Year 6
Year Level Description
The Religion Curriculum P-12 involves four strands: Sacred Texts, Beliefs, Church and Christian Life. These strands are interrelated and are taught in an integrated way, and in ways that are appropriate to specific local contexts.
In Year 6, students are introduced to the Christian understanding of faith and the term ‘communion of saints’. They develop their understanding of the many ways in which faith is lived out and celebrated in the lives of believers past and present. They learn about the contexts and key messages of some Old Testament prophets and the contribution of some key people (laity, religious and clergy) to the shaping of the Church in Australia (c. 1900 CE to present). They understand the significance of Jesus’ New Law for the way believers live their faith, including an exploration of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. They develop their understanding of the role of celebrations in the faith life of believers, including the commemoration of High Holy Days by Jewish believers and the Church’s liturgical celebrations (including the Eucharist). They develop their understanding of prayer in the Christian tradition through an exploration of the Our Father, The Examen, and meditative prayer practices including prayer journaling.
They are introduced to the Church teaching that the Holy Spirit guided the formation of the New Testament. Using a range of Biblical tools, they engage with a variety of Scriptural texts that describe Jesus’ relationship with God the Father and with humanity and proclaim Jesus as fulfilling all of God’s promises in the Old Testament.
Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 6, students analyse information from a variety of texts, including New Testament texts and the wisdom of Australian Catholic Christians, to explain the action of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. They select and use evidence from Scriptural texts to show how these texts describe Jesus’ relationship with God the Father and with humanity, including the proclamation of Jesus as fulfilling God’s promises in the Old Testament.
Students identify and describe many ways in which faith is lived out in the lives of believers past and present, including Catholics in a developing Australian nation (c. 1900 CE to present). They analyse the key messages and contexts of some Old Testament prophets. They explain the significance of Jesus’ New Law for the way believers live their faith and examine the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. They identify and describe many ways in which faith is celebrated in the lives of believers, past and present, including the commemoration of High Holy Days by Jewish believers; the Church’s liturgical year and the celebration of Eucharist. They demonstrate an understanding of the term ‘communion of saints’. They explain the significance of personal and communal prayer, including the Our Father and The Examen, and the use of spiritual exercises, including reflective prayer journaling and praying with the icons of the saints, for the spiritual life of believers. They participate respectfully in a variety of these personal and communal prayer experience and spiritual exercises.