Grade 3 - Family Life Education

Families: A Living Communion of Love

Families: Called to be in Relationship

Families: Created in Love, Wonderfully Made

Demonstrate an understanding that God, who is love, is ever-present in families. (AL 59: “The mystery of the Christian family can be fully understood only in the light of the Father's infinite love revealed in Christ.”") [LG 11, 31, FC 28, CCC 1604, 2780 –2782]

Communicate how families are a loving gift from God where we grow, love and feel a sense of belonging.

Examine the many ways families share in God's gift of love.

Identify how God invites them to support families at home, at school and at Church.

Demonstrate an understanding of how families support one's God-given vocation and purpose. (AL 260: "Families cannot help but be places of support, guidance and direction.") [AL 260, CV 253-255, CCC 2222-2230]

Describe how gifts and talents give praise and glory to God in their family.

Express how gifts and talents, used in families, help form their identity and grow to be healthy and holy.

Explore ways in which family and community members use their gifts and talents to love and serve God.

Understand the family as domestic church or 'home' or 'little' church. [LG 11, FC 21, AL 67, DC 226-227, CCC 1666,2204-2206]

Explore how a family can build and strengthen its domestic church and grow together in holiness (e.g. praying at the crucifix, selecting icons, creating sacred spaces, using prayer bowls and holy water, etc.).

Connect the roles and responsibilities within the domestic church that support faith sharing (e.g. parent/guardian taking children to Mass, children preparing for Sacraments, spending time with Godparents, etc.).

Illustrate ways the domestic church celebrates the liturgical life of the Church (e.g. liturgical colours in the home match those seen in the church, such as purple for Advent and Lent and green for Ordinary Time; lighting the Advent wreath as a family at the dinner table; giving alms during Lent, etc.).

Demonstrate an understanding that family relationships are a gift from God. [FC 15, CCC 2201 – 2206]

Identify and describe how the special people in their family are valued as gifts from God (e.g. parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.).

Articulate qualities that are valued in friendships (e.g. kindness, good listener, merciful, loyal, etc.).

Assess how people in their parish and community demonstrate commitment to families and friendships.

Demonstrate an understanding that the Holy Family accompanies the Christian family as it forms and develops relationships. [AL 65, CCC 1601-1605, 1655-1657]

Explore in scripture how the Holy Family participates in relationships similar to those found in families today (e.g. Wedding Feast at Cana; Mary and Elizabeth; Jesus and John; Mary, Martha and Lazarus).

Identify and articulate promises and commitments that are important in families.

Communicate how Catholic Sacramental marriage is a covenant of love (GS 48) between a man, woman and God. (RE CL3.1 and RE PR1.3)

Demonstrate an understanding of the duties, rights, responsibilities, and decision making within the family and community. [FC 17, CCC 1776 – 1782, 2207-2213]

Identify and practice discernment and right-judgement in decision-making scenarios. (RE ML2.4 and HPE A1.6)

Explore and express how duties and responsibilities in relationships support families.

Describe and explain characteristics of healthy and trusted relationships in families, friendships and community (e.g. accepting differences, being inclusive, communicating openly, establishing and respecting personal boundaries, listening, showing mutual respect and caring, being honest, communicating consent). (HPE D1.4)

Demonstrate an understanding that human beings are created body, mind and spirit, in the image and likeness of God. (Gen 1:26-27) [GS 24, 29 FC 11, AL 10 – 11, CCC 222-227, 299, 353 – 354, 356-361]

Explain the responsibility humans have to care for, share, love and nurture God's gift of our common home.

Identify that a man and a woman cooperate with God's grace in the creation of children.

Communicate how they appreciate the uniqueness (e.g. visible differences such as skin, hair, eye colour, etc. and invisible differences such as learning abilities, skills and talents, allergies, cultural values, personal preferences [i.e. likes and dislikes], etc.) and sacredness of human life and creation. (HPE D3.3)

Understand that God desires abundant life for us as healthy, whole persons, gifted into families. [CCC 50-53, 2288-2289]

Explore the gift of their senses as they relate to their feelings of being connected to their family and the world (e.g. smells that remind them of people they love, nature).

Describe how sharing their feelings with God and their families can have a positive effect on their sense of well-being (e.g. peace versus stress and anxiety). (HPE D1.6 and HPE D3.4)

Investigate how celebrating and accepting their body as a gift from God contributes to the development of a healthy body image. (HPE D1.4 and HPE D1.5)

Demonstrate an understanding of human growth and development as graced from conception to natural death. [GS 50, FC 28, 30, AL 83, CCC 2258, 2318-2319]

Express how families help the human person to grow and develop from conception through childhood.

Describe the functions of the body parts (e.g. sperm, ovum, cells, uterus, birth canal, breasts) that allow the couple to participate with God to bring about and nurture new life.

Explore and research factors that affect the physical and social-emotional development of toddlers and children. (HPE D1.5)