Religious Education MILD

Transcription

1 POST-PRIMARY Religious Educatio Guidelies for Teachers of Studets with MILD Geeral Learig Disabilities

2 Cotets Itroductio 3 Approaches ad methodologies 5 Exemplars 15

3 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Itroductio The Juior Certificate Religious Educatio Syllabus aims to support studets i their search for meaig ad to foster a appreciatio of the rich diversity of religious traditios i Irelad ad worldwide. These guidelies are desiged to show how studets with mild geeral learig disabilities ca access this curriculum through the adaptatio of teachig approaches ad methods. The primary aim of the Juior Certificate Religio syllabus is to foster a awareess of the huma search for meaig ad to explore how this search for meaig has foud ad cotiues to fid its expressio i religio. It aims to idetify how a uderstadig of God, religious traditios, ad i particular the Christia traditio, have cotributed to the culture i which we live ad cotiue to have a impact o persoal life-style, iterpersoal relatioships ad relatioships betwee idividuals ad their commuities ad cotexts. It aims to foster i studets a appreciatio of the richess of religious traditios through providig them with a framework through which they will egage with a variety of religious traditios i Irelad ad elsewhere. Studets of all faiths ad oe must be able to participate i this course, but it must be approached i a maer that does ot assume studets persoal affiliatio. Studets ow experiece of religio ad their commitmet to a particular religious traditio, ad/or to a cotiuig search for meaig, will be ecouraged ad supported. However, their persoal faith commitmet ad/or affiliatio to a particular religious groupig will ot be subject to assessmet for atioal certificatio. I additio to the guidelies preseted here, similar materials have bee prepared for teachers workig with studets accessig the Primary School Curriculum. Cotiuity ad progressio are importat features of the educatioal experiece of all studets, but for studets with special educatioal eeds, it is particularly importat. Cosequetly, all the exemplars preseted here iclude a referece to strads for the seior classes, as icluded i the Primary School curriculum.

4 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY I Approaches ad methodologies, idividual differeces are emphasised ad potetial areas of difficulty ad their implicatios for learig are outlied, ad liked with suggestios for teachig strategies. The exemplars have bee prepared to show how studets with mild geeral learig disabilities ca access the curriculum through differetiated approaches ad methodologies. It is hoped that these exemplars will eable teachers to provide further access to the remaiig areas of the Religious Educatio curriculum. A strog emphasis is placed o usig a active approach to learig while usig real-life experieces that relate to the studets eviromet ad prior learig. A rage of assessmet strategies is idetified i order to esure that studets ca receive meaigful feedback ad experiece success i learig.

5 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Approaches ad methodologies Idividual differeces i learig strategies ad eeds will require teachers to employ differetiated approaches ad methodologies i their teachig of the Juior Cycle Religious Educatio Syllabus to studets with mild geeral learig disabilities. Cosultatio with ad/or ivolvemet i the Idividual Educatio Plaig process, as well as teacher observatio, will assist the RE teacher i orgaisig a appropriate learig programme for a studet with mild geeral learig disabilities. Such a approach will assist the teacher i selectig suitably differetiated methods for the class. If learig activities are to be made meaigful, relevat ad achievable for all studets, the the teacher eeds to fid ways to respod to studets diversity by usig differetiated approaches ad methodologies. This ca be achieved by: esurig that objectives are realistic for the studets esurig that the learig task is compatible with prior learig providig opportuities for iteractig ad workig with other studets i small groups spedig more time o tasks orgaisig the learig task ito small stages esurig that the laguage used is pitched at the studets level of uderstadig ad does ot hider their uderstadig of the activity usig task aalysis to outlie the steps to be leared/completed i ay give task posig key questios to guide studets through the stages/processes ad to assist i self-directio ad correctio usig graphic symbols as remiders to assist i uderstadig the sequece/steps i ay give task/problem modellig task aalysis by talkig through the steps of a task as it is beig doe settig short ad varied tasks creatig a cogeial learig eviromet through the use of cocrete ad, where possible, everyday materials, ad by displayig word lists ad lamiated charts cotaiig pictures.

6 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Teachig strategies Whe plaig for teachig ad learig i the area of RE, a variety of teachig strategies eed to be cosidered. These will respod to the particular stregths ad challeges experieced by studets with mild geeral learig disabilities i egagig fully i, for example, religious laguage, oral ad writte commuicatio, problem-solvig, ad the retetio of facts ad cocepts. The tables o the followig pages list some of these, ad suggest appropriate strategies for classroom use. It is importat to remember that ot all studets with mild geeral learig disabilities will face all of these challeges. Neither is it a exhaustive list. These are the most commoly foud areas of potetial difficulty.

7 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Addressig potetial areas of difficulty for studets with mild geeral learig disabilities s Potetial area of difficulty Uderstadig religious or moral cocepts ad abstractios = Implicatios for learig Studets ca fid abstract religious cocepts difficult to uderstad. + Possible strategies Lik ew cocepts with familiar situatios ad settigs. Tell a story or give examples to illustrate a ew cocept, for example the Parable of the Good Gag leader/ Samarita. Associate ew ideas ad cocepts with pictures, souds ad gestures. Show a video clip to illustrate rituals ad commuity worship. Ecourage studets to draw their uderstadig of a cocept (for example, commuity, gifts, prayer), ad to describe what they have draw ad how it reflects the cocept. This ca be liked with a keyword approach. After a ew cocept has bee itroduced, cosider usig visual-verbal squares to assist with developmet ad recall of the cocept. (See Exemplar 3 ad Exemplar 7.) Each studet/pair of studets is asked to draw a square ad i each corer of it they write their ow defiitio, write a setece usig the keyword, give a word that is coected to the keyword, ad draw a sketch of the word or somethig related to the word. Studets Defiitio Coected Word Keyword Sketch Sample Setece Make material relevat to the studets ow experieces, particularly whe there is a strog symbolic elemet. Use group ad pair work to itroduce ad reiforce themes or cocepts. Ecourage studets to create ad recite/perform their ow short poems, plays, role-playig o religious themes drawig o their ow experieces, for example role playig childhood faith i Exemplar 4.

8 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY s Potetial area of difficulty Oral Laguage: Listeig ad uderstadig = Implicatios for learig Studets may fid it difficult to liste to complex seteces or multiple meaigs They may ot uderstad the cetral message of what they have heard. They may oly tue i at the ed of a setece. They may focus o a word rather tha o the totality of what has bee said. They may ot uderstad some vocabulary (religious terms) used. They may fid group work difficult. + Possible strategies Avoid complex questios ad setece structures. Guide their listeig by tellig them what to look out for beforehad, for example before listeig to the story o Adolescet Faith i Exemplar 4 tell them what to liste for. Read a story twice for them ad ask them if they would like to hear the story agai before they do the exercise. Esure that potetial distractios are cocealed or removed. Draw the attetio of studets to prior experiece or learig. Guide the studets i relatio to posture ad focus, for example Sit ad liste while I read you a story about this. Use gestures, facial expressio, toe of voice, pictures, symbols, ad cocrete materials to assist listeig. Explai ew terms ad vocabulary before readig. Use sequece idicators such as first, the, ext, fially. Ask studets to relate back to the teacher the istructios that have bee give, or the stories that have bee told.

9 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY s Potetial area of difficulty Oral Laguage: Commuicatio = Implicatios for learig Studets may fid it difficult to participate i class/group discussios. They may have difficulty vocalisig thoughts or views adequately. They may rely o others to do the talkig or to respod o their behalf. Whe asked to explai a particular respose, they may presume that the respose was icorrect. + Possible strategies Provide a atmosphere that welcomes cotributios from all studets. Provide opportuities ad time for studets to ask questios, ad ecourage them to ask questios. Try ot to pose questios that require yes or o aswers. Lik class cotet to studets experieces withi ad outside the classroom. Begi from studets preset level of ability ad build o existig vocabulary ad laguage structures. Ecourage studets to use sequece idicators, as modelled by the teacher ad others, for example first the fially. Provide time ad opportuities for talkig, for example class/group discussios, respodig to questios, role playig, respodig to pictures. Iclude group repetitio of prayers, defiitios, poems. Use prompts such as gestures, visual cues to trigger vocabulary, ad await studets cotributios with positive expectacy. Provide opportuities for studets to iteract with adults both withi ad outside the school commuity, for example a class visitor from a major world religio. Provide opportuities for studets to practise usig ew terms/vocabulary, for example ivitig them to ask other studets to explai the meaigs of ew terms. Guide studets i tur-takig i group work, by assigig roles clearly ad by idicatig the sequece of cotributios. Make word walls by decoratig ad displayig relevat religious laguage related to themes/topics beig studied. Refer to this whe teachig or reviewig a topic or whe preparig for tests/examiatios.

10 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY s Potetial area of difficulty Readig = Implicatios for learig Studets may have difficulty readig writte texts (text books, charts, hadouts, etc.) Studets may ot, therefore, be able to participate fully i class activities, icludig religious services, orgaised for the class group. + Possible strategies Use readig tasks oly whe really ecessary. Cosider alteratives, such as story tellig, audio tapes, video clips of commuity groups, of world religios, usig ICT whe studets research topics, makig e-portfolios (for example a virtual tour of Palestie at the time of Jesus, see Exemplar 2.) Use a olie dictioary to tackle ufamiliar keywords. A childre s dictioary will offer syoyms ad pictures. Cosider a keyword approach, as i Betwee the lies, Literacy at Juior Cycle, Teachers Resource Book, pages 40-44, published by the Juior Certificate School Programme at [email protected] Use short texts as much as possible. Simplify prouciatio, for example Saduccee (sad-yew-see), Zealot (zel-lot), Dictioaries (olie or i book form) provide prouciatio guides. Studets ca develop their ow persoal dictioaries. Use syllabificatio to help with ew terms, for example Petecost (Pet/e/cost). Paste adhesive otes with simpler text ito the class textbook, thus facilitatig readig ad participatio i a mixed ability settig while usig the same book as the studet s peers. Read text aloud for studets/class. Provide opportuities for practisig readig if the studet wishes to participate i religious services, selectig shorter texts ad, if possible, avoidig vocabulary strage to the studet. Coach studets o ew terms, providig memoic or picture cues, or breakig ew words ito syllables to eable access. Allow studet to rehearse stadig i frot of group/class i classroom before doig it i a place of worship. Ecourage them to practise at home. Cosider fot style (for example Trebuchet MS), size of prit, layout of text, (short lies of three/four words, or orgaised by phrasig), colour of paper (pastel shades like blue, gree work well). Use the studets ow work as the basis for learig, for example writig the miracles of Jesus i their ow words ad usig this for future revisio. Use modified worksheets or verbally delivered istructios. Cloze readig ca ecourage studets to read for meaig. Do ot leave too may gaps. Provide aswers beeath text. Ecourage studets to make their ow diagrams of ew material i groups (e.g. mid mappig, usig drawigs ad colours as well as words). 10

11 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY s Potetial area of difficulty Writig = Implicatios for learig A studet may ot complete writte assigmets, or may ot be able to partake i writte assessmets. Udertakig Joural work for the Juior Certificate examiatio may prove difficult. + Possible strategies Esure that writig is ecessary for learig if the task is a writte oe. Cosider alteratives: speakig, drawig, actig out, role-playig, multiple choice, poitig, oe studet takig the role of scribe i recordig group work. Cosider the appropriate use of ICT. (Commercial software is available to eable ad facilitate writig, spellig, clickig ad draggig facility, usig a thesaurus, etc. Compilig PowerPoit presetatios/eportfolios icorporatig visuals dowloaded from the web or scaed i may also be more appropriate to a topic tha a writte approach. Use video presetatios of mime, PowerPoit or other presetatios, iterviews with class visitors, or of class activities such as a passio play, elderly outreach evets, liturgical baers or symbols). Whe writig is ecessary, for example Joural work, allow time for studet to fiish. Cosider usig cloze writig tasks, setece completio tasks, ad paragraph boxes to guide them i their writig. s Potetial area of difficulty Short-term memory + Possible strategies = Implicatios for learig Retetio of facts ad defiitios ca be a problem. 11 Esure the active participatio of studets i learig activities. Use visual/pictorial clues to aid memory, for example a video clip of the Temple, photos of examples illustratig ew cocepts such as The Five Pillars of Islam. Studets ca draw their ow pictures/mid-maps, for example visual-verbal squares (see Exemplar 7). Use studets ow folders to recap o kowledge, skills ad attitudes from previous experieces ad lessos, for example Worksheet 4 i Joural Work (see Exemplar 7). Use actio projects, such as ivitig a visitor to the classroom, partakig i a ritual meal, visitig a local place of worship. Use repetitio ad over-learig. Assist studets i ivetig rhymes, sogs or memoics to help them recall facts.

12 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY s Potetial area of difficulty Short attetio spa, lack of cocetratio ad applicatio = Implicatios for learig Studet may have problems with log texts or with log writte exercises. They may fid it difficult to stay o task, become distracted, ad the rush a task or take a log time to complete it. The stadard of presetatio i writte work may be poor. They may preset ufiished tasks. + Possible strategies Break each task ito achievable subtasks, for example, if comparig gospel accouts of Jesus calms a storm, ecourage the studets to compare paragraph by paragraph, use highlighters to colour code similarities ad differeces. (See Religious Educatio: Juior Certificate Guidelies for Teachers, page 40.) Facilitate peer support. Pair/group tasks ca assist cocetratio. Cosider usig rewards ad icetives at differet stages of the task, for example word puzzles usig religious vocabulary for studets who have completed a give task. Reduce writte cotet ad avoid log passages of readig. Use ICT ad ecourage studets to use ICT where possible. s Potetial area of difficulty Trasferrig previously leared kowledge + Possible strategies = Implicatios for learig Studets may fid it difficult to trasfer learig, cocepts or skills from oe cotext to aother, for example the Roma Empire i History or a parable/ story i Eglish. 12 Begi lessos by stimulatig studets recall of previously leared kowledge, for example Do you remember? Have a look back to page, See i your folder what you have o. Use visual/auditory prompts to aid recall. Repeat or refer to the lik durig ad at the ed of the class. Use a joural work system aki to the Juior Certificate Joural booklet i the cotext of everyday learig. This may be itroduced gradually from first year.

13 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY s Potetial area of difficulty Trasferrig learig to real life = Implicatios for learig Studets may ot use religio i real life situatios. For example, he/she may ot see the eed to apply moral values whe outside school with frieds/ peers. + Possible strategies Discuss how each of the cocepts taught is importat i real life, givig a variety of examples ad usig role-playig scearios where possible. Egage i real activities, for example a visitor to the classroom (as i Exemplar 3), visitig a local place of worship. Lik lesso cotet with the studet s ow experieces, for example the moral challege i Exemplar 6, to some recet evet i a popular TV series. Show a clip ad build a discussio aroud it. Ecourage the use of a joural. Make the learig tagible by brigig i/makig objects related to the experieces explaied (for example havig a Seder meal whe speakig about the Passover, brigig i water or a cadle whe teachig the symbols of baptism). Give moder day versios of biblical ad other religious stories ad persoalise them by icorporatig studets ames ad details. s Potetial area of difficulty Visual sequecig problems + Possible strategies = Implicatios for learig Copyig words from a book or blackboard ad sequecig may cause difficulty, affectig spellig, hadwritig ad the overall presetatio of work. 13 Avoid askig studets to copy writte text if possible. If it is ecessary to copy, provide desk access (a photocopy) to text. Avoid copyig from the board. Cosider usig ICT cut ad paste optios. s Potetial area of difficulty Followig istructios = Implicatios for learig Studets may become cofused whe faced with more tha oe istructio at a time. + Possible strategies Repeat short, clear istructios, accompaied by visual cues. Use o-verbal ad verbal clues ad ask studets to repeat istructios. Promote idepedet learig by presetig clear guidelies o how ad whe assistace will be give by the teacher/other studets durig the lesso, for example Whe you have fiished part A you ca work with your parter to aswer part B.

