jesus our guide, faith and life series: grade 4 jesus …holyfamilyduxbury.org/media/1/grade 4...
TRANSCRIPT
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JESUS OUR GUIDE, Faith and Life Series: Grade 4 Jesus Our Guide LESSON #1 – Intro and Chapter 1 The Fall of Man Objective: The students will learn that faith is a supernatural gift from God. Faith allows us to believe the truth that God has revealed through creation, Scripture, tradition, and (perfectly) through Jesus Christ. (tear out page 1 in the Student Workbook, “Creation”. Pass these out later in the lesson*) Open with a Prayer: Our Father, Hail Mary
Ice Breaker – ice breaker activity is a scavenger hunt. Make up a bingo card with the squares already filled in with things such as, “a person who is the oldest sibling”, “a person who owns a cat”, “a person who went to another state for vacation”, etc. (suggestions below). Students (even though they know each other, they get to learn things they don't know) have to go around the room and get a signature for each square (only one signature from each student per card)....the teacher is included in the game. After 5 minutes, the one with the most signatures wins. Optional: Have a small treat for the one who gets the most right. The following are suggestions only – you’re welcome to use your own creativity!
1. A person who is the oldest child in the family 2. A person who owns a cat 3. A person who went to another state over vacation 4. A person who owns the most pets 5. A person who is the youngest child in the family 6. A person who is has lived in Duxbury since birth 7. A person who moved to Duxbury the most recently 8. A person who has a birthday closest to today’s date 9. A person who likes black jelly beans 10. A person who can touch his/her nose with his/her tongue
Tell the students: Welcome them to their 4th grade class. Take some time to point out the features of their text book – first section (blue page 11) B.C. Before Christ; second section (blue page 69) A.D. In the Year of Our Lord; prayers (blue pages 161-165), the Christmas and Easter supplements at the end of the white pages. Ask: What do you think we are going to learn about this year?
Use the introduction in their text books, Pilgrims to Heaven (pg 9, student text). Read it to the children with their books closed, and allow them to engage in conversation if they wish at those points where the text asks questions of the
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reader. Remind them of their ice-breaker game and how interesting it was to find out more information about their friends. In the same way, finding out more information about God and Jesus Christ makes their faith more interesting.
Ask students:
1. Why do you think it is important to learn about the Old Testament? (answers will vary; to learn about God; to learn why Jesus came to live among us; to learn about God’s great love for us; et al)
2. Why do you think we would want to learn more about God? (answers will vary; for guidance in our journey here on earth – like a compass; for hope – when in trouble or sad; to help us know how to be the best person we can be; to receive God’s grace through the sacraments, et al.)
3. Do you think having faith makes a difference in your life? (answers will vary)
4. Do you know anyone whose belief in God has made a difference in their lives? (answers will vary; you can share an experience with them if you wish to help them identify their own stories)
Teach: “We are going to begin to learn about God from the very beginning of human history, so we will start in the time before Jesus came to live among us.
1. How many of you have heard the story of Adam & Eve? (show of hands)
2. Who can tell us who Adam & Eve were and what happened to them? (prompt if necessary)
“Let’s read about Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden. (TEACHER’S NOTE: it might be fun for you to read the narration while different children take the parts of God, Adam, Eve, and the Serpent – you can change up the parts halfway through just to keep everyone on their toes – THESE BOOKS ARE CHALLENGING, SO THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO MOVE THE READING ALONG). Otherwise, have the children take turns reading around the table or by calling names out randomly.
*Pass out page 1 from the Workbooks to each student. Tell them they should listen carefully to the readings and answer the questions as they hear them while the chapter is being read. (TEACHER’S NOTE: you may need to prompt them when the answers appear in the text, or have students quietly raise their hands when they hear an answer to help those who may not be able to follow along as well)
Read through Chapter 1, page 13 student text, to the end of the chapter.
1. Who tricked Adam & Eve? How did he trick them? (the Serpent, who was the devil, told Eve that God was not telling her the truth; the Serpent said they would NOT die if they ate the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil; Eve ate the fruit and then gave some to Adam)
2. What did God do to punish Adam & Eve? (he expelled them from the Garden of Eden and told Adam he would have to work hard to survive; he told Eve she would experience pain at the birth of her children)
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3. What good thing did God promise Adam & Eve? (God said he would send a savior to redeem them – and bring them back into favor with God so that human beings could once again live forever with God)
4. Did Adam & Eve know who that savior would be? (no) Did all the people in the Old Testament of the Bible know who that savior would be? (no) Do you know? (hopefully, they will say Jesus!)
Emphasize: “The story of Adam & Eve is important because it explains why Jesus needed to come. He needed to restore completely our relationship with God. Adam & Eve broke that relationship by doing something they knew should not have done.
“Have you ever had the experience of doing something even though you KNEW that it was the wrong thing to do? When God made us, he made us so that we can think for ourselves – that’s called “free will”. The only problem is that we often make mistakes with our “free will”. Sometimes those things happen by a real mistake, we just didn’t know that our choice would make a bad thing happen. But lots of times we know we are trying to get away with something that is wrong or will hurt someone else. This is a common experience for all human beings. That part of us which often causes us to make the wrong choice is called “Original Sin”.
“It is only with God’s help, with the grace from Baptism, and from going to Mass and receiving Jesus in the Eucharist, that we can overcome the temptation to choose something wrong. Jesus is the one who finally came and taught us all how to live in the way most pleasing to God.”
Tell the students that this year they are going to learn the Apostles’ Creed. Hand out a copy of the Apostle’s Creed. It has a brief description/history on the top which you can read through with them.
Remind them:
“The Creed is the summary of our beliefs as Catholic Christians. It defines the three persons of the Trinity - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, - as well as the five “marks” of the Catholic Church – belief in the One Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the Forgiveness of Sins, the Resurrection of the Body, and Life Everlasting.”
Close the class by reciting the Apostles’ Creed together.
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THE APOSTLES’ CREED The Apostles’ Creed is the Church’s statement of beliefs. If you read the creed carefully, you can see that what it is really saying is that we believe in God, in His son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Spirit. It also says we believe in the holy Catholic Church, in the community of all saints, in the forgiveness of sins, and in eternal life with God in heaven. Most theologians agree that the creed was created within the first 100 to 200 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Over the years, the words have changed but only very slightly. Every Sunday at Mass, the entire congregation recites another version of the creed called The Nicene Creed. It is a little longer, but it is the same set of beliefs. I believe in God,
The Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ,
His only Son, Our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
Born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into Hell.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
And is seated at the right hand of God,
The Father Almighty.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The holy Catholic Church,
The communion of saints,
The forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body,
And life everlasting.
Amen.
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JESUS OUR GUIDE, Faith and Life Series: Grade 4 Jesus Our Guide LESSON #2 - Chapter 2 (25 minutes) Objective: The students will learn about the descendants of Adam & Eve and about the sin of jealousy (which ultimately led to Cain’s killing Abel). The children will learn about the seven cardinal sins (the sources of all other sins: pride, jealousy, anger, greed, lust, materialism, and laziness). (Tear out pg 8 in their student workbooks, to be sent home with the students.) Open with a Prayer: Our Father, Hail Mary. Have the students turn to page 161
(blue pages) in their text book. Read The Apostles’ Creed out loud together and aid
them in memorizing first paragraph:
“I believe in God, The Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth;”
Teach: “Today we are going to hear some Bible stories which will teach us
something about God, and something about ourselves and something about how
our behavior affects others. Every story in the Bible helps us to learn something
about who God is and about what kind of relationship He would like to have with
us. Every story also tells us something about who we are.
“Please close your text books so I can read to you the story of Cain and Abel.” Read
pages 17-18 to the class.
1. Ask the students what is jealousy? Jealousy is feeling envious of another
person because they have something we want for ourselves.
2. Have you ever felt jealous of someone else? Answers will vary
“This was the first time God showed that murder was a sin and would be punished. Cain’s
jealousy was the cause of his sin against Abel. Jealousy can make us think and do unkind
things. There are other feelings that also can cause problems for us. The church calls them
the “Capital Sins” because they are the foundation or source for all other sins.
“There are seven Capital Sins: jealousy, pride, anger, greed, lust, materialism, and
laziness. Let’s talk about each one and you can give some examples of trouble they
can cause.”
Jealousy: to have envy of another; to dislike another because he/she has what you
want. Ask for examples.
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Pride: thinking too highly of oneself; making yourself out to be better than others.
Ask for examples.
Anger: losing one’s temper; strong feeling of extreme displeasure. Ask for examples.
Greed: wanting more than anyone else has. Ask for examples.
Lust: to want something that belongs to another. Ask for examples.
Materialism: to make owning things more important than anything else. Ask for
examples.
Laziness: to avoid work [like homework] in favor of just lying around. Ask for
examples.
Pass out the worksheet on page 8 from their workbooks they can take this home at
the end of class for fun!
God would like us to give the best of what we have as a gift to honor him; He also knows
we struggle with feelings of pride and jealousy, but he does not want us to give in to
those feelings and choose to do hurtful things). God loves us and wants us to stay
safe and make good decisions.
