Christian Beliefs

CB 1.1 Who Is God?

This unit of work for a Beginning Band class demonstrates one approach that can be taken with the Christian Beliefs key idea: Christians believe God is one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Using their five senses children explore the world around them, observing and recording their experiences. The question strategy, 5Ws&H, is used to focus their thinking onto the construction of questions relating to their experiences. From there the teacher draws in a range of resources enabling children to proceed with their inquiry relating to the topic: Who is God?

CB 1.2 EASTER Who Is Jesus

Using this unit template, teachers can create a unit plan through which children will hear the Passion week story told in chronological in order to become familiar with the main aspects of the story. Children will be given an opportunity to respond to the story. Who is Jesus? What is the Easter story? UNIT FOCUS ON developing units on Easter across all year levels of a school [Band Beginning, CB 1.2]

CB 1.3 CW 1.1 CW 1.3 Choices What Will I Do

CB 1.3 Gods unconditional love

CL 1.1 CB 1.2 Best Friends This unit of work for a Kinder class demonstrates one approach that can be taken with the Christian Living key idea: Christians believe that God creates people to live in relationship with him and with each other. It also draws in concepts from CL1.2 and CB 1.2, specifically stories about Jesus, what he said and what he did. Throughout this unit students are introduced to a range of significant strategies enabling them to process the information they are gathering as they inquire into friendship from God’s perspective and friendship as it lived out between people, especially class members and the people who are special in their lives.

CB 2.1 What is God like?

In their quest to find out about God, students explore Bible stories that focus on different aspects of God’s nature, describe ways God helped people, and suggest ways people today respond to God’s gifts. This inquiry unit for Year 1 students begins with students responses to what they think God is like. It challenges them to think about whether others’ responses might be the same or different. They survey to find out, then embark on a journey through the Old and New Testaments to find out more and more about God, his nature, and how people respond. Their discoveries they share, at the end, with a wider audience: peers, parents, older people.

CB 2.2 CB 2.3 What makes Easter story good news?

Using this unit template, teachers can create a unit plan through which children will consider: What kind of good news does Easter story bring? Is this good news for everyone? Does/did everyone think the Easter story was/is good news? Why is Easter story good news for me? What makes Easter story good news? UNIT FOCUS ON developing units on Easter across all year levels of a school Band A Year 1 CB 2.2, CB 2.3

CB 2.2 Easter: Gods love today

 Using this unit template, teachers can create a unit plan through which students: Take a close look at Holy Week. How people from other countries celebrate the specific events of Holy Week. A look at celebrations of the past and celebrations of the present. Children to identify which celebrations they are familiar with. God's love today UNIT FOCUS ON developing units on Easter across all year levels of a school Band A Year 2 CB 2.2, CC 2.3

CB 2.2 The life of Jesus This document tells the story of a unit which changed direction dramatically due to an activity that went exceptionally (and unexpectedly) well and sparked many ideas and questions that we as teachers decided were worth further investigation. We would never have planned to follow this path, but we are so glad that we did! Initially we were going to begin by looking at the images of Jesus (see PowerPoint attachment), and then go on to focus on the actual teachings of Jesus. However, it was only when we showed the PowerPoint that we realised there were so many ideas to flesh out. We knew we could take the discussions that we had in the room that day further, so the unit became about both the identity and the teachings of Jesus.

CB 2.3 Rescue

This unit demonstrates one approach that can be taken with Year 1 students and the Christian Beliefs key idea: A Christian worldview is shaped by the Biblical teaching of sin and grace. The concepts of sin and rescue are inquired into as students brainstorm, interview people, view dvds and analyse Bible stories while seeking to discover the ways in which God rescues people and the reason for his rescuing.

CB 3.1 The nature of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit The unit of work demonstrates one approach that can be taken with Year 3 students and the Christian Beliefs Key Idea Christians believe God is one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The unit is designed to assist students to understand the nature and roles of the Triune God. Students inquire into the differences in God's roles through non-threatening activities and reflect on their learning. Both art and music are incorporated as avenues for exploration and expression. Students are encouraged to question what it means that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This requires students to think deeply and creatively about the content and ideas in the outcome. As well as the unit of work, supporting documents are provided: surveys and questionnaire and photos/samples of student work.

CB 3.1 Who is God?

Students will individually look at God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit through various mediums to help them identify the works, attributes, images and roles of each. Christians confess that God is one yet three persons,pointing to the different aspects of the work of God.

CB 3.2 Who is Jesus?

The unit of work demonstrates one approach that can be taken with Year 4 students and the Christian Beliefs key idea: the person and work of Jesus the Christ is central to Christianity. Using the bible as their main resource, students encounter all aspects of Jesus’ life, from a socio-cultural perspective, as they inquire into two questions: who Jesus is, and in what ways Jesus’ actions and words apply to today’s social and cultural context. Throughout the unit there are opportunities for students to engage in open dialogue and to reflect on their learning as they move towards the culminating activity, their presentation of The Jesus Project.

