The future of being human
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how rapid technological change is shaping the future of being human and how people with different worldviews might respond to this.
Key learning points
- We are living through a period of unprecedented technological change.
- The speed of change can be seen in the growth of the online world, AI and advances in robotic technology.
- This raises philosphical and theological questions about what it is to be human and how we relate to each other.
- People with different religions and worldviews may have concerns or see opportunities in this possible future.
Keywords
Consciousness - the state of being aware of and able to think about one's existence, thoughts and surroundings
Human - a conscious and sentient member of the species Homo sapiens capable of language, culture and complex social interaction
Technology - tools, machines, or systems that humans create to solve problems or extend what they can do
Common misconception
Students may think technological change is mainly about new devices.
Technological change isn’t just about creating new devices. As technology becomes more closely linked with human bodies and daily life, it can influence how people see themselves and their abilities.
Teacher tip
Use quick comparisons between real technologies and the human abilities they imitate. For example, facial recognition and human face recognition, predictive text and human language intuition, navigation apps and human spatial memory.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Dyes and fragrances are examples of artificial .
Q2.Where might robots be used?
Q3.The novel, 'Klara and the Sun' explores whether robots can have .
Q4.Conscious beings can reflect and make .
Q5.Why might robot behaviour be misleading?
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Match each keyword to its meaning:
the state of being aware of and able to think about one's existence
a conscious and sentient member of the species Homo sapiens
tools, machines, or systems that humans create to solve problems
Q2.New may change how humans think in the future.
Q3.What is a possible drawback of heavy technology use?
Q4.Why do religious worldviews value humans?
Q5.Technology may change what it means to be .
To help you plan your 11 religious education lesson on: The future of being human, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 religious education lesson on: The future of being human, 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 4 religious education lessons from the Personhood: what might be the people of the future? unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.