The Ontario Catholic Curriculum

1 Ontario Catholic Elementary Curriculum Policy Document Grades 1 - 8. Religious Education 2012. The Ontario Catholic Curriculum : Religious Education for Grades 1-8. General Directory for Catechesis (1997). In 1971, the General Catechetical Directory (GDC) was published as a direct response to a recommendation of the Second Vatican Council's document Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops in the Church. So significant was this statement's outline of fundamental principles of catechetical instruction that, in light of the post-conciliar catechetical activity of the Church and the subsequent publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992), revisions were required, leading to the publication in 1997 of the General Directory for Catechesis. The present document, then, firmly places all catechesis in the context of evangelization. Moreover, the GDC makes clear that the central reference point of such work is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as reflected in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC).

2 If the CCC conveys the content of the faith - the what - then the GDC can be understood to provide catechists with the rationale and methodological principles - the why and the how. Religious Education in Catholic schools complements family and parish-based catechesis. It incorporates the methods and principles of catechesis best suited to the school milieu, and leading to the development of religious knowledge, understanding and the skills necessary for lifelong learning and spiritual development. Therefore, the authority and influence of the GDC can be seen throughout this policy document which hopes, in turn, to guide and inspire the efforts of Catholic educators to provide their students with authentic, meaningful and relevant courses of instruction in religious education. Published by: Institute for Catholic Education for the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario , Toronto Ontario Catholic Elementary Curriculum Policy Document for Religious Education, Grades 1-8.

3 ISBN: 978-0-9916874-0-4. 2012 Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario . All rights reserved. Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario Suite 800, 10 St. Mary Street, Toronto, Ontario M4Y 1P9. Printed in Canada CONTENTS. 1. 1. TRANSMISSION OF THE GOSPEL IN THE THIRD MILLENNIUM ..1. THE NEW EVANGELIZATION ..2. EVANGELIZATION, CULTURE AND THE Catholic SCHOOL ..4. EVANGELIZATION WITHIN THE ECCLESIAL COMMUNITY OF THE Catholic . SCHOOL ..6. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION ..7. 2. Instructional Approach and 13. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION, RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION, CATECHESIS ..13. METHODOLOGY APPROPRIATE TO RELIGIOUS EDUCATION ..15. TEACHING STRATEGIES ..20. 3. The Program in Religious 23. OUR HOPES FOR STUDENTS ..23. Curriculum EXPECTATIONS ..23. STRANDS IN THE Curriculum ..24. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION ..34. 4. Assessment and Evaluation of Student 36. THE Ontario Catholic SCHOOL GRADUATE EXPECTATIONS ..36. SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION OF RELIGIOUS.

4 EDUCATION ..36. ASSESSMENT THAT PROMOTES STUDENT SUCCESS ..37. EVALUATION OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT ..40. THE ACHIEVEMENT CHART FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION ..41. 5. Some Considerations for Program Planning in Religious Education . 48. CROSS-CURRICULAR AND INTEGRATED LEARNING ..48. RELIGIOUS LITERACY ..49. CRITICAL THINKING ..51. LEARNING SKILLS AND WORK REFLECTION AND THE USE OF CURRENT EVENTS ..53. NUMERACY AND INQUIRY/RESEARCH SKILLS ..54. PROGRAM CONSIDERATIONS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS ..54. PLANNING PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS ..56. EQUITY AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION ..59. THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION ..59. GUIDANCE AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION ..60. HEALTH AND SAFETY IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION ..61. 6. 62. Hope Expectations: Primary ..62. Grade 1 ..63. Grade 2 ..77. Grade 3 ..90. Hope Expectations: Junior ..105. Grade 4 ..107. Grade 5 ..122. Grade 6 ..138. Hope Expectations: Intermediate ..154. Grade 7 ..156. Grade 8.

5 171. 7. Glossary of Terms .. 187. 8. Acknowledgements .. 200. 1. Introduction TRANSMISSION OF THE GOSPEL IN THE THIRD MILLENNIUM. Let us go forward in Hope! A new millennium is opening before the Church like a vast ocean upon which we shall venture, relying on the help of Christ. The Son of God, who became incarnate two thousand years ago out of love for humanity, is at work even today: we need discerning eyes to see this and, above all, a generous heart to become the instruments of his work. Novo Millennio Ineunte (58). These words of Pope John Paul II describe the enduring mission of the Church in this new millennium. The transmission of the Christian faith in our present culture and society challenges the Church to a new evangelization new in its ardour, methods and expression. 1 But to do this we must look with discerning eyes to see, to critically judge and to respond appropriately to the situations of mission confronting us in this new millennium. John Paul II in Redemptoris Missio (The Mission of the Redeemer 1990) described the first mission of the Church in promoting the Gospel as ad gentes, in the proper sense of the word a proclamation of the Gospel and witness of Christian faith to the world; second, the mission of establishing and supporting communities who are striving to live the Christian faith; and third, the emerging mission to those traditionally Christian groups and societies who now live a life far removed from Christ and his Gospel ; it is to this third mission that John Paul II has applied the concept of a new evangelization.

