Knowsley Hall- Friday 13th May 2011

Well done to our Year 12 students who behaved and represented the school brilliantly. They spent a day at Knowsley Hall Liverpool and together with myself Mr Ghani and Mrs Wallace Laher completed a very focused revision day. The day started at 07:00 where we all met at the College. We arrived at the Hall at 10am. Before indulging in exotic teas and savouries we quickly got our teeth stuck into Religious Experience. Mr Ghani delivered an inspiring first session with students looking at what Religious Experience meant and examples from around the world.

After a short break we moved on to the criticism of religious experiences before breaking for lunch. Lunch was served in the main conference area and although not fancy did the trick for most. Students then roamed the gardens at Knowsley Hall before settling down for an afternoon of essay writing.

The day finished when we visited knowsley safari park and saw a variety of animals and some of us actually experienced Mysticism first hand :-). All in all a fantastic day out, the students thoroughly enjoyed it and got a lot out of it.

AO1 & AO2 Questions- Answer here

5 Pillars

To help with the essay take a look at the above video. Comments appreciated

Assess the claim that the intention in worship is more important than the act? 15 Marks

Remember to use the FEAEC formula and can I have this submitted before next weeks lesson

Revision Weekend

As promised folks, we will be finishing off the year with what is set to be a fantastic weekend in the Dales. You have all worked very hard throughout the year and this is one little step to make sure you get over the line.

There will be an opportunity to explore the dales and take in the scenic landscape aswell as final preperation for the exams ( of course!! )

Please return all letters with money to me ASAP. If there are any specific topics that you want me and Mr Ghani to cover then can you please let us know. An itinerary will be available shortly so keep your eyes and ears open.

Year 12- Revison for exams

With the exam now only 21 days away, revision should be in full swing. I am attaching below items for revision this week.

1) Sawm and it's importance
2) Impact of Zakah
3) Hajj and it's meaning

Please use the revision booklets that I have issued to help you through. Next week we will be looking at Hajj so please make sure you come prepared.

REMINDER:

Revision classes start on Monday 18th April, so Please get your letters in!!

Worship and Celebration- Keywords

Arafat A plain near Makkah where pilgrims confess their sins.
Hajj The annual pilgrimage to Makkah.
Id-Ul-Adha The festival of the sacrifice.
Id-Ul-Fitr The festival of the breaking the fast.
Qiblah The direction of the Ka’bah in Makkah.
Ramadan The ninth month when the Qur’an says all Muslims must fast.
Salah The five daily prayers.
Sawm Fasting by going without food and drink during daylight hours.
Shahadah The declaration of faith in Allah and His Prophet.
Tawaf Going round the Ka’bah seven times in worship of Allah.
Wudu The washing which must take place before salah.
Zakah A tax Muslims must pay for the poor.

BBC Panorama- British schools Islamic rules

Following the recent Panorama documentary what are your views about the investigation showing that some Muslim children are exposed to extremist preachers and fundamentalist Islamic groups. Also, the part-time schools where hate is on the curriculum.


Do you think the BBC was fair in it's treatment of the topic?
How do you feel about what was disussed?
Do you think it is possible to be British and Muslim?
What challenges does the investegation pose for Muslims living in the UK?

Using the template discussed in the lesson answer the above questions in a 'case study' like format.

To view the investegation again visit:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00w8kwz/Panorama_British_Schools_Islamic_Rules

Read the short article below and discuss whether you think Religion should change with time!

Many papers seize on Pope Benedict's comments that the use of condoms could be justified in exceptional cases.

In the words of the Observer, the pope has overturned traditional Catholic teaching with the pronouncement.

The Sunday Telegraph says the publicists for the book in which the remarks appear were right to call him the "Pope of surprises".

The Sunday Times says the turnaround follows calls from some cardinals for a more humane approach to HIV.

Keywords

These are the keywords for the second topic 'Community and tradition' Please revise them for a test next lesson

Authority:The power and right to make demands of others.
Bismillah:The words which begin every surah.
Hadith:Sayings and actions of the prophet Muhammad as recorded by his family and friends
Imam:A person who leads salah prayers.
Masjid: Place of prostration.
Qadi:A judge in Islamic law.
Shari’ah:Islamic law based on the Qur’an and sunnah.
Shi’ah:Muslims who believe only the caliph Ali was rightly guided.
Sunnah:The sayings and deeds of the Prophet.
Sunni:Muslims who believe that the first four caliphs were rightly guided.
Ulama:Scholars of Islamic law and jurisprudence.
Ummah:The worldwide Muslim community.

Hijaab

Do you think the play showed a fair reflection on today’s society? Especially in Bradford? What questions did the play raise for you as individuals? Using the contents of the play and the work done in the lessons, answer the following evaluation question:

Assess the claim that 'It is impossible to live in the UK and adhere to a particular faith'

REMEMBER to use the IFEAEC formula and time yourselves!

