BBC Religion and Ethics
This is the homepage of the BBC's Religion and
Ethics section. There is lots of useful stuff here,
including clear explanations of the major religions.
This site seems to improve each time I look at it.
Bible Translations and Editions (New testament
Gateway)
Links to a wide variety of sites offering Bible
texts, commentaries and tools for studying the New
Testament.
The Big Myth
This is great! Creation myths from a wide range of
cultures designed so that children can use them to
help them learn how to use the internet for
researching and learning. They say "The Big Myth is
... designed for use in European primary school
classrooms. It is a sociology textbook for the
comparative study of world creation mythology. The
myths are told using Flash animation and are
accompanied by an overview of the culture, the
pantheon of the gods and a series of exercises based
on that culture". Sadly (but not surprisingly) what
was once free is now a subscription site, although a
sample of the sections are still available for free.
Mind you the price is very reasonable ($15 US for
the CD)
The Brick Testament
What a weird idea. Bible stories told through a
series of scenes set up in LEGO! It's very well
done, with lots stories from both OT and NT. The
pictures do take a while to download, though.
(Health warning: the index page has a tiny little
link at the bottom to the author's home page, parts of
which are not really suitable for children!
-contains bad language etc.) and the
author has chosen several of the more sexually
explicit stories to illustrate (among many others).
The links to the stories are clearly labelled to
indicate content. Perhaps this is one to cache the
pages you want your pupils to see so that you can
use them offline. Chinese
New Year
Basic information about Chinese New Year Creation
Movie
The seven days Judaeo-Christian creation story told
in an impressive flash movie complete with music.
Takes a little while to download.
Encyclopedia Mythica
Information about myths and beliefs from a wide
variety of cultures from around the world.
Exploring Religions
This is a great find. The University of Wyoming host
hits site as part of their Religious Studies
Program. There is matching information about
Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism.
Topics covered include: Cosmos, Organisation, Time &
Worship, Texts & Tales, Timeline, Religious Life,
Glossary, Key Terms, Maps, Life Stages and Links.
The information (and their is masses of it) is given
in a clear and non-judgemental way. This is an
excellent resource for anyone wanting to find out
more about any of these religions without any
attempt to persuade or convert.
Families of Religions
An introduction (or crash course!) to the religions
of the world, categorised by their shared features.
This one is part of the Interfaith Calendar site and
tries its best to be unbiased They say, "The
challenge is to be one world with many faiths".
Interfaith Calendar
Do you want to know when Sukkot falls in 2006? or
Nirvana Day 2007? or any of the many important days
in any of the major (and a few minor) religions over
the next few years. This is the place to find out.
There is also a very useful list of definitions of
the terms used which includes brief information
about each festival. There's a good links list, too,
concentrating on sites of interfaith interest. RE Online
(incorporating the RE Site)
RE Resources for teachers and for pupils, where
resources are grouped by Key stage relevance. Looks
really useful
Teaching Ideas for Primary RE
Ideas / schemes of work for seven R.E. topics
currently available.
Turn the Pages
On this part of their site the British Library have
"animated" a number of great books from the
past. These include, among others: 40 of the most
beautiful pages from the Lindisfarne Gospels
(Christian), Baybars' Magnificent Quran (Islamic),
The Golden Haggadah (Jewish), the Diamond Sutra
(Buddhist). By clicking you can turn the pages, and
you can also zoom in to the page to see the details.
Stunning! Works best with a broadband connection but
there are non-animated versions for people without.
The Assembly Site
Instant Assemblies, all tried and tested by teachers
in schools. Indispensable!
Collective Worship
Another assemblies site - this one by The National
Society and Culham College Institute. This is an
excellent resource which is kept up to date with
lots of ideas for collective worship in schools and
elsewhere. Cyberhymnal
This site has over 2,800 Christian hymns and Gospel
songs from many denominations. You’ll find lyrics,
scores, MIDI files, pictures, history, and more.
Readers Theatre Editions
Assembly play scripts to download for free. They are
rather American, but well worth a look.
School Assemblies for Busy Teachers
A site where teachers can freely download and submit
assembly ideas and ready-to-use assembly scripts.
There are also some useful links and some awards you
can apply for.
