Grade 9 Open Religion
HRE 101
Mrs. Micallef-Grande
Workroom 320
Table of Contents
• Unit 1: Faith
……………………..3-27
• Unit 2: Scripture
……………………..28-65
• Unit 3: Following Jesus
……………………..66-93
• Unit 4: Thirteen Reasons Why
……………………...94-95
• Unit 5: Narnia ….....96-114
Unit 1: Faith & the Search
for God
• Students will learn:
- The spiritual nature of human beings
- Definitions of faith
- Stages of faith development and how
spiritual truth is a journey of
discovery
- Multiple Intelligences and Faith
- Simon Birch Assignment
Trip or Journey?
• In your groups, brainstorm the
difference between a ‘trip’ and a
‘journey’.
• Is ‘Religion’ in general, and this
course in particular, a trip or a
journey?
Trip or Journey?
Journey:
• Religion is discovering open questions which
need life answers (answers which we discover
by living them).
• Religion is a life-long search, with openended questions.
• Religion is waiting on the unexpected.
• Religion is looking at life with a new, fresh
perspective.
• Religious language involves story telling
about the ways in which God shares himself
with people.
Trip or Journey?
Trip
• Religion is finding answers to textbook
questions.
• Religion gives students answers, facts,
questions with definite answers.
• Religion involves learning the expected, the
predictable.
• Religion is asking, “What am I supposed to
believe?”
What is Faith?
• The Uncertainty Principle: A
Scientific rule that suggests not
everything can be explained
through scientific method.
Sometimes things happen that
we can’t explain, or that we
can’t ever truly explain.
• Can you think of an example of
something we may never be
able to prove scientifically?
The Shroud of Turin
An example in uncertainty (and
faith)
The Shroud is a 14½ foot long, 3½
foot wide linen cloth that bears the
ventral and dorsal image of a
scourged, crucified man. Owned by
the Dukes of Savoy (former ruling
family of Italy) until the late 1980's
and now the property of the Catholic
Church, it has been permanently
kept in Turin, Italy, since 1578. It is
stored in a special reliquary in a
chapel behind the altar in the
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.
The cathedral was erected
specifically to house the Shroud and
was built adjoining the Royal Palace
(the King's former residence) in
Turin.
Photo of the front
Photo Close-up of the
Head
CHEST AND
STOMACH AREA
HANDS
LEGS
TOTAL REAR
VIEW
TOTAL REAR
Definition of Faith
Faith can be defined as believing that
something is absolutely true without
needing empirical (sensory)
evidence. It is something you
believe in your heart, not your head.
However, faith can be informed
through experience.
E.g. You believe you will be a great
dancer one day even before you start
your first lesson in dance class.
Task
• Read pp.52 – 55 of the textbook
• On a separate sheet of paper,
answer the following questions:
1) Which person do you relate to
the most and why? Explain your
answer using personal detail.
2) Which person do you relate to
the least and why? Explain your
answer using personal detail.
Response is due at the end of class
Catholic Definition of
Faith
• Faith for Catholics is to believe that
God will support you and be with
you in all your endeavors. To
believe that God has an intention for
your life and means for only good
things to come from your life. It is
believing that the object of your faith
will do something for you – that
object for Catholics (and all
Christians) is God, and we have a
long history of God’s actions in our
life as a Christian community.
Simon Birch
• Simon Birch is a wonderful film that
illustrates the journey Simon and his
friend, Joe, go through and how their
faith and friendship are tested.
• Complete the film worksheet during
the movie and then prepare your
rough draft and good copy of your
letter.
• See assignment and rubric for
details.
Faith Stages
• Faith develops in stages and
grows deeper and more real
with experiences you have.
• James Fowler, a theologian in
the 80’s, described six stages of
growth that lead to mature faith.
