Year 9 Religious Studies Revision Contents 1) About the exam 2) Key content to revise 3) Types of exam questions 4) Example exam questions and sample paper 1) About the exam The Year 9 Religious Studies exam is on the topics you have studied since beginning the GCSE course (Religion & Animal Rights and Religion & Planet Earth) There are a series of questions which will aim to test your knowledge and understanding about the key issues as well as your skills of evaluation, analysis and argument. The questions broadly use the same format as GCSE style questions. The exam lasts one hour and you should aim to answer all questions. 2) Key Content: Religion and Animal Rights Companions and helpers About 43% of UK households have at least one pet Pets have a different status to other animals our friends and companions Some animals are specifically trained to help people. Eg: Guide dogs for the blind and hearing dogs for the deaf
Transport and work Animals are used to help humans work as vehicles, find drugs & explosives, catch fish, work their owners land, provide humans with food etc Many are well looked after, even once they have retired However many are beasts of burden carrying huge, heavy loads and then left to die when they can no longer work Farming In developing world farmers have small farms with few animals usually to provide for their own family Different types of farm in the UK battery, organic and free-range farms Sometimes animals are not cared for properly because they are just products or they are forced to breed at unnatural rates Issue of nature versus profit as farming is a business In sport Many animals involved in sport are highly trained and well looked after. Eg: horse or greyhound racing However many sports involve animals fighting against each other. Eg: badger baiting or dog fighting These sports are considered cruel by many and some are illegal. None of the sports that involve animals are how the animal would naturally live Hunting when humans chase and kill an animal for food, fur or for sport. Many enjoy hunting in the UK as a blood sport. Eg: fox hunting Bullfighting the national sport of Spain. The bullfighter (matador) uses set moves during the fight to distract, annoy and hurt the bull. Eventually the bull is killed with one well-aimed sword stab through the heart. This is cruel and subjects the bull to great pain over a long time Experimentation Animals are sometimes tested upon by scientists. This helps to further our medical knowledge, test new drugs or test new products for harmfulness (toxicity) although animal genetics and human genetics are different and the reaction may not be the same The animals will suffer in some way. Some experiments mean a change in diet, but others cause injury and even death Some animals (eg: rabbits, mice, rats etc) are specially bred in farms specifically for use in experiments. Live animals are humanely destroyed at the end of the experiments
Zoos Places where animals from other countries and climates are kept for people to look at. In developed countries, every effort is made to recreate the natural environment and diet of their animals. Zoos in developing countries are not normally like this Animals in zoos are caged in over night this is often their most active time in the wild Breeding programmes in zoos are very expensive Genetic modification and cloning Sometimes scientists change the DNA of an animal to create new forms of the species. This can create animals whose organs could be used for human transplants Cloning is where scientists can create an exact replica of an animal using its DNA. The most famous is Dolly the Sheep. Some people see this as a way to save some endangered species, but others see this as scientists trying to play God and therefore unacceptable The Fur & Ivory trades Historically animals have been shot and killed for their coats or tusks and used as a fashion item. Today, fur items come from farms using battery methods to breed the animals and then electrocute them. Many of these farms are in hot countries like Korea even though the animals are originally from very cold countries Ivory comes from elephants who are killed for their tusks in this illegal trade. We do not need either fur or ivory and the methods by which these are obtained are very cruel Treatment of animals in the wild Wild animals often have an important role to play in our ecosystem and many enhance the beauty of our environment. Eg: Garden birds Others are seen as a pest and are often chased away or killed. Eg: rats, foxes, herons who visit garden ponds Bearing in mind these are wild animals, should we support them by providing them food? Preventing extinction of animals Animals become extinct when there are no more examples of them left in the world. Humans have already made any species extinct (such as the Dodo) and once a species is extinct it is gone forever Scientists estimate that over 15,000 species are currently endangered
Do humans have a right to hunt animals for fun? All species have an important role to play in our world Vegetarianism Many reasons why people choose not to eat meat including health, upbringing, religion and concerns about farming Vegans choose not to eat meat or dairy. Vegetarians choose not to eat meat or meat products Christian, Muslim and Jewish faiths allow meat in their diets, although with some restrictions. Hindus, Buddhists and many Sikh s are vegetarian, following their beliefs in non-violence and showing respect for all life Religious Teachings about the use of animals Buddhism: Believers are against the use of animals - Do not hurt other sentient (living) beings (First Precept). Animals are part of the cycle of rebirth, it is important to show respect to all life. If there is no other option, it may be acceptable to end the suffering of an animal by killing it. Christianity: God made the world and gave humans dominion over it (Genesis). Believers are God s stewards of the earth, therefore they should protect animal rights. All life was created by God so it should be protected and looked after. On the Day of Judgement, believers will be called to account for their actions. Hinduism: Respect for animals is key to Hindu life. Ahimsa (non-violence towards other life forms) is a key belief. Hindu worship includes respect for nature and many deities are linked to specific animals. Every action gains the believer good or bad karma the way a believer treats animals is part of this. Islam: Humans are Khalifah trustees and guardians of the world (Qur an). Humans are superior to animals, however animals should not be exploited or abused. Using animals is fine, but you have to be able to show that you treated them fairly. Judaism: Animals are inferior to humans and can be used by them, but always be treated well. Stewardship is very important in Judaism. experiments are acceptable if their purpose is to improve the well-being humans tests that involve cruelty are forbidden. must Animal of Sikhism: Believers should respect God s creation as a way of worshipping God many Sikhs are vegetarian as a way of demonstrating their respect for God s creation. Any exploitation of, or cruelty to, animals is wrong. If you say that there is God in every being, then why kill a chicken? (Guru Granth Sahib).