BBC
Buddhism
The BBC's excellent information pages. There are sections about History, Beliefs, Worship,
Holy Days and Customs. Buddha Net
The Buddhist Information Network provides links between, and information for, Buddhists
worldwide. Well worth a look if you want to find out more about Buddhism and what is going
on in the Buddhist World. Access to
Insight - Readings in Theravada Buddhism
This site is dedicated to one particular form of Buddhism. There is an introduction to
Theravada Buddhism and excerpts from the Pali Canon, thought to be the oldest record of the
Buddha's teachings. Zen
Metalab
This site does not explain Zen Buddhism but certainly gives a flavour of it. Here you will
find The Gateless Gate (a collection short teaching stories called Koans), and lots more.
BBC Christianity
The BBC's excellent information pages. There are
sections about History, Beliefs, Worship, Holy Days
and Customs.
Bible Gateway
On this site you can look up biblical references or
find occurrences of particular words in a variety of
versions of the Bible. The site is run by
Gospelcom.net.
Christianity For Children
Aimed at children in an Oxfordshire primary school
this site give basic information about many aspects
of Christian belief, practice and culture in a
simple, child-friendly way. Culham
Institute
The Culham Institute is a leading research and
advice organisation, based in Oxford. They have a
number of RE related subsites which are linked from
here. This is an excellent resource.
Educhurch
A superb site dealing with the similarities and
differences between 3 Christian denominations (CE,
CF and Salvation Army). Produced by Sir Robert
Hitcham's Primary School, Framlingham, Suffolk, they
have taken an in-depth look at 3 Christian
communities in their area. There are details of the
individual communities and comparisons between them.
The text is informative, the pictures are plentiful.
There are 2 distinct sections, one for pupils and
one for teachers.
History of the Church in Britain
Another part of Britannia.com. This page leads to a
list of churches in different parts of the British
Isles with information about each one.
The National Society (Church of England) The
National Society is a Church of England and Church
in Wales education service. It is an energetic and
vibrant force in the education of the nation's
children. It offers a wide range of services and
publications to all people working in education.
This website gives access to many of its resources,
including ideas for collective worship.
Praying Each Day
A site belonging to the De La Salle Brothers. Well
presented site with Christian reflection and prayer
specific to each day of the year, built around the
anniversaries of events, births, deaths, discoveries
(select 'Reflect and pray'). This resource is
already used world-wide in book form (3 volumes) for
assemblies in schools. There are also numerous links
to educational sites, arranged according to 20
subjects of the school curriculum.
Teddington Baptist Church
Wonderful! Lots of content all written in clear
English. If you would like to know how Baptists
differ from other Christians and why, or watch a
baptism, or have a virtual tour of a Baptist church
(and these are only scratching the surface of this
extensive and informative site) then click on this
link.
BBC Hinduism
The BBC's excellent information pages. There are
sections about History, Beliefs, Worship, Holy Days
and Customs. Bhagavad
Gita
Here you can here the Bhagavad Gita sung (verse by
verse) in Sanskrit and translated into any one of 16
languages. Hinduism For Children
Aimed at children in an Oxfordshire primary school
this site give basic information about many aspects
of Hindu belief, practice and culture in a simple,
child-friendly way.
Hinduism for Kids
Information on Hinduism from the ever reliable
Woodlands Junior School.
The Hindu Universe
Mostly a site for Hindus giving access to a wide
variety of discussion forums. There are also links
to some articles about aspects of Hinduism.
Holocaust Education Resources
Based at Sussex University, this is the website of
the Centre for German-Jewish Studies. The site
offers information about the history of
anti-Semitism and the experiences of people who
lived through the Holocaust. Excellent resource.
Holocaust Education Trust
Established in 1988 with the aim of educating young
people from all ethnic backgrounds about the
Holocaust this is another excellent site
Holocaust Teacher Resource Site
A useful collection of resources on this American
site.
Nizkor Holocaust Education Resource Site
Lots of resources and information here. (Nizkor is a
Hebrew word meaning, "We will remember").
BBC Judaism
The BBC's
excellent information pages. There are sections
about History, Beliefs, Worship, Holy Days and
Customs.
Being Jewish
One man's view of what being Jewish is all about.
