Religion Curriculum
Northern Illinois District
Grade 2
Purpose Statement for Religion Curriculum
We want all students and families to come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The gifts of faith and salvation come to us through word and sacrament. This curriculum strives to expose children to word and sacrament, so that the Lord can do His work. The Holy Spirit works through these saving gifts to not only bring people to faith, but also to strengthen God’s children to live the life of a disciple. This curriculum is designed to support teachers and students in the Church’s mission of making disciples of all nations. We want all students to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10
Goal 1: Students will strengthen their faith with the help of the Holy Spirit as they hear, read, and study the Holy Scriptures as the inerrant, inspired word of God.
Learning Standard A: Students will see Jesus and discover God’s plan of salvation as it is revealed in the Old Testament.
Genesis – God’s Plan
Objective 1: Investigate the creation story including the Fall and God’s promise of redemption.
Objective 2: Compare and contrast God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Objective 3: Identify the work of God’s hand in the story of Joseph.
The Exodus and the Promised Land
Objective 4: Summarize the life of Moses.
Objective 5: Recall the events leading up to the Exodus.
Objective 6: Evaluate the events at Mount Sinai.
Judges – Sins and Saviors
Objective 7: Recognize that the people of Israel continually turned away from the Lord.
Objective 8: Conclude that God sent Judges to draw his people back to himself.
Objective 9: Examine the lives of Deborah and Gideon.
Kings and Kingdoms
Objective 10: Investigate the life of David.
Objective 11: Recognize the names Hezekiah and Josiah.
Exile and Restoration
Objective 12: Know that Israel was sent into exile because of their unbelief.
Objective 13: Explain that God did not forget his children.
Jesus in the Old Testament
Objective 14: Identify references to Christ in the Old Testament.
Prophets and Prophesies
Objective 15: Read about Elijah and Elisha.
Objective 16: Recognize that many prophesies of the Old Testament predict the coming of Jesus.
Jesus in the Psalms
Objective 17: Incorporate the Psalms into their daily prayer and devotion life.
Objective 18: Sing, read, and pray the Psalms.
Learning Standard B: Students will see Jesus and discover God’s plan of salvation as it is revealed in the New Testament.
The Birth of Christ
Objective 1: Evaluate the events leading up to the birth of Christ as they are recorded in the Gospels.
Objective 2: Rejoice in the Christmas story.
Objective 3: Investigate the early events in the life of Jesus including his childhood, baptism, and temptation.
Miracles of Jesus
Objective 4: Explain that Jesus can do miracles because He is God.
Objective 5: Appreciate the miracles of Jesus as a sign of His power and His love.
Objective 6: Read about when Jesus changed water to wine, calmed the storm, healed a paralyzed man, raised Jairus’s daughter, fed the five thousand, healed the blind man, and raised Lazarus from the dead.
Parables of Jesus
Objective 7: Study the parables of Jesus especially the parable of the Lost Son and the parable of the Good Shepherd.
Objective 8: Identify other stories in literature that teach us lessons.
Teachings of Jesus
Objective 9: Cherish the words of the Beatitudes.
Objective 10: Decide to pray after reading about what Jesus teaches about prayer.
Objective 11: Rejoice that Jesus loves the little children.
The Cross and the Empty Tomb
Objective 12: Point to the events of Holy Week as the most important events in history.
Objective 13: Value what Christ did for us in the institution of the Lord’s Supper, His death on the cross, and His glorious resurrection.
The Holy Spirit and the Growth of the Church
Objective 14: Conclude that the Great Commission applies to them.
Objective 15: Propose that the Church on earth was established at Pentecost.
Objective 16: Retell some of the events and stories of Paul’s life including his conversion.
Learning Standard C: Students will identify God’s Law and Gospel as they investigate scripture.
Objective 1: Explain the difference between the Law and the Gospel.
Objective 2: Identify the three purposes of the Law.
Objective 3: Experience the Law when they are not sorry for their sins.
Objective 4: Hear the Gospel when they recognize their sins and ask for forgiveness.
