Unit Overview

Students will explore the meaning of Christian discipleship and how they are called to live a Christian life. Students will study the Beatitudes as our way to live a Christian and moral life. Made in the image and likeness of God, we are called to respect the dignity of all humanity. Students will investigate judgements and behaviours that prevent people from preserving the human dignity of all. Students will explore Scripture, Church Tradition, and the actions of Jesus to deepen their understanding on how to live and act justly.

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Enduring Understanding

We are all created in the image and likeness of God and are called to respect the dignity of others. As Christian disciples, we are called to act justly, and to follow the example of Jesus as demonstrated in the Scriptures and the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Objectives

A student will

value and appreciate their personal responsibility for moral decision-making; recognise that moral decision-making can be both complex and demanding; accept the need to work with compassion for justice in the world; believe in their own potential to effect change
develop an understanding of Catholic moral teaching, its relationship to moral issues and place in personal decision-making, including its call to work for justice in the world
research into and reflect on Catholic moral teaching; develop the ability to make responsible moral decisions; apply the principles of justice and compassion in their lives

Outcomes

A student

appreciates that as Christian disciples we are called to respect the dignity of all people. (RECVE6)
explains how the Beatitudes and the words and actions of Jesus guide the Christian response to others. (RECKE6)
demonstrate how the principles of Christian living challenge us to live and act justly. (RECSE6)

Essential Questions

What is Christian discipleship and how are we called to live a Christian life?
How do our judgements and behaviours prevent us from respecting the human dignity of all people?
How does Scripture and Church Tradition inform our understanding of how to live and act justly?

Learning Focus & Statements of Learning

Students will develop their understanding of Christian living by

- exploring the Beatitudes.
- Explore Matthew 5:1-12 The Beatitudes and identify the values, attitudes and attributes they promote.
- examining how the Beatitudes exemplify what it means to be a disciple of Christ.
- Define ‘disciple’ and examine our call to ‘discipleship’ using the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC#1816).
  ○ The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it, but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it: “All however must be prepared to confess Christ before men and to follow him along the way of the Cross, amidst the persecutions which the Church never lacks.” Service of and witness to the faith are necessary for salvation.
- Read KWL Book 6 Chapter 2 Blessed Are You! p15-17 and investigate the attitudes, behaviours and responsibilities of those who are disciples of Jesus Christ.
- Read KWL Book 6 Chapter 2 Our Heritage p18-19 and study examples of the saints that have lived out the call of ‘The Beatitudes,’ including Mary, Mother of God.
- Read KWL Book 6 Chapter 2 Living the Gospel p20 and outline which beatitudes are being lived out.
- Apply the Beatitudes to a variety of real-life situations.

Students will investigate barriers that prevent us from respecting human dignity by

- recognising that all people are created in the image and likeness of God.
- Read Genesis 1:26-27 The Six Days of Creation and the Sabbath and explore the belief that all people are made in the image and likeness of God.
- Investigate the principle of ‘human dignity’. (CCC #1700 and Catholic Social Teaching: A Framework for Faith in Action).
- identifying judgements and behaviours that diminish the dignity of the human person.
- Explore Luke 10:25-37 Who is my Neighbour – The Good Samaritan (storytelling).
- Explore Luke 7:1-10 The Centurion’s Servant (storytelling).
- Examine the challenges faced by people in the time of Jesus in relation to the social and cultural context.
- Read KWL Book 6 Chapter 1 One in Christ Jesus p5-6 and identify the challenges facing people today.
- Define the terms: judgment, discrimination, prejudice, barrier, rejection, acceptance, exclusion, inclusion, stereotyping and identify examples of each.
- Investigate the types of challenges people face in society today that diminish the dignity of the human person. For example, discrimination according to race, colour, ethnicity, religion, treatment of refugees, people with disabilities, the homeless, the unemployed and the elderly (CCC #1935).
- Explore moral conscience in relation to how our judgement informs our actions.
- Define the concept of personal and social sin and explore sin in relation to injustice and human dignity (CCC #2303).
- Celebrate a prayer service using KWL Book 6 Chapter 1 Our Heritage p12 and a personal examination of conscience.

