Year 10 RS & Year 11 Revision (AQA Paper 2A)
Topic outline
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AQA GCSE Religious Studies Syllabus A Paper 2A:
Thematic Studies
Paper 8062A
Page contents:
- General
- Theme C: The Existence of God & Revelation
- Theme D: Religion, Peace & Conflict
- Theme E: Religion, Crime & Punishment
- Theme F: Religion, Human Rights & Social Justice
- Exam Info
How to use this page
There are many files on this page and in the folders. You are not expected to read all of them. Here's how it works:
- Essential reading: - You have to read this.
- a) the official information sheet for each lesson (called 'Lesson number ...')
- b) the main PowerPoint for each lesson (which is also named after the lesson number)
- c) the specification for each theme
- d) the key words sheet for each theme. (You fill this in.)
- Extra reading: - You do not have to read this but the more you read the more you know; the more you know the more you understand. Some of these files will make the ideas a lot clearer so if there's a topic you really don't understand you can choose to major on that topic by reading more on it. If you want to go deeper into the subject and really develop yourself, then have a look at the info in the 'Advanced Material' folders at the end of each theme.
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This is for reference only. For revision purposes, it's easier to use the part of the specification for each separate theme/section heading found below.
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These are the key words & definitions from the official Buddhism text book.
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This is a list of seven revision & reading resources including the official AQA GCSE textbooks that we use which are written by the lead examiners and the revision guide that they have produced that exactly matches our course options. David Worden is the man who writes the actual exams and some of the practice questions in his book have appeared in the real GCSE exams.
On this Moodle webpage there is also a revision folder at the end of each of the four sections. At the very end of the page there is an exam folder as well.
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This is a PowerPoint with targets and other activities to help you improve your performance in tests and exams.
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This is a series of lessons on PowerPoint, information sheets and worksheets. There are also some revision handouts within these folders. If you miss a lesson you can catch up here. You may find some resources here may not have been used in the specific lessons that you have had.
If you are revising then start with the specification as your guide.
Hot Handouts are summary information sheets for revision.
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This is a worksheet to help you summarise the main points of the topic of the Existence of God & Revelation
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A PowerPoint on spotting good and bad logic in other people's ideas and in your own exam answers. It is best studied after watching the Black Adder series 1 'Witchsmeller' episode. However, it will make sense anyway without watching it.
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See also the 'Advanced Material' folder near the end of theme C.
The Design Argument is also known as the Teleological Argument. Pick one of the two versions below and go through it. The MHa PowerPoint includes must-see video clips of the Jesus Christ Lizard. (Yes, that really is a thing.)
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Folder
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BBC news story of a baby who fell from a top floor balcony 50 feet high but survived uninjured. This is an example of a miracle that does not break the laws of science.
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This is a short collection of video clips giving arguments against the existence of God. (7 minutes)
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A Christian response to evil The worship leader, Kevin Prosch wrote this song after meeting a young woman who had been terribly abused as a child. She asked him, 'Why did God let those things happen to me?' (Prosch himself had suffered violent beatings in childhood from his father.) He could give no answer and was heartbroken by her story but that night wrote this song. Lyrics are here: https://mojim.com/usy193710x2x6.htm
The comments on You Tube are worth reading.
Picture Taken from the story of the woman who had led a deeply sinful life but Jesus forgave and restored her. She wept over his feet. Luke 7:36-50. https://www.blueletterbible.org/nasb95/luk/7/36-50/s_980036
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See also the 'Lesson 3: The Design Argument' folder above, the 'Advanced Material' folder near the end of Theme C and the video clips on the course page below this folder.
The best file to read here is the 'Hot Handout Christian Attitudes ...' which will make some of the key issues a lot clearer.
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Please note: this video has a technical fault. In order to make it work you need to click on the time bar to about 2 min 30 sec in order to avoid it crashing.
This is a half-hour video about different types of knowledge under the title 'Hasn't Science Disproved God'? It is from a Science & Religion day at Hull University in 2016. Dr Martin Buzza is a Cambridge-educated Malaysian physicist. He is currently conducting research at the University of Hull into colloids, liquid interfaces and block copolymer micelles. I have no idea what this means but it sounds jolly clever! His talk is aimed at an adult audience so you will probably find some of the information hard but some of the things he says are not too hard for teenagers and they are very relevant to what you are studying.
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Evolutionary Scientist, Richard Dawkins talks about how religious stories are myths (from Newsnight - 8 minutes).
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Richard Dawkins is a Science professor from Oxford University. He is famous for promoting atheist views in books and in the media, generally. He is the author of the best-selling The God Delusion in which he argues against religion. In this 3-minute video he shows why even many atheists might be classed technically as agnostics.
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How is it possible to know anything? The study of this question is called epistemology. Chris Oldfield speaks at the 2016 Science & Religion day at Hull University and seeks to answer this question. Some parts of this talk are academically difficult for your age but he asks some very interesting and challenging questions that relate to your area of study. It's well worth a look if you have time.
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This is a fascinating documentary about people who have survived resuscitation in hospital and have been able to describe afterlife experiences during the time in which they were momentarily dead. Some describe seeing themselves from outside their bodies and some describe going to heaven and meeting angels or lost relatives before coming round again in hospital.
The first 3 min seem ridiculous but the rest of the program is a lot more scientific so bear with it. Warning: for people who are very sensitive, there are one or two reconstructions of operations and at one point a doctor shows you a human brain. If you want to skip the brain bit it's at 21:10-21:47. It's not really a gory programme and you don't see any blood. Obviously, it talks about death a lot which some people might find upsetting but all of the people interviewed survived their experiences.
