ROSEDALE HEIGHTS SCHOOL OF THE ARTS Course Of Study World Religions Grade 11 College/University HRT3M TORONTO DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
Course Overview World Religion Grade 11 HRT3M Course Developers: Chris Coculuzzi Course Description 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. Ministry Document The Ontario Curriculum Grade 11 and 12 Social Science and Humanities Units: Titles and Time Unit 1 Introduction to Religion 15 hours Unit 2 Religions arising from India 30 hours Unit 3 Families of Abraham 30 hours Unit 4 Religions of China and Japan 20 hours Unit 5 Culminating Activity 15 hours Units Overviews Unit 1: Introduction to Religion This unit will introduce students to the some of the basic concepts to understanding religion. It begins with considering what people mean when they refer to religion and comparing that with secular society. Students are encouraged to consider their own philosophy of religion as they are exposed to atheist/theist debates, various theories on the origin of religion, as well as the question of a supreme being. The unit will culminate with an investigation into several creation stories. 1. What is Religion? Definition of religion and faith Student Personal Credo
2. Theism vs. Atheism 3. Origin of Religion 4. The God Question 5. Creation Stories Debate between a theist and atheist (or anti-theist) Class discussions Response to debate Hume, Frazer, Durkheim, Marx, Freud, Jung, Frye; Venus Figurines and Mother Goddess Arguments for God: Cosmological, Teleological, Ontological, Moral, and Miracles Creation stories: Norse, Egyptian, Babylonian, Chinese, Inuit, Mayan, Yoruba; Readers Theatre; Written Response Unit 2: Religions arising from India Students will learn about the history, beliefs and traditions of the major Indian-based religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Sacred texts will be examined and their concepts of God, revelation, creation, human nature and community will all be explored. Contact with practitioners of the faiths will be a key component of study. These religions will be the basis for the December evaluation. 1. Hinduism 2. Buddhism 3. Jainism and Sikhism Thinking and Inquiry Unit 3: Families of Abraham Special focus: stories for children Special focus: film analysis people Christianity, Islam and Judaism, the three Abrahamic religions, will be the focus of the third unit. Similar to Unit 2, the history, beliefs and traditions of these three religions will all be explored through research and first person exploration. Sacred texts will be examined and their concepts of God, revelation, creation, human nature and community will all be explored. Students will also visit more houses of worship and conduct a personal interview of someone of faith. 1. Judaism Special focus: Hasidism
2. Christianity 3. Islam 4. ISU Special focus: Gnosticism Special focus: Ijitihad Religious Interview Assignment Unit 4: Religions of China and Japan Religions indigenous to China and Japan such as, Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto as well as the spread of Buddhism will be the focus of the fourth unit. Similar to the other units, the history, beliefs and traditions of these religions will all be explored as well as sacred texts, concepts of God, revelation, creation, human nature and community. This unit will serve as a guide for their culminating activity. 1. Indigenous to China 2. Indigenous to Japan Special focus: Confucianism and Taoism Special focus: Shinto 3. The spread of Buddhism The impact on China The impact on Japan Unit 5: Culminating Activity Students will be expected to choose a religious worldview not covered in the course and provide a report and presentation based on the kinds of issues raised during the year, such as concept of faith and God, revelation, human nature, creation, community, the role of women, as well as historic and current trends. 1. Research Process Working collaboratively Working independently
2. Presentation 3. Reflection Audience awareness Presentation quality Comparative analysis Reflective work Teaching/Learning Strategies Teachers will adapt teaching/learning strategies throughout this course to suit students needs. Although the expectations for the four strands are listed separately in the policy document, instructional strategies encompass all of the strands in a holistic way. Teaching/Learning Strategies Used Exploratory exercises, hand-outs, self-assessment, problem-solving, teacher demonstration, differentiated instruction, student presentation, Socratic questioning, teacher/lecture, film and documentary analysis, brainstorming, teacher-directed discussion, debate, analytical writing, group work, role-playing, readers theatre, independent work, written reports, primary source analysis, class debates Assessment & Evaluation of Student Achievement The assessment/evaluation in this course is divided into the four categories of the Achievement Chart. The Knowledge category embraces what students know, the facts and information contained in the course. The category includes assessments of the students application of their knowledge, particularly as demonstrated through critical responses and reflections. The category is used to gather assessments that demonstrate the students abilities to think and analyse what it is they have learned. Finally, the category comprises assessments of how well the students communicate orally, in group presentations and in writing. Teachers must assess Learning Skills separately on the report card. Learning Skills (Homework Completion, Independent Work, Team Work, and Initiative) play a critical role in the achievement of curriculum expectations. It is the school s expectation that all assignments be submitted on time. Overall evaluation of the course is divided as follows: Term Work - 60% Written Exam 10% Culminating Performance Task - 30%. The weighting of the Achievement Chart categories in this course is evenly divided across all four categories at 25% each:
Culminating Performance Task 30% Culminating Performance Task Research Knowledge/ Understanding Thinking/ Inquiry Per Cent Value X X X X 30% Presentation Reflection X X X X X X X X 35% 35% Textbooks and/or Essential Resources Textbooks DesRivieres, Dennis, Dolan, Sean, Ellsworth, James, Goodland, Sharon, Kernahan Deo, Lawley, Peter, and Quinlan, Do. Exploring World Religions. Ontario: Canada. Oxford University Press, 2001. Ludwig, Theodore M.. The Sacred Paths. New York: MacMillan Publishing Company, 1989. Other Resources Boccaccini, Gabriele. Roots of Rabbinic Judaism. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Erdmans Publishing Co., 2002. Dosick, Wayne. Living Judaism. New York: HarperCollins, 1995. Goldman, Ari L.. Being Jewish. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000. Lippman, Thomas W.. Understanding Islam. New York: Penguin, 1990. Pagels, Elaine. The Gnostic Gospels. New York: Random House, 1989. Pagels, Elaine. The Origin of Satan. New York: Random House, 1995. Sen, K.M.. Hinduism. London: Penguin, 2005. Sweetman, Brendan. Religion: Key Concepts in Philosophy. London: Continuum, 2007. Tillich, Paul. Dynamics of Faith. New York: Harper Collins Publishers Inc., 2001. Ward, Keith. Religion and Community. New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 1999. Ward, Keith. Religion and Creation. New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 1996. Ward, Keith. Religion and Human Nature. New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 1998. Ward, Keith. Religion and Revelation. New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 1994. Ward, Keith. The Case for Religion. Oxford: Oneworld Publications Limited, 2004. Film Resources: A Jihad for Love. Dir. Parvez Sharma. Mongrel Media: 2007. A Life Apart: Hasidism in America. Dir. Menachem Daum and Oren Rudavsky. First Run Features: 1997. Gandhi. Dir. Richard Attenborough. Columbia Pictures: 1982. Islam: Empire of Faith. Dir. Robert Gardner. PBS: 2000. Little Buddha. Dir. Bernardo Bertolucci. Lions Gate: 1993. Malcolm X. Dir. Spike Lee. Warner Bros.: 1992. The Last Temptation of Christ. Dir. Martin Scorcese. Alliance Atlantis: 1988.