New
New
Year 9

Religion and belief in art

I can make an artwork inspired by religious practice.

New
New
Year 9

Religion and belief in art

I can make an artwork inspired by religious practice.

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Craftspeople across cultures play essential roles in creating art that holds spiritual or symbolic meaning.
  2. Craftspeople have created objects used for rituals or ceremonies, such as altarpieces, prayer flags, or ceremonial masks
  3. Artists create spaces or works for meditation, reflection or worship, inviting viewers to experience a sense of peace

Keywords

  • Religion - a system of beliefs and practices about the meaning of life and the universe

  • Meditation - a practice in which an individual uses a technique to train attention and awareness

  • Ephemeral - lasting for a very short time, something temporary or not meant to last

Common misconception

Religious art only includes paintings or sculptures.

Religious art isn’t just paintings or sculptures, it includes architecture, textiles, calligraphy and even temporary creations like Rangoli and sand mandalas, all used to express and connect with the spiritual.


To help you plan your year 9 art and design lesson on: Religion and belief in art, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Task A – You may consider incorporating music to enhance the meditative environment.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Paper, marker pen, ruler, pencil, choice of materials to make the Rangoli including painted rice, paper or felt pieces, petals, spices, dried pulses, sequins.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following statements is true about sexuality?

Sexuality is fixed and cannot change over time.
Everyone’s sexuality is the same.
Correct answer: Sexuality is a personal part of who you are and can change over time.

Q2.
What is a stereotype?

Correct answer: a fixed and unfair idea about a group of people
a compliment that everyone agrees with
a type of clothing worn in some cultures

Q3.
How can art help us explore gender and sexuality?

by avoiding topics about gender and sexuality
Correct answer: by expressing different identities and experiences in creative ways
by showing only traditional ideas about gender and sexuality

Q4.
How can a pattern symbolise inclusion?

Correct answer: by combining different shapes and colours to represent diversity
by making the pattern very simple and plain
by using only one colour throughout the pattern

Q5.
What is drag?

a type of protective clothing worn by the emergency services
a form of sports competition
Correct answer: a performance art where people dress and act in exaggerated gender expressions

Q6.
What does the Pride flag represent?

Correct answer: a celebration of LGBTQ+ identities and diversity
a European country and its traditions
a type of weather pattern

Assessment exit quiz

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5 Questions

Q1.
Is religious art only found in churches?

Yes, but only in very old buildings.
Correct answer: No, religious art can be found in many places like temples, homes and mosques.
Yes, religious art is only found in churches.

Q2.
What is religion?

a kind of food people eat on special occasions
a type of music people listen to
Correct answer: a system of beliefs and practices about the meaning of life and the universe

Q3.
What is meditative art?

art that is only made using soft, pastel colours
Correct answer: art created by focusing calmly and mindfully
art that is always large and bright

Q4.
Does religious art only include paintings or sculptures?

Yes, religious art is only paintings or sculptures.
No, religious art doesn’t actually exist.
Correct answer: No, religious art can include textiles, stained glass and calligraphy too.

Q5.
What is ephemeral art?

Correct answer: art that is temporary and doesn’t last long
art that lasts forever
art that is always very big

Additional material

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