Lots of information about Judaism from the orthodox
viewpoint.
The Dead Sea Scrolls
Lots of information about, and images of, the Dead
Sea Scrolls - based on an Exhibition of materials in
America.
Jewish Artefacts
Photos and text about some important Jewish objects
(Torah Scroll, mezuzah, tallit etc.)
The Jewish Education Bureau
Based in Leeds, the JEB can provide artefacts,
lectures, talks and walking tours, a programme of
visits to schools nationwide (both primary and
secondary) and experiential weekends for teachers
and other adults. The Jewish
Museum London
The Jewish Museum in Camden town, London, has just
reopened (March 2010) after a major refit. The
museum opens a window onto the history and religious
life of the Jewish community in Britain and beyond.
It seeks to recover and preserve the diverse roots
and heritage of Jewish people in Britain, and to
increase knowledge and understanding about Jewish
life and history.
Judaism 101
A well constructed and well presented
"encyclopaedia" of basic knowledge about Judaism.
Originally intended to provide information for
non-Jews, but equally valuable if you are Jewish.
Possibly the best site for information about
Judaism.
Judaism For Children
Aimed at children in an Oxfordshire primary school
this site give basic information about many aspects
of Jewish belief, practice and culture in a simple,
child-friendly way.
ICJudaism: A Teachers' Guide to Judaism
For teachers by a teacher, this is the Vaultman's
own website. The site
is designed to provide both basic information and
enough additional material to give teachers
sufficient contextual background to be able to
teach, what to many is an unfamiliar topic. There is
also has a collection of downloadable resources
(information / work sheets + Teachers’ notes).
The Judaism Primer
A useful introduction written by a rabbi who also
teaches in schools - including sections giving a
brief summary of each book of Torah. (Aimed
primarily at a Jewish audience).
Rabbi Scheinerman's Webpage
An excellent American site. Rabbi Scheinerman
explains about Judaism. There is lots of information
about many aspects of
Jewish prayer and practice including a very
useful section about synagogues, all in clear simple language.
There is a useful glossary, too. Virtual Synagogue
This one is from Sir Robert Hitcham's Primary
School, Framlingham, Suffolk, (see Educhurch in the
Christianity section). This site is a child's eye
view of a synagogue with plenty of photos and simple
explanations. There are 2 sets of text at different
difficulty levels. Virtual Synagogue
(2)
A virtual tour of the orthodox synagogue in Swansea.
Very simply presented with many photographs.
Note: Like Christianity, and Judaism, Islam is not a unitary faith. It has many
groups, sharing the core beliefs but varying in details. The 2
largest groups are Sunni and Shi'a, but there are many others (eg
Sufism).
Ahlul
Bayt Digital Islamic Library Project
A very informative site about Islam, as seen from a Shi'a point of
view. The library is a large resource and well worth a visit. I
particularly liked the Gallery of Photos, Calligraphy and Artwork.
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
(Corrected Link)
The Ahmadiyya Community has branches in over 170 countries and claims a total membership
of more than 130 million. It is a movement which encourages interfaith dialogue, advocates peace, tolerance, love and understanding among followers of different faiths and strongly rejects violence and terrorism in any form and for any reason.
This is a well structured and clearly written site, giving information about all aspects
of Islam. It is written to be accessible to both Muslims and non-Muslims. Amongst other
useful and informative things you the site links to an English translation of the Holy
Quran. Important Note: The Ahmadiyya Community are followers of Hadhrat
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who in 1889, declared that he was the Awaited
One of the world community of religions (ie the Messiah or Mahdi).
