The focus of the second assessment item will be on an area of the local/other diocesan curriculum in religious education which students will develop

ASSESSMENT 2:

The focus of the second assessment item will be on an area of the local/other diocesan curriculum in religious education which students will develop into a short program.. It is to include the necessary theology and scripture background, creative teaching/learning activities and resources that reflect early years students contextual backgrounds, their spiritual/religious development, as well as contemporary early childhood theory and practice.

CRITERIA HIGH DISTINCTION DISTINCTION CREDIT PASS FAIL

Knowledge and Understanding

The students work has the following characteristics:

Knowledge and understanding of the topic and of early learning is extensive and comprehensive

Extensive evidence of the theological and educational background that supports the chosen topic/unit of work The students work has the following characteristics:

Knowledge and understanding of the topic and of early learning is substantial

Substantial evidence of the theological and educational background that supports the chosen topic/unit of work The students work has the following characteristics:

Knowledge and understanding of the topic and of early learning

demonstrates competent understanding

Competent evidence of the theological and educational background that supports the chosen topic/unit of work

The students work has the following characteristics:

Knowledge and understanding of the topic and of early learning

demonstrates satisfactory understanding

Satisfactory evidence of the theological and educational background that supports the chosen topic/unit of work. The students work has the following characteristics:

Limited knowledge of the topic and the early years of schooling.

Limited evidence of the theological and educational background that supports the chosen topic/unit of work

Evaluative and Creative Processes The students work has the following characteristics:

Exceptional evidence of ways in which the teaching program is explored and presented in RE

The students work has the following characteristics:

Substantial evidence of ways in which the teaching program is explored and presented in RE

The students work has the following characteristics:

Competent evidence of ways in which the teaching program is explored and presented in RE

The students work has the following characteristics:

Satisfactory evidence of ways in which the teaching program is explored and presented in RE

The students work has the following characteristics:

Limited or no evidence of ways in which the teaching program is explored and presented in RE

Research and Communication The students work has the following characteristics:

An extensive range of high quality credible and relevant resources that significantly support the program and the stage of development of students The students work has the following characteristics:

A wide range of credible and relevant resources that significantly support the program and the stage of development of students. The students work has the following characteristics:

A range of relevant resources that support the program and the stage of development of students

The students work has the following characteristics:

Evidence of some relevant resources that support the program and the stage of development of students

The students work has the following characteristics:

Insufficient relevant resources that support the program and the stage of development of students

The second task builds on the understanding of the context of RE to include Diocesan curriculum documents and their aims and purposes in a more particular way. Students will be asked to plan a three lesson program, Year 1, linking to one of the topics from the RE curriculum, from the diocese chosen for Assessment 1 (Archdiocese of Sydney). Students will need to be able to include at lease ONE good assessment task and an evaluation/reflection of their three lessons.

Please note new submission date

Due date:30/04/2024 10:00am

Weighting: 40%

Length and/or format: 1600 words

Purpose: To demonstrate the application of the Diocesan documentation to specific teaching and learning activities in the RE classroom, including but not confined to the key elements of Church life.

Learning outcomes assessed: 2, 3, 5 and 6EXAMPLE - EDRE290 Assessment 2: Lesson Plan

GRADE: 2

(Archdiocese of Sydney) UNIT OF WORK:

2.8 Advent and Christmas

(Focusing on Unit Content B: A New Light) DURATION:

3 Lessons

SCRIPTURE BACKGROUND:

Matthew 2:1-12Herod and the Wise Men

The story of the three wise men is part of Matthews account of Jesus birth, but not mentioned anywhere else in the Christian Scriptures. As their portrayal suggests they symbolize wisdom but they also represent the other nations apart from Israel. The text does not tell us exactly how many wise men there were but we assume three because there are three gifts gold, frankincense and myrrh. In later interpretations, the gifts came to represent royalty, divinity and suffering or virtue, prayer and suffering. They certainly are unusual gifts and do appear to be very symbolic in purpose and in fact. Gifts are now a substantial part of Christmas for us. Thus, gifts such as these, of symbolic meaning may be more appropriate than the blatant commercialism of Christmas shopping in our society. Herod the Great was a vassal king of the Jewish people under the Romans. He ruled from 37-4 BC and was a very dominant and often violent autocrat.

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH:

522The coming of Gods Son to earth is an event of such immensity that God willed to prepare for it over centuries. He makes everything converge on Christ: all the rituals and sacrifices, figures and symbols of the First Covenant. He announces him through the mouths of the prophets who succeeded one another in Israel. Moreover, he awakens in the hearts of the pagans a dim expectation of this coming.

524When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Saviours first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming. By celebrating the precursors birth and martyrdom, the Church unites herself to his desire: He must increase, but I must decrease.