14 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY s Potetial area of difficulty Beig overwhelmed by the learig process = Implicatios for learig Studets learig may be hidered by a sese of beig overwhelmed whe preseted with ew iformatio or skills. + Possible strategies Break each task ito achievable subtasks. Provide support as eeded, for example Let s take the ext step, What do you thik we should do ow? Cosider if your objective ca be achieved by studets workig together i pairs or small groups. Esure that assessmet techiques take ito accout the eeds ad stregths of all studets. For example, allow ad ecourage studets to feedback orally, symbolically or pictorially, dramatically, or usig ICT. Set persoal, achievable ad challegig targets to promote self-esteem, ad reward ad praise all studets for their efforts i a variety of ways. For example display work, sed otes home i the homework diary, mark for effort as well as achievemet, ackowledge stregths. Remember the value of a relaxed classroom where a sese of humour ca help alleviate pressure beig felt by studets. 14

15 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplars The exemplars preseted here are desiged to show how the strategies outlied previously ca work i classrooms ad to model practice that ca meet the challeges of Juior Cycle programmes ad serve the particular learig eeds of studets with mild geeral learig disabilities. Structure Each of the exemplars is preceded by a summary i the form of two tables. The first table is a itroductio to the exemplar. It outlies the relevat sectios of the Primary School Curriculum, Juior Certificate (Ordiary level) ad Juior Certificate School Programme (JCSP) curriculum. It also highlights some of the characteristics of studets with mild geeral learig disabilities that relate specifically to the area covered i the exemplar ad lists some of the strategies used. I additio, a time scale ad a list of resources are provided. The secod table outlies the exemplar i more detail by providig suggested outcomes, supportig activities ad assessmet strategies for a lesso or series of lessos. 15 Exemplars No. Syllabus topic Exemplar title Page 1. Commuity A1 Commuity types ad characteristics The Cotext C1 The Palestiia cotext Foudatios of religio - major world religios C3 The Five Pillars of Islam The growth of Faith D3 Stages of Faith The Experiece of worship E2 Worship, Ritual, Participatio Itroductio to Morality F1 The Moral Challege Gettig started with Joural work Gettig started with Joural work 128 Religious educatio teachers are remided of the may exemplars available from the Religious Educatio Support Service, hosted by the Galway Educatio Cetre at

16 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: Home Religious Ecoomics Educatio Syllabus topic: Commuity (A1) Commuity types ad characteristics Primary School Curriculum (5th ad 6th classes) SPHE Strad: Myself ad others Strad uits: My frieds ad other people Relatig to others. Juior Certificate (Ordiary level) Commuity Forms ad types of commuity The characteristics of commuities Juior Certificate School Programme Have a kowledge ad a uderstadig of commuity ad commuities of faith. Strad: Myself ad the wider world Strad uit: Developig citizeship (Natioal, Europea ad wider commuities). Time scale: The full rage of learig ad assessmet activities preseted i this exemplar may take up to twelve class periods. 16 Potetial areas of difficulty > Abstract thikig, for example terms such as commuity, sharig (gifts/abilities), co-operatio, commuicatio, roles > Followig istructios > Commuicatig either verbally or o-verbally with others > Beig overwhelmed by the learig process > Applyig previously leared kowledge Strategies used i this exemplar The teacher offerig short, direct istructios at each stage of the activities Usig worksheets with pictorial clues Usig questios leadig to discussio The teacher participatig i group/role-play activities Observig the use of commuicatio skills i others, usig film or referrig to popular drama o TV Usig games to re-eforce cocepts Resources Photographs/cartoos, copies of stories, worksheets, bigo cards, recordigs of soap/series extracts

17 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: Religious Educatio Suggested outcomes Supportig activities Assessmet strategies As a result of egagig i these activities, studets should be eabled to 1. recogise differet types of commuities ad some examples of these 2. idetify commo ad particular characteristics of these commuities 3. explore the tesio betwee idividual ad commuity resposibility. Recordig what the give commuities have i commo. Examiig a gift chart. The Sharig my gifts exercise ad discussio. Readig ad discussig a story about co-operatio. Explorig the tesio betwee idividual ad commuity (family) resposibility. Buildig up a picture of the roles of each member of the commuity. Studets complete worksheets o what commuities have i commo. Teacher observes studets participatio i the gifts exercise ad their cotributio to the discussio. Studets complete a spoke/ writte exercise o the story. Studets discuss ad record what they see as the impact o the commuity of idividuals eglectig their roles/ resposibilities. 17

18 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: Religious Educatio Activity 1 What is a commuity? The purpose of this activity is to give the studets a opportuity to iteract as a class ad gai a appreciatio of what they have i commo as a group. The aim of this approach is to afford studets the opportuity to explore the abstract cocept of commuity by egagig i commual activities. This work could usefully be doe towards the begiig of first year post-primary whe the class is ew ad whe the teacher wats to offer experieces that ca build up trust ad idetity withi the group. It offers excitig cross-curricular possibilities. For istace, the cocept of commuity ad citizeship is explored i CSPE, ad Home-Ecoomics deals with such issues as facilities i the commuity. A project etitled My Commuity could be explored here. Whe studets are studyig fractios i mathematics, there is a opportuity for itroducig or reiforcig the cocept of sharig. The teacher egages the studets i a braistormig activity etitled Commuity, givig them the opportuity to explai what they thik a commuity is ad to give examples of differet kids of commuities. The teacher the explais that a commuity is a group of people that has thigs i commo/ the same, for example workig ad playig together. The teacher shows some visual images (photographs ad/or cartoos) of commuities ad asks the studets what each of the commuities have i commo. The studets ad teacher discuss the questios o the worksheet ad studets the write aswers. Studets the give other local examples of commuities ad say what they share i commo. These examples should be recorded for possible use i the extesio exercise which follows o later. Usig ICT Ask studets to go ito groups of two or three ad either use their ow cameras (icludig mobile phoe cameras), disposable cameras, or digital cameras, if available, to capture their images of commuity. 18 They could take photos of the class commuity, a family, a team, a church group, etc. The they could use these photos to make a presetatio. If they use a digital camera or a mobile phoe camera the images ca be loaded oto a computer ad pasted ito a word documet or ito a PowerPoit presetatio.

19 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: Religious Educatio Worksheet 1 Studets complete this i pairs or small groups, aswerig three to four questios each, ad sharig the task of writig. A) Name the commuity i the picture. Name three thigs that they might have i commo (the same). This is a commuity 1. They all 2. They all They all

20 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: Religious Educatio (B) Beig part of this family commuity makes them feel ad (wated, special, loved, at home, importat, gifted, eeded) (E) Why does this family eed each other? (F) What do the members of your family have i commo? (G) Why do you eed your family? 20 (H) Why does your family eed you? Note Follow-up: Replace the family picture with a picture of a football team, for example. Use the same template of questios.

21 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: Religious Educatio Worksheet 2 1) Name three thigs that our class share i commo. (live, work, play, study, pray, eat together) We all We all We all 2) What other commuities do the members of your class belog to? 21 3) Why is it importat for your class to have thigs i commo? It is good to have thigs i commo because 4) Why do the members of your class eed each other? We eed each other because

22 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: Religious Educatio Worksheet 3 This exercise may the be used to develop the studets uderstadig of a Church commuity, The teacher ca produce a similar worksheet to the previous oe with suitable illustratio. Extesio exercise Local, Natioal ad Iteratioal Commuities This exercise may be difficult for some studets. If deemed appropriate the teacher might use this exercise to itroduce the idea of local, atioal ad iteratioal commuities. Alteratively, the teacher may fid it more suitable for Sectio A of part 2 Commuities at work (Juior Certificate Religious Educatio Syllabus, p. 10). Explai that there are may other types of commuities. Ask studets for other examples of commuities. Probe studets for some examples of local commuities ad write them o the board. Pick oe local commuity group i your area, for example the local parish website, St Vicet De Paul, a employmet support group, a youth cetre, a refugee support group, etc. The teacher, with the class or a group of studets, may visit its website to fid out: what it is doig to help the local commuity the ispiratio for this work how this commuity shows co-operatio ad sharig. 22 Relevat commuities idetified i Worksheet 1 may be used. (Alteratively the teacher could record the resposes o a chart ad display, addig photos/studets pictures later). Workig i pairs or i groups, studets write dow oe thig that the members of each of these commuities have i commo. Alteratively, this ca be doe as a verbal exercise. This exercise would be most effective if local photos were used. Ask studets to decide i pairs which category the idetified commuities should go uder by tickig the appropriate box. Studets ca use the other row to record ay aswer they deem sigificat. Studets will eed a lot of help with this exercise. The sample worksheet should be adapted based o studet resposes.

23 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: Religious Educatio Sample Worksheet Decide whether each commuity is Local, Natioal or Iteratioal by tickig the box. You could decide to tick more tha oe box for some aswers. Some examples have bee doe for you. Commuity This is what the members of this commuity have/share i commo. Local Natioal Iteratioal They live together ad care about each other. Family School They study ad lear together. Church They pray ad help out together. 23 They offer friedship ad help to people i eed i Irelad. St. Vicet de Paul ISPCA They work hard to protect aimals. They work together for peace i the world. Uited Natios Gree peace They all try hard to protect the eviromet (world we live i). Other

24 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: Religious Educatio Oe way i which these commuities are the same is Oe way i which these commuities are differet is For discussio Could you tick more tha oe box for ay commuity headig? (local, atioal, iteratioal). Explai your aswer. Why do we eed to be part of a commuity? Why does our commuity eed us? 24

25 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: Religious Educatio Activity 3 People i commuities share their gifts Explai that God has give every perso i the commuity gifts that make them special. God wats them to share these gifts with each other to make the commuity better. Explai that some of the gifts that people share ca be bought ad give from oe perso to aother (food, moey, clothes). Ask studets to give other examples of similar thigs that people share. Explai that people i commuities also share gifts that you caot buy because they are part of a perso (what they are good at, what qualities they have, such as love, courage, kidess). This will help the teacher to explai the cocept of material ad spiritual gifts that commuities of faith share, i the ext part of this sectio i.e. Sectio A, part 2: Commuities at work (Juior Certificate Religious Educatio Syllabus, p. 10). Self-esteem is potetially ehaced by affordig studets the opportuity to recogise their ow gifts ad the giftedess of others. (This might be give out o a hadout also to aid readig). Display this o the wall for future relevat questioig i relatio to commuity. Ask them for other examples ad write them ito the empty spaces. Preset studets with a chart of persoal gifts askig them to iclude the extra oes ad put a circle aroud the gifts that they have. Studets the complete exercise etitled Sharig my gifts. Sharig meas usig our gifts to make the commuity better OUR GIFTS 25 People i commuities are People i commuities ca Helpful Cheerful Thoughtful Fuy Good with aimals Truthful Kid Reliable Calm Patiet Good listeers Play football Sig Baby-sit Cook Ru Read Sew Cut the grass Play the guitar Draw Ride a bike Clea my room

26 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: Religious Educatio Worksheet Sharig my gifts Complete the followig usig the gift chart. Studets ca speak or write the aswers, usig the followig prompts. Oe of my gifts is I ca share this gift with the people i my commuity Whe I share this gift with someoe I feel Whe I share this gift with someoe they feel Discussio Questios Name someoe i your family ad metio gifts that they have. Does everyoe kow what their gifts are? Why do you thik this is? People sometimes make excuses for ot usig their gifts. What excuses do people sometimes make for ot usig their gifts? Studets take turs role playig: 26 I m sorry but I What happes whe people use their gifts with the people i their commuity? What happes whe people do t use their gifts with the people i their commuity? Follow up activity Make a collage/poster etitled My gifts / 3 C s Gifts. Ask pupils to draw or brig i photos that show them/their class usig their gifts i their commuities.

27 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: Religious Educatio Activity 4A Good Commuicatio skills are importat i a commuity The purpose of this activity is to itroduce the cocept of commuicatio as it relates to commuity life. This relates to the topic of commuity breakdow. It also relates to religious coflict ad ecumeism i part four of this sectio i.e. Relatioships betwee commuities of faith (Juior Certificate Religious Educatio Syllabus, p. 12). Commuicatio is also explored i differet ways throughout the course whe speakig of prayer, symbols ad the experiece of worship, etc. Explai that people i commuities have to be able to commuicate if they wat to share what they have with each other ad that commuicatio is whe people talk, liste ad pay attetio to each other. They sped a lot of time commuicatig so it is importat that they do it well. Whe people are havig a coversatio, oe perso is speakig ad the other perso is listeig. The perso who is speakig gives a message to the perso who is listeig. The listeer the receives the message. (A template similar to oe below may be helpful. Pictures could be added for clarity). A perso caot commuicate o their ow because they would have o oe to receive their message. Some people are good commuicators ad have good commuicatio skills. This meas that they are good at both talkig ad listeig. It is importat to be a good listeer. We show people that we respect them by listeig carefully to what they are sayig. Whe we have good commuicatio skills, we ca get o better with our family, our frieds ad our classmates. People will wat to be aroud us because they kow that we wat to liste to what they have to say. 27 Talkig ad listeig (Commuicatio is always two-way.) Step 1: The teacher gives a message ad studets receive it. Messeger Message Receiver Teacher. Studets Step 2: Studets give a message ad teacher receives it Messeger Message Receiver Studets. Teacher Discussio Questios Why do studets sometimes ot get the message from teachers? Why do teachers sometimes ot get the message from studets? Ask studets to provide two examples from school/home where people did ot get the iteded message.

28 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: Religious Educatio Activity 5 Good Commuicatio skills are importat i a commuity. Explai that listeig is a very importat skill for ay member of a commuity. Families, studets, teachers, football players, etc. all have to be able to liste carefully if they wat to get alog with each other. It is possible to tell whether someoe is listeig by the thigs they say or do. Ask studets how people ca tell if someoe if listeig or ot listeig to them? How do people feel whe their frieds or family liste/do t liste to them? What happes i a commuity whe people stop listeig to each other? Ideally the teacher would show the studets a scee from a play or film where someoe is listeig or ot listeig. (This could be a scee from the play/film that the class is studyig i Eglish class.) A scee from a popular ad recet TV soap or from a series such as Faulty Towers would provide may examples of breakdow i commuicatio, for example Basil givig istructios to Mauel the Spaish waiter. Studets would the be asked to say how they ca tell if the perso is listeig or ot listeig. 28

29 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: Religious Educatio Activity 6 Co-operatio is importat i a commuity. Explai that every commuity eeds co-operatio usig the followig or similar defiitios: Co-operatio meas people workig together as a team. People ca rely o each other ad work hard to get alog so that everyoe beefits. Co-operative people try to use their gifts ad talets for the good of everyoe. Lack of co-operatio meas people ot workig together as a team. People caot rely o each other ad do t work hard to get alog or help others. Read the followig story to the class (or play a pre-recorded readig). The questios which follow may provide a etry ito class discussio. The Twis First Day Twis, Mary ad Joh, started secodary school o the same day. They both arrived o time. At school, Mary listeed carefully to her art teachers ad drew a picture of a beautiful swa which was hug o the classroom wall for everyoe to admire. Durig break time, Mary gave oe of her sadwiches to a boy who had forgotte his luch. The she made other boys ad girls laugh by tellig stories about her old school. However, she foud their stories a bit borig ad did t wat to liste so she wet to use the toilet. 29 Joh listeed carefully to his teacher i the class ext door. However, he sulked whe he did t wi the maths quiz ad the refused to read a story out loud i Eglish class, eve though this was somethig he liked ad was good at. This upset the teacher ad other studets. After school, Joh joied the school football team ad was praised for his great teamwork. Whe the twis got home, their Mum had their dier ready ad was waitig to hear how their first day had goe. She had spet the whole day travellig to see their gradmother who was quite ill i hospital. The twis listeed carefully as she told them about their gradmother. Whe he was fiished eatig, Joh made his Mum a cup of tea ad a sadwich ad the Mary looked after their little brother while she put her feet up. Later o, their Mum asked them both for some help washig the car. She was disappoited because Mary promised to help but ra out the door whe her ew fried called aroud. Joh, o the other had, left dow his computer game ad fetched the hose.

30 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: Religious Educatio Some questios o The Twis First Day 1. Name the twis i the story. 2. Name their commuities. 3. What importat day was it for the twis? 4. Name oe way i which Mary co-operated i school? How did this help the class or the school commuity? 5. How did Joh co-operate i school? How did this help the class or the school commuity? 6. How did Mary ot co-operate at home? How did this affect someoe else at home? 7. Suggest oe way i which Joh did t co-operate at school? How did this affect someoe else at school? 8. Name oe gift that Mary/Joh has ad say how he/she shared it Fiish the setece based o this story ad your experieces. Co-operatio is For discussio Why do you thik Mary s Mum was disappoited whe she would t help to wash the car? Why is it importat to co-operate i a family? What happes whe the members of a family do t co-operate? Why is it importat to co-operate i a class? What happes whe the members of a class do t co-operate? Why is it importat to co-operate i a football team? What happes whe the members of a football team do t co-operate? Give examples of other commuities ad say why co-operatio is importat for them.

31 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: Religious Educatio Activity 7 People i commuities have roles. Write dow oe resposibility of the followig people i your area. Name oe thig that would happe if each of these people did ot do what was expected of them/take their resposibility seriously. Role Oe Resposibility What might happe if they do t take their resposibilities seriously Teeager Elderly perso Families 31 Judge Doctor Miister/priest Politicia Other Aother activity could be to assig the class a task of orgaisig a guest speaker from a religious commuity to speak about his/her role, for example a Miister/Priest, with roles ad correspodig resposibilities which might iclude writig questios or orgaisig the room. (This would be a good lead-i to sectio A, Part 2 & 3 Commuities of Faith, ad Commuities at work. (Juior Certificate Religious Educatio Syllabus, pp.10,11) The studets will be judged o how they fulfil their role as well as how they share, commuicate or co-operate. This might the be icorporated ito the class joural title/work for that year.

32 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: Religious Educatio Activity 8 Commuity Bigo It would be useful here to do a quick re-cap of the importat terms, such as commuity, sharig, commuicatio, co-operatio, roles, ad the to discuss some examples of these. Teacher ca the read through the Bigo card to re-eforce these terms. Ask pupils to decide whether they are examples of sharig, commuicatio, co-operatio, roles, or a combiatio of these. The play the game by photocopyig the card below ad cuttig where idicated. I stayed quiet while teacher read. I forgot to feed the dog. I sulked whe I did t get my ow way. I called my little sister ames. I blamed someoe i the wrog. I gave my fried my last sweet. I broke a promise. I helped my little brother with his homework. CUT ALONG HERE I came home later tha asked. I voluteered to go last. I fouled a player i the match. I looked my mum i the eye whe I spoke to her. I did t shout at my fried. I took somethig without askig. I said a prayer for my elderly eighbour. I refused to apologise. CUT ALONG HERE I wrote o the school desk. I thaked my fried for waitig for me. I did my household chores. I voluteered as class captai. I did my homework whe asked. I told lies about someoe. I left someoe out of a game. I fixed my classmates bicycle.

