Do you teach in a Sunday school, religious education, catechism class or religious formation environment? Could you use some help with classroom management to help keep your classroom positive and on task? Check out these tips for classroom management in a religious classroom. Specifically written for volunteers who are teaching the faith to our kids, but don't necessarily have the teaching background to give them strategies for dealing with behavior problems in their classroom.
Hexagonal Thinking is a fun review game using hexagons to show key relationships between events, people, places and vocabulary terms. With this resource, students are challenged to place hexagonal shape cards representing key ideas from the Colonization Era in a way that shows the relationship between different parts of history.
Zoroaster was a prophet of ancient Persia, whose teachings laid the foundation for the religion known as Zoroastrianism, which largely dominated the land of Iran until the arrival of Islam after the fall of the Sassanian Empire. Whilst this figure is known as Zoroaster in the West (being derived from the Greek ‘Zoroastres’)
List of top 10 oldest universities in the world. Highlights of the oldest universities in the world still in operation. How old are these universities?
There are 3 exercises.1- find the school subjects in the grid and write them under the right picture 2- complete the sentences with the right word 3-read about Erika's routine, look at the chart and write true or false.(3 pages) - ESL worksheets
Teaching students how to identify the theme in literature can be down right difficult. This year I tried something new and it worked great!
I always start my year in religion with an overview of the Sacraments. Our 5th grade curriculum focuses on all seven of them as a gift to the Church from Christ. We will get into the nitty-gritty of each throughout the year, but I like to begin with a big picture. Because we have been talking quite a bit about symbolism within literature in our St. Maximilian Kolbe unit (more on that soon!), I thought we could make some connections with symbols that we use to represent the Sacraments. Here is how our graphic organizer turned out: Note that these are not necessarily the official "signs" of the Sacrament, just something that draws our mind to make a connection. I know there are many more symbols, but this is what the 5th graders came up with (some with a little help!). The graphic organizer also divides the Sacraments into the categories of Initiation, Service, and Healing, as well as lists a few Bible references connected to the Sacrament. We also now have a matching anchor chart on the wall to use as reference throughout the year. If you would like to use this idea to review/intro the Sacraments there are two printables available below, one filled out, and one with the note taking space left blank. They would make a great addition to a notebooking project! Click here for the graphic organizer that you can fill in yourself: Click here for the filled in version of our notes:
Use this carnival-like 10 Commandment game to review the Commandments with upper elementary. Players show their knowledge of the 10 Commandments by knocking down cups with 10 Commandments written on them.
The first week is (almost) finished and I thought I’d share some of our highlights! It has been great getting to know my students, and I am looking forward to getting into even more routine next week. What did we do? Check it out… My goal for the first week of school is to start […]
What's remarkable about Irish artists is that they were hardly influenced by Renaissance artists during the 15th and 16th centuries. It wasn't until the late
Religious education ideas for Catholic teachers, homeschoolers, and catechists- crafts, lessons, and printables on Sacraments, Scripture and Prayer.