Notice how God first made space and then filled it with life. People were created to know, love and serve God in this life and to be happy forever with God in Heaven. To know, love and serve God means that we must use our minds, hearts and bodies. Our feelings are part of what makes us unique as well. They are a gift from God. Your feelings tell you about the world around you. God gives us feelings like love, sadness, fear, trust and other feelings. It is important to express your feelings.God created each one of us to be a part of this world and to feel safe and loved. God gave us our parents, grandparents, teachers and other adults that we can trust. These adults these “trusted adults” are special gifts from God.
Ask: When are some times when you have felt safe/unsafe? Answers will vary.
At baptism God gave his life, called grace to our souls. People were created to know, love and serve God in this life and to be happy forever with God in Heaven. God created each of us to be a part of this world. He is our Creator, Our Lord and absolute master of all things. As humans, we have what is called free will. This means that we can choose to do good and avoid evil. To choose to do something good leads to good circumstances and to choose to do something bad or against God, is when we sin. By sinning, we turn away from God by choosing not to obey His plan for us and thus offend Him and our neighbors.
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1. Who can name the five senses that God has created for each of us?
SIGHT- sunset, rainbow, forest
SOUND- music, speech, birds, speaking well of others (not gossiping/bullying, )
TASTE- honey, candy, fruit
SMELL- flowers, pizza, perfume
We know from The Bible that Jesus healed sick people when he touched them. Jesus’ touches were definitely good touches, weren’t they? When we go to Mass we exchange the sign of peace, usually by giving a handshake to the people around us. That is a good touch too isn’t it? Below are some other examples of good touches or “yes” touches and bad touches or “no” touches:
TOUCH- Good touches: hugs, pats, high fives
Bad touches: hits, kicks, pinches, tripping, punching
(Stay Safe Program Lesson #1 Feeling Safe and Unsafe Lesson #2 Touches)
Ask the children to name some of their favorite things that they enjoy with using their five senses, reminding them that these favorite things all come from God. Everything and everyone was made for a reason. We all have a special purpose. For example, doctors/nurses help make us well when we are sick and mountains collect snow which becomes water for crops, and trees give us fruit and shade from the sun.
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Chapter 3
Turning Away from God (35 minutes)
Objective: The students will learn that God became very unhappy with the sinful behavior of many people, except for Noah and his family. God saved Noah and his family and two of every animal from the great flood, thereafter promising through the sign of the rainbow that God would never again destroy the world with a flood.
At 3:30 pm MOVIE- have all fourth grade students gather in the
center area seats for the movie about Noah and the Ark.
Teach:
1. How many of you have heard the story of Noah and the Ark? (show of hands)
2. What do you remember about the story? (let one/two children share as much as
they know about the story)
“In the Old Testament, God is often seen by the ancient people of the Bible as a God
who needs to punish his people. Today, after Jesus came to be with us, we know
that God is not a punishing God but rather a forgiving God. But, the people of the
Old Testament were ‘young’ in their faith and did not know Jesus yet. They did not
really understand who God was or why God wanted to have a close friendship with
his people. So, over and over again they turned to bad ways and did wicked things
to each other like the Cardinal Sins we just heard about. All of this made God very
sad.
“Finally, God found one man, Noah, and his family who were trying very hard to be
the best they could be. They prayed and tried to always honor God. This was long
before the 10 Commandments so they didn’t know about them and long before
Jesus, but they still did the best they could to be good people who honored God.
“God knew his people needed a punishment, but he wanted to protect Noah and his
family. He instructed Noah to build an ark (a boat) big enough to carry Noah and
his family, and two of every kind of creature on the earth. Because God is a good
and loving God, he made a promise to Noah and his family after the flood was over.
See if you can listen carefully to hear what God’s promise was and the sign he gave
to Noah as a reminder.
“Now we’re going to watch a movie about Noah and what happened when God
sent the Great Flood.”
Run DVD – 26 minutes.
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After the DVD has finished, return to the classrooms; ask:
3. Were the bad people sorry for their bad behavior? (no)
4. Did they ask for God’s forgiveness? (no)
5. Do you think God really wanted to destroy the world with a flood? (no)
6. Why did God protect Noah and his family? (Noah was the only good man)
7. What was the promise God made to Noah? (God would never again destroy the
whole world with a flood)
8. Why do you think God made that promise to Noah? (so Noah would know how
much God loved him)
9. What was the sign God sent as a reminder to Noah and to us? (the rainbow)
10. What does this story tell us about human beings? (answers will vary; try to help
the children understand that our free will sometimes causes us to choose to do the
wrong things)
11. What does the story tell us about God? (answers will vary; God is a forgiving
God who is always willing to give human beings another chance, especially when we
are sorry for our sins and we ask him for forgiveness)
Emphasize: God is a good God and he loves us very much. He wants to forgive our
sins so that we can restore our friendship with him.
Conclude with Our Father and recite first line of the Apostles’ Creed:
“I believe in God, The Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth;”
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JESUS OUR GUIDE, Faith and Life Series: Grade 4 Jesus Our Guide LESSON #3 - Chapter 4 (40 minutes) God Prepares a People for the Savior Objective: The students will learn about Abraham, the Father of our Faith, and his devotion to the Lord. They will learn about God’s promises to Abraham and how Abraham proved his trust in God. (Tear out pg 16 in their student workbooks, to be given to them at a later time during class or sent home if you don’t have enough time.) Open with a Prayer: Our Father, Hail Mary. Have the students turn to page 161
(blue pages) in their text book. Recite the Apostles’ Creed; focus on memorizing the
first two lines:
“I believe in God, The Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; I believe in
Jesus Christ, his Only Son, Our Lord.”
Teach: “Today we are going to hear more Bible stories about God’s early
relationship with people. As we have heard in the past weeks, God seemed like a
punishing God to the early people. They did not understand that God wanted his
people to choose to do the right thing through their free will; God wanted them to
choose to honor him with the very best they could give. But the early people did not
understand why God wouldn’t give them EVERYTHING they wanted; they became
impatient, and many people gave in to jealousy, pride, anger, and greed – some of
the Capital Sins we talked about last week.
“We have heard about Adam & Eve who became greedy and wanted more than
God had given them; and we heard about their sons Cain & Abel, about how Cain
became jealous of Abel and killed him out of anger.
“But not all people chose to do wrong. Some faithfully tried to give their very best
to God to honor him and show they had faith in him. We heard about Noah and his
family and how God saved him from the Great Flood because Noah was a man who
tried to always honor God.
“The next story we are going to hear from the Old Testament in the Bible is the story
of Abraham, our Father in Faith. Abraham was also a good and faithful man like
Noah. Abraham always tried to honor God and trusted that God would always care
for him in return.
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Ask:
1. What does it mean to “trust” someone? (it means to believe in or have faith in
another)
2. How do you know you can trust someone? (answers will vary; behaviors, actions
– actually do what they say they will do)
3. Why do you think it is important to be able to trust another person – a friend?
Teach: “We know that trust is very important in a relationship. We need to know
that the people close to us can be trusted. Trusted adults can be your parents,
grandparents, teachers, police officers etc. Let’s look at some situations and tell me if
they are good or “yes” safe secrets OR bad or “no” unsafe secrets:
1. Another girl or boy in your school keeps hitting you and calling you
names and warns you not to tell? (bad or “no” unsafe secret) Each one of
us is special and precious to God. God wants us to treat each other with
respect.
2. Mom bought a present for Grandma’s birthday. She asked the children to
keep it a secret until her birthday. (good or safe secret)
3. Sean stutters when he talks. Two of the other children on the street are
always teasing him about it. (bad or unsafe secret)
4. Jessica won the sports person of the year award at her school but the
teacher asked the other children to keep it a secret until the award
ceremony (good or safe secret)
Never keep a bad secret, tell a trusted adult. God loves us and wants us to be safe.
Trusted adults can help us stay safe. (Stay Safe Lesson 3- Secrets and Telling) But,
how about trusting God? When is it the hardest to trust God? What if we don’t get
everything we want? Can we still put our trust in God in the same obedient way
that Abraham did?
Read: Ask for student volunteers to begin reading Chapter 4, “God Prepares a
People for the Savior”. If the class is having difficulty paying attention, have
students only read one sentence each, going around the table until the paragraphs
are completed. You can also chose names randomly to keep them on their toes.
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(Many times an entire paragraph is too long, especially if a student is struggling
with the reading.)
Read only the first six paragraphs, ask students:
1. Who is Abram? (that was Abraham’s name before God changed his name)
2. Abram came from the descendents of Shem. Who was Shem? (one of Noah’s
good sons who always honored God)
3. What did God ask Abram to do? (to leave his land and bring his wife and nephew
to a new place; TEACHER’S NOTE: Abram lived in the area of the Middle East near
the mouths of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers by the Persian Sea [near modern Iraq
and Kuwait; Abraham would have most likely travelled up along one of these two
rivers and then west to the Land of Canaan)
4. What did God promise Abram? (his descendents would number the stars in the
sky; Abram would come to a new land upon which God would create a great nation)
5. Did Abram know where God was going to bring him? Did he bring out his
GPS and a map and compass so that he would always know where he was?
