students explain why Sikhs are vegetarians?
- Going against God’s will can incurr punishment, is God always seen as loving and forgiving?
- Students should link the different aspects of sewa and nam simran to the relationship between moral behaviour and future births and the ways in which they can assist a good rebirth
Funeral rites / Write an order of service for a Sikh funeral to include:
- Preparation of the deceased for service and cremation
- How the diwan hall is used for the funeral service
- How comfort may be found in reading the Guru Granth Sahib
- The Kirtan Sohila prayer
- Traditional and British cremation and the scattering of ashes
- Rejection of gravestones and memorials and the reasons for this
- Cleansing the home
- The period of mourning and Barsi prayer
- ‘Life is like a shadow on the wall’ [GGS]
- Students write a prayer for a Sikh funeral service to describe what this means
- Sikh funerals
- For an interview and description of what happens when a Sikh dies and Sikh views on death
- The Sikh Experience [Philip Emmet]
- Teach Yourself Sikhism [W. Owen Cole]
- Students should investigate why death is accepted as part of life for Sikhs and why they celebrate the life of the deceased
- How does the Kirtan Sohila help a Sikh to accept death may also be the opening to mukti?
- ‘If God abides with you undisturbed you will not be reborn.’ [Sohila Prayer]