IFE Webinar 4: Religious Education and Higher Order Learning

1. Webinar Series
RE and Higher level thinking
How Interfaith Explorers supports the development of
higher order thinking skills and helps pupils to
understand the diverse world around them
4.00pm - 4.45pm
Tuesday 21st October 2014
http://www.interfaithexplorers.com/webinars

2. www.interfaithexplorers.com
• Supported by UNESCO
• Helps pupils understand the world around them & respect
cultural and religious diversity
• Offers high quality cross-curricula resources to use with
pupils at Key Stage 2 and those embarking on their Key
Stage 3 transition
• Supports core personal and social skills development as
well as self-directed, exploratory learning
• Promotes universal core values & the development of
ethical thinking
• Designed to compliment RE and PSHE teaching, alongside
citizenship education

3. Webinars
• Support teachers in their work around
interfaith dialogue and RE / PSHE /
Citizenship learning in schools
• Offers a space for teachers to come
together and think about issues arising from
classroom practice in these areas

4. Webinar Presenters
• Claire Clinton
o An experienced teacher within EYFS, Primary and Secondary
education
o She has over 20 years of classroom experience, and 16 years of
advisory work at a national and local level
o Presently the Religious Education Advisor for the London Borough
of Newham for six years
o Former RE consultant for the London Borough of Redbridge and
Essex County Council

5. Session objectives
• Understanding why & how higher order thinking activities
are effective in engaging and developing pupils – and
key principals
• Learning how RE attainment target levels can be used to
improve pupils higher order thinking skills
• Demonstrating how Interfaith Explorers resource and ‘I
can’ statements can effectively support higher order
thinking
• Activities and resources that can support the acquisition
of higher learning skills.

6. Why higher order thinking skills
Ofsted guidance on outstanding RE teaching says:
“Teachers consistently plan and deliver RE very
effectively to enable pupils to forge strong links
between their study of religion and belief and their
exploration of more personal reflections on issues of
meaning and purpose. They ensure that pupils are
very actively involved in a clear process of learning
which secures a progressive, structured development
of high level skills of enquiry and reflection.”

7. Skills in RE
• Investigation
• Interpretation
• Application
• Evaluation
• Analysis
• Synthesis

8. Definitions 1
Investigation - this includes:
•asking relevant questions
•knowing how to use a variety of sources in order to gather
information
•knowing what may count as good evidence in
understanding religion(s)
Interpretation - this includes:
•the ability to draw meaning from artefacts, works of art,
poetry and symbolism;
•the ability to interpret religious language;
•the ability to suggest meanings of religious texts.

9. Definitions 2
Application - this includes:
• Making links between religion and individual, community,
national and international life
• Identifying key religious values and their links with secular
values
Evaluation - this includes:
• The ability to debate issues with reference to evidence,
argument, opinion and statements of faith
• Weighing the respective claims of self-interest,
consideration for others, religious teaching and individual
conscience

10. Definitions 3
Analysis - this includes:
•Distinguishing between opinion, belief and fact
•Recognising bias, caricature, prejudice and stereotyping
•Distinguishing between the features of different religions
Synthesis - this includes:
•Linking significant features of religion(s) together in a
coherent pattern
•Connecting different aspects of life into a meaningful
whole

11. Blooms Taxonomy
Knowledge or Recall
(questions that require recall of facts)
Comprehension
(questions that require selection of facts to describe, compare,
contrast, translate)
Application
(questions to encourage application of information learnt)
Analysis
(questions asked to demonstrate understanding of relationships,
patterns etc)
Synthesis
(questions that test thorough understanding of a subject)
Evaluation
(questions that require assessment of various options)

12. RE & Interfaith Explorers
‘I can’ statements

13. ‘Same, similar and different’ Activity 1
• Pupils do this task in groups of
three
• First give them the three prayers
from the Interfaith Explorers
website: pupil resources section:
interfaithexplorers.com/for-pupils
• Ask them in their groups to read
them, one at the time
• Discuss what is similar and
different about these three
prayers
• Give them the sheet to note
their thoughts onto

