IHMCS Curriculum Overview

Link to Religion by Grades Kindergarten Grade One Grade Two Grade Three Grade Four Grade Five Grade Six Grade Seven Grade Eight

Religion

Kindergarten (RELIGION)

• God made us wonderful
• God made us with feelings
• God made all people good
• Everything comes from God
• Liturgical seasons
• Mary is the Mother of Jesus
• We celebrate new life
• We belong to God’s Family

Grade 1 (RELIGION)

• Creation: God made the world
• The Bible: listening to God’s Word
• The Story of Jesus and the Holy Family
• Parts of the Mass
• Liturgical seasons
• Baptism: Baptism gives us God’s own life and love
• Holy Communion: the bread and wine become Jesus Himself
• God forgives us
• Living with God forever

Grade 2 (RELIGION)

• Our Catholic faith
• The Sacrament of Reconciliation
• The Sacrament of the Eucharist
• We celebrate the Eucharist
• Liturgical seasons
• The Mass
• Mary and the Rosary
• Stations of the Cross

Grade 3 (RELIGION)

• Relationship between parish, family and me
• Jesus calls His followers
• How the Church began, the Church today
• Seven Sacraments, emphasizing Reconciliation and Eucharist
• Forms of prayer and worship
• Parts of the Mass
• Holy symbols of the Church
• Liturgical seasons
• Planning and participation in liturgy
• Service

Grade 4 (RELIGION)

• Living for God’s Kingdom
• The virtues of faith, hope and love
• Pentecost and the Holy Spirit
• Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy
• The Beatitudes
• The Sacraments
• The Ten Commandments
• Liturgical seasons
• Laws of the Church
• Parts of the Mass and Mass planning

Grade 5 (RELIGION)

• The seven Sacraments
• Liturgical seasons
• Family life and morality
• Lives of the saints
• Carrying of Jesus’ mission
• God in our lives
• Scripture
• Planning and participation in liturgy
• Forms of prayer
• Service

Grade 6 (RELIGION)

• The book of Genesis
• The book of Exodus: the Hebrew peoples’ journey
• God’s leadership
• Leaders of Israel
• The exile and restoration of Israel
• Survey of the New Testament
• God and his people
• God’s gift of family
• God’s gift of self
• God’s gift of life
• God’s gift of sexuality: life in the womb, a child is born
• God’s gift of community

Grade 7 (RELIGION)

• Creed – Catholic Belief
• The universal desire for God and uniqueness of our Catholic faith
• Revelation, scripture, tradition and the deposit of faith
• The meaning and qualities of faith
• Reason, revelation, the attributes of God and faith and service
• God’s transcendence and immanence
• Evolution and faith, original sin and sanctifying grace
• The incarnation and Jesus as divine and human
• Jesus, the new covenant and the paschal mystery
• The Holy Spirit: Paraclete and Advocate
• Images and essential features of the Church
• From apostle to bishop; teaching, governing and sanctifying
• The Church’s magisterium, laity, religious and clergy
• Eternity, the communion of saints and the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Carrying Christ’s mission; being evangelizers

FAMILY LIFE

• God’s gift of family: family relationships and Christian values
• God’s gift of self: discovering and understanding myself and the role of gender
• God’s gift of life: treating life with respect and care and avoiding destructive behavior
• God’s gift of sexuality: living chastely and misuse of the gift
• God’s gift of community: getting along with others and learning about love

Grade 8 (RELIGION)

• The process and purpose of studying Church History
• The beginnings of the Catholic Church
• The age of Constantine
• The end of Roman Empire and the origin of monasticism
• The Gregorian Reform and Christendom
• The Great Schism
• The Protestant Reformation
• The Counter-Reformation
• The spread of Catholicism outside Europe and the Scientific Revolution
• The effect of the French Revolution
• The beginnings of missionary work
• The arrival of Catholics in the United States
• Catholicism during the Civil War and Great Depression
• Catholicism during World War II and the changes of Vatican II
• The Ten Commandments
• The Living Stations
• The Gospels and the life of Christ
• Personal relationship with God and our place in the Catholic Church
• Participation in the Mass and understanding its meaning