The Catholic studies curriculum identifies grade-specific outcomes to achieve the program aim and goals. In addition, each grade has an overarching conceptual 'focus' or broad theme that is emphasized by several of the outcomes at that grade. This focus may also serve as inspiration for rallies, retreats and projects.

Each grade of the Catholic studies curriculum has a different focus or overarching theme for the year or semester.

• Catholic Studies 9 focus: Journeying in Faith with Community
• Catholic Studies 10 focus: Understanding the Call to Evangelize
• Catholic Studies 20 focus: Exploring the Joy of a Catholic Identity
• Catholic Studies 30 focus: Embracing Spiritual and Religious Life

The Catholic Studies 10 curriculum focuses in part on the role and importance of evangelization. Students examine what it means to be called to evangelize and consider how and why the Church evangelizes. They learn, in outcome CS10.2, about the role of the Gospels in evangelization. In outcome CS10.7 they investigate Catholic Evangelization as a call from God, analyze what is meant by the `new evangelization' and propose methods to achieve it.

Inquiry learning provides students with opportunities to build knowledge, abilities, and inquiring habits of mind that lead to deeper understanding of their world and human experience. Inquiry is more than a simple instructional method. The inquiry process focuses on the development of compelling questions, formulated by teachers and students in dialogue, to motivate and guide inquiries into topics, problems and issues related to curriculum contexts and outcomes.

Inquiry is more than a simple instructional strategy. It is a philosophical approach to teaching and learning, grounded in constructivist research and methods, which engages students in investigations that lead to disciplinary and interdisciplinary understanding.

Inquiry builds on students' inherent sense of curiosity and wonder, drawing on their diverse backgrounds, interests and experiences. The process provides opportunities for students to become active participants in a collaborative search for meaning and understanding.

Students who are engaged in inquiry:

• construct deep knowledge and deep understanding rather than passively receiving information
• are directly involved and engaged in the discovery of new knowledge
• encounter alternative perspectives and differing ideas that transform prior knowledge and experience into deep understandings
• transfer new knowledge and skills to new circumstances
• take ownership and responsibility for their ongoing learning and mastery of curriculum content and skills.(Adapted from Kuhlthau & Todd, 2008)

Inquiry prompts and motivates students to investigate topics within meaningful contexts. The inquiry process is not linear or lock-step, but is flexible and recursive. Experienced inquirers will move back and forth among various phases as new questions arise and as students become more comfortable with the process.

Well-formulated inquiry questions are broad in scope and rich in possibilities. Such questions encourage students to explore, observe, gather information, plan, analyze, interpret, synthesize, problem solve, apply critical and creative thinking, take risks, create, conclude, document, reflect on learning, and develop new questions for further inquiry. The following graphic represents various components or phases of this cyclical inquiry process.

Teachers and students can begin their inquiry at one or more curriculum entry points; however, the process may evolve into transdisciplinary integrated learning opportunities, as reflective of the holistic nature of our lives and interdependent global environment.

It is essential to develop questions that are evoked by student interests and have potential for rich and deep learning. These questions are used to initiate and guide the inquiry and give students direction for developing deep understandings about topics, problems, ideas, challenges, issues, or concepts under study.

The process of constructing compelling questions can help students grasp the important disciplinary or transdisciplinary ideas that are situated at the core of a particular curricular focus or context. These broad questions lead to more specific questions that can provide a framework, purpose, and direction for the learning activities in a lesson, or series of lessons, and help students connect what they are learning to their experiences and life beyond school.

Research indicates that developing students' knowledge within meaningful contexts is more effective for long term growth than learning individual facts or developing isolated skills (Johnson, 2002). This means that academic 'content', which is an almost limitless body of information, is best taught within 'contexts" that promote deep understanding and help students to make connections between what they are learning and their daily lives.

Contexts serve as higher-level conceptual organizers for inquiry. There are five required contexts that are the same for all grades. Each learning context is identified using a two or three letter code. These codes are listed under each outcome as a suggestion regarding which learning context or contexts most strongly support the intent of the outcome.

Following are the grades 9-12 contexts and codes:

1. Salvation History [SH]
2. Knowing God [KG]
3. Dignity of the Human Person [DHP]
4. Church [CH]
5. Seeking Spiritual Meaning [SSM].

Students need to experience learning through each context at each grade. They can be addressed individually or combined. In addition, 'big ideas' for inquiry relevant to Catholic studies have been identified for each context at each grade (e.g., context of 'Salvation History' and the big idea of 'Noah and the Flood' in Grade 9, or within the same 'Salvation History' context the big idea of 'Moses and the Law' in Grade 10). If time permits, teachers may also explore 'big ideas' beyond those identified.

Refer to Appendix C: Contexts and Big Ideas Continuum.

Before and during the inquiry process, students and teachers will formulate questions for inquiry. These questions help direct students' investigations and research. Questions may be specific to one context or apply to several. An inquiry question such as, "What does it mean to be made in the image and likeness of God?" relates to both contexts of 'Knowing God' and 'Seeking Spiritual Meaning'.

The teachers' role is to guide students towards achieving the learning outcomes throughout the contexts and inquiry process. Sample questions such those in the following chart will move students' inquiry towards deeper understanding.

