AWARENESS OF GOD

·         Describes Jesus, as the fullness of revelation of God’s redeeming love and our response

·         Discusses the Church’s teaching on the Incarnation

·         Describes the Paschal Mystery as God’s plan for our salvation through the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus

·         Recognizes the Resurrection of Jesus as the heart of our faith

·         Explores the human qualities and characteristics experienced by Jesus

·         Appreciates and understands the Beatitudes as a set of guidelines to follow throughout their lives

·         Explores ways in which Jesus carried out the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy

·         Learns and applies the Theological and Cardinal Virtues to everyday situations

·         Learns the meaning and existence of the 7 Capital Sins

·         Identifies the 6 Holy Days of Obligation

·         Recognizes Mary as the Mother of God

·         Studies the Jewish Faith because Jesus was a Jew, and Christianity was founded in Judaism

·         Learns about the world in which Jesus’ lived

·         Recognizes that Jesus’ entrusted His mission of spreading the Gospel to the Apostles

·         Studies and learns about the 12 Apostles and their missions

·         Realizes that Jesus’ ministry continues through His Church

Awareness of Values

·         Learns and practices a process for making good moral decisions

·         Understands every human is tempted to sin

·         Understands consequences of sin, particularly the Capital Sins

·         Thinks of positive ways to overcome temptation

·         Practices an examination of conscience

·         Shows how listening, self-disclosure, and compromise are necessary communication skills

·         Recognizes that we are all called to a chaste life

·         Recognizes life as a sacred gift from God from conception to a natural death

·         Identifies personal gifts and talents which can be used to help others

·         Is aware of the adverse effects of some movies, music, T.V., computer, etc. and the impact it has on them

·         Shows how the scriptural vision of life encompasses peace, equality, and stewardship

·         Discusses the Beatitudes and Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy and shows their relationship to Christian living

·         Analyzes how discrimination and prejudice lead to injustices

·         Explores and discusses diverse cultural expressions of our Church as well as others

·         Recognizes that concerns for human right, especially for human life, is a basic Gospel value

·         Develops peacemaking skills within family, school, and community

·         Recognizes prayer, fasting and almsgiving as recommended practices

·         Becomes aware of local and global social concerns: drug/alcohol abuse, physical and emotional abuse, hunger, poverty, racial discrimination, care for the elderly, etc.

·         Becomes involved in service outreach projects, clothing and food drives

·         Realizes how persons give evidence of witness to their faith through their actions

·         Names some Saints whose lives were dedicated to service and missionary work: St. Vincent De Paul, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Patrick, etc.

·         Interprets the importance of modern Christian witnesses:  Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa, Katharine Drexel, Archbishop Romero, Pope John Paul II

Awareness of Others

·         Recognizes the sense of identity of Church as community.

·         Accepts the invitation to become a part of parish and school community experiences

·         Understands that some are called to martyrdom while most Catholics are asked to live out their faith by witnessing and evangelizing.

·         Shares the stories of the faith-family

·         Identifies suffering as a global experience

·         Studies the different kinds on commitment recognized in the Sacraments

·         Understands the destructive nature of racism, prejudice and discrimination

Awareness of Spiritual Development

·         Understands the place of oral tradition in the formation of the Bible

·         Regards the Gospels as written expressions of how the early Church understood its faith experience

·         Understands that each Gospel writer was writing to a particular audience and portraying Jesus in a different way

·         Recognizes the Gospels as a record of the parables and miracles of Jesus

·         Recognizes that the writings in the New Testament were inspired by the Holy Spirit

·         Identifies the geographical areas of the New Testament

·         Discovers instances in Scripture which tell us what Jesus has done, and how we are to live

·         Reads, discusses and interprets the writings in the New Testament

·         Explores the writings of the Epistles and Acts of the Apostles

·         Learns some of the titles and images of Jesus as found in the New Testament

·         Studies and creates their own examples of the four important forms of prayer: Adoration, thanksgiving, Petition and Contrition

·         Discovers the nature and value of Liturgical prayer

·         Identifies the seven petitions contained in the Lord’s Prayer

·         Recognizes, creates and practices the three major expressions of prayer:  contemplative, vocal, and meditative

·         Participates in planning and experiencing prayer services and special liturgies

·         Practices reading Scripture as a way to pray

·         Leads the class in praying special devotions: Rosary, Stations of the Cross, Litanies, etc.

·         Practices and examination of conscience

·         Recites formal prayers from memory:

Ø  Morning Offering

Ø  Hail Holy Queen

Ø  Act of Contrition

Ø  Acts of Faith, Hope, and Love

Ø  The Angelus

Ø  Come Holy Spirit

Ø  Prayer to St. Francis

Ø  Our Father and Hail Mary in Spanish

Ø  Mysteries of the Rosary

Ø  Nicene Creed

·         Explains and names the sacraments as signs of Christ’s presence with us

·         Understands and recognizes the sacraments of initiation, healing, and commitment

·         Recognizes that participating in reconciliation is a journey of conversion bringing forgiveness and unity with God and Church

·         Celebrates Eucharist as a means to bring us closer in peace and love with Jesus, Our Saviour

·         Recognizes that we receive grace from God by receiving the sacraments

·         Celebrates the sacraments recognizing they are members of a larger faith community

·         Assists in planning of liturgical celebrations

·         Identifies and takes part appropriately at Mass

·         Identifies the seasons of the Church Year including Ordinary Time and explains their purposes

·         Explores the meaning of the Advent & Christmas season through the Scripture readings

·         Learns the history of Ash Wednesday and the meaning of Lent

·         Is aware of the commitment to act during Lent as the hands and heart of Christ

·         Understands in greater detail the meaning of the Paschal Triduum

·         Is made aware of the meaning of the Chrism Mass and other rituals of Holy Thursday

·         Through Scripture learn about the resurrection appearances of Jesus

·         Discovers the titles and images used by the Church to honor Mary·         Understands the events that happened on special holy days such as: Epiphany, Trinity Sunday, the Assumption, etc.

Creates modern day signs to show God’s presence in the world

Create a modern day visual to help understand one of the mysteries of our faith

Demonstrate the Beatitudes through a collage of pictures

Through music, art, and prayer create the Stations of the Cross in a unique way