528The Epiphany is the manifestation of Jesus as Messiah of Israel, Son of God and Saviour of the world. The great feast of Epiphany celebrates the adoration of Jesus by the wise men (magi) from the East, together with his baptism in the Jordan and the wedding feast at Cana in Galilee. In the magi, representatives of the neighbouring pagan religions, the Gospel sees the first-fruits of the nations, who welcome the good news of salvation through the Incarnation. The magis coming to Jerusalem in order to pay homage to the king of the Jews shows that they seek in Israel, in the messianic light of the star of David, the one who will be king of the nations. Their coming means that pagans can discover Jesus and worship as Son of God and Saviour of the world only by turning toward the Jews and receiving from them the messianic promise as contained in the Old Testament. The Epiphany shows that the full number of the nations now takes its place in the family of the patriarchs, and acquires Israelitica dignitas (are made worthy of the heritage of Israel).

529The presentation of Jesus in the temple shows him to be the firstborn Son who belongs to the Lord. With Simeon and Anna, all Israel awaits its encounter with the Saviour the name given to this event in the Byzantine tradition. Jesus is recognised as the long-expected Messiah, the light to the nations and the glory of Israel, but also a sign that is spoken against. The sword of sorrow predicted for Mary announces Christs perfect and unique oblation on the cross that will impart the salvation God had prepared in the presence of all peoples.

530In their one to one encounters with God, the prophets draw light and strength for their mission. Their prayer is not flight from this unfaithful world, but rather attentiveness to the Word of God. At times their prayer is an argument or a complaint, but it is always an intercession that awaits and prepares for the intervention of the Saviour God, the Lord of history.

Syllabus Outcome(s):

Students will be able to:

S1.2demonstrate growing familiarity with Scripture stories

S1.7.1identify the key times of the liturgical year

S1.7.2identify key symbols, signs and rituals of the Catholic Tradition

Indicators of Learning for this lesson:

By the end of this lesson, the students will:

Christmas is a time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the light of the world.

Students will:

listen and respond to the Christmas and Epiphany story

explore the meaning of giving gifts at Christmas time

SCRIPTURE PASSAGE:

Matthew 2:1-12Herod and the Wise Men

Resources:

Godly Play Resources and Script

Visit of the Wise Men Matthew 2:1-14. https://dobcel.catholic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/RE_WiseMen.pdf

Videos

The Wise Men Matthew 2:1-14. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22SMUUMsx0o

Worksheets

Cycle of Events

3-2-1 Exit Slips

Technology

Classroom iPads

Canva

LESSON SEQUENCE

Teaching Strategies / Learning Experiences:

(How it is taught)

STUDENT ASSESSMENT

LESSON 1

Elicit Prior Knowledge: 5 Senses Wall Chart

T creates a 5 senses wall chart and asks the Ss what they see, hear, feel, smell and taste at Christmas

Ss fill out post it notes and stick their answers under chart headings

(Differentiation: illustrate their responses)

Possible answers include:

I see: Christmas tree, presents, family

I hear: Christmas carols, laughter

I feel: happy, excited, full

I smell: BBQ, Christmas pudding

I taste: chocolate, desserts

T explores answers with Ss and asks, I wonder what your favourite part about Christmas is

Majority of Ss answer receiving gifts/presents

T asks, I wonder why we give and receive presents at Christmas time

Introduce Topic: Giving Presents Using Godly Play

Getting ready: Invite Ss to sit in a circle on the carpet

Experiencing a story: T performs Godly Play (using the script and resources in Resource Sheet 1)

Exploring: T asks I wonder questions to engage reflection, including:

I wonder what the best gift youve ever received is?

I wonder if youve ever seen such a bright star?

I wonder why the wise men bought presents of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh?

I wonder why King Herod was angry when he heard who the wise men were searching for?

I wonder how Joseph and Mary felt about having to go to a new land?

Responding: invite Ss to illustrate their own interpretation of the story, using craft materials (differentiation: illustrate part of the story they liked the most)

Enjoying a simple shared feast: Ss gather back in prayer circle for a simple prayer of gratitude before enjoying a biscuit distributed by T

Exit Slips

T distributes exit slips for Ss to fill out to close the lesson (Resource Sheet 2)

Exit Slips 3-2-1

Name three things you learned in religion today

List two things you want to learn more about

Ask one question about todays lesson

Allows T to quickly assess Ss understanding and help Ss reflect on their learning.

LESSON 2

Recap on Prior Learning

Watch YouTube video Three Wise Men Matthew 2:1-14 to recap the Scripture story

T reinforces that giving gifts at Christmas is symbolic of the tributes made to baby Jesus by the Three Wise Men in this Scripture story

Additionally, T reinforces that we are still carrying on this tradition in todays modern world, in celebration of Jesus

T asks, I wonder how we can be like the Three Wise Men?

Ss possible answers: giving presents, celebrating Jesus

T asks, I wonder how we can help those who wont receive presents this Christmas?

Ss possible answers: give them gifts, pray for them

T asks, I wonder how we can give gifts to each other without seeking acknowledgement not just at Christmas time, but even throughout our school days?