Big Ideas for Inquiry

• growing in the covenant
• Moses and the Law
• David
• Old Testament prophets and books of wisdom

Sample Inquiry Questions

• Why is Moses relevant to modern society?
• What does it mean to say that the 10 Commandments help one to avoid evil?
• What are the effects of power on humanity?
• What role has the Truth and Reconciliation process played in addressing legacies and issues of power?
• What is a prophet?
• Are there modern day prophets (e.g., Louis Riel, Nelson Mandela, Saint Mother Teresa)?
• What is wisdom?
• How is wisdom maintained and conveyed from generation to generation in traditional First Nations and Métis communities?

Big Ideas for Inquiry

• Jesus as Messiah
• history of the Gospels
• the Messiah in the Gospels

Sample Inquiry Questions

• How does belief in Jesus as Messiah change one's life?
• How does prayer reveal the Messiah?
• What role does oral tradition play in the evolution of knowledge?
• What do miracles tell us about the identity of Jesus?

Big Ideas for Inquiry

• morality and sin
• social justice
• reverence for life
• the marginalized
• social sin

Sample Inquiry Questions

• How does social sin affect Canadian and international societies?
• Who are the poor? What can I learn from the poor?
• What do we do when laws are unjust?
• How would society be different if treaty obligations were honoured and fully implemented?
• What does it mean to be privileged?
• What leads to marginalization and what can be done about it?

Big Ideas for Inquiry

• evangelization
• miracles
• church members as engaged citizens
• interfaith dialogue among Judaism, Christianity and Islam

Sample Inquiry Questions

• What does it mean to be called to evangelize, and am I my brother's keeper?
• How does the Church evangelize and why do we need it?
• How do miracles affect faith and religious expression?
• What does it mean to say that service will always involve giving witness to Jesus Christ, but giving witness to Jesus Christ may involve more than service?
• What does it mean to say that an evangelist is called to propose and not impose the Word of God?
• How can individuals and the Church respond to Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission?
• When is civil disobedience justified?
• What are similarities and differences among Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?
• Why is the Holy Land so important for Jews, Christians, Muslims and others?
• Why is it more appropriate to compare the Qur'an to Jesus than to compare the Qur'an to the Bible? (i.e., comparing people of the Book to people of the Word).
• In what ways are First Nations and Métis traditions incorporated within contemporary First Nations Christian Churches?
• What makes interfaith dialogue effective?

Big Ideas for Inquiry

• forgiveness, mercy, generosity, justice and joy
• prayer
• life after death

Sample Inquiry Questions

• Why is it important to forgive?
• What is the relationship between generosity and justice?
• What are the benefits of prayer?
• What can individuals and societies learn from Jesus' teachings on prayer? (e.g., Mt. 6: 5-8)
• How does Elijah's prayer "Answer me O Lord!" resonate in my prayer life? (i.e., 1 Kings 18:37, used in Eucharistic prayers of the Byzantine rite)'
• When or why do I call upon God to answer me?
• Do angels and demons exist?
• Where do I go when I die?
• What are traditional and contemporary First Nations and Métis perspectives on life after death?

Important to any inquiry process is student reflection on their learning as well as the documentation needed to assess the learning and make it visible to themselves and others. Student documentation of the inquiry process may take the form of reflective journals, essays, digital records, websites, presentation software, notes, drawings, three-dimensional models, photographs, blogs, visual and multimedia representations and displays, audio and video recordings of projects and presentations and more.

Saskatchewan First Nations and Métis content, perspectives and ways of knowing are infused within all provincial K-12 curricula including this Catholic studies curriculum (e.g., outcomes and indicators, components, contexts and inquiries). When studying the Catholic studies' contexts of "Knowing God", "Church" or "Seeking Spiritual Meaning", for example, students should also examine the role and importance of prayers and ceremonies from traditional and contemporary perspectives of Saskatchewan's First Nations and Métis peoples. Refer to Appendix A for additional information on incorporation of First Nations and Métis worldviews and big ideas for inquiry.

It is important to recognize the diversity among First Nations cultural and spiritual beliefs and ceremonies within Saskatchewan, Canada and throughout the world. While emphasis is to be placed on traditional First Nations and Métis spiritualities, it is important to recognize that many First Nations and Métis peoples are Christian - including those of the Catholic faith. Furthermore, many First Nations and Métis individuals and church communities combine both traditional and Catholic practices.

Effective Catholic studies programs recognize and draw attention to multiple rites within the Catholic Church (i.e., a Church with a place for all). Teachers are encouraged to draw attention to both Western and Eastern Catholic churches and rites including the Latin and Byzantine traditions prevalent in Saskatchewan. In addition, there are other Catholic rites represented in Saskatchewan, throughout Canada and the world. In this curriculum, the broad term "Catholic" is inclusive of all Catholic churches and Catholic rites (e.g., Ukrainian Catholic church celebrating according to the Byzantine rite).

It is important for students to understand when addressing the topic of salvation history that, although the fullness of Revelation can be found in Jesus, salvation history is not limited to the past. Tradition continues to reveal salvation and all people today are part of its story. Effective Catholic studies courses recognize the ongoing nature of salvation history in multiple ways (e.g., through the 'Salvation History' context and corresponding outcomes and indicators at each grade).