Fr. Callaham

This class meets once a week during the year and is taught by The Rev. Arthur Callaham. Faith Development II is the second in a series of three interrelated courses that comprise the Middle School faith development curriculum. In sixth grade, students read The Magician’s Nephew, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Students new to the Middle School in seventh grade are encouraged to read these books if possible. However, mastery of new material in this course does not intimately depend on cumulative knowledge. In eighth grade, students will apply the methodology they have learned over the previous two years in a more advanced course (“Faith Development III”), focusing on works by authors such as Edith Wharton, O. Henry, and Mark Twain.

Faith Development II:

The Chronicles of Narnia Books 3,5&7, the Bible and the BCP

The focus of this course is on practical questions Middle Schoolers typically face through engagement with two types of complementary and mutually informative genres: classic literature and Holy Scripture. Through reading, reflection, discussion, writing, and participation students will continue to connect the issues and the questions they encounter in the course material to their everyday lives. The content of the course is drawn from, The Chronicles of Narnia, the Bible and the Rites of the Episcopal Church contained in the Book of Common Prayer.

The seven books that comprise The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis have been regarded as classics of juvenile literature for nearly half a century. They continue to engage readers of all ages on many different levels. Lewis’ simple style combined with his profound grasp of the great spiritual and moral themes of human existence make The Chronicles ideal reading for Middle School students. C. S. Lewis was an Oxford professor and devout Anglican who made his mark in the fields of literature, apologetics, and theology. He is thus a particularly appropriate author for students of religion within an Anglican/Episcopal context.

Students in seventh grade will then continue their reading of the Chronicles with The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Horse and His Boy, and The Last Battle. Students will read each book in conjunction with selected scriptural passages. A substantive report or project will follow the reading of each book. At least one project will take the form of a visual arts response. Opportunities for creative writing will also be included in the sequence as well as compare/contrast papers.

It is fine for students to listen to these books. CD’s, Tapes and MP3’s are available at the public libraries, bookstores (on-line also), and downloadable at www.audible.com (for use with an iPod). But perhaps the best method of all is just reading the text aloud to them. The subsequent discussions are worth the time spent.

This is a graded course. Evaluation will be based primarily upon the student’s class participation, projects, and reports. Parents and students are encouraged to contact Fr. Callaham with questions and concerns either via e-mail: acallaham@saintjames.org or at the parish office: 410-771-4466.

Use of Internet Resources

In an attempt to reduce the number of pages of printed material distributed in this class and to ensure that an appropriate amount of material can be covered in our once-per-week class format, this course makes maximum use of available internet technologies. The foundation of these on-line resources is the class Moodle page which can be accessed by pointing your browser to: http://saintjamesacademy.org/moodle/course/view.php?id=19 . This page can also be accessed from the student resources page of the general academy website.

Generally, students will be expected to find and complete their weekly homework assignments online. Occasionally, and most particularly in the event of school closure or missed classes, additional course material will be presented in electronic format. Students will also be able to access their individual course grades online, so that they will be able to track their progress through the course.

It is imperative that both students and parents become both familiar and comfortable in the use of the available internet technology. During the first week of the course and periodically throughout the year, students will be instructed in the appropriate and efficient use of on-line assignments. I will also make myself available to parents during “Parent Teacher Night” for individual questions. Furthermore, I will be more than happy to answer questions from both parents and students at any time during the year.