(no)
6. Did Abram get angry with God for not telling him the whole plan up front?
(no) What did Abram do to show he still honored and trusted God? (he built
an altar on a mountaintop to honor and worship God)
Skip paragraphs seven, eight, and nine (TMI!)
Read through the tenth and eleventh paragraphs, ask students:
7. What did Abram want more than anything else? (children)
8. Why was it so strange that God would tell Abram and his wife that they
would have a son? (because Abram and Sarai were both very old, too old to have
children)
Read through the subsection “The Covenant”, ask students:
9. What is a covenant? (it is a sacred promise that involves God)
10. What did God promise Abram in the covenant? (God would watch over Abram
and his family in a special way and give them the land called Canaan)
11. What did Abram have to do in order to receive this blessing? (They would need
to honor God and not commit sins)
12. What was the “sign” that God performed to seal the covenant? (God renamed
Abram “Abraham” which means ‘father of many people’ and renamed his wife Sarai
“Sarah” which means ‘princess’)
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Read through the subsection “One Final Test” and “A Happy Ending”, ask
students:
13. Why do you think God asked Abraham to do such a hard thing? (answers will
vary; Abraham believed it was a test of his faith)
14. Why do you think this story is one of the most important stories from the
Bible? (answers will vary; it foretells the sacrifice of God’s only son, Jesus)
Teach: “Do you remember the story of Cain and Abel? What did Abel do to honor
God? (he sacrificed his most perfect lamb to honor God) What did Cain sacrifice? (he
gave some of his crops, but did not choose the best of what he had) Whose sacrifice
pleased God more? (Abel’s)
“So, it became the religious custom of the ancient people of the Old Testament to
honor God and to also atone or apologize to God for their sins by sacrificing
something to God which was their very best.”
1. Why is this custom important to know in order to understand the sacrifice
Abraham was willing to make for God? (answers will vary; Abraham was
willing to sacrifice something extremely precious to him [his only son] and to trust
that God had a plan)
2. Who else was willing to sacrifice his only son? (God - his only son, Jesus, was
willingly sacrificed for our sins)
3. What did you learn about God from this story? (answers will vary; God really
wants to have a relationship with his people, but he wants people to come willingly
and to have faith in him; God hopes we will bring him the very best we have to offer)
Pass out the worksheet on page 16 from their workbooks. Allow a few minutes
for them to work in small groups or you can do the crossword as a whole class
activity. If you don’t have time, they can take this home at the end of class for
fun.
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Chapter 5
The People of Israel (15 minutes)
Objective: The students will learn the story of Isaac’s descendants and how Israel got its name from one of Isaac’s sons, Jacob, and how his descendants became known as the children or people of Israel. In learning the story of Jacob, the children will understand that God has a plan for each of us and always provides the grace we need to fulfill his plan in our lives.
Teach: “Now we are going to read a story about what happened to Isaac when he
grew up and got married to Rebekah, and about their two sons, Esau and Jacob.
“We’re going to read this one like a play. I will choose several people to take turns
being the narrator and several students to take the parts of Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob,
Esau, Laban, and God.”
TEACHER’S NOTE: Have the children stand at their seats to read their parts. These will
make it seem more like a play reading. You can change up the parts halfway if you need to in
order to include everyone or just to keep everyone on their toes. You could make name tags
or ‘crowns’ (or other headdresses) with the names of the characters to signify the different
roles named above. That way when you switch parts, the others will still know who is
speaking.”
Read the entire chapter, “The People of Israel”.
As additional enrichment, ask the students to try to find the places on the map (B17
in the teacher’s guides) that are mentioned in the reading as well as other landmarks
in the Biblical Holy Land:
Ur – the city Abraham and Sarah came from which was part of the Land of the
Patriarchs, the site of the earliest Bible stories from Genesis.
Haran – the city Abraham and Sarah first travelled to north and west of Ur, and
which was also the land of Abraham’s forefathers. This is where Jacob would have
fled after he tricked his brother out of his birthright.
Jordan River – Abraham and Sarah had to cross this river to arrive in the Land of
Canaan. What else happened in the Jordan River? (Jesus’ baptism)
Canaan (Canaanites) – the land Abraham and Sarah were led to by God and where
he and his family settled.
Emphasize: What have we learned about God from these two stories? (God wants us
to have faith in him and to trust his plan for our lives.)
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Conclude with Our Father and recite first two lines of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in God, The Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; I believe in Jesus Christ, his Only Son, Our Lord.”
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JESUS OUR GUIDE, Faith and Life Series: Grade 4 Jesus Our Guide LESSON #4 - Chapters 6 and 7 (50 minutes) Joseph Goes to Egypt The People of Israel Go to Egypt Objective: The students will learn that Israel (Jacob) had twelve sons who ultimately became the twelve tribes of Israel. The first eleven sons became jealous of his youngest and most favorite son, Joseph. The students will learn how giving in to envy and jealousy causes people to make bad choices which hurt others and themselves in the process. (Tear out pg 24 in their student workbooks, to be given to them at a later time during class.) Open with a Prayer: Our Father, Hail Mary. Have the students turn to page 161 (blue pages) in
their text book. Recite the Apostles’ Creed; focus on memorizing the first three lines:
“I believe in God, The Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; I believe in Jesus Christ, his
Only Son, Our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin
Mary.”
Teach: “Today we are going to hear about the sons of Israel (Jacob). Israel’s sons gave in to
jealousy and did something very unkind to their youngest brother, Joseph. Remember when we
spoke earlier this year about stories from the Old Testament in the Bible and how every Bible story
teaches us something about ourselves and also about who God is.
“We have heard about Adam & Eve who became greedy and wanted more than God had given
them, and although they were punished, God still loved Adam & Eve even when they chose to do
something wrong.
We also heard about Adam & Eve’s sons, Cain & Abel, about how Cain became jealous of Abel
and killed him out of anger. And although Cain was also punished, God still loved him and
placed a mark upon his forehead so no one would harm him.
“But not all people chose to do wrong. Some faithfully tried to give their very best to God to honor
him and show they had faith in him. We heard about Noah and his family and how God saved
him from the Great Flood because Noah was a man who tried to always honor God. Abraham, our
Father in Faith, Sarah his wife, and their son Isaac also honored and trusted God and were faithful
to him. For their faithfulness, they were blessed by God.
“The last story we heard was about Isaac’s son, Jacob, whose name was changed by God to ‘Israel’
and about the twelve sons of Israel, the youngest of whom was Joseph. Joseph’s brothers were
very jealous of him because their father Israel loved him the best, so they sold him as a slave to the
pharaoh (king) of Egypt.
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Read: Ask for student volunteers to begin reading Chapter 6, “Joseph Goes to Egypt”. Continue
reading through Chapter 7, “The People of Israel Go to Egypt”, as it completes the story of Joseph
and his brothers.
Teach: “Today we are going to hear what happened to Israel’s youngest son, Joseph, in the time
after he was sold into slavery. This is a story of redemption and forgiveness – and of good coming
out of the great evils of jealousy and slavery.
“We’re going to read this one like a play like we did for our last lesson. I will chose several people
to take turns being the narrator and several students to take the parts of Joseph, his brothers (ask
several students), Israel (Joseph’s father), Reuben, Judah, Pharaoh and God.”
TEACHER’S NOTE: Have the children stand at their seats to read their parts. These will make it seem
more like a play reading. You can change up the parts halfway if you need to in order to include everyone or
just to keep everyone on their toes. You could also make name tags or ‘crowns’ (or other headdresses) with
the names of the characters to signify the different roles named above. That way when you switch parts, the
others will still know who is speaking.
After completing the play, ask:
1. Why were Joseph’s brothers so jealous of him? (he was their father Israel’s favorite)
2. What did Joseph’s brothers want to do at first? (kill Joseph)
3. What did they do instead? (sold him into slavery and pretend he was dead)
4. What special gift did Joseph have? (he could interpret dreams)
5. How did this special gift help Joseph? (the read the pharaoh’s dream and saved Egypt from
famine)
6. Why did Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt? (there was also a great famine in Canaan where they
lived and they needed to buy food from the pharaoh’s extra supply which Joseph has put aside for the
Egyptian people)
7. How did Joseph respond to his brothers? (at first he pretended not to recognize them and made
them suffer for the evil they had done to him; after they showed they regretted their behavior toward
Joseph, he forgave them)
Emphasize: What have we learned about God from the story of Joseph and his brothers? (God can
bring great good out of something very evil; we just need to continue to pray and have faith in him).
“Although Joseph faced many challenges, he continued to place his faith in God. God is always
there to help us and to listen to our prayers whenever we are faced with challenges, too.
“Think of a time when you might have been faced with something difficult. Maybe you needed to
admit you made a mistake, or maybe you lied or talked about someone behind their back and you
need God’s help to do the right thing. Maybe something sad happened to you or to someone you
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know, and you need God’s help to give you the strength to face your sadness. Maybe nothing like
that has ever happened, but you would like to pray for another person who is having a hard time.
“Now, write a prayer to God on the sheets I am passing out, asking for whatever help you need.
These are called ‘Prayers of Supplication’, or Prayers for Help from God.
Pass out the worksheet on page 24 from their workbooks. Allow 5 minutes or less for the
students to write a prayer of supplication.
