Teach Primary Issue 19.6

68 | www.teachwire.net option was followed by a write-in space that recorded 58 different religious identities within Britain. Beyond token lessons But what do we do with all this data? Before we consider a few ideas, it is important to look at what not to do. That is, making single, one-off lessons that give a token idea of what an ‘other religion’ is like without making any links to the rest of the unit or topic. Instead, we should find ways to compare and contrast, blending in other religions as a point of comparison within a lesson. The following examples are for Christianity and Wicca, but can be used for any of the ‘Big 6’ and ‘other’ religions. The nature of the divine Christianity is monotheistic, believing in one God who is understood through the mystery of the Trinity as God the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirt. God is transcendent (beyond human understanding) yet also R eligious education is a wonderful subject, as it allows us to explore the breadth of human belief within our classrooms. With more curriculums using a religion and worldviews pedagogy, we are invited to explore how different communities view the world. But where to start? How can we introduce multiple faiths in substantive, connected ways? The 2021 Census One way to ground your teaching in local reality is to use data from the 2021 census. This showed some broad trends you might expect, such as the fact that Christianity is the most commonly stated religion, followed by No Religion. This second group also saw some of the largest growth compared to the previous census. However, as with all statistics, there are many more stories to be found within the numbers. The data collected on religious identity goes into surprising detail, right down to the postcode the information was collected from. You can view all of this within the Office for National Statistics website using the interactive map ( tinyurl.com/tp-ONSmap ) . Alongside the ‘Big 6’ religions of Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikhi, respondents could also reply with ‘other religion’. This imminent (close in everyday life), giving a complex and nuanced understanding of the divine that is principally defined and explained within the Bible. Conversely, Wicca is primarily duotheistic, with two central deities – the Goddess (often understood in her Maiden–Mother– Crone aspect) and the Horned God – while some traditions embrace a broader polytheism. Within the duotheistic framework, different covens or solitary practitioners may place greater emphasis on one deity over the other, and some feminist strands omit the Horned God entirely. At the same time, many Wiccans honour other pagan deities alongside the Goddess and Horned God, and some conceive of all gods and goddesses as manifestations of a single divine reality. This substantive knowledge presents many points for comparison. Christianity defines its understanding of God through a codified doctrine; Wicca invites a range of personal interpretations. Wicca often has a female deity as the key divine, while Christianity usually presents God as a male figure. Activity: Venn-diagram comparison. Provide pupils with simple descriptions of the Christian Trinity and the Wiccan Goddess/Horned God on cards, and an A3 sheet with an empty Venn diagram (or do this as a class, and display the diagram on the board or via visualiser). Ask the children to place aspects that the religions share (e.g. both traditions speak of a higher power) in the overlap, and the differences in the outer sections. Encourage children to explain their choices. Sacred texts Sacred texts are a wonderful way to explore any religion or worldview. They give a physical object for children to see and words that can be read and re-read to find deeper understanding of the religion and its worldview. They also give an insight into the history of a religion, as these texts are usually written in the earliest days of the faith. The Bible is divided into the Old Testament (with much content shared with the Jewish Torah) and the New Testament. The text was codified in Making meaningful CONNECTIONS Introduce worldviews outside of the ‘Big 6’ religions, and use a compare and contrast approach to develop children’s critical thinking MATTHEW LANE “These lessons foster mutual respect and prepare pupils to engage with a plural world”