33 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: Religious Educatio Follow up exercise Studets write dow a setece which explais what a commuity is, givig two examples of commuities. Studets the give two examples of sharig, good commuicatio, co-operatio, ad roles i the commuity. Fially, studets say why these characteristics are importat ad say why we eed commuities. Note A alterative activity would be to read the story Why did t you hold hads sooer! i Love oe aother from The New Christia Way Series 1, page185, ad to discuss where i the story you ca see sharig, commuicatio, co-operatio, ad people fulfillig their roles. Ivite studets to write ad decorate a setece describig the moral of the story. Display their work uder the headig Messages for Our Commuity. Commuity breakdow has ot bee fully explored i this exemplar. The purpose of this exemplar was to give some ideas about how to teach the basic types ad characteristics of a commuity (sharig, commuicatio, co-operatio, roles). The theme Commuity breakdow could be approached by examiig each of the importat characteristics, for example sharig ad co-operatig, ad explaiig how commuity breakdow occurs where these characteristics are lackig. Alteratively, Commuity breakdow might be dealt with at the ed of these outlied activities or i the proceedig parts of Sectio A of the syllabus, parts 2, 3 ad 4 (Juior Certificate Religious Educatio Syllabus pp 10-12). 33

34 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: 2: Home Religious Ecoomics Educatio Syllabus topic: The Cotext (C1) Foudatios of Religio Christiaity Primary School Curriculum (5th ad 6th classes) SPHE Strad: Myself ad the wider world. Juior Certificate (Ordiary level) To explore the cotext ito which Jesus was bor. Juior Certificate School Programme Explore the cotext ito which Jesus Christ was bor ad uderstad the sigificace of his life, death ad resurrectio for his followers. Time scale: The full rage of learig ad assessmet activities preseted i this exemplar may take up to twelve class periods. Potetial areas of difficulty > Spatial awareess (the positio of Irelad, Palestie, etc. o the map) > A cocept of time (situatig the life of Jesus) > Trasferrig learig to real life > The vocabulary/laguage associated with the Palestiia cotext > Short term memory-retetio of facts, give the amout of material covered i this part > Attetio spa (stayig o task, rushig the task, beig easily distracted) 34 Strategies used i this exemplar Map exercises Memoic exercises A timelie Visual charts with vocabulary to miimise the eed for writig at legth Tagible, homely activities Situatig religio i real-life (ewspaper articles/role-play of religious groups) Usig pair work Drama Readig/writig support like cloze exercises, taped readigs, group worksheets Usig cross-curricular liks with History, Geography, Woodwork/Metalwork/Art)

35 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 2: Religious Educatio Resources A map of the world, copies of maps 1-3, photographs/cartoos, copies of ewspaper articles, a overhead projector, pictures, a wall-chart. It would be useful to have begu this sectio before Christmas so that studyig the birth of Jesus would correspod with Christmas-time. Aciet Judaism or Messiaic expectatio ca be explored i detail. Aciet Judaism could be approached by lookig at the key figures ivolved ad askig studets to fid ad read stories about these key figures usig bible refereces. The Price of Egypt ad Jesus of Nazareth are just two films that could iform this exploratio. 35

36 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 2: Religious Educatio Suggested outcomes Supportig activities Assessmet strategies As a result of egagig i these activities, studets should be eabled to locate ad idetify Palestie o the map of the world ad the key places i the life of Jesus o the map of Palestie compare ad cotrast a typical Irish home today with oe i Palestie at the time of Jesus egage i discussio about the importace of the Temple for the Jewish people at the time of Jesus poit out the differet parts of the syagogue ad ame some similarities ad differeces betwee it ad the Temple i Jerusalem recall some simple facts about the Roma occupatio of Palestie list the four religious groups i Palestie at the time ad recall some simple facts about them. Studets egage i map work ad draw/trace/make their ow maps. Use discussio questios to help studets to visualise the importat parts of 21 st cetury Irish/1 st cetury Palestiia homes. Studets poit out the importat parts of the Temple ad suggest why it was so importat for Jews. Studets describe their ow local place of worship, idetifyig parts correspodig to a local syagogue. Studets liste to a ewspaper article o the ivasio of Palestie by the Romas. Studets liste to a ewspaper article o the reactio of the four religious groups to Roma occupatio ad summarise the key themes o a chart. Studets participate i ad observe a role-play. The teacher assesses studets as they: shade Irelad, the holy lad, ad the cotiets o map 1, locate Palestie o map 2 by tickig the box mark i the importat places i the life of Jesus o the map use the chart to fill i the importat iterior ad exterior details o the two types of homes aswer true/false questios about the Temple complete multiple choice questios ad metio what are the mai similarities ad differeces betwee the Temple ad the syagogue aswer true or false questios, write i the cotiets ad colour i Palestie ad the Roma Empire o the map i the ewspaper article complete cloze ad matchig exercise o the religious groups of the time. 36

37 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 2: Religious Educatio Activity 1 Display a timelie, plottig 63 BC, 2007 AD, etc. to help studets with the cocept of the Roma/Christia era. Explai whe ad where Jesus was bor. Ask studets what they kow about the Holy Lad (about a quarter of the size of Irelad), how log it takes to get there, weather, laguage, etc.), ad if they kow other ames for it (Palestie, Israel, Caaa) givig its preset ame ad its ame i Jesus time. Ask them why it might be called the Holy Lad (Christiaity, Islam ad Judaism bega there). Show studets a map of the world ad ask them to poit out the positio of Irelad (ad the coutry of origi of all studets), The Holy Lad ad the cotiets of Europe, Africa ad Asia. Ivite studets to colour i Irelad ad The Holy Lad as well as the seas (i blue) ad to write i the cotiets i the appropriate places o Map 1. Studets the tick the box that shows the positio of The Holy Lad o Map 2. Map 1 Map Atlatic Ocea 1. Atlatic Ocea Mediterraea Sea Mediterraea Sea 2. The Holy Lad >

38 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 2: Religious Educatio Activity 2A Cross-curricular: Geography Explai some of the climate ad geography of Palestie, for example it is warm i the daytime ad cold at ight. It has two seasos: the hot, dry summer (May to September) ad the cool, wet witer (October to April). Usig a overhead projector, shie the outlie of Palestie oto a large sheet of paper ad ivite studets to draw over this. Studets the use differet colours to shade the provices of Galilee, Samaria ad Judaea, ad write i the capital city, tows, river, ad seas. They the draw i sow-capped moutais i the North (the lad aroud the Sea of Galilee i the North which is geerally gree ad fertile), the desert area i the South (reachig 50 degrees Celsius), ad the low hills ad valleys i betwee. Studets the draw/brig i pictures to show the importat evets i the life of Jesus associated with each of these areas ad stick them oto the map. Display the studets work. Fially, studets complete Map 4 ad the the cloze exercise icorporatig: Palestie: where importat evets ad places i the life of Jesus happeed Bethlehem: where Jesus was bor Nazareth: where Jesus grew up River Jorda: where Jesus was baptised Sea of Galilee: where Jesus met his first disciples Caperaum: where Jesus taught people Jericho: where Jesus healed people Jerusalem: where Jesus died outside this city. 38 Ivite studets to make a memoic to help them remember these place ames. Alteratively, they could decorate each ame ad illustrate the correspodig evet o a large map.

39 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 2: Religious Educatio Activity 2B Alterative activity Studets divide ito three groups ad are asked to make the map of Palestie with each group resposible for oe provice. Give them three large sheets of paper outliig the coastlie of Palestie ad ask them to write i the provices, city, tows, river, ad seas ad the to draw/stick o the geographical ad climatic features ad evets (i.e. associated with life of Jesus) referred to i Activity 2A. The teacher may be able to source fabric ad other materials that could be stuck o to make the map look more realistic. The map should be displayed for the duratio of these activities ad the other activities relatig to the life of Jesus. Map 3 Map 4 Palestie Mediterraea Sea Caperaum Galilee Nazareth < Sea of Galilee Provice < 39 Samaria < River Jorda Provice < Jerusalem Bethlehem Judaea < Dead Sea < 0 Miles 50 Provice 0 Miles 50 Fill i the places that were importat i the life of Jesus. Classifyig the place ames will also help studets remember them. Colours ca help here. Provices Capital City Tows River Lakes/Seas J J B River Sea of G S N D Sea G C J

40 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 2: Religious Educatio The Holy Lad Cloze Exercise: Complete the followig usig the key words. The coutry Jesus was bor i is called T H L. It is also called I. It was called P at the time of Jesus. Palestie is divided ito three provices called G, S ad J. Jesus was bor i a tow called B. He grew up i a tow called N. Durig his life he taught people i a tow called C ad healed people i a tow called J. He met his first disciples at the S of G. Aother very salty sea i Palestie is called the D S. Jesus was baptised i the River J. He died outside the capital city of J. Key Words Nazareth Judaea Jerusalem Jericho Jorda Sea Holy Israel Galilee Palestie Sea Galilee Samaria Lad Caperaum Bethlehem Dead The Follow up activities Studets draw/trace a map of Palestie i their copies, markig i the surroudig areas, physical features, the provices, pricipal tows, cities, lakes, ad rivers. 40 Imagie you were a farmer/fisherma at the time of Jesus. Write your diary etry. Write the weather forecast for Palestie. Usig the large map of Palestie, ask studets to stick i the symbols for sushie, rai, cold, etc. Studets the preset the weather ad tape it for revisio. They could also make a travel programme set i Palestie usig a camcorder, dowloadig relevat clips from iteret websites. Use the Iteret ad computer to produce a travel brochure about Palestie at the time of Jesus. A google search of The Holy Lad will provide access to sites such as: Your brochure should iclude some ice photos/images ad iform the reader about: the climate ad ladscape the iterestig thigs a visitor might see. Imagie you are o holiday i Palestie. Write a postcard to your fried i Irelad tellig him/her about the sceery, weather, etc. Cross-curricular liks This could be liked to Aciet civilisatios: The Roma Empire ad studied at the same time. The Geography teacher might help to re-eforce importat poits about the terrai ad climate of Palestie.

41 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 2: Religious Educatio Activity 3A Homes i Palestie compared to Irish homes Discuss what homes i Irelad are like today. Discuss also images of home-life i Palestie that studets have see i the media ad books. The, usig the chart o houses i Palestie/Irelad today, studets could fill i the importat iterior ad exterior details usig the house outlie give. They could use fabric or other kids of materials, colour or pait the houses, ad the display their work. Discussio/Questios for comparig houses i Irelad ad Palestie, the ad ow: Where do most people live (tows/cities)? How may rooms do most houses have? What do people use for extra space? What do people sleep o? Where do people wash themselves? Where does the water come from? What kids of coverig would be o the floor? Who would keep chickes ad goats ad where would they be kept? How do people light their houses? What do people keep their belogigs i? What do people eat their food with? What kids of food do people eat? What do they use for light? What do they use to clea the floor? What is the roof made from? How do you get up o to the roof? Where do families eat at dier-time? Do they eat together or aloe? Do they say or do aythig special before they eat? 41 Follow-up activities Draw the iside ad outside of your home. Mark i where you eat, sleep, wash, store thigs, etc. Draw a typical house i Palestie at the time of Jesus. While some studets make pictures/models of Palestiia houses, others may compile the chart overleaf.

42 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 2: Religious Educatio Activity 3B Use the chart Houses i Palestie i the time of Jesus ad Houses i Irelad today to re-eforce ad make comparisos i order to aid follow up activities. Houses i Palestie i the time of Jesus ad Houses i Irelad today Houses i Palestie i the time of Jesus Houses i Irelad today Rooms Roof Material Light Colour Widows ad doors Keepig the floor clea Roof use Table maers Before ad after meals Farm aimals Stored thigs Washed Water from Slept o 42 Follow up activities Make a house from Palestie i the time of Jesus. Read the followig stories ad explai what home life was like for ordiary people i the time of Jesus. If studets have access to ICT facilities, they may collate a e-portfolio etitled Home-life i Jesus time. These ca be preseted to the class. Alteratively, studets may like to make a collage o the same theme. A websearch will yield may relevat sites. Liste to readigs from: Mark: 2: 2-4 Luke: 2: 5-7 Studets talk out the typical daily routie of their families ad compare them with Jewish family life i the time of Jesus. Studets watch a scee from Jesus of Nazareth or Be Hur, etc., ad discuss what image they get of daily life i Palestie i the time of Jesus.

43 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 2: Religious Educatio Activity 4 Religio i Palestie Key cocepts: Sacrifice: To give up somethig for someoe you love, for example God. Temple/Syagogue. Explai that most of the people i Palestie were Jews. They worshipped (hooured/prayed) to God i two mai places of worship, the Temple i Jerusalem ad the may syagogues throughout Palestie. 43

44 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 2: Religious Educatio Activity 4A The Temple Usig a picture of the Temple, ask studets to suggest why it might have bee a importat buildig for the Jews. The explai what the differet parts were used for, askig them to poit to each part as you talk about it. Studets the complete the true or false questios i pairs. The teacher ad studets the aswer the discussio questios together. Tick the correct box to show whether the setece is true or false True False The Jews believed that God was preset i the Temple. The Temple was highly decorated. Jews visited the Temple oce i their lifetime. Oe hudred people could fit ito the Temple at oe time. The Jews prayed ad offered aimal sacrifices to God there. They bought these aimals i the Temple with Roma moey. Ayoe could go ito the Court of Priests. Oly the High priest could go ito the room called the Holy of Holies. The High priest made a sacrifice i the Holy of Holies every day. The oly part of the Temple that is left today is called the Easter wall. 44

45 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 2: Religious Educatio Discussio/Questios Give two reasos why the Temple was so importat for Jews. What is the mai place of worship for the members of your religio or a religio kow to you? Name two similarities ad two differeces betwee that place of worship ad the Temple i Jerusalem. 45

46 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 2: Religious Educatio Activity 4B The Syagogue Ask studets about a local place of worship (for example a parish church, a mosque) ad show them a picture, if possible. The briefly discuss the aswers to the followig questios: Name a place of worship kow to you? How may people ca it hold? Whe (how ofte) do people worship there? Is it decorated or ot? If so, how is it decorated? Do me ad wome sit together there? Do you thik this is the way it should be? Give a reaso why/why ot. Name ay special services/sacrifices that take place there? Are there ay parts of it where ordiary people caot go? What is the most sacred/holy/special place i this place of worship? 46

47 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 2: Religious Educatio Activity 4C The Syagogue A web-search prepared i advace of class will yield virtual tour ad explaatory iteractive sites for a syagogue. Alteratively, explai what the differet parts of the syagogue were used for with the help of a picture, askig pupils to poit to each part i questio. Say why the syagogue was importat for the Jews locally. Studets aswer multiple-choice questios ad the metio the mai similarities ad differeces betwee the Temple ad the syagogue. Tick ( ) the correct aswer Syagogues were foud i Jerusalem oly. i tows ad villages. Jews worshipped there oce a week. oce a year. Syagogues were decorated more tha the Temple. less tha the Temple. Syagogues were bigger tha the Temple. smaller tha the Temple. 47 Wome ad me sat i the same place. i differet places. Me sat dowstairs. upstairs. The rabbi was a priest. a teacher. The Bible was writte o papyrus. paper. The scrolls were kept i the doorway. the Ark of the coveat. A lit cadle meat the rabbi was there. God was there. Follow up activities Draw the iside of a place of worship ad pick out the similarities ad differeces betwee it ad the syagogue. Visit a local syagogue, or ivite a guest speaker from the Jewish commuity to speak about Judaism ad i particular the Temple ad syagogues i Jerusalem/Palestie as they were i the time of Jesus ad as they are ow.

