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The Strands of the
Religious Education Programme for 3rd - 6th classes are:
Celebrations, festivals, ceremonies
and customs;
Sacred writings, stories and key
figures;
Beliefs;
Sacred places, worship and symbols;
Moral values and attitudes;
Personal search
- The Natural World
- Relationships and Moral Values
- Ultimate Questions
Awareness of those of Other Faiths and none
Celebrations,
festivals, ceremonies and customs:
This strand continues
the work begun at junior level and explores the festivals, rites
of passage
and church services which are part of the Christian tradition.
The origins of these celebrations and customs will be looked at together
with their relevance for Christians and an exploration of how they
are to be found in churches today. Objectives for this Strand
Sacred writings, stories and key figures:
This strand has at its
core the Bible and the wealth of story contained in it. The children
will be encouraged to become familiar with handling the Bible and
locating biblical material. They will encounter many Biblical characters
and look at God’s relationship with his people as portrayed in scripture.
They will be enabled to discover background, historical and cultural
information which will help them as they engage with the text. They
will be encouraged to recognise the relevance of the Bible for today.
Stories of Christians from history will be explored as examples of
people who followed God’s call. Objectives
for this Strand
Beliefs:
As the children begin to think on their own beliefs they
will explore some aspects of the nature of God and the divinity of
Jesus which have been taught by the Christian Church down the centuries.
The Apostles’ Creed will be examined as a summary of the beliefs
of Christians. Objectives for this
Strand
Sacred Places, worship and symbols:
As in junior classes, participation
in worship in the classroom, school assembly and in church services
is encouraged. This is an essential strand for increasing awareness
of the central experiential dimension in Religious Education. Parish/school
links are encouraged and the children are enabled to explore their
parish/local church and to look at a variety of other church buildings
and styles of worship. Some background knowledge about the Church
of Ireland, Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church and other Christian
Churches will also be included in this strand. Objectives
for this Strand
Moral Values and Attitudes:
This strand encourages the children
to think about moral values and attitudes and to look at the guidance
to be found in the Scripture and in the lives and teaching of others. Objectives
for this Strand
Personal Search:
The strand Personal Search has been subdivided
into three areas so as to encourage the children, on their own personal
journeys. They begin to reflect upon their own stance as they search
for answers to important human questions about the world and about
God.
- The Natural World: As Christians living in the world there is a
responsibility of stewardship and care for creation. This strand
encourages the children to develop an attitude of care for the environment.
- Relationships and Moral Values: Christians live in local communities
and need to take responsibility for their own lives and to have concern
for the well being of others. This strand encourages children to
think on these issues from a Christian perspective.
- Ultimate Questions: The strand helps children to discover that
religion is essentially about ultimate questions and to recognise
that there are different points of view. It also aims to give children
the tools to express their own views. Objectives
for this Strand
Other Faiths:
By separating ‘Other Faiths’ into a separate strand
for 3rd – 6th one does not assume the necessity of covering these
faiths in the same detail or under the same headings as Christianity.
It is hoped, however, that children will become aware of and sensitive
to the beliefs and practices of those of other or no faith(s) who
may be part of their school or local communities. This will be dealt
with in greater detail in post-primary school through the Junior
Certificate Programme. Objectives
for this Strand
The child should be enabled to (at his/her own level of ability):
| 3rd/4th classes |
5th/6th classes |
| Strand 1: Celebrations, festivals, ceremonies and customs |
| - Understand some of the symbolism associated with customs
and stories e.g. giving presents or Easter Eggs.
- Show knowledge and some understanding of customs associated
with rites of passage eg. baptism – (infant and adult), confirmation,
marriage, and funerals.
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- Show knowledge and understanding of the following seasons
of the Church’s Year: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Pentecost.
- Be able to relate these seasons to the main events in the
life of Jesus.
- Know something of the origins of baptism in the life
and teaching of Jesus.
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| Strand 2 : Sacred Writings, stories and key figures |
- Understand terms such as gospel, miracle, parable
and be able to illustrate with selected Bible stories.
- Locate Bible references.
- Explore and engage with the story of Moses.
- Explore and engage with some other stories about key figures in the Bible.
- Know stories of notable Christians both contemporary and from history. |
- Show a basic understanding of the chronological order of
some of the key events in the Bible.
- Have an awareness of some of the context and background to the Bible stories
covered.
