Unit Overview

This unit welcomes children into the life of a Catholic School and a Catholic Community. It establishes simple prayer routines with a focus on the Sign of the Cross. Key symbols and religious objects in the school and parish environment are explored. The unit introduces sacred space, a prayer place and the importance of time to pray. Children are introduced to some core beliefs of the Catholic faith; God as creator, Jesus as the light of the world, the Holy Spirit and Mary, the Mother of God. The foundational image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd is also presented through the story of the Good Shepherd.

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Enduring Understanding

With our school and parish community we learn about our Catholic tradition.

Objectives

A student will

value, appreciate and become aware of their religious identity and their spiritual heritage; appreciate the richness of the tradition and the need for community; be open to participation in the mission of the Church
develop knowledge and understanding of the nature and mission of the Church, both local and universal, and its history and teachings from its beginning to the present
analyse and communicate informed viewpoints on the nature and mission of the Church; review their experience in the light of its teachings; evaluate their participation in its undertakings

Outcomes

A student

communicates knowledge about Jesus as the Good Shepherd (RECKBK)
demonstrates growing familiarity with key symbols and rituals of the Catholic Tradition (RECSBK).
appreciates the Bible as the sacred Scriptures of the Catholic community (RECVBK)

Essential Questions

What makes us a Catholic community?
What do we believe as Catholics?
How are we known, loved and cared for by Jesus the Good Shepherd?

Learning Focus & Statements of Learning

Students appreciate how they belong to a Catholic community by

- identifying special objects that are used in a prayer place.
- Explore Coming to Know Our Prayer Place Part I – Sacred objects we find on our prayer place (storytelling).
- Describe how a prayer place helps us to pray.
- Recognise special objects that are used in prayer places.
- Read KWL Prep/Kindergarten Chapter 1 Our Prayer Place and recognise the importance of a prayer place for communicating with God.
- identifying symbols and people who help us to learn about God.
- Explore the school environment and identify religious artworks, statues and symbols that remind the students that they belong to a Catholic community.
- Explore the name of the School and its importance.
- Explore the school motto and emblem and discuss their importance.
- Identify people in the school community who help us to learn about and be with God.
- recognising that the church is a special place to be with God.
- Explore Coming to Know Our Prayer Place Part II – Showing reverence in the Church (storytelling).
- Recognise that the church is a special place to be with God.
- Identify the Parish Priest and assistant Priests as people who help us to learn about and be with God.
- Explore the church and identify religious artworks, statues, symbols and objects that remind us that we belong to a Catholic parish.
- Identify some of the ways that we show reverence in the church:
  ○ blessing ourselves using holy water to make the Sign of the Cross upon entry and exit
  ○ prayerful silence
  ○ genuflecting
  ○ bowing
  ○ sitting still
  ○ active listening and responding
  ○ kneeling
  ○ standing still
  ○ lighting candles

Students recognise what we believe as Catholics by

- exploring our belief in God.
- Read KWL Prep/Kindergarten Chapter 9 p63 Prayer and introduce God as the creator of all.
- Explore how God loves and cares for all of us and knows us all by name.
- Explore how God is everywhere and that we can pray to God anywhere, at any time.
- exploring our belief in Jesus.
- Explore the concept of ‘light’ as a thing of beauty and as something necessary for life.
- Explore Coming to Know Our Prayer Place Part III – Showing reverence in our prayer place (storytelling).
- Explore the scriptural image of Jesus as the light of the world (John 8:12).
- Explore Coming to Know Our Prayer Place Part IV – The Bible, Our Sacred Scripture (storytelling).
- Recognise the importance of the Bible in sharing stories about Jesus, the light of the world.
- exploring our belief in the Holy Spirit.
- Pray using the Sign of the Cross and identify that God is a Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
- Explore Baptism – Receiving the Holy Spirit (storytelling).
- Recognise that we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit at Baptism.
- exploring our belief in Mary.
- Introduce Mary as Jesus’ mother and our mother in heaven.
- Recognise that the Church honours Mary through prayer, religious artworks and feast days.
- exploring how we express our beliefs through prayer and worship.
- Explore how we pray in many ways so that we can communicate with God and build a relationship with him.
- Identify how we gather in the Church as a school and parish community to pray and be with God.

Students recognise who the Good Shepherd is by

- reflecting on the love and care that Jesus has for each of us.
- Explore John 10:3-5,14 The Good Shepherd (storytelling).
- Define ‘love’, ‘protection, ‘belonging’ and ‘safety’ and explore how they relate to a shepherd.
- Pray KWL Prep/Kindergarten Chapter 2 p15 Prayer (Psalm 23:1-3 The Lord is my Shepherd) and identify Jesus as the Good Shepherd who loves and cares for all people.
- Explore the concept of each person’s name being special and identify how God loves, cares for and knows each person by name.
- Using KWL Prep/Kindergarten Chapter 2 p10-13 The Good Shepherd and p15 Prayer, create a class celebration worshiping Jesus as the Good Shepherd who knows, loves and cares for us all.

Compulsory Scripture

Unit Content 2
John 8:12 Jesus the light of the world

Unit Content 3
John 10:3-5,14 The Good Shepherd
Psalm 23:1-3 The Lord is my Shepherd

Storytelling

Unit Content 1
Coming to Know Our Prayer Place Part I – Sacred objects we find on our prayer place
Coming to Know Our Prayer Place Part II – Showing reverence in the Church

Unit Content 2
Coming to Know Our Prayer Place Part III – Showing reverence in our prayer place
Coming to Know Our Prayer Place Part IV – The Bible, Our Sacred Scripture
Baptism – Receiving the Holy Spirit

Unit Content 3
John 10:3-5,14 The Good Shepherd

Church Documents

Catechism of the Catholic Church

261 – The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian faith and of Christian life. God alone can make it known to us by revealing himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

754 – The Church is, accordingly, a sheepfold, the sole and necessary gateway to which is Christ. It is also the flock of which God himself foretold that he would be the shepherd, and whose sheep, even though governed by human shepherds, are unfailingly nourished and led by Christ himself, the Good Shepherd and Prince of Shepherds, who gave his life for his sheep.

2158 – God calls each one by name. Everyone’s name is sacred. The name is the icon of the person. It demands respect as a sign of the dignity of the one who bears it.

2688 – The catechesis of children, young people, and adults aims at teaching them to meditate on the Word of God in personal prayer, practising it in liturgical prayer, and internalising it at all times in order to bear fruit in a new life… The memorisation of basic prayers offers an essential support to the life of prayer, but it is important to help learners savour their meaning.

2691 – For personal prayer, this can be a ‘prayer corner’ with the Sacred Scriptures and icons, in order to be there, in secret, before our Father. In a Christian family, this kind of little oratory fosters prayer in common.

KWL

Unit Content 1
KWL Prep/Kindergarten Chapter 1 Our Prayer Place

Unit Content 2
KWL Prep/Kindergarten Chapter 9 p63 Prayer

Unit Content 3
KWL Prep/Kindergarten Chapter 2 p10-13 The Good Shepherd and p15 Prayer

Prayer

Praying with Scripture
Psalm 23:1-3 The Lord is my Shepherd

General Capabilities

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

BK – Our School and Parish Community

Unit Overview

Download Support Document

Enduring Understanding

Objectives

Outcomes

Essential Questions

Learning Focus & Statements of Learning

Compulsory Scripture

Storytelling

Church Documents

KWL

Prayer

General Capabilities

Supporting Documents

Learning Experience 1

Learning Experience 2

Learning Experience 3

CONTACT

LINKS