Studies of Religion 2016 HSC exam pack

Question 11

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• providing reasons for the importance of the Land Rights movement for Aboriginal Australians, particularly in relation to the Dreaming
• identifying landmark legal milestones in the Land Rights Movement
• integrating relevant terminology throughout the response.

Candidates need to improve in the following areas:

• addressing the specific requirements of the question which focused on the importance of the Land Rights Movement, not a description of legal cases
• integrating the most relevant aspects of the quote
• using specific and relevant examples in relation to the Dreaming and the Land Rights Movement to support the response.

Question 22

Candidates showed strengths in these areas:

• identifying the nature of maintaining tradition
• integrating relevant knowledge from the depth studies
• using relevant examples
• integrating the quote throughout the response.

Candidates need to improve on the following areas:

• making clear the motivation for the change that has occurred from within the context of the religious tradition
• demonstrating a deeper understanding of the nature of social transformation
• writing in a succinct manner as well as following the directive in the question.

Question 1 – Buddhism

Candidates showed strength in the following area:

• focusing on the impact of their choice of significant person or school of thought from a(i) on the expression Buddhism
• making reference to the quotation
• explaining the teachings in the chosen area of ethics.

Candidates need to improve in this area:

• addressing the requirements of the directive rather than providing a detailed narrative
• distinguishing between achievements and impacts on Buddhism
• linking the stimulus to the ethical area
• linking the ethical teachings to one ethical issue.

Question 2 – Christianity

Candidates showed strengths in these areas:

• clearly and accurately focusing on the significance of the chosen practice for the Christian community as a whole
• making reference to the principal beliefs of Christianity
• including sacred text references effectively to further support the response
• making sustained and accurate references to the stimulus throughout the response
• including sacred text references to support an argument
• making clear and accurate judgments.

Candidate need to improve in these areas:

• focusing on the intent of the question rather than being overly descriptive of the chosen practice
• focusing on the significance for the individual rather than the community
• providing too much information rather than using the number of lines provided as a guide to the response required
• being overly descriptive and biographical in nature
• providing an overly long response which did not make a clear and sustained reference to the stimulus.

Question 3 – Hinduism

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• demonstrating a clear understanding of the significance of the practice for the Hindu community
• using relevant and detailed examples
• addressing the extent to which a significant person or school of thought encouraged adherents to live lives guided by compassion
• successfully integrating the quote throughout the response
• using relevant examples and accurate terminology.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• focusing on the significance of the practice for the Hindu community throughout the response
• avoiding overly descriptive responses
• making a clear judgement
• understanding how adherents were guided by the significant person or school of thought to live lives guided by compassion.

Question 4 – Islam

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• demonstrating their knowledge of the chosen practice
• concisely identifying the features of the chosen practice
• demonstrating a clear understanding of the significance of the practice chosen for the community
• supporting the response with relevant examples and accurate terminology
• incorporating relevant quotes from sacred texts to support the response
• making a clear and concise judgement relating to the quote in relation to one significant person
• using relevant examples of the contributions or impact of the significant person/school of thought supported by sacred text references
• being consistent when referencing the stimulus.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• identifying features rather than simply providing general information
• emphasising the significance to the community rather than to the individual
• making the links between the belief/symbol and its significance more explicit
• answering the question asked rather than just demonstrating a knowledge of the practice
• using biographical information to support a judgement or make a link to the question rather than providing a narrative
• using the stimulus constructively.

Question 5 – Judaism

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• identifying the contributions and impact of the significant person or school of thought
• using relevant examples from a significant practice to support an argument
• integrating the quote and the question in the response.

Candidates need to improve in the following areas:

• responding to all aspects of the question
• linking the significant practice to the quote
• writing in a succinct manner while addressing the directive.

Question 1 – Buddhism

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• linking the quotation to the question
• providing a sound explanation of the concept of ‘letting go’
• supporting the response with accurate references from sacred texts.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• responding to the question and avoiding the overuse of description
• demonstrating how the quote is reflected in the lives of adherents
• using references from sacred texts more effectively to support the response.

Question 2 – Christianity

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of how the ethical teachings of Christianity relate to the stimulus provided
• reflecting the breadth of the tradition through the use of contemporary and relevant examples and quotes from a range of sources other than sacred texts
• integrating the stimulus provided and making references to the scripture.

Candidates need to improve in the following areas:

• using accurate terminology associated with Christianity
• making a sustained reference to the stimulus provided and integrating sacred texts throughout the response
• demonstrating an understanding of the breadth of the tradition and incorporating reference to Christian variants.

Question 3 – Hinduism

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• demonstrating a thorough understanding of how the ideas expressed in the statement assist an adherent to live a truly Hindu life
• providing detailed and relevant examples that reflect the breadth of the tradition
• integrating the statement effectively and using accurate terminology in a cohesive and well-structured response.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• providing enough detail in the examples and linking them back to the question
• using terminology and the sacred texts correctly to support the response.

Question 4 – Islam

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• presenting a clear understanding of the teachings of Islam in respect to their chosen area of ethics
• including pertinent references from the Qur’an and Hadith, as well as integrating the process of jurisprudence, especially Ijma
• integrating the stimulus throughout the response to demonstrate how ethical teachings assist adherents to remain ‘noble in the sight of Allah’
• referencing well-researched and relevant examples to demonstrate the practical expression of ethical teachings across the Muslim ummah
• using concepts and terminology within the framework of a cohesive explanation.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• ensuring that the response meets the specific requirements of the question/stimulus that in this instance required a focus on ethical teachings and not a holistic presentation of the entire Islam depth study
• integrating the stimulus throughout the response in a manner that exhibits an understanding of its meaning
• avoiding examples becoming the dominant focus of the response rather than enhancing the understanding of ethical teachings
• using terminology correctly in a structured response.

Question 5 – Judaism

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• integrating the quote throughout the response
• using relevant terminology including reference to sacred texts
• demonstrating knowledge of the chosen significant practice and ethical issues.

Candidates need to improve in the following areas:

• using accurate terminology associated with Judaism
• demonstrating an understanding of the breadth of the tradition
• integrating references from sacred text throughout the response
• answering all aspects of the question, ‘to live an authentically Jewish life’.

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• integrating the terminology of the quote such as ‘power of love’ and ‘blessings of peace’
• providing accurate and relevant quotes from sacred texts to support the response
• including a comprehensive range of contemporary examples of peace initiatives in two religious traditions which are clearly linked to both teachings and the quote
• articulating clearly the teachings on peace, supported with examples from the sacred texts and contemporary people and organisations.

Candidates need to improve in the following areas:

• engaging with the given quotation and question asked rather than using a pre-prepared answer
• focusing on the principal teachings on peace and supporting the response with examples from sacred texts
• supporting the response with accurate and relevant contemporary examples and avoiding excessive focus on a significant person from the religious tradition depth study
• integrating the stimulus into the response rather than simply quoting it.