Aafiya Alam (Lower Sixth)

Over the last half term, the Lower Sixth Religious Studies students have been working hard on our videos to enter the Cambridge in Your Classroom Video Competition. The competition provided everyone with a broad choice of ideas and concepts to choose from and research. The process involved watching a video regarding a philosophical question and responding with a video that gave a direct answer.

The class produced a variety of videos, such as a modern take on the annunciation, which was informative as well as humorous; an eye-catching animation exploring whether God has a gendered body; and step-by-step guide on how to handle an apocalypse. One group even used the topic video to pose their own question, and assembled a thought-provoking video asking, ‘Are humans responsible for the state of the Earth?’

Personally, I saw the experience as a fun project, rather than seeing it as a piece of work, as we had the option to interpret the question in any way. This resulted in a variety of videos, which were very different but still educational. Whilst creating a video to answer the question ‘Are all Muslims the same?’ I learnt new material about my own religion, and saw things in a different perspective than I usually do.

Although my video could have included all types of Muslims, I decided to focus on the difference between Sunni and Shia Muslims. This is what makes the competition welcoming to all students, as they are not limited creatively. I think it is a good idea for students to research something outside of the curriculum, because they may realise that there is something out there that really interests them, which could lead to something more in their future. This experience has definitely encouraged me to take part in more extra-curricular events, such as essay competitions, and I hope that it inspires other students to participate in competitions and seize the opportunities that school presents.

Find out more about the competition here.