Faith Stages
• Stage 1: Imitative faith
- At first faith comes from
imitating the values and
attitudes of significant persons
in life
• Stage 2: Literal-minded faith
- Religious information is taken
literally and can become
fundamental (without
exception)
Faith Stages
• Stage 3: Conventional Faith
- pre-adolescence
- They accept things about God
because it is what the church teaches
- Don’t reflect or question much
• Stage 4: Reflective faith
- Adolescence
- Choices and values become a more
personal commitment
- Start to establish what they truly
think and believe
Faith Stages
• Stage 5: Paradoxical Faith
- Adulthood
- A deeply mature faith that
comes from maturity and
experience
- A person can remain committed
to a institution or church even in
the face of their inadequacies
and weaknesses without giving
up its principles
Faith Stages
• Stage 6: Incarnational Faith
- Most rare of all; people’s faith
may develop to the point that
their very lives become
absorbed into God’s love
- Less self-seeking, they become
visible signs of the meaning of
life and God’s life on earth
Multiple Intelligences
• Howard Gardiner (Harvard
University) studied intelligence
and discovered that people can
be “smart” in different ways.
• He discovered that we seem to
have eight (8) different forms of
intelligence, each one varying in
degree depending on our
personal preferences.
Eight Intelligences
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Mathematical/Logical
Musical
Linguistic
Spatial
Naturalistic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Kinesthetic (Physical)
Task
• Take the Multiple Intelligence
test
• Share top 2 intelligences with
the class.
• How does understanding the
fact that we all learn better in
certain ways help us as
students?
• Create a name tag and decorate
with your 2 intelligences. This
will be put on display in the
classroom
Unit 2: Scripture
Students will learn:
• 1. Scripture developed through
divine inspiration, oral and written
traditions in a variety of literary
forms.
• 2. Scripture tells the ongoing
relationship of God’s revelation to
people.
• 3. Scripture stories are still relevant
for us today as a guide to our daily
living.
The Bible
• The word “Bible” comes from a
Greek word meaning “books”
• All the Biblical writings were
inspired by God but written by
everyday human beings
• The Bible can be seen as a handbook
on how to live
• The Bible was written in different
places and times over a period of
about 1,000 years
• The Bible reveals God’s perfect love
and life changing message for all
people
The Bible compared to a
Newspaper
• The Bible is similar to the Newspapers of today
• Both the Bible and the Newspaper are divided into
sections. Here are examples of some of these:
Bible
-poetry
-history
-prophecy
-letters
-mythology
•
•
•
•
Newspaper
-sports
-world news
-comics
-editorial
-life
Each section is written by a different author
Each section is written for a different purpose
Each section is written for a different audience
Each section is written at a different time and
context
Newspaper Activity
• Read 2 newspaper articles from 2
different sections of a newspaper and
complete the worksheet provided.
• Discussion:
1) Why is it important to read these
articles in a different way?
2) How does this activity relate to the
way in which we read the Bible?
Literary Forms in the
Bible
Myth
Narrative
List
Parable
Law
Gospel
Sermon
History
Lyric Poetry
Love Poetry
Prayer
Prophecy
Literary Forms in the
Bible
Task:
1) Read through the ‘Literary
forms’ worksheet, brainstorm
examples as a class and write
them down on the sheet.
2) Using the Bible, complete the
‘Literary forms in the Bible’
worksheet
The Bible
Like a Newspaper, the Bible is also written in sections.
The two major sections of the Bible are:
1.
2.
The Hebrew Scriptures (or Old Testament)
The Christian Scriptures (or New Testament)
The Hebrew Scriptures
The Hebrew Scriptures can be further divided into the
following sections:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Law
History
Poetry
Major Prophets
Minor Prophets
Task: Complete the Old Testament Bookshelf
worksheet by counting the amount of books in each
section. Record your answers on the sheet.
Development of
Scripture
• Oral History – stories, songs, and
recounting of events were passed on by
word of mouth for many generations
• Written History – Over many years
stories, recorded experiences, instructions,
and guides were written at different times
for different purposes
• Edited History – The most accurate and
original accounts of events were collected
and accepted as authentic. These first were
written in Hebrew, then translated into
Greek and then Latin. The New Testament
was originally in Greek and the Old
(Hebrew) Testament was in Hebrew.
Tips on Reading the
Scriptures and Interpreting
them
• Look for repetition. Often repeated
messages and themes are indicators that
the author is trying to emphasize
something of greater importance.
• Don’t take everything literally. However,
there are many events and themes that need
to be taken that way.
• Understand what the passage meant to the
people of that time period first, then you
can apply the message you learned to
yourself.