14. Possible answers
• Here are some possible
answers &you can find
these sheets on the
webinar section of the
Interfaith Explorers
website
• This is a great higher
order thinking skills task
as the pupils are having
to speculate, make
sense of information by
analysing it and
synthesising it

15. ‘What matters most’ Activity 2
• Download ‘The Rabbi and the cow’ story and read to your pupils:
http://interfaithexplorers.com/for-teachers/classroom-and-teaching-resources/the-rabbi-and-the-cow
• Place your pupils in groups of 3’s and give them six possible ‘right’
answers for what the meaning of the story could be
• Ask them to place them on the dart board in the order that they
think answers the question ‘what is the most important meaning of
this story’, just one in each circle and one left off the dart board
• Answer choices are:
o The world is unfair
o The world is not what it seems
o Always be kind to beggars
o Only God can do justice in this world
o Never argue with a prophet
o Death could come at any time

16. ‘What matters most’
dartboard

17. Independent research sheet

18. Wrap up
Any questions?

19. Contact us
For further information about the webinar series and
how Interfaith Explorers can support you visit:
www.interfaithexplorers.com
or contact
Rokhsana Fiaz OBE
Chief Executive
Maimonides Interfaith Foundation
rokhsana@maimonides-foundation.org

20. Same, similar and different
Shared by 1 & 3
Shared by all
Number 1
Christian prayer
Number 3
Jewish Prayer
Number 2
Muslim P rayer
Shared by 2 & 3
Shared by 1 & 2
Unique to
2
Unique to
1
Unique to
3

21. Same, similar and different
Shared by 1 & 3
Now and for
ever, or for
ever and ever –
eternal nature
of God
expressed
Shared by all
God is one; all
praise God
(hallowed;
praise; blessed);
Number 1
Christian prayer
Number 3
J ewish Prayer
Number 2
Muslim Prayer
Shared by 2 & 3
Idea that only to
God can they turn
to help them;
remember God
Shared by 1 & 2
Both prayers ask
for help from God;
lead them on the
right path each
day; both talk
about day of
judgement (your
kingdom come &
day of judgement)
Unique to 2
Names of God
- God the
compassionate
& the Merciful
Unique to 1
Talk to God as
father, very
personal
Unique to 3
Love God with
heart, soul.
strength

22. The world is unfair
The world is not what
it seems
Always be kind to
beggars
Only God can do
justice in this world
Never argue with a
prophet
Death could come at
any time
The world is unfair
The world is not what
it seems
Always be kind to
beggars
Only God can do
justice in this world
Never argue with a
prophet
Death could come at
any time
The world is unfair
The world is not what
it seems
Always be kind to
beggars
Only God can do
justice in this world
Never argue with a
prophet
Death could come at
any time
The world is unfair
The world is not what
it seems
Always be kind to
beggars
Only God can do
justice in this world
Never argue with a
prophet
Death could come at
any time
The world is unfair
The world is not what
it seems
Always be kind to
beggars
Only God can do
justice in this world
Never argue with a
prophet
Death could come at
any time
The world is unfair
The world is not what
it seems
Always be kind to
beggars
Only God can do
justice in this world
Never argue with a
prophet
Death could come at
any time
The world is unfair
The world is not what
it seems
Always be kind to
beggars
Only God can do
justice in this world
Never argue with a
prophet
Death could come at
any time
The world is unfair
The world is not what
it seems
Always be kind to
beggars
Only God can do
justice in this world
Never argue with a
prophet
Death could come at
any time
The world is unfair
The world is not what
it seems
Always be kind to
beggars
Only God can do
justice in this world
Never argue with a
prophet
Death could come at
any time
The world is unfair
The world is not what
it seems
Always be kind to
beggars
Only God can do
justice in this world
Never argue with a
prophet
Death could come at
any time
The world is unfair
The world is not what
it seems
Always be kind to
beggars
Only God can do
justice in this world
Never argue with a
prophet
Death could come at
any time
The world is unfair
The world is not what
it seems
Always be kind to
beggars
Only God can do
justice in this world
Never argue with a
prophet
Death could come at
any time