A few weeks ago I shared how I broke up with my beloved clip chart, started using “Class Dojo” AND began implementing the program, “The Leader in Me“. You can read all about that fun here… It’s now almost 3 weeks later, we’re still going strong with “Class Dojo” and “The Leader in Me“. I […]
As Spring Break approaches, I find that my fifth graders are in need of some reminders as to what it means to be kind to each other. In general, they are sweet kids, but at times the words they use and actions they take, particularly on the playground, aren't the kindest. Our read aloud for the month is Wonder by RJ Palacio so the theme of kindness fit right into our room. It just so happens that a new book, We're All Wonders by RJ Palacio, a picture book intended for younger readers to access the story, came out this week as well. So the timing was perfect. (the two links above are my affiliate links and will take you to Amazon to buy the books.) I began by asking the students what kindness is. We brainstormed a list of ideas and created an anchor chart. Then I read the picture book to the students. Because we had just finished Wonder, they were so excited to read this new version. When we finished, I asked the kids to think of all the ways, in both the picture book and the novel, that people were not very kind to Auggie (the main character). The kids were able to fill our entire circle map in no time. It was easy to recall how people would scream in his face, recoiling at the way he looked. They remembered the names Auggie was called and the no-touching game that was played. The instantly told me about all the awful things that happened to him. I then asked the kids to brainstorm ways that, if they were in the novel with Auggie, they could be kinder to him. Again, they had no problem thinking of ways they could be kind to Auggie. Next, I asked the students to think about their own real life. I asked them to reflect upon how they personally treat others and how they personally could make better choices when speaking to others. Here is where things got a little challenging. You see, when students are talking about fictional characters, or reading news stories about OTHER kids they don't know being treated unfairly or unkindly, they know exactly what they would do if they were there. Because they aren't there. They know they never will be there. But when confronted with their own lives, and real possibilities for what they would have to do to step in or change situations, it is a bit harder for them. So I asked them to brainstorm 15 different ways they PERSONALLY could show kindness to our classmates. (I drew a lot of inspiration for this next part from Study All Knight's FREE Kindness unit, which you can grab here.) The students then used tempra paint and painted 15 (or so) rainbow sunshine rays. They also drew their own Wonder-Inspired portrait. (I have previously done this before, but had them focus on precepts and writing....if you would like to do that, click here. It is one of my fav lessons too!) The students then glued their Wonder portraits into the middle of the rays, used Sharpie to outline and write the 15 ways they could show real kindness in their lives (one way per ray) and were done. They came out amazing. (See the picture at the top of the post!) What is better though, is that the past two days, my students are actively trying to be kinder to each other. They are watching their words. I have seen people purposefully go up to those who tend to wander during group time and invite them into the group. I have seen students smile at others just a bit more. It truly has been a Wonder. Right now, for a limited time, Amazon has the book available for $3.99!!! Snag up to 4 copies at that price. Use my affiliate link here to get your copy ASAP before they are all gone!! SaveSave
School has been back in swing for...three months now, and I am just now getting around to some of the back-to-school posts in my draft folder. I guess that goes to model what a teacher's fall usually looks like. I gave you a peek inside my classroom back in this post, and mentioned my faith corner, promising more details later. Well, it is later, so here are some ideas for creating a holy space in your Classroom/CCD Room/Youth Room/etc. (FYI- I know that not all CCD teachers are blessed to have a permanent location to set up something like this faith corner. Lot of programs have to use shared spaces and can't store items in the same place that they teach. I hope that the things that we use might inspire you as you set up your "mobile" classroom to find a few important items to make the space sacred for your students. And God love you for working in such a state of transition, because I don't know if I could do it!) Here is what our faith corner usually looks like: It includes a classroom set of Bibles: And another shelf with activities, our classroom Bible, prayer jar, and Mary statue. This is also our Saint of the Month Board. August/September was St. Maximilian Kolbe, who also happens to be our classroom Saint (click here for the Lit/Religion Unit I teach on him). October is St. Terese. I love these posters, which are through Pauline Books and Media. Facing the opposite way are shelves of our faith books. Lots on the Saints, liturgical seasons, Bible stories, etc. We also have a box here for our "Words of Faith" which is a vocab activity we do in each chapter of our religion book, featured books (often related to Saint feast days- you can see Take it to the Queen featured for August), and inspiring words (right now is a colored and framed version of this quote.) You'll