Religion Curriculum Goals
Triune God: Students will express an understanding of the Triune God and the activity of the persons of the Trinity in their lives; they will demonstrate the importance of a personal relationship with God in their lives and in the life of the community.
Jesus: Students will express a basic understanding of Jesus, his life and teachings; and recognize Jesus as their Savior and model for Christian living.
Church: Students will describe how the Church carries out Jesus’ mission of message, community, worship, and service; the structure and function of the Church in the world; the role of Mary and the saints; and key developments in the history of the Church.
Worship and Prayer: Students will participate in the worship of faith community, use a variety of prayer forms to enrich and express personal and communal spirituality, plan liturgy and prayer services with appropriate resources, and demonstrate an understanding of the liturgical seasons, feasts, saints days, Marian devotions, and sacramentals.
Sacraments: Students will participate in the sacramental life of the Church, recognizing the Eucharist as the source and summit of Christian life; they will express an understanding of the nature, importance, and ritual of the seven sacraments.
Scripture: Students will demonstrate knowledge of Sacred Scriptures revealing God’s plan for salvation, and will read, interpret, and apply Scripture to their lives.
Doctrine: Students will demonstrate understanding of authentic Catholic teachings and apply these teachings to all life situations.
Morality: Students will demonstrate age appropriate understanding of Catholic morality, make decisions consistent with these teachings, and especially exhibit a respect for life toward self, others and creation.
Bringing Forth the Kingdom of God: Students will engage in activities of stewardship, sharing their time, talent, and treasure in service to the community within the guidelines of Catholic social justice.
Evangelization: Students will exhibit a welcoming and inviting attitude of inclusiveness toward all people and share their Catholic identity, beliefs and practices.
Kindergarten Religion Curriculum
Goals
Students will:
1. discuss that they are a child of God and that all creation is a sign of God’s love.
2. express their love of God by loving, caring, sharing, and helping others and by being honest and telling the truth.
3. recite the Sign of the Cross, Hail Mary, Our Father, Glory Be, Grace before meals, and the Grace after meals from memory.
4. describe what baptism is to others.
5. participate at Mass, be reverent, and listen to the readings from the Bible.
Content
1. God created the world, animals, plants, people, etc.
2. Make the sign of the cross, bless self with Holy water, genuflect to the tabernacle
3. Jesus is present. Crucifix and Easter Candle
4. Jesus is the son of God and Mary, Holy Family is Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
5. Baptism – members of Church – special friends of Jesus
6. Months of October and May dedicated to Mary – mother of Jesus
7. Children are saints in training. Saints are people who loved God very much.
8. Bible tells us about God’s love for us and about Jesus
9. Scripture stories
a. God’s Promise to Noah (Genesis 6-9)
b. Zacchaeus Listens to Jesus (Luke 19:1-8)
c. Jesus Blesses the Children (Luke 18:15-17)
d. The Good Neighbor (Luke 10:25-37)
e. Jesus Taught Us to Pray (Luke 11:1-14)
1st Grade Religion Curriculum
Goals
Students will:
1. explain that we are all children of God, a family/community, and that the Church is the people of God.
2. recognize that we all serve the Church.
3. identify Mary as the mother of Jesus and our mother.
4. identify Jesus as the Son of God, that he gave us the Church.
5. describe the life of Jesus – birth, death, resurrection and ascension.
6. discuss how God’s Commandments help us.
7. recite the angel of God and the school prayer from memory.
8. express knowledge of the Ten Commandments.
9. participate in memorized and spontaneous prayers.
10. recognize prayer as listening and talking to God.
11. discuss Sunday readings.
12. describe liturgical seasons.
13. participate in discussions of saints.
14. read and discuss scripture that reveals Catholic teachings.
15. discuss Bible stories – Moses, Jesus feeds a Crowd, Mary, The Good Samaritan
16. recognize that God shares his love with us through the celebration of sacraments.
