Critical and Creative Thinking in the RE Curriculum

At St Monica’s we use the Brisbane Religious Education Curriculum and the Australian Curriculum to plan, teach and assess Religious Education. We use a Conceptual Inquiry approach to plan authentic, connected learning experiences that facilitate and support faith development using a real-world lens.

When planning for these connected learning experiences, teachers at St Monica’s aim to develop critical and creative thinkers. We do this by drawing on the Brisbane curriculum knowledge and skills for each concept and link these with the Australian Curriculum General Capabilities. For example, last term Year 4 explored RE and HASS through the concept of ‘COMMUNITY’.

They explored what life was like for Jesus as he was growing up as a Jewish boy and man. Students were able to investigate the groups within the community and what life was like for the early Christian community after Jesus’ death. The teachers, along with Mr Donnelly and Fr Loi, set up a provocation, or experience, so the students in Year 4 could understand better what persecution meant – we took away their right to pray. They were up in arms!!! But they soon discovered that the early Christians developed a way to pray underground and Year 4 did the same! It was fun, but an experience that also developed Critical and Creative thinking! Our learning took us all the way to St Paul and his journeys, where the students wrote letters to him on behalf of a community. This also took some critical and creative thinking.

For more information about the General Capabilities, here is a link to the Australian Curriculum General Capabilities - https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/general-capabilities/

They are being updated, which is exciting. These General Capabilities also inform the ‘Engagement for Learning’ at the end of the school report.

If you would like any more information about Critical and Creative thinking in the RE curriculum at St Monica’s please contact me at school.