Wiltshire RE Starter StimulusStarter ideas for the following key question from the 2011 Agreed Syllabus:

KS2 10 Why do some people believe in life after death and what difference does it make?

This resource aims to provide some stimulus images and ideas to help pupils begin to address the above question. It links to the following learning outcomes from p58 of the syllabus:Pupils can:• Identify some mysterious and puzzling questions that religions help some

people to find answers to.• Ask questions and suggest answers to the question, “What happens when we

die?”, in the context of religious and non-religious beliefs• Explain how different beliefs about what happens when we die may cause

people to live their life in different ways

Many of the slides have notes to give suggestions for use. Look at the slide show in Normal mode and look for the notes at the bottom of the page.

Look at the picture on the next slide.

Pause for a moment:• How does it makes you feel?• What does it make you think about?

Feelings Thoughts

Questions, Questions…

Write down any questions you have, following your thinking and talking.

Are they big questions or little questions?

Which two questions are your class’s BIGGEST big questions?

People don’t always like to face the idea of death directly. They use euphemisms – terms that make “death” sound slightly better. Below are some euphemisms. See if you can add any more ideas:

• Passed on• Popped his clogs• Gone to the other side• Kicked the bucket• Gone to the great ……… in the sky• Gone to meet her Maker• Breathed his last• Gone to heaven

Does anything happen after we die?Is there “life after death”?What do different people think about this?

?

RIP

Here are some beliefs about life after death. Can you match them to the person?

Person A is a Christian

Person C is a Hindu

Person B is an atheist

I believe nothing happens after we

die.

I believe that my soul will return in

another body.

I believe that ideas about heaven are made up to make people feel better.

I believe it is better if my soul is free to return to God, not

return to earth.

I believe that heaven is a good

place, where there is no evil.

I believe that heaven is real, although I am not sure exactly what

it is like!

I believe that we go to be with God.

I believe that our body dies but our

soul does not.

I believe we need to face the reality of death and not

waste time.

Here are the answers, although some statements apply to more than one person! Remember that not all Christians agree with each other, nor do all atheists or all Hindus.

Person A is a Christian

Person C is a Hindu

Person B is an atheist

I believe nothing happens after we

die.

I believe that my soul will return in

another body.

I believe that ideas about heaven are made up to make people feel better.

I believe it is better if my soul is free to return to God, not

return to earth.

I believe that heaven is a good

place, where there is no evil.

I believe that heaven is real, although I am not sure exactly what

it is like!

I believe that we go to be with God.

I believe that our body dies but our

soul does not.

I believe we need to face the reality of death and not

waste time.

What difference does it make…?

…they believe that there is a God and that there is a way to have eternal life after they die?

How will someone behave if…

…they believe that their good and bad deeds are weighed and will have an impact on how they are reincarnated on earth after they die?

Think of three things these people might do.

Can you express some of your own ideas in a poem?

Use your thoughts, feelings and questions from this unit.

Try a haiku whichHas five and seven and fiveSyllables per line

Or an acrostic.

Or read the next three poems to inspire you. They are all from children who entered the NATRE Spirited Poetry competition.

I wonder …I wonder how the world is made?

I wonder how the birds fly?I wonder how we grow?

I wonder what the deepest sea is?I wonder why teachers are the

boss?I wonder why we die?

Madelaine Knowles, Age 6

© NATRE

The meaning of death

I wonder: what’s the meaning of death?

Why do people pass away?Gently fading into silenceThey are silent to this day.

Why is there sound and silence?The twins to death and life

Resonating through the agesWith the drop of a knifeNobody remains here

In the midst of noise and lifeBut when they fall to silence

Do they suffer any strife?Will we conquer death itself,

Or will we go on dying?All across the world todayThere are people crying.

Alex Tandy Age 10© NATRE

Who am I?

I am my dreams,My thoughts,I am the crossfire of creation and evolution.I am my knowledge, my wisdom, my grief,Yet my tears turn to steam on my cheeks.I am my lost soulWhich finds its way back,I am my cracked heartWhich is whole once again.I am my conscience, my will,I am my own enemy.I am the question,Yet there is no answer:“What is the meaning of life?”

Joe McNeil, Age 10

© NATRE

Other suggestions

1. Do a survey about beliefs in life after death. Compare the results. See if popular beliefs about heaven reflect Christian beliefs or not. For example, some young people who have Christian backgrounds sometimes talk about believing in reincarnation.

2. Use the NATRE database to have a look at what thousands of children have said on the question:

http://www.natre.org.uk/db/index.html

Note that these statements do not all reflect orthodoxreligious beliefs, but they do reveal that questionsabout death are important to children and young people.