Grade 10 R.S Lesson Plan Day 1 / 2 (week 3) Unit 1 – Called to Jesus
What are we doing?
Agenda:
1. Opening prayer – Prayer of St
Francis
2. Ticket on the door - review of
agape
3. Ways that God is revealed and
Interpreting the Bible (literal and
contextual)
4. Understanding Jesus’ context
using the Good Samaritan parable
Why are we doing it?
Learning Goals:
How will I know I’ve worked toward
the learning goal? Success Criteria:
I will…
* understand the purpose of
humanity is to serve
* accurately define and
describe God’s love (agape)
* define literal and
contextual interpretation
and be able to analyze the
scripture
I can…
* answer the questions related to
the song prayer
* define and describe God’s love
(agape) in one paragraph
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vToimPtYGyU
Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi (Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace)
Ticket IN the Door
1) Explain agape in one complete paragraph. Provide
many examples of agape love in your paragraph. Remember
a paragraph has a topic sentence, a body of details
(including examples), and a conclusion.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
WAYS THAT GOD IS REVEALED (made known)
God reveals himself to people in many ways such as:
* in created order
* through messages received in visions or in prayer
* through our conscience
* through our loving relationships and acts of kindness
* through our community of faith
* through the life of Jesus
* through the Bible
The Bible is a special form of revelation because it is the account of many
people’s experience of God over thousands of years. The writers of the Bible
experienced God in their lives and told of or wrote about their experiences.
Thus, the Bible is a book that is inspired by God-events. God spoke and still
speaks truth to us through His word. God allows us to hear and accept the
Bible messages or to ignore the messages
WAYS TO INTERPRET (understand or make meaning of)THE
BIBLE
LITERALIST:
People who read and interpret the Bible passages word for word based on the
actual words in their ordinary meaning.
CONTEXTUALIST:
People who weave together the whole situation, background, or environment
relevant to a particular event, personality, etc., when reading and interpreting
the Bible (reading between the lines, looking for the message!)
EXEGESIS:
 The study of scriptural texts in their ORIGINAL context
 It looks at potential influences of the author: language, historical
context, religious traditions, and other existing writings of the time
 To understand where the author was coming from, we need to
understand their world
GENRES (FORMS): Types of writing in the Bible
myth, legal writings, historical writings, fairy tales, music lyrics, love poetry,
advice, prophetic writings, parables (stories with a moral message) etc.
CATHOLICS ARE CONTEXTUALISTS. This means Catholics start by
identifying what kind of writing they are reading. Then Catholics
attempt to understand the context in which the piece of writing took
place. Ultimately the goal is to understand
the overall message
of the writing.
Test your understanding
1. A person who interprets the Bible literally
would
a) understand the Genesis Creation story as a
historical account
b) believe that the first man was named Adam
c) understand the symbolic language in the Genesis
Creation story
d) both a and b
2. A contextual interpretation of the Gospels
a) would require some knowledge on the
gospel writers
b) would require knowing ancient Greek
and reading the gospels in Greek
c) would mean listening to the parish priest
analyze the gospels at mass
d) both a and c
The Good Samaritan Story - (Good Samaritan-no words; read the passage from the Bible)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFxRkAeiRXE&feature=related
* reading it literally = just the words
Write one complete paragraph describing the story (topic sentence, body of details, conclusion)
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* reading it contextually = the words and the context (the culture of the time, the common
symbols, the intention of the writer)
context means the reader must understand:
* Jewish culture; who are the players
a Levite is
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a priest is
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a Samaritan is
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* Jewish religious culture; clean and unclean laws
to be clean means
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to be unclean means
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Jews hated the Samaritans because
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Pair Work:
With this contextual understanding we get the bigger meaning of the story. It is about charity
such as helping a man when he is hurt but it is also about:
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Formative test your retention and understanding
1. Mark said to Kyle, “wow your new shoes are sick!” Kyle
replied, “shoes can’t feel ill, what are you talking about?” This
dialogue shows that Kyle
a) didn’t understand the various meanings of the word sick