Their founder's messianic claim puts the Ahmadiyyans outside the pale
of the mainstream Islamic world, who do not accept them as Muslims. BBC Islam
The BBC's excellent information pages. There are sections about History, Beliefs, Worship,
Holy Days and Customs. Discover
Islam
This site contains sets of posters, each with an accompanying text which sets out to
explain an aspect of Islam in simple terms. (You can also buy full size copies of the
posters). Islam
101
A site dedicated to education about Islam. There are sections on
Theology, Comparative religion, Human Disciplines and more.. Institute of Ismaili
Studies
The Ismaili are the 2nd largest Shi'a community in the world. Best
let IIS speak for itself: IISpromotes scholarship and learning
on Islam, with an emphasis on Shi‘ism in general and its Ismaili
tariqah in particular, and a better understanding of their
relationship with other faiths and societies. Its programmes,
informed by the full range of diversity within Islam, explore the
relationship of religious ideas to broader dimensions of society and
culture, paying particular attention to issues of modernity. It also
encourages an interdisciplinary approach to the study of Islamic
history and thought. In pursuit of its objectives, the Institute
collaborates with other institutions of learning. Islam by
Questions
A very informative site gives an Islamic view of Islam and its
relationship to the wider world. There are collections of articles
explaining Islamic belief and interpretation, with sections about
worship, existence, unity, belief, The Prophet Mohammed, destiny and
freewill, love, jihad and much more.
Islam For Children
Aimed at children in an Oxfordshire primary school this site give
basic information about many aspects of Islamic belief, practice and
culture in a simple, child-friendly way.
Quran Translation
Here is a rough* translation of the Koran into English, chapter by chapter. (*Since no
translation can be exact). You can also hear the Quran being
recited.
Ramadan (Kid's Domain)
This might be a useful one for children. There is a brief
explanation of what Ramadan is and several links to other sites. Virtual
Mosque
This one is from Sir Robert Hitcham's Primary School,
Framlingham, Suffolk,(see Educhurch in the Christianity section). Here you have a well
illustrated tour of a mosque with text aimed at primary age children giving a clear
explanation. There is also a section about Islamic life.
Virtual Mosque Tour
From Bolton Council of Mosques comes this excellent
look around a mosque. There are interactive
panoramic photographs with clickable hotspots for
extra information. Well worth a visit.
Wedding Customs Around The Muslim World
A collection of accounts, from a variety of sources, of wedding
ceremonies and customs in different Muslim communities around the
world. Interesting.
BBC Sufism
Another of the BBC's excellent Religion and Ethics sections.
Introduction to Sufism
Useful site which explains the basic
information about Sufism quite clearly.
BBC Sikhism
The BBC's excellent information pages. There are
sections about History, Beliefs, Worship, Holy Days
and Customs.
The Golden Temple
Information about the structure and history of this
important Sikh holy place. Nice pictures.
Sikhism For Children
Aimed at children in an Oxfordshire primary school
this site give basic information about many aspects
of Sikh belief, practice and culture in a simple,
child-friendly way.
Sikhism Home Page
Well presented information about the Origins,
Philosophy and Scriptures, Way of Life. There is a
resources page with information about the Sikh
alphabet, its origins and pronunciation, about Sikh
names, essays on various topics and more. This site
is well worth a look if you want to know more about
Sikhism.
Sikhnet
Mainly a site of Sikh interest aimed at a Sikhs
audience. It does have information about Sikhism
which may be of more general interest. (The Golden
Temple pages above are part of this site).
Gladys Aylward
Biographical and other information about this Christian missionary, who's story was made
into the film The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (Starring Ingrid Bergman).
John Bunyan - Christian Writer and Pilgrim Acacia
John Bunyan
An incomplete chronicle of Bunyan's Life.
John Bunyan
Information about the man, his life and his works. Pilgrim's Progress
Read Bunyan's most famous work online.
Corrie Ten Boom The Dutch resistance
worker who saved many Jewish lives during the Holocaust. Corrie Ten Boom
This site tells Corrie's story in some detail. The
Corrie Ten Boom Museum
Like Anne Frank's house in Amsterdam, Corrie Ten Boom's former home in Haarlem has been
turned into a museum.
Elizabeth Fry - Quaker Social Reformer,
particularly well known for her work with prisoners. Elizabeth Fry
Information from the excellent Spartacus website about the Quaker social reformer.
Mahatma Ghandi Ghandi
Book Centre
Biographical information, information about his life, quotes,
and more.
Martin Luther King
BBC MLK Page
MLK online
Text / audio / video of some of his most famous
speeches.
Sojourner Truth Freed 19th century slave
who campaigned against slavery Sojourner
Truth
Harriet Tubman The escaped slave who
organised the "Underground Railroad" route for slaves to escape from the
Confederate states. Harriet Tubman
A clearly written, comprehensive biography.
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