48 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 2: Religious Educatio Activity 5A Romas/Roma Empire The teacher leads a braistormig sessio o the Romas/Roma Empire ad explais their positio i the time of Jesus (with Potius Pilate as the Roma Goveror), ad discusses how the Romas might have take cotrol, dressed, etc. Usig map 1, shade i the Roma Empire. Studets give other examples of other occupied coutries. Usig map 1 agai (or a elarged map made by studets as i activity 2 (B)) studets suggest why Palestie might have bee i a good/importat positio for the Romas at the time. 48

49 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 2: Religious Educatio Activity 5B Romas i Palestie Itroduce, read through, ad discuss the ewspaper article. Studets the aswer true or false statemets. Fially, studets fill i the cotiets ad colour i Palestie ad the Roma Empire o the map i the ewspaper article. Tick the correct box to show whether the setece is true or false True False The Romas ivaded Palestie i 63 AD. The Romas were from Rome i Frace. There were more Romas tha Jews i Palestie. Palestie was at a importat cross-roads to Africa, Asia & Europe. Potius Plate was the Emperor of Rome at the time of Jesus. The Jews welcomed the Roma soldiers ito their homes. Most of the Jews accepted the tax collectors. Romas did ot improve roads or waterways i Palestie. Romas had better weapos ad used spies to cotrol the people. Jews waited for a Messiah to free them from the Romas. 49 Follow-up activities Name a place i the world today where people wat to be free from foreig rule? Poit to this place o the map/globe. What do you thik the people who live here are hopig for? Research the Roma Empire i the time of Jesus. Make a scrapbook usig the iformatio ad pictures you fid ad store them for possible Joural work, later o. Make a e-portfolio, ecouragig studets to research usig selected websites. Facilitate presetatio of such research to the class, usig PowerPoit, charts, talk, etc. Make up a limerick about the Roma Empire i the time of Jesus. Write the diary etry of a youg Jewish boy/girl for the ight of the ivasio of Palestie. Palestie Jjjj JjhvvjjJGalil

50 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 2: Religious Educatio PALESTINE HERALD Friday 27th May 63BC Palestie s Eveig Newspaper Victory at last for Bethelehem Rovers Atlatic Ocea Mediterraea Sea The Holy Lad> Romas ivade Palestie Jews were today forced to accept beig part of the Roma Empire. Yesterday, Palestie was attacked by a small, strog Roma army usig better weapos. The Romas already cotrolled all of the lad aroud the Mediterraea Sea, Europe ad North Africa. They kew that by takig cotrol of Palestie they would be able to cotrol who wet i ad out of Europe i the North, Africa i the South, ad Asia i the East because Palestie is at the cross-roads/of these three cotiets. They did ot stop util Palestie was theirs. First they marched ito Jerusalem, the capital city, ad the quickly took over the rest of the coutry. The people will ever forget the way the soldiers stood out i their shiy armour. The Romas have already put their ow goverors i charge to make sure that the Jews do what the Emperor Caesar wats. Last ight a eye-witess had this to say: The people were rushig everywhere. You could t miss the Romas i their bright clothes. Nothig will ever be the same for the Jewish people. No oe will dare to go agaist their laws or refuse to pay high taxes. Most of my frieds are poor farmers or fisherme. It s hard eough to make eds meet as it is. The Jewish commuity are agry that the Romas have take the lad that they believe God gave them. Some Jews will collect the Roma taxes that will be spet o the Roma Army. There is o doubt that these tax collectors will ot be welcomed. People have heard that tax collectors i other coutries are cheats ad steal some of the moey that they collect. They are called outcasts ad hated by the local people. Zacchaeus is the hot favourite to take the first tax collector job i Palestie. May Jews are worried that they will be forced to follow Roma customs like speakig Lati ad eatig o-jewish food. Last ight a spokesperso for the Roma army said: Jews will be allowed to practise their religio ad customs as log as they obey Roma rules. The Jews are already hopig that a Messiah or saviour will come ad free them from the Romas. They believe he will be strog like Moses. Our mai Jewish groups (The Pharisees, The Sadducees, The Essees, ad the Zealots) are discussig who the Messiah might be. 50

51 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 2: Religious Educatio Activity 6A The Four Religious Groups i Palestie Read through the ewspaper report ad prepare some discussio questios. Studets the complete the cloze exercise that follows. (Note: This article ca be shorteed to suit studets iterest ad ability.) Recap o the four groups usig the chart. Activity 6B The Four Religious Groups i Palestie Role-play the four groups usig the commets made by the differet people (for example Zachary the Zealot). (See article overleaf.) The role playig could be captured usig digital video ad played back to the class. This would have may advatages. The video could be played over ad over agai for a variety of purposes icludig, focusig o attitudes, helpig studets to idetify key argumets, idetifyig ad reflectig o the may perspectives of the time, discussig the similarities ad differeces betwee the four groups, ad ecouragig studets to make suggestios about why Jesus would have come ito coflict (fought) with them. This will prepare them for hearig about this theme i later parts of the syllabus. Rather tha, or as well as, presetig the followig as writte text, it could be read as a ews report from Palestie at the time. 51 Note The Cloze Exercise o Roma rule ad the four Religious groups is preseted as a optio at this poit to recap o the large amout of material (facts) i this sectio ad to aid all studets, i particular studets with poor short-term memories. It may be kept ad adapted or added to for use whe the themes of Aciet Judaism ad Messiaic Expectatio have bee dealt with.

52 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 2: Religious Educatio PALESTINE HERALD Friday 28th August 63BC Palestie s Eveig Newspaper Religious Groups React Members of four religious groups secretly explai how they feel about their lives as Roma citizes i Palestie. Sadducees We ejoy beig rich ad havig the title of High Priest i the Temple. We are members of the Sahedri (the Jewish court) there. It s great makig sure that Jews obey religious laws, although we caot setece people to death. Actually oly some of the taxes collected i the Temple are used to keep it i a good coditio. The rest is spet o our families. Why would t we co-operate with the Romas eve if people like the Zealots hate us for it? We do t waste time waitig for a Messiah that is t goig to come. Just forget all this life after death osese ad get o with ejoyig this life! As for Jesus, he ll regret tellig us how to ru the Temple! Pharisees We ejoy beig leaders i the syagogue ad teachig people the laws. Everyoe respects us ad looks up to us. We just igore the Romas. They re oly siers who will be puished whe they die. Religio is all that matters ad i the ext life God will reward us for livig this way. God will sed us a Messiah like Kig David i this life. Jesus is oly a trouble-maker who kows othig about the laws of God. How dare he tell us to practise what we preach? Zealots There s o doubt that the Romas must be puished for takig our God-give lad. The Sadducees are eve worse for co-operatig with them. We do t like foreigers ad have every right to use violece ad eve kill to defed our religio. I fact, God wats us to do this so that he ca reward us with a warrior who will free us from the Romas ad make God s kigdom happe o earth. We pla to rise up agaist the Romas ad we will die before we give i to them. Either way we will ejoy true freedom i the ext life. Jesus was right to choose Simo the Zealot as a apostle eve if it makes people suspicious of him. Essees We have had eough of foreig leaders i Jerusalem. We hate the way the Temple is beig ru. I the desert we ca share what we have ad follow God s rules strictly, ulike the so-called religious leaders. All we eed is eough food to live o. Our white clothes are othig like the rich robes the Sadducees buy with the people s moey. Ulike the Sadducees, you ca t just buy your way ito our commuity. You have to trai for three years ad swear ot to tell ayoe about our teachigs. We are the true Childre of light, the Holy oes. God will wi the battle agaist his eemies, the Childre of darkess. We kow he will free us from the Romas ad show the people how to worship properly i the Temple. 52

53 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 2: Religious Educatio Religious Groups React: Fill i the key words Sadducees We ejoy beig r ad havig the title of High Priest i the Temple. We are members of the S (the Jewish court) there. It s great makig sure that Jews obey religious laws, although we caot setece people to d. I must admit that oly some of the t collected i the Temple are used to keep it i a good coditio. The rest is spet o our families. Why would t we c with the Romas eve if people like the Zealots hate us for it? We do t waste time waitig for a M that is t goig to come. Just forget all this l after death osese ad get o with ejoyig this life! As for Jesus - he ll regret tellig us how to ru the Temple! Key Words life Sahedri rich co-operate death Messiah taxes This ca be repeated for the other three groups. Follow up activities Set the scee i Palestie ad give pupils the opportuity to questio each of the characters about their reactio to the Romas. You could use costumes ad props. Studets could the write ad act out the script for a Roma soldier/goveror respodig to what he has heard. 53 Write a aoymous letter to the Roma Goveror o behalf of oe of the Religious Groups tellig them about their fears ad their problems with Roma rule. Research the fidigs at Qumra, i.e. The Dead Sea scrolls. A websearch will yield useful iformatio for this. Make predictios about what role each of these groups will play i the life of Jesus. The, whe the followig sectios have bee examied, decide how right/wrog these predictios were.

54 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 2: Religious Educatio Religious Groups i Palestie at the time of Jesus Religious Group Sadducees Pharisees Zealots Essees Reactio to Romas Accepted them Igored ad disliked them Hated ad killed them Rejected them Job i Palestie Members of Sahedri/High Priest i Temple No-priests, Religious leaders/ teachers i syagogue Paramilitary soldiers Simple desert moks who shared everythig they had (like Fraciscas) Way of life Collected taxes,lived wealthy lifestyles, had slaves. Strictly followed religious laws, looked dow o those who did t. Very religious, hid i the hills, lived ad died by the sword. Had strict rules, ate little food, kept o slaves, wore white clothes, kept out of society. 54 Belief about Messiah No Messiah will come so make the most of thigs. Follow God s laws ad Messiah will come. Fight agaist Romas ad God will sed a leader. Uclear/God will beat eemies ad brig proper worship to the Temple.

55 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 2: Religious Educatio Match the Commet made with the perso who made it by writig the correct letter i the box Commet Letter Religious Perso Jesus was right to choose Simo as a apostle, eve if it makes people suspicious of him. A. Samuel the Sadducee I ejoy beig rich eough to buy the title of High Priest i the Temple. B. Philip the Pharisee I the desert I ca share what I have ad follow God s laws. C. Zachary the Zealot I ejoy beig a leader i the syagogue ad teachig people the laws. D. Elijah the Essee 55 How dare Jesus tell me to practise what I preach- Huh! A. Samuel the Sadducee I have every right to use violece ad eve kill to defed my religio. B. Philip the Pharisee God will wi the battle agaist his eemies, the Childre of darkess. C. Zachary the Zealot I do t waste time waitig for a Messiah that is t goig to come. D. Elijah the Essee

56 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: 3: Home Religious Ecoomics Educatio Syllabus topic: Foudatios of religio - major world religios (C3) The Five Pillars of Islam Primary School Curriculum (5th ad 6th classes) SPHE Strads: Myself ad others Strad uits: My frieds ad other people Relatig to others Strad: Myself ad the wider world Strad uit: Developig citizeship, Natioal, Europea ad wider commuities. Juior Certificate (Ordiary level) Rites of passage ad other rituals: Explorig the ritual evets ad times of the traditio ad the celebratio of these i the life of the commuity, especially i Irelad. Idetifyig the key elemets of membership of the chose major world religio creed ad practice. Juior Certificate School Programme Explore i detail a major world religio (Buddhism, Hiduism, Islam or Judaism) ad examie the impact it had o its followers, other idividuals ad commuities. Time scale: The full rage of learig ad assessmet activities preseted i this exemplar may take up to seve class periods. 56 Potetial areas of difficulty > Uderstadig religious cocepts ad abstractios (terms such as belief/practice, ritual act, etc.) > Religious laguage (amig Muslim practices correctly) > Applyig previously leared kowledge (for example, The foudatios of Islam as pertiet to the Hajj ad other practices) > Trasferrig learig to real life (for example, comparig Muslim practices to their ow traditio) > Short attetio spa (fidig it difficult to stay o task ad rushig a task, particularly give the volume of religious kowledge (ad laguage) preseted to them Strategies used i this exemplar Usig visual represetatios of cocepts ad ideas Usig a visual chart with vocabulary to miimise the eed for writig at legth Tagible, homely activities to make the learig task more cocrete ad approachable Teacher demostratio of aspects of Muslim practice (for example, prayer- Rak ah) Offerig short, direct istructios at each stage of the activities Resources > A map of Mecca, a chart of the Five Pillars of Islam, The USBORNE Iteret liked Ecyclopaedia of World Religios, a Prayer Mat

57 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 3: Religious Educatio Suggested outcomes Supportig activities Assessmet strategies As a result of egagig i these activities, studets should be eabled to uderstad the practices ivolved i observig the Five Pillars egage i discussio about the importace of a Religio s creed recogise Muslim prayer ad recall how ad why Muslims prepare for ad egage i regular prayer rituals (e.g. Rak ah/wudu) make coectios betwee Muslims ad other Religios based o almsgivig uderstad the cocept of fastig as a religious practice idetify ad sequece the experieces of Muslims o the stages of the Hajj apply a basic kowledge of the pillars to the everyday life of a Muslim i Irelad today. Readig the Pillar Chart ad discussig the practices ivolved. Examiig ad idetifyig the importat elemets of two Creeds from other Religios, makig coectios betwee them ad the Shadahah. Observig Rak ah i actio ad providig visual images of rituals ivolved i prayer (for example, Rak ah worksheet ad diagram of the mosque). Readig the phoe book ad classifyig charities i terms of the people they service. Discussig the merits of fastig for religious people. Readig ad examiig a timetable for pilgrims o the Hajj. Recogisig Muslim beliefs ad practices i the words ad actios of followers i Irelad today. 1. Studets aswer oral questios o the pillars ad give a reaso why these are the five most importat practices i Islam. 2. Studets aswer oral questios o the Jewish ad Christia creeds ad decorate ad complete cloze exercise o the Muslim creed. 3. Studets complete worksheets o prayer movemets ad poit out places associated with prayer o the diagram of the mosque. 4. Studets match charities with people i eed coected with Islam. 5. Studets complete worksheets o the stages of the Hajj (cloze ad sequecig). 6. Studets colour i statemets which reflect Muslim belief ad practice. 57

58 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 3: Religious Educatio Itroductory ote This exemplar has bee prepared ad preseted uder the assumptio that studets will have already studied Part 1 (i.e. The Cotext, Juior Certificate Religious Educatio Syllabus, p. 21) ad Part 2 (Sources of Evidece, Juior Certificate Religious Educatio Syllabus, p. 22) of this sectio. Part 1 (i.e. The Cotext) could be approached i the same maer as outlied i Exemplar 2 for Sectio B Part 1 Foudatios of Religio Christiaity. (See p. 44.) I order to complete the exercises i this sectio it would be importat for studets to kow the words Allah ad Muhammad. They should also have explored by ow the cocept of Commuities of faith (although a recap will probably be ecessary) so that Islam ca be referred to as a commuity of faith throughout this sectio. Give the complex terms ad religious laguage used, a vocabulary list should be kept for this ad all parts of the syllabus at all times. It would be useful to have a map of Mecca ad the story of the Foudatios of Islam i picture form as well as a visual image of the Five Pillars displayed i the class for referece ad recall for the duratio of these activities. Fruitful dialogue with the History ad Geography teachers may result i eablig the studets to build up a cocrete image of Mecca ad other coutries (icludig Irelad) where Islam is growig. Havig recapped o the mai poits of Part 1 The Cotext & Part 2 Sources of Evidece of Sectio C: Foudatios of major world religios, the followig activities should be attempted. 58

59 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 3: Religious Educatio Activity 1A Begi by askig pupils if they ca ame the set of duties/practices i a religio kow to them. The ask them to thik of examples of these duties/practices ad how people fulfil them i their ow lives, for example Judaism (Religio), the Te Commadmets (set of duties), rememberig to keep holy the Sabbath, Jews goig to the Syagogue ad ot workig o the Sabbath (practices). Similarly, Catholics go to Mass every Suday. Pupils ca be give hits, usig terms such as beliefs, prayer, charity (givig to the poor), fastig, pilgrimage (goig o a jourey to a holy place). The ask them why religious people have practices/duties? Ask them how fulfillig these duties ca make them stroger. Oe religio I kow about is The duties of this religio are called the Some duties/practices are These duties/practices are importat because

60 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 3: Religious Educatio Activity 1B Explai that people who truly believe i somethig or someoe show/prove this by their actios. For example, someoe who believes i friedship will show this by sharig what they have or by spedig time with their frieds. These actios are ofte called practices. Ask studets to complete the exercise o beliefs ad practices ad the discuss the questios outlied. Alteratively, this activity may be omitted ad possibly used whe teachig Sectio D, part 1, The Questio of Faith (Juior Certificate Religious Educatio Syllabus, p. 26) Discussio Questios What happes whe we say that somethig is importat to us but we do t practise or show it? What does the phrase practise what you preach mea? Why do you thik people i commuities of faith (like Muslims, Buddhists, Christias) practise what they believe i? Why is it so importat for them to practise together as a commuity? Draw a lie to match the followig beliefs ad practices Beliefs I believe that a good fried will ever let you dow. Practices I tell the truth eve whe it is hard. 60 I believe that you should ever lie, o matter what. I put moey i the collectio basket. I believe that teeagers should be good to their parets. I am there whe my fried eeds me. I believe that everyoe should give moey to charity. I care for my area ad keep it clea. I believe that God made the world. I will help with the housework.

61 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 3: Religious Educatio Activity 2 Explai that Muhammad taught Muslims five mai duties/practices which will help them to get to heave whe they die. They call these practices The Five Pillars of Islam. These duties make them stroger, just like pillars make a buildig strog. Ask them to look at the pictures of well-kow pillared buildigs i Dubli. If possible, use a projector to display them. See if they ca guess where they are ad ask them to discuss the aswer to the questios below. Closkeagh Mosque Govermet Buildigs 61 Discussio Questios What is a pillar? O what kid of a buildig would you usually see a pillar? Look closely at these buildigs. How may pillars do these buildigs have? Why do these buildigs eed to have pillars? What would happe if oe of these pillars broke? Are ay of these pillars more importat the the other? Why/Why ot? Ca you guess why ay religio would call their practices (rules/duties) pillars?

62 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 3: Religious Educatio Activity 3 The Five Pillars/Practices of Islam Explai that Muslims do ad say thigs together to show that they are part of that commuity ad love Allah (God), ad this is called practice. Explai that pillars support a buildig. If oe breaks, the whole buildig may collapse. Muslims have five pillars or practices. They believe that keepig/fulfillig these five practices will support them ad keep them strog i the same way. Itroduce the five pillars by askig pupils to predict/guess which duties/ practices they thik are the Five Pillars of Islam. Ask them to say why they might be importat i the Muslim religio. Read through ad briefly explai what the Five Pillars are. Discuss whether the studets predictios about the pillars were correct. The ask: Why do you thik these are the most importat practices i the Muslim religio? Why do you thik they are writte i Arabic? Studets the write the ames of the duties ito the pillars. It would be useful to hag this chart o the wall for referece throughout these activities. The 5 Pillars of I S L A M Belief/Shahadah 2. Prayer/Salat 3. Charity/Zakat 4. Fastig/Sawm 5. Pilgrimage/Hajj DUTIES Muslims say the creed as ofte as possible. It meas that they believe i the oe God Allah ad that Muhammad is his messeger. Muslims pray five times every day o a prayer mat facig Mecca. They take off their shoes ad wash their feet before they pray. This is called wudu. Muslims give some of their savigs (2.5%) to people who eed help. Durig the moth called Ramada Muslims fast (do t eat) from surise to suset. Oce i their lives, if they ca afford it, Muslims visit Mecca where Muhammad lived, ad pray at the Ka ba shrie. There is o God but Allah ad Muhammad is his messeger

63 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 3: Religious Educatio Write the Arabic ames of the Five Pillars i the spaces provided. The 5 Pillars of I S L A M Belief Prayer Charity Fastig Pilgrimage S S Z S H There is o God but Allah ad Muhammad is his messeger 63

64 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 3: Religious Educatio Activity 4A The First Pillar Belief/Shahadah This is a optioal activity which may prove cofusig for some studets ad a aid to others. It may be used later o whe lookig at Religious Practice i Sectio D, The Questio of Faith, Part 1 The situatio of faith today. (Juior Certificate Religious Educatio Syllabus, p. 27) I this case, the teacher ca move directly oto activity 4B. Explai that the Lai word Credo meas I believe. This is where the word creed comes from. Explai that a creed is a statemet about what people i a religio believe about God ad the world. Ask the studets if they kow the ame of a creed ad whe or where it is said. Ask them who is metioed i the creed ad what evets, if ay, are described i it. Some questios might iclude: What is the ame of the creed i a religio that you kow? How ofte do people say it? Do you thik people should say it more ofte? Why/Why ot? Why do you thik a creed is a importat part of religio? Read through the Creeds of the Major World Religios (the opeig lies of the creed will suffice). It might be useful to look at a copy of the Apostles Creed sice it is shorter tha the Nicee Creed. 64 Example The Shema Judaism Hear O Israel. The Lord is our God, the Lord aloe. This creed is sixtee seteces log i total. This creed is eightee seteces log i total. The Apostle s creed Christiaity I believe i God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heave ad earth. Discussio questios o studet experiece to aid uderstadig of the Jewish ad Christia creeds What is the ame of the Jewish creed? What ame do Jews call God i their creed? What is the ame of the Christia creed? What ame do Christias call God i their creed? How may Gods do both Jews ad Christias believe i? Why do you thik Jews ad Christias say their creeds?