Before you conclude the lesson, ask them to bow their heads and silently read their Prayers of Supplication to themselves. Then, conclude with Our Father and recite first two lines of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in God, The Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; /and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, /who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary.”
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JESUS OUR GUIDE, Faith and Life Series: Grade 4 Jesus Our Guide LESSON #5 - Chapters 8, 9 (40 minutes) God’s People Suffer in Egypt God Saves His People Objective: The students will learn the story of Moses and how God used an imperfect person (Moses) to
help free the Jews from slavery in Egypt. They will also learn about the covenant (sacred promise) that God
made with his chosen people, the Jews. (Tear out pg 33/34 in their student workbooks, to be given to
them at the end of class, as they walk out the door!)
Open with a Prayer: Our Father, Hail Mary.
Review the first paragraph of the Apostles’ Creed and begin learning the second sentence: “I
believe in God, The Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; /and in Jesus Christ, his only
Son, our Lord, /who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary.”
Teach:
Tell the students that we are now going to learn the story about Moses and how he saved the Jews
from slavery in Egypt. Remind the students that Joseph had come to Egypt hundreds of years
earlier and that he saved his family’s (brothers’) life during the drought. In the years that
followed, the Jews became slaves to the Egyptian people and had to worship the same way the
Egyptians did. God wanted to bring his people back to him, so he called Moses to bring his people
out of slavery. This is called the Exodus. The story of the Jews’ Exodus from Egypt (salvation
from physical slavery) pre-figured our salvation (from sin) through Christ.
“We are now going to watch a 25 minute movie about Moses and how the children of Israel were
saved from slavery.”
Run DVD – 25 minutes.
After the movie, have the children return to their classrooms.
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Chapter 10
Great Things Happen on the Way to the Promised Land (20 minutes)
Objective: The students will learn of the hardships the Children of Israel faced as they wandered in the wilderness for forty years. They were tested in their trust and faith in the Lord God. During these years, the Israelites were given the Ten Commandments by God which helped them to stay faithful to God. They were finally rewarded by returning to Canaan, the land promised to Abraham hundreds of years earlier.
Teach: “Chapter 10 completes the story of Moses and the Exodus. It tells the story about the
hardships the children of Israel experienced and about how hard it was for them to continue to
trust God’s plan for them. But God was always faithful to his promise with the Israelites.”
Read the entire chapter, “Great Things Happen on the Way to the Holy Land”:
When the class has finished reading the chapter together, hand out the questions provided and
allow them to work in small groups of 2-3 for about 5 minutes to complete the questions (they may
also use their textbooks).
Answers to Questions:
1. How did God convince the Pharaoh to free the Jews from slavery? (God used Moses to warn
the Pharaoh of punishments the people of Egypt would suffer if God’s people were not freed. Each
time Pharaoh refused, one of the 10 plagues were sent to the Egyptians).
2. What were the ten plagues? (Nile River turns to blood, Infestation of frogs, Swarms of gnats,
Swarms of flies, Death of livestock, Boils, Hail, Infestation of locusts, Darkness, The Angel of Death
kills first-born – pg 77 teacher’s guide).
3. Explain the significance of the “Passover” meal. (Pre-figured the salvation of all people through
Christ: the perfect lamb slaughtered to free the Jews from slavery = the perfect lamb [Jesus]
slaughtered to free all of us from the bondage of sin. Christ was celebrating the Passover meal in the
upper room on the night [Holy Thursday] he instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist [the new
covenant mentioned during the Eucharistic Prayer]- pg 40 student text).
4. What were the gifts God provided to the people of Israel to keep them fed? (manna from
heaven and quail). Who else could be called “manna from heaven”? (Jesus)
5. What special rules did God provide to the people of Israel? (The Ten Commandments)
6. What does this story teach us about God’s love for his people? (God loves us even when we
turn away from him and sin. All he asks is that we show remorse and ask for forgiveness).
7. What is the Ark of the Covenant? (the special box lined with gold that the Children of Israel made
to hold the Ten Commandments which were part of God’s covenant [agreement] with the Israelites;
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The Tabernacle in our church is like the Ark of the Covenant of old, but it holds the Body of Christ in
the Eucharist – the New and Final Covenant of God)
Emphasize: What have we learned about God from these two stories? (God wants us to have faith in
him and to trust his plan for our lives.)
Conclude with Our Father and recite first two lines of the Apostles’ Creed:“ “I believe in God,
The Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; /and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
/who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary.
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Name: _________________________________________________________________________________
The Story of Moses
Please answer the following questions which are based on the movie. Be prepared to discuss your
answers with your class.
1. How did God convince the Pharaoh to free the Jews from slavery? ________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
2. What were the ten plagues? ___________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
3. Explain the significance of the “Passover” meal to the followers of Christ who came many years
later. _______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
4. What were the gifts God provided to the people of Israel to keep them fed? __________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Who else could be called “manna from heaven”? ________________________________________
5. What special rules did God provide to the people of Israel? _______________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
6. What does this story teach us about God’s love for his people? _____________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
7. What is the Ark of the Covenant? ______________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
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JESUS OUR GUIDE, Faith and Life Series: Grade 4 Jesus Our Guide LESSON #6 – Chapter 13 (50 minutes) King David TEACHER’S NOTE: We are skipping Chapters 11 and 12 because there is just too much
detailed information for students who meet only once a week. However, I have
incorporated some of the necessary information from these chapters in your introduction.
Objective: The students will learn the story of King David and how he was chosen to be the first
earthly king of the Nation of Israel. It is from King David’s line that Jesus is born. David is an
imperfect, earthly king, at times drawing close to God and fulfilling his plan; and at other times, falling
into great sin. David’s imperfection is part of God’s plan, letting the people know that earthly kings
cannot be faithful the way our Heavenly King, Jesus Christ, always is.
Open with a Prayer: Our Father, Hail Mary.
Review the first two sentences of the Apostles’ Creed (pg 161 in student text) and begin
learning the third sentence: “I believe in God, The Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth;
/and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, /who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and
born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.”
Teach: “Forty years after Moses and the Children of Israel left Egypt, the Israelites were finally
able to enter the promised land, Canaan which was the land of milk and honey that had been
promised by God to Abraham so many hundreds of years earlier (have children check maps to
locate Canaan).
1. Who remembers something about Moses from our last lesson? (answers will vary; if
necessary, prompt them to recall how God chose Moses to lead his people out from slavery in the
land of Egypt; the ten plagues: the water changed to blood, frogs, gnats, flies, death of livestock,
boils & sores, locusts, and the plague of darkness – the tenth was the death of every first-born
child (The Passover); Jews were saved from tenth plague by following God’s instructions – kill
perfect lamb, roast, eat flesh, paint blood of lamb over door lintels [foretells the sacrifice of Christ,
the Lamb of God, on the wooden cross]; Children of Israel released from slavery, received Ten
Commandments, wandered in desert for forty years until they reached the Land of Canaan which
was promised to Abraham hundreds of years earlier).
“Moses, however, did not make it to Canaan because he had already been a very old man when
they began the journey 40 years earlier! But before Moses died, he chose a new leader for the
Children of Israel. His name was Joshua. Joshua led the Children of Israel back to the
Promised Land, Canaan. Along the way, he had to lead his armies against those who had
taken over the land since the Israelites left hundreds of years earlier.
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“Many years later, the Children of Israel were searching for a good man who would be worthy
enough to be their earthly king. Their most recent leader, Saul, had become a selfish, evil ruler.
Samuel, a faithful servant of God, was sent by God to find a good and humble ruler to be king
over the entire House (Nation) of Israel. This chapter is about that good and humble ruler who
became King David of the House of Israel.”
Read: Begin reading Chapter 13 through to the top of page 63. Although important, the story
of “Bathsheba” could be complicated for the students to understand. Instead, explain that
David, although a very good and beloved ruler and strong king for the Children of Israel, he
also made some very bad choices as well. He expressed both his joy and his sorrow through
the beautiful Psalms he wrote which we recite every Sunday at Mass.
“One of David’s most famous psalms is the Twenty-Third Psalm. Listen carefully while I read
it aloud to you:”
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
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Ask:
8. What is the first thing you notice about this psalm? (answers may vary; language is really
different from the way we talk to each other)
9. What is David trying to tell us about who God is? (God protects us the way a shepherd
protects his flock – leading the flock to green pastures and still waters; protecting us with the rod
and staff of a shepherd)
10. What other images of God does David use to show love and protection? (prepares a
banquet table in front of our enemies; anoints our heads with oil which is a sign of honor).
Emphasize: What have we learned about God from David’s Twenty-third Psalm? (God wants
us to have faith in him and to trust his plan for our lives.)
Activity: (5-10 minutes) Imagine yourself doing something you enjoy very much; maybe it’s
playing a sport, or playing a musical instrument, or singing in the choir. Think of God in the
image of the person who helps you do the very best you can. Then rewrite the Twenty-third
Psalm, replacing words as appropriate to your image. For example, if you enjoy writing, you
could begin by saying, “The Lord is my editor…” or if you enjoy football, you could say, “The
Lord is my coach…”. Complete the Psalm by replacing whatever words you would need to for
your parody.
