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AQA A2 - Unit 4 - Life Death & Beyond

Last post 18/04/12 at 13:47 by STEFANIA, 15 replies
Post started by Kaliblue on 14/01/10 at 17:20

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    Posted by: Kaliblue 14/01/2010 at 17:20
    Joined on 17/05/2007
    Posts 78

     Hi there,

     Is there anyone else out there doing this spec?  We have recently moved to AQA from another exam board and are a little at a loss at the mo.

     We have loads of stuff on the rest of it that we would be willing to share - but any steer/ advice that you could give us would really be appreciated.

     This appears to be one of those 'free to teach' units that I am sure we will love once we get our heads round it but at the moment it's just scary!  We have been given practically no guidance here and have found nothing/ loads on the web.  I mean by this that I am sure that I am now signed up to some watch list after going through lots of mad stuff on the internet but have no idea what is relevant!

     We are also a little concerned that we have gotten a little philosophical rather than theological on this one - is that OK?

    Any help/ advice would be so much appreciated and reciprocated if at all possible!

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    Posted by: SocratesSister 16/01/2010 at 01:32
    Joined on 12/10/2005
    Posts 110
    In the same boat ... and just as lost as you are. Any good AQA navigators?
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    Posted by: Kaliblue 20/01/2010 at 09:19
    Joined on 17/05/2007
    Posts 78

    I fear that we are two lone voices - this is the first response I've ever had to several questions on this.  Contact me if you want to share stuff - though it may well be the blind leading the blind :)

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    Posted by: cecr 21/01/2010 at 14:50
    Joined on 04/05/2004
    Posts 94

    Hi am also covering A2 AQA, but doing Sexual Ethics, Libertarianism & freewill...then Religious Experience for synoptic.

     

    Let me know your email and i can send you some stuff that i got from aqa office but am not allowed to puton restuff....basically the handouts from the inset meetings but may be helpful.

     

    would love to collaborate with others as exam technique and responses to AO1 and AO2 questions will be relevant to all of us.

     

     

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    Posted by: restudent 20/11/2011 at 20:28
    Joined on 15/11/2009
    Posts 4

    hi there

    We are doing this unit (AQA unit 4a Life, death and beyond) and now I am about to teach it and just looked at the spec and resources-nothing out there and not much help from AQA. Can't even source most of the books on the reading list  - is this an ethics question as well as philosophy of religion...???? How did you get on?

    any words of advice much appreciated and needed...aaagghhh

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    Posted by: jerseyperson 20/11/2011 at 21:31
    Joined on 24/01/2010
    Posts 121
    Hi there. I haven't taught this but my colleague did the last 2 years and we got some great results. I'll cobble together some of the stuff that we did. Also, I sat the exam this year and got an A*. I've ordered back some papers, including mine, and could always scan and e-mail these over to you if you're interested?
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    Posted by: Kaliblue 22/11/2011 at 20:34
    Joined on 17/05/2007
    Posts 78

     ooh interesting!!!  Don't suppose you could PM me and I could give you my e mail? You are a star and a saint if you can!!

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    Posted by: hbower 24/11/2011 at 12:27
    Joined on 02/11/2009
    Posts 1

    Hi I am teaching this and feel that I am struggling  as I am not as confident as with other parts of the course- I would be very grateful for any help you could give as I have found the exam board unwilling to be prescriptive. I am sure that I will love this once I get my head round it but the subject is so broad I am scared that I will lead my students off on a tangent and lose them vital marks - there is a lot of pressure to get A and A*

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    Posted by: winfindale 24/11/2011 at 15:40
    Joined on 16/12/2008
    Posts 1

    Hi, i am currently teaching this. here is a list of everything i have/will be covering. i have just taken over from someone who had taught this from the past two years and always got good results

    1) nature and value of human life

    Nature

    original sin- genesis 3

    humans as stewards - loving/ compassionate nature

    making the like that both genesis 1 and 3 shows human nature in different light

    look at the islamic creation story how does that see man (not sinful in nature)

    buddhism- our nature is to suffer

    Value

    looking at genesis and the order of creation and what this mean

    all religions on the sancity of life

    secular

    Humanism - no deity so therefore no orginional sin

    Dualism

     ______________________________________________________________________

    Secular 

    Death

    science and death - decomposition of the body/definition of death

    philosophy definitions of death

    Religious

    funerals - symbolism in funerals in all religions

    _________________________________________________________________________

    Religious 

    Escatological and apocolypic text

    book of revelations - judgement day

    the quran - islam and judgement

    what all religions teaches about the soul

    Secular 

    materialism

    dualism

    near death experiences

    ghosts

    reincarnation/past lifes

    ___________________________________________________________________________

    religious and secular teaching on the purpose to life after death

     This is an outline of eveythig we teach

     

    Hope this helps

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    Posted by: Kaliblue 24/11/2011 at 20:15
    Joined on 17/05/2007
    Posts 78

    Thank you Willowfae, this is really helpful.  Very different from our direction but again ... interesting :) I think looking at this we pack way too much into this.  We focus on the Christian and Buddhist contrasts but also get really quite philosophical ranging from Camus to Dawkins on the secular side.  I have never found the exam board training particularly helpful but this is great as gives me a structure.  If you would like reciprocal stuff, would be happy to try and find an easy way to share.

     

    Nature - use the theodicies of Irraneus and Augustine/ Buddhist concept of self vs.Darwin/ Existentialism

    Value - Christian teachings on a variety of sanctity of life issues, i.e. prejudice, abortion etc./ Humanist teachings/philosophy of politics stuff

    Death - Survival after death - personal identity inc. Ryle/ Descartes etc etc/ Heaven/ Hell/ reincarnation/ Materialism/ Dualism/ the soul

     Eschatological/ Apocalyptic - Revelation, Protestant vs. catholic / 2012 predictions

     thoughts?

    Finally!  It has been quite lonely out here on this one - I had begun to think I was on my own with this :)

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