65 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 3: Religious Educatio Activity 4B The First Pillar Creed Itroduce the first pillar by explaiig that Muslims say what they believe every day as follows: The Muslim creed is called Shahadah. Muslims accept that there is oly oe God ad say the setece, There is o God but Allah ad Muhammad is his messeger. as ofte as possible ad really mea it. This is their creed/belief. Ask the studets to write out the creed i orate letters as it would be writte i Arabic ad decorate it, ad the display their work. This ca be doe i pairs or i groups with each pair/group workig o a differet word of the creed. The studets complete the worksheet, icludig a cloze exercise ad questios (discussed beforehad) o the creed. Extesio Questios This questio may appear i some form i Sectio 1 (short questios) of the Juior Certificate Ordiary Level examiatio paper. Muslims, Christias ad Jews all believe i oe God, eve though they give him differet ames. What do we call someoe who believes i oe God/more tha oe God? (Mootheist/Polytheist) 65 Read the Muslim Creed, complete the cloze exercise, ad aswer the questios that follow Shahadah Islam There is o God but Allah ad Muhammad is his messeger. Fill i the missig words The Muslim creed is called the S. Muslims believe i o God oly. God is called A i the Muslim creed. The messeger M is metioed i the creed because he is the f of Islam. The Shahadah has oly oe setece log i t. Words to use Allah Muhammad fouder Shahadah oe total Some suggested questios Why do you thik the Muslim creed is so short? Why do you thik Muslims say their creed so ofte? Why do Muslims eed to say their creed to keep them strog? Why do you thik the creed is a importat pillar i Islam? Why do commuities of faith/world religios eed to say their creed aloud together?

66 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 3: Religious Educatio The Secod Pillar Prayer Explai that prayer is oe of the most importat practices ad ways of hoourig/worshippig God i Islam ad that this is why they pray five times each day. Poit out that prayer is whe people talk to God aloe or with others. Note This pillar is especially importat. Cosiderig that prayer is dealt with later o i detail i Sectio E, The Celebratio of Faith, Part 5 Prayer (Juior Certificate Religious Educatio Syllabus, p. 37), the teacher must decide how much detail is ecessary at this stage, based o studets ability ad iterest. At this poit, the mai focus should be o prayer as a importat pillar i Islam. Therefore activities 5A, 5C, 5D, ad 5E are optioal at this poit ad may be used later o i Sectio E, The Celebratio of Faith, Part 5 Prayer.(Juior Certificate Religious Educatio Syllabus, p. 37.) 66

67 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 3: Religious Educatio Activity 5A Questios for discussio The teacher may choose to ask some or all of the followig questios. This is a exercise drawig o studets real life experieces ad focusig o prayer as opposed to the place of worship, which will be explored later o i the course. The diagram of the mosque is used to aid recall ad situate the Muslim experiece of prayer, ad will be useful for recappig whe lookig at sacred places/places of worship later o. Discussio based o studet experiece to aid uderstadig The teacher might fid it more useful to ask some or all of these questios with the ext set o Muslim prayer. Ca you ame ay prayers i a religio you kow well? How ofte do people i this religio pray? Do they pray at ay particular times of the day/days of the week? Name two places where people i this religio pray, (for example, home/church/temple). What do they do before they pray/eter a place of prayer/church (for example, bless themselves with holy water, cover their heads)? Do they keel, sit, stad up, etc. whe they pray? Why do people do these thigs whe they pray? Are there ay seats i other places of prayer/worship? Do they use ay religious objects whe they pray (for example, beads, cadles, prayer books)? Who leads prayer? (Priest, Miister) What tells people that it is time for prayer (for example, bells are rug)? Why do you thik prayer is importat i practisig a religio? How ofte do people pray? Is this eough? Why/Why ot? 67

68 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 3: Religious Educatio Activity 5B Ask pupils to aswer some or all of the followig questios. You may choose to use the diagram i Fig.1 to aid recall ad briefly itroduce the theme of sacred places/ places of worship. It might be useful to explai that prayer is a part of worship, which is the way people hoour God, ad that i the Muslim Religio, Friday midday prayer is the mai form of worship. What do Muslims call prayer? How ofte do Muslims pray? (Five times daily.) O what day must they visit the mosque ad pray? (Friday.) Who calls Muslims to prayer? Where does he stad? Fid it o the diagram. Note This might be a good opportuity to use the term role of the Mu adhi i order to recap o the importat terms i Sectio A, part 2, Commuities of Faith. (Juior Certificate Religious Educatio Syllabus, p. 10). Name two places where Muslims pray/worship. (Mosque ad home). What do Muslims do before they pray? (Wash their hads, feet, arms ad head.) What is this called? Why do they do this (perform Wudu)? Why do wome ad me cover their heads before they pray? Do me ad wome sit together the mosque? Why/Why ot? What do Muslims sit o whe they pray? (Prayer mat.) Why do they do this? Why are there o seats i a mosque? Which way do Muslims face whe they pray? (Towards Mecca.) Why do you thik they face this way? Why do you thik they pray i lies? Who leads the prayer i a mosque? (Imam.) What holy book/sacred text would you fid o the Mibar? What laguage is it writte i? O a scale of 1 to 10, how importat would you say prayer is for Muslims? Give a reaso for your aswer. 68

69 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 3: Religious Educatio The teacher may source a diagram of a mosque, o the worldwide web or elsewhere. Questios like the followig may the be used. Fid the place o the diagram where Muslims perform wudu. (Foutai.) Fid o the diagram where they pray. (Mai prayer hall.) Fid o the diagram the place where the directio of Mecca is show. (Mihrab.) Fid the place where the Imam stads i the diagram. (At the Mibar.) 69

70 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 3: Religious Educatio Activity 5C Explai that each part of the prayer has a actio/movemet/gesture. These term will be importat later o whe speakig about ritual to go with it. Usig these terms will eable studets to recogise them as they are used iterchageably i the Juior Certificate Examiatio. These actios/movemets/gestures are called Rak ah. Each actio or Rak ah has a meaig. Demostrate the Rak ah ad ivite studets to do the same. This should be doe i a prayerful settig showig reverece (for example, a prayer/meditatio room). These movemets could be preseted o a hadout or a poster or both. Discuss why each of these movemets is importat. Ask them to compare these movemets with oes they use i aother religio they are familiar with, pickig out both similarities ad differeces, for example, ivite studets to speak about a experiece of takig part i or witessig liturgical dace. This might the be icorporated ito a class prayer service later o. Studets the complete the worksheet o Rak ah. Prayer actios/movemets (Rak ah) Actio/Gesture Meaig Stadig This shows that the perso is alert/listeig carefully to Allah. 70 Bowig This shows that the perso respects ad loves Allah. Prostratio The perso bows dow low so that their forehead touches the groud. This shows that the perso wats to obey Allah. Sittig This shows that the perso is peaceful ad accepts what Allah wats.

71 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 3: Religious Educatio Worksheet A worksheet ca be prepared usig similar pictures o which studets write the ames of the prayer movemets beside the pictures. Further kowledge of this may be assessed by questio ad aswer sessios, icludig those devised by the studets themselves. Follow up Activities Visit a mosque to see Rak ah i actio (Closkeagh). Ivite a represetative from the Muslim Religio to speak about this ad other elemets of their faith. Teach some movemets/gestures that are used i prayig to God i a religio familiar to the studets. Examie objects used by Muslims for prayer, for example, prayer beads. Compare with rosary beads i the Catholic faith. Activity 6A The Third Pillar Charity/ Zakat Explai that givig to the poor is the third pillar of Islam. It is also called alms-givig ad charity, i.e. sharig what you have with people who eed help. Muslims give some of their savigs (2.5%) to people who eed help. Give examples of the groups who are helped ad ask studets why charity is give to them. Discuss the questios. 71 Discussio questios How much moey do people i other religios give to people who eed help? Why do religious people give moey to people i eed? What would happe if o oe gave moey to people i eed? Why do you thik charity is take out of the salary of Muslims? What is good/bad about this? Why do you thik charity is a importat pillar i Islam?

72 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 3: Religious Educatio Activity 6B Ask studets to look up the phoe book ad fid as may charities as they ca that give to the people metioed i Muslim alms-givig. Classify them i terms of the people they service. Metio ways i which these charities help people i the studets local area. Follow up Orgaise a fudraisig evet for a chose charity. It might be relevat to the Joural titles for ay give year. It could also aid teachers i revisig the whole cocept of commuity ad commuity actio Sectio A : Commuities of Faith (Juior Certificate Religious Educatio Syllabus, pp. 8-13). usig terms such as sharig, commuicatio, co-operatio ad roles. For example, studets could be assiged roles such as the commuicatio group/committee ad a writte activity could emphasis ay co-operatio ad sharig that took place. Alteratively, studets could orgaise a guest speaker from a local charity to talk about their work usig the same format as above. Activity 7 The Fourth Pillar Fastig/ Sawm Durig the moth called Ramada, Muslims fast (do t eat) from surise to suset. Explai that fastig is a way of showig how importat God is i your life ad of helpig your mid to get stroger. Fastig durig Ramada teaches people to have patiece whe life is hard ad to put religio before food ad drik. Sice huger is the same for a rich or poor perso, it brigs all Muslims together. Childre uder the age of twelve, pregat wome, ad elderly people do ot have to fast. Ramada eds with a festival called Id-ul-Fitr. 72 This ca be developed as i Activity 6B above, usig questios leadig to discussio ad relevat follow-up activity.

73 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 3: Religious Educatio Activity 8 The Fifth Pillar Pilgrimage/Hajj Oce i their lifetime Muslims go o a pilgrimage to visit the Ka ba at Mecca. Begi by askig pupils questios that focus o what they uderstad by the terms pilgrim ad pilgrimage. For example, have you or has ay oe you kow ever bee o a pilgrimage? Tell the class about it. Where do people go o pilgrimage? Give two reasos why people go o a pilgrimage. Explai that pilgrimage is the fifth pillar of Islam ad it is called the Hajj which meas to set out with a defiite purpose. The Hajj takes place te weeks before the ed of Ramada. Begi by askig studets to idetify Mecca o the map ad to show where Irelad is i relatio to it. Discuss the climate ad what would be the appropriate clothes to wear, etc. Discuss how log it would take to get there by plae ad compare this to makig the jourey i the past. It would be importat for studets to uderstad the term ritual act at this poit. The studets should uderstad that, durig the Hajj, Muslims take part i acts that have meaig for them ad help them express (show) what is importat to them, for example throwig stoes at the three pillars i Mia. These acts symbolise/mea/stad for somethig. They are coected with the experieces of Abraham, Hagar his wife, Ishmael his so, ad Muhammad. Read through ad explai the timetable of evets from Easter travel Compay ad ask studets to fill i the missig details, icludig the last picture i the diagram. The discuss ad complete some/all of the activities/questios. 73 Note The words ritual ad symbol are explored i detail i Sectio E of the syllabus The Celebratio of faith (Juior Certificate Religious Educatio Syllabus, p. 32ff) However, the teacher might fid it useful to look briefly at these cocepts at this poit sice they will be importat whe lookig at ritual acts/rites of passage associated with marriage, death, etc. i Islam. This could be doe by askig pupils to explai why people do the Mexica wave at football matches ad the movig o to look at religious rituals with which they are familiar, for example Christias makig a sig of the cross. Studets (i pairs) may use the visual square to cosolidate their uderstadig of the cocept of ritual.

74 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 3: Religious Educatio Activity 9 Easter travel compay welcomes you to Mecca: Timetable of Evets Please remember: Me must wear w pilgrim robes ad remove shoes everyday. Wome must dress m. Everyoe must wear ope sadals or go barefoot. Jewellery or perfume, ail cuttig, swearig or fightig are ot a. Evet Ritual Act Meaig Picture 1. Mecca Perform Wudu (ritual washig) ad chage ito white robes. Everyoe is equal before Allah. 2. The Ka ba Walk aroud it seve times, touch or kiss it, take some cloth from it. 3. Hills of Safa ad Marwa Well of Zamzam Drik from the well of Zamzam. Walk seve times betwee two hills joied by a corridor. Drik water ad brig it home. Ka ba was built by A ad restored by Muhammad for worshippig the Oe God Allah. Hagar ad Ishmael did this whe God told Abraham to leave them aloe i the desert Plai of Arafat The most importat momet is to stad before Allah ad ask f. Muhammad taught for the last time here ad Abraham was forgive for his si i the Garde of Ede. 5. Pillars at Mia Throw stoes at three pillars. Offer sacrifice as Abraham did i the festival of Eid-uh- Adha. Pillars stad for the devil. Pilgrims show they reject evil by doig what Abraham did whe he was t. Your picture Remember: It is a great hoour for Muslims to go o the Hajj. Muslims who complete the Hajj will be called Hajj for a ma ad Hajji for a woma. Words to use Abraham white modestly forgiveess tempted allowed

75 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 3: Religious Educatio Questios from the teacher ad studets will emerge from this activity ad will lead to discussio? Follow-up possibilities iclude: ivitig a Hajj or a Hajji from the local area to speak about the pilgrimage, with studets preparig appropriate questios readig the stories of the temptatio of Abraham (Mia) ad Abraham s wife Hagar (Hills of Safa ad Marwa), ad discussig why these are remembered durig the Hajj imagiig you were o the Hajj ad writig a short diary etry for oe or all of the days of the Hajj desigig a travel brochure promotig the Hajj for pilgrims, metioig the differet places you will visit ad rememberig that the Hajj is ot a holiday but a jourey to Mecca to pray ad get closer to God settig up the room i the stages of the Hajj ad role playig the ritual acts that pilgrims do at each stage, talkig about each experiece from the pilgrims poit of view writig ad umberig the stages of the Hajj i order as they happe beside the correct ritual acts/actios that people do at each stage. 75

76 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 3: Religious Educatio Activity 10 Assessig Learig o the Five Pillars of Islam (A) Summary Questios How may pillars/duties/practices does Islam have? How do the pillars/duties/practices help Muslims to live the way Allah wats? Why does Islam eed to have pillars/duties? What would happe if Muslims left out oe of these pillars/duties? Are ay of these pillars more importat tha the other? Why/Why ot? Why do you thik Muslims do ot see the pillars as ufair or too much to hadle? What do these duties/pillars remid you of i your/aother religio? (B) Worksheet Complete the followig Belief/Shahadah: Muslims say the S (creed) as ofte as possible. It meas that they believe i the oe God called A ad that Muhammad is his m. 2. Prayer/Salat: Muslims p five times every day ad especially o Fridays i the mosque. They remove their shoes ad wash their feet before they pray. This washig is called w. They face Mecca ad keel o a prayer m. 3. Charity/Zakat: Muslims give m to people i eed whe they ca afford it. 4. Fastig/Sawm: Muslims f oce a year durig the moth of Ramada. 5. Pilgrimage/ Hajj: Muslims go o a p to Mecca oce i their lifetime. They visit a shrie called the Ka ba. Words to use messeger mat moey pilgrimage Shahadah Salat Zakat Sawm Hajj Allah pray wudu fast

77 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 3: Religious Educatio C) Colour i the statemets from Muslims who practice the five pillars i Irelad today. I ate somethig after suset durig Ramada. I remembered Allah & said the creed seve times today. I forgot to give moey to people i eed. I fasted after surise durig Ramada. I forgot to say the Shahadah today. I gave some of my savigs to charity. I visited the Ka ba whe I wet to Mecca. I did t wash my feet before I prayed. I prayed i the mosque o Friday. I wet to Mecca while my family eeded moey to live o. The floor was dirty so I used a prayer mat. I moaed about givig moey to people i eed. Studets may like to compare aother religio i terms of belief, prayer, charity, fastig, ad pilgrimage with Islam. Studets could commuicate olie with studets from differet cultures ad religious traditios through , chat-rooms, or by usig video coferecig or web coferecig. Studets could look up iformatio about the major world religios usig websites. The recetly published Leavig Certificate RE Guidelies offers a list of websites relatig to world religios o pages Studets could fid images of people egaged i prayer iside a Mosque, o a pilgrimage to Mecca, etc. They could ivite a speaker from a religious traditio other tha oe they are familiar with to visit the class ad tell a little about their religious beliefs ad practices. The visit could be video taped so that studets could review the evet later ad ote importat facts. 77

78 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: 4: Home Religious Ecoomics Educatio Syllabus topic: The Growth of faith (D3) Stages of faith Primary School Curriculum (5th ad 6th classes) SPHE Strads: Myself Myself ad others Myself ad the wider world. Juior Certificate (Ordiary level) Differetiate betwee the faith of the child ad that of the adult ad havig a sese of the developmet from oe to the other. Juior Certificate School Programme The Questio of faith Time scale: The full rage of learig ad assessmet activities preseted i this exemplar may take up to five class periods. Potetial areas of difficulty > Symbolic laguage ad abstract thikig (terms such as faith, itellectual ad spiritual growth, adolescece, etc.) > Visual sequecig problems > Retaiig a clear grasp of arrative details > Cocepts of time ad the developmet from oe faith/life stage to aother 78 Strategies used i this exemplar Usig pictorial clues i sequecig games to geerate motivatio ad iterest Usig studets persoal experiece to make terms more cocrete (for example, life lie/faith lie) Participatio of the teacher i group/role playig activities Usig story/diary Usig cross-curricular liks to Laguage, literature ad commuicatio (Diary/Dialogue) Resources Copies of story ad work sheets, colours for the life lie It might be useful for the teacher to egage with the Home-Ecoomics, SPHE ad PE teachers. There are may refereces to Growth ad chage i these subjects ad these could iform studets cocepts ad help relate this rather abstract topic to the studets real life experieces. The Eglish teacher could also have ideas o poems or stories that might help to explai this importat theme. The whole area of images of God eeds to be explored with studets before this exemplar is addressed. The teacher could begi by revisitig the images of God that studets have draw, writte or spoke about. It might be useful to display them for the duratio of this exemplar so that they could be used by the teacher ad studets to examie how our images of God chage as we grow.

