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How did we
get here?
What do
Christians
and
Humanists
say?
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Engage
Express knowledge and
understanding
Demonstrate learning in the form of a
formal essay giving information about
science, religion and evaluating the
extent that they are in conflict or not.
Create display work on the Design
Theory, hold a debate, creatively evolve
an animal.
Get together with the Biology
department for cross curricular activities
on evolution.
Begin to reflect how big the Universe is and how
small we are in comparison. Talk about and
show images of space. Find out what they
already know. Discuss how they think we came
about.
Engage
Express
e
?
Evaluate, analyse and respond
to what has been learnt
Make a model to symbolise Science
and another to show Religion (e.g.
using Model Magic or Play Doh) and
place these in the room showing
their own opinion about how
closely they go together.
Use Diamond 9 activities to explain
own opinions
How did we get
here?
Evaluate
Enquiry questions developed
Where did we come from? Is the Universe
created or did appear through random
chance?
What do Christians believe? What do
Humanists believe? What do the students
themselves think?
Encourage the students to ask the questions
that they can then research the answers.
Enquire
Explore
Explore the concept
Key Questions KS3: Christianity and Humanism (Religions
and Science)
LAR&B –Christianity How do different Christians view the world and its
origins? How do they relate their ideas to those of science? What does
Christianity say about the existence of God?
Humanism What questions might scientists have in relation to some
Christian religious teachings or experiences? What is the humanist view
of the world and its origins?
LFR&B – How do Science and Religion complement each other in the
approach to the questions of origins? 2Why is the idea of ‘God’ a problem
to some scientists? Does it require ‘faith’ to be an atheist? Why have
some scientists set out to test religious experiences ?
What do Christians believe – look at the story
of creation
Research the Design and Cosmological theories.
Investigate the Big Bang and Evolution. Discuss
whether Christianity and Science are in conflict,
in harmony or are totally separate ideas.
Draft June 2014
LAR&B –Christianity How do different Christians view the world and its origins? How do they relate their ideas to those of
science? What does Christianity say about the existence of God?
Humanism What questions might scientists have in relation to some Christian religious teachings or experiences? What is the
humanist view of the world and its origins?
LFR&B – How do Science and Religion complement each other in the approach to the questions of origins? Why is the idea of
‘God’ a problem to some scientists? Does it require ‘faith’ to be an atheist? Why have some scientists set out to test religious
experiences (e.g. the power of prayer, faith healing, stigmata, visions, near death experiences)?
Engage
Enquire
Explore
Show pictures from space – gain an understanding of how small we are and how massive the universe is. Show the YouTube clip
the Hubble, Deep Field’.
Show a picture of a nearby Galaxy. Find statistics to show how long it would take to travel to the moon, to mars, to the next galaxy
etc. James May documentary on the size of the universe
Use a ‘question matrix’ to ask ultimate questions about the universe and our existence
Questions could be written up on Post-its and put up on the board. Homework could be selecting a question, taking it home and
for homework either researching an answer or giving an opinion.
Discuss the extent to which Religion and Science are friends or enemies, in conflict or in harmony? See appendix 6
Why is it so common to hear the words ‘I don’t believe in God, I believe in Science’?
Create a resource with different attitudes about Science and Religion and they could plot the cards on an agree/disagree grid or as
a diamond nine. See appendix 2
Create a Venn Diagram of Science, Religion and an overlap area in between. Write different ideas in each section and plot where
they see themselves
Key Question: Does Science mean we don’t need God?
Key quote: “Religion is something left over from the infancy of our intelligence.
It will fade away as we adopt reason and science as our guidelines”. Bertrand
Russell
Be creative – e.g. read the creation story and the class have to make notes only
with drawings or symbols.
Include the various ways of interpreting this – from Creationists to more liberal
Christians. For higher ability, compare and discuss the two different creation
accounts in Genesis 1 and 2.
Research/read different creation myths from different cultures to put the
Christian/Jewish creation story in literary context.
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Create your own creation myth about how we came to be.
Design Theory – how does our world appeared designed – William Paley and his clock analogy
Use Louis Armstrong’s ‘What a wonderful World’ perhaps with pictures of beauty in nature then show in contrast pictures of