Year 8- 5 pillars

Write a letter to friend explaining what the 5 pillars are. In your letter try to include

-Main facts
-Rituals
-Why they are important

To help, you can use the video above

Homework-27.9.10

After watching the nasheed above. Explain in your own words

1) Why Belief in the qualities of Allah is important
2) Why believing especially in the mercy of Allah is important
3) Which quality of Allah you think is most important

In addition can you see any problems for a Muslim if they did not believe that Allah was merciful?

Year 9 keywords- Beliefs and values

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU REVISE THESE

Al-Qadar Allah’s control of future events.
Creativity The action of creating the universe by Allah.
Din Way of life (the belief and practice of Islam).
Ibadah All acts of worship/any permissible action performed to obey Allah.
Iman Faith in Allah.
Islam Peace gained through submission to Allah.
Khalifah Custodian or steward of the world of Allah.
Muslim One who has submitted to Allah by accepting Islam.
Qur’an That which is read or recited/the holy book of Islam.
Risalah Muslim beliefs about the prophets of Islam.
Shirk The sin of regarding anything as an equal or partner of Allah.
Tawhid The oneness of Allah.

End of another year

As we approach the end of yet another busy year at Grange, and most of you go off on you study leave. Please remember to continue your revision over the half term. You have all been given revision booklets and quotes to revise so please make use of those.

Your exam is on Monday 7th June 2010, so please make sure you are on time and equipped. You will be asked to complete the Philosophy paper first then the religion one. Each paper is 1 hour 15 minutes long.

The structure of the exam has been explained to you all. There will be 4 questions of which you are required to answer 2. Each question is broken into 2 parts. Part a is your knowledge and understanding question and is worth 30 MARKS. You will need to use the I.P.E.E.C formula to answer this question. The part b question is evaluation and is worth 15 marks. You need to use For and Against to answer this.

Finally good luck I am sure you will ALL do well. If there is anything you need over the holidays then please blog me on here and I will be able to help.

girl banned from wearing a crucifix at school

The Daily Mail headline was large and clear yesterday. "Crucifix banned in school" (or something similar). Samantha Devine, who attends a non-denominational school, had been told to remove her crucifix, a gift from her father. Outrageous? Her father thinks so: "I have seen other religous pupils at the school who are not part of the Christian fath, but they are allowed to wear their religious garments and symbols without being questioned," he said.

However, the school has stated that the reason she has been asked to remove the necklace is because it represents a health and safety risk, and therefore goes against the school rules, which state that neck chains cannot be worn. The school has given Samantha the option of wearing a small lapel badge. After all, Christians are not required to wear any symbol of Christianity, whereas in some religions there is a religious requirement to wear certain clothing or symbols - for example, the 5Ks of Sikhism require every Sikh to have uncut hair (kesh) (and therefore wear a turban) and to wear a bangle (kanga).

At a conference yesterday, I heard that a Bishop (unfortunately I cannot remember the name, nor can I find it on the internet - can anyone help me find his statement?) was interviewed, explaining that Christians are not required to wear symbols, but are required to follow the rules of authority (or something like that) - in this case, if the girl really wishes to show her devotion she could wear a lapel badge, but she should certainly keep the school rules. There is no need for her to break them.

This is an interesting discussion, covering free will, the place of symbolism, devotion, and using religion as an excuse to get your own way ... I'd be with the school and the Bishop on this one. Would you be?

Year 12 evaluation question

Thowing stones at a pillar is a waste of time? ( 15 marks)

Assess this view in light of the rituals at Mina

EXAM DATES

Examination dates summer 2010

YEAR 9: Unit 11 Islam TUESDAY 8th JUNE 2010 (pm)

YEAR 11: Unit A TUESDAY 18th MAY 2010 (pm)

YEAR 11: Unit K Islam TUESDAY 8th JUNE 2010 (pm)

YEAR 12: Philosophy MONDAY 7th JUNE 2010 (am)

YEAR 12: Religion MONDAY 7th JUNE 2010 (am)

YEAR 13: Philosophy FRIDAY 11th JUNE 2010 (am)

YEAR 13: Religion Thursday 17th JUNE 2010 (am)

Women in Islam

Three women discuss the hijab and the veil. As revision to the topic 'Women in Islam', please watch this and comment on the discussion - especially in the light of the French call for the veil to banned in public places.

Evaluation question

In the exam you will be required to answer an evaluation question in part D. Have a look at the question below and remember to explain your views.


'To most Western Muslims the birth rituals are outdated and impractical in the Western world.'

Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion. (3 marks)

Explain why some people may disagree with you? (3 marks)