COURSE INFORMATION SHEET
RELIGION DEPARTMENT
DATE: FEBRUARY 2015
SECONDARY SCHOOL: St. Michael’s Choir School
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Mr. J. Woodger
TEACHER: A. Merocchi
CURRICULUM POLICY DOCUMENT
COURSE TITLE
World Religions
PRE-REQUISITE
HRE 2O1
Spring 2015
FULL SEMESTER
Ontario Catholic Secondary Curriculum Policy Document Religious Education from the Institute of Catholic Education (ICE)
COURSE CODE
HRT 3M1
GRADE & TYPE
11 University
CREDIT VALUE
1.0
COURSE DESCRIPTION from the Ontario Catholic Secondary Curriculum Policy Document Religion Education - ICE
This course enables students to discover what others believe and how they live, and to appreciate their own
unique heritage. Students will learn about the teachings and traditions of a variety of religions, the connections
between religion and the development of civilizations, the place and function of religion in human experience,
and the influence of a broad range of religions on contemporary society. This course also introduces students to
skills used in researching and investigating world religions.
Policy & Procedures
In addition to guidelines outlined in the SMCS agenda book, please review My. Hume’s
guidelines on what constitutes plagiarism:
PLAGIARISM

represents as one’s own any idea or expression of an idea or work of another in any
academic examination or term test or in connection with any other form of academic
work

submits, without the knowledge and approval of the instructor to whom it is
submitted, any academic work for which credit has previously been obtained or is
being sought in another course or program of elsewhere

submits any academic work containing a purported statement of fact or reference to
a source which has been concocted.

Forgery of, or in any other way alters or falsifies, any document or evidence cited or
referenced. Students will also be culpable if they knowingly circulate a forged, altered
or falsified document, whether the record be in print or electronic form
Source: Taken from the University of Toronto:
University of Toronto. "Academic Offenses: Definitions." Utoronto.
http://sites.utoronto.ca/academicintegrity/academicoffenses.html.
LATE ASSIGNMENTS
All assignments are due in class on the day they are assigned. If your assignment is late for any
reason, it should be accompanied by a note from a doctor explaining why you were unable to
complete this on time. Failure to produce a note will result in 5% taken off per class.
Assignments are to be:
ASSIGNMENT
FORMAT
REPORTING DATES






