Year 5 - Religious education
Humanist ceremonies
Humanists: How can you lead a happy and meaningful life?
Study Hub
Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit pupils will learn about the main beliefs of humanism. They will understand that humanists focus on reason and empathy to make moral decisions. Case studies will enable them to explore how humanists aim to live their one life as well and as meaningfully as they can.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain how and why many humanists choose to have ceremonies to mark stages in life.
Key Notes
- Many humanists believe that having a ceremony to mark different stages in a human's life is important and meaningful.
- Humanist celebrants are people who are trained to carefully design a ceremony that is personal and meaningful.
- Naming, wedding and funeral ceremonies celebrate the connection of people to each other and the natural world.
- Humanist ceremonies will be non-religious and celebrate the one precious life they believe humans have.
Vocabulary To Learn
- connection: the responsibility and care a person might feel towards something or someone
- celebrant: a person who leads or performs a religious or formal ceremony, such as a wedding, or funeral
- ceremony: a formal event performed on a special occasion
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Ceremonies are only marked by people who believe in god.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Many humanists believe that having a ceremony to mark different stages in a human's life is important and meaningful. Humanist celebrants are people who are trained to carefully design a ceremony that is personal and meaningful.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'connection'
the responsibility and care a person might feel towards something or someone.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Ceremonies are only marked by people who believe in god. Correction: Humanists do not belive in god, but have ceremonies to mark meaningful events in life.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 5 Religious education guide library.