TEACHER’S NOTE: If you have time, it would be fun to let the students share their psalms
with each other. HAND OUT COPIES OF THE TWENTY-THIRD PSALM WHICH CAN BE
MEMORIZED.
Conclude with Our Father, review the first two sentences of the Apostles’ Creed (pg 161 in
student text) and continue learning the third sentence: “I believe in God, The Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth; /and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, /who was conceived by the
power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was
crucified, died and was buried.”
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Name: _________________________________________________________________________________
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Using the first three lines of the Twenty-third Psalm, rewrite the psalm with an image of God in the person who helps you be the best at something you love to do: _______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
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The Twenty-Third Psalm
The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff
they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
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JESUS OUR GUIDE, Faith and Life Series: Grade 4 Jesus Our Guide LESSON #7 – Chapter 14 (50 minutes) King Solomon and the Promise of a New King Objective: The students will learn that Solomon, the son of David, was a wise and powerful king who
loved God very much. To honor God, he built a magnificent temple for the Ark of the Covenant in
Jerusalem, the City of David. Over time, however, Solomon became foolish and did not honor God the
way he had when he was younger. After his death, a great prophet named Isaiah arose who foretold the
coming of the Messiah for the Children of Isaiah.
Open with a Prayer: Our Father, Hail Mary.
Review the first three sentences of the Apostles’ Creed (pg 161 in student text) and begin
learning the fourth sentence: “I believe in God, The Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth;
/and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, /who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and
born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He
descended into hell. On the third day he rose again.”
Teach: “Let’s look back over our Bible Timelines to follow the line of Jesus’ descendants (use
T3 Timelines). Open the Timeline and find the section entitled, “Early World”. Find Adam &
Eve at the beginning of the light red line. As we read through our texts from the beginning of
the year, we have been following that light red line which is the human ancestry of Jesus
Christ. It is also the line of our Salvation History, all the times throughout the Old Testament
when God chose people to help bring the Children of Israel back closer to him.
“Notice how other people we have talked about, like Moses and Joshua, are not Jesus’
ancestors but still played an important part in Salvation History. Look across the top of the
first side of the timeline. The headings across the top tells you the Biblical time periods, and
the bottom of the page shows you which historical civilizations had the greatest power during
that same time.
1. Where is Noah on the timeline? What Biblical time period is he in? (Early World) What
else was happening in world civilizations? (construction of Pyramids and Stonehenge)
2. Can you find Abraham and Sarah on the timeline? What Biblical time period were they
in? (The Patriarchs)
3. Can you find Moses and Joshua’s names on the timeline? What Biblical time period
were they in? (The Exodus from Egypt)
“We are now at the very end of the first side, in the Royal Kingdom. Find David on the
timeline. Now look along the timeline to the next name written in red. What is the next name?
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(Solomon). Solomon is David’s son and a human ancestor of Jesus. He was also a great earthly
king of the Royal Nation of Israel.”
“The chapter in our textbooks about Solomon is the last chapter we will read about the Old
Testament. When you return after Christmas, we will begin to hear about Jesus Christ, the
King and Messiah of the entire Kingdom of God.”
Read: Begin reading the first two subsections of Chapter 14, “Solomon the Wise” and “The
Temple in Jerusalem”. Because there are only a few characters in this chapter, it does not really
lend itself to reading like a play. It is always possible, however, especially if you change up the
parts of narrator, God, Solomon, and Isaiah several times (there are also small parts for the two
women who speak to Solomon about the baby). Otherwise, call names randomly to read an
entire paragraph or just one line each, depending on how well the class is paying attention.
Ask (after the first two sections):
1. Why do you think God appeared in a dream to Solomon and offered him a gift?
(answers may vary; because Solomon loved God and always followed his Ten Commandments)
2. What did Solomon asked for? (wisdom; shows Solomon’s humility and trust in God)
3. What would you ask for? ( answers will vary; try to help students understand the difference
between choosing something that won’t last as opposed to choosing something that doesn’t last)
4. Look at the colored picture on page 66 in your text books. What is happening in this
picture? (two mothers arguing over a baby)
5. How did Solomon solve this problem? (offered to cut the baby in two; the real mother pleaded
with him to give the baby to the other woman – the real mother would rather see her baby live,
even if it meant being raised by another mother)
6. What did Solomon build in Jerusalem? (a temple made of gold and olive wood to hold the Ark
of the Covenant) What was the Ark of the Covenant? (a beautiful wooden box lined with gold
that held the Ten Commandments given to Moses by God)
Continue reading the last two subsections of Chapter 14, “The Foolish Solomon” and “The Prophet
Isaiah”.
Ask:
7. Why did God take the kingdom away from Solomon and his son? (answers may vary;
Solomon no longer loved God and did not honor him by following the Ten Commandments)
8. Who was Isaiah? (a prophet for the Children of Israel)
9. What was Isaiah telling the Children of Israel about? (he said there would be a Messiah who
would come to save the Children of Israel; he foretold of his suffering and dying for their
salvation)
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10. What are the story of Solomon and the story of Isaiah telling us about who God is? (God
is a fair judge of people, and he will send others to help us find the way back to him when we have
lost our way and no longer honor him the way we should)
Activity: (5-10 minutes) Ask the children to use their T3 Timelines to draw a family Tree for
Jesus, beginning with Adam and Eve at the top (or use the drawing included with your lesson
plans). Have them draw a line from the first generation (Adam & Eve) to the last, (Solomon).
They should include: Adam & Eve, Noah, Abraham and Sarah and Isaac, Jacob and Joseph
(this is not St. Joseph, the husband to Mary and guardian to Jesus, but rather the Old Testament Joseph,
the youngest son of Jacob [Israel]), David and Solomon. Moses, Joshua, and Isaiah are not part of
Jesus’ Family Tree, but are still important to Salvation History (maybe they could be the
butterflies ). Without giving the students these names, see how many they can get right!
Conclude with Our Father, review the first three sentences of the Apostles’ Creed (pg 161 in
student text) and begin learning the fourth sentence: “I believe in God, The Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth; /and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, /who was conceived by the
power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified,
died and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again.”
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JESUS OUR GUIDE, Faith and Life Series: Grade 4 Jesus Our Guide LESSON #8 – Christmas Supplement and Movie Objective: The students will learn about the birth of Jesus and the real meaning of his coming to live
among us.
Open with a Prayer: Our Father, Hail Mary.
Review the first four sentences of the Apostles’ Creed (pg 161 in student text) and begin
learning the fifth sentence: “I believe in God, The Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; /and
in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, /who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of
the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended
into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand
of God the Father Almighty.”
Teach: “We have spent time learning all about Jesus’ family tree and about how God tried
over and over again to bring the Children of Israel back to him. We heard about God’s
covenants (promises) to Adam & Eve, to Noah and his family, to Abraham and his tribe, to
Moses and the Nation of Israel, and finally to David and the Royal Kingdom of Israel. In each
situation, God promised to protect and care for the Children of Israel in a very special way; all
they had to do in return was to honor and love God by following his laws.
“But the Children of Israel forgot over and over again to honor and love God. They would stop
loving God and worship other things instead of God. Finally, God sent his only son, Jesus
Christ, to live among us and teach us how to live as God’s children – children who honor and
serve God and who love one another.
“How many of you know something about the birth of Jesus? (show of hands) Who can tell me
one thing about Jesus’ birth? Who was his mother? (Mary) Who was her husband? (Joseph)
Where was Jesus born? (in a stable in Bethlehem) Who came to visit Jesus? (shepherds and three
wisemen) Who knows why Jesus came? (ask for answers but do not tell them even if they know it was
for us and for our salvation)
“Let’s begin reading the Advent and Christmas chapter on page 145 in your text books. I’ll ask
again why Jesus came to live among us. See if you know the answer by the end of the chapter.”
Read: Have the children begin reading the Advent and Christmas Supplement on page 145.
Use whichever method works best for your class. When finished, ask:
1. What did you just learn about why Jesus came to live among us? (answers may vary;
emphasize it was for us and our salvation – God had been trying for so long to bring the Children
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of Israel back to him; God wanted us to live forever with him, just like he planned when he first
created man and woman in the Garden of Eden; Jesus taught us how to live as children of God)
Activity: Movie (25 minutes) Christmas Video
Ask children to quietly meet in the center with third grade students, sitting together with their
class so teachers can keep an eye on their own class.
Conclude with Our Father, review the first four sentences of the Apostles’ Creed (pg 161 in
student text) and begin learning the fifth sentence: “I believe in God, The Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth; /and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, /who was conceived by the
power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified,
died and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into
heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.”
MERRY CHRISTMAS! We’ll see you all back on [Monday, January 3rd] or [Sunday, January 9th]
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JESUS OUR GUIDE, Faith and Life Series: Grade 4 Jesus Our Guide LESSON #9 – Chapter 15 (35 minutes) The Final King Objective: The students will learn that John the Baptist, a cousin of Jesus, was the greatest of all
prophets and helped prepare the people of Israel for the coming of the Savior, Jesus Christ. Many people
of Israel had a hard time accepting that Jesus was the promised Messiah because he was poor and did not
live in a palace.