• Be faith seeking and understanding in your
attitude as a reader.
• Remember to try and leave your biases at
the door when you read the Bible. Don’t
let your biases block you from
understanding the simple and prophetic
message revealed in the Bibles pages.
Bible Interpretation
• Observation – What are the facts?
What do the words mean? Who is
speaking and to whom?
• Interpretation – What did the
passage mean to the original
audience?
• Evaluation – What does the passage
mean to us today?
• Application – How should I apply
what I learn from this passage to live
a life that follows Jesus?
Contextual versus Literal
Interpretation
• Catholics are contextual readers
of the Bible which means they
examine the Bible looking at the
historical cultural context of the
period.
• On the other hand, literalists
read the Bible as though it were
a historical or scientific
textbook.
• Copy out examples teacher
gives from the board.
Contextual VS. Literal
Interpretation
•
•
-
Read the following passages.
Genesis 2: 21-23
Genesis 7:6
Leviticus 20:9-10
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
For each passage, create a t-chart (literalist
on one side and contextualist on the other)
and respond to these 2 questions:
1) How would a literalist reader interpret
this passage?
2) How would a contextual reader interpret
this passage?
Catholic Interpretation of
the Bible
•
•
Most Protestant churches consider the Bible to be the
only source of revelation.
The Catholic Church teaches that God’s revelation in
matters of faith and morals comes from three sources:
1. Holy Scripture
2. Apostolic Tradition
3. Magisterium – the Church’s teaching authority that
consists of the Bishops (including the Pope). It is the
official teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church.
Fundamentalism – literal interpretation of Scripture which
does not take anything into account except the literal
meaning of the words as they occur. This is not common
practice for Catholic churches.
Types of Truth
• Religious – God tries to
communicate with people through
their lives.
• Moral – “Thou shalt not murder”
• Symbolic – “If your eye causes you
to sin, pluck it out.”
• Proverbial – “The early bird catches
the worm.”
• Historical – “Jesus lived his young
life in Nazareth.”
• Scientific – The Earth goes around
the Sun.
• Task: Complete the ‘Types of truth’
worksheet
Truths in Genesis
• As a class, read the first story of
Creation (Gen. 1-2:4) and the
second story of Creation (Gen.
2-4:25)
• Task: Complete the Genesis
assignment worksheet.
1) Creation story 1 questions
2) T-chart comparision of
creation stories 1 and 2
- This is due at the end of class.
Thinking Mark out of 28.
Truths of Genesis
Class Task: Brainstorm truths
contained in the Creation story then
copy out note.
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•
•
•
•
There is only one God
God created everything
God created everything good
God created man and woman in
God’s image
God made humans the caretakers
over the rest of the creation
God gave humans free will
God makes us co-creators
God made the Sabbath day holy
Hebrew Scriptures
• The subject matter of the Hebrew
Scriptures is 1800 years of Jewish
history beginning with Abraham, the
“Father of the Jewish People”, and
ending with the defeat of Nicnor’s
rebel army in 161 C.E.
• The Patriarchs (father figures) of the
Hebrew Scriptures include:
• 1. Abraham who had the first
covenant with God
2. Isaac who was the son of
Abraham
3. Jacob who was the second son of
Isaac and the father of the 12 tribes
of Israel
Hebrew Scriptures
Other important figures include:
1. Joseph who was able to interpret
the Pharaoh of Egypt’s dreams and
aided him in saving Egypt and Israel
from a long and deadly drought
2. Moses who led the Hebrew
people out of Egypt and to the
promised land
3. David who defeated Goliath as a
child and became the second King of
Israel
Hebrew Scriptures
• Is revelation because the message comes
from God the creator
• It describes God’s saving actions and
interactions with human beings through the
Jewish people
• It was written by inspired authors during
the time before Jesus
• It is a record of the faith of the Jewish
people
• Generally, the Hebrew Scriptures are
divided into three major categories:
1. The Law – contains the first five books
of the Bible. Also referred to as the Torah
or the Pentateuch.
2. The Prophets – contains the works and
actions of the prophets of Israel.
3. The Writings – contain the material of
the Hebrew Scriptures that is not part of
the Law or the Prophets.
