Unit Overview

This unit explores creation as a gift from God, which we are called to care for and protect. In this unit, students will develop a deeper understanding of God as Creator, and will appreciate more fully that creation is good. We are called to be one with each other and the earth community. The unit focuses on developing an understanding of our responsibility to care for God’s creation. It also explores our decisions to respect and care for the environment which will affect our world, both now and in the future. Students will identify issues of misuse and mismanagement in the environment and explore how we, as stewards of creation, can respond appropriately and compassionately. The unit will introduce the concept of ‘ecological conversion’ which calls us to change the ways in which we relate to each other and to the whole of God’s creation. The students will identify their call to challenge those ways and structures that oppress and exploit creation.

Download Support Document

Enduring Understanding

God’s goodness is present in the gift of creation, which we are called to care for.

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 God’s goodness and grace in the gift of creation. (RECVC5)
understands that humanity is called to take responsibility for caring for God’s creation. (RECKC5)
explains environmental stewardship and ecological conversion. (RECSC5)

Essential Questions

How does Scripture reveal God as the Creator of all that is good?
How can Aboriginal Spirituality inspire us to live in harmony with the earth community?
How does Church Tradition and Scripture deepen our understanding of the importance of caring for our earth community?
How has humanity misused or mismanaged God’s creation and how can the model of See, Judge, Act enable us to review current environmental issues?
What is our call to stewardship and ecological conversion?

Learning Focus, Statements of Learning & Course Content

Students recognise God as Creator by

- exploring the presence of God revealed in all creation.
- Explore Genesis 1-2:3 The Goodness of God’s Creation (storytelling).
- Read KWL Book 5 Chapter 1 Our Prayer – A Psalm to our Provident Creator (Psalm 65:9-13) p8 and identify God as the creator of all that is good, the source of all being, and the giver and sustainer of all creation.
- Using both the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed, identify the belief that God is creator of all that is ‘visible’ and ‘invisible’.
- appreciating the wonder, goodness and beauty of all creation.
- Define ‘wonder’, ‘goodness’ and ‘beauty’ in relation to all creation.
- Explain the importance of the words “And God saw that it was good” found in Genesis 1-2:3.
- Identify and respond to different examples in creation where students have experienced an encounter with God.
- Explore how creation is graced by God and is a gift that is valuable, sacred and reveals the glory and goodness of God.
- reflecting on Aboriginal spiritual values, in particular, the land.
- Discuss Aboriginal spiritual values, in particular the sacredness of the land –
  ○ The Land is sacred – links with God and the Ancestors who belong to the Land
  ○ The Land sustains and is sustained by people – natural environments
  ○ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ connections to place – respect and care of the Land for future generations
  ○ Aspects of life are sacred – ceremonies, art, food gathering, daily living
  ○ Creation stories – each of us is connected with all creation
- Read a range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ‘Dreaming Stories’, that express peoples’ interconnectedness with the Land.

Students deepen their understanding of caring for creation by

- identifying key messages on living in harmony with the earth community as proclaimed in Church Tradition.
- investigate the key messages of the Church on caring for creation using Pope Francis’ encyclical letter Laudato Si’ (On Care for Our Common Home, Pope Francis 2015)
  ○ Pollution, waste and the throwaway culture
  ○ Climate as a common good
  ○ The Issue of Water
- Review Papal quotes on the environment using:
  ○ Ecclesia in Asia, Pope St John Paul II, 1999
  ○ Address on Science for Survival and Sustainable Development, Pope St John Paul II, 1999
  ○ General Audience, Pope St John Paul II, 2000
  ○ World Day of Peace, Pope Benedict XVI, 2010
  ○ Installation Mass Homily, Pope Francis, 2013
- exploring Psalms and prayers that praise and thank God for the gift of creation.
- Identify the Book of Psalms as the Hebrew religious hymn and prayer book used in the Temple and its relevance for us as a book of songs, prayers and poems.
- Read KWL Book 4 Chapter 2 Hymn of Praise p16 and Psalm 148:1-14 Praise for God’s Universal Glory and discuss the call for all things on earth and in the heavens to give praise to God the creator.
- Explore and pray the Canticle of Creation (Brother Sun) by St Francis of Assisi.
- Read and discuss KWL book 4 Chapter 2 Our Prayer p17 and Canticle of Brother Sun by St Francis of Assisi.
- Compose a prayer of praise and thanks to God for the gift of creation.
- Celebrate a prayer service using the Book of Psalms, Canticle of Brother Sun and prayers of praise and thanks composed by students.

