Draft August-2011 7
ADAPTED GUIDE FOR ALBERTA TEACHERS
WORLD RELIGIONS: A CANADIAN CATHOLIC PERSPECTIVE
Background for the Teacher:
You are encouraged to explore all options detailed in the Teacher Resource Manual that has been developed for the Novalis/Nelson textbook “World Religions: A Canadian Catholic Perspective”. The Manual meets the Ontario requirements for a five-credit course. The material in this Guide is based on Alberta Education timelines for three-credit courses. To address our time restrictions, the revision team has prioritized the textbook outcomes and content hoping not to compromise the key points (important rituals, central beliefs, morality, family life, etc.) that should be covered in the study of World Religions.
In order to make it easier to understand how this Guide relates to the original Teacher Resource Manual, please note that we have listed all the steps suggested for developing the lessons in the original manual indicating those that should be omitted, however, you will find very quickly that you will need to prioritize further and leave out activities, and instructional components. It seemed a simpler way for the teacher to determine what is a priority. This is especially important as you explore student interests and background. Some faith units are considered optional. Perhaps you plan to cover the chapter on Buddhism; however, you have a student who really wants to learn more about Sikhism. The student could tackle that chapter with your guidance as an independent research project and complete an assignment in lieu of the other assignment options you will/have presented to the rest of the class.
Overview of Course Presentation:
During the first week of classes, the usual introduction: course outline, teacher expectations, etc, are covered. It may be helpful to offer a pre-assessment of student familiarity with various World Religions as well as some terms from Catholicism. This assessment should not be counted for marks but provides the teacher with a clearer idea of the background students bring to the course. It also allows you to once again address the issue of overlap - students who have taken religious studies in Alberta Catholic Schools will have covered some of the content of world religions study. Agreeing to the presence of that overlap is a condition of taking the course in its pilot stage.
Note to Teachers: the usual pattern is to choose one of the three chapters: Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism. Choices will have to be made. Allowing for demographic differences in Alberta Catholic School Districts, a timeline that respects the need to adapt by choosing or omitting certain chapters is suggested as follows:
Chapter One: Definition of Religion, what are the Major World Religions and What is Religious Pluralism (4 hours)
The focus is on the goals of dialogue, how to engage in dialogue and the four type of dialogue. This is key content as each chapter concludes with a section on interreligious dialogue. The definition of religion is also a cornerstone for meeting the Alberta Education outcomes requirements.
Chapter Two: Who Are Catholics (5 hours)
The chapter content is important in that your students’ background and familiarity with Catholicism may be quite varied. You may need to spend more time on the activities in the chapters that deal with the differences between what Catholics and adherents to a particular religion believe. Or you may want to handle this section with some remedial work outside of class time as would be done in other academic courses for students whose background is deficient.
Chapter Three: The Story of Canadian Aboriginal Spirituality (7 hours)
The spirituality and spiritual traditions of all Aboriginal peoples in Canada are rooted in a similar worldview – that everything that exists in the natural world has a spirit, and is interconnected. Aboriginal spirituality has a strong connection to the physical environment and to oral traditions whereby sacred teachings were and are passed down. Contemporary efforts for reconciliation and renewal are explored.
Chapter Four: The Story of Judaism (7-10 hours)
Since the Catholic faith emerged from Judaism, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and the teachings of the New Testament can only be fully understood when viewed as deeply rooted in the sacred tradition of the Hebrew Scripture.
Chapter Five: The Story of Christianity (omit but useful as teacher reference)
Many of the outcomes for this chapter will be covered in the re-designed Religious Studies 25 course; others are covered in previous religious education courses.
Chapter Six: The Story of Islam (7-10 hours)
Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in Canada. Like Judaism and Christianity, Islam traces its roots back to Abraham. Although Islam does not recognize Jesus as both human and divine, he is considered a revered prophet who plays a special role in what has happened and what is to come.
Chapter Seven: The Story of Hinduism (7-10 hours)
The vocabulary introduced in this chapter is extensive but there are key terms students should know to make discussion, reading and writing assignments easier. Of particular interest will be Hindu and Catholic relations as reflected in the life of Gandhi and Christian missionaries.
