Download SUGGESTED UNIT OUTLINE INCLUDING TEACHING PACKS

KEY STAGE
2
OSU TITLE:
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A MUSLIM?
ISLAM
5-6 HOURS
WHAT’S THE PURPOSE OF THIS UNIT?
It is the intention of this unit to explore the key beliefs of the Muslim faith, especially concerning Allah and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and the
importance for Muslims of studying the Qur’an. It is especially important that pupils spend some time studying stories about Muhammad, as a way
of helping them to understand the teachings of the Qur’an.
CORE KNOWLEDGE
LEARNING ABOUT RELIGION which includes:
LEARNING FROM RELIGION which includes:
knowing about and understanding beliefs, teachings & sources; expressing ideas and insights into questions of identity, diversity &
Pupils should learn:
practices & ways of life; ways of expressing meaning
SUCCESS CRITERIA:
All pupils will be able to:
 identify why Muslims forbid images (L3)
 describe some key Muslim beliefs e.g. about
Allah, the prophets, Muhammad (pbuh) and the
Qur’an (L3)
that Muslims believe:
 Muhammad (pbuh) is the last of the prophets
of Islam
 the prophets who came before Muhammad
(pbuh) include Adam, Ibrahim, Musa and Isa
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Most pupils should be able to:
 describe key moments from the life of the
prophet Muhammad and explain their
significance in Muslim belief (L4)
 describe how following the teaching of the Qur’an
affects daily life for Muslims (L4)
the Qur’an is Allah’s final revelation to
humanity and was revealed to the Prophet by
the Angel Jibril (Gabriel) in Arabic
that Muslims read the Qur’an in the original
Arabic
there is no God but God (Allah); he is One and
without equal
Allah is the Creator, Provider and Sustainer; he
cannot be compared and is everywhere
images of Allah, angels, prophets or any living
creatures are not permitted in Islam
Some pupils might be able to:
 explain how and why differences in religious
belief about God / Allah are expressed (e.g. not
translating the Qur’an / many Bible translations)
(L5)
belonging; meaning, purpose & truth; values & commitments
SUCCESS CRITERIA:
All pupils will be able to:
 identify people in their own lives whose example
they try to follow and compare with why Muslims
follow Muhammad (pbuh) (L3)
 discuss the importance of respect for others or
special words from their own & a Muslim point of
view (L3)
Most pupils should be able to:
 describe how teachings / words from the Qur’an or
stories from the life of Muhammad might inspire
Muslims and make connections with what inspires
them (L4)
Some pupils might be able to:
 suggest ways in which a belief in Allah might affect
the decisions of Muslims and the challenges this
might present (L5)
POSSIBLE LEARNING JOURNEY:
Engage: What’s the message?
 Finish the statement: ‘To be a good messenger, you need to......’
 Then, as a class, play Chinese Whispers to show how easy it is for a simple message to be changed unintentionally.
 How does this help them to understand why Muslims believe it’s better to read the Qur’an in the original Arabic?
Enquire and Explore: What do Muslims believe.....?
.... about Muhammad (pbuh) the messenger? ....about Allah, Sustainer and Creator? ....about the Qur’an, Allah’s final revelation?
Gather children’s questions / comments about their knowledge of Islam from their learning so far, gathered onto big paper, one per group.
 Listen to stories about the life of Muhammad (pbuh) especially how the Qur’an was revealed to Muhammad on the Night of Power (Laylat al-Qadr) in the cave on Mount
Hira. What do the stories reveal about Muslim beliefs? What might a Muslim learn from the example of Muhammad in the story? What about stories of other prophets?
 Listen to some short readings from the Qur’an e.g. Surah 16: 1-21, 66-70, 77-83 on the wonders of creation. Compare their experience of where they seek and receive
guidance and talk about when it is important to listen to and follow guidance. How might this help us understand the importance of the Qur’an for Muslims?
GUILDFORD DIOCESAN GUIDELINES FOR R.E. – Optional Study Unit
 Interview a Muslim visitor (or willing pupils) about their thoughts on the Qur’an and why it is such an important part of their lives.
 Find out how the shahadah is important at birth (aqueqah) and death – and think about why this might be. Are there any words that are this important to you?
 Explore how Islamic calligraphy can bring Muslim beliefs into everyday life (e.g. Tawhid – Oneness of Allah). How does this belief compare with the key beliefs about God
in other religions?
Evaluate: What does it mean to be a Muslim?
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Review the questions / comments that you wrote together at the start of the unit: what more can you add to the big paper now?
Complete the statement: ‘The most important thing for a Muslim is......’ Compare your answers with the rest of the group, then create / negotiate a group version.