79 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 4: Religious Educatio Suggested outcomes Supportig activities Assessmet strategies As a result of egagig i these activities, studets should be eabled to egage with the kid of words we use to describe persoal growth (e.g. itellectual, emotioal) uderstad the cocept of life stages egage i listeig ad speakig i the cotext of roleplayig/diary/ biography recogise the faith stage of someoe based o the evidece of what they say or do idetify the faith stage they believe themselves to be at ow. Drawig life ad faith lies to aid the uderstadig of time. Plottig life/faith experieces at their relevat poits o the lies. Buildig up a impressio of three people usig various writte formats. Drawig images of God held by the differet characters i the role-playig, diary ad biography. Discussig the characteristics of childhood ad mature faith. The teacher observes studets as they: umber life experieces i order say which life experieces correspod to which life stages. Studets complete the worksheet o life stages. Studets aswer oral questios o characters experieces. Studets complete the cloze ad stages of faith exercise. Studets suggest what faith stage they are at ow. 79

80 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 4: Religious Educatio Activity 1 Explai to studets that they will go through may stages i their lives durig which they grow ad chage i differet ways. Braistorm the differet chages they will go through. Ask studets for examples of how we grow. Provide studets with eough examples to be able to distiguish betwee the differet kids of growth i questio. Physical: Itellectual: Emotioal: Spiritual: Our body grows. Our mid/kowledge grows. Our feeligs grow. Our faith (trust i/relatioship/friedship with God) grows. 80

81 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 4: Religious Educatio Activity 2 Ask the studets to umber these evets/experieces i the order that they happe ad to place ay other evets/ experieces they ca thik of i the empty spaces (Fig.1). Studets could the plot them o a life-lie with symbols/ pictures for each evet/experiece. Fig. 1 Evets/experieces of life Life experiece/evet Learig to pray Number Makig ew frieds Gettig egaged 81 Retirig Startig school Doig exams Travellig Learig to walk Buyig a car Other

82 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 4: Religious Educatio Activity 3 Explai that people ofte say that life is like a jourey ad that we go through stages o the jourey. Briefly outlie what is meat by each of the stages (Fig. 2), ad usig the pictures plotted o the life lie ask studets if they ca pick out oe evet that correspods with each of them. The askstudets to metio ay other evets that happe ad plot them o the life lie. Ask them to suggest what stage these correspod to. Ask them to decide whether ay of the evets/experieces could happe at more tha oe stage. Studets the complete the worksheet (Fig. 3). Fig. 2 Ifacy Childhood, for example startig school. 82 Adolescece, for example meetig ew frieds. Adulthood, for example gettig egaged, havig family, workig. Retiremet, for example travellig the world.

83 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 4: Religious Educatio Fig. 3 Worksheet: Life stages Write the life stage beside the picture. Write dow oe evet/experiece that a perso has at this stage. Stage: Experiece: Stage: Experiece: 83 Stage: Experiece: Stage: Experiece: Stage: Experiece:

84 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 4: Religious Educatio Activity 4 The chages that we go through Physical: Our body grows. Itellectual: Our mid grows. Emotioal: Our feeligs get stroger. Spiritual: Our faith (trust i/relatioship/friedship with God) grows. Studets write dow oe way i which they ca help their bodies, mids, feeligs ad faith to grow. I ca help my body to grow by I ca help my mid to grow by 84 I ca help my feeligs to grow by I ca help my faith to grow by

85 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 4: Religious Educatio Activity 5A Studets draw a faith lie. O it, they should plot ay occasio or experiece which ivolves God ad religio, for example learig to pray, commuio, cofirmatio, etc. (Great sesitivity is required sice much sharig is doe durig exercises such as this). The teacher could iitiate this by drawig his/her ow faith lie (if this is appropriate for him/her). The teacher ad studets should discuss how a perso s relatioship with God ca grow as they experiece differet thigs i their lives. Ask them to say whether the experieces they have idetified have stregtheed or weakeed their faith i God (i.e. made them believe i God more or believe i God less). Ask the questio: Why is it sometimes difficult to have faith i God? Activity 5B Itroduce the stages of faith by explaiig that oe of the ways i which we chage ad grow i life is i our relatioship with God (our faith). Our faith goes through stages of faith, just like our mids ad bodies do. Discuss what it meas to have faith i/believe i God by comparig it to havig faith i a fried, ad prompt them to give examples. Activity 6A Stage oe (a): Childhood faith The teacher ad studets role-play the sceario ivolvig a child ad God (page 86). The ivite studets to draw the picture/image of God that this child has. Discuss the aswers to the questios. 85 Activity 6B Stage oe (b); Adolescet faith Read the diary etry of a adolescet (page 88) ad ask the studets to write the aswers to the questios that follow. Ask studets to imagie what God might say whe he listes to this. Ivite studets to draw Sarah s picture/ image of God. Activity 6C Stage two: Mature Faith Read the story of Mr Brow (page 90). Discuss the aswers to the questios that follow ad the ivite studets to draw Mr Brow s picture/image of God.

86 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 4: Religious Educatio Activity 7 The stages of faith Studets complete the worksheet o the stages of faith with help from the teacher. Whe it is completed, studets suggest what faith stage they are at ow. They ca use the images they have draw i Activities 6A, 6B ad 6C. Stage oe(a): Childhood faith Read/role-play this coversatio. Adult: Who is God? Child: God is a ice old ma who loves everyoe ad ca see everythig. Adult: How does God dress? Child: God has a big white beard ad he wears white robes ad a golde crow. Adult: Where does God live? Child: God lives i heave i a big castle i the clouds. 86 Adult: What do you thik God does up i heave? Child: God is i charge of everythig. He helps everyoe i the whole world. Adult: So God must be a very kid ad lovig the? Child: Yes, God cares for everyoe ad he would ever hurt ayoe. Adult: How do you kow what God is like? Child: My Mammy ad Daddy tell me all about God Adult: Did you lear about God i school yet? Child: Yes, my teacher told me stories from the Bible about God. Adult: What about at Church? Child: Yes, last week at Mass the priest told us a ice story about whe God made the world i seve days. Adult: Do you kow ay prayers to God? Child: Yes, I say a prayer before I eat ad whe I go to bed at ight.

87 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 4: Religious Educatio Questios What is this child s picture/image of God? Draw this child s image of God. Ca you pick two words to describe how this child thiks God treats people? Name two ways i which this child leared about God? Does this child trust (have faith i) God? Where does this faith come from? Does he/she care about religio? How old do you thik this child is? Give a reaso for your aswer. Do you thik God is importat i this child s life? Why/Why ot? What do we call the stage of faith that he/she is at ow? 87

88 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 4: Religious Educatio Stage oe (b): Adolescet faith Read this diary writte by Sarah who is at the adolescet stage of faith ad aswer the questios that follow. Dear Diary, 25th September 2005 We had a very iterestig coversatio about God i Religio class today ad it got me thikig. I used to thik that God was a ice old ma up i heave who was othig like you or me. I just accepted everythig that I was told about him. Now it s differet, sice I foud out that God had a so called Jesus who died ad rose from the dead. I bega to have doubts about some of the thigs I was told about God whe I was youger. The, whe my gradmother died, I bega to ask questios about God ad religio. My teacher explaied to me that this was a good thig. She said that it meat that I must care about my religio if I bothered to ask questios at all. My fried,mary, says God ad religio are just a waste of time. She stays i her fried s house while her Mam thiks she s at Mass. She says that the oly perso she really trusts is herself ad her frieds. My aut says that Mary might chage her mid about God whe she gets older, like she did. Some of my frieds just accept what Mary says because they do t wat to seem stupid, but I do t thik that I have to choose betwee God ad friedship. I fact, I feel like God is there for me like a fried. I ca talk to him ad I kow that he wo t let me dow. Whe I go to Mass o Suday ow, it s because I really wat to, ot just because I m told to like whe I was a youg child. I sometimes get a hard time for goig to Mass whe other people are hagig out i tow but I kow I m doig the right thig. 88 For ow, Sarah

89 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 4: Religious Educatio Complete the followig usig the words below. This diary was writte by a girl called S who is at the a stage of faith. Sarah got thikig about God i R class. Sarah bega to have doubts ad questios about God ad religio whe she heard about God s so J who died ad rose from the dead. Sarah s teacher taught that this was a good thig because it showed that she c. Sarah s fried, Mary, thiks God ad religio are a w of time ad that you ca oly deped o yourself. Some of Mary s frieds just accept what she says because they are afraid they will soud s if they do t. Sarah does t eed to choose betwee God ad her frieds. I fact God is like a f to her. Sarah fids adolescet faith difficult sometimes. She kows that God will ot let her d. Words to Use dow Jesus cared waste stupid Religio fried adolescet Sarah For discussio Why would hearig about Jesus cause someoe to have doubts ad questios about their childhood images of God? 89 What other thigs do teeagers just accept because their frieds do, or because they do t wat to soud stupid? From readig about stages oe(a) ad oe(b) what would you say is the mai differece betwee a child ad a adolescets faith i God ad their attitude to religio Faith i God: Attitude to religio:

90 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 4: Religious Educatio Stage 2: Mature faith Mr Brow will be retirig this year. His religio is really importat to him. He says it gives him the stregth ad support to do God s work. He goes to Mass every week ad lights a cadle to pray for all his family ad frieds. He prays the rosary every ight ad ejoys this time talkig to God after a log day. He s always helpig people. Last week he wet shoppig for Mr Smith i umber 56. He ever complais ad whe you ask him how he stays so cheerful he says that he offers his worries up to God. He is so kid to aimals ad loves ature. He says that God is preset i them just as much as i humas. Mr Brow is so thoughtful. At Christmas he took part i a sposored walk for charity eve though he has a very bad back. He is just so grateful to God for beig close to him i his life. He wats to share God s love with others by the way he lives his life. He says that he feels closer to God tha ever ow ad he wats to brig others closer to God too. Whe he was youger, he thought God was like Sata who gave him what he wated. Now he sees God as preset i his life, lovig him ad guidig him to give others what he ca. Questios How old is Mr Brow? Ca you ame two thigs that Mr Brow does which show that his religio is importat to him? Ca you ame two places where Mr Brow feels God s presece (God is to be foud)? Why do you thik Mr Brow is so cheerful eve though he suffers a lot of pai? How does Mr Brow share God s love with his eighbours? Does Mr Brow trust/have faith i God? How do you kow? God is a lovig presece. What does this mea? Mr Brow has a mature faith? Based o this passage what do you thik mature faith meas? Ca you ame two ways i which people with a mature faith share what they kow ad feel about God? From readig about Stages oe(a) ad oe(b) ad about Stage two, what would you say is the mai differece betwee a child/adolescet s faith ad a mature faith i God ad attitude to religio? 90 Faith i God: Attitude to religio:

91 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 4: Religious Educatio Assessmet Optio A) Name the two stages of faith that a perso goes through B) Name the two stages of Childhood faith Complete the followig by choosig the correct aswer from below. Child Childhood Faith Adolescet Mature Faith 91 Image of God Relatioship with God Attitude to religio Image of God God is a fried. God is a lovig presece. God is a ice old ma. Relatioship with God God supports me whe I have doubts ad questios. God gives me what I wat, like Sata. God helps me to see the good i my world. Attitude to Religio Religio teaches me how to love other people. I just accept what my religio teaches me. I questio what my religio teaches me.

92 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 4: Religious Educatio Discussio Questios What stage are you at ow? What is good/bad about beig at this stage? Do you kow ayoe who has a mature faith? How ca you tell that they have a mature faith? Is it importat to move from a childhood to a mature faith? Why/Why ot? What might stop someoe from movig from a childhood faith to a mature faith? 92

93 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: 5: Home Religious Ecoomics Educatio Syllabus topic: The Celebratio of Faith Worship, Ritual, Participatio Primary School Curriculum (5th ad 6th classes) SPHE Strads: Myself ad others Myself ad the wider world. Juior Certificate (Ordiary level) The experiece of worship. Juior Certificate School Programme Describe how worship ad ritual ca help people celebrate religious faith. Time scale: The full rage of learig ad assessmet activities preseted i this exemplar may take up to six class periods. Potetial areas of difficulty > Abstract thikig ad uderstadig cocepts such as ritual, participatio > Trasferrig learig to real life (for example, elemets of party to elemets of worship) > Short attetio spa, poor cocetratio for stayig o task, rushig tasks > Verbal ad o-verbal commuicatio difficulties > Short-term memory (retaiig facts ad defiitios) 93 Strategies used i this exemplar Storytellig Pair work to decide whether each of the amed rituals are religious or o-religious Usig eforcemet techiques Usig worksheets with pictorial clues Arragig key words (for example, the elemets of worship) ito a memorable defiitio Resources Copies of story ad charts

94 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 5: Religious Educatio Suggested outcomes Supportig activities Assessmet strategies As a result of egagig i these activities, studets should be eabled to recogise the key actios, words ad dress i a give ritual celebratio (a party) uderstad somethig of their meaig ad sigificace i people s lives egage i discussio about the importace of ritual at times of ew begiigs i their lives distiguish betwee religious ad o-religious rituals ad give their ow examples of both uderstad ad idetify the elemets of worship as they are see i their ow experieces. Usig story to focus attetio o the cocept of ritual. Sharig ad imagiig studet experieces of ritual. Pair work to decide o religious ad o-religious rituals. Writig the meaigs of religious ad o-religious rituals ad discussig what makes them the same/ differet. Presetig ad discussig elemets of worship usig a table with visual clues. I pairs, applyig the elemets of worship to studets experieces. The teacher assesses whether studets ca: complete the table o birthday rituals i the story ame similarities ad differeces betwee religious ad o-religious rituals complete the cloze exercise o the elemets of worship repeat the setece o the elemets of worship without assistace or promptig. Havig selected a celebratio of worship relevat to them, studets write dow the elemets of worship usig the examples give. Studets complete a report o a celebratio of worship that they have experieced (ad helped to orgaise) as a group. 94

95 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 5: Religious Educatio Activity 1 Read the followig story for the studets ad ask them to make a list of the activities, words, actios ad dress that were part of Emma s birthday celebratios. The allow studets to umber them as they happeed i the story. Record the aswers o the board/flipchart. Together, discuss why Emma did these thigs to celebrate her birthday ad what past evet she was rememberig. Explore some of the possible meaigs for each of the listed activities. The allow studets, workig i pairs, to complete the worksheet by tickig the boxes ad fillig i a meaig for each part of the celebratio. Suggest why these activities happe i a similar way each time ad explai why they are so-called ritual acts. They are also called symbolic actios because they have meaig. Emma s Birthday party Emma tured thirtee ad o oe was more excited tha her mother who arraged a party for all her frieds. She had everythig perfectly arraged, icludig a facy glitter card which had arrived by post the day before. Dressed i a beautiful outfit, Emma welcomed her guests as they arrived with brightly wrapped presets ad offered her birthday greetigs. The party games bega ad everyoe stuffed themselves with crisps ad sweets. Suddely the lights were dimmed ad Emma s Mum etered the livig room with a huge cadle-filled birthday cake shaped like Emma s favourite teis racket. Everyoe burst ito the familiar birthday sog which seemed eve more importat ow that Emma was a teeager. Makig a wish ad blowig out the cadles, Emma thought about how happy she was. 95 Before log, it was time for everyoe to go home ad Emma said her goodbyes, grateful for a woderful day ad hopig that ext year would be as good as this oe! Birthday Activities Words Actio Dress Meaig Havig a party Sedig birthday cards Wearig ice clothes Sharig birthday greetigs Givig presets Playig games Eatig special food Blowig out cadles Other Other

96 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 5: Religious Educatio Activity 2 Ivite studets to give other examples of ritual actios (o-religious will suffice at this poit). They might iclude shakig hads, doig the Mexica wave at soccer matches, wearig a soccer jersey, stadig to hear the atioal athem, swearig o the Bible i court, etc. Ask studets to say what they symbolise or mea to the perso participatig i them. Ask studets to suggest why may of these rituals mark ew begiigs i peoples lives like, for example, graduatio ceremoies, first year school mass/service/celebratio, weddigs, ad aiversaries. Activity 3 Ask pupils to give examples of religious rituals that they have heard about or have participated i ad to suggest why ritual/symbolic actios usually take place at importat times i peoples lives like: the birth of a baby becomig a teeager with ew resposibilities gettig married whe a perso dies. Ask pupils to share their experieces of such ritual celebratios i pairs. The ivite studets to draw their images, icludig ay special dress, actios or words that were spoke durig the evet they experieced or heard about. 96 Note Studets may also be able to remember some of the rituals they have read about whe studyig World Religios, for example Muslims wearig the white garmet o pilgrimage i Mecca or Hidus washig i the River Gages.