Students will understand that as Christian disciples we have a responsibility to work towards preserving the dignity of all people by

- identifying how Scripture and Church Tradition call us to live and act justly.
- Read KWL Book 6 Chapter 1 The Word of God p7-8 and explore God’s call to live and act justly in Micah 6:8 What God asks of us and Matthew 25:31-46 For I was hungry.
- Explore Galatians 3:26-28 Clothe yourself in Christ and examine how Paul reminds the Christian community in Galatia that they are one in Christ.
- Examine past and current Social Justice Statements by the Justice and Peace Office and identify the key messages that challenge us to live and act as disciples of Christ.
- responding to current issues of prejudice and discrimination considering Scripture and Church Tradition.
- Read KWL Book 6 Chapter 1 Living the Gospel p10-11 and critically reflect on how the situation has affected the indigenous community today.
- Investigate and research other current examples of prejudice and discrimination.
  ○ Critically reflect on judgements we make as individuals and as a community.
  ○ Identify Christian responses to these issues, referring to Scripture and Church Tradition.
- Celebrate a prayer service petitioning God to work through us to live and act justly in our world.

Compulsory Scripture

Unit Content 1:
Matthew 5:1-12 The Beatitudes
Unit Content 2:
Genesis 1:26-27 The Six Days of Creation and the Sabbath
Luke 10:25-37 Who is my Neighbour?
Luke 7:1-10 The Centurion’s Servant
Unit Content 3:
Micah 6:8 What God asks of us
Matthew 25:31-46 For I was hungry
Galatians 3:26-28 Clothe yourself in Christ

Storytelling

Unit Content 2
Luke 10:25-37 Who is my Neighbour? – The Good Samaritan
Luke 7:1-10 The Centurion’s Servant

Church Teaching

Catechism of the Catholic Church

1700 -The dignity of the human person is rooted in his creation in the image and likeness of God (article 1); it is fulfilled in his vocation to divine beatitude (article 2). It is essential to a human being freely to direct himself to this fulfillment (article 3). By his deliberate actions (article 4), the human person does, or does not, conform to the good promised by God and attested by moral conscience (article 5). Human beings make their own contribution to their interior growth; they make their whole sentient and spiritual lives into means of this growth (article 6). With the help of grace, they grow in virtue (article 7), avoid sin, and if they sin they entrust themselves as did the prodigal son¹ to the mercy of our Father in heaven (article 8). In this way they attain to the perfection of charity.

1816 – The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it, but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it: “All however must be prepared to confess Christ before men and to follow him along the way of the Cross, amidst the persecutions which the Church never lacks.”⁸² Service of and witness to the faith are necessary for salvation: “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”

1935 – The equality of men rests essentially on their dignity as persons and the rights that flow from it:

Every form of social or cultural discrimination in fundamental personal rights on the grounds of sex, race, colour, social conditions, language, or religion must be curbed and eradicated as incompatible with God’s design.

2303 – Deliberate hatred is contrary to charity. Hatred of the neighbour is a sin when one deliberately wishes him evil. Hatred of the neighbour is a grave sin when one deliberately desires him grave harm. “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.”

KWL

Unit Content 1
KWL Book 6 Chapter 2 Blessed Are You! p15-17
KWL Book 6 Chapter 2 Our Heritage p18-19
KWL Book 6 Chapter 2 Living the Gospel p20
Unit Content 2
KWL Book 6 Chapter 1 One in Jesus Christ p5-6
KWL Book 6 Chapter 1 Our Heritage p12
Unit Content 3
KWL Book 6 Chapter 1 The Word of God p7-8
KWL Book 6 Chapter 1 Living the Gospel p10-11

Prayer

Eucharist and Liturgical Rites
Sacramental/non-Sacramental Reconciliation
Examination of Conscience
Praying with Scripture
Repetitive Chant using Micah 6:8
Guided Meditation using Matthew 5:1-12
Other Prayer Forms
Class Beatitudes
Celebration of a Circle of Justice and Peace

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

E6 – Discipleship