Wiltshire RE Starter Stimulus Starter ideas for the following key question from the 2011 Agreed Syllabus: KS2 15 How and why do believers care for others and the world? 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 p.63 of the syllabus: Pupils can: iv. Ask some questions and suggest some answers about what different people believe about creation and the natural world, including non-religious perspectives v. Make links between their own values about nature and the idea of God as creator of the world. 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. © Wiltshire Council Images © RE Today Services; permission given for their use in Wiltshire schools Some possible learning outcomes from this resource: L3 I can begin to identify the impact religion has on how people treat the earth I can ask some questions about how people treat the earth, making links with my own actions. L4 I can describe the impact on some people of believing that the earth was created by a God. I can raise some questions about human treatment of the environment and suggest some answers, including my own ideas and ideas from a religious viewpoint

A story from Judaism There are two men at sea in a boat. One takes out a drill and begins to drill a hole in the bottom of the boat. The other protests. “What are you doing? Stop!” The first replies, “Why should I stop? I’m drilling under my own seat.” Individually, write a list of adjectives to describe the person drilling under his seat. Compare your ideas. Which do you agree on? How would you sum up this man’s attitude? What do you think the meaning or message of the story is? Summarise in one sentence. Is the message true or false? Explain your views to a partner.

How are we connected? Make a list of as many ways as possible in which people are connected. Use these words of Martin Luther King to help get a discussion started: ‘When we arise in the morning we go to the bathroom and reach for the soap created by a European. At the table we drink coffee from the South American, or tea provided by a Chinese. Before we leave for work we are already beholden to more than half the world.’

Think about human impact on the environment Have a look at the 6 ideas on the next slide. For each one, comment on why it is a good thing comment on how it can also cause problems then add a statement about taking responsibility – “To make a better environment, we need…” You could set it out like this: What humans have done This is a good thing because… This can cause problems when… To make a better environment, we need…

Many religious believers say that the world is a gift from God, the Creator. Imagine this is true. How might this creator God respond to the way human beings have treated the earth? Write a letter, as if from this Creator, to human beings. What would the letter say? What questions might the Creator ask…? Remember, it is not all bad – humans have done some amazing things to use nature to support life on earth.

How do you think a religious believer should treat the planet and its resources? In groups, come up with a list of do’s and don’ts. On the next slide are six comments from individuals who follow a religion. How many of your ideas can you find in these quotations? Does anything surprise you about what they say? What and why? You cannot say that all Buddhists or Christians etc will agree with the comments on the next slide, but you get a flavour of a religious response to the environment. What would it be like if more people followed these ideas? Why don’t we treat the earth more carefully?

Recognising interdependence is an important thing within Buddhism Recognising interdependence is an important thing within Buddhism. Caring for the world in which we live is an expression of compassion, an essential component of the Buddhist way of life. Divijata I believe that God created the world and everything in it. Humans have a responsibility to show their love for God by showing their love for others and for the world. We in Britain have too much whilst other countries don’t have enough. There’s no justice in that. Christians need to be involved in making things fairer. Dominic I’m a vegetarian because of my religion, Hinduism, which teaches that the divine spirit is in everything – human, animal, even rivers, trees and mountains. To respect God you have to respect the world. Amita I think that the beauty of the world and the universe shows how wonderful and powerful Allah, the creator, is. It is my responsibility to do nothing that can spoil what the Creator has made. Aaban The Jewish Bible tells us to preserve the balance of creation. Every species was created for a purpose and therefore to lose a species is to lose something of God’s purpose for us. Elka The planet is a living thing that God created for us but also for all other species. Our Sikh holy book says we should live a simple life. This puts less strain on the environment. For example, being vegetarian uses fewer resources than eating meat. Sharon Kaur