Together At One Altar is a resource for school age children in years F-12 in Australia to develop their formation in the Eucharist and assist their full, active and conscious participation in its celebration.

Background

Together at One Altar has been developed for school age children in years F-12 in Australia .

The project began with the need to provide a comprehensive resource for Primary and Secondary students to introduce the new translation of the Roman Missal and, at the same time, provide a working catechesis on the Eucharist.

The contents of this resource outline what students need to know at each year level that will develop their formation in the Eucharist and assist their 'full, active and conscious participation' in its celebration.

This resource is liturgically focused and therefore not attempting to be a comprehensive theological study of the Eucharist, but there is obviously theological content.

As teachers use this resource with their students, it is strongly recommended for their own professional development that they have recourse to the DVD-ROM Become One Body, One Spirit in Christ.

There are obvious synergies between Together At One Altar and Become One Body, One Spirit in Christ and these need to be carefully calibrated, particularly when using this website with upper secondary students.

The Structure of the site

Material was prepared by the Writing Team for each of the four age range groupings:- F-3, 4-6, 7-10 and 11-12. The material is grouped according to the four themes that correspond to the five pathways in Become One Body, One Spirit in Christ (Explore, Craft, Celebrate, Live).

These four themes take an inquiry –based approach to the material presented on the website with an overarching question at both primary and secondary level that captures the focus of the material.
A website visitor selects the material they wish to view (according to age range grouping or pathway) and is also presented with related material on that topic.

The material is structured in the following format, forming a learning object on a particular theme or topic:-

Rich Media Focus Element
A graphic, interactive, animation or video element which acts as the principle point of engagement.

Supporting Content
Supporting text based content appears below the focus element with additional associated imagery and media where these have been provided.

Activities
Reflection and Discussion Questions as well as associated Learning Activities based on the material above appear here.

Further Resources
Specific resources in the form of web links and other references may be highlighted to help further exploration of the topic.

Related Objects
The base of the page provides links to other objects within the system that relate to the content and age group.

From the entry point into each pathway, the website visitor can also access other support material:

Resources
A repository of resources to support curriculum development and encourage deeper exploration is provided, giving
quick access to the materials on the site.

Glossary
An index of liturgical terms explaining words used in and related to the celebration of Mass.

Teachers’ Notes
A catalogue of suggested approaches for using in the learning objects in classroom situations (currently in development).

Useful links
The Holy See
Catechism of the Catholic Church
International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL)