Year 11 Religious Education

Aims and Objectives of this course:  

• Students will deepen their understanding and appreciation of the Catholic Church  
• They will regularly participate in a wide variety of co-curricular areas around Religious Education such as retreats and Masses, and these will help to assist them in their faith development 
• Students will work on attaining 20 Achievement Standard Credits across the year and these credits can be used for subject endorsement and L1 Literacy. The four Assessments will comprise two internal and two external assessments, each 5 credits. The external examinations will be one online assessment and one Report, due in Term 4. 

Topics taught in Level 1 Religious Education: 

Students will complete four modules throughout the year which will provide them with opportunities to display and express the aims and objectives above. Each module covered concludes with a summative assessment contributing to NCEA Level 1. Each Achievement Standard is worth 5 credits. 

Students will: 

• Present clear and accurate information when looking in depth at their topic. 
• They will explore a wide range of key religious beliefs and understand how they relate to life today. 
• They will focus on Christianity, the Bible, creedal and doctrinal Statements for developing understanding. 
• They will use accepted Christian sources for referencing and will draw from Scripture, Magisterium and Tradition to support their understanding of each topic. 

Ā TĀTOU WHAKAPAPA /OUR STORY 

This topic will explore 

• The beginnings and development of the Catholic Church in New Zealand 
• The significance of key persons in Aotearoa Catholic history 
• The spiritual heritage of Catholics in Aotearoa 
• The response of Māori to the Catholic mission 
• Examine how the Catholic Church and community has responded to challenges and makes positive contributions to New Zealand society. 
• Develop an understanding of Catholic involvement in, and commitment to, Te Tiriti o Waitangi at the time of signing and subsequently. 
• The Mercy Sisters and their influence on society past and present. 
• Students are required to use supporting evidence from a combination of Magisterium, Scripture & Tradition. 

TE ATUA /GOD: CHARACTERISTICS OF RELIGION  

This topic will  

• Examine the beliefs of Catholics through the summary of the Nicene or the Apostles Creed and explore how these beliefs are lived out in Catholic ritual and daily life. 
• Identify and investigate the beliefs of Judaism and explore how these beliefs are lived out in ritual and daily life. 
• Compare the understanding of how the divine reaches out to humanity in Catholicism and Judaism. 
• Describe how sacred texts are used in rituals and worship in Catholicism and Judaism. 
• Examine the lives of inspiring people who have influenced the development or direction of Catholicism and Judaism. 
• Develop an understanding of the Catholic Church’s attitude and response to other religions and explore practical ways that we can show respect to the Catholic faith and others. 

KIA NOHO HĀHI/BEING CHURCH: ETHICS  

This topic will  

• Investigate specific current moral issues in the light of Catholic teaching on human dignity. 
• Develop skills necessary for moral decision making and understand the nature and function of conscience.  
• Explain what values are, identify and reflect on important values in our lives and recognise the sources of Christian morality. 
• Explain the difference between values and virtues and understand the Church’s teachings on virtues and how these are integrated into our spiritual journey. 
• Examine ways that the teachings and traditions of the Church offer us opportunities and examples for giving and receiving forgiveness, peace, and reconciliation. 
• Explore the nature of our personal integrity and mana, freedom, and moral responsibility in our personal growth. 
• Reflect on the impact of brokenness and consider ways to mend these situations and take action to bring about healing. (Me pēhea te rongoa o te ngāhere, moana, noha ai?) 

TE RONGOPAI/GOOD NEWS: SCRIPTURE NARRATIVES 

This topic will  

• Explore the contexts and distinctive features of each of the four gospels. 
• Develop an understanding of Jesus by exploring in detail Matthew’s Gospel’s approach and message about Jesus and what it means to be Christian. 
• Explore Matthew’s Gospel narrative and its literary forms, themes, and characteristics and how it informs us of what it means to be a Christian today.   
• Recognise that the Gospels are God’s communication of Godself to us and recognise that the Bible is both the inspired Word of God and the work of human authors.  
• Inquire into the process of reading the Bible, what we bring to it, how meaning changes for us and explain what the Church teaches about reading the Bible.