b) took the word “sick” to mean literally unwell or ill
c) understood through the context that sick meant cool
e) both a and b
Sheep are a common symbol used in the New and Old
Testaments. This is because
a) Jewish people had pet sheep
b) Jewish culture was connected to shepherding and to sheep
as a source of food and clothing
c) lambs are cute
d) all of the above
If we read the Good Samaritan story only literally, then the
story is about
a) helping a person who is hurt
b) doing an act of charity
c) theft
d) both a and b
2. The gospel writer Luke was probably a doctor. Knowing this
helps the readers of his gospel understand
a) that Luke was Jewish
b) why Luke wrote a lot about people who were suffering
c) why Luke uses the symbol of a sheep
d) none of the above
Poems are a ______________ of writing
a) genres
b) short form
c) confusing type
d) none of the above
Being unclean in Jesus’ time meant
a) you were considered to be far from God
b) you were not able to take a daily shower
c) you were considered unfit to be in God’s presence
d) both a and c
If we read the Good Samaritan contextually, then the story is about
more than helping a stranger. The story is also about
a) not following laws when those laws prevent you from doing good
for others
b) seeing the goodness in the so called enemy
c) recognizing that those people we think of as the “best” in society
may not actually be loving
d) all of the above
Being clean means
a) you were considered to be close to God
b) you were well groomed and always wearing clean clothes
c) you were considered fit to be in God’s presence
d) both a and c
Jesus was
a) Catholic
b) Jewish
c) a Samaritan
d) all of the above
Exegesis is
a) a way to interpret the Bible
b) a literal translation of the Bible
c) talking to the author of the story
d) all of the above
Literary Forms / Genres (types of writing)
The Bible has different literary forms. Literary forms means types of writing.
List three different literary forms and state the purpose of this type of writing.
* letter > to provide personal information or to inform someone
*
*
*
The common literary forms in the Bible are:
myth _______________________________________________________
law _______________________________________________________
list _______________________________________________________
history______________________________________________________
psalm ______________________________________________________
prophesy ____________________________________________________
parable _____________________________________________________
letter _______________________________________________________
sermon _____________________________________________________
If we understand that a piece of writing is written using a particular literary form then we
can better understand the purpose of the writing.
For instance, if we understand the Creation stories in the book of Genesis as myth we
can understand the intent of the authors was to pass on religious truths through
symbols. This means that the authors used images / objects to pass on what they knew
about God. For example, in the …
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Background to Literary Forms in the Bible
Connect each card to the definition – Each student picks up two cards to connect to the posted
definitions
Traditional stories that answer the primary
questions: Who is God? What are the origins of the
universe? Who am I in relation to God? What is
good? The Bible contains many myths. The first
eleven chapters of Geneses contain many mythic
elements. Uses symbols.
Rules of behavior and moral principles (i.e.
commandments) established by God. God gave the
first law, also called Torah, to the Hebrew people.
The Torah is the first five books of the Bible (called
the Pentateuch by Christians). Christians believe
that the law of the Old Testament has been
expanded by Jesus as written in the Gospels.
Itemized series of names or objects usually
recorded in a specific order. Both the Old and New
Testament contain many types of lists, with
genealogies (family trees) being most prevalent.
Many different lists can be found in the book of
Numbers.
Stories of past events usually written in a
chronological order. Though the Bible is not a
history textbook, it does contain a record of the
history of the Jewish people.
A sacred song or poem used to praise and thank
God, or to seek forgiveness, or ask for some request
from God. The book of Psalms contains one
hundred and fifty of these sacred hymns. Psalms are
one of the most important parts of Christian
worship.
Any message from God directed to humankind
through an intermediary (prophet), especially those
messages that judge the present situation and
discuss future expectations for obedience to the will
of God. Also predicts the coming of the Messiah.
Christians believe that in Jesus, all prophecies are
fulfilled.
From the Greek word "parabole" meaning
"comparison"). Short dramatic stories that use
comparison to teach a message. Jesus used
parables about everyday life to teach his listeners
about the coming kingdom of God. The Gospels are
full of parables.
