| Year Levels Focus: | Stories from the Scriptures teach us about the love of God. (TCREK012) |
| Aims: |
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| Content Statement: |
Students will learn that the Bible is a sacred book that tells us about God’s love. They will learn that the Bible consists of the Old Testament and the New Testament, which contains the Gospels and some letters. They will be introduced to the Gospels as the Good News of Jesus. They will explore God’s love for us through engaging with Gospel stories of Jesus. Through a focus on the parable of the Good Shepherd they will be led to appreciate that God always looks out for us and will encounter Jesus’ way of teaching through stories and parables. They will experience how the Scriptures help us in personal & communal prayer. |
The word “Bible” comes from the Greek word biblia, which is the plural form of the word for “scroll”. The Bible is, in fact, not a single book but a collection of various and disparate texts. The Christian Bible is composed of two major parts, traditionally called the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Catholic version of the Old Testament is very similar to (but not identical with) the Jewish Sacred Scriptures (known as the Tanak, or “the Hebrew Bible”, and which is identical with the Protestant version of the Old Testament). It tells the story of God’s dealings with God’s people Israel. The New Testament is the specifically and uniquely Christian part of the Bible; and it is solely concerned with the person and message of Jesus.
The Bible is an adult book; and should be introduced to children with great care, emphasising to them that it is an adult book they need to grow into understanding in the adult way in which it was intended to be understood. Children need to be alerted to the fact that the Bible is very difficult to understand and very easy to misunderstand.
As adults, teachers need to be aware that the Bible is easily abused, often ambiguous, and even scandalous at times. It touches our humanity at some of its most sensitive places. And it has a great deal to do with life, death, violence, justice, beauty, suffering, meaning, and (of course) love.
Apart from its theological significance, the Bible contains profound anthropological, psychological, cultural and philosophical insights, which have implications for us personally and collectively. It deserves serious engagement at sociological, political, cultural and even aesthetic and artistic levels. Theology takes all of these (and many others) into consideration when it asks, “What does the Bible say about God?—and about us in God?”
In GNFL this understanding of the Scriptures is developed with these theological emphases:
- The Bible is the Church’s book.
- Over the course of many centuries the Church came to recognise that some of the sacred texts of our Jewish ancestors in the faith (the Old Testament) and some of the early Christian texts (especially the Gospels and Epistles) are inspired and inspiring, and revealed and revealing. God’s Spirit (“inspired” = “in-spirited”) breathes life in and through these texts in a unique and lasting way; and they are revealed because they lead us into a truth that is simply beyond our capacity to imagine or come up with on our own.
- The Catholic Church holds the Bible in very high esteem and reads it with great reverence; but it does not teach that God either wrote or dictated it.
- The human writers of the biblical books were fully involved in the work of producing these texts.
- God inspired the biblical authors, and gifted them with the talents of great writers, legislators, poets, liturgists, etc.
- The Scriptures were composed over a long period of time and among a specific people in a specific place—all of which has to be taken into account when interpreting the Scriptures.
- The Bible is not what modern people mean by “history” or “science”.
- The Bible is best described as a kind of “narrative theological anthropology”—that is, the story of humanity in relation to God.
- It tries to say something true, and at a profound level, about the perennial truth about the world and humanity as it is, especially in its relationship to God.
URL link to Theological Conversation chapter (PDF).
- The Bible is the sacred book that tells us about God’s love.
- The Old Testament in the Bible tells us about God’s love for his people in the time before the birth of Jesus.
- The New Testament in the Bible contains the Gospels, the Good News of Jesus.
- Through the Gospels we can learn about Jesus’ life, about the people who believed in him, and about how to live the way Jesus lived.
- We can use the Scriptures to help us to pray alone or together.
Stories from the Scriptures teach us about the love of God. (TCREK012)
Students will learn that the Bible is a sacred book that tells us about God’s love. They will learn that the Bible consists of the Old Testament and the New Testament, which contains the Gospels and some letters. They will be introduced to the Gospels as the Good News of Jesus. They will explore God’s love for us through engaging with Gospel stories of Jesus. Through a focus on the parable of the Good Shepherd they will be led to appreciate that God always looks out for us and will encounter Jesus’ way of teaching through stories and parables. They will experience how the Scriptures help us in personal & communal prayer.
