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Catholic Education Week 2015: Exploring Paths of Joy
DAY 5: PROCLAIMING THE GOOD NEWS
BOOK TITLE:
Suggested Grade Level:
Primary
Lessons from POPE FRANCIS for Children
AUTHOR and Angela M. Burrin
ILLUSTRATOR: Maria Cristina Lo Cascio
ISBN:
9781593252663
BOOK DESCRIPTION: This book contains lessons that Pope Francis has
outlined for all of us. The lessons are based on scripture passages. Then
Pope Francis gives a lesson and he invites us to do an action to grow in faith
CATHOLIC CONNECTIONS:
OCSGE – An Effective Communicator and A Reflective and Creative Thinker
Catholic Social Teaching: Life and Dignity of the Human Person
Scripture focus: Luke 24: 32-35
R.E. Curriculum: Hope Expectations – BL1, 2, CL1, 2, LM1, LC1 PR1
Fully Alive: A1, 2, B1, 2, E2, 3
MINDS ON (Before)
Approximately: 10 min.
Learning Goal: Students will do an activity to deepen their understanding of
one of the lessons from Pope Francis.
Success Criteria:
Students will listen to the lessons of Pope Francis.
Students will make some connections between Pope Francis’ lessons and the
Emmaus story.
Students will do an activity with one of the lessons from Pope Francis and
share it with their families.
MATERIALS:
Book
Elmo – overhead projection
device
Luke’s gospel
MINISTRY CURRICULUM
LINKS:
Language
Oral: 1.2-1.5; 2.1-2.5
PAUSE & PONDER
The same book is being used
by the whole school for the
last day. The lessons for
Primary students are Lessons
One to Four
Before Reading: Who is the Pope? What is the Pope’s job? Who was the
first Pope?
Let’s look at the book cover. What do you think the book is about? Predict
what you think this book will be about? Read the title to the students. Does
knowing the title change your prediction about the book?
ACTION! (During)
Approximately: 20-30 min.
During Reading: Read the first lesson. Give students time to look at the
illustration that goes with the lesson. Lesson One – God Loves Us
Read the second lesson. Jesus Is My Friend
Assessment of Learning
(AoL) – to assess if students
have learned to make
predictions/inferences.
PAUSE & PONDER
The first part of each lesson
is a summary of a scripture
passage. Then the lesson
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Read the third lesson. Open Your Heart to the Holy Spirit.
Read the fourth lesson. God Never Tires of Forgiving You
This week we have been listening to the story of the disciples on the road to
Emmaus. Let’s recap. The disciples left Jerusalem because their friend Jesus
had been put to death. As they were walking a man joined them on the
road. It was Jesus but they did not recognize him. Jesus explains the
passages in the Scriptures that explained why their friend Jesus had died.
When they came close to Emmaus they invited the man to come in to eat
with them. When Jesus took the bread, said the blessing and handed it to
them, they recognized Jesus but he vanished. They made their way back to
Jerusalem to tell the other disciples that Jesus was alive.
Read the Emmaus story for today’s theme. The theme for today is
“Proclaiming the Good News.” Can you make any connections with the
Emmaus story and the lessons from Pope Francis?
CONSOLIDATION (After)
Approximately: 10-20 min.
After Reading
Have the students decide which lesson they want to work with further. This
may set up as activity stations for your class. Attached are activities that can
be prepared for the students.
Activity ONE for Lesson One
Invite students to trace their hands onto the hand that is God’s hand (adult
hand). See BLM 1.1
Invite them to take this page home to tell their parents that: Pope Francis
wants me to know that God loves me!
Activity TWO for Lesson Two
Invite students to create a plastercine gift for Jesus.
Invite them to take this gift home to tell their parents that: Pope Francis
wants me to invite Jesus to be my friend!
Activity THREE for Lesson Three
Invite students to cut out a big heart in red construction paper. Then cut a
door in the middle of the heart. Invite the students to open the door of their
hearts to goodness. Write acts of kindness that they can do on the heart.
Invite them to take the heart home to tell their parents that: Pope Francis
wants me to open my heart to the Holy Spirit!
Activity FOUR for Lesson Four
Invite students to fill in the blanks on the handout with the title of the
lesson. Explain to the students it is challenging to practice these actions all
the time. When we struggle, our Father in heaven will always forgive us. See
BLM 4.1 Invite students to explain to their parents that: Pope Francis wants
me to know that my Father in heaven will always forgive me!
that Pope Francis wants to
share with children is
outlined. Then there is an
activity to make the lesson
personally meaningful.
If your class can’t sit long
enough to hear four lessons,
save the other lessons for
the next weeks of school.
PAUSE & PONDER
These activities are intended
to offer choice to the
students in how they
respond to the lessons from
Pope Francis. This is not an
exhaustive list of activities.
As classroom teacher you
know your students and how
they learn best. Feel free to
create your own activities if
these do not meet the needs
of your students. The only
key is that the students be
instructed to share the
lesson they learned with
someone and thus proclaim
the Good News.
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BLM 1.1
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God Forgives Me Always
Activity Four for Lesson Four
____________________ is always patient.
____________________ is always kind.
____________________ is never jealous.
____________________ never brags.
____________________ is not conceited.
____________________ is never rude.
____________________ is not selfish.
____________________ does not take offense.
____________________ is not resentful.
____________________ delights in the truth.
Pope Francis wants me to know that God will always
forgive me!
BLM 1.2