Lesson video

Hello, my name's Mrs. Robone, and I would like to welcome you to this lesson on worldviews and religious education.

I'm really looking forward to working with you today.

Let's get started.

Our outcome for today is that by the end of the lesson, you will be able to explain how a person's worldview may be impacted by influential thinkers, by their upbringing and experiences, and describe why this is significant when studying religion.

We're going to use some important keywords today, and they are influence, perspective, religion, and values.

Influence means the ability to shape or change someone's thoughts, beliefs, or actions.

A perspective is a particular way of thinking or viewing something.

Religion is a set of attitudes, beliefs, and practises.

People who follow a religion are described as religious.

And values are core beliefs that guide how a person behaves and makes decisions.

Our lesson today will take two parts.

We will be looking at where worldviews come from and why worldviews matter.

So let's get started on where worldviews come from.

You can see a picture of a magnifying glass or of a lens.

A worldview is like a lens or a magnifying glass because it's what a person sees the world through.

It is a person's way of experiencing, understanding, and responding to the world.

It is a perspective on life and is the way in which we see the world.

Some people compare a worldview to a lens because we look through it to understand the world.

Even though worldviews are personal to us, they are influenced by our experience and they develop over time.

So in this image, we have a police officer, and he is reflecting on his worldview.

He says, "I spend a lot of time in church, where I learn about Jesus and his message of forgiveness.

One story that has stayed with me is how Jesus forgave those who hurt him even in his suffering.

This idea of forgiveness has shaped how I see the world.

Now, as a police officer, I carry these lessons with me.

In my work, I aim to balance enforcing the law with showing understanding.

Just as Jesus showed compassion, I try to offer support to those in difficult situations, believing that people can learn from their mistakes.

I approach each situation with the hope that positive change is possible, trusting that everyone deserves a second chance." Take a moment and discuss with someone nearby if you can, or talk to me, what has influenced the police officer's worldview? Pause the video if you need to and then come back to me.

Now, you might have noticed that the police officer is a Christian, and so his religion has influenced his worldview.

In this example, we see a teacher.

And the teacher is reflecting on his worldview.

He says, "I grew up in a family where we often talked about how people should live and work.

My parents strongly believed in hard work and the importance of taking care of yourself.

These values became a part of who I am.

Now, as a teacher, I try to pass these lessons on to my students.

I encourage them to work hard and to understand the value of their efforts, helping them see that dedication and responsibility are key to success.

Just as my parents taught me, I hope to instil in them the same sense of self-reliance and perseverance." Take a moment to discuss with someone nearby if you can, what has influenced the teacher's worldview? Pause the video if you need to.

So you may have said the teacher's worldview was influenced by his upbringing, or perhaps you said by his parents.

In this example, we have a doctor who is reflecting on her worldview.

She says, "Growing up, I had a small group of friends whose opinions meant a lot to me.

I often found myself doing things to make them happy as their approval was important.

Now, as a doctor, I use that same desire to connect with others in a meaningful way.

I focus on helping patients through difficult times, aiming to improve their health and wellbeing.

Instead of seeking approval, I now offer care and support, helping people regain their strength and make informed decisions about their health." What do you think has influenced the doctor's worldview? Take some time to talk to someone nearby or talk to me.

Pause the video and come back when you are ready.

You may have said that her social experiences have influenced her or perhaps you used the word friendships.

As we have seen, there are lots of different ways in which people's worldviews are influenced.

In this example, we have a scientist reflecting on her worldview.

She says, "From a young age, I was fascinated by how things worked, always asking questions about the world around me.

When I first learned about Aristotle's emphasis on observation and reasoning, it inspired me to look deeper into science.

Today, as a scientist working in a laboratory, I approach my work in the same way as Aristotle did, relying on careful observation and experimentation.

Aristotle's influence taught me to value evidence and logic." Take a moment to think about and discuss what has influenced this scientist's worldview.

Pause if you need to.

You may have written down Aristotle or perhaps you said an influential person or famous person.

Different examples of how someone's worldview might be influenced.

