Strand C - God, Religion and Life Year 9

C9 – The Search for Meaning

celinthomaskonnayil

Unit Overview

The desire for knowledge and understanding has been evident throughout human history, from the ancient philosophers to modern scientific inquiry. Our Catholic tradition teaches that all knowledge comes from God and that it can only be fully understood in this context. For Catholics, the search for meaning is an expression of our inherent desire to know God. It is only when we bring together knowledge and meaning, faith and reason, that we uncover the truths of life.

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Enduring Understanding

The Catholic Church guides believers in their quest to make sense of the world and recognise what is real, and what is lasting and true.

Objectives

A student will

  • value, appreciate and become aware of the various expressions 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 knowledge and 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

  • examines the Catholic belief that ‘truth’ consists of knowledge and meaning. (RECKC9)
  • analyses the Catholic Church’s response to evil, suffering and death. (RECSC9)
  • appreciates the inherent need of human beings to seek explanations/ask why. (RECVC9)

Essential Questions

  1. Why do humans ask why?
  2. What answers does the Catholic Church have for life’s big questions?
  3. What is my response to the big questions about life?

Learning Focus & Statements of Learning

  • Students will investigate humanity’s need to understand the world by
    • identifying some of the enduring questions of human existence.
    • outlining the response of different worldviews to these enduring questions.
    • interpreting the secular and the sacred to search for deeper truths.
    • exploring John 6: 25-40 The Bread from Heaven
  • Students will explore the response to life’s enduring questions by
    • reflecting upon their experiences of joy and hope, sickness and suffering, death and dying, and the reality of evil.
    • examining the relevant beliefs and teachings (and practices) of the Catholic Church (in reference to 2.1).
    • exploring John 14: 1-14 Jesus the Way to the Father
  • Students will consider their own search for meaning by
    • recognising a range of contemporary events/life issues related to the one or more of life’s enduring questions.
    • applying their knowledge of the Catholic Church’s teaching to contemporary events/life issues.
    • synthesising their own experiences with Catholic Church teachings to make an informed response to contemporary events/life issues.
    • exploring 2 Corinthians 4: 14-18 Living by Faith

Learning Focus 1: John 6: 25-40 The Bread From Heaven
Learning Focus 2: John 14: 1-14 Jesus the Way to the Father
Learning Focus 3: 2 Corinthians 4: 14-18 Living by Faith

CCC 1-3 To Know and Love God
CCC 153-165 The Characteristics of Faith
CCC 172-184 Faith and Belief
CCC 268-278 I Believe in God the Father- the Almighty
CCC 279-324 I Believe in God the Father- the Creator
CCC 337-354 I Believe in God the Father- Heaven and Earth
CCC 328-336 The Angels
CCC 309-314 The Providence and the scandal of evil
CCC 516 Revelation of the Father
CCC 1033-1036 Hell

Year 8 TKWL: Chapter 8
Catholic Belief about Life and Death

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

Setting: Place a loaf of bread (Challah) with the Scriptures and a candle.
Introduction: What is Jesus telling us when he says “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”?
For us and the people of Jesus’ time, ‘bread’ is/was seen as a staple food or a basic dietary item. We often use the term “breaking bread together” which means that we share a meal with someone. Bread has always been an integral part of the Jewish Sabbath and the Passover meal. The Jews were to eat unleavened bread during the Passover feast and then for seven days following as a celebration of the exodus from Egypt. When the Jews were wandering in the desert for 40 years (Exodus 16:4), God rained down “bread from heaven” to sustain the nation. Every Friday night in Jewish homes across the world today, the sweet bread known as Challah is always shared.
So what is Jesus telling us? He is saying that he is a part of the basic diet for spiritual life and, just as bread is shared and valued in every culture, Jesus shares himself with all who are willing to believe!

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

Reader: A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John
ALL: Glory to you, O Lord

Scripture: John 6: 25-40 The Bread From Heaven

Reader: The Gospel of the Lord
ALL: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

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

Reflection: Use Praying with Colour to contemplate what Jesus is saying in this passage, which is that he is

  • essential for life.
  • is referring to the eternal life where he is the spiritual bread and not the physical bread that perishes.
  • using the words ‘I AM’, he is revealing himself as God.
  • inviting the people to come and believe and place their faith in him as the Messiah and the Son of God.
  • letting the people know that he will satisfy our hunger and thirst to be made righteous in the sight of God.

Adapted from http://www.gotquestions.org/bread-of-life.html

Leader: Nourished by the ‘bread’ that truly satisfies, we pray:

  1. That the Church may seek to satisfy the deepest longings of Christians who hunger and thirst for Christ, we pray…

All: Let us hunger and thirst no more, O Lord.

  1. That world leaders may provide for the basic needs of their people and treat them with human dignity, we pray…
  2. That all who are never satisfied with their material possessions may reject the false allure of wealth, we pray…
  3. That the dead may receive their eternal reward in heaven, we pray…

Taken from Daily Prayer 2015, Liturgy Training Publications. p 246

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

All:

God of love, you gave us your Son as the true bread sent from heaven that satisfies our hunger and makes us thirst for you.

May we always be grateful for this precious gift.

Send us out into a world that tries to fill its longing with so many things but you.

May we be tangible signs of a love that never fails.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

  • identifies and explores the ‘big’ questions of human existence and make connections with Catholic Church teachings about human life. (LRECKSC9)

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

  • investigate humanity’s need to understand the world
    • list some of the ‘big’ questions about human life that people have always asked.
    • recall a life experience of joy, hope, sickness, and/or suffering.
    • connect Catholic Church teachings with the ‘big’ questions about human life.

What are life’s big questions?

LSC9 1.1

  1. With teacher assistance students access the Stimulus – Animals Discussing the Meaning of life © Jason Buckley www.thephilosophyman.com 2013. See Appendix 1
  2. Students choose TWO animals from the story and use one sentence to describe what that animal said about the meaning of life. Then choose one of the animals’ responses and talk about what they think the animal was meaning.

LSC9 1.2

  1. Is suffering God’s idea? Explicit teaching (refer to Sometimes Life is Just Not Fair-Hope for Kids Through Grief and Loss. Fr Joe Kempf). If you could ask God one question one thing what would you ask? Have you ever been angry with God?
  2. Activities: Draw a picture of one of the ways God might be there for someone having a hard time. Student’s list things that have made them feel  happy and  sad. For example, has anyone died that they cared about very much? A pet that died; someone who had a serious accident; someone they have cared about who has become very ill?  Ask the students to describe their feelings and/or ask the students if they have ever experienced having a new brother or sister? Have they ever won a sporting grand final? Have they had someone say something nice about them? Ask the students to describe their feelings – How did you feel?
  3. With teacher guidance students create a simple storyboard depicting either happy, hopeful events or sad, painful events
  4. Jesus knows what it’s like for us. He too laughed and cried, was angry, frightened and excited. Think about something going on in your life, or in the life of someone you love, and share your feelings about these things in a letter to Jesus.

LSC9 1.3

  1. Students list some of life’s big questions. e.g. What happens when I die? What is right and wrong? Does God exist?
  2. Students select one question and ask 5-10 people what they think the answer is and record the response.
  3. With assistance, students find out what the Catholic Church believes about this question.
  4.  

Year 8 TKWL: Chapter 8 – Catholic Belief about Life and Death

John 6: 25-40 – The Bread From Heaven

Supporting Documents

Learning Experience 1

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Learning Experience 2

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Learning Experience 3

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