Hamilton Seventh-day Adventist Primary School
Integrated Theme Base
Year 1
“A Chosen People” – “I Belong!”
Term 1 War in Heaven. Creation. The Fall. Enoch.
Spiritual Focus: “Although God created a perfect
world, He foresaw the need for a redeemer, and
planned our redemption in advance!”
Personal Development Portfolios
“Making Friends/Keeping Friends” (2½ Weeks)
Social Sciences: Relationships With Other People
Key Competencies: Managing Self, Relating to Others
“Careers” (Yr 7-8: 4 Weeks)
“Safety” (Yr 1-6: 4 Weeks)
Road, animals, cycling, electricity, fire,
“NEWSTART” (2½ Weeks)
Developing personal health habits.
Term 2 The Flood. Abraham to Joseph.
People who walked with God.
Spiritual Focus: “God wishes to become ‘personal’ to
each person. When He lives in a person, a real
change is experienced.”
“Similarities & Differences”
Grouping materials (physical & chemical), Chemical
Reactions, Diverse Cultures & Communities & How They
function, Multicultural Day
Social Sciences: Identify, Culture & Organisation
Science: Material World
Key Competencies: Thinking & Using Language, Symbols
& Texts
Year 2
“Listening to the Word” – ‘God Still Speaks”
Entering & settling in Canaan.
Spiritual Focus: “God wishes to develop in us the
faith and perseverance needed to inherit the heavenly
Canaan. He wishes to bless us in order that we can
be the ‘light of the world’.”
Personal Development Portfolios
“Making Friends/Keeping Friends” (3 Weeks)
Social Sciences: Relationships With Other People
Key Competencies: Managing Self, Relating to Others
“Personal Safety” (3½ Weeks)
“Keeping Ourselves Safe”
“Physical, Social & Emotional Development”
“NEWSTART” (2½ Weeks)
Developing personal health habits.
The Judges. Israel asks for a King.
Spiritual Focus: “God longs for us to seek His
wisdom in making decision. As humans we are quick
to trust in self”
“Striving to Achieve”
Olympics, teamwork, people who have achieved,
achieving against the odds, science inventions
Social Sciences: Continuity & Change
Science/Technology:
Key Competencies: Relating to Others, Participating &
Contributing
Year 3
“The Word Becomes Flesh” – “Jesus, my
Brother”
Jesus birth & early life. The baptism.
Spiritual Focus: “The Word became flesh and lived
with us. Jesus demonstrated the character of God in
a way we could all understand.”
Personal Development Portfolios
“Making Friends/Keeping Friends” (3 Weeks)
Social Sciences: Relationships With Other People
Key Competencies: Managing Self, Relating to Others
Fire
“Careers” (Yr 7-8: 4 Weeks)
“Safety” (Yr 1-6: 4 Weeks)
Road, animals, cycling, electricity, fire,
“NEWSTART” (2½ Weeks)
Developing personal health habits.
Jesus’ Parables & Stories.
Spiritual Focus: “God leaves no stone unturned in his
efforts to reach us. Parables & stories are a powerful
method of teaching spiritual truths.”
“People’s Stories”
Comparing Indigenous Stories, New Zealand History,
“New Zealand Heritage Day”
Social Sciences: Identity, Culture & Organisation;
Continuity & Change, Place & Environment, Social Inquiry.
Key Competencies: Participating & Contributing,
Thinking
Year 4
“To All The World” – “Saved to Serve”
The last week of Jesus’ life. Death & resurrection.
The Gospel Commission.
Spiritual Focus: “Jesus’ love for us goes beyond
human understanding. He was willing to risk eternal
separation from His father that we can be saved.”
Personal Development Portfolios
“Making Friends/Keeping Friends” (3 Weeks)
Social Sciences: Relationships With Other People
Key Competencies: Managing Self, Relating to Others
“Personal Safety” (3½ Weeks)
“Keeping Ourselves Safe”
“Physical, Social & Emotional Development”
“NEWSTART” (2½ Weeks)
Developing personal health habits.
Early Christian Church. Paul’s Missionary
Journeys.
