Exploring 'other' religion - Paganism
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain what Paganism is and give reasons for the growth in numbers in the census of England and Wales.
Key learning points
- Various different worldviews fall under the term 'Paganism'.
- Shamanism is the fastest growing religious group in England and Wales, according to the census.
- There are different groups within Paganism, including Wicca and Druid.
- Pagan traditions have a focus on the natural world and feminine divine energies.
Keywords
Census - an official count of a country’s population, usually including details like age, sex, and occupation
Nature-based - nature is sacred and central to beliefs and rituals
Paganism - umbrella term for different worldviews often connected to nature, ancient traditions and forms of polythesim
Shamanism - a spiritual practice found in many cultures where a shaman (a healer or spiritual guide) connects with the spirit world to help people
Common misconception
That there is only one form of Paganism.
Paganism is not one set religion or pathway but an umbrella term used for various nature based religious traditions including Wicca, Druidry and Shamanism, among others.
Teacher tip
Students can look at a calendar of yearly religious festivals and plot them according to the Pagan Wheel of the Year to see how many of them also fall in certain times, e.g, the Winter Solstice and Christmas.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Agnostics believe it's whether God exists.
Q2.Which is NOT guaranteed if someone says 'no religion'?
Q3.How do agnostics compare with religious people?
Q4.Someone may practice rituals but still be about faith.
Q5.Why do agnostics often have similar values to religious people?
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Paganism does not rely on a single holy or prophet.
Q2.What does the term Paganism encompass?
Q3.Pagans celebrate seasonal festivals using the Wheel of the ...
Q4.Which is a well-known Pagan wedding ritual?
Q5.Shamanism often involves trance, dance, or nature-based ...
To help you plan your 9 religious education lesson on: Exploring 'other' religion - Paganism, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 religious education lesson on: Exploring 'other' religion - Paganism, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 religious education lessons from the Census: How has the landscape of belief changed in Britain? unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.