Year Level Description
In Year 6, students are introduced to
the Christian understanding of faith and the term ‘communion of saints’.
They develop their understanding of the many ways in which faith is
lived out and celebrated in the lives of believers past and present.
They learn about the contexts and key messages of some Old Testament
prophets and the contribution of some key people (laity, religious and
clergy) to the shaping of the Church in Australia (c. 1900 CE to
present). They understand the significance of Jesus’ New Law for the way
believers live their faith, including an exploration of the spiritual
and corporal works of mercy. They develop their understanding of the
role of celebrations in the faith life of believers, including the
commemoration of High Holy Days by Jewish believers and the Church’s
liturgical celebrations (including the Eucharist). They develop their
understanding of prayer in the Christian tradition through an
exploration of the Our Father, The Examen, and meditative prayer
practices including prayer journaling.
They are introduced to the Church
teaching that the Holy Spirit guided the formation of the New Testament.
Using a range of Biblical tools, they engage with a variety of
Scriptural texts that describe Jesus’ relationship with God the Father
and with humanity and proclaim Jesus as fulfilling all of God’s promises
in the Old Testament.
Focus Area
The Catholic Church in Australia
Fertile Question
How did the Catholic Church contribute to the shaping of Australia?
• What was the contributions of religious orders and church leaders
• Key event in the Church post federation
• Significance dates in the establishment of Catholic church in Australia
• What was happening in Australia at this time
Catholics helped form the new
Australian nation (c.1900 CE to present). Catholics initially set
themselves apart. A uniquely Australian Church emerged. New ways of
being both Catholic and Australian were encouraged.
Sequence some key people and events
(religious and secular) that contributed to the development of Australia
as a nation (c.1900 CE to present).
The wisdom of Australian Catholic
Christians, including lay people and religious orders (c.1900 CE to the
present), helps people understand the work and movement of the Holy
Spirit in this land (e.g. concern for the common good; works of mercy;
challenging injustice; developing new ways of living the Catholic faith
in Australia).
How do some Australian Catholic
Christians help people understand the work and movement of the Holy
Spirit in this land through diverse expressions of wisdom.
Focus Area
How do believers remember and celebrate the life death and resurrection of Jesus?
The word Eucharist means thanksgiving:
believers give thanks for all that God has given, particularly the gift
that is Jesus. The Mass is made up of the Liturgy of the Word and the
Liturgy of the Eucharist. The Church teaches that in the celebration of
Eucharist, Jesus is sacramentally present in four ways: the people
gathered, in the Church’s minister, in the Word proclaimed, and most
profoundly in the gifts of bread and wine which become the Body and
Blood of Christ.
In the Eucharist, believers remember and
celebrate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus (the Paschal
mystery). This is the focus or ‘theme’ of every Eucharistic liturgy. The
saving events of the Paschal mystery are made present in the Eucharist
through which believers are offered to share in the new life of Christ
(1 Cor 10:16-17).
Eucharist is memorial, sacrifice, prayer,
nourishment and community. The Mass challenges believers to go out and
live the good news that Jesus proclaimed.
Identify the parts of the Mass (e.g.
Introductory Rite, Liturgy of the Word, Liturgy of the Eucharist,
Communion Rite, Concluding Rite).
Explain the different ways in which Jesus is sacramentally present in the Mass.
Communicate an understanding of the key purposes of the Eucharist for believers (e.g. memorial, sacrifice).
‘Communion of saints’ is a term that
describes the spiritual bond that exists, through Baptism, between all
the members of the Church, living and dead.
Communicate an understanding of the term ‘communion of saints’.
Focus Area
- What were the key messages of the prophets?
- Who were some of the prophets?
- How do we live the messages of the
prophets today?Key messages of Old Testament prophets are identified
within their social, cultural and historical contexts.
Use a range of Biblical tools to analyse
the social, cultural and historical contexts of some Old Testament
prophets, including Samuel (1 Samuel 3:1-4:1a).
Communicate an understanding of some key
messages of Old Testament prophets, taking into account their context
(e.g. repent and turn back to God, act justly, care for others in
particular the poor and marginalised, observe the Law, God is
compassionate and forgiving, God is always faithful).
A range of Biblical tools (including
timelines, Biblical atlases, Biblical dictionaries, annotated Bibles,
simple Biblical commentaries, online Bible search engines) is used to
assist in deepening awareness of Old Testament texts.
Investigate and evaluate the usefulness of a range of Biblical tools for deepening awareness of Old Testament texts.
Focus Area
Preparing for the season of Advent
Unit Focus
- Preparing for Advent and Christmas, Who is Jesus for us today?
- How do we prepare our hearts to become aware of the presence of Jesus in our lives today?
Preparing for the end of year 6 liturgy
- How could we use sacred art? (Music, visual arts, drama, dance, media)?
- How could we actively participate through action?
- How could we actively participate through word?
- How could we actively participate through reverent silence?
Meditative prayer uses silence and
stillness to assist believers to listen and talk to God. Believers use a
range of practices for preparing the body and the mind for meditative
prayer and engaging in the ‘work of meditation’, including prayer
journaling. The Examen is a meditative prayer in the Christian
tradition.
Participate respectfully in meditative prayer, including The Examen.
Jesus’ relationship with God the Father
and humanity is described in Scripture using a variety of titles and
images (e.g. liberator, creator, Son of God, Son of Man, Messiah,
Anointed One, Lamb of God, Bread of Life, Rabbi, Saviour).
Locate and identify images in scripture, including John 1:35-51, that express different titles of Jesus.
Explain how a title of Jesus describes his relationship to God the Father and/or humanity.
The Church’s liturgical year is told
through a framework of different seasons (Advent, Christmas, Lent,
Easter, Pentecost, Ordinary Time), revealing the story of salvation and
drawing inspiration from Jewish tradition.
In liturgical celebrations, forms of
sacred art (including music, visual arts, drama, dance, media) are used
to inspire believers to prayer and a deeper understanding of the mystery
of God. In liturgical celebrations, believers are encouraged to
actively participate through action (e.g. sign of peace, Genuflecting,
sign of the cross), word (e.g. acclamations, responses, singing),
posture (e.g. kneeling, bowing) and observing a reverent silence at
appropriate times.
Make connections between some key celebrations of the Church’s liturgical year and the story of salvation.
Identify where, how and why forms of sacred art are used in liturgical celebrations.
Identify ways in which believers
actively participate in liturgical celebrations and interpret the
meaning of these for believers.
Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 6, students analyse
information from a variety of texts, including New Testament texts and
the wisdom of Australian Catholic Christians, to explain the action of
the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. They select and use evidence
from Scriptural texts to show how these texts describe Jesus’
relationship with God the Father and with humanity, including the
proclamation of Jesus as fulfilling God’s promises in the Old Testament.
Students identify and describe many
ways in which faith is lived out in the lives of believers past and
present, including Catholics in a developing Australian nation (c. 1900
CE to present). They analyse the key messages and contexts of some Old
Testament prophets. They explain the significance of Jesus’ New Law for
the way believers live their faith and examine the spiritual and
corporal works of mercy. They identify and describe many ways in which
faith is celebrated in the lives of believers, past and present,
including the commemoration of High Holy Days by Jewish believers; the
Church’s liturgical year and the celebration of Eucharist. They
demonstrate an understanding of the term ‘communion of saints’. They
explain the significance of personal and communal prayer, including the
Our Father and The Examen, and the use of spiritual exercises, including
reflective prayer journaling and praying with the icons of the saints,
for the spiritual life of believers. They participate respectfully in a
variety of these personal and communal prayer experience and spiritual
exercises.
