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LEARNING AND TEACHING

Learning and Teaching

 

Our Inquiry Approach

Christ Our Holy Redeemer believes that the best teaching practice is to ‘teach without telling’.  Our learning and teaching philosophy is based on the Inquiry approach where our students, along with staff, are encouraged to think deeply, ask questions, sort information and discover answers on any given topic, and to take action and do something with the new information gathered.

 

This semester, our whole school Inquiry concept is: RELATIONSHIPS

Along with our core Curriculum Areas of Religious Education, English and Mathematics, each year level’s Inquiry Units will encompass General Capabilities and several discipline-based curriculum areas, focusing more so on the Humanities, for example; History, Geography, Civics & Citizenship, Personal & Social Capability, Ethical Capability etc.

 

Here is a snapshot of each level’s Inquiry units for Semester 1 2020:

 

Prep - Who Are You?

 

Compelling Questions:

  • Who am I?/Who are you?
  • Where do we come from?
  • How can we get along?  
  • How can we have positive relationships?

Key Topics & Understandings:

  • Themselves - my likes/dislikes, my strengths
  • Family Structures
  • Relationships within Families
  • Friendships
  • Choices - Positive/Negative, Decision Making, consequences
  • Cultures - Our cultural backgrounds, Geography, Art & Music in different cultures

 

Year 1/2 - Relationships

 

Compelling Questions:

  • What is a relationship?
  • What are the different types of relationships?
  • How can we have a good relationship?
  • How can we have a good relationship with God?
  • How are we connected to places?
  • Why are places significant in our lives?
  • Why are some places special and important to us?

Key Topics & Understandings:

  • Families - structure and roles
  • Relationships within Families
  • Relations between Friends
  • History of Oakleigh and significant places (e.g. Oakleigh Police Station, Oakleigh Library)
  • History of Melbourne and significant places (e.g. MCG, St Patrick’s Cathedral)
  • Similarities and differences of Oakleigh - past and present
  • Sacred Spaces around Australia

 

Year 3/4 - Go Further Together

 

Compelling Questions:

  • What happens when relationships break down?
  • How can they be restored?
  • How can we maintain positive relationships?
  • How does the complexity of relationships challenge us?
  • What can we learn from Jesus’ relationships with others?

Key Topics & Understandings:

  • How relationships between self, people, church and environment interact
  • Who the First Fleet were and the effect they had on the Indigenous population
  • The types of natural vegetation and how it can be protected and managed
  • How rules and laws are made fairly

 

Year 5/6 - Relationships Past & Present

 

Compelling Questions:

  • How did the Aboriginal people explore Australia?
  • How did the Aboriginal people care for the land?  How can we use their techniques today?
  • How can we learn from the Aboriginal People?
  • How do the Aboriginal People protect Australia and its environment?
  • How have Australia’s relationships changed over time?

Key Topics & Understandings:

  • Aboriginal People and Torres Strait Islanders - colonies and their relationship with the land in the past through to the present
  • British settlement/colonies
  • How did British settlement change the land?  How did it affect relationships with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders?
  • Investigate changes over time
  • Why did British settlers settle where they did?
  • Environmental and human influences on the land
  • Bushfires, floods, drought
  • Uluru - possible solutions for action