Some Key Scripture
Passages (OT)
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•
•
•
•
•
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Adam and Eve
Noah and the Flood
Abraham and Isaac
Joseph and his brothers
Moses and the burning bush
Samson and Delilah
David and Goliath
Daniel and the lions
Old Testament
Modernization
Assignment
• Students will be placed in
groups of 4. They will pick
their top 3 stories from the
previous list and develop either
a skit, puppet show or film.
This performance will show a
modern interpretation of the
original story.
• Refer to the assignment and
rubric for instructions.
The Ten
Commandments
• Task: On a separate sheet of paper, divide
your sheet into 4 equal sections. Copy out
the questions the teacher provides and
write down at least 5 answers per box.
• As a class, we will take up answers and
discuss rules, authority figures and major
influences.
• Class question: What does this exercise
teach us?
Ten Commandments
• The Ten Commandments are a set of
guidelines/laws, given to us by God, to live
by and show that God is a just being and a
legitimate authority – someone who has
our best interest in mind and that of the
common good. Just reading them through
tells us this.
• There are other guidelines or rules that
help develop our sense of virtue.
Developing right attitudes helps inform our
conscience. Our conscience (awareness of
what is right or wrong in any given
situation) needs good information based on
wisdom and the right attitude to see it
through. Having a healthy and informed
conscience helps us see the goodness of
God in life, both in ourselves and in others
Ten Commandments
Task
• On a separate sheet of paper, answer
the following questions:
• 1) Which commandment do you find
the easiest to follow in your life right
now? Why?
• 2) Which commandment do you find
the most difficult to follow in your
life right now? Why?
• 3) In your opinion, which
commandment is the most important
for society to follow? Explain your
choice.
• We will discuss our answers in a
circle.
New Testament
• Students will learn the
following:
- Beatitudes
- Jesus as Messiah to the whole
world
- Jesus as God with us
New Testament Library
Task:
Fill out the New Testament
bookshelf worksheet. Count the
books in each section and write
the answers on the sheet.
Christian Scriptures
• Is revelation because the source
of the information is directly
from writers who lived and
experienced being with Jesus
(God’s Son) or those who knew
him
• It contains Jesus’ words and
recorded actions
• It was a record of faith for early
1st Century Christians and
beyond
Christian Scriptures
• Christian Scriptures are divided into
four sections:
1. Gospels according to Matthew,
Mark, Luke and John
2. Acts of the Apostles which
describe early Christian life after
Jesus’ death and resurrection
3. Epistles which are a series of
letters
4. Revelations which is mainly
prophetic while also being a letter of
encouragement to the faithful
Christian Scriptures
• Christian Scriptures contain 27
books that we refer to as the
canon, meaning “rules”
• These books and letters are
considered authoritative
teaching on the Christian faith
and life
The Gospels
• The word “gospel” comes from the Greek
word evangelion, meaning “good news”
• The first three Canonical Gospels –
Matthew, Mark and Luke are so similar
that they are called the Synoptic Gospels
• John is different in how it begins and in the
way the stories are told (some stories are
not included in the Synoptics due to the
different audience John was addressing).
Jesus is still seen as the Messiah of the
Jewish people and the world.
• “Q” is material which represents a written
collection of sayings from Jesus that were
likely used to compose the Gospels
• “Q” is short for “Quelle” – a German word
for source
Gospel according to
Mark
• Mark wrote the first Gospel
shortly before 70 C.E.
• Written in Rome
• Gentile audience
• The shortest of the four Gospels
Gospel according to
Matthew
• Mostly based on the
information in the Gospel of
Mark
• Written for a Jewish Christians
• 70 C.E.
• Matthew used the “Q” source
Gospel according to
Luke
• Written between 70 – 90 C.E.
• Luke was a Syrian doctor from
Antioch
• Luke depending on
eyewitnesses and apostles for
his information as he was not
part of the first generation of
Christians
• Used “Q” as a source
Gospel according to
John
• Quite different than the other three
as it contains many details not found
in the other Gospels
• Written around 90 C.E.
• Very symbolic and literary
• Someone edited the original between
90 C.E. and 100 C.E.
• Style and content lend us to believe
it was written by an eyewitness that
was very hurt by Christians being
removed from the Jewish
Synagogues in the later part of the 1st
Century
Skinny Poem Group task
• Students will first complete an
individual skinny poem based on 3
topics provided.
