2015 Religion CTJ Focus P-10 Engaging with sacred texts across the strands of the Religious Education Curriculum P-12

Prep YearCTJ FocusIn 2015, learners are asked to engage with sacred texts from the Christian tradition that continue to tell the story of God’s relationship with people and the human response to God. These texts may include the sacred writings of the Old Testament and New Testament as well as a range of Christian spiritual writings.

Teachers use the textual criticism framework of the three worlds of the text to engage learners in: A study of the world of the text (What is actually in the text? What type of writing is this

text? Is there a particular structure of the text? Who are the characters in the text and what happens? …)

A study of the world behind the text (What can we learn about the context of this text - the historical world of the human author(s); the cultural world of the time; the geographic considerations of the text; the community for whom the text was written? …)

An exploration of the world in front of the text (For whom might this text be relevant today? What are some messages from or about God that modern believers can take from this text in their time and place? How might a modern reader gain a deeper awareness of this text? Does the Church have a specific teaching about the meaning of this text? How might this text be used/applied in contemporary contexts e.g. in prayer; in liturgy; to inspire action for justice? …)

All elements of the Prep Year Achievement Standard related to the CTJ Focus are highlighted below. From this highlighted section, teachers will identify the particular elements of the standard that are being assessed, according to the focus of their unit of work. This focus is drawn from using the curriculum’s ‘line of sight’ (year level description, year level achievement standard and content descriptions) to determine the selection of appropriate learning contexts across interrelated strands, as well as appropriate learning intentions and success criteria.

Prep Year Achievement StandardBy the end of Prep, students communicate clearly their ideas, feelings and thoughts about God, the goodness of God’s creation and God’s plan that people help each other to live safely and happily together, for the good of all. They identify connections between some Old Testament stories and their personal experience, including the experience of the goodness of creation. They listen and respond to stories of and about Jesus in the Gospels that tell of Jesus’ life as a Jew, his mother Mary, his friends and family; of Jesus praying and teaching others to pray; and of his suffering, death and resurrection. They recognise Jesus’ teachings about love, compassion and forgiveness that challenged people about the way they were living. They relate examples of people having the freedom to choose between good and bad, right and wrong.

Students understand that prayer helps believers to follow the teachings of Jesus; to live according to God’s plan. They recognise ways in which believers pray either alone or with others, using word, music, action, silence, images, symbols and nature, and participate with respect in a variety of these prayer experiences, including meditative prayer, the Sign of the Cross, and Amen. They describe ways in which believers pray together during special celebrations and rituals that mark important times in the life of believers and in the Church year.

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Assessment of Learning During the moderation process, teachers look for evidence of the demonstration of those elements of the standard in an annotated work sample/assessment piece. The table below provides suggestions of success criteria consistent with the achievement standard, as well as possible assessment opportunities from which to gather evidence of student achievement against the standard.

Elements of the Prep Year

Achievement Standard

Possible Success Criteria Assessment Opportunities

Students identify connections between the scripture text and their personal experience.

Explore the context of the scripture text using a range of resources

Explore websites such as Nazareth village, Bible lands and cities

Engage with selected images, illustrations and maps (e.g. from big books, bibles, bookmarked google images, bible maps)

After reading and exploring the first part of the Joseph story (Genesis 37:1-36), engage in a hot seat activity:Students sit in the “hot seat” chair and the teacher or other students ask questions which the student answers in role e.g. “Hi Joseph. Can you tell me what it felt like when your father gave you the special coat?” What did you like about the coat? How do you think your brothers felt when you got the coat?” (Students could take on the role of Joseph, Jacob or one of the brothers.)

Explore the second part of the story of Joseph (Genesis 39:1-6, 41:14-46, 53-57). Investigate the story through the words and images e.g. Joseph in Egypt – what was life like in Egypt? How was Egypt different to Canaan? What would Joseph have seen, tasted and heard in Egypt that was different to his home? (refer to the following teacher background and power point images)

Apply ideas / messages from the scripture text to real life situations and personal experiences

Use language / language patterns from the scripture text to contribute to a prayerful response (e.g. thank you prayers, song, litany) for personal or communal prayer

Set up and role play contemporary scenarios (e.g. in play corner) based on the scriptural theme / message (e.g. the goodness of creation; love, compassion and forgiveness)

Draw and tell how, when and where scripture is proclaimed and listened to in their real life experiences (e.g. classroom, school assembly, at home, in Church)

Explore unfamiliar words / features / ideas in the scripture text

Create a list or word wall of unfamiliar terminology , drawing pictures to describe different words

Label maps and images using terminology from the scripture text (e.g. Joseph, Egypt, Nazareth, stable)

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Elements of the Prep Year Achievement

Standard

Possible Success Criteria Assessment Opportunities

Students listen and respond to the scripture text.