Chapter Eight: The Story of Buddhism (7-10 hours)
The content here deals with the life of the founder, Siddhartha Gautama and the historical development of different forms of Buddhism. Various rituals, central beliefs, moral guidelines and family life are all discussed. The chapter concludes with a section on the relationship between the Catholic Church and Buddhism.
Chapter Nine: The Story of Sikhism (7-10 hours)
Depending on your demographic location, students may or may not be exposed to Sikh beliefs and their relationship to the beliefs of Hinduism and Islam. Of particular interest may be the Sikh code of moral conduct emphasizing social justice and equality.
Chapter Ten: Modernity and Religion (1-4 hours)
This chapter deals with the numerous movements, trend, and beliefs that have developed in the wake of globalization (modernity) and the influence modernity and religion have had on each other and on life in Canada.
Chapter Eleven: Living Faith Today (2-5 hours)
The concluding chapter highlights and reviews key concepts that were discussed throughout the text and offers an opportunity for further summative evaluation. The chapter explores ways to become involved in ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, which will define the lives of Catholics and concern all people in this century.
Total: 40 - 45 classes including introductory course lesson and time as part of each longer chapter development for one period of work on a chapter task, major project or some kind of written assessment.
Getting Started:
The first lesson will likely follow the usual pattern, i.e. the teacher becoming familiar with the students in the class, students becoming familiar with one another, after which a general presentation of what students can expect in the course should be given. Perhaps choose an icebreaker that encourages students to mix. Then review course requirements in terms of the weight given to chapter tasks, the choice of a major project, exams, and daily activities. The teacher will need to be flexible - providing enrichment and adaptation of the material to reflect the various learning styles and backgrounds of students in the class.
As part of this introductory lesson, teachers could raise the question, “What is Religion?” One approach to doing this begins with placing the following statements on the screen/board.
1. Religion is the human encounter with the divine mediated through sacred texts, and rituals. It helps individuals and communities respond to eternal questions of existence and provide a moral framework for daily life and relationships.
2. Religion is the organized structure or path for practicing one’s faith.
3. Faith is the personal belief system through which a person guides his or her life.
4. Spirituality is the personal response in word and action to the desire within humans for a connection to the divine and all of creation.
Students then rate the statement(s) from 1 (low) to 5 (high) to reflect their understanding of the term(s).
Following this exercise, the term “world religions” is introduced. The teacher reminds students that in a course such as this, a limited number of religions will be included in the study. Identifying which religions will be included provides a framework for what students can expect.
Assessment:
In addition to the daily lessons designed to develop student understanding and respect for various world religions, the commitment to developing respect for various forms of prayer, and, in most jurisdictions a commitment to one or more service projects addressing social justice issues were viewed as essential components of Alberta high school religious education curricula. The TEACHERS RESOURCE MANUAL (TRM)for WORLD RELIGIONS, A Canadian Catholic Perspective, offers many assessment ideas and some of these have been collated in this guide at the end of each unit.
Consider the following plan in teaching the course for the first time:
The Adapted Guide for Alberta Teachers - World Religions: A Canadian Catholic Perspective suggests the following percentages be assigned to course work:
Service Project: (10%-15%)
Sometime while teaching Chapter 3 you may introduce a course service project requirement (possibly when discussing the story of Candace (STUDENT BOOK SB 67).
The service project may be an individual, small group or entire class initiative that addresses local or global injustices or charity initiatives. The emphasis of the grade must be placed on the written reflection, rather than on the service activity.
Journal Entries: (5%)
Numerous journal suggestions appear throughout the course. Some may be developed as oral discussions; others as written responses on the part of individual students. Five such written responses are suggested as a minimum requirement. Journal Entry Assessment Tools (AM 2 and AM 10) may be collected along with (or in lieu of) the Journal Reflection to assist students in taking this task seriously.
Prayer Assignment: (5%)
Numerous suggestions are provided throughout the course to engage students in prayer, including the opportunities to develop prayer services or meditations.
