Religion: Curriculum for Sweden, Year 3

Introduction

Religion, as a school subject in Sweden, is rooted in religious studies and is interdisciplinary. It explores how religions and life philosophies are expressed, and how individuals address ethical and existential questions. The subject emphasizes the significance of belief and ethics in personal experiences of meaning and belonging. The curriculum for Year 3 integrates religion with social studies, history, and civics.

Aim

The combined curriculum for social studies subjects in Years 1-3 aims to develop pupils' knowledge of social, historical, and cultural phenomena, fostering their understanding of themselves and the world. It emphasizes respect for human rights, democratic values, and cultural diversity. Specifically for religion, the curriculum aims to:

• Introduce pupils to different religions and life philosophies present in Swedish and global society.
• Highlight the role of Christianity in shaping Swedish societal values.
• Encourage reflection on personal experiences and ethical considerations.
• Develop respect for diverse perspectives and ways of life.

Core Content

The core content for Year 3 Religion, within the social studies framework, includes:

• Living Together: Exploring depictions of life in children's literature, songs, and films, including family life and school. Discussing life issues like good and evil, friendship, gender roles, and relationships. Learning about norms and rules in different environments, including traffic rules.
• Living in the Neighborhood: Examining the local environment's influence on population and settlements. Studying local history through places, buildings, and objects, including the role of Christianity. Identifying religions and places of worship in the local area. Understanding key societal functions and occupations.
• Living in the World: Learning about continents, oceans, and countries. Exploring human origins, migration, and the introduction of agriculture. Studying different historical periods (Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age). Encountering narratives from ancient Scandinavian and Nordic mythology, as well as ceremonies, symbols, and narratives in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Discussing environmental issues and basic human rights. Learning about money and current social questions.
• Exploring Reality: Developing methods for searching information from different sources (interviews, observations, measurements). Building spatial understanding using maps and globes. Understanding timelines and time concepts.

Knowledge Requirements

By the end of Year 3, pupils should be able to:

• Demonstrate basic knowledge of human rights and children's rights, giving examples of their application.
• Discuss norms and rules in everyday life, explaining their purpose.
• Describe how meetings are organized and conducted.
• Describe how the local environment influences living and working conditions.
• Explain some reasons for people moving and its impact on families.
• Describe how everyday actions affect the environment and suggest ways to contribute to sustainable development.
• Identify hazardous traffic locations and suggest safe behaviors.
• Study local history and give examples of living conditions in different periods.
• Describe relics from prehistoric times and early human history.
• Use timelines and time concepts to represent events.
• Discuss issues related to their interests.
• Describe places of worship and connect them to religions practiced locally.
• Give examples of religious ceremonies, symbols, and narratives from Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.
• Recount parts of Bible stories and narratives from different myths.
• Assimilate simple information from different media and discuss social questions.
• Search for information through simple interviews, observations, and polls.
• Use maps, globes, and spatial concepts to describe locations and sizes of continents and countries.