TCREI004
Responding to questions about religious ideas, events or rituals and recording our thoughts and feelings (TCREI004)
- developing questions about the Mass, its meaning, structure and symbols
- at a class/parish Mass making a photo story of the parts of the Mass using information and communications technology (ICT), and sharing this with parishioners at a morning tea
- brainstorming questions about how to pray, and inviting people from the parish to tell us how they pray
- remembering that whenever we pray, Jesus is praying within us through his Holy Spirit uniting us with God the Father in love
- researching the story of our parish church: using a photo time line, make a noticeboard display for the front office to tell the story of our parish
- using the “Explain Everything” app or equivalent to devise a question for God and give an answer in images and text drawing on Scripture or church teaching
TCREI005
Listening to and viewing stories from the Scriptures, and discussing characters (TCREI005)
- gathering Scripture quotations around a series of themes and making a class mural, story maps or a class big book
- using glossaries to learn the meaning of religious and theological terms
- choosing verses from the Psalms that inspire thanksgiving prayers
- exploring the first creation story (Genesis 1) as though it were a ritual (which it was!) and bringing out the symbolism in the numbers 3, 6 and 7 (first 3 days mirrored in the second 3 days; 6 days of creation; the 7th day, the Sabbath, as containing all time—past, present and future)
TCREI006
Expressing personal responses and ideas in various ways (TCREI006)
- creating Godly play dolls
- sharing Godly play with other classes
- creating artworks that reflect spiritual ideas or religious questions
- ritualising biblical stories and noting how they are full of symbolism
TCRED004
Cultivating a spirit of reflective silence and stillness, and naming important ideas or questions (TCRED004)
- using an icon or cross, inviting written prayers for the world on sticky labels and placing them under the cross or icon (to include in class prayer)
- asking hard questions and posting them on a “Mood Wall” in the classroom
- writing reflective responses to lines of Scripture (e.g., “be still and know that I am God”, “Speak Lord, I am listening”, “Come, follow me”, “ ‘I have called you by your name, you are mine’, says the Lord”)
- using Christian meditation to practise openness to God’s love
- expressing gratitude following meditation, e.g., by singing songs of thanks and praise
- learning to listen in silence and stillness to the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, minds and bodies, leading us to discover God’s loving purpose for us
TCRED005
Listening to and responding to others’ ideas and thoughts, and wondering and asking questions about ourselves and how we are connected to God and our world (TCRED005)
- examining individually and in small groups questions and thoughts about God
- being open to the Holy Spirit by listening to each other share ideas, thoughts and feelings in circle time
- singing songs that give thanks to God and acknowledging the connectedness of all things in his Holy Spirit
- resting in silence, pondering how God loves us and wants us to know him embraced by his Holy Spirit
TCRED006
Sharing some ideas and helping design plans of action that might lead to making loving choices towards improving specific situations at school or beyond (TCRED006)
- sharing and discussing how classroom rules and attitudes encourage, protect and guide everyone for the good of all
- constructing posters and signs to build a culture of gratitude in the classroom
- pondering how to be more loving, generous, forgiving, joyful, patient by relaxing into the loving embrace of the Holy Spirit
- creating affirmation paper bags / envelopes to affirm when others have made loving choices towards us as their response to God’s love for them
- exploring ways that the mystery of God’s love, the life-giving presence of the Holy Spirit, is revealed through the community of faith in the Church (e.g., by exploring, using the web, Pope Francis’ humility and kindness)
- creating a blessings meter or a gratitude box in the classroom to encourage kindness, positive attitudes and gratefulness
By the end of Year 2, students can identify God’s Holy Spirit as giver and sustainer of all life and recognise that his love for us is revealed in the Person of Jesus, the centre of faith for Christians. They can acknowledge that we experience God’s loving presence in prayer, in Scripture, in themselves and other people and in the world around us. They are aware that we are invited to grow in relationship with God and to care for ourselves, others and all of life. They can identify the Gospels as the Good News about Jesus, telling us about Jesus’ life and the people who believed in him. They can reflect on Jesus’ example in making loving choices that show care and respect for all life. They can describe the Church as a believing community that celebrates Jesus’ presence in the sacraments and witnesses to him by sharing his love. They can recognise the Sacrament of Baptism and identify its symbolic elements as the basis for the Christian life and as an invitation to live in friendship with Jesus.
