The wonder project is an imaginative and engaging resource that enables secondary school students to join in with the origins debate. It works firmly within the UK school curriculum and helps teachers respond to the various demands made by their local authority's Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) [see bottom of page for listings].
A critical part of project’s structure is a desire to keep controversies in their correct place. In particular, debate about scientific issues will be encouraged in science; religious issues in religious studies.
Following QCA advice
In Feb 2007 the QCA published draft recommendations for a block of six RE lessons that address the issue of origins. These lessons are recommended for year 9. In response to this, the wonder project's resources enable these lessons to be taught, while at the same time presenting a slightly modified structure.
The content follows QCA guidelines so that it "reflects the fact that the religious traditions of Great Britain are in the main Christian, whilst taking account of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain." As a consequence around half of the material provided in the RE lessons will be overtly Christian. The rest of the content will be predominantly shared between Islamic and Hindu faiths and humanism.
Along with this, the project will also supply materials and lesson plans for a range of other subjects. This will enable a cross-curricular approach to engaging with the origins issue. The subject areas will include Art, Drama, English and Science. Consequently the resources presented in the wonder project can be either spread over time, or used in a concentrated block - the choice is yours.
A summer project option
One result of this cross-curricular approach will be that the project could be used as a wonderful resource for teaching in the summer term of year 9. This term has a particular problem, especially for subjects like RE. Many if not most of the students will have decided not to take the course at GSCE and are therefore just sitting the term out - its not a good recipe for concentration and cooperation. If a topic reaches across the cirriculum, however, the information gained in RE. will have relevance in many of the subjects that each student will be taking at GCSE. This will help students see that the class has value for them, and is not simply filling in time before the summer break.
And 6th form...
Further resources will be available for 6th forms (Years 12/13), making the wonder project a uniquely comprehensive schools guide to debates on the boundary of science and faith.
Sign up FREE to gain full access to the site, to be kept in touch with the project and to register interest in helping create and test resources.
Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE)
In each Local Authority has a SACRE committee. The members of these committees have responsibility for determining the syllabus for Religious Education in its community's schools, and to offer advice and guidance to schools and the LA on all matters relating to Religious Education and collective worship.
The committees are required to produce a document, detailing what should be covered in Religious Education in their area. There is a remarkable range in the scope of the individual reports. See if we have got your area's reports listed below, and let us know of links to any that we have not found yet! (If you know of others, send us the link):