Junior Certificate R E Section E The Celebration

Junior Certificate R. E. Section E The Celebration of Faith RTA Meeting 16 th September 2006

Aims of J. C. R. E. • To foster an awareness that the human search for meaning is common to all peoples, of all ages and at all times • To explore how this search for meaning has found, and continues to find, expression in religion • To identify how understandings of God, religious traditions, and in particular the Christian tradition, have contributed to the culture in which we live, and continue to have an impact on personal lifestyle, inter-personal relationships and relationships between individuals and their communities and contexts • To appreciate the richness of religious traditions and to acknowledge the non-religious interpretation of life • To contribute to the spiritual and moral development of the student 2

• The aim of JCRE is to provide students with a framework for encountering and engaging with the variety of religious traditions in Ireland elsewhere • The students’ own experience of religion and their commitment to a particular religious tradition, and/or to a continuing search for meaning, will therefore be encouraged and supported (JCRE Syllabus p 4) 3

Syllabus Sections • A: Communities of Faith • B: Foundations of Religion – Christianity • C: Foundations of Religion – Major World Religions • D: The Question of Faith • E: The Celebration of Faith • F: The Moral Challenge 4

E: Celebration of Faith ***Aims*** • To show ritual and worship have always been part of the human response to life and to the mystery of God • To identify how communities of faith express their day-today concerns in various forms of ritual • To explore an experience of worship • Higher level: To explore the link between patterns of worship and mystery/that which is ultimate concern to individuals and communities 5

Part 1 – The World of Ritual Part 2 – The Experience of Worship Part 3 – Worship as response to Mystery (Higher Level) Part 4 – Sign and Symbol Part 5 - Prayer 6

E: Objectives • • • Have an understanding of how particular places and times come to be significant Be able to identify elements of worship Have an awareness of the impact of the experience of mystery in human life Be able to identify participation in worship as a response to that experience Be aware of the place of sign and symbol in human life and in religious traditions Have an understanding of the power and meaning of religious symbols or Be familiar with the Christian understanding of sacrament and have a detailed understanding of the place of sacrament in two Christian denominations Have an understanding of the importance of prayer in the lives of individuals and in religious traditions Be able to differentiate between different types of prayer 7

The elements of worship include people gathering together in a sacred/holy place at a time of significance in order to experience God in a meaningful way by participating in religious rituals/prayers/actions. Mayo Fans Heading to Croker 8

Key concepts Aims Objectives 9

Examiner’s Report (SEC 2003): Lack of understanding of key concepts = main reason identified for loss of marks Marks also lost due to leaving out parts of an answer and giving irrelevant answers 246 key concepts in the syllabus NCCA Guidelines p 56…. the higher level student will be expected to… Use websites and varied methodologies to teach this section, 10 especially part 3 for higher level

Websites found to be useful by some teachers • • • www. ask. com www. teachingideas. co. uk www. bbc. uk/religion www. worldreligions. co. uk www. religioustolerance. org www. ress. ie www. examinations. ie www. silk. net/Rel. Ed www. witcombe. sbc. edu/sacredplaces/sacredness www. pics. tech 4 learning. com (royalty – free photos) www. wikipedia. org (free on-line encyclopaedia) And the search engine www. google. ie 11

Suggested Methodologies • • • Concept Formation and Case Study Problem - Solving and Decision – Making Exercises Role Play / Simulation Games Modelling Presentation and Interpretation of Data Self-Assessment Activities Discussion Group Work Activity Based Learning 12

Activity Based Learning • JCSP recommends activity based learning • 3 key activities seem to work well: ü Crosswords ü Table Quizzes ü Visual Verbal Squares 13

: Rationale for visual verbal square: Based on the principle that material created by the individual is retained in the memory for a far longer time in contrast to that which is imposed by someone else Have students create as much of it as possible • Teacher creates most of the definition. Do a few on the board with students. • Elicit words associated with the concept • Put them into sentences • Draw a picture • See examples on handout 14

“Begin where the student is at” e. g. Sacrament: Opportunity for communion When you greet someone with “how are you” you give them an opportunity to respond Symbol – candle: physical aspect, function/usefulness…put this object into a different context and see it as symbol e. g. love, hope etc Sacred space…what is it about the atmosphere that changes? How does this affect people? Door: threshold - sacredness as threshold experience, awareness of “otherness” created by sacredness. Successful ritual involves us crossing this threshold and creating awareness of “otherness”…and returning…changed. Bring back signs of new life into our ordinary life e. g. blessing ourselves with holy water as we leave a church 15

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The End Thank you! Lorraine Gillespie Regional Development Officer R. E. Support Service Mob: 087 - 4196398 23