Students can reflect on and respond to experiences of prayer, engagement with sacred texts and stories, their own experiences, people and the world around them and record observations, thoughts, feelings and ideas. In diverse ways they can express their emerging understanding of and engagement with religious events and rituals. They can practise stillness, reflect on their connection with God and their world and develop a response to apply at the personal level, within and beyond the school setting.
Pre-unit assessment
Why is the Bible called a treasure?
Learning Hook
A display of students’, families’ and teacher’s favourite books;
a treasure chest holding a Bible. Read (or view) and respond to The Treasure Box, by Margaret Wild & Freya Blackwood - why was the book considered a 'treasure'?
Surface
(Giving language, facts, and basic concepts structure to lead into deeper learning)
Key Vocabulary: Bible, Scriptures, testament, Old Testament, New Testament, Gospel, Good News of Jesus, psalms, parables
Why is the Bible a treasure?
Introduce the Bible as a sacred book that tells of God’s love. Identify the two key sections of the Old and New Testaments.
- Share students’ and families’ treasured books, and swap stories about the message of each special book, why each is seen as special, and how each is looked after and shared.
- Using a copy of the Bible, introduce the Bible (perhaps from a treasure chest) as a treasured book that tells of God’s love. Show students that it is actually a collection of many different books and stories, and identify the two sections of the Old and New Testaments.
- Explain that the Bible covers stories from across a few thousand years but is not a history book. It is a message book: the message is about God’s love. See YouTube: God's Story: The Bible (Crossroad Kids' Club).
- Introduce a simple Bible picture timeline showing as central focus the birth of Jesus, the close of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament. Scrolling through The Bible Timeline online may help.
- Share memories and stories about the love and family life shown in photo albums. Consider the the Bible as the album that tells of God’s constant goodness and love—a treasure. Mark the birth of Jesus as celebration time. In “delivery of good news” style, present the Gospels as the Good News of Jesus.
Deep
(Learning experiences that lead on from beginning experiences to questioning more deeply and exploring ideas in different ways to lead to making connections between faith and life)
What messages can we find in the Old Testament writings?
Explore specific Scriptural images of God and engage with these as an entry to prayer experiences.
- A picture storybook such as Wherever You Are, My Love Will Find You, by Nancy Tillman (Bedtime Stories / Staci’s Bedtime Story—with text; YouTube) or Guess How Much I Love You? by Sam McBratney (also read aloud on YouTube) could support discussion about the depth and warmth of a mother’s love, to lead into Isaiah 49:15 (“Could a mother forget her baby?”).
- Explore the images of God loving his people as a mother loves her baby … the Scripture text tells us about God’s love.
Picture storybook, The Kissing Hand, by Ruth E. Harper and Nancy M. Leak, could relate well to the image of being held in the palm of God’s hand (cf. Isaiah 49:16). - Offer opportunity for quiet prayer with the image/s.
- Explore the images of God loving his people as a shepherd cares for his lambs … the Scripture text tells us about God’s love.
- Focus on the image of the shepherd through Psalm 23, ascribed to King David, the shepherd who would become king.
- Investigate the work of the shepherd in Old Testament times. What would the sheep need? Consider the shepherd’s planning for pasture, water, shelter, his practice of counting and protecting.
- Explore the text and images in Psalm 23. Identify feelings, messages.
- Invite students to re-word (paraphrase), locate own photo-illustrations. On YouTube, The Lord is My Shepherd (Zondervan) offers a simplified but accurate presentation of the psalm for children.