Which statement reflects the influence of upbringing on someone's worldview? So let's check your understanding.

Is it a, someone believes that working hard is important because their parents taught them this.

Is it b, someone believes in being kind to others because their religion teaches them the value of kindness.

Is it c, someone believes in being open-minded because they live in a diverse community which includes many cultures.

Or is it d, Someone believes in standing up for human rights after reading about Martin Luther King Jr.

Take a moment to think about your answer, pause if you need to, and jot down what you think is the correct letter before you come back to check.

Well done if you chose a.

Upbringing links with the idea that parents may have taught someone that working hard is important.

As I said before, lots of things influence our worldviews.

They're not simple.

One thing we cannot escape is the fact that other people influence us, and we might be more influenced by some people than we are by others.

Let's have a look at some examples of people who influence us.

It might be that our teachers influence us, particularly if we're students at the time.

It could be that political leaders influence us.

Perhaps our friends are a big influence on us.

Or maybe we admire some famous people who also influence us.

Take a moment to discuss if there's someone nearby or you can pause and discuss with me, can you think of any other examples of the types of people who influence our worldviews? So let's have a go at a task.

<v ->For Task A, where worldviews come from.

</v> we have, for our first part, Rebecca, Andeep, Laura, and Aisha, who are discussing their worldviews.

Whose is influenced by their social experience? Rebecca says, "I think everyone is basically good.

Judaism teaches that everyone has goodness inside them.

Andeep says, "I agree that everyone is basically good.

My parents have taught me to see the best in people." Laura says, "I too believe that everyone is basically good because most people I meet are kind and helpful." And Aisha says, "I also think everyone is basically good if people like Malala can forgive and fight for justice." Have a think.

Which of those four characters are influenced by their social experience? Choose who you think is the right answer and make a note of why.

Give yourself time to do this.

Pause the video and then come back to me to check your answer.

So your answer may have included Laura.

"I too believe that everyone is basically good.

I think this is because the people I meet are usually kind and helpful." And here's the reason you may have given.

Laura's example shows how her social experience influences her worldview because her friendships with kind and helpful people have shaped her belief that most people are good.

These experiences will also affect how she approaches new relationships.

Well done if you said something along those lines.

So if you mentioned the word friendship and that this affects how she sees people.

So let's have a think about where our own worldviews come from for part two of the task.

I would like you to create a mind map explaining how three different people in your life have influenced your worldview.

You could think about lots of different people, but it could be someone from home, it could be a friend, or it could be someone from school.

Here's how you might set it out.

So what you've written is going to be very personal to you, but here are some examples of the kind of things that you may have said.

Your answers may have included my mum.

My mum expects me to help out around the house, and this has made me realise the importance of teamwork.

My best friend.

My best friend always tells me when they're struggling with their mental health, and this has helped me to realise that it's good to talk about feelings.

Or my RE teacher.

My RE teacher has taught me about different worldviews.

This has helped me to understand my own beliefs.

As I said, there's no right or wrong, but well done if you've managed to think of three people and how they've affected the way that you see things, your worldview.

So now that we've thought about where worldviews come from, let's move on to the second part of our lesson and think about why worldviews matter.

So thinking about and reflecting on our worldviews is really important.

As we said before, a worldview is like a lens through which we see life.

It is a perspective on life and the lens through which we see and experience the world around us.

Our worldviews develop as we grow, but also, they don't change easily.

It's important to understand as well that even if we don't actually realise it, we all have a worldview.

And here's why.

We all have a worldview because we actually can't get by without one.

We need one in order to make sense of life.

And also, we can't avoid having a worldview because we are influenced by the different experiences that we have.

So let's check your understanding.

True or false, everyone has a worldview.

Take a moment to jot down whether you think this is true or false and have a think about why.

Pause if you need to.

Well done if you said true.

And the reason is that everyone has a worldview because we all need to understand our experiences and make sense of life.

Also, we're influenced by factors such as our upbringing and our social experiences.

So let's have a think about why worldviews matter, particularly when considering RE, or religious education.