A serious religious speech. The most famous
sermon found in the Bible is Jesus' "Sermon on the
Mount", found in Matthew's Gospels. This solemn
sermon takes up three chapters and includes the
Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10).
A message written to a specific person or group,
usually personal in nature, concerning a specific
topic. Often this writing provides advice to a
Christian community. Twenty-one books of the New
Testament are all letters.
Myth
Law
History
Psalm
Parable
List
Prophecy
Sermon Letter
In a small group: Use your Bible, and look up the following passages to complete the table below.
#
Passage
1
Jude 1
2
Luke 15:11-31
3
Matthew 5-7
4
Malachi 3:1-9
5
Genesis 1-4
6
Numbers 15
7
Exodus 20:1-7
8
Judith 1
Literary Form
What is the purpose of this form of writing?
Interpreting Scripture Review questions:
name:
date:
1. What does interpret mean?
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2. Interpret this phrase; “That’s sick” in two different ways.
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3. In order to know what the person means by “That’s sick” we need to know the context of the statement. For
instance, if we had more context such as a conversation happening between two teens we might understand a
little more. Even more context, the first person said, “I’m going to Cuba over the holidays.” And the other person
replies, “That’s sick.” Now we might understand the meaning of that’s sick. From this example determine the
meaning of “That’s sick.”
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4. What is context?
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5. In order to understand what the authors of the Bible stories meant to communicate we must also know the
context in which they were writing. What does this statement mean?
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Thinking Questions:
6. Here is a famous statement made by Jesus from John 10:11: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives
His life for the sheep…” What does this mean if taken literally?
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7. Let’s read the full passage to verse 18 and find out more. Does reading the full passage help us understand
further what Jesus meant?
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8. In order to fully understand, Jesus’ message we must know about his culture and then we will understand that
shepherds were the protectors of sheep. Sheep could not survive attack by wild animals and they would be
malnourished without the shepherd who lead them to good grazing land. How does this help us understand Jesus’
message? ____________________________________________________________________________________
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Ticket in the Door
Grade 10 R.S Lesson Plan Day 3 (week 3) Unit 1 – Called to Jesus
What are we doing?
Agenda:
1. Brainstorming question: What is a
parable
2. Parables handout
3. Parables individual written
response
4. Parables group work -exegesis
Why are we doing it?
Learning Goals:
How will I know I’ve worked toward
I will…
* define parable
* identify the characteristics of parables in
written response
* determine the meaning of a
particular parable (exegesis)
* present the meaning to the class
I can…
*complete the brainstorming in my
notes
*highlight the parables handout
* work in a small group to analyze a
parable
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRjDBd6tBBY
With My Own Two Hands - Jack Johnson
the learning goal? Success Criteria:
The Parables of Jesus
The use of parables is one of the most significant characteristics of Jesus’ teaching style. He had a way of connecting his points to
everyday experiences of his listeners, so that his teachings would be clear to them and easily remembered.
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A parable is like a fable, a short allegorical story that suggests a moral.
Jesus stories tell us about our relationships with God and one another. Each shares moral truth about how we should live
our lives.
THREE COMMON FEATURES OF JESUS’ PARABLES
1.) Based on Everyday Experience
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The basic story elements in Jesus’ parables grew out of land, culture, and family life of his people: farming, shepherding,
children playing and adults working their trades.
Naturally, some of the settings and story elements can seem strange to modern day readers. Knowing something about the
land and daily life of the Jewish people of Jesus’ time is essential to grasping the meaning of Jesus’ teachings.
Jesus drew from common experiences. When we read parables today, it is often helpful to find similarities between our
experiences and those of the people Jesus was directly addressing. That way we can translate the parables into our context.
2.) Jesus made extensive use of “cultural norms”:
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Cultural Norms: are behaviors and ways of life which shape a culture and are common to most people in the society. The
clean and unclean laws were a cultural norm in Jesus’ time. What are some cultural norms for us today?
What kind of story might he tell today that make a statement on our way of life?