Objective 5: Identify examples in scripture where people experienced God’s Law and God’s Gospel.
Learning Standard D: Students will memorize select passages of scripture.
See Memory Component
Goal 2: Students will explore and discuss the doctrines of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
Learning Standard A: Students will study the doctrines found in the confessional writings of the LCMS.
Baptism
Objective 1: Observe baptisms in church.
Objective 2: Recognize that baptism is more than just plain water.
Objective 3: Thank their sponsors for praying for them.
Objective 4: Verbalize that Jesus washes away our sin in baptism.
The Creed
Objective 5: Define a creed as a statement of what we believe to be true.
Objective 6: Recognize the creed when they hear it in worship.
Objective 7: Memorize the Apostles’ Creed.
Objective 8: Ask questions about what they hear in the Apostles’ Creed.
Ten Commandments
Objective 9: Memorize the Ten Commandments.
Objective 10: Describe the Ten Commandments as something God gives us because He loves us.
Objective 11: Discuss why people who give us rules are the people that love us.
Confession & Absolution
Objective 12: Define the word confession as saying you are sorry.
Objective 13: Confess their sins.
Objective 14: Define absolution as the Jesus forgiving their sins.
Objective 15: Rejoice in knowing their sins are forgiven.
The Lord’s Supper
Objective 16: Look forward to receiving a blessing when their parents take them up to the Lord’s Supper.
Objective 17: Describe the Lord’s Supper as a special meal.
Objective 18: Recognize other names for the Lord’s Supper like Communion, The Eucharist, Breaking of Bread, and the Lord’s Table.
Objective 19: Ask when they can take the Lord’s Supper.
The Lord’s Prayer
Objective 20: Memorize the Lord’s Prayer.
Objective 21: Acknowledge that Jesus taught us to pray the Lord’s Prayer.
Objective 22: Use the Lord’s Prayer every day.
Objective 23: Describe prayer as talking to God.
The Trinity
Objective 24: Talk about God as God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
Objective 25: Tell others that God created the world.
Objective 26: Name Jesus as the one that died and rose.
Objective 27: Equate Pentecost with the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Justification/Sanctification
Objective 28: Express sorrow for the things they do wrong.
Objective 29: Turn to Jesus when they are feeling guilty knowing that He will never turn them away.
Objective 30: Explain that Jesus forgives their sins and therefore their sins are gone forever.
Objective 31: Define justification as having their sins taken away freely.
Objective 32: Define sanctification as the Holy Spirit making them more like Jesus.
Jesus – God/Man
Objective 33: Acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God.
Objective 34: Thank God that He sent His Son to be one of us.
Objective 35: Appreciate that Jesus led a perfect life, died on the cross, and rose from the dead for them.
The Church
Objective 36: Claim to be a member of the Church.
Objective 37: Rejoice that they have been drawn into the Church by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Objective 38: Discover that they have a connection with Christians from all around the world.
Learning Standard B: Students will be able to discuss what they believe as Lutheran Christians and how their beliefs are rooted in scripture.
Scripture – God’s Word
Objective 1: Describe themselves as Lutheran Christians.
Objective 2: Compare what the Bible says with what the Catechism says.
Objective 3: Know what the Catechism is.
Objective 4: Talk about what they believe.
Learning Standard C: Students will memorize the six chief parts of Martin Luther’s Small Catechism.
See Memory Component
Goal 3: Students will worship regularly and maintain a personal devotional life.
Learning Standard A: Students will worship the Lord and be exposed to Word and Sacrament in a corporate setting.
Objective 1: Grow in their faith as they receive Word and Sacrament.
Objective 2: Sing and speak the liturgy.
Objective 3: Anticipate the different parts of the worship service.
Objective 4: Confess their sins and rejoice as they hear the words of absolution.
Objective 5: Recognize that there are things God does in worship and there are things we do in worship, prompted by the Holy Spirit.
Objective 6: Identify Jesus in the Divine Service.
Learning Standard B: Students will compare and contrast the different liturgies, traditions, and music of the church.