- Offer opportunity for quiet prayer with the image of the shepherd.
How do Gospel stories help us know more about God’s love?
Investigate the Good Shepherd story, Luke 15:3-7, exploring character, feelings, responses. Identify links between the Gospel story and the psalm and relate them to life.
- Discuss some of Jesus’ actions that showed God’s love. Recall that he also told stories to help us learn more about God’s love. Share all or part of the stories from Stories Jesus Told by Nick Butterworth or The Bible and Me : stories with a message to live by, by Lois Rock.
- Investigate the Good Shepherd as one of Jesus’ Good News stories. Read the story from the Gospels (Luke 15:3-7). Maintain the focus on the shepherd’s goodness and care. Recall previous discussions about the scope of a shepherd’s work. Wonder about what he would do if a sheep gets lost. Explore the events, character, feelings, message.
- Big Books: The Good Shepherd (Catholic Children's Bible), The Good Shepherd (and other relevant titles for Year 1&2) from To Know, Worship and Love. Poster Kit: Jesus, The Good Shepherd (Pauline Books & Media).
How can Scripture help us to pray?
Support students to engage with the parable through guided Scripture meditation.
- Possibly useful: on YouTube: The Good Shepherd (Global Gospel), The Lost Sheep (Saddleback Kids) or The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Superbook).
- Use images by various artists to encourage students to raise questions and to express their feelings and thoughts. (Parables invite interpretation/ discovery of meaning / response.)
- Build up a shared diagram of echoes between the Gospel story and the psalm—characters’ feelings, images, how it speaks to us, wonderings etc.
- Reflect on ways/times in which we experience the care of the Good Shepherd (often through others).
- Share stories about and discuss the actions of people who act as good shepherds in our lives.
- Express prayers of thanks for God’s love and his care for us through other people. Respond in song (e.g., My Shepherd, by John Burland).
- Consider how/when we can be like a kind shepherd to others.
Transfer
(Learning experiences that help students engage with deeper understandings that can be applied in their own lives)
How can we live out the messages of Scripture and our prayer?
Support students to formulate action plans that are informed by Scripture and prayer.
- Discuss and share examples about how we see Jesus the Good Shepherd working in our lives. Encourage students to develop their own personal statements such as “I act like Jesus, the Good Shepherd, when …” or “I saw Jesus the Good Shepherd when ...”. Include these in a class shepherd-themed ritual prayer.
- Engage students in contributing to the development of specific parts of this prayer. Include in the ritual a procession, during which the Bible is carried.
Resources
Burland, John. My Shepherd. Song.
Burland, John. My Shepherd. YouTube.
Butterworth, Nick. Stories Jesus Told.
Crossroad Kids' Club. God's Story: The Bible. YouTube.
The Good Shepherd. The Global Gospel. YouTube.
Harper, Ruth E., and Nancy M. Leak, Nancy M. The Kissing Hand.
Harper, Ruth E., and Nancy M. Leak, Nancy M. The Kissing Hand. YouTube.
Jesus, The Good Shepherd : Resource Pack. Pauline Books & Media.
The Bible Timeline. Website.
The Lost Sheep. Saddleback Kids. YouTube.
The Lord Is My Shepherd. Zondervan. YouTube.
The Parable of the Lost Sheep. Superbook. YouTube.
McBratney, Sam. Guess How Much I Love You?
McBratney, Sam. Guess How Much I Love You? YouTube.
Rock, Lois. The Bible and Me : stories with a message to live by.
Tillman, Nancy. Wherever You Are, My Love Will Find You.
Tillman, Nance. Wherever You Are, My Love Will Find You. YouTube.
To Know, Worship & Love. Big Books : Parables of the Kingdom (Year 1), and Parables Jesus Told (Year 2).
Wild, Margaret & Blackwood, Freya. The Treasure Box.
Wild, Margaret & Blackwood, Freya. The Treasure Box. YouTube.
Other Supporting Resources:
Robinson, Kathryn. The Bible : God's great book of books [Big Book]
* Unless otherwise noted, items listed under “Resources” are books.