Content
1. People of God; Living as children of God and disciples of Jesus; Holy Family
2. Mary, Mother of God; the greatest saint; Faith of Mary
3. Jesus, Son of God; Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus
4. God’s Commandments; Great Commandment
5. Worship, Celebrating Sunday, the Lord’s Day, Growing in Faith
6. Spontaneous prayers and memorized prayers – Angel of God, Morning Prayer
7. Scripture stories
8. God’s creation of people (Genesis 1:26-31)
9. Our Father (Luke 11:2)
10. Annunciation (Luke 1:28-38)
11. Parable of Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37)
12. Symbols and definitions of the Sacraments
2nd Grade Religion Curriculum
Goals
Students will:
1. identify the Trinity and discuss the roles of God the Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit.
2. participate in prayer as listed below.
3. express an understanding of sin and define the two types of sins.
4. recite the Act of Contrition, the seven sacraments, and the ten commandments from memory.
5. apply the Ten Commandments as an examination of conscience as preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
6. express feelings of sorrow and contrition and relate Reconciliation to healing and forgiveness.
7. profess a belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
8. read and discuss scriptures that reveal preparation for the coming of Jesus, forgiveness, and the institution of the Eucharist.
Content
1. Holy Trinity; God the Father, Creator; Jesus, Son of God, Savior; Holy Spirit, our helper. The Covenant
2. Prayer, talking and listening to God, learning about and praying the Our Father, Act of Contrition, Rosary, Liturgy of the Word, Liturgy of the Eucharist.
3. Making choices; Consequence of choices; Gift of conscience; Mortal and Venial sin, Ten Commandments.
4. The real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Eucharist as meal, thanksgiving and sacrifice. Vessels and vestments used in the celebration of the Eucharist.
5. Serving, respecting, and sharing with others
6. Scripture stories including Psalm (147 and 148), Proverbs, The Great Commandment, John the Baptist, The Traveler on the Road to Emmanaus, The Forgiving Father, and The Last Supper.
3rd Grade Religion Curriculum
Goals
Students will:
1. express an understanding of the liturgical year and recognize its impact on liturgical celebrations.
2. relate the feast of Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit to the early Christians and express an understanding that the Holy Spirit is our helper and present in the church and us today.
3. describe the Communion of Saints; those who have died in heaven, the dead waiting for heaven, and those living holy lives on earth.
4. recite the Apostles Creed and the Memorare prayers from memory.
5. understand prayer and learn from memory prayers listed below.
6. discuss and define the Sacraments of Service, Holy orders and Matrimony.
7. identify Mary’s faith and trust in God as a model of perfect Christianity.
Content
1. Liturgy and worship of the Church, Sacramentals, Church as Body of Christ, Grace; Sanctifying grace and Actual grace
2. Pentecost; Holy Spirit: Advocate, guide, helper; Work of the Holy Spirit
3. Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed, Memorare, Psalms of praise, lament, thanksgiving and wisdom
4. Women of faith Sarah, Hannah, Queen Esther, Ruth Naomi;
5. Communion of Saints; Heaven, Purgatory;
6. Stewardship; doing and praying for others; Stewards of creation
7. Hail Mary in scriptures; Annunciation, Visitation, Incarnation.
8. The Wedding Feast at Cana; Pharisees and tax collectors
4TH Grade Religion Curriculum
Goals
Student will:
1. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the Law of Love, the Beatitudes, the Laws of the Church, the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.
2. discuss the significance of Pentecost in the early Church and in their lives.
3. express a knowledge of the covenant God made with Moses and the Ten Commandments and its relationship to us in the Church.
4. read and discuss the public ministry of Jesus and some of His miracles.
5. recite the Act of Love and the holy days of obligation from memory.
6. participate in the liturgical year and the celebration of these events.
7. discuss the importance of God’s plan of salvation, the origin of sin and the effects of original sin on us.
8. express a knowledge of the Kingdom of God, Communion of Saints, Purgatory and heaven.