3.) Parables are filled with surprises
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In developing a parable, Jesus would take a common occurrence of the day and add a surprising twist to it, such as a surprise
ending. These surprises would keep his listeners alert or catch them off-guard.
The idea was to make people think, and get them to reflect on the lessons he was trying to teach.
The parable of the lost sheep is found in Matthew 18:12-14 and in Luke 15:4-7. In the story, a Shepherd leaves ninety-nine
sheep in search of one that is lost, and then rejoices at great length over finding the lost one. Jesus’ listeners would have
been taken aback by this, because no ordinary shepherd would have considered risking the entire flock for the sake of one
sheep.
Jesus was teaching his followers about God’s boundless and forgiving love for those who have gone astray. God’s love is so
profound that it literally seems to defy common sense.
Part A - Individually you will (10 minutes): Write two paragraphs on parables. In paragraph one, explain the three features of
parables. In the second paragraph explain how these features of parables made it easier for people to both understand and
remember Jesus’ messages.
Part B - In small groups you will (until the end of the class):
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Read/view your assigned parable from the Bible
Prepare a brief summary of the parable
State the main message, truth, or moral
What cultural norms does Jesus use?
Does Jesus use symbol(s)? If so what are they and what do they represent?
Prepare a new telling of the story within our own modern context
Part B - In small groups:
Using the Bible, groups will read ….
1.) Lost Sheep and Coin (Luke 15:1-10) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b-F28tEO2g&feature=related
2.) 10 Bridesmaids (Matthew 25:1-13) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4wA2BxZrrc&feature=related
3.) The Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-Hycvzp3TA
4.) Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl7ojr3ee9Y&feature=related
5.) Wise and Foolish Builders (Matthew 7:24-27)
6.) Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9IOhGPrRvY&feature=related
In small groups you will (until the end of the class):
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Read/view your assigned parable from the Bible
Prepare a brief summary of the parable
State the main message, truth, or moral
What cultural norms does Jesus use?
Does Jesus use symbol(s)? If so what are they and what do they represent?
Prepare a new telling of the story within our own modern context
Grade 10 R.S Lesson Plan Day 5 (week 3) Unit 1 – Called to Jesus
What are we doing?
Agenda:
1. Prayer / video
2. Brainstorming question: What is
the New Testament (stages,
gospels)
3. The 4 gospel portraits
Why are we doing it?
Learning Goals:
How will I know I’ve worked toward
I will…
* identify characteristics of the New
Testament
* understand the basic messages of the
NT
* understand the perspective, audience
and symbol of each gospel portrait
I can…
* answer the brainstorming question
using at least 2 pieces of explanation
and one example as support
* fill in the blanks and highlight the
note
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Un9_MSc7ug
(good news spreads)
the learning goal? Success Criteria:
The New Testament
*The New Testament is composed of twenty-seven writings, and the New Testament divides into four sections:
1. Four Gospels (recounts birth, mission, miracles, crucifixion, resurrection of Jesus)
2. The Acts of the Apostles (the spread of the gospel message after Jesus resurrection)
3. Twenty-one Letters (the apostles and disciples teaching and advising the early Christian communities)
4. The Book of Revelation
The Four Gospels: Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John.
These Gospels passed through three ___________________ in their development:
1. LIFE stage, what the disciples saw and ____________________.
2. PREACHING stage, what the Apostles _____________________.
3. WRITTEN stage, what the evangelists ____________________.
*Each of the four Gospels was written at a different time, in a different place, for a different _________________
of people (audience). Experts do not agree when, where, and for whom each Gospel was written. This is the
most probable rundown: Mark wrote in Rome before A.D. 70 for Christians of a __________________ (nonJewish) background. Matthew wrote in Antioch (Syria) between A.D. 70 and A.D. 90 for Christians of
__________________ background. Luke wrote in Greece between A.D. 70 and A.D. 90 for Christians of
______________ background. John wrote in Ephesus (Asia Minor) after A.D. 90 for Christians of all backgrounds.
WORD BANK: gentile, heard, Jewish, stages, preached, Greek, recorded, group
The word “gospel” means “good news”. There are 4 Gospels included in the New Testament: Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John.