natural disasters perhaps with REM ‘Everybody hurts’, or Donny Darko’s ‘Mad World’ Evidence to support design theory and
criticisms
Causation theory – how did we come to exist? Does everything have a cause and effect? Is Thomas Aquinas right? Using
evaluative skills to think critically. Use dominoes set up around the room to illustrate cause and effect.
Cut out strips of paper and create paper chains, they start with an event and work backwards writing down as many links as they
can in their chain of cause and effect.
Science and Faith Videos on YouTube with Professor Russell Stannard –www.retoday.org.uk/resources/23/read/160
Research/explore Humanist ideas about how we came to exist – look at the Big Bang and Evolution. Use Richard Dawkins –
resources on YouTube Evidence for the Big Bang and Evolution
Have we evolved to become moral people – Explore the idea that morality has evolved not come from God
Evaluate
Look at Christians who are scientists e.g.
Jocelyn Bell Burnell –a Quaker and Astro-Physcist
Rev Dr John Polkinhorne was professor of Mathematical Physic at Cambridge University and is an Anglican Priest – Q&A here
www.starcourse.org/jcp/qanda.html
Make a model to symbolise Science and another to show Religion (e.g. using Model Magic or Play Doh) and place these in the
room showing their own opinion about how closely they go together. They then have to justify. They could work in pairs and
explain their partner’s opinion to the class
Use Diamond 9 activities to explain own opinions- see appendix 4 & 5
Express
Write an essay with the title ‘Science means we don’t need God’.
Create a discussion between an Atheist, Creationist and a Catholic. Summarise what you think of each of their points of views
Create a visual of the Design Theory or Causation that illustrates the main points and gives a personal evaluation.
Create an art display with the good and bad of nature
Film a class debate on Science and Religion
Evolve an animal – create a scenario where an animal is removed from its natural environment and ask them to draw how it would
evolve in a million years. See Appendix 3,7,8
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Appendix 1 Science and Religion Key words
Belief
Atheist
Agnostic
Theist
Something that you feel to
be true but cannot prove.
Someone who does not
believe that God exists.
A person who is not sure if
God exists.
A person who believes
that God exists.
Causation
argument
William Paley
Design Theory
The idea that the universe
appears so well designed, it
must have a designer and
that designer must be God.
Cosmological
The study of the
universe
The idea that everything
that exists has a cause;
the universe exists
therefore the universe
must have a cause which
is God.
1743 – 1805
A Christian Philosopher
who tried to prove the
Design theory with the
example of a watch
Omnipotent
All-powerful
Creator
Someone who brings
something into existence
Charles Darwin
Evolution
1809 – 1882
The scientific theory that all
life has changed and
adapted to its surroundings
over millions of years
The man who collected
enough evidence to prove
that evolution takes place.
Published his work in ‘On
the origin of Species’ in
1859
Creationist
Christians who believe
God literally created the
universe in six days as it
says in the Book of
Genesis in the Bible
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Liberal Christians
The Big Bang
Christians who believe the
Bible has an important
message but is not literally
true.
The scientific theory of how
the universe began with an
explosion of energy which
created all the matter in the
Universe
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Appendix 2 Science and Religons Arguments
Science and Religion are
friends
Science and Religion are
enemies
God created the world
God started the Big Bang but
then left the world to develop
The Big Bang and Evolution
happened by random chance
There must be a cause of the
universe
God is the First Cause
The world does appear well
designed
If God designed the world he
didn’t do it very well
There must be other life out
there
Maybe God created life on
other planets
One day God will create a new
Earth
The Earth is far more
important than humans
Humans are destroying the
Earth
Science explains how, Religion
explains why
How the world began is of no
interest to me
How the world began is the
most important question we
can ask
Darwin is the most important
Scientist that ever lived
The Creation story is a
Metaphor
The Creation story must be
taken literally
If God did create the world,
He can’t be omni-benevolent
God over-sees what goes on
but doesn’t get involved
Evolution happens but it
God is involved in the smallest
doesn’t mean we evolved from
details of our lives
Apes
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Appendix 3 Science and Religion Assessment Essay
Using all the information you have learnt this term, your mission is to write an essay about the debate between science and religion.
Title: Science means we don’t need God
1
Introduction
Do you agree with the statement?
2
Level 5