• Open mike sharing.
• Students will be assigned a group
and passage from John’s gospel.
• Read the passage and compose a
skinny poem based on passage.
• Write it out using construction paper
and markers.
• Groups will then present their poem
to the class
• Application mark /10
Gospel of John Task
• Students will be placed into
groups of 3-4 and assigned a
story from John’s gospel.
• Read the passage as s group and
respond to the assigned
questions.
• Write your responses neatly on
the chart paper provided.
• Present to the class
• Communication mark /10
Newspaper articles
• Students will review the
components of a newspaper
article and review samples.
This will help prepare them for
their writing assignment.
Gospel of John Article
Assignment
• Using the knowledge gained
from the previous activity,
students are now required to
create a newspaper article based
on one of the passages from
John’s gospel.
• See assignment instructions and
rubric for more details.
Unit 4: Following Jesus
• Students will learn the
following:
- Self-esteem, Body Image and
Emotions
- Virtue as a right or “best”
attitude
- Specific concepts: Friendship,
Love, Chastity, Forgiveness,
Inclusiveness, Obedience
- Moral Decision Making (using
good judgment)
ME, MY BODY, AND
YOU
In your notebook, write an individual response
to these questions.
• What do you like about your body?
• What do you think others notice most about
you?
• What does your body say to others about
who you are?
• DISCUSS the photo on page 18
• Is our image of ourselves always the image
that others have of us?
• What might distort our physical image of
ourselves?
• What helps us to see ourselves as we are and
to appreciate our own bodies?
Physical Dimension
Life and physical health are
precious gifts entrusted to us by
God. We must take reasonable
care of them, taking into account
the needs of others and the
common good.
Concern for the health of its
citizens requires that society help
in the attainment of living
conditions that allow them to
grow and reach maturity: food
and clothing, housing, health
care, basic education,
employment, and social
assistance.
Emotions I have
experienced
Brainstorm a list of emotions and draw circle
faces with the appropriate expressions.
• Are you sometimes surprised by how you
feel? Explain.
• Is feeling bad always a bad thing? Is feeling
good always a good thing? Explain.
• How do emotions affect the way you make
decisions?
Emotions I have
experienced
Which of the following statements do you
agree with most strongly? Explain the
reasons for your choice.
• It is better to control your own emotions
rather than to be controlled by them.
• It is better to be controlled by your own
emotions than to control them.
• It is better to allow emotions to enter into
your decision making process than to
exclude them.
Social Dimension
Respect for the human person proceeds
by way of respect for the principle
that "everyone should look upon his
neighbour (without any exception) as
'another self,' above all bearing in
mind his life and the means necessary
for living it with dignity." No
legislation could by itself do away with
the fears, prejudices, and attitudes of
pride and selfishness which obstruct
the establishment of truly fraternal
societies. Such behaviour will cease
only through the charity that finds in
every man a "neighbour," a brother.
(1931)
Called to Relationship
Identify as many factors as possible
that contribute to a person’s selfesteem.
Create a split-page organizer.
• On one side, identify the various
kinds of relationships you are
involved in. (e.g. parent, sibling,
friend, etc.).
• On the other side, identify what
actions help or hinder each
relationship.
Called to Relationship
Identify in writing what factors
make your relationship with God
easy or difficult as compared to
their relationship with other
people in their life.
Read pages 70 – 72 in the text and
complete the reflection questions
on page 72.
Personhood
• Self-esteem – To have selfesteem means to recognize your
value as a person, to see your
individual value and worth as a
child of God.
Task
• Read and discuss the article
“How can I improve my SelfEsteem?”
• Read and discuss the article on
“Body Image and Self-Esteem”
What blocks us from being
as loving as we can be?
• There are attitudes and actions that
can be a road block to us living
happy Spirit filled lives as Human
Beings.
• We will cover the following factors
that block the Spirit of the
Beatitudes in our lives:
- Media Messages
- How you handle your emotions
- How you choose and develop
friendships
- Your willingness to forgive and
forget
- How you make decisions when
tempted to do wrong or go against
your moral convictions
Mainstream Media
Culture
• Believe image is body oriented (physical)
• Sex, Wealth and Violence are the primary
characteristics that make you a free and
powerful individual and happy as a person.
