New
New
Year 2

Humanists and how the world started

I can explain some humanist beliefs about the origins of the world.

New
New
Year 2

Humanists and how the world started

I can explain some humanist beliefs about the origins of the world.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Humanists think about the question of how the world began.
  2. Humanists look to natural origins for the world using ideas from science.
  3. Scientific accounts talk about life evolving over millions of years from a big bang.
  4. Many humanists see the world as a beautiful and unique place that we should care for and value.

Keywords

  • Humanist - a person who follows a non-religious way of thinking based on human values

  • Origin - the place where something begins

  • Big bang - a giant explosion at the beginning of the universe

Common misconception

Humanists don’t think about about how the world began.

Humanists use ideas from science to ask and answer questions about how the world began.


To help you plan your year 2 religious education lesson on: Humanists and how the world started, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

You could invite a humanist into school to explain their beliefs. Spend time outside and also watch age-appropriate natural history programmes to develop a sense of awe and wonder about the natural world.
Teacher tip

Equipment

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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4 Questions

Q1.
What is the name of the Muslim holy book?
Correct answer: Qur’an
Bible
Torah
Q2.
How did Allah begin creation?
He built it with tools.
Correct answer: He said ‘Be’.
He drew a plan.
Q3.
Are the Muslim, Jewish and Christian creation stories all the same?
Yes, they are exactly the same.
Correct answer: No, they are a bit different.
No, they are totally different stories.
Q4.
What do Muslims believe about Allah after creating the world?
He had a long rest.
He forgot about it.
Correct answer: He keeps looking after it.

4 Questions

Q1.
Many humanists believe the world began with a big ...
Correct Answer: bang, Bang
Q2.
What do humanists believe about how life began?
Correct answer: It evolved over millions of years.
It was made in one day.
It came from magic.
Q3.
Why do many humanists care for the world?
It belongs to them.
It’s full of treasure.
Correct answer: It is beautiful and unique.
Q4.
What do humanists use to ask questions about the world?
ancient myths
Correct answer: science
magic tricks