97 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 5: Religious Educatio Activity 4 Religious ad No-religious rituals I pairs, studets decide whether each of the amed ritual acts/dress/words are religious or o-religious. After some discussio with the teacher, they write dow their meaigs. Studets the aswer the questios: How are religious ad o-religious rituals the same? How are they differet? Ritual Actio/dress/ Word Religious No Religious Meaig Wearig a soccer jersey Sigig cogratulatios at a aiversary party Muslims wearig the white garmet o pilgrimage i Mecca 97 Shakig hads at the ed of a match Exchagig rigs at a weddig Readig the scrolls at a Bar Mitzvah Swearig o the Bible i court Hidus washig i the River Gages Receivig a secodary school certificate Readig at a first year school mass Makig the sig of the cross Stadig to hear the atioal athem

98 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 5: Religious Educatio Activity 5 The teacher explais that worship ivolves activities i which God is hooured (praised ad respected). It is the way people commuicate with God together ad show their faith i him ad love for him. Ask studets to give as may examples of worship as they ca. The studets ad teacher the give examples of religious rituals which take place durig worship, for example: Worship Ritual Baptism Puja Friday worship Temple worship Sabbath Cadle is lit (Christia) Bells rig (Hidu) Ra ka is performed (Muslim) Chatig ad meditatig (Buddhist) Sayig shabat Shalom (Jewish). Ask studets to ame all the parts/elemets of these experieces of worship. The read through the table below o elemets of worship. Discuss the ideas, askig studets questios based o their ow experieces, for example: Why is it importat for religious people to participate i worship? Give examples of how people participate i your religio, or a religio you kow well. What special times i the past do people i this religio celebrate through worship? Why do they remember the past i this way? What makes a place sacred? Ca you ame two ways i which the words of sacred scripture/a holy book ca help people i their lives? Some people say that actios speak louder tha words. What do they mea by this? Why do you thik actios ca have such meaig i celebratig worship? 98 Studets the complete the cloze exercise o elemets of worship. Studets lear off the followig defiitio, which explais the parts/elemets of worship: Religious people together rememberig ad celebratig sacred times i sacred places/places of worship, readig from sacred texts/books, ad dressig ad usig ritual actios with meaig. Note It might be useful here to metio that symbols are used i worship ad that a symbol is a word, picture or actio which has meaig just like a ritual. This is because the words symbol ad ritual are ofte used iterchageably to describe the actios that take place durig worship. Symbols/sigs will be explored later o i Sectio E The Celebratio of Faith, Part four: Sig ad Symbol. (Juior Certificate Religious Educatio Syllabus, p. 36). However, the teacher may fid it beeficial to explore this part first.

99 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 5: Religious Educatio Importat elemets/ parts of worship Explaatio 1. Religious people together People participate i worship, because they believe it is importat. They are ot just watchig. 2. rememberig ad celebratig sacred times Religious people gather to remember special evets i their history (for example, The Passover, Let) ad to celebrate special times i their lives (for example the sacramets). 3. i sacred (holy) places/places of worship Worship happes i a sacred/holy place (for example, church, Temple) ot a ordiary place because it is a special way of hoourig God. Ordiary places ca be chaged ito sacred oes by people (for example, creatig a altar i a school hall) or by God (for example, Mary visitig Kock). 4. readig from sacred texts/ books Religious people believe that the word of God is i their sacred text. They read from this (for example, Vedas, Qur a) to guide them ad help them get close to God ad dressig ad usig ritual actios with meaig. Ritual actios are what people do i a similar way each time to help them show what God meas to them ad to help them get closer to God. Used as a wall chart or a folder isert, studets ca be ecouraged to illustrate each of the five elemets with sketches, cut-out pictures, photographs or illustratios dowloaded from the worldwide web.

100 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 5: Religious Educatio Complete this cloze exercise o the elemets of worship usig these key words sacred history ordiary participate closer text Religious people together People p i worship, because they believe it is importat. They are ot just watchig. rememberig ad celebratig sacred times i sacred (holy) places/places of worship readig from sacred texts/ books ad dressig ad usig ritual actios with meaig. Religious people gather to remember special evets i their h (for example, The Passover, Let) ad to celebrate special times i their lives (for example, the sacramets). Worship happes i a sacred/holy place (for example, church, Temple) ot a ordiary oe because it is a special way of hoourig God. O places ca be chaged ito sacred oes by people (creatig a altar i a school hall) or by God (Mary visitig Kock). Religious people believe that the word of God is i their s t. They read from this (for example, Vedas, Qur a) to guide them ad help them get close to God. Ritual actios are what people do i a similar way each time to help them show what God meas to them ad to help them get c to God. 100

101 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 5: Religious Educatio Activity 6 Examples of worship Teacher asks what happes at worship. Teacher ad studets discuss what happes at familiar times of worship uder the five headigs ad, i pairs, studets complete the fial colum of the table by givig aother example of worship. Importat elemets/ parts of worship Weddig Ceremoy Baptism Ceremoy Other Religious people together bride ad groom, witesses, family ad frieds, priest, rabbi baby, parets, priest, family ad frieds, godparets rememberig ad celebratig sacred times marriage ad commitmet to love each other forever welcomig the baby ito the religious commuity i sacred (holy) places/ places of worship church, Temple, Syagogue decorated beautifully Christias gathered i church aroud a baptismal fot 101 readig from sacred texts/ books readigs about love ad faithfuless, for example Corithias 1, 13 Christias readig the from New Testamet, reewig (repeatig) baptismal promises, Muslims recitig the creed ad dressig ad usig ritual actios with meaig. exchagig (givig) rigs, cois. baby wearig white garmet ad blessed with oil ad water, Muslims cuttig the baby s hair.

102 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 5: Religious Educatio Activity 7 Participatig i worship This is a importat part of the process of allowig studets to experiece ad ow what they have leared. Care must be take to respect the school ethos i this regard. Orgaise a ecumeical/iter-faith service, class mass, prayer service, etc. This ca be doe effectively by employig the assistace of the school chaplai ad others ivolved i faith formatio i the school. Ask studets to write a report o a school service. It may or may ot be oe that you have orgaised. This is a great opportuity for studets to otice special music or other elemets that have ot yet bee explored. Note Activities 7 ad 8 may tie i with a joural title for your class ad so could be used as part of a project. Therefore, it would be helpful if the theme of the service ties i with the title. Whe the service is pre-arraged with a set format as part of the schools liturgical caledar, the studets may be able to offer welcome assistace to those ivolved i the orgaisatio. Whatever the process, the ed must be the same, that studets observe ad/or participate i a experiece of worship. Other possibilities Take studets to a service i their local place of worship ad discuss their participatio with the Priest, Miister, etc. ivolved). They the write a report o the evet, emphasisig the elemets of worship that they witessed ad/or participated i. 102

103 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 5: Religious Educatio Report o Worship Studets ame: Date: What was the occasio? Who led the worship? Who else was there? Whe did it take place? (day/moth/time) Where did it take place? What sacred text/book/readigs were used? 103 What ritual actios took place? What meaig did these actios have? What religious/special clothig was wor? Was there ay music? Describe it. How did you participate? What did you ejoy most about it? How was it like/differet to other acts of worship that you have experieced? Why do you thik this act of worship is importat for the people ivolved? Other commets

104 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: 6: Home Religious Ecoomics Educatio Syllabus topic: The Moral Challege (F1) The Moral Challege Primary School Curriculum (5th ad 6th classes) SPHE Strad: Myself Strad Uit: Makig decisios. Juior Certificate (Ordiary level) Itroductio to Morality. Juior Certificate School Programme Uderstadig the meaig ad implicatios of a moral visio. Time scale: The full rage of learig ad assessmet activities preseted i this exemplar may take up to twelve class periods. Potetial areas of difficulty > Poor attetio spa ad poor cocetratio, problems stayig o task (particularly due to distractios i group settig) > Commuicatig ad co-operatig with others > Trasferrig learig to real life (for example amig cosequeces/iflueces i give scearios) > Beig aware of the ature of the itercoectedess of huma relatioships (iterpersoal, commual, global) 104 Strategies used i this exemplar Usig poetry to re-eforce a cetral cocept (for example, moral v o-moral) Relatig Religious Educatio to real-life cotexts (for example role-playig decisio-makig, ewspaper headlies) Usig differetiated worksheets ad short, direct istructios at each stage of the activities Usig rewards for group work Ecouragig studets to use relevat religious laguage (for example moral, cosequece, ifluece) Resources Copies of the poem i Activity 2, worksheets, magazies/photos

105 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 6: Religious Educatio Suggested outcomes Supportig activities Assessmet strategies As a result of egagig i these activities, studets should be eabled to egage with the kids of words we use whe discussig morality idetify choices available to idividuals i give situatios ad recogise good/bad decisios/actios suggest some of the iterpersoal, commual ad global cosequeces of their actios ad the actios of others give examples of their values ad suggest their sources see how their decisios/actios are iflueced by may factors, icludig feeligs, relatioships, the media, etc. egage i discussio about the role ad impact of peer pressure i decisio-makig. Providig examples of moral/ o-moral decisios/actios. Readig a poem ad discussig the challeges associated with makig moral decisios. Small group work ad pair work. Role-playig ad commetig o moral decisio-makig/ dilemmas. Examiig a ewspaper headlie. The teacher assesses whether: studets ca distiguish betwee a moral ad a o-moral decisio complete a writte exercise ad give a example of a moral decisio they have made. Studets write dow the cosequeces ad iflueces ivolved i makig decisios. The teacher observes the readiess of studets to liste attetively ad to display the cofidece to speak i oe-tooe situatios or i group work. The teacher observes whether studets ca apply what they have leared to a give moral dilemma i a real-life situatio, for example, a ewspaper headlie. The teacher assesses the support studets eed to complete worksheets, setece completio exercises, ad cloze exercises. 105

106 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 6: Religious Educatio Activity 1A The teacher explais that a moral decisio is both deliberate ad importat, whereby a perso is free to choose ad this decisio may affect others. Sometimes such decisios are called moral dilemmas. Other decisios are called o-moral because people make them without really havig to thik about how they will affect themselves or others. Explai that while all decisios are importat, moral decisios are the most serious. I pairs, usig the worksheet, the studets decide which of the followig are moral decisios ad say why. Ask them to thik of two other examples of moral/o-moral decisios. Ask them why we eed rules to help us behave i a moral way. Give some examples of rules (for example, family ad school rules, the Te Commadmets, the law) ad say why each of these is importat. Moral ad No-moral decisios Tick the correct box ad give a reaso why. Decisio Moral No-moral Reaso why decisio/actio is moral or o-moral Bullyig someoe Trippig over a stoe 106 Tellig a lie Beig late for work because of a bus strike Sayig o to a cigarette Wearig red ail polish istead of pik Other: Other:

107 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 6: Religious Educatio Activity 1B Ivite studets to talk about/write about/draw a image of a decisio they made today ad say whether or ot it was a moral decisio. Explai that a moral perso is someoe who tries to choose betwee right actios ad wrog actios or betwee good ad bad behaviour, ad thiks of other people whe they are makig decisios. Explai that as we get older ad lear how to make moral decisios, we grow morally. Exemplar 4 deals with differet kids of growth, so it might be useful to revise it here. It may also be useful to iclude moral growth whe teachig Exemplar 4, but oly if this does ot overload studets with iformatio. If the teacher chooses to do this, he/she ca ask the studets, What did we say that moral growth meas?. Ask the studets what kid of moral decisios they have to make ow that they did t have to whe they were youger. The ask them to give reasos why it is difficult to make moral decisios ad to give reasos why people do t always choose good over evil. Follow up activities Studets examie ewspapers/magazies ad idetify some moral/o moral decisios that are ivolved, drawig particular attetio to photos/pictures. Usig studets pictures ad ewspapers/magazies, make a collage etitled Decisios Decisios. 107

108 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 6: Religious Educatio Activity 2 Read the followig poem about decisios. Ask the studets to read the last verse aloud together. The talk about the aswers to the questios that follow. Studets ca write/draw or simply say their resposes. Metio how differet people ca ifluece our decisios. Decisios Decisios Decisios, Decisios What will I do? Buy a ew jumper? Or will I buy two? Go for a walk? Or go for a swim? Watch a fuy movie? Or watch oe that s grim? Help with the housework? Or hag out with my mates? Come home o time? Or come home late? 108 Copy dow homework? Or do my ow? Say that I saw othig? Or risk beig o my ow? Spread some juicy gossip? Or keep it to myself? Say Yes to a cigarette? Or take care of my health? Decisios, Decisios, What will I do? I just ca t make my mid up? What would you do? by Carmel Bourke

109 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 6: Religious Educatio Worksheet Talk about aswers to the questios (A) Uderlie oe moral decisio i the poem that this perso has to make ad say who might be affected by his/ her decisio ad i what way. (B) Uderlie two o-moral decisios this perso has to make (C) What is the mai differece betwee the moral ad o-moral decisios this perso has to make? The moral decisios are while the o-moral decisios are 109 (D) Choose oe moral decisio this perso has to make ad write dow the reaso why he/she might be fidig it difficult to make this decisio. Decisio It might be difficult because (E) (i) Write dow oe good moral decisio she could make. (ii) Give oe reaso why you thik this is a good decisio. (F) (i) Write dow oe bad moral decisio he/she could make. (ii) Give oe reaso why you thik this is a bad decisio/actio.

110 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 6: Religious Educatio (G) Is it difficult to make moral decisios? Write dow two reasos why it is sometimes difficult to make moral decisios. It is/is ot difficult to make moral decisios because ad also because (H) Why is it importat to make good moral decisios? 110 (I) Write dow oe wayi which people lear how to make good moral decisios. (J) Name two people/thigs that ca help us to make good moral decisios

111 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 6: Religious Educatio Activity 3 What are my choices? Explai that oe way i which we ca help ourselves ad others to make moral decisios is to thik of all the choices that we have istead of just pickig the first oe we thik of. Ufortuately, whe we are worried or uder pressure we do this ad ca ed up hurtig ourselves ad others. Role-play the give scearios. Divide the studets ito groups. Choose a spokesperso ad set a time limit for the task. Studets discuss ad write dow all the choices they ca thik of i the three scearios. Award a prize to the team that ca thik of the most choices. Time permittig, allow studets to role-play the evets that might follow the best choice that they have outlied. Explai that some decisios may be moral ad some ot ad that either way it is importat to thik of our choices if we wat to make the right decisio. Group Name: (A) Buy a ew jumper? Or will I buy two? Imagie you go ito your favourite clothes shop ad fid a beautiful jumper that you really like. Ufortuately they do t have your size. 111 What choices do you have? The best choice is umber because

112 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 6: Religious Educatio B) Go for a walk or go for a swim? Imagie your fried calls over to your house to ask you to go for a walk. You really wat to go swimmig istead. What choices do you have? The best choice is umber because 112 (C) Spread some juicy gossip? Imagie you are i the toilet cubicle ad you overhear someoe spreadig a rumour about you. What choices do you have? The best choice is umber because

113 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 6: Religious Educatio Follow up activity Game: Choices Choices Write dow differet scearios o pieces of paper ad put them ito a cotaier. Havig divided the studets ito groups, ivite each group leader to pull out a sceario ad allow the groups to come up with as may choices as they ca for the perso ivolved. The team that fids the most choices wis. 113

114 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 6: Religious Educatio Activity 4 Cosequeces Explai that a cosequece is a effect that our decisios have o ourselves or others. Read this sceario about choices. Keepig the same groups while chagig the spokesperso (if ecessary), studets describe oe good ad oe bad cosequece for each choice they were give or have decided upo (depedig o which worksheet the teacher deems suitable, i.e. Worksheet 1 or 2. They must remember that usually good actios lead to good cosequeces ad that bad actios lead to bad cosequeces, but ot always. Fially, ask the studets to decide what is the best choice ad give a reaso why. Worksheet 1 Group Name: I saw othig Ciara is at school. It is break time ad she is stadig aroud with a few frieds. She otices that, oce agai, Simo is beig picked o by some older boys. Last week, they took his mobile phoe ad the week before they took his luch moey. Mary ad her frieds are afraid to get ivolved, but they feel sorry for Simo who is quiet ad has very few frieds to defed him. 114 (A) Choice Oe good cosequece of this decisio/actio could be Oe bad cosequece of this decisio/actio could be (B) Choice Oe good cosequece of this decisio/actio could be Oe bad cosequece of this decisio/actio could be

115 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 6: Religious Educatio (C) Choice Oe good cosequece of this decisio/actio could be Oe bad cosequece of this decisio/actio could be (D) Choice Oe good cosequece of this decisio/actio could be Oe bad cosequece of this decisio/actio could be 115 (E) Choice Oe good cosequece of this decisio/actio could be Oe bad cosequece of this decisio/actio could be We thik the best choice is letter because

116 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 6: Religious Educatio Worksheet 2 Group Name: I saw othig Ciara is at school. It is break time ad she is stadig aroud with a few frieds. She otices that, oce agai, Simo is beig picked o by some older boys. Last week, they took his mobile phoe ad the week before they took his luch moey. Mary ad her frieds are afraid to get ivolved, but they feel sorry for Simo who is quiet ad has very few frieds to defed him. (A) Keep quiet about it ad preted they saw othig Oe good cosequece of this decisio/actio could be Oe bad cosequece of this decisio/actio could be 116 (B) Tell a adult whe they get home Oe good cosequece of this decisio/actio could be Oe bad cosequece of this decisio/actio could be (C) Approach the group with your frieds ad war them to stop Oe good cosequece of this decisio/actio could be Oe bad cosequece of this decisio/actio could be

117 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 6: Religious Educatio (D) Tell the studets i your class or group of frieds Oe good cosequece of this decisio/actio could be Oe bad cosequece of this decisio/actio could be (E) Do somethig else? Oe good cosequece of this decisio/actio could be Oe bad cosequece of this decisio/actio could be 117 We thik the best choice is letter because

118 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 6: Religious Educatio Activity 5 Values Explai that our values are the thigs/people that are most importat to us or that we feel are worthwhile ad that these thigs ifluece or make a differece to the decisios that we make. We say thigs like, I value educatio. We might be feelig very tired at the ed of a hard day ad be cosiderig just goig to bed early. Our fried might eed someoe to talk to. We might decide to sped the time listeig to our fried istead of relaxig o our ow. This is because we value our frieds ad friedship. Provide studets with other examples of values ad ask them for their ow. Some examples might iclude peace, love, educatio, life, or parets. Explai that we ca have differet values depedig o our ages or stages of life. (This cocept is explaied clearly i Exemplar 4.) For example, whe we were youger we valued our toys ad our food (material thigs). Ask studets for examples of what they value ow as teeagers (for example clothes, moey, etc.). Explai that as we get older ad grow morally we begi to value spiritual thigs/have spiritual values as well (for example, God, love, friedship, thigs we caot buy, people). A morally mature perso is someoe who allows his/her spiritual values to ifluece/affect decisios more tha material values. Ask them about the values the followig people might have whe they say: I thik I ll take that red jacket she left behid by mistake. She does t really like it ayway. 118 I always call him ames. He does the same to me. I thik I ll skip that film ad stay i toight. My daughter is t feelig too well.