www.animalaid.org.uk www.animalethics.org Useful websites for this topic www.animalsuffering.com/religion.html www.beep.ac.uk Words to learn Animal Rights Stewardship Creation Sanctity of Life Vegetarianism Companionship Animal Experimentation Factory Farming Zoos Hunting Fur trade Ivory trade Extinction Cloning Genetic modification Religion and Animal Rights Subjects within topic do you know? How humans use animals to help them How humans exploit animals How humans and animals differ the status of each Religious attitudes towards animal rights Religious attitudes towards slaughter methods, to meat eating, and about any food rules Religious attitudes to animal experimentation Religious attitudes to zoos, including their role in conservation of species Religious attitudes towards the use of animals in sport, including hunting, bull fighting and racing Religious attitudes towards farming, including factory farming The rights and wrongs of each of the ways humans use animals Religion and Planet Earth Key Terms: Creation This refers to how the world began. Most major world religions (except Buddhism) believe that a higher being (God) was responsible for creating the world. Stewardship - A steward is someone who acts in a caretaking role. They are people who do not own what they look after, but look after it for someone else. In this topic the term stewardship means looking after the earth for somebody else (usually God). Future s thinking This means thinking about the future. It encourages believers to think about the impact of problems in the future. Whatever we do in the world, we will still have to live there and future generations will also be affected.
World Problems Climate Change & Global Warming Human activities (use of fossil fuels etc) have speeded up temperature change in the earth. This will result in more extreme weather, plants and animals will have to adapt or die, sea levels will rise causing destruction. Solution is to find alternative energy sources such as renewable/sustainable energy. Pollution Too much of something causes an imbalance and therefore damages the environment. It can be of air, water, land, light or noise. Pollution is a big part of the reason for the increasing temperature. Our waste produces the greenhouse gases that heat the Earth. Pollution can also affect our health, destroy wildlife and create acid rain, which poisons the land and the water. Destruction of Natural Habitats Pollution is one reason why this occurs. Another is deforestation (where huge areas of forest are cut down). Deforestation destroys the habitat of many species and trees help fight global warming by converting carbon dioxide into oxygen. Destroying the homes of animals and plants puts some species at risk of extinction. Use and abuse of natural resources As a result of technological advances, humans use natural resources in great quantities and at a fast rate. This means that some natural resources such as coal are running out. These natural resources also give off lots of greenhouse gases and cause more pollution. Modern Living Increased use of cars which use fossil fuels and are a major polluter. Household waste in landfill sites also emit greenhouse gases. The meat for fast-food burgers often comes from herds that graze on cleared rainforest land thus contributing to the destruction of natural habitats.
