About the Syllabus

Author: Gerard Gaskin

R.E. SYLLABUS WE BELONG TO THE LORD DIOCESE OF WAGGA WAGGA, AUSTRALIA

Mr. Gerard M. Gaskin

A Religious Education Syllabus for children ages 5 - 12 For Teachers, Catechists, and Parents

ABOUT THE SYLLABUS

Its 544 pages are based entirely on the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Systematic — Covers all the doctrines of the Catholic Faith completely.

Structured on a "spiral" model whereby all the mysteries of the Catholic Faith are taught in progressive detail each year of primary (elementary) school.

Complete — Uses Scripture & Tradition, Liturgy and Worship, Doctrine statements, Prayer, Bible stories etc. Easy to use in the school, catechist class and home.

User friendly — The clear layout is easy to follow and rich in teaching tips for each level and topic. Requires the minimum of preparation by the teacher. Has a special introduction before every new topic specifically designed for the parent, teacher or catechist.

Uses a new catechetical model which carries a knowledge of Catholic teaching into the day-to-day lives of children and inculcates in them the desire and virtues to live the Christian life to the full.

Realistic — Gradually teaches new concepts and vocabulary at levels appropriate to the child's learning ability.

THE TWENTY TOPICS IN WE BELONG TO THE LORD WHICH FOLLOW THE OUTLINE AND CONTENT OF THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ARE:

Revelation, Scripture and Tradition
The Trinity
God: Creator and Father
Original Justice and the Fall
Jesus Christ, Son and Lord
Jesus Christ Saviour
God the Holy Spirit
The Church
Mary, Mother of God & The Saints
Christian Fulfilment
Liturgy of the Church
Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation
The Celebration of Mass
Sacrament of the Eucharist
Sacraments of Penance and Anointing
Sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony
Decalogue (Ten Commandments)
A New Commandment
Social Justice
Prayer

WE BELONG TO THE LORD COMES AS PART OF A "PACKAGE" OF CATECHISM RELATED RESOURCES WHICH INCLUDE:

Printed Scope-and-Sequence chart (coloured) Suitable for wall mounting and display, it contains all of the doctrine to be taught. Gives an at-a-glance overview of the entire programme.

Creative and integrated worksheets for home and classroom use (photocopy masters). 133 beautifully prepared, original full-page (A4) graphics designed to assist the children's understanding of the topic being taught. Each worksheet is cross-referenced to its corresponding section of the syllabus.

Teacher/catechist magazine containing lesson plans and teaching ideas. The magazine "Life in His Name" provides suggested lesson outlines for up to five lessons per week on each topic and level of the syllabus. (produced 4 times per year)

Coming soon ... specialised programmes for First Penance, First Holy Communion and Confirmation. These are being developed in conjunction with classroom teachers around the diocese, these will enable full use of the syllabus while providing an intensive preparation for the sacraments.

THE SYLLABUS CONTAINS ...

Each of the twenty Topics begins with a thorough doctrinal introduction, derived from the catechism, and other sources, for teacher information and faith development. They also contain many of the Catechism's "In Brief" sections.

Each Topic is divided into seven year level units for classroom teachers.

Each year level unit contains:

•The Doctrine statement which provides the teaching/learning aim of the
   topic's lessons,
•Detailed Scripture and Bible stories unique to each topic and year level unit,
•Worship ideas taken from the Church's Creeds and the prayers of the
   Mass,
•Tradition statements indicating the history of the Church's formulation of
   doctrine,
•A rich "Education Notes" section, full of practical teaching tips,
•Reference notes for further lesson research,
•Tips on integrating the Faith into the teaching of the other school subjects,
•Response (outcomes) section suggesting the way children will carry their
   new insights into their daily lives.

There is also an exhaustive index, hymn and prayer section at the end of the book.

Mr. Gerard Gaskin
Assistant Director responsible for Religious Education
P.O. Box 1012
Wagga Wagga, Australia, 2650
PHONE: International + 61 69 21 200
FAX: International + 61 69 21 2986
INTERNET ADDRESS: GGASKIN@OZEMAIL.COM.AU