also see my friends Fr. Juan Pablo and Sr. Mary Clara featured in this post. I also have a prayer kit that came with my Religion book series. Here is our classroom Bible, which the kids are free to use and look through, but is always left open on the top shelf in our Faith Corner. I tell the kids that a Bible should be lived in, and demonstrate by highlighting and labeling things that we talk about in class. We read the upcoming Sunday Gospel during the week and discuss it so that the kids are more prepared for Mass and can listen for the main message. I highlight the reading and label it with the date so that it can be easily found by the kids during the week. The nice thing is that after next year (my third year doing this in this particular Bible) it will be all set for the future because of the three year lectionary cycle. Score one for the organization of the Catholic Church. We also have our student Prayer jar on the top shelf in the Faith Corner. I wrote about the prayerful environment/classroom management tool that is our Prayer jar here. And of course, Our Lady. On that shelf, there are also baskets with themes like Scripture, Saints, Prayer, etc. They contain books, small games, etc. The kids are welcome to explore these baskets, and many use them for early finisher activities. I also store manipulatives/models from lessons here after we use them together so that they can get them out and see them again. On the shelf just above are some Catholic coloring pages and prayer starters. This old metal recipe box is our Saintly virtue box, which is a part of my classroom management system. In brief, the kids can receive rewards as a whole class or individually. When they earn an individual reward, they get to choose a saint card from this box. I am always restocking it with various saints, some cards that I have purchased, and others that have been donated to me. There are several ladies at church who save all of those free things that they get in the mail, and I make good use of them. The idea is that the students is being rewarded for showing virtue of some kind (we are working on what that means and how we live it out) and that the Saints are our models of virtue. They get to choose a Saint to remind them to keep making good choices. Hanging from the ceiling is this chain (made from giant paper clips.) The students all have a binder ring with a card that says "name is growing in Saintly Virtue." They get to attach their card, and will add many more throughout the year. They then get to take home their own kind of mini book/prayer wheel of the Saints that they have chosen. We also include other items for liturgical seasons, featured projects, prayers, etc. as they become important throughout the year. I hope that gives you some ideas for creating a faith filled space for your students. I'd love to hear how you have done it in your own classrooms!
With the holidays right around the corner, I figured it was the perfect time to introduce this angel-inspired Renaissance lesson to my 5th graders. Angels are wonderful symbols and religious icons …
By Felicity Blaze Noodleman Two things I have always heard should not be discussed in the work place: “Politics and Religion” an...
Are you looking for something to help with a lesson or review parts of the mass? If so, this game of I Have...Who Has is perfect! There are 2 types of card sets for I Have...Who Has - Parts of the Mass: I Have with the part of the mass word(s) I Have with the part of the mass definition There are 14 cards for each type of this I Have...Who Has game. There are also a title card and 2 blank cards for each set. The cards are also clearly labeled with the first and last card. You can also play this game as a bell-ringer at the start of class or a time filler at the end of class. It's suited for at home or in the classroom too! NOTE: This is for parts of the Catholic mass. It does not include a breakdown of the Eucharistic Prayer. Copyright 2022 by Elaine G of The Treasured Schoolhouse. All Rights Reserved.
Kingdom of Whydah Crowning of the King of Whydah, by Jacob van der Schley (1715-1779) The Kingdom of Whydah /ˈhwɪdə/ was a kingdom on the coast of West Africa in …
A few weeks ago I shared how I broke up with my beloved clip chart, started using “Class Dojo” AND began implementing the program, “The Leader in Me“. You can read all about that fun here… It’s now almost 3 weeks later, we’re still going strong with “Class Dojo” and “The Leader in Me“. I […]
Third Commandment: Keep Holy the Sabbath Day (Catholic) Do you keep the Lord’s Day holy? Do I try to get out of Mass on Sunday? Do I fail to pay attention at Mass? During my prayers? Have I been late for Mass through my own negligence? Do I do unnecessary work on Sunday? Do I save all my homework for Sunday? Do I fail to take extra time for prayer and family on Sunday? Do I fail to serve others on Sunday? Have I deliberately missed Mass on Sundays or Holy Days of Obligation? Have I tried to observe Sunday as a family day and a day of rest? Have I given over a considerable portion of my Sundays to temporal affairs and not dedicated a good part of these days to spiritual reading, prayer, and fellowship? Do I deliberately come to Mass late or leave early? Lesson 18: The Second and Third Commandments of God- (The New Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism, No. 1, page 85-89). For younger students. Lesson 18: The Second and Third Commandments of God- (The New Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism, No. 2, page 116-120). For older students. catholicity.com- Lesson 18 from the Baltimore