The first three Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) are sometimes called “synoptic” (meaning “same view”)
Gospels. This is because they share many of the same stories, teachings, and miracles of Jesus.
John, who was writing later, recounts Jesus’ other words and miracles that have a particular spiritual meaning.
All four Gospel writers present Jesus as both human and divine, however, each writer does so in a slightly
different way, recording additional details or emphasizing one aspect more than the others.
Look at how the four gospel writers recount the story of Jesus appearing to his disciples:
Matthew 28:10
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
Luke 24:36
[Jesus appears to his Disciples] While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to
them, “Peace be with you”.
Mark 16:15
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation”.
John 20:21-23
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you”. And with that he breathed on
them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive
them, they are not forgiven”. Q: Why do you think John adds the forgiveness of sins?
The Gospels: Portraits of Jesus (use PPT)
Mark
Perspective
Audience
Symbol
Matthew Perspective
Audience
Symbol
Luke
Perspective
Audience
Symbol
John
Perspective
Audience
Symbol
Three “Big” gospel themes: Incarnation, Paschal Mystery, Kingdom of God
Incarnation:
Each of the Gospels starts with the incarnation. This means that God becomes flesh. God becomes human and
the human, called Jesus, becomes God. The incarnation then is the perfect union of human with God. The
relationship between God and Jesus is never broken.
What does the incarnation mean for us? It means God is offering God’s self to us so that we too, like Jesus, can
be filled with God’s love. We can then become a channel of God’s love and peace in the world.
Message: we are images of God; we can do great things
Paschal Mystery:
The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is called the Paschal Mystery. It means that Jesus lived and died for us.
He came to show us that he is “the truth, the way, and the light” and that whoever has a relationship with him
will have eternal life.
The Paschal Mystery is meant to show us that truth and love cannot be killed, these forces of God will rise again.
In addition, when we experience loss, pain, or death it seems like God is not with us. But Jesus showed us that
through all the suffering he endured, God was with him. Jesus trusted God and Jesus was not let down or
abandoned.
Message: loss/death/ despair = renewal and new life when we trust in God
Spread the good news in order to usher in the Kingdom of God:
When Jesus preached about the Kingdom of God it was the beginning of God’s reign (the reign of love). However,
God’s reign is not complete, and it is up to us to spread the good news through our compassion and through acts
of justice and thereby move humanity closer to the reign of love.
Message: with God we can renew the face of the earth through living the beatitudes and working for justice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT-HBl2TVtI Video that will change your life. I have no words left.
Three “Big” gospel themes: Incarnation, Paschal Mystery, Kingdom of God
Incarnation:
Each of the Gospels starts with the incarnation. This means that God becomes flesh. God becomes human and
the human, called Jesus, becomes God. The incarnation then is the perfect union of human with God. The
relationship between God and Jesus is never broken.
What does the incarnation mean for us? It means God is offering God’s self to us so that we too, like Jesus, can
be filled with God’s love. We can then become a channel of God’s love and peace in the world.
Message: _____________________________________________________________________
Paschal Mystery:
The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is called the Paschal Mystery. It means that Jesus lived and died for us.
He came to show us that he is “the truth, the way, and the light” and that whoever has a relationship with him
will have eternal life.
The Paschal Mystery is meant to show us that truth and love cannot be killed; these forces of God will rise again.
In addition, when we experience loss, pain, or death it seems like God is not with us. But Jesus showed us that
through all the suffering he endured, God was with him. Jesus trusted God and Jesus was not let down or
abandoned.
Message: _____________________________________________________________________
Spread the good news in order to usher in the Kingdom of God:
When Jesus preached about the Kingdom of God it was the beginning of God’s reign (the reign of love).
However, God’s reign is not complete, and it is up to us to spread the good news through our compassion and
through acts of justice and thereby move humanity closer to the reign of love.
Message: ________________________________________________________________________