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Teacher Resource Bank
GCE Religious Studies
Unit E Religion, Art and the Media
Example of Candidate’s Work from the January 2009
Examination
Candidate B
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1
2009 (January) Unit E Religion, Art and the Media
Example of Candidate’s Work from the Examination
Candidate B
5
(a)
Examine the purpose of religious art.
(30 marks)
AO1
Candidate Response
RSS05
CANDIDATE B
2
RSS05
CANDIDATE B
3
Commentary
AO1 (30 marks)
Approximately 25 minutes can be allocated to answering this question, including thinking time.
The candidate starts promisingly by correctly indentifying some of the purposes of religious art in the
first sentence.
However the treatment of each of the areas highlighted is brief. The candidate does not actually
discuss the purposes highlighted in the first sentence with any clarity, and brings in other purposes at
paragraphs three and four. The overall structure of the answer is weak.
The second paragraph attempts to deal with the didactic element yet it provides little real detail or
explanation. The final sentence about early Christians being illiterate is rather disjointed. There is no
detailed reference to the content and purpose of examples cited , for example ‘The Bible windows at
Canterbury’ or to other sources which would support the didactic element of religious art, e.g. Pope
Gregory (compare with script A)
The third paragraph -use of religious art ‘to unify worshippers’-, needs further development and
exemplification. As do those that follow.
The paragraph dealing with religious art for propaganda purposes amounts to two brief sentences and
the first makes confusion with ‘numinous purposes’. The second sentence ‘There is a painting which
shows the pope as the antichrist’ is too general and vague.
The overall impression of this answer is that the candidate has indentified some of the key points
relevant to the question. The answer however is limited in both depth and breadth. The structure,
whilst providing some coherence, is weak.
Level 3 (10 marks)
RSS05
CANDIDATE B
4
(b)
‘Only a person with religious belief can fully understand the significance of
religious art.’
To what extent is this claim true?
(15 marks)
AO2
Candidate Response
RSS05
CANDIDATE B
5
Commentary
AO2 15 marks
Approximately 12½ minutes, including thinking time, can be allocated to answering this question. Answers
to part (b) questions are not expected to be long.
The candidate’s answer is very superficial and lacks clear evaluation and development.
There is an attempt at a rather superficial level to pout forward differing views in response to the question
asked. Material from part (a) has been repeated in the second paragraph but fails to offer any
development or evaluation.
The final paragraph does not succeed as a conclusion. It merely states that there are views which would
agree or differ with the question depending on ‘how obvious the painting makes it, the conclusion makes
no real reference to an argument based on the reasoning offered above it. ‘A superficial response with
some attempt at reasoning’.
Level 3 (5 marks)
RSS05
CANDIDATE B
6
6
(a)
Examine the distinctive features of religious art in one religion you have studied.
(30 marks)
AO1
Candidate Response
RSS05
CANDIDATE B
7
Commentary
AO1 (30 marks)
Approximately 25 minutes can be allocated to answering this question, including thinking time.
The candidate has provided a partial answer to this question. There are several general and valid
observations made. Overall the answer lacks structure and depth.
The second paragraph states nothing more than a passing observation of the historical situation. The third
paragraph focussing on ‘Soap operas’ highlighted a potential area for some in depth analysis; however this
potential was not realised. The final sentence of the paragraph, whilst indentifying the negative aspects of
portrayal of religion within ‘Soap operas’ fails to develop this further resorting to colloquialism ‘take the
biscuit sometimes’.
The answer attempts to cover a range of programmes as specified by the question yet there has been little
examination of the way religious themes are presented.
In part a) of this question the candidate has shown some relevant understanding and has covered some of
the key areas, there is some coherence evident.
Level 3 (10 marks)
RSS05
CANDIDATE B
8
(b)
‘Religious art must have a religious subject.’
Assess this view.
(15 marks)
AO2
Candidate Response
RSS05
CANDIDATE B
9
RSS05
CANDIDATE B
10
Commentary
AO2 15 marks
Approximately 12½ minutes, including thinking time, can be allocated to answering this question. Answers
to part (b) questions are not expected to be long.
The answer amounts to a superficial response to the question. It is hard to see where the candidate has
provided a counter argument to the view expressed in the question. The range of programmes referred to
is rather narrow and many are of the same genre, whilst this allowed some evidence to support the view
expressed in the question it limited any counter argument. There was room to expand and provide
alternative views in the reference to soap operas, and had the candidate also made reference to other
popular religious programmes which they had highlighted in part (a), such as ‘Songs of Praise’, an
alternative view could have been developed allowing the candidate to explain and expand their ideas and
provide solid evidence of reasoning.
The general impression of this answer is that it is too superficial; there is little or no attempt at reasoning
and the choice of programmes used to illustrate their answer is too narrow.
Level 3 (6 marks)
RSS05
CANDIDATE B