Open with a Prayer: Our Father, Hail Mary.
Review the first four sentences of the Apostles’ Creed (pg 161 in student text) and begin
learning the fifth sentence: “I believe in God, The Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; /and
in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, /who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of
the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended
into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand
of God the Father Almighty.”
Teach: “Remember, before Christmas we were learning about the Family Tree of Jesus. Let’s
look back over our T3 Bible Timelines to pick up the line of Jesus’ descendants (use T3
Timelines). Do you remember where Adam & Eve were at the beginning of the light red line?
Remember how as we read through our texts from the beginning of the year, we have been
following that light red line which is the human ancestry of Jesus Christ. It is also the line of
our Salvation History, all the times throughout the Old Testament when God chose people to
help bring the Children of Israel back closer to him.
“Notice how other people we have talked about, like Moses and Joshua, are not Jesus’
ancestors but still played an important part in Salvation History. Look across the top of the
first side of the timeline. The headings across the top tells you the Biblical time periods, and
the bottom of the page shows you which historical civilizations had the greatest power during
that same time.
4. Where is Noah on the timeline? What Biblical time period is he in? (Early World) What
else was happening in world civilizations? (construction of Pyramids and Stonehenge)
5. Can you find Abraham and Sarah on the timeline? What Biblical time period were they
in? (The Patriarchs)
6. Can you find Moses and Joshua’s names on the timeline? What Biblical time period
were they in? (The Exodus from Egypt)
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7. Find David on the timeline. Now look along the timeline to the next name written in
red. What is the next name? (Solomon). Solomon is David’s son and a human ancestor
of Jesus. He was also a great earthly king of the Royal Nation of Israel.”
“Now flip the timeline over. What happened to King David’s Royal Kingdom after Solomon’s
death? (The Kingdom divides into the Northern Kingdom called Israel and the Southern Kingdom called
Judah). Today we are going to learn about what happened to the people of Israel after the
Royal Kingdom divided, and finally we will begin to hear about the coming of Jesus Christ, the
King and Messiah of the entire Kingdom of God.”
Read: Begin reading the first two subsections of Chapter 15, “Exile to Babylon” and “A Time of
Waiting”.
Ask (after the first two sections):
11. What was the name of the Northern Kingdom and how many tribes made up the
Northern Kingdom? (Israel – 10 tribes)
12. What was the name of the Southern Kingdom and how many tribes made up the
Northern Kingdom? (Judah – 2 tribes)
13. What happened to the tribes? Did they live in peace and draw close to God? (the tribes
fought with each other and their neighbors constantly; they grew further and further away from
God)
14. How did God respond? Did he turn away from his people? (God continued to send
prophets to the tribes of Israel, to show he still loved his people and wanted to help them become
reunited)
15. What does this tell us about who God is? (answers will vary; God is loving, forgiving,
always there no matter what our own behavior is, ready to guide us)
Continue reading the next subsection of Chapter 15, “John the Baptist”.
Ask:
11. Who was John the Baptist? (he was the greatest prophet of all time and came to help the people
of Israel prepare for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ)
12. How was the baptism John gave different from the Baptism which would be given by
Jesus? (John baptized with water as a sign to show that the people were willing to give up sin
and to turn to God with all their hearts; Jesus will baptize with the power of the Holy Spirit and
with the fire of God’s love)
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Continue reading the last two subsections of Chapter 15, “God Makes the New Kingdom Known”
and “A Different Kind of King”.
Ask:
1. What did John say when Jesus came to be baptized? (“It is I who should be baptized by
you”)
2. What happened immediately after John baptized Jesus? (the heavens opened; the Holy
Spirit came down in the form of a dove; voice of God was heard saying, “This is my beloved Son
in whom I am well pleased.”)
3. Why did some people of Israel have a hard time believing Jesus was the Messiah
promised to them by God? (he was poor; did not live in a palace; befriended common people
like fishermen with whom he spent all his time; did not appear to be like other earthly kings)
4. What did Jesus respond? (“My Kingdom is not of this world”)
5. What do you think Jesus meant by that? (answers will vary; the important things in God’s
kingdom are not the things many people in the world might think would be important - like
power, money, or fame)
6. What are some of the things that Jesus would think are important in his Kingdom?
(holiness, love of God and others - faith, hope, love – humility, generosity, kindness, patience, et
al )
Emphasize: God loves his people so much that even when we choose to turn away from him, or
choose to do something mean to another, or to do something wrong, God still calls to us and
wants us to turn back to him.
In the next chapter, we are going to learn about God’s first invitation to each one of us while we
were still very small babies. Does anyone have a guess about when it was that we received God’s
first invitation to become a member of his family? (show of hands; take guesses, but don’t tell – let them
discover if they were right by reading the next chapter!)
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Chapter 16
An Invitation to Heaven (20 minutes)
Objective: The students will learn that Jesus came to be the King of the entire world, not just of the nation of Israel. We enter into Jesus’ Kingdom through our baptism into the Catholic Church. Human persons are both body and soul and have both intellect and free will. In order to be truly free, we should follow God’s Ten Commandments which help to keep us on the right path.
Teach: “Now we are going to read about the very special invitation that made to each one of us.
Through this special invitation we became members of his own family and part of Jesus’
Kingdom.”
Read the subsection “A Special Invitation” – randomly choose students or go around the table in
whichever way works best for your class; this chapter is not a good “play narrative”, so it will be
best to just read the section without parts.
Ask:
1. What was God’s first special invitation to you? (your baptism)
2. Why did your parents have you baptized? (because they love you and want your happiness
now and forever)
Skip subsections “Human Beings are Special Creatures” and “Free Will”. Explain instead that
“each of us is beloved also by God who also wants us to be happy now and forever. Because God
is All-Powerful, he could have made people so that we were like robots and HAD to do everything
he said, without a choice. How would that be? How about if EVERYONE had to eat chunky fish
ice-cream?
“But God did not make us like that. Instead, he has given us intellect and the ability to make
decisions on our own – Free Will. But what can happen when we have free will to decide for
ourselves what we will do? (sometimes we make the wrong decision and get into a mess)
“So, imagine that you are blind-folded and taken to a place you had never been before, twirled
around a couple times, and then your blind fold taken off. Now you’re in a place you’ve never
seen, you’re all mixed up, but you must find your way home without a compass, a map, or a GPS.
How could you find your way home?
“It would be really hard, wouldn’t it?
“Now, how would it be if someone met you there, and told you that he knows exactly how to
bring you home safely? You would not have to worry about making a mistake and going the
wrong way. How would that be? You could get home in time for some nice, warm cocoa.
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“God knows it’s easy for us to make mistakes and get on the wrong path, so in order to help us, he
has given us some “road maps”, a perfect GPS for finding our way home to him.
“Let’s continue reading so we can learn more about God’s GPS!”
Continue reading the remainder of the subsections, beginning with “We will Say Yes” to the
end of the chapter.
Pass out copies of the Ten Commandments (next page in lesson plans).
Ask:
1. Why are there only the first three Commandments on the left side of the tablet? (these are
the Commandments that teach us how we should treat God)
2. Why are there seven Commandments on the other side? (these are the Commandments
that teach us how to treat each other)
Emphasize: What have we learned about God from these two stories? (God understands that we can
easily make mistakes and so wants to help us stay close to him by providing his own GPS – the Ten
Commandments.)
Conclude with Our Father and recite the first five sentences of the Apostles’ Creed (pg 161
in student text): “I believe in God, The Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; /and in Jesus
Christ, his only Son, our Lord, /who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the
Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into
hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of
God the Father Almighty.”
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The Ten Commandments
1. I am the LORD your God: you shall have no other Gods before me.
2. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the LORD’s Day.
4. Honor your father and your mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor,
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.
The first three of the Ten Commandments show us our duties
toward GOD.
The last seven of the Ten Commandments show us our duties
toward OTHERS.
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JESUS OUR GUIDE, Faith and Life Series: Grade 4 Jesus Our Guide LESSON #10 – Chapter 17 (40 minutes) Road Signs Along the Way (First Three Commandments) Objective: The students will learn that the first Three Commandments teach us what our relationship
toward God should be. They will learn that we should honor God above all other things, that we should not
use the name of God in anger or by swearing, and that we should make sure we keep Sunday as a special day
set aside to thank God.
Open with a Prayer: Our Father, Hail Mary.
Review the first six sentences of the Apostles’ Creed (pg 161 in student text) and begin learning
the seventh and final sentence: “I believe in God, The Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of
the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into
hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the
Father Almighty. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the
holy catholic Church, The communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection of the
body, and the life ever-lasting. Amen. ”
Teach: “Last week we learned about our Baptisms and about how each of our Baptisms was
God’s first invitation to us to be part of his family. This is a wonderful invitation. By accepting
this invitation, we are continuously offered God’s grace and his Holy Spirit in his seven
sacraments, or whenever we pray, or whenever we ask for God’s help. We are given many talents
and gifts which God asks us to share with others in order to help make our world a better place in
which to live. But, there are a few things God asks from us in return.
“There are actually 10 things God asks from us in return for all the gifts he has given us. We read
about these last week; they are called the Ten Commandments.