Short Assignments: (10%)
These would include daily in-class assignments or homework such as graphic organizers, concept maps or quick quizzes. One or two written assignments would be reasonable for each major chapter covered.
Note to the Teacher: Consider offering a rotating set of choices for both the Chapter Task Suggestions and the Major Course Assignment each time the course is taught.
Chapter Task Suggestions: (40% including ~ 8% for chapter quizzes)
The Chapter Task Suggestions focus on the specific religion being studied. Suggestions are included for Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11. Over the entire course, four such Chapter Tasks could be required. Some class time has been set aside for work on these. This marks category also includes marks for tests on various chapters or combinations of chapters.
Course Anchor Assignment Ideas: (15%)
This category in the Alberta Program will include the suggestions for a Culminating Performance Task (See notes TRM pgs. 298-299 and 321) and other major assignments listed as Chapter Performance Tasks throughout the TRM (See examples TRM pgs. 41, 70, 157)
This is a cumulative project that could be considered as part of the final assessment but introduced in the first class or two. The Assessment Master mid-point check-in, AM 8, will be an important tool for you and for students as they work towards completion of this Anchor Course Assignment.
When students are working on their major projects encourage them to submit their work for formative assessment periodically through the allotted time for project completion. AM 14 may be helpful.
Final Exam: (15%)
In developing an exit assessment or final exam, teachers should visit the test bank provided on the Novalis/Nelson CD for ideas on chapter test or final exam questions. Since the test bank questions are primarily knowledge based, dividing the final assessment between a skills project and formal written examination facilitates the desired balance in assessment. This may require some negotiation within your division or school.
OBJECTIVES for WORLD RELIGIONS 30
As Prescribed by the Alberta Department of Education
“The objectives of the courses in religious studies are to provide an opportunity to experience a number of cultural, historical and contemporary issues from a religious point of view, and through the study of religion as a separate discipline to develop a philosophy based upon values conducive to ethical and moral behavior and reflected in an understanding of human worth.”
(Government of Alberta, Report of the Commission on Educational Planning.)
Learning Objectives ( BOLD WORDING) prescribed by Alberta Education for World Religions 30 are covered in the following lessons, textbook and units of study:
Objective 1 - Meaning of religion
See the introductory lesson detailed in the Adapted Guide for Alberta Teachers: World Religions – A Canadian Catholic Perspective and the Teacher’s Resource Manual (TRM) and Student Book (SB) for, “World Religions – A Canadian Catholic Perspective”, Chapter 1 (World Religions and Religious Pluralism) and Chapter 11 (Living Faith Today).
Objective 2 - Development of religion
See the historical development of the following religions found in
Chapters 2 (Who Are Catholics?), 3 (Aboriginal Spirituality), 4 (Judaism), 6 (Islam), 7 (Hinduism), 8 (Buddhism), 9 (Sikhism), and 10 (Modernity and Religion) of the Teacher’s Resource Manual (TRM) and Student Book (SB), “World Religions – A Canadian Catholic Perspective”.
Objective 3 - Faith is the core element of religion
See the Teacher’s Resource Manual (TRM)and Student Book (SB) “World Religions – A Canadian Catholic Perspective”, Chapter 11 (Living Faith Today).
Objective 4 - Major religions of the world, and
Objective 5 - Basic beliefs and practices of the major religions
of the world.
A comprehensive explorations of major religions may be found in
Chapters 2 (Who Are Catholics?),3 (Aboriginal Spirituality), 4 (Judaism),
6 (Islam), 7 (Hinduism), 8 (Buddhism), and 9 (Sikhism) of the Teacher’s Resource Manual (TRM) and Student Book (SB), “World Religions – A Canadian Catholic Perspective”.
ALBERTA CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WORLD RELIGIONS 30 OUTCOMES
Including a Correlation Between
THE GENERAL DIRECTORY FOR CATECHESIS (GDC) AND
The Textbook WORLD RELIGIONS, A Canadian Catholic Perspective