Compare your group’s with the other groups’, and create a class version.
 Look at recent newspaper articles / photos featuring Islam: do you agree with how Islam is portrayed in the media? What might a Muslim say about this? What in daily life
do you think might present the most challenges for Muslims?
Express: Pupils could...
 Create their own Islamic-style art to express the idea of ‘God is One’.
 Write a news article reporting what happened and the reactions of the people of Makkah to what Muhammad said after the Night of Power.
 Create a booklet ‘Lessons from the life of Muhammad (pbuh)’, outlining some things that Muslims might learn from stories of the Prophet’s life.
 Write Qur’an ‘similes’ to describe how Muslims value the Qur’an e.g. For a Muslim, the Qur’an might be like an ocean…..a lighthouse……a police officer…..because etc.
SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED BY THIS UNIT
Pupils should demonstrate progression by:
KEY VOCABULARY
EVIDENCE OF PUPIL PROGRESS
 Reflecting on the importance of the Qur’an & the
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to Muslims, and on
experiences, beliefs and practices of Muslim
communities
 Empathising by seeing the world through the eyes
of Muslims, and seeing issues from their point of
view
 Investigating by gathering information about what
Muslims believe from a variety of sources e.g.
visitors, photos, stories, texts from the Qur’an
 Interpreting by drawing meaning from artefacts
and symbolism; interpreting religious language and
suggesting meanings of religious texts
 Analysing by distinguishing between the features
of different religions e.g. comparing Muslim beliefs
with those of other faith communities and
suggesting reasons why they might be different
 Synthesising by linking significant features of
Islam together to gain a more complete
understanding of what it means to be a Muslim
 Applying by explaining how Muslim beliefs affect
both individuals and communities
 Expressing by explaining Muslim concepts, rituals
and practices
revelation
Makkah
Qur’an
Mount Hira
Laylat al-Qadr
(Night of Power)
Sacred
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Tawhid (Oneness of Allah)
Aqueqah
Prophets – Adam (Adam);
Ibrahim (Abraham); Musa
(Moses); Isa (Jesus)
calligraphy
surah (chapters in Qur’an)
Learning about religions: investigating stories and
extracts from the Qur’an; making links between beliefs
and ways of life; comparing key beliefs
 Learning from religion: all ’Express’ tasks encourage
pupils to demonstrate understanding of what is
important for Muslims
LINKS WITH OTHER UNITS ACROSS KEY STAGES\
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KS1 units – ‘What is important to Muslim children?’
KS2 units – ‘What are the pillars of Islam?’; ‘How can a mosque help us to understand the Muslim faith?’
Surrey Agreed Syllabus KS3 units – ‘How is self-discipline reflected in the everyday life of a Muslim?’; ‘How does the Qur’an
reveal the will of Allah?’
POINTS TO NOTE / BACKGROÚND KNOWLEDGE
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If you have pupils who are not yet working at level 3, then use the success criteria on the alternative assessment grid. In
order to achieve at level 5, pupils will need to make connections with learning from other units of work. As you go through
this unit, encourage more able pupils to make comparisons between the key beliefs of Islam and other religions.
‘Pbuh’ – after the name of Muhammad is spoken, Muslims say ‘sallallahu alayhi wasallam’ (‘peace be upon him’) as
a mark of respect. Muslims are followers of Muhammad in the same way that Christians follow Jesus.
There should be no pictorial representation of Allah, Muhammad, any of the other prophets of Islam or any living creature.
Patterns or calligraphy are often used as decoration instead – many are words from the Qur’an or names of Allah.
Dramatising stories is sometimes tricky too – as a rule, it is possible provided that no-one takes on the part of Muhammad,
& that any words spoken are done so through indirect speech e.g. ‘Muhammad said that….’ Focussing pupils’ dramatic
abilities on the actions of his followers / observers is another way to make stories work respectfully. Depth of understanding
is more important here than experiencing lots of stories.
Muslims believe that the Qur’an is a gift from Allah & is a copy of a book kept in heaven, containing Allah’s guidance on
what to believe & how to live good lives. It is treated with utmost respect. Muslim children learn Arabic so that they can read
it in the original language, which hasn’t been changed by translation. Many Muslims learn all 112 surah (chapters) by heart.
GUILDFORD DIOCESAN GUIDELINES FOR R.E. – Optional Study Unit
Assessment sheet for RE
OSU: What does it mean to be a Muslim? (levels 3-5) Year:
LEARNING FROM RELIGION
‘expressing ideas and insights’
LEARNING ABOUT RELIGION
‘knowing about and
understanding’
Some children will have not
made so much progress and will
be able to:


