A Followup - Theology Curriculum

Perhaps, since some have requested it, it's time to list the remainder of the Theology outline for the 2007-2008 Freshman year at Barat Academy, which was given to students/parents. The previous post ended with the beginning of the first quarter of the curriculum. Continuing with Quarter 1:

2. The Spirituality of the Sacred Heart
a. What are the goals (and criteria) of Sacred Heart education?
b. How can I adapt the Learn Life philosophy into my everyday living?
c. The student will learn to view all facets of his/her education through a theological lens.
d. The student will study the lives of Madeleine Sophie Barat and Rose-Philippine Duchesne.
e. Working in groups, the students will create a project detailing one of the five goals of Sacred Heart education.
f. The student will be examined on his/her understanding of the lives of Madeleine Sophie Barat and Rose-Philippine Duchesne, and his/her comprehension of a spirituality that centers on devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Recall that the first quarter begins with a study of the "Wisdom" of the Enneagram as a personality tool (mistakenly understood as such as Fr Mitch Pacwa describes it).

Quarter 2
1. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens
a. How does an understanding of the seven habits help me in my journey of growth during my high school years?
b. The student will internalize each of the seven habits, and will decide which of the habits he/she needs and/or wants to improve upon.
c. Small groups will collaborate to determine which of the habits is most important for a developing teenager. Then the groups will produce a creative presentation that describes the selected habit.

2. Biblical Literacy
a. What do the terms hermeneutics and exegesis mean in theology?
b. The student will be able to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the most prominent forms of Scripture interpretation.
c. The student will become familiar with Scripture commentaries and appreciate their utility for Biblical interpretation.
d. Each student will select a pericope of his/her choice within the Bible and perform a presentation on that passage using one of the many forms of Scripture interpretation.

Quarter 3
1. The Four Agreements
a. How are the four agreements applicable to every faith background in the world?
b. The student will strengthen his/her interpersonal skills by incorporating the tenants of The Four Agreements.
c. The student will be assessed on his/her understanding of the four agreements and the universal themes contained in each.

2. The Power of Prayer
a. What are the benefits of an earnest prayer life?
b. How do I communicate my thoughts and feelings to God?
c. Each student will be given ample time to reflect on his/her personal relationship with God.
d. The student will contemplate his/her current attitude towards prayer and present his/her hopes for growth in prayer life.

3. Nonviolence and Social Justice
a. How can I help reduce violence in the world today?
b. In what ways has the world fallen to injustice in the past and present?
c. The student will gain background on the lives of people such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Dorothy Day, and other lay men and women who have made an impact in the arenas of nonviolence and social justice.
d.. This unit will entertain papal encyclicals, including Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum(1891), and others, whose primary message confronts injustice.
e. The students will work in groups to present an illustration from one of the four canonical gospels of Jesus' commitment to the principles [of] nonviolence.

Quarter 4
1. Buddhism and Other Indian Religions
a. What features of Buddhism and Hinduism foster an appreciation for environmental ethics?
b. What are the similarities and differences between Christianity and these two religions?
c. The sacred view of water for both religions will be stressed and compared with the ritual perception of water for Christianity.
d. An exam will be administered over the core beliefs of Buddhism and Hinduism, including the central stories of both traditions.

2. Sexual Ethics
a. What does the Church teach about human sexuality?
b. In what ways are sexual ethics appropriate for understanding one's role as a Christian?
c. The student will learn that an appropriate sexual ethic leads to healthy and loving relationships.
d. All students are expected to handle the topic of sexual ethics with the utmost maturity, and they are expected to uphold a non-intimidating atmosphere in the classroom.

3. Church History
a. What moments in the Church's history shed light on ecology and environmental ethics?
b. Documents from the Second Vatican Council and papal encyclicals are going to be the main focus tools for discussion.
c. Each student will produce a synthesis essay on one of the documents of Vatican II, highlighting the key points addressed in the document.
d. The student will also be examined on the major changes in the Church that were brought about by Vatican II.

Any typos mine...