1. Who remembers when the people of God received the Ten Commandments? (show of hands
only - Moses received them at Mt. Sinai) What do you remember about the story of Moses
and the people of Israel? (Moses led people of Israel out from slavery in Egypt to the Promised
Land – land that had been promised to Abraham so many centuries before. During their journey of
40 years, they ate manna [bread] from heaven to survive and received a new Covenant [promise]
from God – that they would always be his special people and that he would take care of them; in
return, they must follow God’s Ten Commandments)
“These are the same Ten Commandments that God asks us to follow today as part of his last
Covenant with us. Jesus, the Son of God, came to live among us, to show us how to live as God’s
children. Jesus’s death and resurrection promises that we [as children of God] will have eternal
life with God in heaven. Jesus also taught us how to receive God’s grace through the seven
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sacraments – through our baptism, our first Holy Communion, our Confirmation, through
Penance, Holy Matrimony or Holy Orders, and finally through the Sacrament of the Healing of
the Sick.
“All God asks of us is that we do the very best we can to follow his Ten Commandments. Today
we are going to begin in Chapter 17 with the first three Commandments – as you may remember
from last week, the first three Commandments, numbers 1, 2, & 3, teach us how we should behave
toward God as Children of God. Then, we will read through Chapter 18 and learn about the next
two Commandments, numbers 4 and 5, which teach us how to treat others as Children of God.
“As we read through the next chapters, we are going to be using these small books as a guide to
help us learn the Ten Commandments of God. Let’s first write our own names on the front of our
books (you will collect these at the end of the class time). Then open your books to the first page which
says ‘The Ten Commandments /Examination of Conscience’ at the top.”
Read: Begin by reading the introduction to the book, explaining that this is a guide to the Ten
Commandments as well as a good way to help prepare themselves for receiving the Sacrament of
Penance.
1. Ask students to turn to page 22 in the booklet and show them that the rite for the
Sacrament is there as a reminder to help them the next time they receive Penance. Also,
show them that many of their prayers are included in the back pages of the booklet.
2. Then ask them to open their text books to Chapter 17, page 79. Read the first subsections
of Chapter 17, under the First Commandment: “The One True God”, “False Gods”, “Believing
in God”, and “Praying to God”.
3. Ask students to open to page 2, First Commandment. Remind them that the first Three
Commandments are about our relationship with God; that is why the picture at the top of
the page shows the Holy Trinity. Read the First Commandment and the “Look at Your
Heart” questions following the Commandment.
4. Have them spend 1-2 minutes writing on the Reflection, page 3, for the First
Commandment.
Continue reading the next subsections of Chapter 17, under the Second Commandment, page 80:
“Respect for God’s Name”, “Prayer”, “Vows”, “Using God as Your Witness”, “The Other Sins”, “Holy
Persons, Places, and Things”, AND under the Third Commandment, page 81.
Follow the same format listed above (steps 2-4) after reading about the Second Commandment
and then about the Third Commandment, using their booklets and the reflections for each
Commandment. Give the students about 1-2 minutes to write on their reflection pages.
Remind them that their class will have an opportunity for the Sacrament of Penance during
class time before Easter.
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Emphasize: “God loves his people so much that even when we choose to turn away from him, or
choose to do something mean to another, or to do something wrong, God still calls to us and wants
us to turn back to him.” – this cannot be emphasized too often to the students!
“In the next chapter, we are going to continue to learn about God’s GPS – his Ten Commandments.
The first three Commandments help remind us how we should behave toward God, our Father and is
summed up by Jesus in the Gospel According to St. Matthew 22:37-39, ‘You should love the Lord,
your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
The following line in Matthew continues with Jesus summing up the last seven of the
Commandments by saying, ‘You should love your neighbor as yourself.’” Next week we will learn
about the last seven Commandments.
Ask students to turn in their Ten Commandment booklets. They will be able to take them home
next week.
Conclude with Our Father and recite the first six sentences of the Apostles’ Creed (pg 161 in
student text) and begin learning the seventh and final sentence: “I believe in God, The Father
Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by
the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified,
died and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and
is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, The communion of saints, the forgiveness of
sins, and the resurrection of the body, and the life ever-lasting. Amen.
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JESUS OUR GUIDE, Faith and Life Series: Grade 4 Jesus Our Guide LESSON #11 – Chapter 18, Chapter 19 Loving Others (40 minutes) Growing in Love (20 minutes) Objective: The students will learn that Commandments 4-10 help remind us how to treat each other as
brothers and sisters in the family of God. They are summed up in Jesus’ words, “You shall love your
neighbor as yourself”. The students will learn that all people of the world are our neighbors.
Open with a Prayer: Our Father, Hail Mary.
Review the first six sentences of the Apostles’ Creed (pg 161 in student text) and begin learning
the seventh and final sentence: “I believe in God, The Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of
the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into
hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the
Father Almighty. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the
holy catholic Church, The communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection of the
body, and the life ever-lasting. Amen. ”
Teach: “Remember, last week we learned about the first three commandments from the Ten
Commandments.
1. Who can recite the First Commandment? (I am the Lord, your God; you shall have no other gods
above [before] me) – write commandment on the board.
2. Who can recite the Second Commandment? (You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God,
in vain) – write commandment on the board.
3. Who can recite the Third Commandment? (Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it Holy) –
write commandment on the board.
4. Who are all three of these commandments about? (God). So what are these three
commandments reminding us? (how to behave toward God, our Heavenly Father, as Children of
God).
“Today, we are going to hear about the last seven commandments. Does anyone remember what
the last seven commandments remind us to do?” (how to behave toward each other, as brothers and
sisters in the family of God)
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Read: Pass the Ten Commandment booklets out, reminding them that this guide to the Ten
Commandments is a good way to help prepare themselves for receiving Penance.
1. Ask them to open their text books to Chapter 18, page 84. Read the introduction to the
chapter and first subsections of Chapter 18, under the Fourth Commandment: “Loving
Your Parents”, “Respecting Your Parents”, “Obeying Your Parents”, and “Time Away from
Home”.
2. Ask students to open to page 8 in their Ten Commandments booklet, Fourth
Commandment. Remind them that the last seven Commandments are about our
relationship with each other, our neighbors; that is why the picture at the top of the page
shows Jesus with lots of different people – all of them our neighbors. Read the Fourth
Commandment and the “Look at Your Heart” questions following the Commandment.
3. Have them spend 1-2 minutes writing on the Reflection, page 3, for the Fourth
Commandment.
Continue reading the next subsections of Chapter 18, under the Fifth Commandment, page 86:
“Taking Care of Your Body…”, “…And the Bodies of Others”, “Taking Care of Your Soul…”, “…And the
Souls of Others”, “Wishing Others Harm”, “Loving Your Enemies”.
Follow the same format listed above (steps 1-3), using their booklets and the reflections for the
Fifth Commandment. Give the students about 1-2 minutes to write on their reflection pages.
Continue the same format with Chapter 19.
Can you tell by looking at someone if they are a nice person? Of course you can’t. Should you be
afraid of strangers? Strangers are all around us. Strangers are people you do not know. There are
rules and choices that can help you be safe when you are in situations where you have to be
responsible for yourself. Never go anywhere with a stranger, never take anything from a stranger.
A simple rule is “if you don’t know, then don’t go.”
So does this mean that strangers are bad? No, it just means that you do not know them. So don’t
go with them or take anything from someone that you do not know.
God gives us the commandments and Jesus gave us the greatest commandment to love one
another. These are rules to live by. We have safety rules too. They are rules to help us to be safe.
God loves us and wants us to be safe. We are so precious to God. Try to always remember the
safety rules we learned so that you can stay safe. (Stay Safe Lesson #4- Strangers)
Emphasize: Encourage the students to keep these booklets and use them in the future whenever they
will receive the Sacrament of Penance. Tell them that they will all have the opportunity to receive the
Sacrament during their regular class time as we get closer to Easter. Remind them, also, that Ash
Wednesday and the Season of Lent will be beginning on Wednesday, March 9, 2011. Traditionally,
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this is a time of Penance and reflection on our behavior toward God and toward others, so this book
can be used throughout Lent to help prepare our hearts for Easter.
Conclude with Our Father and recite the Apostles’ Creed (pg 161): “I believe in God, The Father
Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by
the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified,
died and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and
is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, The communion of saints, the forgiveness of
sins, and the resurrection of the body, and the life ever-lasting. Amen. ”
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JESUS OUR GUIDE, Faith and Life Series: Grade 4 Jesus Our Guide LESSON #12 – Chapter 20 (40 minutes) Jesus, Our Guide Objective: The students will learn who Jesus came to be for us. He taught us how to follow the Ten
Commandments more fully and live as brothers and sisters in God’s family. Jesus is both fully human and
fully divine. The students will also learn about the importance of Jesus’ miracles.
Open with a Prayer: Our Father, Hail Mary.
Review the Apostles’ Creed (pg 161 in student text): “I believe in God, The Father Almighty, Creator
of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the power of the
Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was
buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at
the right hand of God the Father Almighty. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe
in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, The communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and
the resurrection of the body, and the life ever-lasting. Amen. ”
Teach: “Remember, two lessons ago we learned about the first three commandments from the
Ten Commandments.