Content
1. Law of Love, the Beatitudes, Laws of the Church, the Corporal and Spiritual Words of Mercy.
2. Pentecost and the Holy Spirit in our lives
3. God’s covenant with Moses and the Commandments
4. Public life of Jesus with some of His miracles
5. the Liturgical year and the celebrations
6. God’s plan of salvation, the origin of sin and the effects of original sin on us
7. Kingdom of God, Communion of Saints, Purgatory, and Heaven
5TH Grade Religion Curriculum
Goals
Students will:
1. discuss the importance of the four different kinds of books and writings in the Old Testament: the Torah, the historical books, the Wisdom books, and the prophetic books.
2. recite the seven sacraments and appreciate their communal dimension.
3. recite the Act of Hope, the mysteries of the rosary, and the Hail Holy Queen prayer from memory.
4. memorize the marks of the church and explain them.
5. recognize the cardinal virtues and apply these to their lives.
6. identify the Catholic letters in the New Testament with an appreciation of the first letter of John to the early church.
Content
1. Four different kinds of books and writings in the Old Testament: the Torah, the historical books, the Wisdom books, and the prophetic books
2. Rite of the seven sacraments
3. Marks of the church
4. Cardinal virtues
5. Catholic letters in the bible, especially John’s first letter
6th Grade Religion Curriculum
Goals
Students will:
1. discuss and apply the Corporal Works of Mercy and the Spiritual
works of Mercy.
2. recite the Act of Faith from memory.
3. read and discuss the Old Testament.
4. compare and contrast the differences between the laity and the ordained ministries and be able to define them.
5. prepare independent Scripture searches of the Old & New Testaments.
6. discuss the principles of social justice and natural law.
Content
1. Inspiration of the Bible, Spiritual Soul
2. Easter Triduum, Mary’s role in the Church, the Virgin Mary
3. Old Testament
4. Principles of social justice, Spiritual Works of Mercy, respect for laws, natural laws, sacredness
5. Sacred Scripture – Exodus 15:20-21 – Miriam spokesperson for God – gathered women of Israel in song and dance; Baruch, Leviticus, and Wisdom books
7th Grade Religion Curriculum
Goals
Students will:
1. recite the prayer to the Holy Spirit from memory.
2. discuss and apply the Laws of the Church and the Beatitudes.
3. compare and contrast Jewish and Christian symbols.
4. express the human nature aspect of Jesus from the New Testament of the Bible.
5. apply Gospel values to moral decision making.
6. share time, talent, and treasure in service to the community in response to the Gospel call.
Content
1. 4 periods of Church History – Christ to AD 325, 325 to 1215, 1215 to 2nd Vatican Council, and 1962 to the present
2. Process for making informed moral choices, sources of moral values
3. New Testament, Gospels
4. Morality, God’s own making, based on Jesus’ teachings
5. Fathers of the Church and martyrs (saints)
6. Service is Gospel call
8th Grade Religion Curriculum
Goals
Students will:
1. recognize the Church as our moral teacher.
2. apply their knowledge of Catholic teachings to making moral decisions.
3. act on the basis of theological and moral virtues.
4. choose to commit themselves to membership in the Catholic Church especially through the sacrament of Confirmation.
5. relate Doctrine to Confirmation.
6. identify and describe religious symbols, especially those used in.
7. write a report on a chosen saint.
8. volunteer their time, talent and treasure in service to the community.
9. discuss St. Paul’s teachings about love.
10. express an openness to and a deeper understanding of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
Content
1. Christian morality; freedom of choice; moral decisions; natural law; sin; conscience
2. Decision to follow Christ; costs and rewards of discipleship; spirit of service
3. Sacrament of Confirmation; religious symbols of Confirmation
4. Worshiping community; teachings about love in St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians
5. Quality of discipleship
6. Holy Trinity; Grace; The Holy Spirit, our Helper
7. Right Start