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 20 curriculum focuses in part on students' understanding of the characteristics of Catholic identity. Students reflect on the identity of the Catholic Church and influences on formation of their own identities. In outcome CS20.2 students examine the identity of Jesus as Lord and in outcome CS20.10 describe how one's identity as a disciple of Christ is influenced. In outcome CS20.11 students investigate the effects of Christian values on society and reflect on factors that influence one's own identity.

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

• commitment to the covenant
• daily discipleship and living the Beatitudes
• the Eucharist
• God's grace, the joy of salvation and eternal life

Sample Inquiry Questions

• How are lives affected by the covenant?
• What does it mean to love as Jesus loved?
• How would individuals and society benefit from living an ethic rooted in the Beatitudes?
• In what ways is Mary a model for discipleship?
• What is a grace-filled life?
• Where do we go when we die?
• How does belief in eternal life affect daily living?

Big Ideas for Inquiry

• Jesus as Lord
• teachings in the Gospels
• Paschal Mystery
• Resurrection

Sample Inquiry Questions

• What do the parables of Jesus teach us about modern life?
• How do stories preserve cultural, societal and spiritual values and beliefs?
• Why did Jesus have to die to defeat death?
• Can anything positive come from suffering?
• Can there be joy in the midst of sadness?
• How do Catholic beliefs about the resurrection and life-after-death compare to traditional teachings of First Nations and Métis peoples?
• What does it mean to be saved? From what? For what?

Big Ideas for Inquiry

• social teachings
• labour and environmental issues
• sexual morality and reproductive ethics

Sample Inquiry Questions

• What can individuals do to improve labour issues such as forced labour and employment equity?
• How can communities support economic, social and environmental sustainability?
• How do First Nations and Métis stories promote environmental and social responsibility?
• What does it mean to find dignity in one's labour?
• Are there things that are legal but immoral?
• What does the Church mean when she states that sex is good?
• How is society affected by artificial contraceptives?
• Why is it important to respect the dignity of others in issues of sexual ethics?
• How do various societal perspectives on reproductive ethics differ from Catholic teachings?

Big Ideas for Inquiry

• actualizing the mission
• the Living Church
• Tradition and tradition
• Mary as Mother of the Church
• ecumenical dialogue

Sample Inquiry Questions

• What does it mean to say that the mission of the Church goes beyond the doors?
• What are implications of St. Cyprian of Carthage's quote: "you cannot have God as your Father if you do not have the Church as your Mother"?
• How do the sins of the Church as an institution affect personal faith?
• What role does Apostolic Tradition play in one's faith development and religious expression?
• What debates were taking place between Catholics and Protestants during the Reformation?
• What does it mean to view liturgy as God's gift to us rather than our gift to God?
• How does the Church serve as a prophet or herald to the world?
• How are legacies of Residential School experiences for First Nations and Métis peoples being addressed and healed? What can students do to support this healing?
• What does it mean to be a 'pilgrim people' or a 'pilgrim Church'?
• What does it mean in the Orthodox tradition when liturgy is referred to as being God-centred?
• How do we effect change and heal wounds in a broken church?

Big Ideas for Inquiry

• a life of service
• call to holiness
• suffering and hope
• death and the joy of resurrection
• Catholic identity

Sample Inquiry Questions

• How does service create hope? Joy? Peace? Justice?
• What are challenges and benefits to living a life of prayer?
• What are traditional First Nations and Métis beliefs about the role and importance of prayer recognizing differences among various First Nations?
• How are First Nations and Métis traditional prayers and ceremonies being incorporated into some contemporary Christian practices?

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).