Overview
The context for study is Eric Liddell and Chariots of Fire. The learning journey focuses on Eric Liddell’s life
and develops understanding of Christian beliefs, practices and traditions. This context for study also aims to
establish whether the film Chariots of Fire is a useful or accurate as a source when studying Eric Liddell’s
experiences at the 1924 Olympic Games.
This learning journey is presented as an interdisciplinary approach through connecting social studies and
religious and moral education experiences and outcomes with strong links to literacy across learning.
Learning in Literacy across the curriculum focuses on research skills and note making.
The learning journey aims to develop learner skills in comparing evidence and beliefs, evaluating how useful
sources are and analysing information from a variety of sources.
RME experiences and outcomes
explored
Responsibility of all areas, which could be
addressed in this learner journey:
Through exploring the lives and teachings of
Jesus and other figures in Christianity, I am
increasing my knowledge and understanding of
key Christian beliefs.
RME 2-01b
I am developing my understanding of how my
own and other people’s beliefs and values affect
their actions.
RME 2-09d
I can select ideas and relevant information,
organise these in an appropriate way for my
purpose and use suitable vocabulary for my
audience.
LIT 2-06a
By considering the type of text I am creating, I can
select ideas and relevant information, organise
these in an appropriate way for my purpose and
use suitable vocabulary for my audience.
LIT 2-26a
To help me develop an informed view, I can
identify and explain the difference between fact
and opinion, recognise when I am being
influenced, and have assessed how useful and
believable my sources are.
LIT 2-18a
Interdisciplinary opportunities
Social Studies and Religious and Moral Education
have been used to exemplify an interdisciplinary
approach, however, you may also want to consider:

English departments use of ‘Chariots of Fire
as a media text.

PE departments connect with the Olympic
Games legacy in more detail.

It may even be used as a transition project
for all feeder primary schools, building
appropriately on prior learning.
Interdisciplinary Learning
Interdisciplinary learning is an important element within Curriculum for Excellence. It constitutes one of the four contexts for learning in 'Building the Curriculum 3':
o
o
o
o
Ethos and life of the school as a community
Curriculum areas and subjects
Interdisciplinary Learning
Opportunities for personal achievement
All of these contexts are crucial if the potential of children and young people as successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens
is to be fully developed.
Interdisciplinary learning enables practitioners and learners to:

Make connections across learning through exploring clear and relevant links across the curriculum.

Support the use and application of what has been taught and learned in new and different ways.

Provide opportunities for deeper learning, for example through answering big questions, exploring an issue, solving problems or completing a final project.

Focus on curricular areas where there are coherent links and an opportunity to deepen understanding, whilst building on children and young people’s prior
learning. A few experiences and outcomes should be creafully selected in relevant curriculum areas. It is important to build children and young people’s next
steps in learning into planning, to avoid a ‘one-off project’ which is not connected to prior learning.
On the next page, the summary of learning opportunities builds on the overview document and exemplifies possible starting points for an interdisciplinary approach,
which could be used to support planning. This links directly to the context and the experiences and outcomes explored. These suggested learning opportunities explore
only aspects of the experiences and outcomes identified. However, each experience and outcome should be revisited in other ways and contexts to ensure depth of
learning.
This interdisciplinary approach shows some possible learning opportunities when the experiences and outcomes listed below are
connected. These ideas are starting points and could be used to support planning, depending on your context. In this example we have
highlighted a lead curriculum area; however, other curriculum areas can be included where relevant, based on needs and interests.
RME
Investigate Christian beliefs, practices and traditions in relation to worship,
commitment and God-given talents.
Reflect on how Eric Liddell displayed his Christian beliefs and values to
friends, family and the wider society of the time.
Consider what you can learn from the example of Eric Liddell.
LITERACY ACROSS LEARNING
Present findings from the research tasks using an appropriate format.
Establish whether Chariots of Fire is an accurate source.
*These learning opportunities are further exemplified and broken down into
the learning, skills developed and possible evidence on pages 5 and 6.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Eric Liddell
Research Eric Liddell Olympic success using a variety of primary and
secondary sources.
Discuss why Eric Liddell was an important figure of his time.
Chariots of Fire
Taking the research into account, analyse how useful the film is as a
source of information about Eric Liddell’s Olympic Journey.
Related Experiences and Outcomes connected within this context for
learning
SOC 2-01a, SOC 2-06a, LIT 2-15a, LIT 2-06a/ LIT 2-26a, LIT 2-18a, RME
2-01b, 2-09d,
Overview of learning in lead curriculum area
Possible prior experiences
Learners will have a basic knowledge
of the Christian faith from Early and
First level experiences.
Learners will have experience of
analysing and comparing
information.
Possible learning opportunities
in lead curricular area
Christianity
 Investigate the Christian
Sabbath. Consider why it is
believed to be a day reserved for
worship and prayer. Reflect on
the value for Christians of
keeping such a special day in
the week.

Consider how Eric Liddells faith
and personal attributes helped
him to stay true to his beliefs
during the 1924 Olympics.

Explore some Bible stories
which illustrate commitment to
faith during challenging
situations. Reflect on the
lessons they might be trying to
teach.

Investigate Eric Liddell’s story
and how he continued to display
Christian values throughout his
life after the Olympic Games.
Skills for learning, life and work
Possible evidence
Analysing
Group discussion
Written work
Evaluating
Comparing
Learning opportunity A: Eric Liddell and Christian Values
Possible starting points
Resources
Learners should engage with Eric Liddell’s story after the
Olympic Games as a missionary in China.
Testimonies Website (Education Scotland)
Eric Liddell Foundation
Learners could discuss key Christian beliefs, practices and
traditions as exemplified by Eric Liddell.
Learners may choose to consider values such as respect,
integrity, honesty, generosity and forgiveness.
Skills
Researching
Analysing
Evaluating
Learning
How the teachings of Jesus are exemplified in the ways
Christians live.
Possible evidence
The impact of Christian beliefs and values on Scottish society.
Research notes, Observation, discussion points.
The importance of beliefs and values for all human beings.
Learning opportunity B: Chariots of Fire – A believable source?
Possible starting points
Resources
Learners could read and watch a variety of sources identified
by the teacher (including The Chariots of Fire film). Given
rules of critical literacy answer the questions – When did Eric
Liddell find out about the heat to be run on a Sunday? Why do
you think the film changes the story in this way?
Chariots of Fire
http://www.filmeducation.org/chariotsoffire/
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/earlyyearsmatters/m/gene
riccontent_tcm4453413.asp
Learners could present their findings to the class or group.
(These activities could be repeated for a variety of different
scenes in the film.)
After all of the class presentations there should be a class
consensus about whether the film is a believable source.
Skills
Researching.
Comparing.
Communicating.
Working with others
Learning
Some sources of information can be misleading for a number
of reasons, for example because they aim to persuade or
entertain their audience.
Although Chariots of Fire presents a lot of fact… there are
inconsistencies in the presentation of what happened in
history.
Possible evidence
Research notes, observations, discussion points in
presentation.