Let's start by thinking about what we do in RE.

Religious education is learning about what religion and worldviews are and how we study them.

It's also learning about how different worldviews affect people, communities, and society.

In RE, we learn about how to recognise our biases when we study other people's worldviews.

We also learn about the many different worldviews that exist in the world.

Another thing we learn is how to be responsible for our own worldviews.

So having thought about what RE is about, let's think about what it is not learning about.

Religious education is not learning about only your own worldview, nor is it about how one worldview is right and the others are wrong.

RE is also not about how religious worldviews are more important than non-religious worldviews.

It's not about why worldviews used to matter to people in the past.

And it's definitely not about what your worldview should be.

So let's check your understanding.

Why is it important to understand our own worldview when studying religious education? I'd like you to select two options.

We have a, so we can see how our beliefs shape our view of others, b, so we can remain strong in our own beliefs, c, so we can recognise any biases we may have, and d, so we can be more critical of other people's worldviews.

Take some time to think and choose two answers.

Pause if you need to and come back to me.

Well done if you chose a, so we can see how our beliefs shape our view of others, and c, so we can recognise any biases we may have.

So let's have a think about the benefits of reflecting on our own worldview and on the worldviews of others.

Understanding our worldview can help us out in many situations.

Here, we can see the symbol for Sikhi, the khanda.

In a bustling community centre, residents have gathered to debate the proposal to build a new gurdwara on a plot of open land.

One resident speaks up, expressing her wish to preserve the space, explaining how much it means to her and her family as a quiet place for reflection and family time.

She values the connection with nature and worries that losing the land would leave the town without a peaceful retreat.

In contrast, another resident argues for the gurdwara's construction, saying that it would serve as a much needed spiritual centre for the Sikh members of the community.

He sees it as a place where people can come together for worship, education, and support, strengthening their faith and their sense of belonging.

The community leader invites both to share their perspectives in more detail.

The advocate for the open land highlights how rare such spaces are and the need for preserving areas of peace in an increasingly crowded town.

Meanwhile, the supporter of the gurdwara shares how it could offer more than just a place of worship.

It could provide a hub for community activities, for guidance, and for support.

After a thoughtful discussion, the group explores ways to satisfy both needs, and a potential solution emerges, designing the building in a way that incorporates gardens and quiet areas for reflection, allowing the new space to balance the spiritual and natural elements that both residents value.

This approach would ensure the religious building offers both a place of worship and a connection to the calming influence of nature.

We heard in this example how people were prepared to listen to each other and reflect on the different views they had.

But what can happen when people are not prepared to reflect on their worldviews? Take some time to discuss with somebody nearby, or you can talk to me, and come back to me when you are ready.

So let's try thinking about why worldviews matter with Task B.

Izzy is speaking at a student council meeting.

She says, "Some of my friends have complained that the school canteen often sells out of vegetarian food very quickly, and there is none left for those on the second lunch sitting.

I think the canteen should serve only vegan food as this would cater to vegetarians, vegans, and people with religious dietary requirements." Now, you may or may not agree with Izzy's suggestion, but she's trying to take into account lots of different worldviews.

I'd like you to think about how changing the lunch menu could benefit the whole school community.

So how taking into account other people's worldviews can actually benefit everyone.

Take some time, pause the video, and write down your explanation.

You may want to think about how sharing the same food could make people feel.

Now, there are lots of things that you could have said.

You could have said, if all students ate the same food, this would ensure everyone was included.

It would also encourage students to respect each other's values and build a school community that is more accepting of different worldviews.

Well done if you said something along these lines, so if you mentioned the idea that people would feel included and perhaps also the idea of respecting and understanding each other.

Thank you for all your hard work in today's lesson.

We have learned that everyone has a worldview.

We've learned that worldviews are influenced by factors which include social experience, upbringing, and religious beliefs.

We've learned that our worldview is also influenced by other people.

We've learned that religious education is about religion and worldviews, and that understanding our worldview helps us when we try to understand the religion and worldviews of others.