Listen respectfully to and retell the scripture text using a variety of modes and media

View/listen to the scripture story (e.g. big books, audio books, videos)Retell the scripture text using: role play (e.g. sandpit, play corner, using puppets) digital tools (e.g. book creator, story jumper, bible felt board)

Complete a visual recount of the story of Joseph, including information on the world behind the text (e.g. How was clothing made in the time of Joseph? Why was a coloured coat so special?) and the world in front of the text (What does the story tell us what God is like? When have I had to forgive other people?)

Share feelings and thoughts about events, characters and messages in the scripture text

Use simple retrieval charts (e.g. WAPPT Strategy, Y Chart, Emotions Map, 5Ws + H) (refer A-Z Learning Strategies) to share their thoughts about events and characters in the scripture text

Draw an event from the scripture text and tell their feelings and thoughts about this event

Use the Feeling Faces Strategy to identify their feelings about a character or an event from the scripture text

Create a word and picture wall to share their feelings and thoughts about a scripture text

Further information about assessing student learning is available on the BCE Learning and Teaching Portal . Further assessment opportunities may be drawn from the content elaborations of the Religion Curriculum P-12 and the Learning Bytes.

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The stories of Joseph and Moses

Genesis 37:1-36, 39:1-6, 41:15-44, 41:53-57, 42-26

Background to the Old Testament

What’s in the Old Testament?- The Law (Torah- First Five Books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)- Historical Books (e.g. Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Judith, Esther, Maccabees)- Wisdom and poetry books (e.g. Job, Proverbs, Psalms, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Wisdom)- The Prophets (Major and minor: e.g. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Daniel, Micah, Zechariah) There are many text types, and many authors in the Old Testament and the texts are:- An oral tradition/s that became written text- Drawn from encounters with many different cultures: Mesopotamian; Egyptian; Babylonian; Greek; Persian; Ammonites; Philistines- Worked and re-worked over thousands of years- Translated across time and cultures The stories of the Old Testament are Religious Stories, rather than Religious History. Therefore each biblical text type:- serves its own purpose/s- uses text features to serve its own purpose/s- has its own intended audience/s who are unique in nature and time- held a specific meaning for its intended audience which subsequent audiences will probably never fully grasp - uses its source material/s differently, for its own purpose/s- is rendered more powerful by being more than a literal account

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Themes of the Joseph and Moses story for Prep and Year 1 students

Covenant: relationship with others/family Relationships: broken and mended God saves, God forgives, God intervenes to save/God’s plan

Cultural information

Canaan- Religion:

Egypt- Religion:- Pharaohs and Kingship

The religion of the Israelites was monotheistic, based on a single God. This set them apart from the world of the time. The Israelites or Hebrews believed that only the one God should be worshipped and anything else was pagan and idolatrous.

The Egyptian religion was based on many Gods and Goddesses, such as Hathor, Anubis and Seth, who oversaw different aspects of life and the afterlife. There were many temples and priests/priestesses devoted to the different Gods and Goddesses.

The Pharaoh was the leader of the Kingdom, and at times throughout history this included the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Egypt. The Pharaoh was considered to be a god, or was god-like with a direct connection to the daily experience of all in the kingdom.

Historical information

Work- Shepherds- Traders

- Food

Shepherds would take their flocks across large areas of land in search of food and water. They would also trade in wool and other related goods

Slavery - The slave trade existed from earliest times in the ancient Near East. Slaves were generally war captives or persons taken in raids. Traders often accepted slaves, whom they transported to new areas and sold. These persons seldom obtained their freedom.

Food in the Canaan area would have consisted of grains, breads, some meats such as goat, and spices traded through the travelling caravans

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Clothing- Weaving- Colours

Families- The 12 sons of Jacob

In Egypt many foods were traded across the sea and also foods like pomegranates and wheat where grown. The flooding of the Nile created land for farming in the fertile crescent.

In Canaan clothes were woven from wool and were therefore mainly retained natural colours

In Egypt members of the upper class would wear clothes made of fine linen, with make-up such as kohl.

Jacob is also heard in the story of Jacob and Esau, the twins. Jacobs leaves at the end of that story to set out and find his own place.

Jacob had 12 sons and 3 daughters to different wives, including Rachael.

Geographical information

Canaan- Housing

Egypt- Housing

The family of Jacob would have been nomadic people. They would have lived in large tent structures that were easy to move from place to place as they followed the good grazing land for their flocks.

The Egyptian cities and towns used stone to build flat roofed houses. There were large expanses of desert surrounding the area, dotted with trees such as date palms.

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Visual recount – incorporating the three worlds of the text

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