- Know the main events in the life of Jesus and some of his teachings.
- Understand some examples of Biblical imagery e.g. God as Father, Jesus as Good
Shepherd.
- Explore and engage with the story of Saint Paul and a wide selection of Old
and New Testament stories.
- Have some knowledge of the history of the Bible – its writers, who it was written
for and how it is available to many people today. |
| Strand 3 – Beliefs |
- Show some understanding of God as creator and
moral authority.
- Understand that Christians believe Jesus showed what God is like. |
- Engage with and have some understanding of the
Apostles’ Creed.
- Be able to associate God with terms such as eternal, almighty.
- Understand something of what it means when Christians call Jesus – Son of God. |
| Strand 4 – Sacred places, worship
and symbols |
- Participate in worship in the classroom,
school assembly and church, further develop their understanding
of different aspects of worship ie. singing, listening, praying.
- Show some knowledge and understanding of the design and
furnishings of a variety of churches.
- Think about why people attend church and what is special about church buildings.
- Explore how Christians worship God in a variety of church services, including
some of those in the prayer books of the Church of Ireland, Methodist and
Presbyterian churches.
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- Participate in worship in the classroom, school
assembly and church.
- Further develop their understanding of the breadth of Christian worship (including
worship from other countries).
- Be familiar with prayers, particularly The Lord’s Prayer.
- Continue to develop their understanding of church services, particularly those
from the Church of Ireland, Methodist and Presbyterian traditions and including
both those that take place regularly on Sundays and those church services that
mark key points in life and death – baptism, confirmation, marriage and funerals.
- Trace the origins and be familiar with the Holy Communion service.
- Be aware of some of the main phases in the history of the Church from the Early
Church to the present.
- Become familiar with some of the structures of the main Christian churches
in Ireland – (diocese, parish, bishop, moderator, circuit, congregation).
- Recognise and understand some Christian signs, symbols and artefacts. |
| Strand 5 – Moral Values and Attitudes |
- Show some knowledge and understanding
of the Ten Commandments and discuss their relevance and application.
- Understand some of the moral teachings of Jesus through parables.
- Appreciate the moral qualities in the lives of saints and other notable modern
Christians.
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- Know and understand the central principles of
‘love God’ and ‘love your neighbour’ and apply them to their
own lives.
- Appreciate the moral qualities in the lives of saints and other notable modern
Christians. |
| Strand 6: Personal Search |
| The Natural World |
| - Reflect on the natural order of the human life-cycle – birth,
growth, maturity, death – in association with religious ceremonies
marking these changes. |
- Reflect, on human dependence on, and responsibility
for, planet earth.
- Show awareness of particular environmental issues and human responsibility
for them. |
| Relationships and Moral Values |
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- Reflect on the benefits and responsibilities
of belonging to groups e.g. clubs, family, friends.
- Appreciate the need for rules in such groups and in society generally. |
- Show awareness of and concern for the needs
of individuals in the local community.
- Show some understanding of moral principles such as loving God and loving one’s
neighbour.
- Identify, discuss and apply these principles in real and imaginary situations.
- Show awareness of and concern for the needs of groups in society e.g. through
charities and missionary organisations. |
| Ultimate Questions |
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- Recognise that religion is essentially
about ultimate questions.
- Recognise that there are different points of view on religious matters.
- Be able to listen to the views of others and express their own with growing
articulation and confidence. |
- Recognise that religion is essentially about
ultimate questions.
- Recognise that there are different points of view on religious matters.
- Be able to listen to the views of others and express their own with growing
articulation and confidence. |
| Strand 7: Awareness of those of Other
Faiths and none |
- Understand that some people have
different faiths or may have none.
- Encounter religious traditions special to other people
in the school or locality.
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- Understand that people have different faiths
and practices or may have none, become aware of this and become
sensitive to those of differing faiths in school and community.
- Become familiar with the names of some of the major world religions.
- Develop an understanding of Judaism – its celebrations, festivals, ceremonies
and customs; sacred writings, stories and key figures; beliefs; sacred places,
worship and symbols, moral values and attitudes.
- Encounter aspects of religious traditions important to other children in the
school or neighbourhood. |
Download the Strands
of the Curriculum for 3rd to 6th classes in
.PDF format.
(You will need at least version 5.0 of Adobe Acrobat Reader to read the file in .PDF format). 
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