Christianity in the World

CW 1 How Can I Know God?

Students investigate spirituality by describing how Christians experience the presence of God in the world. The purpose of the unit is to assist students to see the character of God as reflected through His creation and to explore ways in which people experience God through different elements and experiences in His world.

CW 1.3 Its Your Choice

The Christianity in the World key idea: people make decisions using a range of religious perspectives and ethical frameworks forms the basis for this unit of inquiry. The central idea for this unit of inquiry is that God created people with the ability to make choices about how they act everyday. Students inquire into: how feelings affect the choices that people make, good and inappropriate choices and the consequences of the choices people make.

CW 2.1 Hinduism and Christianity

Year 2 students engage in the retrieval of information, reading and research, analysis and documentation of data and information, making comparisons and coming to conclusions about the questions they pursue in the unit. The unit builds on students' previous explorations of Christianity and introduces them to the world of other religions, specifically Hinduism. It links with an integrated studies unit on India which was running concurrently. Throughout the unit students focus on four questions relating to features of Hinduism, similarities and differences between Christianity and Hinduism, reasons for celebration, and the celebration of Christmas.

CW 2.2 Where is God?

This unit of inquiry demonstrates one way Year 1 students can explore the Christianity in the World key idea: People express their spirituality in various contexts within and beyond Christianity. Through a variety of resources, experiences and modes of expression, students inquire into questions relating to knowledge of God, the mystery that surrounds God, and communication with God. Throughout their journey they have opportunities to respond to their learning and reflect on their growing understandings of the presence of God in the world.

CW 2.3 Last tree in the city This unit of work demonstrates how two key ideas, Christian Living: Christians have responsibility in and for the world and Christianity in the World: People make decisions using a range of religious perspectives and ethical frameworks, can be integrated to give richness and depth to a topic sparked by a picture book: Last tree in the city. Having responded to a mysterious letter, asking about their world, that arrives in their classroom from an alien in outer space, students move on to inquire into aspects of creation, responsibility, care, choices, decisions and consequences as essential questions and the story of “The last tree on the planet” are woven throughout. Opportunity to incorporate material from Planet Ark is also programmed into the range of learning experiences.

CW 3.1 Judaism and Christianity

 In this unit year three students explore links between Christianity and Judaism. Christianity has a history in Judaism. A study of Judaism as expressed in the Old and New Testaments gives insights into the concepts, symbols and practices and stories at the core of Christianity. Christianity interprets the old and new Testaments in relation to Jesus and attaches a different meaning to the events and concepts it shares with Judaism.

CW 3.1 Lutheran and Judaism The unit of work demonstrates one approach that can be taken with year 5 students and the Christianity in the world key idea: religious beliefs and ideas shape people’s thinking and actions. Past and present are taken into account as students inquire into the concepts, practices, symbols and stories that give meaning and expression to Christians – Lutherans and Jews. As they progress they begin to chart similarities and differences in the relationship between the two religions.

CW 3.2 Christian spirituality in practice This unit of work demonstrates one approach that can be taken with Year 5 students inquiring into the CW key idea: People express their spirituality in various contexts within and beyond Christianity. The teacher has annotated the unit, reflecting on aspects of it as the students received and responded to the variety of experiences. Starting with the opportunity to express thoughts about heaven and life, students move on to investigations into aspects of spirituality as experienced by Christians using a range of resources such as movies, biblical passages, and their own observations and experiences. Assessment for the unit involves the use of a lotus diagram, and the rubric used in conjunction with it is also provided.

CW 4.1 Monotheistic religions – how can this be?

 While grounded in the Christianity in the world key idea: Religious beliefs and ideas shape people’s thinking, this inquiry unit demonstrates how two other key ideas can be integrated into a topic – in this case, key ideas relating to service and to ethical decision-making.A broad range of graphic organisers and a variety of information gathering strategies are employed throughout the unit as students are actively involved in progressing with their inquiry into monotheistic religions. Having pursued this, they consider the concept and nature of service as it is enacted globally and locally.

CW 4.2 Deep connection, deep belonging

 This unit of inquiry demonstrates one way that two key ideas: CW 4.2 People express their spirituality in various contexts within and beyond Christianity and CC 4.3 Christians pray, worship and celebrate the sacraments can be drawn together to provide the framework for a rich learning experience. In this unit, students explore connectedness and belonging as key concepts of spirituality. They investigate personal and community connections and identify ways in which these provide (or do not provide) contexts for and expressions of spirituality. They also consider themes of belonging and connection central to traditional Aboriginal spiritual beliefs. Students also examine some Christian expressions of spiritual connection (eg. prayer, worship, fellowship, devotional practices) and consider their value in deepening a Christian’s spirituality.