Catechism (no questions at end of lesson as in the book above) cin.org- The Baltimore Catechism scborromeo.org- Catechism of the Catholic Church Set Aside a Special Day for God- Stories, crafts, games, prayer, and adventure. (Kids' Travel Guide to the 10 Commandments by Carol Mader, page 48-55). Church & Respect- lesson on why and how to act in church and what it means to respect others (parents, teachers, etc.). Lesson consists of: Objectives, Review, Vocabulary Words, Bible Story with questions, Activities, Crafts, Games, Snacks, Puzzles/Mazes/Worksheets, etc. On the Seventh Day God Rested- What are we supposed to do on the seventh day? Go to Mass. PK – K lesson with: Objectives, Word Wall, Bible Story with questions, Songs and/or Finger Plays, Activities, Crafts, Games, Snacks, Coloring/Puzzles, etc. Coloring: applesaucekids.com- The Seventh Day God Rests web.archive.org- Exodus 20:8 Remember the Sabbath Day. churchhousecollection.com- Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Crafts: sundayschoolcrafts.net- Remember The Sabbath Day And Keep It Holy Craft (change this to #3 Commandment) Introduce craft: Where do we come to worship on Sunday? Make a church- Lesson 1: The Church Is God’s House (Children Discover the Mass by Mary Doerfler Dall, page 8). web.archive.org- Matching Pieces Church daniellesplace.com- several crafts posted papercraftsquare.com- New England Community Church Free Building Paper Model Download The classic, clapboard church building with a clock and bell tower. Enlarge template for younger students to do. Teachers may need to help children put church together. Introduce craft: Have you ever noticed the beautiful stained glass windows in church? Let’s make one to take home. momontimeout.com- Stained Glass Cross Craft kindercraze.com- Stained Glass Cross Craft Games: What ever happened to good manners in church?- Find out if you know how to behave in church. Roll the die and move that many spaces. Follow the directions on the space you land on. If the space has a Roll Play activity on it, perform it to the best of your ability. If needed, the teacher will help you understand what to do and coach you how to do it correctly. If the space has a picture of person reacting to bad behavior that they had just seen in church, draw a Game Card and read it out loud (if the student cannot read, the teacher or someone can read it for them). Answer the question to the best of your ability (the teacher can coach the student if necessary). Puzzles: These activities are free, however they can only to be used for classroom and personal use. They may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted. Third Commandment- Word Jumble Keep Holy The Sabbath Day- Crossword Worksheets: web.archive.org- Look under 10 Commandments for worksheets Bible Stories: Picking Grain on the Sabbath (Matthew 12), Celebrate Sabbath/Manna in the Wilderness, Healing on the Sabbath
"Can't any of you stay awake with me for one hour?" Matthew 26:41 Today, Holy Thursday, we commemorate the start of the sacred Triduum- the Last Supper, the washing of the feet of the Apostles, the Institution of the Eucharist and the Priesthood, and later the Agony in the Garden. Christ's comment to the Apostles after they had fallen asleep about staying awake one hour is seen as the origin of the Holy Hour, a perfect amount of time to spend in prayer. I am able to have Holy Hours with my students occasionally, and while they usually are respectful and not disruptive, I sometimes wonder how much they "get out of it." Merely being in the presence of Christ is enough, but I want them to develop the ability to have a conversation with their Lord including time to sit in silence and listen. When I covered the prayer chapter in my religion book, we talked about different ways to pray, including all of the things that we should talk to God about. I taught them the acronym ACTS, standing for Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. It is very easy to only ask God for the things that we want and forget about praising him, expressing our sorrow for sin, and thanking him for his blessings. Fulton Sheen made a promise when he was ordained a priest to make a Holy Hour everyday. You can read his own words about the promise and how it changed his life here. This week, as I was preparing my students for their Holy Hour, I decided to try something different. I gave them a copy of the second printable below and reminded them of what the words mean. They then taped them in their Fulton Sheen notebooks flap style and I challenged them to journal some thoughts to God. We talked about how journaling can be one style of prayer that helps us talk to God. The flap ensured that their prayers could remain private, which enabled them to be more comfortable in journaling during the Holy Hour. The verses and short explanations helped them remember what they were praying about without needing my help. Armed with their notebooks, pencils, and directions, we went to the church...and had the best, most attentive, quietest Holy Hour that we have had all year. The student response was overwhelmingly positive. I think that kids should do Holy Hours, but also I think we need to teach them and guide them through it so that it can be a fruitful experience with God. Whether with a Holy Hour or in another way, here are some ACTS prayer printables for you to use: Link to ACTS words on a single page, no Scripture verses: Link to ACTS words, two per page, with Scripture verses: Link to ACTS large words, one per page, with Scripture verses:
Make these 3D printable grottos for Stations of the Cross!
