Grade 7 - 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, 35, FC 28, 42, AL 316, CCC 1604, 2207,2780 – 2782]

Articulate how family life in the domestic church reveals God's saving love as a gift to society.

Explore ways in which families show their love of God through gratitude, commitment and affirmation.

Outline how the Church is a family of families called to encounter Jesus Christ.

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.") [LG 40, AL 260, CV 253-255, CCC 1905 – 1926, 2222-2230]

Articulate how families help young people to form their identity and discern their vocation and call to holiness.

Determine ways in which common (collective) family gifts and talents can be shared in service to the community (e.g. a family who runs together fundraises for a cause, together a family volunteers at an outreach centre).

Identify ways in which families use their gifts and talents for the common good and solidarity. (RE LS2.3)

Understand the family as domestic church or 'home' or 'little' church. [LG 11, FC 21, AL 67, CV 257, DC 226-227, 239 – 241, CCC 1666,2204-2206]

Research the historicity of the domestic church in the early Christian community.

Explore and apply the ways in which youth currently evangelize in their domestic church.

Compare and contrast the liturgical cycle of the Church with the daily life of the domestic church (e.g. calendar year, scholastic year as paschal mystery).

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

Analyze the task of the family to practice love and mercy in all its relationships.

Describe how the gift of family and friendship extends to the community.

Communicate how growing in relationship with God helps one to know oneself.

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 the presence of trust in the relationship between their family and the Holy Family.

Describe how the promises and commitments they have in relationships fulfill their vocation to love God.

Discuss how marriage is an intimate and faithful union of the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual self.

Demonstrate an understanding of the duties, rights, responsibilities, and decision making within the family and community. [FC 17, CCC 1776 – 1782, 1804-1829, 1878 – 1896, 2207-2213]

Define ways in which a person with an informed conscience discerns and uses right judgement. (HPE A1.6, RE ML2.1 and RE ML2.2)

Evaluate how families help shape them to become responsible citizens working for the development of a just and compassionate society. (Links to be made to Catholic Social Teaching, Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission: Calls to Action.)

Convey an understanding that families, schools and communities are called to show respect, kindness, humility and compassion as a way of supporting mental health and well-being. (HPE A1.4 and HPE D1.6)

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, 362-368]

Explore how God's truth, beauty and goodness points to humans being wonderfully made in God's image and likeness.

Identify ways in which they recognize that their body, mind and spirit are made in the image and likeness of God (i.e. how they treat and care for their body, mind and spirit shows that they understand image and likeness).

Express how human dignity is inherent; it comes from God and cannot be earned (e.g. through ability/inability, stature, economics). (RE ML1.3)

Understand that God desires abundant life for us as healthy, whole persons, gifted into families. [CCC 50-53, 371-372, 1602 – 1605, 2288-2289, 2337 – 2347, 2522 - 2524]

Understanding that sexual intimacy is intended for marriage, research how modesty, chastity and abstinence are the healthiest option for adolescents when making decisions related to sexual activity, health and consent due to their effects on physical, emotional, social and cognitive well-being. (HPE D1.3 and HPE D1.5 and HPE D2.4)

Discuss how sexual relations can lead to sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) and describe symptoms. (HPE D1.4)

Describe the benefits and dangers, for themselves and others, that are associated with the use of computers and other digital technologies, and identify wise choices and informed decisions when navigating the online world. (HPE D1.1) (See resources available through the Institute for Catholic Education: #Digital Citizenship https://iceont.ca/digital-citizenship/.)

Assess the intent and potential impact of online communication on themselves and others, and exercise Christian leadership and the virtues (e.g. prudence, justice, etc.) to advocate for kindness, humility, love and hope in the online setting. (HPE D2.2) (See resources available through the Institute for Catholic Education: #Digital Citizenship https://iceont.ca/digital-citizenship/.)

Examine the ways in which changes experienced in puberty can affect relationships with family and others. (HPE D3.3)

Demonstrate an understanding of human growth and development as graced from conception to natural death. [GS 50, FC 28, 30, AL 83, 92, CV 217, CCC 2258, 2318-2319, 2337-2363]

Communicate how families help the human person to grow and develop from adolescence to adulthood.

Explain how knowing the difference between having a body and being a body is related to the unity of body and soul and a healthy body image. (HPE D2.3)

Understand the role of attraction in the developmental stages of human relationships and how chastity integrates self-discipline, patience and sexuality into the life of human persons. (HPE D3.3)