• “Cool” is important and therefore you must
exclude others and draw attention to
yourself by “fitting” in, not standing out as
unique and different.
• Cool therefore is redefined every year or
two through fads and styles – all send
signals of power through sex, wealth and
violence and thereby encourage
discriminatory attitudes of who is ‘IN’
versus ‘OUT’
Inclusivity vs.
Discrimination
• Discrimination is a form of
“pre-judging” other people. We
make judgments for or against
others that are based on
ignorance, or lack of
understanding.
• Forms of Discrimination:
racism, sexism, ageism.
Inclusivity vs.
Discrimination
Stages of Discrimination
1. Joking
2. Avoidance
3. Discriminatory Action
4. Violence
5. Mass Violence with intent to
exterminate
Task
• Have you ever had a situation where
you felt you had to do something or
act in a way that was not in keeping
with your personality or who you
are?
• What situations can you think of
where you can be invited to be “not
yourself?
What influences our
relationships?
• Personality – how we prefer to
express ourselves and be ourselves
in relation to others
• Communication (verbal and nonverbal)
• Conflict Resolution Experience
• Conscience – how informed is it
prior to making a decision
• Our values
• How our family has raised us to
think
Emotions
• In Christian writings, emotions
are often called passions. They
are gifts from God that help us
to make connections between
the life of the senses and the life
of the mind. They encourage us
to make good or bad choices
depending on how we handle
each situation and our general
attitude towards life.
Basic Emotions
• Love – is a call to be one with God, the
source of all love
• Anger and Fear – remind us that we don’t
have the ability or the right to control
everything. We must place our hope in
God.
• Joy – is a call to stand in God’s presence.
• Sorrow – reminds us that only God can fill
our emptiness; it is a call to seek comfort
in God and others.
• Desire – reminds us that only God can
satisfy our deepest longings.
Attitude
• When you develop good attitudes
towards different situations so that
you know how to handle things
better – these can be called virtues.
• Virtues are the best attitudes to adopt
in any given situation so that if you
have the right attitude going into a
situation then you are likely to make
the right decision. Virtues are
necessary when you are seeking to
have good relationships with others.
In this unit we will learn of a few
different kinds of virtues.
Friendship
• We choose our friends – it’s a
choice. How we choose them is the
question.
• Things that help strengthen a
friendship:
- commonality
- sharing
- trustworthy with secrets
- proximity (able to spend time
together)
- support
Friendship
• Things that can end a friendship
- relocating
- broke a promise or secret
- abuse your friend for money
- outgrow your friend in
maturity
- over-dependent
Big Bang Theory clip
• Watch a clip from the show, Big
Bang Theory, about friendship.
Discussion Questions:
• What can we learn from the
proposed equation on friendship?
• What are the flaws that exist in his
argument?
• Is there a formula to having a
successful friendship?
Love?
• Infatuation: Liking and pursuing a
relationship with someone purely for
their looks.
• Philia: A greek word meaning
‘friendship’ and implies a loyalty to
someone you care for.
• Agape: A greek word meaning
‘sacrificial love for another’; it is a
deep self-sacrificing love
• Eros: A greek word for romantic
love. This does not have to be
physical/sexual however is always
passionate and implies an attraction
in most uses of the word.
Infatuation
• List some of the ways you
would know someone is
infatuated with you as opposed
to being in love with you.
• What ways can we ensure that
our dating relationships are
truly based in love? HINT:
How are dating relationships
like our regular friendships?
Chastity
• Read the handout on Chastity
and how it relates to selfrespect, self-control and true
love.
Chastity
• Sexuality is a gift from God
• A foundation for real intimacy
• Protection for the dignity of the
human person
• A right attitude toward others
Moral Decision Making
DILEMMAS
• “How far to go” on a date – Use your horoscope.
• Which article of clothing to buy – Depend on your
friends’ judgment.
• Which school to go to – Flip a coin
• You love to be in love, and have two
boyfriends/girlfriends. They find out about each
other and you have to choose between them. You
make your choice on the basis of a gut feeling.