Students deepen their understanding about environmental issues that threaten the sacredness of God’s creation by

- exploring the needs, wants and resources used by humanity.
- Identify the difference between a need and a want and provide examples of both categories.
- Examine the choices we make individually and collectively in relation to the use of resources – fossil fuels, water, farming, fishing, commercialism and tourism.
- examining how humanity has misused or mismanaged God’s creation.
- Define ‘misused’ and ‘mismanaged’.
- Investigate examples of how people have misused or mismanaged God’s creation – carbon emissions, climate change, pollution, deforestation.
- examining the ‘See, Judge, Act’ model in order to propose possible solutions to current environmental issues.
- Examine the ‘See, Judge, Act’ model, connecting values, Scripture and Catholic Social Teaching, as a framework for Christian living. Use Matthew 5:1-12 The Beatitudes, Matthew 5:13-16 Salt and Light, Matthew 7:12 The Golden Rule and Matthew 22:34-40 The Greatest Commandment.
- Investigate a range of global and local scenarios, where the ‘See, Judge, Act’ model can be used in evaluating environmental issues. Include pollution, waste, climate change and water usage.

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

- exploring stewardship.
- Explore Genesis 1:26-28, 2:3 Stewards of Creation (storytelling).
- Explore how we can be stewards of creation through understanding integral ecology:
  ○ Love for the natural world and its creatures.
  ○ Love for humanity, especially the poor and outcasts.
  ○ Love for the Creator.
- explaining the concept of, and need for, ecological conversion.
- Define and explore the concept of ‘ecological conversion’ and discuss the need to change attitudes and actions towards the natural world, its creatures and humanity.
- identify the importance of the Sabbath.
- Recongise the Sabbath as a gift that God gave to us to recover, recreate, enjoy and to be at rest with God’s creation.
- Identify that on the Sabbath, we are called to pray and to worship God by taking time to gather and celebrate Mass on Sunday.

Compulsory Scripture

Unit Content 2:
Psalm 148:1-10 Praise for God’s Universal Glory

Unit Content 3:
Matthew 5:1-12 The Beatitudes
Matthew 5:13-16 Salt and Light
Matthew 7:12 The Golden Rule
Matthew 22:34-40 The Greatest Commandment

Storytelling

Unit Content 1:
Genesis 1-2:3 The Goodness of God’s Creation

Unit Content 4:
Genesis 1:26-28, 2:3 Stewards of Creation

Church Documents

Catechism of the Catholic Church

299 – Because God creates through wisdom, his creation is ordered: “You have arranged all things by measure and number and weight.” The universe, created in and by the eternal Word, the “image of the invisible God”, is destined for and addressed to man, himself created in the “image of God” and called to a personal relationship with God. Our human understanding, which shares in the light of the divine intellect, can understand what God tells us by means of his creation, though not without great effort and only in a spirit of humility and respect before the Creator and his work. Because creation comes forth from God’s goodness, it shares in that goodness – “and God saw that it was good. . . very good” – for God willed creation as a gift addressed to man, an inheritance destined for and entrusted to him. On many occasions the Church has had to defend the goodness of creation, including that of the physical world.
302 – Creation has its own goodness and proper perfection, but it did not spring forth complete from the hands of the Creator. The universe was created “in a state of journeying” (in statu viae) toward an ultimate perfection yet to be attained, to which God has destined it. We call “divine providence” the dispositions by which God guides his creation toward this perfection:
By his providence God protects and governs all things which he has made, “reaching mightily from one end of the earth to the other, and ordering all things well”. For “all are open and laid bare to his eyes”, even those things which are yet to come into existence through the free action of creatures.
357 – Being in the image of God the human individual possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just something, but someone. He is capable of self-knowledge, of self-possession and of freely giving himself and entering into communion with other persons. And he is called by grace to a covenant with his Creator, to offer him a response of faith and love that no other creature can give in his stead.
2415 – The seventh commandment enjoins respect for the integrity of creation. Animals, like plants and inanimate beings, are by nature destined for the common good of past, present, and future humanity. Use of the mineral, vegetable, and animal resources of the universe cannot be divorced from respect for moral imperatives. Man’s dominion over inanimate and other living beings granted by the Creator is not absolute; it is limited by concern for the quality of life of his neighbor, including generations to come; it requires a religious respect for the integrity of creation.

Encyclical Letter
Pope Francis’ encyclical letter Laudato Si’ (On Care for Our Common Home, Pope Francis 2013)
Pollution, waste and the throwaway culture – Chapter One I/20-22
Climate as a common good – Chapter One I/23-26
The Issue of Water – Chapter One II/27-31
Queen of All Creation – Chapter Eight #241
Saint Joseph – Chapter Eight #242

KWL

Unit Content 1
KWL Book 5 Chapter 1 Our Prayer – A Psalm to our Provident Creator (Psalm 64:10-14)’ p8.

Unit Content 2
KWL Book 4 Chapter 2 Hymn of Praise p16 (Psalm 148:1-4).
KWL book 4 Chapter 2 Our Prayer – Canticle of Brother Sun by St Francis of Assisi p17.

Prayer

Prayers of Tradition
Canticle of Creation by St Francis of Assisi
Prayers from Laudato Si’

Eucharist and Liturgical Rites
Apostles’ Creed
Nicene Creed

Praying with Scripture
Psalm 148:1-14 Praise for God’s Universal Glory

Other Prayer Forms
Ritual of awe and wonder
Guided meditation
Prayer through movement
Ecological Examen

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

C5 – Good Stewards of Creation