Provide a framework for answering the question on this topic. Extension Research religious attitudes to the law, including supporting it but possibly challenging it where it is perceived as being unjust. Present findings to a partner. Timing Topic title Subject specific detail Guidance Learning activity Resources Lesson 2 Reasons for crime Reasons for crime, including: poverty and upbringing, mental illness and addiction, greed and hate, opposition to an unjust law. Students will be able to: recognise some of the reasons for crime be able to explain these reasons and give examples. Students might be asked to categorise the reasons – worst to least bad; acceptable/not; nurture/nature; avoidable/not. Students could be given information on the reasons – long-term and trigger, asked to sort examples into these. They could be given information on crimes and asked to work out the reason behind it. Working in groups, students could debate the reasons – what can be done to reduce impact of each? Which are the worst reasons in terms of doing most damage? Or in terms of most selfish? Students could try to come up with solutions to these reasons, or to come up with Guided worksheets on reasons for crime. A suitable textbook on this topic. Access to the internet for research tasks on types of crime and reasons criminals gave for committing them. Suitable and relevant film clips.
explain attitudes to law breakers from a secular perspective appreciate that attitudes differ dependent on crime committed/law broken/reason for breaking. Students could be given information on religious attitudes to breaking the law and law breakers, and asked to make notes from it. Working in small groups, students could create a presentation which shows different attitudes to law breakers, including ones in support as well as against breaking the law. They should also include attitudes to religious believers who break the law. Students could share their findings with the whole class and then attempt an exam question on this topic, such as ‘Give two reasons why religious believers should never break the law’, or a 12 mark evaluation question. Differentiation and extension Differentiation – provide frameworks for written tasks. Give text to support the creation of the presentation. Provide a framework if a 12 mark question is to be attempted. Extension – Have students read and make notes on attitudes to breaking the law for a specific reason. Students then discuss with each other the merits of these attitudes/reasons. A suitable textbook on this topic. Access to the internet for research tasks. Suitable and relevant film clips.
Timing Topic title Subject specific detail Guidance Learning activity Resources Lesson 7 The aims of punishment The aims of punishment, including retribution, deterrence and reformation; also including religious attitudes to each Students will be able to: explain religious attitudes to why we punish people explain religious attitudes to the merits of the different aims stated in the course. Ask students to read information on religious attitudes to aims of punishment, highlighting key information, and use this to write their own notes. Students could be given information on the religious attitudes to punishment to be able to select teachings on the aim of punishment. Working in small groups, students could research one aim each and present to others the religious attitude to that aim, as well as a clear definition. Students could also write short tests with mark schemes for other groups to practice. Differentiation and extension Differentiation – Reduced language worksheets with visual imagery to aid understanding. Cloze procedure to create basic notes. Match-up of religious teachings to the aims. Extension – Find out about other aims of punishment, make notes on them eg, protection, vindication, reparation. Guided worksheets on the religious attitudes to aims of punishment. A suitable textbook on this topic. Access to the internet for research tasks. Suitable and relevant film clips. Timing Topic title Subject specific detail Guidance Learning activity Resources
question about whether or not prisons do enough to reform prisoners. Differentiation and extension Differentiation – questions based on a simplified text. Framework for answers any questions decided upon. Extension – Create a worksheet for other students to use on this topic. Timing Topic title Subject specific detail Guidance Learning activity Resources Lesson 10 Corporal punishment Exploring this punishment and religious attitudes to it, including contrasting views Students will be able to: know about corporal punishment as a punishment explore the impact of this punishment and how it meets the aims of punishment understand contrasting religious attitudes to corporal punishment as a punishment. Ask students to define this form of punishment They could be given religious teachings which can be applied to this form of punishment including Christian beliefs about corporal punishment. They should also be exposed to contrasting views on this form of punishment. Give students information on corporal punishment to be able to discuss appropriateness. Also on religious attitudes to the corporal punishment, and which aims it serves. Working in groups, students could find out where in the world corporal punishment is Guided worksheets on corporal punishment, its use around the world and the aims it meets, as well as contrasting religious attitudes to it. A suitable textbook on this topic. Access to the internet for research tasks. Suitable and relevant film
Lesson 11 Community service Exploring this punishment and religious attitudes to it. Students will be able to: know about community service as a punishment explore the impact of this punishment and how it meets the aims of punishment understand religious attitudes to community service as a punishment. Students might be asked to define this form of punishment They could be given religious teachings which can be applied to this form of punishment. Students could be given information on community service as a punishment in the UK – when it is used, what it involves, how effective it is in terms of recidivism rates. They could also be given information regarding religious teachings which would be applicable to this as a punishment (likely that these will be more applicable to the aims of community service rather than community service itself). Working in small groups, students could research different forms of community service to present to the class. The class can then debate which they feel would be most effective. Students then answer a question based on the idea evaluating whether community service is a weak or soft form of punishment. Guided worksheets on community service as a UK punishment and its impact, as well as religious attitudes to this as a form of punishment. A suitable textbook on this topic. Access to the internet for research tasks. Suitable and relevant film clips.
Provide explanations in the first person of reasons to agree with death penalty for them to write as reasons in the third person. Extension – Write a speech defending the death penalty. Timing Topic title Subject specific detail Guidance Learning activity Resources Lesson 15 The death penalty 2 The death penalty – arguments against this punishment to provide a contrasting view to Lesson 15. Students will be able to: understand attitudes which do not support the death penalty understand religious attitudes do not support the death penalty know about religious persons who fight the death penalty be able to contrast attitudes for and against the death penalty. Students might be asked to categorise arguments for and against the death penalty ie, card sort. They might be asked to sort religious teachings into those agreeing with and those disagreeing with the death penalty. They might be asked to decide on the strength of different arguments against the death penalty – best argument to weakest. Students could be given information on religious attitudes to the death penalty,including Christian attitudes and on organisations which work to end the death penalty. Working in small groups, students could research the work of Amnesty International in regard to the death penalty, and of religious organisations such as Catholics Against Capital Punishment (CACP) in the USA. Guided worksheets on why religious believers disagree with the death penalty. Also on religious people who have campaigned against the death penalty. A suitable textbook on this topic. Access to the internet for research tasks. Suitable and relevant film clips.
Students could share their findings with the whole class and then debate whether the death penalty should be allowed in the UK. Differentiation and extension Differentiation – Give information with underlined or highlighted key text. Use chunked text worksheets. Provide cloze procedure of the basic information that students need to know. Extension – Research the work of Sister Prejean in supporting on death row in the USA. Research those countries (or states in the USA) which have outlawed the death penalty to find out why they did this.