Strand A - Scripture and Jesus Year 9

A9 – Biblical Writing

celinthomaskonnayil

Unit Overview

In this unit students will explore the Bible as the unfolding story of our relationship with God by examining the Bible as a collection of sacred books which contain the truth of God’s revelation as written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. They will become familiar with a range of literary forms in both the Old and New Testaments. Students will read passages in the contexts in which they were written, explaining their features and purpose to interpret the whole message of the Scriptures with a view to its heart and mystery.

Download Support Document

Enduring Understanding

The Sacred Scriptures are understood through the context and faith that gave rise to them and the form in which they were written.

Objectives

A student will

  • value and appreciate the nature of Scripture and its portrayal of the story of the people of God with particular emphasis on the significance of the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
  • develop knowledge and understanding of the nature of Scripture and its portrayal of the story of the people of God with particular emphasis on the significance of the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
  • use and interpret the Scriptures; think critically and reflectively on the meaning of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection

Outcomes

A student

  • explains the features and purposes of a range of literary forms used in the Old and New Testaments. (RECKA9)
  • classifies Scripture passages according to their literary form and interprets them for their intended meaning. (RECSA9)
  • recognises that the Bible conveys various truths through a diversity of literary forms. (RECVA9)

Essential Questions

  1. Is the Bible the inspired word of God? What is truth and where is it in the Bible? Why is it important to have an understanding of the difference between figurative and literal language?
  2. Why do we have a variety of literary forms in Sacred Scripture? Why is a specific literary form chosen to communicate certain messages?
  3. What was happening in society at the time the scripture passage was written? Why is it important to explore the cultural and historical context in which a scripture passage was written? What was the writer’s intention?

Learning Focus & Statements of Learning

  • develop an awareness of the central truths of Sacred Scripture by
    • considering the Bible as the inspired Word of God
    • identifying and exploring the different types of truth found within the Bible
    • exploring the use and interpretation of literal and figurative language within the Bible
    • exploring Isaiah 53:1-6 The Suffering Servant
  • deepen their understanding of the nature and breadth of the Scriptures by
    • examining a range of literary forms in the Old and New Testaments
    • classifying specific Scripture passages and Books of the Bible according to their literary form
    • describing the characteristics of some literary forms found within the Old and New Testaments
    • exploring Psalm 23 The Divine Good Shepherd
  • strengthen their reading of Sacred Scripture by
    • considering the social, cultural and historical context of different Biblical writings
    • considering the audience and purpose of particular Biblical texts
    • exploring Epistle: Philemon 1:1-25

Learning Focus 1: Prophetic Writing – Isaiah 53:1-6, The Suffering Servant
Learning Focus 2: Psalm – Psalm 23, The Divine Good Shepherd
Learning Focus 3: Epistle – Philemon 1:1-25 – Salutation; Philemon’s Love & Faith; Paul’s Plea for Onesimus; Final Greetings & Benediction

CCC101-105 Sacred Scripture

CCC105-108 The Inspiration and truth of sacred Scripture

CCC 110 The author’s intent around genre, time and place etc.

CCC109-119 The Holy Spirit, the interpreter of Scripture

TKWL Year 9:
Chapter 1: The Bible: A Book or a Library
Chapter 2: How to Read the Bible
Chapter 3: Old Testament: Selected Texts
Chapter 4: People Who Cared: The Prophets and Social Justice.

We Gather…as a community and prepare to hear the Word of God

Place an image of ‘Jesus the Good Shepherd’, along with images of Shepherds and their flocks, in the prayer space and/or a copy for each student.

Opening Prayer:

Let us pray that we come to know and to follow our Good Shepherd.

Loving God, we thank you that your Son Jesus is the Good Shepherd who cares for your people.

Open our hearts to hear his voice, to know him as he calls us by name, and to follow wherever he leads.

For he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.   

                                                 http://www.lca.org.au/worship/cowadmin/?p=2630

We Listen…
to the Word of God as it is proclaimed because Scripture is the heart of a liturgical celebration.

View the following clip: 1 minute 17 seconds or read from Scripture.

God Tube clip Psalm 23: http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=WPPWDGNX

Psalm 23: 1-6

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff – they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

Reflection

Psalm 23 is filled with expressions of delight in God’s great goodness. The psalmist presents a relationship to God that is one of a shepherd and tells of the kind things that God has done for him as his shepherd, as well as the blessings that God provides because of the psalmist’s faith and devotion. The psalmist, David, was himself a shepherd so he knew from experience how a good shepherd would skilfully care for his sheep.

For Christians, the psalmist represents all believers as receiving the tenderness and care of God as this great and good shepherd; the shepherd of Israel and of all of God’s people, taking all believers into the flock, to take care of them, protect them and provide for them.

In the New Testament, Jesus appears as the Good Shepherd who gives his life for the life of his sheep – John 10:1-29

Adapted from: http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/psalms/23.html

and/or

“There was a good reason why the illustration of a shepherd with his sheep was used so often in biblical times … because it was an illustration people could easily identify with in their cultural context. The illustrations we use are most effective when they are understood easily by the culture to which God has sent us to minister.  Middle eastern cultures understood what shepherding was all about.  It was about feeding the lambs and the sheep, bringing them to good pasture lands and water, grooming and clipping them, delivering new lambs, leading them and teaching them to stay together, going off after the wandering lost ones, and protecting the sheep in the field and in the fold. We are all under shepherds and Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd. We need to emulate what the Good Shepherd does for the sheep”.

