Religious teachings about the origins of life
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain Christian teachings about the origin of human life and the concept of humans being created in the image of God.
Key learning points
- Genesis has two creation stories: a six-day creation and a narrative about God and humans.
- The first story says humans were created on day six in God's image.
- The second story describes God forming Adam and then Eve.
- Being created in God's image gives humans purpose, dignity and a connection with God.
- God's breath into Adam suggests humans have a soul.
Keywords
Creation - the act of bringing everything in the world into existence
Genesis - the first book of the Bible, which includes the creation story describing how God made the world and human life
Image of God - the belief that humans reflect God's nature
Soul - the spiritual aspect of a being; that which connects someone to God
Common misconception
All Christians interpret the Genesis creation story literally.
Many Christians see Genesis as metaphorical or compatible with scientific explanations, such as theistic evolution.
Teacher tip
Use a retrieval task to recap pupils' knowledge of the origins of the universe before you start this lesson.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Why do some religious believers support limited animal experimentation?
Q2.Which of the following is an argument against animal experimentation from a Buddhist perspective?
Q3.What is the purpose of the 'Three Rs' principle in animal testing?
Q4.In Buddhism and Hindu Dharma, the belief that all living beings should be treated with kindness and not harmed is called .
Q5.Animal testing for non-medical purposes, such as cosmetics, is banned in many countries due to concerns about .
Q6.In the UK, animal experimentation is regulated under the (Scientific Procedures) Act.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What does the phrase 'image of God' mean in Christian teachings?
Q2.How does Genesis 2 describe the creation of human life?
Q3.Which of the following beliefs about creation is held by literalist Christians?
Q4.In Genesis 2:7, God breathes life into Adam, which suggests that humans have a unique spiritual connection called a .
Q5.The belief that God directly created all life in its current form is known as .
Q6.The idea that the Genesis creation accounts reveal deeper truths rather than literal facts is called a interpretation.
To help you plan your 11 religious education lesson on: Religious teachings about the origins of life, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 religious education lesson on: Religious teachings about the origins of life, 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 Religion and life unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.