• You have to attend an important family event. You
would rather be with your friends at some other
special event. You choose based on which will give
you the most immediate satisfaction.
• You choose school courses based on which ones
your friends are signing up for, rather than on truly
what interests you and is best for the long-term.
Decision Making Model
- Review handout on the DMM
- Analyze the scenario provided on the
handout and apply the DMM format in
your answer.
Share with the class and discuss.
• See – Understand the problem/situation
• Judge – Make a decision that you feel is
the best possible decision given the
circumstances
• Act – Follow through with your decision
• Evaluate – Reflect on your decision and
assess whether you made the best decision
or not and learn something from the
experience so you don’t repeat the same
mistake
Unit 4: Thirteen Reasons
Why by Jay Asher
• We will be reading a novel as a
class that deal with the
following themes:
- Human dignity
- Suicide
- Friendship
- Decision-making
- Conscience
- Chastity
- Morals and values
Thirteen Reasons Why
by Jay Asher
• As we read the novel, we will
pause to discuss and complete
the following types of tasks:
• Developmental assets review
• Journals
• Letters to Hannah
• Advice for Hannah
Once we are done reading the
novel, we will complete a bingo
choice board assignment.
Unit 5: Narnia and the
New Testament
In this part of the unit students
will learn:
- The Gospel Message
- Jesus’ life, death and
resurrection as our hope in the
world
- The meaning of the Kingdom of
God as demonstrated through a
life committed to the Beatitudes
- How to apply the Beatitudes in
their own life and that of their
friends and neighbours
The Lion, the Witch and
the Wardrobe
• C.S. Lewis writes us a story that
takes into a new way of
understanding the Gospel
Message found in the New
Testament
• The Wardrobe becomes a
“gateway” into a new
world…but one that is very
much the same as our own
The Lion, the Witch and
the Wardrobe
• Like our world, the world of Narnia
is in turmoil:
- always winter, never summer
(including no Christmas)
- ruled by an evil Witch that turns
you to stone if you do not obey her
(no justice)
- trees, creatures and some animals
are on her side, but not all of them
- the king of Narnia is Aslan, the
Great Lion who is prophesized to
come back with the help of 4
humans to save Narnia
The Lion, the Witch and
the Wardrobe
• Narnia, like our world during World
War II, is heading toward an
inevitable war.
• Lewis is trying to show how God is
still present, even in the darkest
hours of human history. It is
through Jesus and his teaching that
the world can be freed of evil and
grow in peace but only through the
courageous efforts of each individual
to do good.
• God can also help show us the way
to personal healing and growth.
Let’s take a look at Peter, Susan,
Edmund and Lucy to see how this is
true.
Peter the Magnificent
• Peter is in charge of the wellbeing of his siblings once they
are moved to Scotland for their
own protection.
• Peter struggles with his own
leadership qualities…he is not
confident in himself at first
• Peter tends to be bossy and
uncertain – which is particularly
bothersome to Edmund
• Peter needs to learn about
leadership and understand that
one must lead with love first
Peter the Magnificent
• Peter enters into battle to protect both
his family and the kingdom of Narnia.
He is outnumbered, intimidated and
scared but all of Narnia is behind him.
Witnessing Aslan offer his life for
Edmund and all of Narnia inspires Peter.
It is also the faith of those around him
that inspire him with the courage to
stand up to the White Witch and, like
Aslan, risk his life for a greater good.
• Peter is renamed the “Magnificent” in
respect to the change that occurs in his
heart – he has found himself and
discovered his ability to lead with his
heart for this is the greatest kind of
leader.
Susan the Gentle
• Susan is the oldest daughter –
second oldest in the family
• Susan needs life to be under control
– logic is the way you establish
control
• Susan always feels the way she does
things is the right way – this annoys
others in her family
• Susan needs to allow others to take
their own sense of responsibility and
to trust them. Control can be shared
and brought about through
gentleness and humility versus fear
and anger
Susan the Gentle
• By witnessing Aslan’s
willingness to forgive Edmund
and show him mercy and grace,
Susan realizes that not
everything has to be dealt with
in an authoritarian way. There
is great power in mercy – often
times by showing grace one can
cause greater positive change in
others. Susan truly learns the
power of grace and mercy and
so is renamed Susan the Gentle.
