Education 4205
Religious Education in
Primary & Elementary Grades

Course Description Basic & Supplemental Readings
Course Evaluation Suggested Schedule for Required Readings

Bibliography

Course Description

MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY OF NEWFOUNDLAND
FALL SEMESTER 1997

"An introductory study of aims and objectives, subject matter, curriculum materials, teaching methods, learning experiences, and evaluation for Religious Education courses." (M.U.N. Calendar 1997-98, p. 250.)

COURSE MEETINGS: 

September 4 - December 2, 1997. Room E-2004.
Tuesdays & Thursdays: 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

PRE-REQUISITES:

None. For adequate academic background, you are advised to take courses in the Religious Studies Department whenever possible, especially those dealing with the Bible (RS 2050 & 2051); Christian theology (e.g., RS 2013, 2130, & 2140); Ethics (RS 2610); World Religions (RS 2011 & 2012); and Religion & Culture (RS 2810).

INSTRUCTOR:

Noël Shuell, BA, M.Ed., MA, Ph.D.,
Associate Professor, Faculty of Education.

OFFICE:       E-3056.
                        Mail: Box 60, Room E-1008.

Phone: (709) 737-7634. Fax: (709) 737-2345.

E-Mail: nshuell@morgan.ucs.mun.ca

Office Hours: Immediately after class, for about 30 minutes.
                        At other times by appointment, or by chance.

THIS COURSE provides an answer to the question: What is involved in planning lessons and units in Religious Education (hereafter, RE) for the primary (K-3) and elementary (4-6) grades, especially in Newfoundland & Labrador schools?

TOPICS OF THIS COURSE, which help to answer the question above, are the main decision-making areas for all educational planning, as applied to RE, namely,

  • Rationale & Aims of RE in the school curriculum.
  • Learner, Environmental, & Teacher characteristics that are relevant to RE.
  • Subject matter or Content of RE.
  • Objectives & Outcomes for RE: cognitive, affective, & behavioral.
  • Resources or Materials for teaching & learning RE.
  • Strategies, Methods, & Techniques for teaching RE.
  • Sequences of activities in RE lessons.
  • Planning RE lessons and units.
  • Evaluating learning and teaching in RE.

These topics are studied both generally and specifically. The specific RE programs with which you will become familiar are those presently used in the provincial Integrated, Roman Catholic, and Pentecostal education committees.

COURSE OBJECTIVES & OUTCOMES: By the end of this course, you should be able to--

  1. explain the rationale and aims of RE as part of the school curriculum.

  2. identify some important characteristics of children in Grades K-6 and explain their relevance and application in RE.

  3. explain and demonstrate ways of creating physical and social environments in Grades K-6 classrooms in order to facilitate the RE of children.

  4. describe in general the curriculum and typical instructional practices of the RE courses in Grades K-6 in the three major RE programs in Newfoundland & Labrador schools.

  5. describe in detail the curriculum (that is, the subject matter, objectives, and resources) of the RE courses in Grades K-6 in at least one of the three major RE programs in Newfoundland & Labrador schools.

  6. describe in detail the instructional practices (that is, the strategies, methods, and techniques of instruction and evaluation) that are recommended for RE in Grades K-6 in at least one of the three RE programs in Newfoundland & Labrador schools.

  7. make appropriate and effective lesson and unit plans to help children in Grades K-6 achieve the objectives and outcomes of their RE courses and programs.

  8. develop facility in communicating with others about RE in formal and informal classroom settings for children in Grades K-6.

  9. be ready to begin a school internship or to apply for a school position which includes the teaching of RE for children.

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Basic and Supplemental Readings

Basic Readings

  1. Donald Ratcliff (editor), Handbook of Children's Religious Education (Birmingham, Alabama: Religious Education Press, 1992).

  2. Janaan Manternach & Carl J. Pfeifer, Creative Catechist: A Comprehensive, Illustrated Guide for Training Religion Teachers (Revised ed.; Mystic, Connecticut: Twenty-third Publications, 1991).

  3. Program of Studies, 1997-98 (St. John's, Newfoundland: Minister of Education, 1997), pp. i-vi; 1-2, 10-11, 14; 17, 25-26, 34-37,-40; 43, 50-51,58-60, 63. (French Immersion RE: pp. 179, 180, 183; 184, 186-188; 194, 195-196.)


    Supplemental Readings

  4. Donald L. Griggs, Teaching Teachers to Teach: A Basic Manual for Church Teachers (Nashville: Abingdon, 1974).

  5. Government of Newfoundland & Labrador, Aims of Public Education for Newfoundland & Labrador (St. John's, Newfoundland: Minister of Education, 1984).

Readings 1 & 2 are available in the Bookstore and will also be on QE2 Reserve in connection with Ed4205. Readings 3 & 5 are in the Curriculum Materials Centre (Curriculum Guides). Reading 4 will be on QE2 Reserve. Readings from other sources will also be required, most of which are in the CMC.

