This document discusses nine lesson ideas for religious education that push boundaries and involve risk but have the potential for great reward. The ideas range from using effective media stimuli and maps from memory to guided fantasy exercises and large-scale role plays. While risky, these engaging approaches could help address dull teaching linked to poor behavior. When lessons actively involve students, they tend to stay focused and learn more.

1. Risky, Edgy RE
From Here to Outstanding – Pushing the Boundaries for RE
Culham St Gabriel’s Teacher Weekend 2012
Paul Smalley
SOLSTICE Fellow & Senior Lecturer in Education
Edge Hill University
Email: smalleyp@edgehill.ac.uk
Twitter: @PabloPedantic
Mobile: 07952884795
Facebook : /PabloPedantic
Blog: http://blogs.edgehill.ac.uk/re/

2. Aim
9 practical lesson ideas,
each with some sort of edge
things that have a risk of going wrong,
when they go right are brilliant
solid lesson ideas that you can try

3. Why not play it safe?
In schools where behaviour was poor, this was frequently
linked to dull and uninspired teaching.
Ofsted Annual Report 09-10 (2010)
teachers lacked confidence and were reluctant to risk new
approaches
Ofsted Transforming Religious Education (2010)
In the lessons seen in the secondary schools during the survey,
the most frequent strengths included….using a variety of
imaginative approaches
Ofsted The National Strategies: a review of impact (2010)

4. Where pupils are actively engaged in their learning, they:
have a longer concentration span;
complete work on time;
stay on-task and have few behaviour problems;
maintain a good attendance record

5. Menu
1. Effective Media Stimulus
2. Maps from memory
3. Demonstration
4. Mystery game
5. Using video clips
6. Active reading
7. Guided Fantasy
8. Large scale role-play
9. Paper dart plenary

6. 1. Effective Stimulus

7. 1. Effective Stimulus
What are the risks?
When could you use this?

8. 2. Maps from Memory
Prepare a picture
Get pupils into groups of 4 (can vary)
Call out 1s – they have 30 seconds (can vary) to look at the
picture.
After 30 seconds number 2s have 30 seconds to look at
the picture, while number1s draw.
Repeat for 3s and 4s and allow extra time at the end.
Each group should have a perfect facsimile of the original
picture

9. 2. Maps from Memory
The Hindu Law of Samsara
What are the risks?
When could you use this?
Why does this work?

10. 3. Demonstration
Demonstrating reincarnation with candles

11. 3. Demonstration
What are the risks?
Can you think of any other demonstrations of
abstract ideas?

12. 4. Mysteries
One ways to use mysteries …
Divide into two groups, both have the same
evidence on either yellow or blue cards.
The winners are the team which has the best
answer, making greatest use of the evidence in a
given time.

13. 4. Mysteries
What are the risks?
How else can you use mystery games?
Why do it this way?

14. 5. Video/media clips
At its best media from the ‘world’ of the pupils is
used to learn about or from religion.
An example: in a lesson on “Is Bar Mitzvah a
good initiation ceremony?” – use Finding Nemo.

15. 5. Video/media clips
Show the clip of Nemo’s initiation
Analyse why it is a good ceremony – drawing out from
the pupils that:
this ceremony marked Nemo becoming one of the gang -
initiation.
it was a relatively simple task that was built up into a big
thing.
the task was relevant - Nemo had a weak fin but needed to
be a good swimmer in order to escape
Repeat the process with a video of a Bar Mitzvah

16. 5. Video/media clips
Risk?
Engaging?
Examples –
http://www.damaris.org/relessonsonline/index2.php
http://www.farmington.ac.uk

17. 6. Active Reading
Directed Activities Related to Text (DARTs)
Highlight the KS2 text for
Names
Jobs
Places
Three Key Verbs
Give each paragraph a sub-heading.
Draw a map or flowchart of the story.

18. 6. Active Reading
Too safe – make it louder and more active!
To teach the prologue to John, start by rhythmically
chanting some poetry.
Do the same with the prologue.
Give each pair a verse, they read it out emphasising key
words.
They create an action for each key word.
Perform it as a whole class.

19. 7. Guided Fantasy
Using experiential RE techniques allows pupils to
respond to the spiritual dimension – it is meant to
be ‘de-indoctrination’ a term coined by David Hay
and used by writers such as Watson and Thompson.
My experience is that children love to do this sort of
exercise, if only as an opportunity to ‘chill out’.
Guided Fantasy.ppt

20. 7. Guided Fantasy
Practical Risks?
Theological Risks?

21. 8. Large Scale Role Play
Basically I had this mad idea to combine
Citizenship (Crown Court) and putting Jesus on
trial for fraud (the resurrection).
Sue Phillips Theatre of Learning pedagogy is very
similar.
Make your classroom into a place of worship.

22. 9. Paper dart plenary
Fold paper into paper plane.
Write on one thing you have learnt this lesson.
When I say throw the plane.
Add something you have learnt to the plane you
catch- repeat twice.
At the end give throw them all to me.

23. Diamond 9
As a four agree put the cards on the sheet in
order of risk.
Which will have the best results?
Which are you most likely to try?