Religious Studies Focus on Justice and Democracy

December 2016

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Students taking part in role play activities in Manchester.

Religious Studies students have recently enjoyed a day trip to Manchester to advance their knowledge on a number of topics which they had been studying and debating in class.

The trip began with a fascinating trip to the Manchester Law Courts to learn about the UK criminal justice system and to see first hand how the process works. Students learned about sentencing and took part in an excellent role play activity in one of the courtrooms. This allowed them to experience all aspects of the system from hearing evidence to sentencing of the offender.

The group then spent time in the Peoples History Museum, which documents the history of democracy in the UK through a diverse range of archive photography and displays alongside interactive exhibitions.

Students learned more about The Great War, Second World War, Nuclear War and Disarmament to enhance their understanding of their GCSE module, "War, Peace and Conflict'. Exhibitions also helped them to gain a deeper understanding of womens' and workers' rights as part of their unit entitled "Prejudice and Discrimination'.

Students were particularly interested in the history of how the NHS was formed and how the introduction of free healthcare had a huge impact upon the lives of working class people.

Back at King James, the group all commented that having the opportunity to view archive photographs and artefacts was a great way to bring many of their classroom topics to life.

They also reported feeling more confident in their ability to give specific and in depth examples in the forthcoming exam, due to a greater appreciation of the importance of fighting for democracy and human rights.