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SavannahYear 8
← Religion & Worldviews
Religion & WorldviewsBelief in Britain today25 min★★ difficulty

Investigating a question about belief

RE is an enquiry subject. Given a real question, you gather evidence of different kinds, weigh how trustworthy each piece is, and answer only as far as the evidence allows.

Lesson overview

What you'll learn in this lesson

Use sources, testimony and data to investigate a question about belief

Key learning points

  • • Four kinds of evidence
  • • Judging a source
  • • Planning an enquiry

This lesson at a glance

  • 25 minutes
  • 16 parts to scroll through
  • 4 quick checks
  • Marked quiz at the end
  • Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses

Words to know

sourcestestimonyinvestigatequestionbelief

Scroll down — the lesson carries on below

Part 1 of 16 · Discover6%
1

Watch & discover

Part 1 of 16

Watch first

Investigating a question about belief

An English teaching video on this topic from Politics, Philosophy & Religion at Lancaster. Watch it, then scroll down for the lesson.

In a nutshell

Use sources, testimony and data to investigate a question about belief

2

Learning cycle

Part 2 of 16

Learning cycle 1 of 2

Part 1 · Four kinds of evidence

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

3

Explore the idea

Part 3 of 16

Learn

Four kinds of evidence

Sacred texts tell you what a tradition teaches. Material evidence — buildings, objects, food, clothing — shows what matters in practice. Testimony from believers shows how it feels from inside. Data from the census or surveys shows how common something is. A strong enquiry uses more than one kind.

4

Explore the idea

Part 4 of 16

Learn

Judging a source

Ask who made it, when, for whom, and whether it speaks for one person or many. A single interview is powerful but not representative. A survey is representative but tells you nothing about meaning. Saying 'one Muslim said' is honest; writing 'Muslims think' from one interview is not.

5

Quick check

Part 5 of 16

Quick check

Which is material evidence?

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Quick check

Part 6 of 16

Quick check

One interview tells you

7

Reset break

Part 7 of 16

Pause

That's sitting 1 of 2 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now
8

Learning cycle

Part 8 of 16

Learning cycle 2 of 2

Part 2 · Planning an enquiry

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

9

Explore the idea

Part 9 of 16

Learn

Planning an enquiry

Write a question you could actually answer — 'Why do people fast?' is better than 'Is religion good?'. List your sources, note what each can and cannot show, then write a conclusion that matches the strength of the evidence you found.

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Quick check

Part 10 of 16

Quick check

Which is a better enquiry question?

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Quick check

Part 11 of 16

Quick check

A good conclusion should

12

Explore the idea

Part 12 of 16

Worked example

Worked example

Enquiry: 'Why do people fast?' Text: the Qur'an links Ramadan fasting to God-consciousness. Testimony: one Muslim pupil describes it as building self-control and empathy with the hungry. Data: surveys find most British Muslims fast during Ramadan, higher than mosque attendance. Conclusion: fasting is widely kept and is explained by believers in terms of self-discipline and awareness of God — with the limit stated: 'based on one interview and national survey figures'.

13

Challenge round

Part 13 of 16

Game · Sort it

Which of these are true?

Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.

True

Not true

14

Challenge round

Part 14 of 16

Game · Fill the gaps

Finish the sentences

Choose the word that belongs in each gap.

____ from believers shows how it feels from inside.

Write a ____ you could actually answer — 'Why do people fast?' is better than 'Is religion good?'.

List your ____, note what each can and cannot show, then write a conclusion that matches the strength of the evidence you found.

15

Mastery quiz

Part 15 of 16

Marked quiz

End of lesson quiz: Investigating a question about belief

4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.

  1. 1. Which is material evidence?

  2. 2. One interview tells you

  3. 3. Which is a better enquiry question?

  4. 4. A good conclusion should

16

Lesson round-up

Part 16 of 16

Lesson round-up

Ready when you are

Quiz score

Not sat

Games

Not played

Points this lesson

0

Best run

0 in a row

Luna: 0 out of 4 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?

Ask Luna

Do the work

Your written work for this lesson

This is the part you'd do in your book at school. Pick the pieces below, write here or on paper, and photograph anything you draw or work out.

Source

Two teachings on forgiveness

In Christian teaching, Jesus is asked how many times a person should forgive. He answers not seven times but seventy-seven — meaning forgiveness should not be counted at all. The Lord's Prayer links the two directions together: forgive us as we forgive others.

In Islamic teaching, one of the names of God is al-Ghaffar, the Ever-Forgiving. Muslims are taught that God's mercy is greater than any wrong a person can do, and that those who pardon others are closer to God than those who take revenge.

Both traditions distinguish forgiving from forgetting. A person may forgive and still expect justice, and may seek safety from someone who has harmed them.

Original paraphrases written for Good Learning Co.

Reading questions

  1. What does each teaching say about how far forgiveness should go?
  2. Explain how a believer might use one of these teachings after being hurt by a friend.
  3. "Forgiving someone means letting them off." Give two views on this and say which is stronger, with reasons.

  • Reading and response

    Reading

    Read the lesson text again — especially any scripture, story or quotation — then write what it teaches and how a believer would use it.

    2 paragraphs (PEE)

  • Extended writing

    Writing

    Answer the lesson's big question as an exam answer would: a clear view, a reason, a teaching or example as evidence, and a different view weighed against yours.

    250–350 words

  • Belief in your own words

    Writing

    Explain what this belief means and give one example of how it changes what people do.

    8–10 sentences

  • Different views

    Writing

    Write two different views on this question and say which you find stronger, and why.

    2 paragraphs

  • Symbol or belief diagram

    Diagram

    Draw the symbol, place of worship or idea from this lesson with labels explaining what each part means, then photograph it.

    1 labelled drawing

Saved as you type.

Part 1 of 16 · Watch & discover

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