Objective 1: Distinguish between the parts of the liturgy that are constant each week and those that change each week.
Objective 2: Conclude that the reading and preaching of God’s word and the sacraments are foundations of what happens in worship.
Objective 3: Recognize the names of different elements of the liturgy.
Objective 4: Compare and contrast the art and symbols they see in church.
Learning Standard C: Students will develop a personal devotional life that includes prayer and the reading of Scripture.
Objective 1: Ask parents to have family devotions.
Objective 2: Become familiar with Bible stories through personal scripture reading time or time reading with parents.
Objective 3: Decide to pray without the prompting of others.
Objective 4: Describe why they have family devotions or why they pray and read scripture personally.
Learning Standard D: Students will memorize prayers.
See Memory Component
Goal 4: Students will recognize that the Lord has called them to be good stewards of their time, talents, and treasures in order to further His Kingdom.
Learning Standard A: Students will acknowledge that all they have is from the Lord.
Objective 1: Value what they have.
Objective 2: Thank God for all they have in their life.
Standard B: Students will share their faith with the people around them.
Objective 1: Tell others about Jesus.
Objective 2: Argue that we should tell others about Jesus.
Standard C: Students will love and serve their neighbor in actions and words.
Objective 1: Recognize when another student is being left out, picked on, or neglected.
Objective 2: Obey the directions of teachers and adults.
Objective 3: Take care of their classmates and friends when they see them hurting or in need.
Standard D: Students will glorify the Lord with their talents.
Objective 1: Thank God for their abilities.
Objective 2: Work hard at all they do.
Objective 3: Point people to Jesus when they receive compliments for good things they do.
Standard E: Students will experience the joy of supporting the ministry of the church by tithing on the money they earn.
Objective 1: Tithe regularly at church or chapel.
Objective 2: Put aside money that they will give back to the Lord.
Goal 5: Students will remember their Baptism when dealing with life issues and decisions.
Learning Standard A: Students will be confident of God’s presence when dealing with difficult issues at home, at school, or in any other area of their life.
Family
Objective 1: Insist that they and their families have family devotions.
Objective 2: Discuss what they learn in school about Jesus with parents.
Friends and Classmates
Objective 3: Practice confession and absolution with classmates.
Objective 4: Develop friendships with other students even if they don’t fit in with other students.
The World Around Us
Objective 5: Ask parents and teachers questions about things they may hear or see on the radio, television, or older siblings or students.
Objective 6: Attach the bad things of this world with the sin that exists in the world.
Learning Standard B: Students will be strengthened by the Holy Spirit when struggling with temptation and sin.
Objective 1: Develop the habit of turning to prayer and scripture when dealing with temptation.
Objective 2: Identify sins that they commit in their life.
Objective 3: Trust that God forgives their sins.
Objective 4: Remember their baptism.
Learning Standard C: Students will pray and seek God’s will when making difficult life decisions.
Objective 1: Pray when they are sad, upset, or unsure.
Objective 2: Argue that prayer is something we should all do no matter what the circumstance.
Goal 6: Students will explore and consider their current and future vocations.
Learning Standard A: Students will be confident that the God has made them His children and put them in this place and time to serve Him and love their neighbor.
Objective 1: Express confidence that they are part of God’s family.
Objective 2: Describe others as being part of God’s family as well.
Learning Standard B: Students will compare and contrast the different gifts God gives His children to use in his Kingdom.
Objective 1: Recognize that all God’s children are special.
Objective 2: Explain that the Holy Spirit helps us do good.
Learning Standard C: Students will explore the different ways they could serve the Lord as adults, including opportunities to serve as professional church workers.
Objective 1: Identify pastors and teachers as people that love them.
Objective 2: Label pastors and teachers as people that love the Lord.
Learning Standard D: Students will appreciate their place in the body of Christ as students and children and will maintain relationships with family, friends, and classmates that reflect Christ’s love.
Objective 1: Thank parents and teachers for caring for them and loving them.
Objective 2: Practice confession and absolution with classmates.
Objective 3: Differentiate between good behavior and bad behavior.