Looking after the World International Efforts Earth Summits every 10 years since 1972. These try to build up agreements between nations and stop the biggest nations from doing things at the expense of smaller developing nations. Kyoto Agreements (2002 Summit) 83 governments and the European Union signed up to the following agreements: 1) Cleaner fuels (using gas); using fuel-cell technology; using renewable fuels and use of nuclear technologies 2) Reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions Sustainable development All new technological developments should be infinite/very long lasting. In other words, not swapping coal for a fuel that would also quickly run out or making sure that new technology was not too expensive for anyone to use. Conservation Meaning trying to protect an area or a species. Can involve repair or rebuild jobs in parts of the world. Or developing areas as a nature reserve to protect wildlife and the environment there. Sometimes people take holidays which are based around conservation. Religious teachings on the environment. Christianity: God made the world and gave the duty of stewardship to humans (Genesis). www.christian-ecology.org.uk Buddhism: Compassion for all life. There are karmic consequences to all our actions. The earth is not only the common heritage of all humankind but also the ultimate course of life (Dalai Lama). www.earthsangha.org Hinduism: Respect for all life and Ahimsa. All life is interdependent and depends on the environment. www.fov.org.uk Islam: The world is green and beautiful and Allah has appointed you his stewards over it (Quir an). www.ifees.org Judaism: All that I created for you do not corrupt or desolate my world there will be no one to repair it after you (Midrash Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7 v 13). www.coejl.org Words to learn Creation Stewardship Awe Community Pollution Religion and Planet Earth Subjects within topic do you know? Religious explanations of how the world and life began How the planet can be a source of awe and wonder, making us think of God The problem with trying to help humans, but still protecting the environment
Climate change Natural resources Natural habitat Earth Summits Renewable energies Sustainable development Conservation How people damage the environment How and why people help the environment, both as individuals and in groups The world s response to environmental problems, eg: Earth Summits, Kyoto etc Religious attitudes to the natural world Religious attitudes to each specific topic climate change, pollution, use and abuse of natural habitat, and conservation How modern living contributes to the problems, and how it needs to be part of the solution 3) Types of exam question There are two main types of exam question knowledge-based questions and evaluative questions. Knowledge-based questions Some knowledge-based questions will want you to give a brief (but accurate) definition for the key terms so make sure that you know the definitions for the key words in the revision checklist (at the end of Section 2) Other questions will want you to give examples of prejudice/discrimination or reasons why they occur. A good tip is if the question starts with Give then it wants a list of things, but if it says Explain it wants you to use PEE paragraphs. There will be some questions that want you to explain how religious believers or how people generally might respond to various issues that are related to the overall topic you should aim to explain two reasons/teachings/beliefs. You will also be expected to be able to explain how religious people might respond to or challenge issues of prejudice and/or discrimination. In particular, you will be expected to give an account of what specific religious believers have done about these issues. Evaluative questions These are very easy to spot as they normally begin with a statement and will ask you to explain opinions about the statement.
Three mark evaluative questions will only want you to give your opinion, but six mark evaluative questions will want you to explain both agree and disagree before giving your overall opinion. The statements will be deliberately one-sided. It is very important in the six mark questions that you do give BOTH viewpoints (agree and disagree). Some students get distracted by the one-sidedness of the statements and only give one viewpoint which means they can only get a maximum of half marks. Six mark evaluative questions will also expect you to make some reference to religious arguments/teachings if you want to score more than half marks. A good formula to use in your answers for six mark evaluative questions is S.O.R.I Some people [agree/disagree] Because Others [agree/disagree] Because This means that This means that Religions would [agree/disagree] Because I [agree/disagree] Because This means that 4) Example exam questions Knowledge-based Questions 1) Explain what is meant by global warming. (2 marks) 2) Explain two reasons why many religious believers are concerned about climate change. (4 marks) 3) Explain actions religious people might take to look after the planet. (3 marks) 4) Give two ways in which animals and humans are different. (2 marks) 5) Explain why some religious believers are vegetarians. (4 marks) 6) Explain the attitudes of religious people towards the cloning of animals. Refer to religious teaching in your answer. (3 marks)
Knowledge question Mark-scheme Level Description Mark 0 Nothing relevant or worthy of credit 0 1 Something relevant or worthy of credit 1 2 Elementary knowledge and understanding eg: two simple points 2 3 Sound knowledge and understanding 3 4 Clear knowledge and understanding with some development and/or analysis 4 Evaluative Questions 1) Planet Earth is God s world. What do you think? Explain your opinion. (3 marks) 2) It s more important to enjoy life than to worry about using up the world s resources. Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer, showing that you have thought about more than one point of view. Refer to religious arguments in your answer. (6 marks) 3) Religious believers should not keep animals as pets. What do you think? Explain your opinion. (3 marks) 4) Religious believers should do more to protect animal rights. Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer, showing that you have thought about more than one point of view. Refer to religious arguments in your answer. (6 marks) Evaluative question mark-scheme Level Description Mark 0 Unsupported opinion or no relevant evaluation of the quote. 0 1 Opinion (eg: I agree) supported by one simple reason 1 2 Opinion supported by two simple reasons, or one elaborated reason (inc example). 3 Opinion supported by one well-developed reason, or a series of simple reasons, on one or both sides. 4 Opinion supported by two developed reasons, with reference to religion. (eg: you gave two reasons and explained them a bit) 5 Evidence of reasoned consideration of two different points of view, with reference to religion. (eg: you gave some reasons for each viewpoint and explained them, showing how they related to the quote and used paragraphs) 6 A well-argued response, with evidence of reasoned consideration of two different viewpoints and clear reference to religion. 2 3 4 5 6