Explain what Science and Religion both say about the origins of the universe
Use a wide range of keywords, good reasons and examples
Use paragraphs
Level 6




Analyse what Science and Religion both say about the origins of the universe
Express my own opinion on the different theories
Use reasons and examples, keywords and evidence to back up my ideas
Use paragraphs, and connect my paragraphs together
Level 7




Evaluate the debate between science and religion
Express my own ideas on the different theories
Use reasons, examples, evidence, quotations and philosophical language
Use paragraphs, and connect my paragraphs together drawing my own conclusions
Level 8




Create my own interpretation of what I have learnt about science and religion
Critically evaluate the different theories
Use convincing reasons, examples, evidence, sources and philosophical language
Create a well structured, coherent essay
Religious beliefs
Creation story – the meaning
Different Christian interpretations of it
Evaluation of the design theory
3
Scientific Theories
The Big Bang and evolution
Evidence for both
4
Christians and Science
Different Christian opinions
Jocelyn Bell Burnell
5
Your own Opinion
6
Conclusion
Briefly sum up or summarise what you have written
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Appendix 5 Intelligent designer diamond 9
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Appenidx 5 Believing in God Diamond 9
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Appendix 6 starter activity
Science vs Religion/ Evolution vs Creation. Is there an argument?
Starter activity – Different ways of explaining the same thing
1. What is being described in the following two statements
a) An exchange of microbes in the saliva of 2 people.
b) An expression of love used to greet friends,
family and partners
2. What sort of person was a) written by?
To find out if you
are correct,
move this text
box after you
have written
your answer to
question 1
3. What sort of person was b) written by?
4. Which is the most accurate explanation?
Why is it more accurate?
5. Which is the most meaningful explanation?
Why is it more meaningful?
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Appendix 7 God as Creator http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_cpnl6Vg-E&feature=channel&list=UL Create a poster /powerpoint/video of what happens on each
of the 6 days of creation. Find / draw creative pictures separately for each day and write what happened- (do not just copy a diagram from the internet)
Before you start read/watch the Bible passages below to start you off.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%201&version=NCV http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%201&version=MSG (a more
modern version of the Bible) and then watch this one here ( an even more modern version of the Bible) http://biblestuff.wordpress.com/2011/01/01/creation-the-wordon-the-street/
Pattern in the creation story
The pattern
Day 1
Command from God
Let there be light
The command is carried out
and light
appeared
The created thing is named
God named the
light ‘day’ and the
darkness ‘night’
The day is named
Evening passed,
and morning came.
This was the first
day
Day 2
Day3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
This pattern in the creation story leads Christians to believe that it is a poem- not a scientific account. It is not meant to describe HOW
the world was created but it was designed to show................(finish the sentence)
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Appendix 8
Discussion template
Three people ...



A creationist – a Christian who believes God created the world in 6 literal days
An atheist who believes in evolution
A Catholic who believes that God worked through evolution to create the world and everything in it
...were given a statement to discuss ‘It is impossible that the world could have come into existence without a creator God’.
Read the information here http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/rs/environment/christianitybeliefsrev1.shtml
Write the discussion they would have had. Use different shaped text boxes to differentiate between the speakers. Find pictures of people to be your characters. You can set
your discussion out how you like – here is an example
Creationist
Atheist
Catholic
Chuck Norris - Actor
Pope Francis
Creationist
Richard Dawkins - Biologist
Catholic
Atheist
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Attainment Target 1: Learning about Religion
Attainment Target 2: Learning from Religion
Level
I can
I can…

8
7
Create my own interpretation of what I have learnt about
science and religion

Critically evaluate the different theories

Use convincing reasons, examples, evidence, sources and
philosophical language
Create a well structured, coherent essay



Evaluate the debate between science and religion
Express my own ideas on the different theories
Use reasons, examples, evidence, quotations and philosophical
language
Use paragraphs, and connect my paragraphs together drawing my
own conclusions

6
Analyse what Science and Religion both say about the origins of
the universe

Express my own opinion on the different theories

Use reasons and examples, keywords and evidence to back up
my ideas
Use paragraphs, and connect my paragraphs together

5
Explain what Science and Religion both say about the origins of
the universe

Use a wide range of keywords, good reasons and examples
Use paragraphs
4
3
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Religious Education requirements
This unit fulfils requirements for the KS3 learning theme ‘Religion and Science: Issues of truth, explanation, meaning and purpose which arise in the debate between
science and religion’ in relation to Christianity and Humanism
Concept - God as Creator (Christianity)
Concept – Evolution (Humanism)
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Resources for this unit
 ‘The Tree of Life’ David Attenburgh – great for clear explanation of evolution including William Paley and Design idea as well as Darwin’s religious beliefs
 Science and Faith Videos on YouTube with Professor Russell Stannard – for higher ability great short videos explaining issues around Science and Religion as well as
showing discussion among students www.retoday.org.uk/resources/23/read/160
 How the Universe Works – half hour documentary with James May – good fun and very informative
 Fat Boy Slim – Evolution music DVD ‘Right here, right now’
 Charles Darwin Autobiography – great chapter on his religious beliefs – good to read out in class or for higher ability to read
 Richard Dawkins – numerous DVDs
RE today Secondary Resource Autumn 2013 Essential RE: God Edited Stephen Pett http://shop.retoday.org.uk/9781905893775
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/rs/environment/christianitybeliefsrev1.shtml
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