We are working on a "big picture" of the Sacraments in Religion at school right now. I created these notes for the kids with the four main ideas we keep coming back to: Jesus' mission, the Church, the Sacraments, and Grace...and how they are all related. Here is my version with a little color added to make it pretty. You can print out my copy of the notes by clicking here: Or you can print the blank notes to have the kids fill in by clicking here: You might also like our Sacrament Symbols notes or some of the other activities under the Sacraments tab above.
Help your students memorize the Act of Contrition with this printable. http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Ingrids-Art
We are a Leader In Me School and talk a lot about using the 7 Habits of Happy Kids in our everyday lives. I love the idea of encouraging kids to act as leaders in the classroom and beyond. What I have noticed, however, is that sometimes "leadership" comes off as "bossypants" and that is not the route we want to take! I know you've probably heard of Sheryl Sandberg (of Facebook fame) and her campaign to end the word "bossy" (read or listen to an NPR story HERE), but I was hesitant to come straight out and use that word in our class. Instead, I wanted them to think on terms of "boss" and "leader" to recognize the differences between the two and to think about their own language choices in the classroom, in small groups, on their sports teams, and more. We first looked at this picture and talked about what we noticed: (source) This led to some discussion about leadership versus boss behavior. While the kids were discussing, I was passing out example cards to their table spots. Before I dismissed them, I shared this leadership quote from John Quincy Adams: They were then given instructions about our activity. I had printed example cards on two colors: blue for boss and green for leader (although they didn't know that yet) and they needed to read their card and find someone with an opposite color card and opposite example (good time to incorporate the word antonym, too!). I dismissed them to their tables and first had them converse with students in their table group to ensure they understood the word or phrase on their card. When they gave me the thumbs up, I told them to find their match and them meet to discuss why they went together and be able to give examples. We then began assembling our Anchor Chart. Each pair would come to the front of the class and would explain which card was descriptive of a "boss" and which was descriptive of a "leader" and why. They gave examples and I elicited a lot of help from the classroom for additional examples and language that both a boss and leader may use during that example. I would tape the cards to the Anchor Chart and we continued through each pair. There were two groups of three (with two leaders to one boss) and that worked out perfectly with my class (definitely feel free to adjust if you have lower numbers). Our completed anchor chart looked like: It was so powerful to see how often kids may think they are helping, but instead find themselves on the "boss" side of the chart instead of the "leader." I know several of the examples are repetitive, but we really talked through these and used examples from our own lives to recount when using "leader" words and language set us up for success. I also explained the "me vs. you" mentality of bosses versus the "we and us" mentality of leaders. Overall, it was a very powerful lesson and I look forward to referring back to this Anchor Chart this year, especially when "bossypants" behavior leads to conflict. I think these concrete examples can help guide the naturally strong leaders in my class to make better language decisions that can help grow them as leaders and really inspire others, just like the Adams quote! If you'd like a copy of these cards and quote, you can download this as a *freebie* HERE. How do you address bossy vs. leader behavior in your class? Share in the comments, I would love to build on this lesson!
