Key Stage 3 Level Descriptions
| Level | beliefs, teachings and sources I can: |
practices and ways of life I can: |
forms of expression
I can: |
identity and belonging
I can: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Make links between the beliefs (teachings, sources, etc.) of different religious groups and show how they are connected to believers’ lives. | Use the right religious words to describe and compare what practices and experiences may be involved in belonging to different religious groups. | Express religious beliefs (ideas, feelings, etc) in a range of styles and words used by believers and suggest what they mean. | Ask questions about who we are and where we belong, and suggest answers which refer to people who have inspired and influenced myself and others. |
e.g. make links between Qur’anic and Biblical sources and Muslim and Jewish charities e.g. connect some sayings of Jesus with different Christian beliefs about animals |
e.g. use some Pali or Sanskrit terms in describing two different Buddhist types of meditation e.g. compare the way that Hindus and Buddhists might meditate |
e.g. draw and label the key features inside two churches, indicating their meaning for those who worship there | e.g. write an imaginary interview with a member of a minority religious community, referring to the beliefs which sustain them | |
| 5 | Suggest reasons for the similar and different beliefs which people hold, and explain how religious sources are used to provide answers to important questions about life and morality | Describe why people belong to religions and explain how similarities and differences within and between religions can make a difference to the lives of individuals and communities. |
Use a wide religious vocabulary in suggesting reasons for the similarities and differences in forms of religious, spiritual and moral expression found within and between religions. | Give my own and others’ views on questions about who we are and where we belong and on the challenges of belonging to a religion and explain what inspires and influences me. |
| 6 | e.g. compare different Jewish beliefs about the Messiah and say how different interpretations may come about, using biblical and other texts to illustrate their answers | e.g. write an account of Hajj which explains why many Shi’a Muslims will go on to visit the tomb of Ali because they believe that he was the rightful successor to the Prophet Muhammad | e.g. produce a survey of different forms of creative religious expression and suggestions for similarities and differences between them | e.g. write a ‘question and answer’ style report on what it may like to be a member of a religious community in Britain today and outline what impresses them about this religious identity and community |
Say what religions teach about some of the big questions of life, using different sources and arguments to explain the reasons for diversity within and between them. |
Say what different practices and ways of life followers of religions have developed, explaining how beliefs have had different effects on individuals, communities and societies. |
Use correct religious and philosophical vocabulary in explaining what the significance of different forms of religious, spiritual and moral expression might be for believers. |
Consider the challenges of belonging to a religion today with reference to my own and other people’s views on human nature and society, supporting those views with reasons and examples. |
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e.g. complete a poster demonstrating two contrasting religious views on astrology and making reference to religious texts and teachings which support the alternative teachings |
e.g. prepare a guide for Anglican Christians on the celebration of Easter in the Orthodox Church, showing how resurrection belief is expressed in different ways |
e.g. produce a booklet illustrating and explaining different sorts of symbolic expression involved in the life of a Buddhist monk or nun |
e.g. write a news report on different Sikh attitudes to aspects of ‘British’ culture, explaining how Sikh views of human nature and society affect their views |
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| 7 | Present a coherent picture of religious beliefs, values and responses to questions of meaning and truth which takes account of personal research on different religious topics and a variety of sources and evidence |
Show how religious activity in today’s world has been affected by the past and by traditions, and how belonging to a religion may mean different things to different people, even within the same religion. |
Use a wide religious and philosophical vocabulary as well as different of forms of expression in presenting a clear picture of how people express their religious, spiritual and ethical beliefs in a variety of ways. |
Give my personal view with reasons and examples on what value religious and other views might have for understanding myself and others. |
e.g. using books and the internet, investigate Sikh beliefs about the importance of the Guru and do a presentation which coherently illustrates a variety of views |
e.g. produce two ‘pen-pictures’ of Muslims from different communities and explain how history and culture have influenced the way they put their faith into practice in different ways |
e.g. produce an illustrated guide to representations of Jesus from different times and cultures, explaining the Christian beliefs and values presented through the different media |
e.g. produce a summary of my own personal and social relationships alongside an analysis of Hindu and other insights into human nature and community |
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| 8 | Analyse the results of different sorts of research and place different interpretations of religious, spiritual and moral sources in their historical, cultural, social and philosophical contexts. |
Weigh up different points of view and come to a conclusion on how religions and beliefs make a difference to communities and societies in different times and places. |
Use a comprehensive religious and philosophical vocabulary in weighing up the meaning and importance of different forms of religious, spiritual and moral expression. |
Weigh up in detail a wide range of viewpoints on questions about who we are and where we belong, and come to my own conclusions based on evidence, arguments, reflections and examples. |
e.g. research the internet and interview individuals to produce a contextual comparison of interpretations of the resurrection of Jesus |
e.g. conduct a questionnaire and produce findings on whether religion has had a mostly good or bad effect on different local communities |
e.g. select some items of Buddhist artistic expression for an exhibition and produce a booklet of explanations of the symbolism and impact of the items for Buddhist belief and practice over time |
e.g. write an article entitled, ‘What is a Jew’? making use of Jewish and non-Jewish points of view and coming to a conclusion that takes account of religious, cultural and philosophical perspectives |