119 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 6: Religious Educatio Activity 6 Namig iflueces Explai that we lear values from other people (e.g. a paret who teaches her child ot to steal). Ask studets to idetify the major iflueces o peoples values ad moral decisios, such as parets, guardias, brothers ad sisters, gradparets, auts ad ucles, cousis, frieds, school, classmates, religio, the media, the Gardaí, the law, etc., ad to give examples of how they ca ifluece us. Explai that, at differet ages, differet people ifluece us more tha others. For example, whe you are a youg child your paret iflueces your decisios but ow that you are a teeager your frieds might ifluece you more. Metio that feeligs, such as fear, sadess, etc., also ifluece the decisios we make. Assig studets the followig tasks: (Task (b) is a paired exercise.) Task (a): Number the people that ifluece your decisios i order of the most ifluetial. Task (b): Decide who are the most importat people that ifluece you i decisio-makig. Worksheet Complete task (a) o your ow ad task (b) with your parter. 119 Task (a) Put these iflueces o your decisios i order. Number, i order, the perso/people who ifluece(s) you most. Iflueces Parets/guardias Brothers/sisters Other family members Frieds Teachers/coaches Classmates Religio/faith (for example, priest/rabbi/ Pope) The Media Famous people, such as pop/football stars The Gardaí/the law Beig a member of a club Other Number

120 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 6: Religious Educatio Task (b) I pairs, write dow the perso/people who iflueces these people most whe they are makig a decisio. (You ca use the examples i task oe.) Perso A youg child A mother A teeage boy A teeage girl A busiessma A priest/miister A guard A Pope Biggest ifluece 120

121 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 6: Religious Educatio Activity 6: (B) Noticig iflueces Ask studets to look at Ciara s predicamet agai ad decide what the major iflueces o her decisios would be. Studets may work i pairs o this task. Whether they write the aswers or ot depeds o the teacher s assessmet of whether this would help or hider the task. Worksheet 1 Studet s Name: I saw othig Ciara is at school. It is break time ad she is stadig aroud with a few frieds. She otices that, oce agai, Simo is beig picked o by some older boys. Last week, they took his mobile phoe ad the week before they took his luch moey. Mary ad her frieds are afraid to get ivolved, but they feel sorry for Simo who is quiet ad has very few frieds to defed him. (A) Keep quiet about it ad preted they saw othig. 121 This decisio/actio is iflueced by because ad because (B) Tell a adult whe they get home. This decisio/actio is iflueced by because ad because (C) Approach the group with your frieds ad war them to stop. This decisio/actio is iflueced by because ad because

122 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 6: Religious Educatio (D) Tell the studets i your class or a group of frieds. This decisio/actio is iflueced by because ad because (E) Do somethig else? This decisio/actio is iflueced by because ad because 122 Other people/thigs that ifluece these decisios/actios are: because

123 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 6: Religious Educatio Activity 7 Peer pressure Studets ad teacher could role-play situatios i which teeagers are iflueced by their peers to make decisios. Studets idetify the major iflueces o the perso s decisios. Teacher asks the studet what qualities a perso eeds to be able to make the decisio that they feel is right (courage, right judgemet). These gifts could be explored i Sectio A of the syllabus: Commuity. See Exemplar 1 (p.16). Some scearios might iclude: beig offered cigarettes/alcohol/drugs by older boys/girls/ whom you admire beig pressured to joi i with a gag of bullies at break time i school beig ecouraged to take clothes/jewellery/make-up from a shop the ight before a special party. Follow up activities Explore what makes it difficult for people to make good moral decisios. This would iclude lookig at the feeligs associated with peer pressure (fear, loeliess, etc.). It would also be importat to discuss how people are iflueced i these situatios ad by whom. Similarly, studets should be eabled to idetify possible choices available to the people i questio ad the cosequeces of the decisios made. 123

124 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 6: Religious Educatio Activity 8 Itroduce this exercise by explaiig that the moral decisios we make ca seriously affect our ow lives ad the lives of others. The preset this exercise which is adapted from the 2004 Religious Educatio Ordiary Level Examiatio Paper (Sectio 2, Questio 2). A teacher will select topics with due sesitivity. Teachers ca adapt this exercise ad make it relevat to their ow class ad cotext, while exercisig great sesitivity ad discretio i dealig with such serious issues. Studets should examie the ewspaper headlie which describes a road accidet i which the driver of a car killed a perso ad drove away, ad complete the worksheet i pairs. Fially complete the cloze exercise o Makig Moral Decisios before movig o to Part 2, i.e. Sources of Morality (Juior Certificate Religious Educatio Syllabus, p. 40). Complete the worksheet by readig the ewspaper headlie ad discussig the aswers with your group. HIT-ad-Ru Killer Huted 1) Two choices the driver had after the accidet were a) 124 b) 2) a. Two people/group of people who might have iflueced the driver to leave the scee of the accidet are i) ii) 2) b. Two feeligs which might have iflueced the driver to leave the scee of the accidet are i) ii) 3a). Oe cosequece of this driver s decisio for himself is 3b). Oe cosequece of this driver s decisio for the perso who is dead is

125 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 6: Religious Educatio 3c). Oe cosequece of this driver s decisio for the dead perso s parets is 3d). Oe cosequece of this driver s decisio for the dead perso s brothers ad sisters is 3e). Oe cosequece of this driver s decisio for the people who live i the local area is 3f). Oe cosequece of this driver s decisio for the people who live i other coutries is 4) If the driver had thought more carefully about the cosequeces of his actios he 125 5) Two choices the dead perso s family have ow are a) b) 6) The biggest ifluece o their decisio might be or

126 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 6: Religious Educatio Follow up Discuss some everyday examples of moral decisios that the studets have to make uder the headigs choices, cosequeces, iflueces, etc. Try to get studets to discuss the impact of our decisios o our commuity. (This will help to re-itroduce the theme that is dealt with i Exemplar 1.) Look at ewspaper headlies/articles or magazies for examples of moral decisio-makig ad outlie the choices, cosequeces, iflueces, etc. ivolved. Tape a episode of the studets favourite programme ad discuss moral dilemmas that the characters are faced with uder the same headigs. Ask studets to write about a moral decisio they had to make uder these headigs, ad if appropriate to share it with the class. Make a collage etitled Makig Moral Decisios. Ivite a guest speaker i to talk about a moral issue affectig the studets commuity. Prepare questios pertiet to the themes explored. Cross-curricular Examie some of the social issues dealt with i CSPE, SPHE, Home Ecoomics, PE, etc. Discuss them uder the headigs: choices cosequeces iflueces, etc. 126 Use poems o the Eglish course to explore these key themes. Some good examples are The Road Not Take by Robert Frost ad The Choosig by Liz Lockheed.

127 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 6: Religious Educatio Cloze Exercise Makig Moral Decisios People make d every day. Some of these are m decisios. These are decisios about good ad e. It is importat to look at all your c before you make up your mid about what to do. Moral people thik about the effects/c /ifluece of their actios. They cosider how other p might be h if they make a bad decisio. The decisios we make are iflueced by our v. These are people ad thigs that we thik are i. There are may people who ca give us advice about makig decisios. They ca i what we do. Sometimes it is difficult to make the right decisio because people our ow age put p o us. This is called p pressure. It takes c to stad up for what is right. We must try ad make moral decisios if we wat to make ourselves ad our c better. Words to Use evil choices people cosequeces ifluece moral values decisios pressure courage commuity hurt peer importace 127

128 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 1: 7: Home Religious Ecoomics Educatio Syllabus topic: Religious Educatio Joural Gettig started with joural work Primary School Curriculum (5th ad 6th classes) Project work may be used throughout the delivery of the curriculum, for example, SESE: History: iterviewig a older perso. Juior Certificate (Ordiary level) The assessmet of Religious Educatio i the Juior Certificate examiatio Sectio (Juior Certificate Religious Educatio Syllabus, p. 46). Juior Certificate School Programme Preset the fidigs of a actio project i which they participated. Time scale: The full rage of learig ad assessmet activities preseted i this exemplar may take three to four class periods. Potetial areas of difficulty > Uderstadig terms i the Joural title > Iterest i the joural topic > The cocept of time eeded whe plaig work > Goal-settig ad plaig > Beig overwhelmed by the learig process > Applyig previously leared kowledge 128 Strategies used i this exemplar Short, direct istructios offered at each stage i the activities Usig questios, stories ad examples leadig to discussio Teacher ethusiasm ad facilitatig the choice of topic by the studet Visual-verbal squares to assist upackig forgotte or ufamiliar terms Group/pair activities, ad teacher guidace before ad durig these activities Usig worksheets with pictorial clues Usig a timelie Resources A Whiteboard, studet folders/portfolios, chart paper, post-it otes

129 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 7: Religious Educatio Suggested outcomes Supportig activities Assessmet strategies As a result of egagig i these activities, studets should be eabled to choose a topic write studet s ow title idetify what is ivolved set goals pla the time eeded for Joural work record work completed. The teacher leadig class discussio ad braistormig. Pair work usig visual-verbal squares o Worksheet 1. Groups discussig ad collaboratig o Worksheet 2. Visual prompts to help studets set goals. Studets workig i groups/ pairs work o a timelie, usig whiteboard if possible. I pairs/groups studets discuss ad complete Worksheet 4. The teacher observes whether: each studet cotributes to the class sessio studets write their ow versio of the Joural title o the worksheet ad place it i their folders groups complete the worksheets groups set goals groups preset their timelies to the class group pairs/groups/idividuals complete Worksheet 4. Note The skills eeded for joural work ca be built up from first year, whe short ivestigative ad exploratory treatmet ca be give to topics or areas of iterest i the Religious Educatio Programme. It is helpful for studets to have a portfolio or folder for the materials used, the ivestigatios udertake, ad the relevat pictures/ewspaper cuttigs. If these are orgaised ito sectios, it is very easy for the studet to recall work previously completed. Kowig a portfolio is buildig up from their ow work ehaces the studet s sese of achievemet ad success i the subject. Such a folder will be a valuable resource for the studet whe preparig for the Juior Certificate Examiatio. 129 The five sectios (Itroductio, Gettig started, Work, Discoveries, ad Advice) used i the Juior Certificate Guidelies o assessmet are a useful framework for preparig to egage i Joural work. The followig are some suggestios o how to itroduce a topic ad egage i the early steps of plaig.

130 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 7: Religious Educatio Activity 1 Choosig a topic Use class discussio to itroduce the Joural work topics. The teacher may prompt studets with questios, ivitig their opiios, askig for examples from previous learig, directig the studets to relevat sectios of textbook or portfolio, ad gettig them to focus o pictures. The teacher may the: > give studets a full choice of the titles listed > give studets a limited choice from the titles listed > suggest oe topic which will be take by the whole class. > help facilitate the choice of topic by the studets by suggestig topics relevat to the iterests ad experieces of the studet, as observed by the teacher, ad/or as stated by the studet > record o the board, ideas ad suggestios made by studets. Oce studets have chose a topic, the they ca be put i groups to work o that topic. I udertakig joural work it is importat that each studet completes ad submits a idividual joural work, booklet for assessmet. 130

131 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 7: Religious Educatio Activity 2 Workig i pairs, studets may upack keywords i the give title usig the visual squares method (Worksheet 1). They write their ow title for their Joural work. Activity 3 Why we are choosig this topic The teacher explais what Joural work ivolves ad what is required. Show the class a sample booklet, reassurig the studets ad tellig them that this is a chace for them to select a topic that they fid iterestig, ad explore some details about it either idividually or i groups. Itroduce the headigs o Worksheet 2 ad facilitate a few suggestios from the class. I groups, the studets the discuss ad complete Worksheet

132 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 7: Religious Educatio Activity 4A What do we hope to achieve? Teacher itroduces the idea of goal/target settig ad self assessmet. Tell a story or give the example that whe settig out o a jourey it helps to kow where ad whe we would like to arrive. Doig Joural work is the same. Itroduce the followig key questios: What do we hope to achieve? How will we kow if we are fiished? Groups use the Expectatios Tree. Expectatios Tree The teacher (or a studet) draws a outlie of a tree o a large sheet of paper. Explai to the studets that they are ow goig to thik about what they hope to achieve by doig their Joural work. Post-its work well for this activity. Whe studets write their idividual hopes ad expectatios, these ca the be pied o the tree as leaves. Ivite the studets to add their idividual hopes ad expectatios. Discuss studets expectatios ad group those that are similar. 132 Keep the tree ad use it as a referece to help studets i assessig how their expectatios are beig met durig the process of completig their Joural work, ad as a evaluatio aid at the ed of the project.

133 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 7: Religious Educatio Activity 4B Plaig Show studets a timelie o the board. This may have bee used already i the Religious Educatio class (for example Growth of Faith, markig differet stages). Suggest that it is a fairly easy approach to plaig a project. Remid them that plas ca always be chaged as we go alog, but our mai goals or targets will remai the same. Studets work o developig a timelie i small groups. Follow up with a whole-class sessio, i which groups preset their timelies. Studets may cosider if work will take place i class/outside class time/ both. Studets ca record these i their portfolios/folders. A fial paper copy of each group s timelie may be placed o the wall. Activity plaig Studets may fid Worksheet 3 useful i helpig them pla Joural activities. 133

134 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 7: Religious Educatio Activity 5 Reflectig At the ed of each class sessio, studets complete Worksheet 4 i pairs/groups. The teacher or a fellow studet may supply/write words if a studet has difficulty with them. This worksheet may be used throughout the Joural activities ad, if dated ad stored i the studet folders, it will facilitate the fial writig up of the Joural for assessmet purposes. Worksheet 1 (Group/pair work) The Joural Title Assig studets ito groups accordig to the topic they have chose. The ask them to examie the words i the title usig Worksheet 1. (A visual squares approach ca be useful.) Ecourage them to look at their books ad folders/portfolios to see where these words were used before i the Religious Educatio class. Checkig the word i a o-lie dictioary will yield syoyms ad sometimes pictures, which will assist studets greatly. 134 Coected Word Setece/phrase usig keyword Sketch Keyword Studets defiitio

135 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 7: Religious Educatio Coected words Joural Title Sketch here Studets ow title 135

136 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 7: Religious Educatio Worksheet 2 (Group/pair work) Why we are choosig this topic Stregths we brig to this Joural work: Questios we have: Who ca help us? Will we ivite a visitor to speak to the class about our topic? 136 Where ca we fid out more? Evets that we could atted/orgaise: Places we ca visit: We wat to fid out more about We wat to lear about

137 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 7: Religious Educatio Worksheet 3 Plaig a activity Today s Date: Evet: Thigs to do: What do I/we eed? Where ca I fid help? Teacher Home Fried Iteret School office

138 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 7: Religious Educatio Worksheet 4 Joural title Class Date Work doe today Today we thought about ad discussed our pla for doig a Joural. or Today we read a article about that the teacher gave us. or We orgaised a today. or We wet to visit to talk to people ad see what it was like. 138 Today I leared:

139 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 7: Religious Educatio Today I used the followig skills: Equiry I asked questios about Observatio I watched ad listeed carefully Problem-solvig I sorted out what to do about 139 Research I set about fidig out about Reflective I thought a lot about Orgaisatioal I put thigs i order or plaed Evaluatio I thought about ad whether it was good eough.

140 Guidelies Mild Geeral Learig Disabilities / Religious Educatio / POST-PRIMARY Exemplar 7: Religious Educatio What were the best parts of your work today? What did ot go well for me today was: 140 After today s work, what advice would I give a secod year studet who was startig work o the same title?