Unit Overview

In this unit students will explore God, creator of the world through the first creation narrative. Students will appreciate the beauty and goodness of God’s gift of creation through exploring the Psalms of praise. This unit will focus on how people have a responsibility to care for God’s creation and recognise the importance of the Sabbath as a day of rest, prayer and worship.

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Enduring Understanding

We have a responsibility to care for and give thanks to God for the gift of creation.

Objectives

A student will

value and appreciate and become aware of God’s presence in the world; recognise the religious diversity of humanity; acknowledge the tension between good and evil; be open to the need to integrate religion with life
develop an understanding of the action of God in creation, the reality of good and evil and the human search for meaning in Christian and other traditions
reflect on the action of God in creation; reason with appropriate information and present coherent viewpoints; recognise the reality of good and evil; make informed responses in their search for meaning

Outcomes

A student

appreciates the beauty and goodness of God’s gift of creation. (RECVC1)
describes how people have a responsibility to care for God’s creation. (RECSC1)
identifies the importance of the Sabbath day as a day of rest, prayer and worship. (RECKC1)

Essential Questions

How is God’s beauty and goodness revealed to us in God’s gift of creation?
Why are we responsible for caring for God’s creation?
What is the importance of the Sabbath?

Learning Focus, Statements of Learning & Course Content

Students deepen their understanding of the gift of God’s creation by

- recognising how the world was created.
- Explore Genesis 1:1-31 In the Beginning (Storytelling approach).
- Identify God as creator of the world and the order in which it was made.
- appreciating the beauty and goodness of God’s creation.
- Read KWL Book 1 Chapter 17 In the Beginning p122-129 and explore the beauty and goodness of God’s creation.
- Identify and respond to different examples in creation where we can experience the wonder and awe of God’s creation.
- Explore Genesis 1:31a ‘God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good’ and identify why all that God had made was ‘very good’.
- exploring ways we praise and thank God for the beauty and goodness in creation.
- Explore Psalm 148:3-4, 7-10 Praise for God’s Universal Glory and identify how this Psalm is a song of praise for the gift of creation.
- Compose prayers of praise and thanks to God for the beauty and goodness of creation.
- Celebrate a prayer service using Psalm 148:3-4, 7-10, KWL Book 1 Chapter 17 Prayer p131, prayers composed from the unit and a relevant hymn to give praise and thanks to God for the gift of creation.

Students deepen their understanding of our responsibility to care for God’s creation by

- appreciating our role in creation.
- Recognise that God created human beings on the sixth day and that we have a special place in creation because we are made in the image and likeness of God.
- Recognise how God’s love is shown in the gifts and qualities of every person.
- Identify why people are called to reflect God’s love and be in relationship with God and others.
- exploring ways we look after the world.
- Explore Genesis 1:26a Let us make humankind and describe how people care for:
  ○ the naturalworld
  ○ animals
  ○ ourselves
  ○ others

Students recognise the importance of the Sabbath by

- recognising why this is a day of rest.
- Define ‘rest’ and identify what we do to rest and why it is important and necessary.
- Explore Genesis 2:1-3 Resting on the Sabbath and recognise why God rested on the seventh day.
- identifying how we keep the day holy.
- Identify ways we could spend time to rest with God.
- Define ‘sabbath’ and recognise Sunday as the Lord’s day of rest, worship and prayer.
- Read KWL Book 1 Chapter 2 Together at Mass p14-19 and recognise how we are called to pray and worship God by taking time to gather and celebrate Mass on Sunday.
- Celebrate a family Mass with your local parish on the Sabbath day.

Compulsory Scripture

Unit Content 1:
Genesis 1:1-31 In the Beginning
Genesis 1:31a ‘God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good’
Psalm 148:3-4, 7-10 Praise for God’s Universal Glory

Unit Content 2:
Genesis 1:26a Let us make humankind

Unit Content 3:
Genesis 2:1-3 Resting on the Sabbath

Storytelling

Unit Content 1
Genesis 1:1-31 In the Beginning

Church Documents

Catechism of the Catholic Church

44 – Man is by nature and vocation a religious being. Coming from God, going toward God, man lives a fully human life only if he freely lives by his bond with God.

45 – Man is made to live in communion with God in whom he finds happiness: “When I am completely united to you, there will be no more sorrow or trials; entirely full of you, my life will be complete” (St Augustine, Conf 10, 28, 39: PL 32, 795).

315 – In the creation of the world and of man, God gave the first and universal witness to his almighty love and his wisdom, the first proclamation of the “plan of his loving goodness”, which finds its goal in the new creation in Christ.

319 – God created the world to show forth and communicate his glory. That his creatures should share in his truth, goodness and beauty – this is the glory for which God created them.

345 – The sabbath – the end of the work of the six days. The sacred text says that “on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done”, that the “heavens and the earth were finished”, and that God “rested” on this day and sanctified and blessed it. These inspired words are rich in profitable instruction.

2172 – God’s action is the model for human action. If God “rested and was refreshed” on the seventh day, man too ought to “rest” and should let others, especially the poor, “be refreshed.” The sabbath brings everyday work to a halt and provides a respite. It is a day of protest against the servitude of work and the worship of money.

Australian Curriculum
Cross Curriculum Priorities		The General Capabilities
	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures		Critical and creative thinking
	Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia		Ethical understanding
	Sustainability		Information and communication technology capability
Other important learning identified by the NSW Educational Standards Authority (NESA):			Intercultural understanding
	Civics and citizenship		Literacy
	Difference and diversity		Numeracy
	Work and enterprise		Personal and social capability

C1 – God’s Creation