COURSE TOPICS & READINGS
ABBREVIATIONS

Aims Aims of Public Education for Newfoundland & Labrador
CC Creative Catechist.
HB Handbook of Children's Religious Education.
IEC Religious Education Syllabus for Integrated Schools.
NBS1 "Aims for All in Religious Education", by Noël Shuell (1988).
PEC Religious Education Syllabus: Bible Study & Family Life (Pentecostal Education Council).
PS Program of Studies (1997-1998).
TT Teaching Teachers to Teach.

TOPICS & READINGS
[NOTE: Bracketed readings are optional.]

RE Learners HB: chs. 1, 2, 3, 4.
RE Teachers HB: ch. 8.  CC:  Introduction; ch. 11. [TT:  Introduction; ch. 1.]
RE Aims Aims. IEC:  pp. 1-10. PEC:  pp. 1-4. CC:  ch. 1. HB ch. 2.
[TT pp. 12-13. NBS1.]
RE Guidelines PS:  pp. 1-2, 14; 17, 40; 43, 63.
RE Social Environment HB: chs. 5, 6, 7. CC:  ch. 13.
RE Lesson Planning HB: chs. 8, 9. CC: ch. 15. [TT: chs. 2, 5 (pp.19-20), 7, 8]
RE Subject Matter HB: ch. 8. PS: pp. i-vi; 10-11; 25-26, 34-37; 50-51, 58-60.
[TT: ch. 3. IEC: pp. 11-14. PEC: pp. 5-11. CC: chs. 5-10, 23.]
RE Objectives/Outcomes HB, chs. 8, 9. [TT: ch. 4.]
RE Resources CC: chs. 14, 16-19, 21. [TT: chs. 6, 10.]
Strategies for RE:
         Direct Learning:
         Experiential Learning: 
         Praxis Learning:
HB: ch. 9. [TT: p. 19; ch. 7.]
CC: ch. 15
CC: ch. 24.
RE Methods/Activities CC: chs. 12, 20, 22. [TT: chs. 5, 9, 11, 12.]
RE Evaluation HB: ch. 10. CC: ch. 25.
NOTE: You are also expected to become familiar with the student texts and teacher guides for at least one of the three RE programs used in Newfoundland & Labrador Kindergarten, Primary, and Elementary schools.

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Course Evaluation

Your Final Grade in this course will be based on the following:

10% Preparation for, attendence at, & participation in all the class meetings of the course including the competion of occasional worksheets, preparation of short oral explanations, ans so on
10% Complete nine Response Worksheets for the readings in Handbook of Children's Religious Education. (Individual or Pair)
8% Model Lesson Project #1, due Tuesday, October 14. (Group; Individual if combind with Demonstration Lesson below)
12% Model Lesson Project #3, due Tuesday, December 2. (Group)
30% Final Exam (2 hours, scheduled during Final Exam Week
30% Various course activities chosen from among the following:
5% Two short presentations, chosen from the following 4 activities, scheduled ASAP (Individual)
  • Tell a religion-related story for use in a RE lesson.
  • Show/Tell a musical resource for a RE lesson.
  • Show/Tell a children's literature resource for a RE lesson.
  • Show/Tell an audio-visual resource for a RE lesson.
5% Bible-Reading project: read one Gospel in the New Testement, and complete a worksheet anaysis of it. Due by Tuesday 23 September. (Individual)
5% Oral presentation of one chapter in Creative Catechist (from Chapters 12, 14, 17-23).
(See schedule of Readings for the date of presentation.) (Individual or Pair)
5% Teach a 30-minute Demonstration Leson based on Model Lesson Project (MLP) #1 or #2, scheduled ASAP after the MLP due date. (Individual)
5% Create a Visual Display: Classroom Poster--prepared, introduced, & displayed in the classroom until December 2. Due: Tuesday, October 28. (Individual)
5% Written explanation, anaysis, & rationale of the Visual Display above. (Individual)
10% Model Lesson Project #2, due Tuesday, November 4. (Group; or Individual if combined with Demonstration Lesson above)
10% Oral presentaion, reporting on one RE course in Grades K-6, scheduled ASAP.
(Individual or Pair)
10% Oral presentation of one chapter in Handbook of Children's Religious Education. (See Schedule of Readings for date of Presentation.) (Individual or Pair)
10% Develop, display, and explain a classroom Learning Resource & Activity Centre for a RE unit, scheduled in November. (Group or Individual)
20% Midterm Exam (1 hour, Thursday, October 16). (Individual)

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Suggested Schedule for Required Readings

ABBREVIATIONS

Aims Aims of Public Education for Newfoundland & Labrador.
CC Creative Catechist.
HB Handbook of Children's Religious Education.
IEC Religious Education Syllabus for Integrated Schools.
PEC Religious Education Syllabus: Bible Study & Family Life (Pentecostal Education Council).
PS Program of Studies (1997-1998).
RW Response Worksheet for Handbook readings.

