7th Grade
“Reflecting Christ” is the theme for 7th-grade Sunday School as it delves into various aspects of the Nicene Creed, which affirms belief in the Holy Trinity and the teachings of Christ. Through exploring topics like our unique creation in God’s image, navigating challenges in faith, and understanding Orthodoxy’s differences and unity, the lessons aim to help students reflect Christ in their thoughts, actions, and beliefs. By delving into the significance of the Nicene Creed and how it shapes our understanding of God and our purpose, the book encourages students to deepen their relationship with Christ and align their lives with His teachings.
Learning Outcomes
This list summarizes all the learning outcomes a child should know at the end of this Grade and at this age. For more information on this approach of "what a child should know?", we recommend reading "The Goals and Objectives of Education in the Orthodox Church", by Rev. Fr. Dr. Anton.
Fasting and Prayer
G7.LO1 - Apply the basic fasting principles. (Lesson 7)
G7.LO2 - Understand that, most simply, fasting takes the form of abstaining from certain foods. (Lesson 7)
G7.LO3 - Interpret and understand that fasting must be combined with prayer and charity. (Lesson 6)
G7.LO4 - Explain how fasting helps us prepare ourselves for Holy Qurbana and participation in the life and feasts of the Holy Church. (Lesson 7)
G7.LO5 - Identify the five canonical (obligatory) fasts. (Lesson 6)
Sin
G7.LO6 - Differentiate between the legalism/categorization of sin found in Western Christianity from the Eastern understanding. (Lesson 8)
G7.LO7 - Hypothesize and Interpret: "Are my actions, my thoughts, my attitudes, my material goods, etc., controlling me, or am I in control of them?"
G7.LO8 - Trace the connection between sin and disunion/distance with God and man, and the connection between Confession and communion with God and man. (Lesson 5)
G7.LO9 - Distinguish between Original Sin and Ancestral Sin. (Lesson 8)
Sanctity of Life
G7.LO10 - Apply the understanding of the sanctity of life to Genetic Engineering (Cloning), Blood, and Organ Donation. (Lesson 11)
Mental Health
G7.LO11 - Reframe ways to eliminate the stigma of counseling, and recognize that it is acceptable to ask for help from a parent, teacher, church leader, or other trusted adult and to also seek help from a professional.
G7.LO12 - Relate the Church's spiritual disciplines and sacraments as tools to deal with the burdens of a fallen world.
G7.LO13 - Examine how the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. (Lesson 1)
G7.LO14 - Identify positive and negative influences of friends and peers and focus on finding positive friendships.
G7.LO15 - Recognize signs of bullying and elaborate what to do in those situations. (Lesson 2)
G7.LO16 - Emphasize ways to recognize & name their own emotions and feelings and respect those of others. (Lesson 3)
G7.LO17 - Recognize inappropriate situations and identify what to do if encountering them. (Lesson 3)
G7.LO18 - Construct a healthy perspective on the body, namely that the body is part of the whole person made in the image and likeness of God. (Lesson 1)
G7.LO19 - Analyze the impact of social media on mental health. (Lesson 11)
Christian Ethics
G7.LO20 - Discuss how our faith informs our behavior and the choices we make. (Lesson 2)
G7.LO21 - Identify with our neighbor who is also made in the image and likeness of God. (Lesson 5)
G7.LO22 - Identify our views on current ethical issues. (Lesson 2)
G7.LO23 - Point out that Truth is not relative; it is found in the Holy Trinity, and we are rooted in it. (Lesson 11)
Diversity and Inclusion
G7.LO24 - Identify and relate with the love of Christ the ways in which individuals and groups have unequal experiences, access to opportunity, or life outcomes based on the intersections of race, gender, social class, citizenship, (dis)ability, indigeneity, sexual orientation, religion and creed, or other dimensions of difference. (Lesson 2)
G7.LO25 - Examine the Christian response to bullying and how we are not to bully others. (Lesson 3)
G7.LO26 - Discuss how, by our actions such as name-calling, we are not honoring God's image in the other person. (Lesson 3)
Mission and Evangelism
G7.LO27 - Explain the Orthodox understanding of the Great Commission and how it is not a responsibility, but an expression of our joy to share the Gospel with those within and those outside the Church. (Lesson 4)
G7.LO28 - Discover that we evangelize by the way we live our lives. (Lesson 5)
Christian Stewardship
G7.LO29 - Examine stewardship as our Christian identity and committment. (Lesson 5)
G7.LO30 - Analyze our responsibility as caretakers and stewards of all creation. (Lesson 1)
G7.LO31 - Examine the interrelationship between stewardship and climate change. (Lesson 11)
G7.LO32 - Correlate how stewardship guides management of money and our talents.
G7.LO33 - Discover that we use our talents not to compare ourselves with one another, but to glorify God. (Lesson 5)
Malankara Orthodox Church History
G7.LO34 - Identify major historical periods. (Lesson 10)
G7.LO35 - Explain the Coonan Cross Oath of 1653. (Lesson 10)
G7.LO36 - Describe the struggles the Malankara Orthodox Church endured to preserve faith in the face of the Protestant Reformation initiatives. (Lesson 10)
G7.LO37 - Analyze the leadership of important personalities in the modern period of MOSC, including the formation and growth of your Diocese. (Lesson 10)
Oriental Orthodox Church History
G7.LO38 - Examine the schism on the basis of faith questions from the time of the Council of Chalcedon. (Lesson 12)
G7.LO39 - Explore the different streams of Oriental Orthodox Churches and a very concise history.
G7.LO40 - Emphasize that we are in communion with the Oriental Orthodox Churches.
Church Fathers
G7.LO41 - Analyse how the Church Fathers interpreted the Holy Bible so that heresies were refuted.
G7.LO42 - Encounter how the dogmas of the Nicene Creed were defined and interpreted to be doctrine for the faithful by the Church Fathers.
Denominational Studies
G7.LO43 - Compare and contrast the major differences between Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Protestantism. (Lesson 8)
G7.LO44 - Discover why we only receive sacraments in Oriental Orthodox Churches. (Lesson 8)
G7.LO45 - Analyze the error of denominationalism. (Lesson 8)
G7.LO46 - Explain Orthodoxy as the fullness of the faith. (Lesson 8)
Councils
G7.LO47 - Trace the concept of the council and conciliar approach vs the autocratic approach.
G7.LO48 - Examine the Councils of Nicea, Constantinople, and Ephesus and the issues they dealt with.
Monasticism
G7.LO49 - Reinforce and understand Monasticism. (Lesson 9)
G7.LO50 - Distinguish Monasticism vs Marriage and how they are two different paths towards salvation.
G7.LO51 - Introduce and explain Asceticism - all called to live an ascetic life. (Lesson 9)
G7.LO52 - Investigate St. Anthony the Great as the father of monasticism. (Lesson 9)
G7.LO53 - Discover the spirituality of the Desert Fathers. (Lesson 9)
