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Religious Education - Curriculum Information

Year 7 Religious Education

As students commence their secondary education, the Religious Education program aims to build upon the foundations established in the home, the parish and the primary school. In Semester One, the course focuses on Belonging and the Liturgical Seasons of Lent and Easter. The students complete a study of the History of the Academy and the story of the Sisters of Mercy. The Early Church is studied around the time of Pentecost . In Semester Two, students study Mary, Creation and Aboriginal Spirituality. Mary as Mother of God and as a woman of faith is the first unit. Caring for Creation, studies Creation Stories and the stewardship of our environment from a faith perspective. Aboriginal Spirituality explores beliefs, stories and religious experience of Indigenous Australians. Also included in the curriculum is a Reflection Day which looks at Spirituality and v arious topical issues relevant to Year 7 students.

Course Assessment:

  • Belonging Folio

  • Diary of Holy Week

  • Pictorial representation of a Hebrew story

  • Folio of work on 'Mary and Scripture' and 'Images of Mary'.

  • Caring for Creation: A Creation Story

  • Pamphlet or poster on Aboriginal Spirituality

Year 8 Religious Education

In Semester One, students are introduced to the Bible and its background. In developing an understanding of relationships, two units from the Skills for Adolescence program are examined. The topic Sacred Places links the Easter experience to a sense of the Spiritual as found in Australian life and in particular to Aboriginal Spirituality. Students also study the history and meaning of the Sacrament of Eucharist. In Semester Two, as part of the unit, Jesus - A Model for Living, Jesus' life and ministry are explored through an in depth look at the social, political and geographical factors of life in Palestine during his time on earth. The unit extends to a consideration of the miracles he performed and the parables he told and the underlying implications of these for Christians today. The unit on Social Justice - Our Call to Action, involves an exploration of what it means to live justly.

This is further Course Assessment:

  • Folio of work on the unit 'Skills for Adolescence'

  • Folio of work on the unit ' St Paul: A Christian Hero'

  • Poster on the life of a saint

  • Mock eye witness account in the form of a newspaper article, of events in Jesus' life.

  • Social Justice Folio

  • Oral presentation on goodness in the World - Woman of Faith

Middle School

Year 9 Religious Education

Semester One of Religious Education focuses on the study of Good and Evil as represented in the electronic and print media, Sacraments of Healing - Reconciliation and Anointing of the sick, and lastly, scripture with a particular focus on the Hebrew Scriptures. Semester Two focuses on the Catholic Church in Australia, which studies how the Church has responded to historical challenges since European Settlement through individuals and organizations; Wisdom literature in the Bible and The Prophets, which examines Prophetic characters and the Hebrew Scriptures more broadly, and briefly considers the relevance of these texts in our own time; and lastly, Catholic Beliefs and Ethics, which looks at the key ethical beliefs of the ten commandments and Beatitudes of the Christian tradition within the Catholic Church.

Course Assessment:

  • Folio of work on 'Good and Evil'

  • A guide to Sacraments of Healing - their history and understanding them today

  • Test on the basics about the Bible and Hebrew stories

  • Research and poster presentation of an individual or group of the Australian Catholic church since 1788

  • Oral presentation of Hebrew Prophet

  • Folio of work on the Ten Commandments and Beatitudes

Year 10 Religious Education

In Year 10 Semester One, students cover the areas of Living Justly, Christianity in the Arts, and Community Action preparation, experience and analysis. The first provides a variety of activities and case studies on justice issues. Part of this is a scriptural appreciation and foundation of Justice. The second unit looks at the representation of Christian beliefs, stories and experience, in music, literature, film and architecture. Lastly, Community Action is the volunteering and reflection that students complete when they go out to act with Justice, Mercy and Compassion. In Semester Two, Year 10 students study Jesus and Scripture with a focus on the Gospel of Mark and how it presents Jesus; Conscience and Decision Making in which the decision making process is examined in conjunction with contemporary issues relevant to teenagers today; and Ancient and Indigenous Religions with a focus on Australian Aboriginal Spirituality. Included in the curriculum is a Reflection Day which looks at Spirituality and topical issues.

