New Sunday School Textbook Released
03 August 2011
The Diocese's Department of Youth and Education (DYE) is pleased to announce the release of the seventh Sunday School textbook in the brand new We Believe series. Titled The Heart of the Matter: Who Am I? What Do I Believe? the book is part of the Grade Eight curriculum.
The new textbook focuses on a close study of the Nicene Creed. Students learn the Creed line by line, and explore the related historical and theological background.
They also delve into personal issues of faith, and are challenged to answer the deepest of questions: What does it mean to me that God created the world? How did Jesus save me, and why do I need saving? What is the church? What happens after death?
A beginning unit on comparative religion surveys the three major Christian families, as well as Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Finally, students engage in a "summing up" of thought and content and plan and participate in a service project for four weeks.
Written by Christian Education coordinator Elise Antreassian, the Grade Eight textbook will be followed by the publication of Grades Three and Four—which are currently in the editing phase—in the summer of 2012, and Grades Two and Seven in 2013. During that time, a new Cradle Roll and Pre-K curriculum will be installed as well.
Curriculum development is a collaborative process, with a draft writer taking the vital first step of fleshing out DYE course outlines into student text and teacher instructions. Then begins the back-and-forth of editor and writer, clergy reader, readers who check Scripture references, language, key concepts and whether all objectives are met in the right chronological order.
Once the text is finalized, the task of layout and design commences. One of the greatest challenges has been to find photos of Sunday School children in study, play, worship, school, church, family life, etc. to give the textbooks authenticity and relevance. The DYE has been reaching out to superintendents who have, in turn, sought help from students' parents.
The six new textbooks already in circulation have been enthusiastically received. And revision for the next series has already begun. This may very well be the last set of textbooks produced in classic print form. The makeup of parish communities and Sunday Schools 15 years from now will determine the character of the next generation of teaching materials.
Click here to view the 2011 Christian Education "Curriculum & Resource Catalogue" and to learn more about the books and resources currently available.
Background on the new series
In 1987, for the first time in the history of the Armenian Church in America, the then-Department of Religious Education (DRE) produced an entirely original curriculum for Sunday Schools. It consisted of fifteen grades: Pre-K, Nursery, and K through 12, and included four Grade 11 mini-courses, a monthly meeting format for Grade 12 based on the Beatitudes, and Activity Packets for eight of the grades.
In subsequent years, a new Pre-K curriculum was issued which featured take-home parent cards instead of a student text. Mini courses were developed for teen grades; as of May 2005, 11 new middle and high school courses were in place.
Titled We Believe (Havadamk), the curriculum was developed according to the following statement of purpose articulated by a curriculum committee and DRE:
"To project the Armenian character of the Christian faith through its liturgy, theology, spirituality, history, art, and music. Besides their primary function of teaching the faith, history, and doctrine of the Church, these textbooks serve to strengthen national values and traditions in a bi-cultural environment."
Over the years, DRE solicited evaluations from teachers, school administrators, and pastors. A complete revision of the curriculum began to appear in 2007, based on an updated religious education vision. A new statement of purpose evolved:
"To bring the learner into a living relationship with Jesus Christ, within the Church—the Body of Christ—through the Holy Tradition of the Armenian Church."
The first curriculum focused on information, complemented by experiential and affective faith. The new curriculum began with exploring the age-appropriate faith experience and feelings of the learner, and applied pertinent information to facilitate growth in knowledge and faith.
Changes included fewer lessons and less text (solid blocks of information); an increased focus on the learner's life experience; conceptual or thematic units (e.g. creation and not the Bible); more Scripture, Armenian history, saints, and vocabulary; more photos and better use of space; inclusion of review activities and quizzes; and a family page for home involvement.
