GCSE RS at STM

This week you will have your first end of unit assessment. So your homework will be to revise what we have studied so far, in particular the key words. So, to help you, I will list the key words below! (These definitions are taken from the older version of our textbook. Other definitions will also be accepted! All key words can be downloaded here, from the Edexcel website.)

Christ - the Messiah / the Anointed One
Crucifixion - the Roman death penalty suffered by Jesus when he was nailed to the cross
Dove - when used of the Holy Spirit, it implies an overshadowing by God, and sometimes peace
Faith - our attitude in the presence of someone, or some event, whose goodness and greatness and wonder is greater than we can fully grasp, describe or explain
Fire - when used of the Holy Spirit, it implies purifying power
Forgiveness - the willingness in the face of even great wrong deliberately done to us to seek no revenge and to take the first step in healing the relationship
Incarnation - the conviction that Jesus is God and fully a member of the human race
Monotheism - belief in one God
Reconciliation - bringing together those who were bitterly divided
Repentance - a willingness to be changed profoundly in feelings, heart and mind
Resurrection - the body being brought back to life after death / Jesus being raised from the dead
Trinity - the belief that God is three in one
Unity - God’s way of being one
Virgin birth - belief that the virginal conception of Jesus is a divine work that surpasses human understanding
Wind - when used of the Holy Spirit, it implies power and unpredictability

Homework is due in by Thursday 14 October.

Answer the following questions:

a) What does faith mean? (2 marks)
b) Outline Christian beliefs about salvation. (6 marks)
c) Explain what the story of Zacchaeus teaches about reconciliation. (8 marks)
d) “The Holy Spirit is no longer important to Christians.” Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion, showing that you have considered another point of view. (4 marks)

You will be given a worksheet on which to write your answers. However, you can also submit your answers via this blog, by clicking on “comments“. You will need to include your email address, but that will not be published. Include your first name only.

Homework is due in by Thursday 2 October.

Answer the following questions:

a) What does unity mean? (2 marks)
b) Outline Christian beliefs about the sin. (6 marks)
c) Explain what Christians believe about salvation. (8 marks)
d) “People who sin should not be welcome in the Church.” Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion, showing that you have considered another point of view. (4 marks)

You will be given a worksheet on which to write your answers. However, you can also submit your answers via this blog, by clicking on “comments“. You will need to include your email address, but that will not be published. Include your first name only.

Homework is due in by Thursday 2 October.

Answer the following questions:

a) What does repentance mean? (2 marks)
b) Outline Christian beliefs about the nature of God. (6 marks)
c) Explain what the symbols of wind, fire and dove show about the nature of the Holy Spirit. (8 marks)
d) “The theory of evolution proves that God did not create the universe.” Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion, showing that you have considered another point of view. (4 marks)

You will be given a worksheet on which to write your answers. However, you can also submit your answers via this blog, by clicking on “comments“. You will need to include your email address, but that will not be published. Include your first name only.

Top Tips
a) Use a dictionary if you are not sure!
b) For 6 marks, you need to write about 6 sentences, and make about three good points. For a question about the nature of God, you can think of the trinity and write a sentence each about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
c) You will be given over a page on the exam paper for this - I recommend that you try and PEE (Point, Evidence, Explanation) at least three times. In order to do well in the exam, you will need to include Biblical references, and / or refer to Church teachings.
d) So many people lose marks because they only give their own opinion, without giving reasons why other people hold a different point of view. You could try these sentence starters to help you: Some people disagree because … However, I agree because …

Answer the following questions:

a) What does reconciliation mean? (2 marks)
b) Outline Catholic beliefs about Jesus. (6 marks)
c) Explain why Catholics believe that God is their Father. (8 marks)
d) “The crucifixion of Jesus was a waste of his life.” Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion, showing that you have considered another point of view. (4 marks)

You will be given a worksheet on which to write your answers. However, you can also submit your answers via this blog, by clicking on “comments“. You will need to include your email address, but that will not be published. Include your first name only.

Answer the following questions:

a) What does incarnation mean? (2 marks)
b) Outline Catholic beliefs about the trinity. (6 marks)
c) Explain why Catholics believe in the unity of God. (8 marks)
d) “The belief in the trinity is the most important Christian belief.” Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion, showing that you have considered another point of view. (4 marks)

You will be given a worksheet on which to write your answers. However, you can also submit your answers via this blog, by clicking on “comments“. You will need to include your email address, but that will not be published. Include your first name only.

This post is for all new Year 10s. I have uploaded a new podcast welcoming you to the start of your GCSE, and briefly outlining what you will be studying this year.

To listen to this episode, click the following link:
Listen to this episode

To download this episode (probably a good idea … it is over 10 mins long, so you might want to listen to it in bits!), click the following link:
Download this episode (right click and save)

I hope this gives you a good idea of what you will be learning about this year!

Here is a very brief overview of the topics so you can revise over the weekend for this exam!

| View | Upload your own

Homework is due on Monday 22 October.

This week is a Homework Amnesty. This will provide you with a chance to catch up on any homeworks you might have missed over the course of this term. This term we have studied Beliefs and Values - make sure all that homework is completed before we move onto the topic of Community and Tradition next term!

Week 1 - General Exam Questions
Week 2 - Exam Question (Do you agree? … God the Father / Creator)
Week 3 - Holy Spirit symbol
Week 4 - Exam Question (Do you agree? … Trinity/Unity)
Week 5 - Revision for Assessment (Learn Key Words)

End of Unit Assessments will take place during the week beginning Monday 15 October.

Your homework is therefore to revise the topic, Beliefs and Values.

You should make sure you know all the key words: Christ, Crucifixion, Dove, Faith, Fire, Forgiveness, Incarnation, Monotheism, Reconciliation, Repentance, Resurrection, Trinity, Unity, Virgin Birth, Wind.

You should also be able to give examples of these words. (You can download the Edexcel Glossary here - this year you are sitting Unit J.)

We have studied the following topics:

God the Father
Jesus
The Holy Spirit
Unity and Trinity
Sin and Salvation
Love of God and Love of Others

One method of revising is using a mindmap. Alternatively, you could make notes on index cards and highlight them, asking your parents to help test you.

Finally, remember my Top Tips for Exam Success:

1. Watch your timing (spend about 1 minute per mark)
2. Learn and use your Key Words
3. Write at least six sentences for an Outline question.
4. Give examples in an Explain question - refer to the Bible.
5. In a “Do you agree?” question, always give two reasons for each side of the argument, as well as making your opinion clear.