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A series of quizzes, video clips and information on arguments both for and against the existence of God. This is useful for revision and for going deeper into the topic.
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(See also Revision & Basic Recommended Reading in 'General' section above.)
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Don't read this until after you have done your assessment for the Existence of God & Revelation. (See also Revision & Basic Recommended Reading in 'General' section above.)
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This is a series of lessons on PowerPoint, information sheets and worksheets. There are also some revision handouts within these folders. If you miss a lesson you can catch up here. You may find some resources here may not have been used in the specific lessons that you have had.
If you are revising then start with the specification as your guide.
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File
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Chapter 6 of AQA Religious Studies A: Buddhism by Kevin James and Nagapriya. This is written for your course and contains much of the same information as the Christianity book on this topic. It is very useful for Buddhist teachings.
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Chapter 6 of AQA GCSE Religious Studies A: Christianity by Marianne Fleming, Peter Smith & David Worden
David Worden is the principal examiner for the GCSE course and writes the external exam questions. Some of the exercise questions in this book have come up word-for-word in the actual exam papers. Buddhist & Christian ideas are both covered in the PowerPoints and information sheets found on this web page.
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Folder
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Animated video about the concept of peace
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Music video about greed & exploitation as a cause of war - find lyrics by clicking 'Show more' - For accompanying worksheet see lesson folder on 'Pacifism'.
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A study of the beliefs of the famous pacifist, Desmond Doss who won the Medal of Honour for saving 75 lives of badly injured soldiers in extremely dangerous conditions. You will need access to the film. Warning: the full film contains graphic scenes of injury and death that some will find disturbing but the extracts chosen here skip out the worst bits. 27 minutes is the total time of extracts here. The full film is just over two hours.
To know which bits to watch, open the document called 'Hacksaw Ridge in 1 Lesson' and just watch those bits. They are coordinated with the PowerPoint and you can read the PowerPoint slide notes (in the slide-sort view) to help you.
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Folder
(See also Revision & Basic Recommended Reading in 'General' section above.)
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Folder
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A series of quizzes, video clips and info pages by Oxford University on the question of whether war can be good.
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This is a series of lessons on PowerPoint, information sheets and worksheets. There are also some revision handouts within these folders. If you miss a lesson you can catch up here. You may find some resources here may not have been used in the specific lessons that you have had.
If you are revising then start with the specification as your guide.
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Chapter 7 of AQA Religious Studies A: Buddhism by Kevin James and Nagapriya. This is written for your course and contains much of the same information as the Christianity book on this topic. It is very useful for Buddhist teachings.
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Chapter 7 of AQA GCSE Religious Studies A: Christianity by Marianne Fleming, Peter Smith & David Worden
David Worden is the principal examiner for the GCSE course and writes the external exam questions. Some of the exercise questions in this book have come up word-for-word in the actual exam papers. We also use the Buddhism book in this series. Buddhist & Christian ideas are both covered in the PowerPoints and information sheets found on this web page.
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'Born Again' is an animated music video with worksheet based on a song by Josh Garrels. It talks about corrupted innocence followed by God's intervention in his life. 'Forgiven' is a song by Pilgrim that illustrates a relevant Christian belief on Crime & Punishment. PowerPoint includes several music videos.
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Trevor McDonald Death Row is a worksheet with video links to a documentary in two parts (45 min each) looking at life in a maximum security jail in the US. He interviews prisoners about their crimes and life in jail. Some are under a sentence of death.
The specification says that you need to know about Utilitarianism in relation to the death penalty. 'Principle of Utility' is an ActivStudio flipchart on Jeremy Bentham's theory of ethics (right & wrong behaviour) called Utilitarianism. He states that right & wrong are based on what decision brings the greatest amount of happiness or prevents the greatest amount of suffering. He rejects the idea that some things are always wrong (e.g. stealing) because he says it depends on circumstances. If you can't see this file you can research it online.
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A series of interactive web pages and videos about whether capital punishment is right.
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Folder
(See also Revision & Basic Recommended Reading in 'General' section above.)
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Animated music video about sliding into a life of crime and being redeemed by Jesus. Lyrics are on the page. (See folder 'Lesson 3b' for lyrics & questions on this.)
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This is a series of lessons on PowerPoint, information sheets and worksheets. There are also some revision handouts within these folders. If you miss a lesson you can catch up here. You may find some resources here may not have been used in the specific lessons that you have had.
If you are revising then start with the specification as your guide.
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Chapter 8 of AQA Religious Studies A: Buddhism by Kevin James and Nagapriya. This is also written for your course and contains much of the same information as the Christianity book on this topic. However, it is very useful for Buddhist teachings.
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Chapter 8 of AQA GCSE Religious Studies A: Christianity by Marianne Fleming, Peter Smith & David Worden
David Worden is the principal examiner for the GCSE course and writes the external exam questions. Some of the exercise questions in this book have come up word-for-word in the actual exam papers. Buddhist & Christian ideas are both covered in the PowerPoints and information sheets found on this web page.
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File
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There is no lesson directly on freedom of religion but this information from the official text book tells you all you need to know. Freedom of religion is covered indirectly in some of the other lessons.
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Folder
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(See also Revision & Basic Recommended Reading in 'General' section above.)
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The mark schemes are the 'answers'. You can also see from these how to gain or lose marks.
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These are practice questions set by the exam board. Some of these come up word-for-word in the real exam. If you prepare answers to these you may be preparing answers to the actual questions in your exam.
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Past Papers are here. Mark Schemes are basically the answers with some advice to examiners for what to give credit.
For past papers on the other paper (Buddhist Beliefs & Practices, Christian Beliefs & Practices), see the Year 11 page.
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