CB 3.3 What's so amazing about grace?

The unit of work demonstrates one approach that can be taken with Year 4/5 students and the Christian Beliefs key idea: a Christian worldview is shaped by the biblical teaching of sin and grace. Students identify feelings and emotions associated with ‘bad’ thoughts, behaviours and making poor choices. They explore and analyse what the Bible has to say about sin, the outcomes and ramifications of this in people’s lives, God’s response to sin, and what that means as people live out their lives daily.

 

 

CB 4.1 One God revealed The unit of work demonstrates one inquiry approach that can be taken with students and the Christian Beliefs key idea: Christians believe that God is one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Beginning with mysteries in the world of fiction and from student experience, the unit moves on to expose students to biblical mysteries and the ways in which God chooses to reveal himself in both the OT and NT. As students engage with this material they seek to answer questions such as: • What is the Trinity? • How does God reveal himself to people? • Is God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit? • Do they play the same role? • Do people believe the Trinity is a mystery? • Is it okay to ‘just believe’? • How do we know what God is like? • Does God communicate with you? • What do various symbols, artistic representations of God, reveal about God? • Why do I want God as my father if my earthly father is not very nice?

CB 4.2 Jesus

 The unit of work demonstrates one approach that can be taken with Year 6 students and the Christian Beliefs key idea: the person and work of Jesus the Christ is central to Christianity. The purpose of the inquiry unit is to assist students to understand who Jesus was and what was unique about Him. Significant events in Jesus’ life are explored including His teachings and parables. Students have the opportunity to investigate an event and to engage in reciprocal teaching through a presentation. Students also have the opportunity to reflect on what Christians can learn from Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

CB 4.3 The hidden God in suffering

 Grace revealed on life's highway

CB 5.3 Human life: the value of?

CB 5.3 Seasons

 The unit of work demonstrates one approach that can be taken with Year 10 students and the Christian Beliefs Key Idea ‘A Christian worldview is shaped by the biblical teaching of sin and grace.’ Seasons is designed to equip students with attitudes and skills to cope with change and loss throughout their lives. It opens with a series of metaphors illustrating the impact of stress in our lives and how situations can be seen as a challenge or opportunity. The film ‘Life is Beautiful’ is used to further illustrate this concept and promote discussion on bullying behaviours and strategies to deal with bullying. Students then identify their own reactions to change and loss, recognising also that grief is a ‘normal’ part of life. They view death operating in the film ‘Ghost’ and also consider Jesus’ death and the impact it had on key people in his life. Students learn about stages of grief and consider death from alternate viewpoints, before identifying how they can help someone who is grieving, or find support if they struggle with their own grief. Finally, students look beyond death within the task ‘What happens to me when I die?’ After learning about Christian views on life beyond death, they compare and contrast other religious and philosophical beliefs about life after death, and investigate how funerary practices reflect these beliefs.

CB 5.3 Suffering and evil: what is the worth of human beings

 Suffering and evil: what is the worth of human beings Band D Year 9 CB 5.3, CW 5.1 UNIT FOCUS ON MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES In this unit students consider a variety of forms of suffering, and Christian and other religions responses to suffering. They draw information from a variety of written and visual sources. Students explore specific examples of how Christians help those who suffer. Through their study of suffering and evil in the world, students examine the value that God places on human beings and the concept of self worth. They also consider related (fundamental questions) which all people might ask, evaluate various religious responses to suffering and related questions, as well as formulate their own response.

CB 6.1 CB 6.3 Fate or freewill?

In grappling with the question of what the guiding force in people’s lives is, this unit demonstrates one way that an inquiry can be developed using Christian beliefs key ideas: Christians believe that God is one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and A Christian worldview is shaped by the biblical teaching of sin and grace. Students investigate the profound question, what is the guiding force in life? Is it fate/God’s providence/predestination, is it freewill/choices, or random chance? Students investigate the profound reality of both through narrative as life is in itself a narrative. Looking at various philosophical principles that may apply to the question, students develop their understandings as they wrestle with the nature of life. Finally the Christian response to the problem is analysed and reviewed.

CB 6.3 Peacemakers Students need to be challenged by alternative views and particularly a balanced view of the Christian’s responsibility to be a peacemaker. A clearer appreciation for Grace and Justice can help to usurp stereotypes and extremist images promoted by the media.

CB 6.3 What's so amazing about grace?

 The unit of work demonstrates one approach that can be taken with Year 11 students and the Christian Beliefs Key Idea A Christian worldview is shaped by the biblical teaching of sin and grace together with the Christian Living key idea Christians have a responsibility in and for the world.