OCR RS REVISION — THE ARGUMENT CLINIC
Free original classroom resource | religiousstudiesrevision.co.uk/teachers/

Purpose: turn accurate topic knowledge into reasoned evaluation.
Suggested duration: 25 minutes, adaptable for pairs or independent study.
Materials: one topic guide, paper and a practice question chosen by the teacher.
All prompts below are original practice material, not examination predictions.

1. RETRIEVE — 3 MINUTES
Explain a relevant theory without looking at notes. Include its reasoning, not
just a thinker's name. Check one technical term against the topic guide.

2. ARGUE — 5 MINUTES
Complete:
The strongest reason to accept this view is...
This follows because...
An example that tests it is...
This matters to the question because...

3. CHALLENGE — 5 MINUTES
Swap with a partner. Challenge a premise or inference.
The view assumes...
That assumption is doubtful because...
The strongest reply would be...

4. JUDGE — 5 MINUTES
Choose a criterion: explanatory power, coherence, fairness or practical usefulness.
Decide which argument meets it better. Explain why the weaker argument fails.
Avoid awarding a winner just because it is more modern or easier to remember.

5. WRITE — 5 MINUTES
Write one paragraph that explains, challenges and judges a claim in relation to
the exact question. A strong paragraph may use several sentences for each move.

6. EXIT — 2 MINUTES
Underline the sentence with the clearest evaluation.
Write one specific next step for the next draft.

OPTIONAL PROMPTS
Philosophy: Is the possibility of soul-making a sufficient reason for God to allow suffering?
Ethics: Does agreement about basic human goods establish the authority of Natural Law?
Christian thought: Can a damaged human will be responsible for its own choices?

PEER FEEDBACK
One accurately explained idea:
____________________________________________________________
One assumption that needs defending:
____________________________________________________________
One judgement supported by a reason:
____________________________________________________________
One next step:
____________________________________________________________

Teacher discussion notes:
- Require the objection to address the view actually stated.
- Distinguish evaluating the possibility of a theodicy from its plausibility.
- Distinguish a shared good from agreement about every rule derived from it.
- Do not treat an essay formula, scholar count or quotation count as an OCR rule.
- Use relevant OCR guidance and your centre's assessment process when marking.

Free-resource permission: teachers and students may print, copy and share this
unchanged resource for non-commercial teaching and personal study with the site
credit retained. This permission applies to this free resource only, not paid packs.
OCR RS Revision is independent of Cambridge OCR.