Edmund the Just
• Edmund is the one hurt the most
from the separation of his family
during the war
• Edmund, however, does not process
his feelings…he bottles it all up
• Edmund feels that he was entitled to
something different and is angry that
nobody can change his
circumstances for him
• Upon meeting the Witch, Edmund
sees someone who can take him
away from his pain and give him
exactly what he wants immediately
(just like the pop culture of
consumption today)
Edmund the Just
• Once free, Edmund meets with
Aslan. Aslan speaks with Edmund.
We never know what they speak of,
but it is believed that Aslan validated
Edmunds pain and gave him
forgiveness (grace). This was more
powerful than punishing him.
• Once Edmund experienced
forgiveness, he begins to want to live
his life for a reason – with purpose
to do good to others. This is the
power of love to change people.
Edmund risks his life for his brother
and Narnia – he truly understands
the virtue of valuing others over
himself.
Edmund the Just
• The Witch is lying to him for she is
being selfish herself and only wants
her will to be satisfied
• Edmund starts to become like the
Witch and would have if she had not
turned on him – selfish and corrupt
• While in prison, Edmund realizes
what his choices have afforded him
and he starts to desire to be free, and
with his freedom, help others
become free. He starts to see how
our lives are all interconnected. He
sees how quickly evil desires can
destroy what is most valuable to us
in life.
Lucy the Valiant
• Lucy is the youngest in the family
• Like all children, she does not have a
problem believing in the
“impossible” – in other worlds and
different possibilities
• No surprise, Lucy is therefore the
first to see the world of Narnia
through the Wardrobe.
• Still, at first she is not sure if the
snow that falls is actually snow. She
believes quickly though and allows
herself to be overwhelmed with joy
and wonder.
Lucy the Valiant
• Lucy’s first friend is Mr. Tumnus.
He has plans to kidnap her because
the Witch has ordered him to do so.
Her innocence and kindness
overwhelms Tumnus and he decides
to free her and do the right thing.
• Lucy’s attempt to tell her family
about what she has seen is met with
doubt and mocking from all of her
siblings, especially Edmund.
• Lucy is the example of how childlike faith can wear away so much in
older children and adults that we
lose our ability to believe and have
faith in anything beyond our senses.
Lucy the Valiant
• The professor (an adult) restores
faith in Lucy by showing how it
is possible to use logic to
believe in her story.
• Lewis is showing how faith is
logical and that it is perhaps the
children that we should listen to
the most.
• Lucy is the constant source of
faith in the story – her faith
fuels her enthusiasm and good
will to help others.
Lucy the Valiant
• Lucy is Valiant in that she does not
compromise her faith at any moment. She
knows what she has seen and is determined
not to let it go. She inspires others to be
braver in their faith and allow it to become
part of who they are.
• Lucy is the point we all need to return to,
the inner child that frees us up to believe
again. She is renamed Lucy the Valiant for
her bravery in holding true to her faith. It
is her faith that inspires others to believe
and experience how they can participate in
the life of God. Lucy most closely
resembles a true disciple of Jesus Christ
from the very beginning of the story. The
others follow her by the end and are
disciples themselves.
The God in the
Wardrobe
• The Gospel Message is about
returning to God. It is about a return
to the heart of faith – the truth about
who we are as human beings and
about how we can serve others with
love and compassion as Jesus did.
• The message in Narnia is another
way to understand the Gospel
Message. The story centers on the
powerful message and presence of
Christ as the source of life itself –
the source of healing for our wounds
and of empowering our spirits to do
impossible things in the name of
love and justice
Beatitudes and Narnia
The following are the Beatitudes
that best fit the main characters
in Narnia:
• Lucy – Blessed are the pure in
heart
• Peter – Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for
righteousness
• Susan – Blessed are the meek
• Edmund – Blessed are the
merciful
Beatitudes
• The word Beatitude comes from the
Latin word, beatitudo meaning
happiness/blessing
• In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus
describes the qualities of the citizens
of the Kingdom of Heaven
• Each of the blessed individuals
indicated in the Beatitudes are not
considered blessed according to
worldly standards, but with a
heavenly perspective, they truly are
blessed