Typed
Double Spaced
Chicago Format
No title Page
Include Title, Name, Date, Page numbers
Only hardcopy submissions will be accepted, do not e-mail your essay to Mr. Hume
Please see Student Agenda.
RESOURCES
TEXTBOOK
EXCURSIONS
ELECTRONIC
MEDIA
Van Den Hengel, SCJ, John. World Religions: A Canadian Catholic Perspective. No ed. Toronto:
Novalis Publishing and Nelson Education, 2011.
Henderson, Patti. "Early Religions." In Exploring World Religions, 60-112. Toronto: Oxford
University Press, 2001.
The goal is to attend two different places of worship this semester. Both will be located in the
downtown core. Stay tuned for dates and times.
vatican.va
www.smcsreligion.com > Grade 11 (Ms. Merocchi ) > Resources
www.questia.com/library/religion (login: andrew.hume12@gmail.com, Password: religion)
www.scarboromissions.ca
https://search.ebscohost.com/ (Login: tcdsb, Password: tcdsb)
Course Evaluation Break Down
FINAL MARK
100%
Term
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
70%
Test 1
Test 2
Test 3
Essay 1
Essay 2
Class Participation
Midterm Exam
Tue/ Mar/13/ 2015
Wed/May/6/ 2015
Fri/June/5/ 2015
Fri/Feb/27/ 2015
Fri/May/1/2015
On Going
Fri/April/17/2015
10%
10%
10%
10%
10%
10%
10%
To Be Determined
10%
20%
Final
8
9
30%
Tests
20%
Essays
10%
10%
Reflection
Exam
30%
Independent Study Unit (I.S.U.)
Final Exam
10%
20%
I.S.U.
Exam
Course Outline
Week
(1) Feb 2 -Feb 6
Topic for the Week
Course Introduction
(2) Feb 9- Feb 13
Religious Pluralism
Weekly Readings
Nostra Aetate
Mr. Hume
Chapter 1, World Religions
(3) Feb 16- Feb 20
Native Indigenous Spirituality
Chapter 3, World Religions
(4) Feb 23 - Feb 27
(5) March 2- March 6
Ancient Mesopotamia
Essay # 1 due Feb 27
Hinduism and the Indus Valley
Pages 60-70,
Exploring World Religions
Chapter 7, World Religions
(6) March 9- March
13
Abraham and Monotheism
Test # 1 (March 10)
Genesis 12-28
(Use NRSV translation)
March 16- March 20
MARCH BREAK – no classes
(7) March 23 - March
27
Judaism
(8) March 30 - April 3
Buddhism
Chapter 8, World Religions
(9) April 6 - April 10
Janism
Page 70,
Exploring World Religions
Timeline
223 000 BCE
4000 BCE
3000 BCE
2000 BCE
Chapter 4, World Religions
1200 BCE
500 BCE
500 BCE
(10) April 13 - April
17
Confucianism
Midterm Exam (April 17)
Pages 89-90, 92- 109
Exploring World Religions
(11) April 20- April 24
Christianity
Chapter 5, World Religions
(12) April 27 - May 1
Catholicism
Essay # 2 due May 1
Islam /Shinto
Shinto
Test # 2 (May 6)
Sikhism
Chapter 2, World Religions
(13) May 4- May 8
(14) May 11– May 15
May 18 – May 22
Tour – No Classes
May 25 –May 29
Tour – No Classes
(15) June 1 – June 5
June 12 – June 19
Religion versus Cults
Test # 3 (June 5)
Final Exam (Date T.B.D.)
Chapter 6, World Religions
Pages 100-102
Exploring World Religions
Chapter 9, World Religions
500 BCE
33 CE
312 CE
610 CE
700 CE
1500 CE
No Readings
Mr. Hume
Tests
All Tests will consist of three parts:
Part A – 40 Multiple Choice Questions (1 mark per question)
Part B – Two short Answer Questions (From a choice of five options)
Part C – An in class Essay
Test 1
Will cover content from the first three weeks of class
Due Date: March 13, 2015.
Value: 10% of Final Grade
Test 2
Will cover content from weeks 8-10 (Religious developments in the 6th century BCE: Buddhism, Janism, and
Confucianism)
Due Date: May 6, 2015.
Value: 10% of Final Grade
Test 3
Will cover content from weeks 11-14 (Christianity, Catholicism, Islam, and Shintoism).
Due Date: June 6, 2015.
Value: 10% of Final Grade
Essays
Pick 2 out of the 3 Essays to complete.
Essay 1
Students are to explore the Roman Catholic Church’s position on the possibility of salvation outside of the
Church. Can non-Catholics, or even non-Christians be saved? What about atheists who reject faith in God
altogether? Consider the development of this throughout the Church’s history (think back to grade10
Religion). If Salvation is possible outside the Church, what reason is there to be a member of the Church?
The thesis of this essay should revolve around answering the question: Is Salvation possible outside of the
Catholic Church.
Length: 1000 words
Due Date: Feb 27/ May 1 2015.
Worth 10% of Final Grade
Essay 2
Discuss the influences of Judaism on the world. What did it contribute to the intellectual world, to the
evolution of human society, and to the way the people understand the universe.
The thesis of this essay should argue that Judaism contributed to the world for the reasons of….
Length: 1000 words
Due Date: Feb 27 / May 1 2015.
Worth 10% of Final Grade
. Essay 3
Students are to do a comparison essay between Eastern and Western Religions. Consider fundamental
differences or similarities in how they understand the universe and answer fundamental metaphysical
questions.
Students have discretion to develop their own thesis for the I.S.U., but they must consult their teacher before
writing the paper.
Length: 1200 words
Due Date: Feb 27 / May 1 2015.
Worth 10% of Final Grade
Exams
Both Exams will consist of four parts:
Part A – 50 Multiple Choice Questions (1 mark per question)
Part B – Two short Answer Questions (From a choice of five options)
Part D – Matching
Part C – An in class Essay
Midterm Exam
Will cover content from weeks 1-10 of the course (Course Introduction – Confucianism).
Due Date: April 17, 2015.
Value: 10% of Final Grade
Final Exam
Will cover content from weeks 11-19 (Christianity – Course Conclusion + Nostra Aetate)
Due Date: To Be Determined by Administration
Value: 20% of Final Grade
ISU
You will pick one religion that interests you and bring the class through one ritual a day (for the week) or
a ceremony (one class) from that religion. Plan to include music, materials, copies of prayers ect. In
order to set the atmosphere. This may be done with 1 other partner or individually. You will present the
week your religion is presented in the calendar. Sign up for this will be on the first day of the course. It is
on a first come first serve basis. Each religion can only be done once. You will pick a date February 16th –
May 16th. A rubric and guideline will be provided closer to the date.
Class Participation
Class participation will be based predominately on contribution during appropriate times (i.e. when the
class is invited to share thoughts and reflections). Student will be invited to reflect upon both class
lectures and assigned readings. Other factors that may influence this grade will be uniform, punctuality,
frequent unexcused absences, or behaviour that disrupts learning.
Current Events Participation:
-Find two articles or media that discuss a current event in two different religions
-You will present your article the week your religion is presented in the calendar
-Come prepared with the article and three discussion questions
- You must pick two different religions (not the one you will study for your ISU)
-Sign up will happen on the first day of the course
- A rubric fill follow