Ss possible answers: giving your classmate a compliment, picking up something your classmate has dropped, holding the door open for somebody, offering a helping hand to the teacher

Visual Arts: Echo Mimes

T condenses scripture in small, simple statements and displays this on the board

T and Ss stand in circle together

T devises action for the first statement, Ss copy

Moving in a clockwise position, in groups of 2-3, T prompts Ss to devise an action for the next line: group of 2-3 Ss perform the statement/actions, T and Ss copy

T ensures all Ss are participating (small groups = encourages involvement and boosts self-esteem)

Possible statements/actions include:

Three Wise Men Asked (three) hand holding up three, (wise men) finger point to brain, (asked) palms up in question

King Herod was mad! (King Herod) hands above head holding crown, (was mad) stomps right foot

LESSON 3

Recap on Prior Learning

T displays photo of Three Wise Men and prompts Ss to recall the story

T recaps previous lessons brainstorming and reflection of how we can be like the Three Wise Men and give gifts to those in need

Invite Ss to live the Word of God

T introduces the food drive organised collaboratively with all grade 2 classrooms

T encourages Ss to bring in non-perishable food items to The Salvation Armys Hamper of Hope initiative

T explains that, as a grade, year 2 Ss will fill hampers with hope-giving food items to those in need

Create: Invitations to Donate

Ss create invitations to hand out to school, inviting Ss to donate to this initiative

Ss work in groups of 3-4 (mixed capabilities) to design these invitations on the classroom iPads using Canva

Differentiation: T provides text for invitation, Ss focus purely on creative aspect (to ensure accuracy of information provided, as it is going home to families as well)

Cycle of Events Worksheet

Ss called back to their seats to assess their learning

T distributes cycle of events worksheet (Resource Sheet 3) for Ss to fill out about the Scripture passage

(Differentiation: allow Ss to illustrate as well, write keywords on the board e.g., Bethlehem, Jerusalem, frankincense, myrrh)

Ss possible answers:

Jesus was born in Bethlehem

Three Wise Men asked King Herod where they might find baby Jesus/ King of the Jews

They saw a star and followed it to Jerusalem

They found baby Jesus and gave him gifts (of gold, frankincense and myrrh)

They did avoided King Herod

King Herod was mad and sent his soldiers to find Jesus

Joseph took Mary and Jesus to Egypt

Ss stick completed worksheet in their Religion books and leave open book on T desk for marking later

Distribution of Invitations

T prints copies of each groups completed invitations

T gives a copy to each Ss to put in their bags to take home

T also sends pair of todays class helpers to hand piles to other year 2 classes

Cycle of Events Worksheet

Allows T to understand religious literacy of the Ss.

TEACHER EVALUATION OF LESSONS TAUGHT

The aim of these three lessons were to teach students the scriptural passage of Matthew 2:1-12. Not only is it important to teach the Word of God, it is also important to teach the Catholic way of living that is, how we can carry out the Word of God in our everyday lives and, therefore, live religiously. Christmas is widely seen as a time of giving and receiving presents, however, students at this stage do not typically know why this is the case. Introducing this Scripture passage using Godly play provided the opportunity to visually inform the students, while also nurturing their spiritual development. Wondering together lays the foundations of Christian community and allows students to reflect on the living Word of God. Keeping this in mind, the second lesson also provided the opportunity to wonder together, however, now in real-time modern-day applications. Being completely mindful that each student comes from differing home lives, it was also important (in lesson 2) to discuss ways of giving gifts that are not materialistic, without having to spend money. The implementation of creative arts in junior classrooms has been shown to be an important and effective teaching strategy. Creative arts activities actively engage childrens imagination and foster their cognitive growth, as they are deliberately open-ended. Implementing this strategy in religious education will ensure the engagement of all children, as it accommodates all learning styles (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, read/write) and caters to differing strengths. In each of these lessons, students were given the opportunity to participate in a creative arts activity: creating an artwork with craft supplies in lesson 1, performing echo mimes in lesson 2 and creating invitations using Canva in lesson 3. In each lesson, time was spent unpacking the literature and relating it to each students daily lives around Christmas as well as throughout the rest of the year. As a result, students were left with a greater understanding of the message behind the scripture and practical ways they could implement this message themselves. Assessment is not only an important tool, it is also a congregational requirement. Implementing exit slips after lesson 1 informs the teacher of each students current level of understanding and allows the students to navigate their own learning (by listing what they want to learn more about). This provides the opportunity for the teacher to collate these questions and provide the answers throughout the scope of the lessons. Additionally, the completion of the cycle of events worksheet allows the teacher to assess student learning and, therefore, their religious literacy.

Overall, the lessons were successful in engaging each student no matter their learning style or capability. It was evident that students gained true understanding of the tradition of giving gifts around Christmas and its origin. Furthermore, students were able to reflect on their own experiences of Christmas and gained an understanding that not everybody is lucky enough to give or receive presents themselves. The students were able to adopt a Catholic way of living through their service to others. In the future, to deepen this service and involve the wider Catholic community, the students could be asked to create a drama/role play of this scripture passage that they could present at assembly. To follow, they could introduce The Salvation Armys Hamper of Hope initiative and invite the entire school to participate.

-14287521780500502920022987000Resource Sheet 1: Godly Play

Resource Sheet 2: 3-2-1 Exit Slip

5324475112268000

Resource Sheet 3: Cycle of Events Worksheet