Spiritual Focus: “The Holy Spirit is promised to those
who commit themselves to doing God’s work. This
work may be at home, or abroad.”
“Energy”
Electricity, food, exercise, solar power, Fire Safety,
Science: Physical World, Material World
Health & P.E.: Personal Health & Physical Development
(Safety Management)
Key Competencies: Thinking, Using Language,
Symbols & Texts
 Year 1
“A Chosen People” – “I Belong!”
Term 3 Moses & the Exodus
Spiritual Focus: “God continues to look for people he
can use for a special purpose. Often it will mean
‘moving’ from the comfort of where we are.”
“Moving”
Transport, Exercise, Migration, Exploration
Science/Technology: Physical World
Social Sciences: Place & Environment
Health & P.E.: Personal Health & Dev., Movement
Concepts & Motor Skills
Key Competencies: Participating & Contributing, Managing-
Self
Term 4 The 10 Commandments & the Wandering.
Spiritual Focus: “God’s laws are designed to keep us
safe. They are given in love, and he wishes us to
keep them out of love.”
“Order”
Law & Order, Government, People who Help,
Rules in Families, Schools & Society
Health & P.E.: Rights, Responsibilities & Laws
Social Sciences: Social Inquiry
Key Competencies: Managing Self, Participating &
Contributing
Additional ‘Development’ Notes
1. Will cover all 5 key competencies during any unit – but the scheme lists a couple of particular focus areas.
2. “Social Inquiry will come through all Social Studies Units – but particularly emphasised in some cases”
3. Additional topics can naturally still be inserted as & when necessary; E.g. Anzac Day
Year 2
“Listening to the Word” – ‘God Still Speaks”
Good & Bad Kings
Spiritual Focus: “Pride & Unbelief are our two biggest
obstacles. God longs for us to follow His ways, so He
can bless us to the max! ”
“Growth”
Plant & animal kingdom, expansion of countries,
exploration, participation in economic activities
Science: Living World
Social Sciences: The Economic World
Key Competencies: Thinking, Using language, symbols &
texts
God sends prophets. The captivity. The
Restoration.
Spiritual Focus: “God’s purpose in His dealings with
us is ‘restoration’. He longs to reconcile us to
Himself, and then to celebrate over our return!”
“Celebrating”
Cultural & religious celebrations, special days, seasons
Social Sciences: Identity, Culture & Organisation
Science: Planet Earth & Beyond
Key Competencies: Participating & Contributing,
Using language, symbols & texts
Year 3
“The Word Becomes Flesh” – “Jesus, my
Brother”
Jesus miracles.
Spiritual Focus: “God is the God of the impossible!
His power knows no limits”
“Windows to The World”
The Senses, Disabilities, Communication
Science: Living World
Health: Healthy Communities & Environments
Key Competencies: Managing Self, Using Language,
symbols & texts
People Jesus knew. How He treated people.
People who were changed.
Spiritual Focus: “The most powerful agent of change
is a life wholly committed to God! Each human has
the opportunity to be transformed through the Holy
Spirit, and to in turn become an agent of
transformation.”
“Natures Forces”
Wind, water, weather, geology,
Science: Planet Earth & Beyond
Technology
Health: Healthy Communities & Environments
Key Competencies: Managing Self, Using Language,
symbols & texts
Year 4
“To All The World” – “Saved to Serve”
The Reformation.
SDA Church History
Spiritual Focus: “God constantly seeks the work of
reformation. He raises groups of people to fulfil
particular purposes in the history of His work.”
“The Way Things Were”
Middle Ages, Inventions, Industrial Revolution
Social Sciences: The Economic World, Continuity &
Change
Technology: Inventions, Problem Solving
Key Competencies: Managing Self, Using Language,
symbols & texts
2nd Coming. End-time events.
New heavens & earth!
Spiritual Focus: “God will soon return a second time
and recreate ‘a new heavens and new earth’. In the
meantime He expects us to be wise stewards of the
resources He gives to us.”
“The Universe”
Space, pollution, the environment, recycling
Science: Planet Earth & Beyond,
Health & P.: : Healthy Communities & Environments
Key Competencies: Participating & Contributing,
Thinking
www.livingheritage.org.nz (NZ history)