IN SEARCH OF THE GOOD - YEAR 12 STUDENT TEXT

Program aim

To assist young men and women to understand themselves as moral persons living the way of Christ through an examination of ethical theories, the revelation of sacred Scripture, and the experience and teaching of the Catholic Church.

Key features of the program

• strong connections with students' daily lives
• accessible presentation of concepts
• opportunities for discussion, research and inquiry
• exploration of religious experience, expression and diversity
• important place for the Scriptures and family life
• connections with other disciplines
• continuity with the Grade 9 program, Be With Me, and Grade 10, Christ and Culture
• numerous options to appeal to a wide range of learning styles and abilities
• implications for Christian moral behaviour
• exploration of who we are as Church
• integrated rubrics, assessment and evaluation tools
• Canadian content, approved by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

Structure

Part A develops the philosophical and scriptural foundations for the study of ethics and morality. Part B applies these principles to the study of moral life today.

Content

Pilot classes and reviewers across Canada have worked with the materials that make up the program. Their feedback has served to ensure that activities and texts meet the diverse learning needs in the high school environment.

Part A. Ethical Foundations

Unit I: Mapping the ethical experience

Chapter 1: Why be ethical?

• to identify experiences as ethical or moral
• to apply ethical theories to situate their experiences as ethical or moral
• to begin to develop an awareness of themselves as ethical persons

Chapter 2: You are what you do

• to explore the nature of human action
• to discern the importance of what we do in the formation of the self
• to appreciate the self as a source of action

Chapter 3: Conscience: The self in search of the good

• to explore the good manifested in the values that shape us
• to understand the three dimensions of conscience
• to understand the formation of conscience

Unit II: Guided by the light of Revelation

Chapter 4: The naming of God and ethics

• to understand the self-revelation of God by interpreting Exodus and the prophetic call narratives
• to understand our ethical and moral stance as a response to the revelation of God's commitment in the covenant
• to appreciate that being touched by God is our identity and calls us to a way of life

Chapter 5: Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also

• to understand the ethical and moral implications of the kingdom of God
• to understand our response to God as a responsibility to the other
• to appreciate Christ as the norm of Christian morality

Chapter 6: Church: Sacrament of God's grace

• to understand the Church as the sacrament of God's love in history
• to examine the historical unfolding of the Church's moral thinking
• to reflect on the role of the Church today as a community of moral and ethical discourse
• to appreciate the Church as a source for our moral formation

Part B. Searching for the good 

Unit III: Discovering the good life

Chapter 7: The good life: Our search for happiness

• to explore the human search for happiness
• to reflect on the role of the other in the good life
• to appreciate the institutional framework of the good life

Chapter 8: Norms for moral life

• to understand the function of norms in promoting and protecting the good life
• to understand Natural Law as foundational for ethics and moral living
• to appreciate the process of moral decision making

Chapter 9: Living in praise and thanksgiving

• to understand happiness in the light of revelation
• to explore our vocation to happiness
• to appreciate the ethical life as lived in praise and thanksgiving

Unit IV: Gifted with freedom

Chapter 10: Ethics and the becoming of the human self

• to understand the connection between human freedom and personal identity
• to explore patterns of ethical development
• to appreciate the finite nature of human freedom

Chapter 11: Freedom in a political and cultural context

• to survey political theories of freedom
• to analyse the influences that affect ethical choices in Western culture
• to discern right action within contemporary society

Chapter 12: Freedom of the children of God

• to understand St. Paul's concept of freedom (Romans 8)
• to recognize in the gift of freedom an invitation to give generously of ourselves
• to appreciate the gift dimension of life

Unit V: Proclaiming justice and mercy

Chapter 13:  Economic justice

• to explore different interpretations of justice
• to appreciate the relationship between justice and love as reflected in our faith tradition
• to apply principles of economic justice to society

Chapter 14: Ecology

• to understand our ethical and moral stance in response to God's generosity of creation
• to explore principles of ecological stewardship
• to appreciate political action for ecological stewardship
   

Chapter 15: Pardon, forgiveness and reconciliation

• to explore the reality of sin
• to understand the need for and the difficulty of forgiveness
• to appreciate the gift and promise of God's pardon

Unit VI: Building a civilization of love

Chapter 16: Marriage

• to reflect on the conjugal nature of marriage
• to explore the social dimension of marriage
• to appreciate the religious significance of marriage

Chapter 17: Family

• to understand the family as the primary environment for the ethical and moral formation of the person
• to examine the family's contribution to the common good
• to celebrate the religious dimension of the family

Chapter 18: Render unto Caesar. What is the relation of ethics to politics?

• to explore the relationship between morality and politics
• to appreciate the diversity and unity of political society
• to claim the Christian call to participate in political life

Key features of the resources

Durable Student Text

• extensive and up-to-date
• variety of visual components
• appropriate language level
• helpful glossaries and index

The Student Text is a hardcover, full-colour resource that features "Focus your learning" questions, key terms and definitions, well-developed presentation of content, guiding questions, stories, biographies of key ethical thinkers, colourful graphics and photographs, and chapter summaries and reviews.