Course Assessment

  • Essay on a theme of Justice

  • Folio on Christianity In The Arts

  • Assignment on Community Action

  • Folio of work on Scripture and Jesus with a focus on Mark's Gospel

  • Pamphlet outlining Conscience and Decision making process and explained examples

  • Written response to Ancient and Indigenous Religions

VCE

Religion and Society Unit 1 - Religion In Society

This unit is studied over the whole year and focuses on the role of religious traditions in shaping personal and group identity. It examines ways in which individuals and groups affect and change religious traditions, and are affected and changed by them. The unit looks at the complex relationships that exist between individuals, groups, religious traditions and the society in which they live.Throughout this unit there is a main focus on Christianity. Australian Aboriginal Spirituality, Buddhism, Islam and Judaism are also studied. Included in the curriculum is a Reflection Day which looks at Spirituality and topical issues.

Course Assessment:

  • Research and analysis of Faith Development of individuals

  • St. Patrick's Cathedral's Religious Elements Expose

  • Folio of Work on the religious traditions found in Australia.

  • A test on Christianity

  • A written response to Australian Aboriginal Spirituality

  • Essay on religion and the state with a focus on the Jewish Holocaust.

Religion and Society, Unit 2 - Ethics and Morality

This area of study is studied over the whole year, and introduces the nature of ethical decision-making in a pluralist society. It discusses the meaning of terms like 'good' and 'bad', 'right' and 'wrong' and the values by which we judge behaviour. It assesses dominant values in areas of Australian society and analyses the process of ethical decision-making, including the acquiring of reliable information, identification of foreseeable results and viable alternatives. Various theories of ethical decision-making are discussed, including appeals to religious or other authority, rules and principles, assessing consequences, motivation or intention. Notions such as conscience, intuition, common sense and human rights are analysed, and the competing rights and responsibilities of individuals, groups and society considered. Included in the curriculum is a Retreat which looks at Spirituality and relevant topical issues.

Course Assessment:

  • Folio of work on Ethical Method.

  • Expose of how a religious tradition responds to Ethics and Morality.

  • Analysis of contemporary ethical issues.

Texts and Traditions Unit 2: Texts in Society

This unit is studied over the whole year, and involves the study of texts as a means of investigating themes such as justice, racism and gender roles. Texts from the past and texts from today are studied. Some of the texts may call for change in attitudes and values. Others may call for changes in social and political institutions. Others again may justify or support existing social and political institutions. The investigation includes consideration of the social context within which the texts were produced, the conditions under which they are currently read, the reasons for reading them, the kinds of authority attributed to them by traditions, and the ways in which the texts shape, and are shaped by, the content of the message contained in them. Included in the curriculum is a Reflection Day which looks at Spirituality and topical issues.

Course Assessment:

  • 2 essays on texts of Social Justice, such as the Book of Amos

  • Short answer report on the Creation Myths of Genesis 1-3

  • Analyses of various literary forms and techniques as employed by biblical writers.

  • Report on Justice in today's world

Texts and Traditions Units 3 and 4

Included in the curriculum is a Reflection Day which looks at Spirituality and topical issues.

Unit 3 - Texts and the Early Tradition

Unit 3 offers the student the unique opportunity to delve into the world of early Christianity through study of its foundational texts found in the New Testament. The course accounts for the historical and cultural background of the texts, what they contain and the message they communicate. Christianity accounts for its beginnings through its writings. The teachings contained in some texts are regarded as essential for the continuation of the tradition. This may be because they contain law, wisdom, or theology, or because they contain the essential teachings of significant individuals who have had key roles in the formation of the tradition. The three areas of study are: The background of the Tradition, Approaches to Texts, and Interpreting Texts.

Course Assessment:

  • A short answer test or a short report

  • An essay or a report

  • An exegetical exercise

Unit 4 - Texts and their Teachings

The main part of this study continues the analysis of the foundational texts begun in Unit 3. However, the themes contained in the foundational texts have been reinterpreted at different times within traditions and such developments are also included in the area of study. There are two areas of study: Interpreting Texts and Religious ideas, beliefs and social themes.

Course Assessment

  • An exegetical exercise.

  • An essay on a theme within the prescribed text.

  • A short report discussing as significant religious idea, belief or social theme. Describe how this belief or theme has been interpreted within the tradition at a later stage.

 

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