CW 4.2 Expressing spirituality

 Throughout this unit students will explore what it means to be spiritual and have spirituality. Students will look other people and the need for spirituality in their lives and how it puts meaning into lives. Students will also look at how spirituality can be expressed through many different ways.

CW 4.3 Decisions decisions decisions

The central focus of the unit will be that people engage in decision making processes using a range of perspectives and values that often influences the outcome. The purpose of the unit is to develop decision making strategy; consider options, the various perspectives, ethical systems and frameworks, consider choices and decide. Reflect and developing a personal ethical framework. This unit will prepare students for future problem solving experiences and help to develop understanding and tolerance of difference. Key understandings: An approach to decision making process, understandings of various ethical frameworks/systems, with a particular understanding of Christian beliefs that underpin an approach to making decisions and development and articulation of a personal ethical framework.

CW 4.3 Decisions...who, how, why

 This unit will look at the decisions people make, how they make them and why they make them. This unit takes a look at ethics and what relevance it has in our lives. It will also look at different ethical frameworks, including Christian ethical frameworks. This will allow students to look at different parts of the world with more understanding. They will, in the future be able to visit places and respect the cultures more as they will have hopefully developed an understanding that different people have a different set of beliefs or frameworks that influence their lives.

CW 5.2 Spirituality and ritual This inquiry unit demonstrates one way that two key ideas: CW People express their spirituality in various contexts within and beyond Christianity and CC Christians pray, worship and celebrate the sacraments can be drawn together to provide the framework for a rich learning experience.

CW 5.3 Ethics and justice This unit has been written to fulfil the requirements of the CSCF as well as the requirements of the QSA Religion & Ethics SAS. The unit begins with an overview of models for ethical decision making before investigating two major ethical issues: globalisation & violence/conflict. The essential questions form the core of the unit, whereby students continue to make links between what they value and do and what the world is like. Alongside these investigations students investigate an issue of human rights violation, looking at what can be done to respond.

CW 5.3 I Believe [ethics and morals]

 The unit of work demonstrates one approach that can be taken with Year 10 students and the Christianity in the World Key Idea ‘People make decisions using a range of religious perspectives and ethical frameworks.’ Students examine the definitions of ethics and morality and the difference between these two concepts. They learn about some ethical frameworks for making decisions, and then learn about the Christian framework. Students create their own ethical framework and apply it to several decisions they are confronted with. Finally in a group they plan and teach a lesson to the class about an ethical dilemma using what they have learnt throughout the unit.

CW 5.3 Making a decision

 Everyone thinks. Developing intellectual rigour is critical for healthy decision-making and quality of life. Thinking left on its own can become "distorted, biased, partial, uninformed and prejudiced"(Michael Scriven and Richard Paul for the National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking Instruction). "Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively conceptualising, applying, analysing, synthesising, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning or communication as a guide to belief and action." Identifying frameworks for ethical thinking and considering a broad spectrum of themes and topics for the application of ethical decision-making will equip students with the process and skills involved in rationally deciding what to do and what to believe.

CW 6.2 The meaning of Life

 The unit of work demonstrates one approach that can be taken with Year 11 students and the Christianity in the World Key Ideas ‘Religious beliefs and ideas shape people’s thinking and actions’ and ‘People express their spirituality in various contexts within and beyond Christianity.’ Students begin the unit by pondering the apparent futility of our daily ‘grind’ – working, eating, sleeping – and consider the prospect of a life without ‘meaning’. They are introduced to Solomon (in Ecclesiastes) who experiences so many worldly pleasures yet still is devoid of meaning (‘it is all useless!’). Students investigate and report on the nature of human beings (positive and negative aspects) and compare this to being made in the ‘image of God’. They reflect on and prioritise sources of meaning in their own lives, and assess other areas of life that may bring meaning (pleasures, money, work, family, friends etc). In every lesson, students walk with Solomon as he experiences every pleasure yet remains unfulfilled, until he fully appreciates the role of God in his life (other Bible passages are also used to support this). To conclude, students respond in writing by summarising the key concepts covered in the course and deciding for themselves the answer to the question…’What is the meaning of life?