Year 12 Study of Religion Curriculum Overview
The aim of Religious Education at Marymount College is to provide Christian education in the Catholic tradition to students so that they may participate critically and authentically in faith contexts and wider society. The ‘Study of Religion’ course, as a Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority subject, can help students become more effective global citizens by developing their knowledge, skills and values, and developing their understanding through critical inquiry, debate and reflection, and empathetic engagement with the standpoint of others. Students explore and critique the role religion has played and continues to play in the world. They learn about religion by:
looking at it as part of complex social, political and cultural dialogues
engaging in conversation and debate
developing knowledge, analysis and critical thinking
exploring justice issues such as equity, gender, ethnicity, and inclusivity.
Overview of the Year
The senior secondary curriculum in Year 12 builds on the prior learning in Prep to Year 10 as well as aspects studied in Year 11, allowing students to use, consolidate and expand on what they have learned. Whilst incorporating the core components of The Nature and Significance of Religion, Australian Perspectives and World Religions, the four interrelated strands of Sacred Texts, Beliefs, Church and Christian Life also underpin the senior secondary curriculum, identifying core content that is to be taught and that students should learn.
In Term 1 of Year 12 students explore Religion-State Relationships focussing on the social, cultural and political implications of religious belief and practice and the creative tension between the nation-state and religion. Through the Term 2 topic, Ultimate Questions students investigate the questions of destiny, facing suffering and death and the religious beliefs about living, dying and eternity. They also build on the Year 11 study of Ritual by researching pilgrimage and ritual tourism in the context of a world religion. In Terms 3 and 4, students examine various aspects of the topic Religion, Values and Ethics. Through the ethical frameworks of religious traditions, students discover the sources of these ethical codes, the actions of individuals and/or groups, the faith that motivates these actions and the impact of such actions on the community. They investigate the role that religion has to play in facing global issues and challenges, in the framework of ethics and non-violence/peace. Students also study contemporary ethical issues such as euthanasia and capital punishment in the context of world religions.
- In Term 1 Year 12 the elective, Religions of the World is studied. Key beliefs and practices, history and development are explored. Many aspects of the traditions are also treated in the other electives.
- In Term 2 the elective Good and Evil investigates the idea of how society defines good and evil, how this understanding has been shaped by religion and the universal idea of suffering. Students will have the opportunity to reflect on the teachings of the Catholic Christian tradition about the reality of good and evil experienced by human beings. They will explore the essential ingredients of truth, beauty, goodness and evil and how these are expressed in everyday life.
- In Term 3 the Sacred Stories elective gives students opportunities to explore and appreciate the power of story and how it captures, recalls and preserves the life experiences of people no matter what age, period, culture or belief. This unit focuses on how, throughout the ages religion and in particular the Catholic Christian religion, has fulfilled the innate need of humans to hear and tell stories and to have a story to live by.
- In Term 4 the elective Meaning and Purpose gives students the opportunity to explore for themselves the big questions of human existence which humans have pondered for all time: "Who am I?" "Where did I come from?" "Why am I here?" "Where am I going?" All religions in some way or other, attempt to explain concepts of origins, purpose and destiny. Students consider these questions by examining how religion has an interplay with philosophy and science.
Year 12 Religion & Ethics Curriculum Overview
The aim of Religious Education at Marymount College is to provide Christian education in the Catholic tradition to students so that they may participate critically and authentically in faith contexts and wider society. The ‘Religion and Ethics’ course, as a Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority Registered subject, can help students become more effective global citizens by developing their knowledge, skills and values, and developing their understanding through critical inquiry, debate and reflection, and empathetic engagement with the standpoint of others. The senior secondary curriculum in Year 12 builds on the prior learning in Prep to Year 10 as well as aspects studied in Year 11, allowing students to use, consolidate and expand on what they have learned.
Religion and Ethics enhance students’ understanding of how personal beliefs, values and spiritual identity are shaped and influenced by factors such as family, culture, gender, race, class and economics. Within this study area, the focus is on students gaining knowledge and developing an ability to reflect on, critique and communicate this knowledge in relation to their lives and the world in which they live.
The BCE Religion and Ethics units of work enhance the SAS program by providing learning experiences that are rich, real and relevant for senior secondary students. These learning experiences reflect emerging directions which include:
the incorporation of the curriculum perspectives of the Brisbane Catholic Education P-12 Syllabus;
opportunities to engage with the practical and experiential nature of the Religious Education Guidelines for the Religious Life of the School (2008), Archdiocese of Brisbane;
opportunities to engage with the seven General Capabilities and three Cross Curriculum Priorities of the Australian Curriculum (2010);
the capacity to incorporate and encourage the use of existing and effective learning activities from current school programs;
independent learning activities that allow students who are absent, on work experience or traineeships to complete lessons at home or in allocated study time;
inquiry-based activities aligned with contemporary teaching and learning pedagogy that includes multiple opportunities to improve ICLT skills for both students and staff;
a reflection of global trends and issues and the way religion interacts with the world today;
the inclusion of quality online resources evaluated by specialist religious education staff from BCEO