identify why Muslims forbid images (L3)
and / or
describe some key Muslim beliefs e.g.
about Allah, the prophets, Muhammad
(pbuh) and the Qur’an (L3)
Most children will be able to:


describe key moments from the life of the
prophet Muhammad and explain their
significance in Muslim belief (L4)
and / or
describe how following the teaching of the
Qur’an affects daily life for Muslims (L4)
Some children may have
progressed further and will be
able to:

explain how and why differences in
religious belief about God / Allah are
expressed (e.g. not translating the Qur’an /
many Bible translations) (L5)
Names:
Names:
Names:

 describe how teachings / words from the
Qur’an or stories from the life of
Muhammad might inspire Muslims and
make connections with what inspires them
(L4)

Names:
Names:

identify people in their own lives whose
example they try to follow and compare
with why Muslims follow Muhammad
(pbuh) (L3) and / or
discuss the importance of respect for
others or special words from their own & a
Muslim point of view (L3)
Names:
GUILDFORD DIOCESAN GUIDELINES FOR R.E. – Optional Study Unit
suggest ways in which a belief in Allah
might affect the decisions of Muslims and
the challenges this might present (L5)
Assessment sheet for RE
OSU: What does it mean to be a Muslim? (levels 2-4) Year:
Some children will have not
made so much progress and will
be able to:
LEARNING FROM RELIGION
‘expressing ideas and insights’
LEARNING ABOUT RELIGION
‘knowing about and
understanding’



retell stories from the life of the Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) (L2)
and / or
suggest what Muslims might learn from
these stories or words from the Qur’an
(L2)
and / or
identify some things that Muslims believe
(L2)
Most children will be able to:


identify why Muslims forbid images (L3)
and / or
describe some key Muslim beliefs e.g.
about Allah, the prophets, Muhammad
(pbuh) and the Qur’an (L3)
Some children may have
progressed further and will be
able to:


describe key moments from the life of the
prophet Muhammad and explain their
significance in Muslim belief (L4)
and / or
describe how following the teaching of the
Qur’an affects daily life for Muslims (L4)
Names:
Names:
Names:


 describe how teachings / words from the
Qur’an or stories from the life of
Muhammad might inspire Muslims and
make connections with what inspires them
(L4)

suggest why the Qur’an might be
important for Muslims and what is
important to themselves (L2)
and / or
respond sensitively and imaginatively to
Muslim beliefs and ideas (L2)
Names:

identify people in their own lives whose
example they try to follow and compare
with why Muslims follow Muhammad
(pbuh) (L3) and / or
discuss the importance of respect for
others or special words from their own & a
Muslim point of view (L3)
Names:
Names:
GUILDFORD DIOCESAN GUIDELINES FOR R.E. – Optional Study Unit