GCSE RS at STM

Homework is due in by Thursday 20 November.

Answer the following questions:

a) What is the paranormal? (2 marks)
b) Outline Catholic teaching on the Sanctity of Life. (6 marks)
c) Explain why some non-religious people believe in life after death. (8 marks)
d) “Ghosts and mediums prove that there is life after death.” 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 You will need to include your email address, but that will not be published.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.

I want to draw your attention to the new GCSEPod website. Podcasts on most GCSE subjects - including on Religious Studies - are available to buy. You could have a whole topic downloaded onto your mp3 player, and within a few minutes you will have been able to listen to the key points for the exam. The website suggests that your parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles might want to buy you a podcast or two as a present.

Many people find that listening to the key facts can help them to revise, and it is definitely easier to listen to revision notes while you are on the move than to read them in your books. I would definitely recommend trying them out.

The Christianity units written and recorded so far cost £12.95 for the six units. There will be more to come.

These are the units you will need to revise for your exams in May, with suggested GCSEPod units linked.

Year 11: Unit C (12 May)

C1: Believing in God
C2: Matters of Life and Death - Rites of Passage and Christian Beliefs and Values
C3: Marriage and Family Life - Christian Beliefs about Marriage and Rites of Passage
C4: Social Harmony - Christian Attitudes
C5: Religion - Wealth and Poverty - Christian Attitudes

Year 10: Unit J (18 May)

J1: Beliefs and Values - Christian Beliefs and Values
J2: Community and Tradition - Rites of Passage
J3: Worship and Celebration - Christian Festivals and Rites of Passage
J4: Living the Christian Life - Christian Beliefs and Values
J5: A Place of Christian Worship

The site also has a blog with revision tips on it.

I would be interested to hear what you think of these resources, as I am sure the site will be, so if you do download some of the podcasts, please leave a comment on how useful you think they are! Good luck with your revision!

We have the dates for your exams!

The Year 11 (Unit J) paper is on 12 May. The Year 10 (Unit C) paper is on the 18 May. As you can see, the first paper is on the very first day of the exams, and you will not have a lot of time to revise in between the two papers if you are having to resit the paper from last year! So do the very best you can now, to make it easier later on!

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

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It’s the 21 April. Your first exam is on the 14 May. As you can see there is not long left! Keep on revising … in class we will be going over one topic per lesson. Remember, you have 10 topics to know, five for each exam. As you know, I like using mindmaps as a revision technique, but there are many more.

Wealth and Poverty - You could use this GCSE Bitesize to help you revise.
Matters of Life and Death: Life after Death and the Sanctity of Life.

Remember to visit the Edexcel site - link on Useful Webpages page.

Keep asking questions if you are stuck! Either here, as a comment, or during class, or find me after school.

Get a Voki now!

Another reminder that the Unit C (Year 11) exam is on 14 May, and the Unit J (Year 10) exam is on 19 May.

Until then, every one of you should have the Year 10 and/or Year 11 revision guides, as well as the Revision Booklets which will help you go through the Revision Guides.

I am going to try and make some podcasts for you that can be downloaded onto mp3 players so that the audio learners amongst you can learn on the move by listening rather than just reading. Watch this space!

Click on the links below to listen to some revision notes. Drop me a comment to let me know if they are useful or not!

C1 Religious Upbringing

I have just started a new podbean account for podcasts. Click on the link to download GCSE revision podcasts. So far, these include:

C1.1 Believing in God: Catholic Upbringing
J1.1 Beliefs and Values: The Nature of God: Unity and Trinity
J1.2 Christian Beliefs about the Nature of God: the Father
J1.3 Christian Beliefs about the Nature of God: the Creator
J1.4 Christian beliefs about Jesus
J1.5 Christian beliefs about the Holy Spirit
J1.6 Symbols of the Holy Spirit
J1.7 Christian beliefs about Sin
J1.8 Christian beliefs about Salvation
J1.9 Christian values: Love of God
J1.10 Christian values: Love of Others
J1: Beliefs and Values - An Overview of the Key Facts