Reference: http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/agoodshepherd.html

We Respond…
with a ritual action such as a reflection on the Word, Prayers of the Faithful, Powerpoint, a ritual action and/or singing.

Our Response

Using an image of a shepherd with his flock, ask students to select one of the lines of the Psalm and reflect upon one of the verses/lines of the Psalm.

How does this image relate to being a shepherd and how does it relate to God’s relationship with us?

For example: ‘He restores my soul.’ – Just like sheep we can be led astray and become like lost sheep, however God provides repentance and restores the soul.

We Go Forth…
into the world to do what we proclaim and to give witness to the fact that we are disciples and followers of Christ. Use a final prayer, a blessing, a song or hymn.

Closing Prayer

Good Shepherd,

Teach us to follow you

to care for all that are close to us,

to protect those who are threatened,

to welcome those who are rejected,

to forgive those who are burdened by guilt,

to heal those who are broken and sick,

to share with those who have little or nothing,

to take the time to really know one another

and to be faithful to calling you gave us

to be shepherds in your name.

and love as you have loved us.

Amen

Adapted from:http://re-worship.blogspot.com.au/2011/05/prayer-for-good-shepherd-sunday.html

Useful Links 

Australian Curriculum

Cross Curriculum Priorities

The General Capabilities

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-ahc.gif

Critical and creative thinking   http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-cct-1.gif

Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia  

Ethical understanding   http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-eu.gif

Sustainability  http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-se.gif

Information and communication technology capability   http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-ict.gif

Other important learning identified by the NSW Educational Standards Authority (NESA):

Intercultural understanding   http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-iu.gif

Civics and citizenship http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-cc.gif

Literacy   http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-l.gif

Difference and diversity http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-dd.gif

Numeracy   http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-n.gif

Work and enterprise http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-we.gif

Personal and social capability   http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-psc.gif

Life Skills

Religious Education for students studying a Life Skills program is developed from the unit outcomes, resulting in the Learning Focus and Statements of Learning. Students may demonstrate achievement of these learning statements independently or with support designed to meet the needs of the student. Such support may include:

  • the provision of extra time to complete tasks
  • physical and/or verbal assistance from others
  • the provision of technological support
  • the assistance of a scribe
  • participating in a group task
  • providing verbal or artistic responses along with written ones.

A student

  • describes different literary forms contained in the Old and New Testaments and links specific Scripture passages to their literary form. (LRECKSA9)

A student studying a Life Skills program will be able to:

  • develop an awareness of the central truths of Sacred Scripture
    • locate examples of religious truths from Scripture.
    • name and describe some different types of literary forms found in Scripture.
    • explore the characteristics of one literary form.

What is meant by ‘religious truth’ in the Bible?
What are some of the different styles of writing in the Bible?

LS9A 1.1

  1. Teacher presents ‘religious truth’ as being the type of truth we find in the Bible that shows us who God is; about humans, life and the universe; and about Jesus, who he was and how, in following Jesus, we come to know God.

  2. Students are presented with a range of scripture passages (either cartoon Youtube clips, a copy of the passages, or simply the Bible references depending on student ability) and are to write a sentence for each passage about the religious truth it contains. Examples (and answers) could include: Genesis 1:1-2:3 (truth: God created the universe and all in it. God sees the importance of both work and rest). Genesis 3 (truth: that God created humans with free will and we sometimes choose to turn away from God). Exodus 16:1-12 (truth: that God will provide for our needs when we cry out to him for help). Mark 4:1-9 (truth: that we should listen to and believe Jesus and the things he taught us because this will show us how to follow God more fully.

LS9A 1.2

  1. Students are to use a dictionary to define the following literary forms: myth, poetry, prophecy, parable, narrative and letter. They are then to look up the scripture passages below and match them to the correct literary form and definition. Alternatively, students are provided the terms, definitions and scripture passages jumbled up, and are to connect the three items together. Possible scriptural examples include: Genesis 7 (myth), Ps 42:1-3 (poetry), Ez 34:1-5 (prophecy), Matt 13:31-33 (parables), Acts 13:1-5 (narrative), Phil 1:1-5 (letter).
  2. Students choose 4 of the literary forms and describe what it is in their own words and design a symbol that illustrates the literary form.

LS9A 1.3

  1. Students explore the structure and language of a letter, that is, the opening greeting, the news contained within a letter and the closing farewell.
  2. Students use the letter of Paul to Philemon to identify the characteristics of a letter in the Bible.

Year 7 TKWL Chapter 1: 2.3 Styles of Writing in the Old Testament.

Year 7 TKWL Chapter 3: 3.4 The Letters.

Year 9 TKWL Chapter 2: 2.5 Is the Bible True?

Year 7 TKWL Chapter 1: 1.12 Letters in the New Testament & 1.13 The Letters of St. Paul.

Genesis 1:1-2.3

Supporting Documents

Learning Experience 1

click icons to download

Learning Experience 2

click icons to download

Learning Experience 3

click icons to download