Catholic Identity
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION LESSONS
This term during our Religious Education lessons the students will be focusing on the following units:
Foundation
Called to Live Like Jesus: In this unit the students will find a purpose for acting as Jesus did. They will understand that when they do this, they are living as Jesus showed us. They will relate it to how they care for themselves and others in the world.
By the end of this unit students should be able to:
1. Identify their own needs and the needs of other people in their world.
2. Demonstrate ways in which they can be kind and care for people as Jesus showed us.
We Celebrate Christmas: In this unit students will explore the celebration of Jesus’ birth and explore the concept of waiting and preparing for special events in our lives. They will have an understanding of waiting and how it applies to their lives. They will be led to appreciate that Mary and Joseph waited for the birth of Jesus. They will be encouraged to relate their experiences of giving, receiving and celebrating to this important liturgical event.
By the end of this unit students should be able to:
1. Identify that Advent is a time of waiting and preparing for the celebration of the birth of Jesus
2. Explain that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus.
Grade 1-2
We Grow in God's Love: In this unit students will explore friendship, and the Christian way of relating to others. They will be asked to identify their gifts and to explore ways of sharing them with others. Students will look at how their gifts contribute to their relationships with others in different contexts.
By the end of the unit students should be able to:
1. Identify the gifts God has given them, and how they can share them with others.
2. Show understanding that they will form many relationships in various situations and how their gifts build and enhance their relationships.
Advent - Ready for Jesus: In this unit students will focus on Advent as a time of waiting and preparation, and build on the arrangements they and their families make in the lead up to Christmas. By the end of the unit students should be able to: 1. Recall and share experiences of getting ready for a special event. 2. Recall how Mary and Joseph prepared for the birth of their son Jesus.
Grade 3-4
Community of Believers In this unit students will be invited to discover ways in which they can contribute to the Church - through actions of unity and justice. They will be encouraged to recognise ways in which the Holy Spirit empowers them to live, work and love like Jesus. They will be given opportunities to identify the different ways in which the Church community proclaims the Good News.
By the end of the unit students should be able to:
1. Express an understanding of the way in which the early Christian Church was shaped.
2. Have a knowledge of the story of the local Parish church.
3. Name some of the ministries that exist within their local church community.
Christmas- The Jesse Tree In this unit students will explore how Christmas is a fulfilment of God’s promise and a time to celebrate Jesus’ birth. Advent is a time of looking forward to the fulfilment of that promise. At Christmas we celebrate Jesus with us today by living lives of love and service to others.
By the end of this unit students should be able to:
1. Understand the concept of promise.
2. Recognise the liturgical season of Advent as a time to prepare for Christ’s coming.
3. Identify and describe people in the Scriptures who longed for the birth of the Saviour.
Grade 5-6
The First Australian Catholics: In this unit students will explore the development of Catholicism in Early Australia and the lives of those men and women who were inspirational in carrying forward the mission of Jesus in the early Australian Church.
By the end of this unit students should be able to:
1. Identify the men and women who, with the help of the Holy Spirit, shaped and inspired the development of the Australian Catholic Church.
2. Recount the story of one significant Australian Catholic, exploring how their faith enabled them to carry out their mission.
Feasts of the Christmas Season: This unit examines the feasts and celebrations within the Christmas season. The unit explores the season of Christmas, in particular the feasts that follow Christmas within the first Octave through to the second Octave, with the Epiphany.
By the end of this unit students should be able to:
1. Identify the major feasts of the season of Christmas - Christmas Day, the Feast of the Mother of God, the Feast of the Holy Family, and the Epiphany.
2. Explain the significance of the feasts of the Christmas season.
3. Examine and interpret the meaning of the metaphor, Jesus as light.