Religion, crime and the causes of crime Timing title Subject specific detail Guidance Learning activity Resources Lesson 1 Good and evil intentions and actions. Good and evil intentions and actions, including whether it can ever be good to cause suffering. Students will be able to: recognise the difference between ‘good’ and ‘evil’ see both as relative terms explore the idea of intention, and its shaping of our attitude to actions. Students might be asked to categorise given actions into good and bad; then to try to see times when bad actions might be believed to be done for good reasons (and vice versa). This makes the point of relativity. Students could be given information on key words – evil, intention, action. Then asked to explain each with examples in their own words. Working in small groups, students could discuss how known intention affects the attitude of onlookers to actions, and how it sometimes allows people to carry out negative actions for positive reasons Students could share their findings with whole class and then attempt a question this topic eg, ‘There is never a good reason to carry out a bad action.’ Differentiation Structure the debate by giving a series of questions to ask, and also by giving ‘points to consider’ to help their thinking. Guided worksheets on good/bad, intention/thoughtless. A suitable textbook on this topic. Access to the internet for research tasks. Suitable and relevant film
title Subject specific detail Guidance Learning activity Resources Lesson 6 The aims of punishment The aims of punishment, including retribution, deterrence and reformation. Students will be able to: define the three aims of punishment on the course recognise that there are other aims of punishment be able to link punishment aims to punishment be able to discuss the difference between different aims of punishment. Students might be asked to match crimes, punishments and the three aims. Students could be given information on the three aims, and be asked to make notes. They could be asked to explain the difference between the different aims in comparison pairs. Working in groups, students could work out all the reasons why people are punished – covering a wider range of aims. Then use this to create a presentation on the aims to include examples to demonstrate the use of the aims. Students could share their findings with whole class and then consider which of the three aims of punishment should be most important to a religious believer. Differentiation and extension Differentiation – Cloze procedure covering the three aims. Extension – Write three speeches, one for each aim of punishment to persuade the reader why that is the most important aim. Guided worksheets on the 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 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 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
Explore whether this is appropriate, too little or too much, justifying each point. Timing Topic title Subject specific detail Guidance Learning activity Resources Lesson 9 Prison Exploring this punishment and religious attitudes to it. Students will be able to: know about prison as a punishment in the UK explore the impact of this punishment and how it meets the aims of punishment know religious attitudes to the use of prison as a punishment. Students might be asked to categorise prison sentences and crimes, to demonstrate their ideas on how long offenders should serve. They could be given religious teachings which can be applied to this form of punishment. Students could be given information on crimes and sentences to be able to discuss appropriateness. Also on religious attitudes to the use of prison, and which aims it serves. Working in small groups, students could create a set of religious rules for the running of prison as a punishment, which would ensure the religious aims of punishment were delivered. Students could share their findings with the whole class and then attempt an exam Guided worksheets on prison and religious attitudes to it as a punishment. A suitable textbook on this topic. Access to the internet for research tasks. Suitable and relevant film clips.
question about whether or not prisons do enough to reform prisoners. Differentiation and extension Differentiation – Short 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 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 small 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 clips.
Remember that corporal punishment is one of the three topics which students need to study in relation to the main religious tradition in Britain (Christianity) and one or more other religious traditions. Students studying two religions other than Christianity need to be aware of Christian beliefs and provide some support for the beliefs held. used, what form it takes, and what the impact is on crime. They could also research why corporal punishment is illegal in the UK. They could present these two contrasting views as part of a presentation or display. Students could share their findings with the whole class. Differentiation and extension Differentiation – Short questions based on a simplified text. Framework for answering any questions with 4/5/12 Cloze procedure with basic information Extension – Present the two sides of a debate on corporal punishment – should it be reintroduced into British law? Timing Topic title Subject specific detail Guidance Learning activity Resources
Differentiation and extension Differentiation – Provide worksheets with information that is chunked with sets of questions per chunk Provide cloze procedures on the basic information needed Provide visual stimuli to aid discussion of the forms community service takes Extension – Explore issues with community service as a punishment – it is said to be the most effective because of lowest rates of recidivism, is this true? Timing Topic title Subject specific detail Guidance Learning activity Resources Lessons 12 and 13 Forgiveness Religious attitudes to this, including contrasting views. Students will be able to: understand the term forgiveness in secular and religious contexts understand the religious linking of forgiveness and crime Students might be asked to categorise crimes into how ‘forgivable’ they are. This should stimulate discussion about the attitude of victims, and the nature of offences. Students could be given information on religious attitudes to forgiveness, including Christian beliefs about forgiveness and be asked to apply this to the forgiveness of offenders for their crimes. Guided worksheets on forgiveness and examples of extreme forgiveness. A suitable textbook on this Access to the internet for research tasks.
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 title Subject specific detail Guidance Learning activity Resources Lesson 15 The 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.