Lisnagarvey High School

Please click on the link above to access the AQA Specification and past papers.

The year 12 Religious Studies pupils (2010 class) are currently studying the AQA course.  They have already completed half of their GCSE in year 11.

Year 12 pupils will be studying the following topic areas ie:-

Topic 1:  Religious Attitudes to Matters of Life

• Religion and morality
• Why is life special?
• Introduction to fertility treatment
• Artificial insemination
• Fertility treatment - a case study
• Transplant surgery and blood transfusion
• Human genetic engineering and embryology (1)
• Human genetic engineering and embryology (2)
• Cloning - a brave new world?
• Should we experiment on humans and hybrids?
• What does religion say about matters of life?

Topic 2: Religious Attitudes to the Elderly and Death

• What is death?
• Is death the end or a new beginning?
• Attitudes to the elderly
• Who should care for the elderly?
• What religion teaches about the elderly
• Should we be able to take life?
• The euthanasia debate
• Euthanasia - a case study
• How long should we keep people alive?
• Help for the dying and bereaved

Topic 3:  Religious Attitudes to Drug Abuse

• Rights, responsibilites, legal status
• Classification of illegal drugs
• The reclassification of cannabis
• Social drugs
• Why do people use drugs?
• Reasons for not using alcohol and tobacco
• Reasons for not using illegal drugs
• Darren’s story - a case study
• What can be done about addiction?

Topic 4: Religious Attitudes to Crime and Punishment

• Crime and religious beliefs on law and order
• Causes of crime
• Types of crime
• The aims of punishment
• Religious responses to the aims of punishment
• Young offenders and punishment
• Prison
• Capital punishment
• Forms of punishment
• Life imprisonment, parole and prison reform

Topic 5: Religious Attitudes to Rich and Poor in British Society

• Introduction to the rich and the poor
• Religious attitudes to the rich and the poor
• Why are some people rich?
• Why are some people poor?
• What does being poor really mean?
• How is it possible to overcome poverty?
• Religious attitudes to the responsible use of money
• Who cares?
• Lotto - the National Lottery
• Winners’ stories

Topic 6: Religious Attitudes to World Poverty

• The scale of world poverty
• The causes of world poverty 
• Religious teachings on world poverty
• Justice, stewardship and compassion
• The work of religious organisations and charities
• Fair trade
• The Burma cyclone disaster - a case study
• Emergency aid and long-term aid