Suggested Schedule

Sep 9 HB (Introduction): pp. vii-x; ch. 1; (8) pp. 189-190.
Sep 11 RW#1. HB (8): pp. 178-188. CC: Introduction; ch. 11.
Sep 16 HB (8): pp. 164-173, 193-199; ch. 9.
Sep 18 RW#2. CC: chs. 15, 14.
Sep 23 HB: ch. 10. CC: ch. 25.
Sep 25 RW#3. HB (8): pp. 191-193. PS: pp. 1-2, 14; 17, 40; 43, 63.
Sep 30 HB: ch. 3. CC: ch. 12.
Oct 2 RW#4. HB (8): pp. 173-177, 190-191. PS: pp. i-vi; 10-11; 25-26, 34-37; 50-51, 58-60.
Oct 7 HB: ch. 4.
Oct 9 RW#5. Aims. HB (2): pp. 21-35. IEC: pp. 1-10. PEC: pp. 1-4. CC: chs. 1, 15.
Oct 14 MODEL LESSON PROJECT #1.
Oct 16 MIDTERM EXAM.
Oct 21 HB: ch. 7. CC: ch. 13.
Oct 23 RW#6. CC: ch. 16.
Oct 28 HB (2): pp. 35-55.
Oct 30 RW#7. CC: chs. 17, 18.
Nov 4 MODEL LESSON PROJECT #2. HB: ch. 5.
Nov 6 CC: ch. 24.
Nov 11 FALL BREAK.
Nov 13 RW#8. CC: chs. 19, 21.
Nov 18 HB: ch. 6.
Nov 20 RW#9. CC: chs. 20, 22.
Nov 25 INDEPENDENT STUDY.
Nov 27 INDEPENDENT STUDY.
Dec 2 MODEL LESSON PROJECT #3.

 

A STRATEGY FOR STUDY: SQ3R

SURVEY

QUESTION

READ

REVIEW

RECITE

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Bibliogaphy

Dunn, Rita; Dunn, Kenneth; and Treffinger, Donald. 1992. Bringing Out the Giftedness in Your Child: Nurturing Every Child's             Unique Strengths, Talents, and Potential. Toronto: John Wiley & Sons.

Fastbacks. Bloomington, Indiana: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation.

344 Eleanor Baron, Discipline Strategies for Teachers (1992).
353 Jack Blendinger & others, Win-Win Discipline (1993).
351 Kenneth Burrett & Timothy Rusnak, Integrated Character Education (1993).
244 Kenneth Chuska, Teaching the Process of Thinking, K-12 (1986).
191 Cornett, Claudia E. 1983. What You Should Know About Teaching and Learning Styles.
241 Cornett, Claudia E. 1986. Learning Through Laughter: Humor in the Classroom.
331 Robert Gilstrap & others, Improving Instruction in Middle Schools (1992).
341 Emily Grady, The Portfolio Approach to Assessment (1992).
224 Kniker, Charles R. 1985. Teaching About Religion in the Public Schools.
342 David Lazear, Teaching for Multiple Intelligences (1992).
345 Thomas Lombardi, Learning Strategies for Problem Learners (1992).
237 Kevin Ryan, The Induction of New Teachers (1986).
311 Frank Sparzo, Preparing Better Teacher-Made Tests: A Practical Guide (1990).
276 Arthur W. Steller, Effective Schools Research: Practice and Promise (1988).

Government of Newfoundland & Labrador. 1984. Aims of Public Education for Newfoundland and Labrador. St. John's:                  Minister of Education.

Government of Newfoundland & Labrador. Program of Studies. St. John's: Minister of Education.

Griggs, Donald L. (1974) Teaching Teachers to Teach: A Basic Manual for Church Teachers. Nashville: Abingdon.

Integrated Education Council. 1987. Religious Education Syllabus for Integrated Schools. St. John's, Newfoundland:                  Integrated Education Council.

Manternach, Janaan; and Pfeifer, Carl. 1991. Creative Catechist: A Comprehensive, Illustrated Guide for Training Religion                  Teachers. Revised edition. Mystic, Connecticut: Twenty-Third Publications.

Shuell, Noël B. 1979. "Communicating Values in Religious Education." Morning Watch (March/May 1979): 37-39.

Shuell, Noël. 1988. "Aims for All in Religious Education." RESIC Bulletin 13/1 (January 1988): 9-10. [Religious Educaton                  Special Interest Council, Newfoundland Teachers Association]

Smart, Ninian. 1989. "The Nature of a Religion." In The World's Religions, pp. 8-21. USA: Prentice Hall.

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