Psychology: is our brain designed to believe?
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Threads
Why this why now
The psychology unit builds on the study of the nature and philosophy of belief in Year 7. It explores the cognitive science of belief that will prepare them for examining religious experience in the next unit. The 'Religion and political philosophy' unit is placed here so that by exploring life in the 'state of nature', pupils pupils build on what they have learnt about ethics at the beginning of Year 8. This unit lays a foundation for future learning on religious and secular authority and precedes study into the need for the ten commandments, crime and punishment in Year 9.
Prior knowledge requirements
- Pupils will know that philosophers ask important questions about life and the world.
- Pupils will know that some people have a religious worldview and some have a non-religious worldview.
- Pupils will know that social scientists try to understand how worldviews are lived and may interview people or look at data.
Threads
Why this why now
The psychology unit builds on the study of the nature and philosophy of belief in Year 7. It explores the cognitive science of belief that will prepare them for examining religious experience in the next unit. The 'Religion and political philosophy' unit is placed here so that by exploring life in the 'state of nature', pupils pupils build on what they have learnt about ethics at the beginning of Year 8. This unit lays a foundation for future learning on religious and secular authority and precedes study into the need for the ten commandments, crime and punishment in Year 9.
Prior knowledge requirements
- Pupils will know that philosophers ask important questions about life and the world.
- Pupils will know that some people have a religious worldview and some have a non-religious worldview.
- Pupils will know that social scientists try to understand how worldviews are lived and may interview people or look at data.
Philosophy
Social science
Psychology: is our brain designed to believe?
In this unit there is a choice. Through a social science lens, pupils consider how psychologists analyse the phenomenon of religion. Or they may study the flowering of philosophy at the time of the Enlightenment through a depth study of Hobbes and Rousseau and their ideas of religion and society.
6 lessons in unit
slide decks, worksheet PDFs, quizzes and lesson overviews. You can select individual lessons from the Psychology: is our brain designed to believe? unit and download the resources you need, or download the entire unit now. See every unit listed in our secondary religious education curriculum and discover more of our teaching resources for secondary religious education programmes.