Saint Patrick Prayer Coloring Page. May the Strength of God guide us.May the Power of God preserve us.May the Wisdom of God instruct us.May the Hand of God protect us.May the Way of God direct us.May the Shield of God defend us.May the Angels of God guard us.– Against the snares of the evil one. … Read More »Saint Patrick Prayer Coloring Page
In this Road to Emmaus lesson plan, students will learn the meaning of this Bible story and how they can apply it to their lives with activities and worksheets.
Edutopia blogger and educator Elena Aguilar shares ways for bringing the many lessons from Nelson Mandela's life into the classroom.
Soooooo thankful for this very refreshing Christmas Break! I sure needed it! I already feel re-energized and ready to take on the New Yea...
Religious education ideas for Catholic teachers, homeschoolers, and catechists- crafts, lessons, and printables on Sacraments, Scripture and Prayer.
Explore the science of mummification by making your own mummy out of a hot dog and baking soda.
Teaching Heart has many Lent resources you can use in your classroom. Ressurection Egg Lap Book: You can read about those here and print the files needed to make them. You can purchase Ressurection Eggs here. I also suggest this book to read with each egg. Here is a new book that was released this …
This is one of my very favorite worksheets that I've ever made! It allows students to be creative and share with the class, along with openi...
Happy Pentecost!Enjoy some good music about the Holy Spirit while you read a long post. We are still in the midst of reviewing the Sacraments in my 5th grade classroom. Last week, to tie in with Pen
Notebooking can be a great way for CCD kids to collect a visual model of what they are learning throughout the year. I think that the short, once a week format of most CCD programs tends to make it tough for kids to pick up where they left off. Notebooking could help. Here are some ideas that could be used for any concept, but all of my examples are about the Creed. I think that it would be kind of a cool way to start the CCD year, with the Creed as a base, and then move on to the curriculum. You could then readily tie the Creed into everything that you are learning. Click on anything black and white for a printable to get you started. Start with a good cover. I thought that "I Believe" is a good statement. Then kids can look at their notebook and say that they believe everything that is contained inside. This time, I used a Composition style notebook, but a spiral bound notebook works fine. (I do recommend glue sticks, tape, and staples over liquid glue for obvious reasons. A notebook that ends up only having one page because they are all glued together isn't much of a notebook.) Add a copy of the Creed, with a twist. Print a copy of this two-page, word by word Creed, have the students cut it apart, mix it up, and see if they can glue it back in order. I don't recommend cutting each word apart unless you have very dedicated, detail oriented students and a lot of time. Instead, cut it into strips, which is much more manageable. Glue in a KWL Chart, to assess what students know before you begin (Know), as you learn (Want to Know), and as you complete your lesson (Learned). To make the Creed a little more accessible, you can do a shrinking summary. Hand the kids a large index card and have them write a summary of the important points of the Creed. Then give them a smaller index card and have them par down the summary even further. Finally, have them limit it to only a few words on a post it note or half an index card. It can be very powerful to discover what the key words are that convey the meaning of such a large amount of text. Try Wordle. I love Wordle. Paste in or type a bunch of text and it randomly creates this cool word art. Students can change the colors, fonts, layouts, etc. The size of the words is proportional to the number of times the word appears in the text. On this one, I intentionally made "The Nicene Creed" large, but the rest of the words help us to see what words are used most often. Add some flip books or other fun things. Directions and printable for this one abut tough words in the Creed can be found here. Add some lift-the-flap-facts about connections between the Creed and Scripture. There is also a blank area for writing notes. You also could add Catechism references. Finish up the section with a "Yes" flow chart. Since "I Believe" is the theme, have the students add things that they can say yes, they believe. There are some ideas to get you started, but the possibilities are endless!
My interest here is in finding usable information regarding the centuries before Bede and in the way in which new data, especially the outstanding recent archaeological discoveries at Whithom in Wigtownshire (which is certainly the site of Candida Casal. might support and add to his picture of St. Ninian and the importance of his church at Candida Casa.
Beatitude game that tests kids' knowledge. Students bowl for a particular Beatitude pin that is the answer to a meaningful prompt.