6 As early as 1975 the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi (Evangelization in the Modern Word no. 20) stated that the split between the Gospel and culture is without doubt the drama of our time, just as it was of other times . This drama is a pressing reality which is affecting the Church's mission in Canada. It is impacting on the Church's ability to dialogue and promote Christian values in society and culture. The split between the Gospel and culture is weakening the practice of the faith and challenging its promotion within established ecclesial communities such as the parish, and by extension in Ontario the Catholic school. Finally in this new millennium the Church is being asked to embrace a new evangelization, especially in reaching out to those Christians whose lives are becoming more removed from Christ and the Gospel. 1. John Paul II: Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici no. 34: (December 30, 1988), AAS 81. (1989), 455.). Ontario Catholic Elementary Curriculum Policy Document for Religious Education 1.

7 THE NEW EVANGELIZATION. In his apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in America, Pope John Paul II stated that the vital core of the new evangelization must be a clear and unequivocal proclamation of the person of Jesus Christ; that is the preaching of his name, his teaching, his life, his promises and the Kingdom which he has gained for us by his Paschal Mystery . Christ must be proclaimed with joy and conviction and above all by the witness of each one's life . He also stated that inculturation of the Gospel, and education in the faith are important components of this new evangelization. The term evangelization refers to every aspect of the Church's activity. The Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi (1975) states that evangelization includes preaching, catechesis, liturgy, the sacramental life, popular piety and the witness of a Christian life. (cf. Evangelii Nuntiandi 17, 21, 48ff). The diagram below highlights eight elements that characterize the nature of this new evangelization as described by Pope John Paul II in Redemptoris Missio.

8 Developed from Redemptoris Missio; John Paul II. The dynamics of the new evangelization can be understood as the Church's renewed efforts to meet the challenges which today's society and cultures are posing to the Christian faith, its proclamation, and its witness. It is synonymous with renewed spiritual efforts in the life of faith within the local Churches starting with a process to discern the changes in various cultural and social settings and their impact on Christian life. 2 Ontario Catholic Elementary Curriculum Policy Document for Religious Education Pope Benedict has referred to this new evangelization as the Church opening up and creating a Court of the Gentiles in which people might in some way latch on to God, without knowing him and before gaining access to his mystery, at whose service the inner life of the Church stands. This image is intended to inform the Church's understanding of the new evangelization and draws upon the Old Testament prophecy of Isaiah which Jesus referred to when stating that the Temple must be a house of prayer for all the nations.

9 (cf. Is 56:7; Mk 11:17). The Church is called to enter into dialogue with many sectors of human life which are changing (culture, social communications, economy, science and technology, and politics). with a sense of boldness in proclaiming the Gospel and the confidence to witness to the gratuitous nature and personal encounter with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However this will first require self-evaluation and purification so as to recognize any traces of fear, weariness, confusion or a retreat into oneself resulting from cultural factors. In the end, the expression new evangelization requires finding new approaches to evangelization so as to be Church in today's ever-changing social and cultural situations. Christian life and practice must guide this reflection, in a deliberative process devising new models of being Church , avoiding sectarianism and becoming a civic religion while maintaining her missionary identity. In other words, the Church must not fail to be seen as a domestic Church and the People of God.

10 In the project of the new evangelization, there is no part of the Church which is exempt from this engagement. Every Christian ecclesial community must rededicate itself to its programme of pastoral care which seems to become more difficult and in danger of falling into routine, and thus little able to communicate its original aims and goals. A new evangelization is synonymous with mission, requiring the capacity to set out anew. It is the opposite of self-sufficiency, a withdrawal into oneself, a status quo mentality and an idea that pastoral programmes are simply to proceed as they did in the past. Benedict XVI envisions that this new evangelization has a particular urgency for the entire Church. It is primarily addressed to those who have drifted from the Church in traditionally Christian countries. Unfortunately, this phenomenon exists in varying degrees even in some countries where the Good News was proclaimed in recent centuries, but today has not been sufficiently accepted to result in the Christian transformation of persons, families and societies.