1. Who can recite the First Commandment? (I am the Lord, your God; you shall have no other gods
above [before] me) – write commandment on the board.
2. Who can recite the Second Commandment? (You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God,
in vain) – write commandment on the board.
3. Who can recite the Third Commandment? (Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it Holy) –
write commandment on the board.
4. Who are all three of these commandments about? (God). So what are these three
commandments reminding us? (how to behave toward God, our Heavenly Father, as Children of
God).
“In our last lesson, we heard about the next seven Commandments. What do they remind us of?
(how to behave toward each other as brothers and sisters in the family of God).
1. Who can remember the Fourth Commandment? (Honor your father and your mother) – write
commandment on the board.
2. The Fifth Commandment? (You shall not kill) – write commandment on the board.
3. The Sixth Commandment? (You shall not commit adultery) – write commandment on the
board.
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4. The Seventh Commandment? (You shall not steal) – write commandment on the board.
5. The Eighth Commandment? (You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor) – write
commandment on the board.
6. The Ninth Commandment? (You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife) – write commandment
on the board.
7. The Tenth Commandment? (You shall not covet things that belong to your neighbor) – write
commandment on the board.
8. Who are all seven of these commandments about? (each other; our neighbors). And who are
our neighbors? (everyone else besides ourselves).
“These Commandments were always very hard for God’s people to follow – even back in Moses’
time, thousands of years ago when they were first given the Ten Commandments by God.
Sometimes the people of God made mistakes – they forgot the Commandments or they just
became careless about following them. So God sent his son, Jesus Christ, to help his people learn
how to follow his Commandments more fully.
“Now, what do we mean by that…’follow his Commandments more fully’? Some people had
become so strict about following the rules exactly that they forgot that the Commandments also
had a ‘reason from the heart’.
In other words, in Matthew’s Gospel (Mt 5:43-45) Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You
shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy’, but I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father…” Jesus is telling us that it is not
enough to be kind to those who are also kind to you; to be real Children of God, we must also be
kind to those and forgive those who are unkind to us.
Why should we do this? (take answers if some raise their hands)
It does our own hearts good when we do not carry bad feelings around with us. We are also
showing others that doing the right thing draws us closer to God and makes us more completely
his children.
So, now we are going to read more about who Jesus was and how he taught us to live as God’s
Children and as brothers and sisters in the family of God.
Read: Begin reading the first subsection of Chapter 20, “I am”.
Ask (after the first section):
1. Who were the Pharisees? (Jews who lived in the time of Jesus who followed their religious laws so
strictly that they forgot to be kind and compassionate toward other people; they were so worried
about looking perfect to others that they were often harsh and unkind)
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2. Why did the Pharisees turn against Jesus? (through the kind and loving things Jesus said, he
reminded the Pharisees of all the ways they were failing to be the thoughtful and good people God
wanted them to be)
3. Who did Jesus tell the Pharisees he was? (he said he was “I AM” which was the same name God
called himself when God spoke to Moses from the burning bush; Jesus was letting them know that he
is the same God of Abraham and Moses)
4. How do you think the Pharisees would react to this news? (answers will vary)
5. What does our lesson teach us about who Jesus is? (Jesus is one divine person with two natures
– he is fully human and fully God in one person)
Continue reading the next subsections of Chapter 20, “The Worker of Miracles” and “The Only Way
to Heaven”.
Ask:
1. Some miracles are really BIG miracles and some are just small. Have you ever experienced
a miracle or known someone who experienced a miracle? (answers will vary)
2. According to our lesson today, why does God sometimes work miracles? (to show us that
someone sent by God was telling the truth, like Moses; so Jesus could show others his divinity; to
bring people closer to God)
3. What are some of the things we can do to draw closer to Jesus? (attend Mass on Sundays and
Holy Days; talk (pray) to him every day; follow the Ten Commandments and do the best you can to
treat others with love and respect)
Emphasize: Jesus loves all of us and wants us to stay close to him. Jesus especially hopes we will
freely choose to stay close to him. If we stay close, Jesus can be there to help us, to guide us, and
forgive us when we choose to do wrong. He is more wonderful than the very best of friends.
In Chapter 21, we are going to learn why God came to live as a human being, as Jesus, among us. We
are going to review the story of Moses and how he freed the People of Israel, the Jews, from slavery in
Egypt.
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Chapter 21
“For This I Have Come into the World” (20 minutes)
Objective: The students will learn that Jesus came to be the King of the entire world, not just of the nation of Israel. His mission was to save us from slavery to our own sinful behavior, to restore us to eternal life with God in heaven.
Teach: Remind the students of the Passover story, when the Jews were freed from slavery in Egypt.
Ask, “Who can tell us the story?” (after they have shared what they know, make sure the following
information is clear to them):
“About 1300 years before the birth of Christ, the Jewish people were held in slavery in Egypt. God
sent Moses to help free his people. In order to impress the unwilling pharaoh with his power, God
caused 10 plagues to befall the Egyptian people.
Ask, “Does anyone remember any of the plagues?” (water turned to blood; plague of frogs; grains of
sand turned into gnats; plague of flies; death of cattle and livestock; plague of boils and sores; plague of
hail; plague of locusts; plague of darkness)
“The last plague, the angel of death taking the first-born son of every family, finally convinced the pharaoh
to free the Jews from bondage. Because the Jewish people followed God’s command to sacrifice a
perfect lamb and sprinkle its blood over the lentils of their doorways, the Angel of Death “passed
over” the Jewish homes and did not take the first-born son. This is called the Passover and is
celebrated every year by Jews with a special meal.
“The Passover is the special meal that Jesus was celebrating on the night before his death, at the Last
Supper. Now with his crucifixion, Jesus would become the perfect lamb, the sacrifice, to save us from
the bondage of sin.”
Ask the students to turn to the Apostles’ Creed on page 161 of their text books. Have the students
find the part of the Creed that refers to Jesus. Have them read those parts out loud:
“…and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of
the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father
Almighty. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.”
Read from subsection, “Descent into Hell” through “The Resurrection” and “The Ascension”:
Ask:
1. Why did Jesus have to descend to Hell, or the Place of the Dead? (to bring to heaven all those
good souls who had died before Jesus’ time on earth)
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2. What was Jesus referring to when he said, if destroyed, he would rebuild the Temple in 3
days? (his own body at his Resurrection from death)
3. After his Resurrection, what did Jesus need to teach the disciples? (Jesus came to save the
children of Israel and all God’s children by giving them eternal life in heaven)
4. What happened 40 days after Jesus’ Resurrection (his being risen from the dead)? (he
ascended into heaven, he returned to sit at the right hand of God, the Father; Jesus sent the Holy
Spirit to be with us for all time)
Emphasize: What have we learned about God from these two chapters? (Jesus, the Son of God, is one
person with both a fully human nature and a fully divine nature – he is both God and Man; Jesus is the
fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies; Jesus loves us and wants us to choose to follow him)
Activity (if you have time): Ask the children to take a piece of paper and write down one thing that
they could do better to show Jesus how much we love him and appreciate what he has done for us.
(example: be more patient with a brother or sister; pray more; make sure to go to Mass each Sunday;
be kind and understanding with friends, even when they disagree with us; willingly obey our
parents, etc.) If you do not have time, you can just talk about these things instead.
Conclude with Our Father and recite the Apostles’ Creed (pg 161 in student text): “I believe in
God, The Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who
was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius
Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He
ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. He will come again to
judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, The communion
of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection of the body, and the life ever-lasting.
Amen.”
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JESUS OUR GUIDE, Faith and Life Series: Grade 4 Jesus Our Guide LESSON #13 – Chapter 22 (30 minutes) The Perfect Sacrifice Objective: The students will review the Ten Commandments. Then they will learn the different parts of
the Mass and what each part represents. As you read the chapter, they will identify each part in their
Missalettes.
Open with a Prayer: Our Father, Hail Mary.
Review the Apostles’ Creed (pg 161 in student text): “I believe in God, The Father Almighty, Creator
of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the power of the
Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was
buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at
the right hand of God the Father Almighty. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in
the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, The communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the
resurrection of the body, and the life ever-lasting. Amen. ”
Review: “Remember, several lessons ago we learned about the first three commandments from
the Ten Commandments.
8. Who can recite the First Commandment? (I am the Lord, your God; you shall have no other gods
above [before] me) – write commandment on the board.
9. Who can recite the Second Commandment? (You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God,
in vain) – write commandment on the board.
10. Who can recite the Third Commandment? (Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it Holy) –
write commandment on the board.
11. Who are all three of these commandments about? (God). So what are these three
commandments reminding us? (how to behave toward God, our Heavenly Father, as Children of
God).
“Two lessons ago, we heard about the next seven Commandments. What do they remind us of?
(how to behave toward each other as brothers and sisters in the family of God).
1. Who can remember the Fourth Commandment? (Honor your father and your mother) – write
commandment on the board.
2. The Fifth Commandment? (You shall not kill) – write commandment on the board.
3. The Sixth Commandment? (You shall not commit adultery) – write commandment on the
board.
4. The Seventh Commandment? (You shall not steal) – write commandment on the board.
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5. The Eighth Commandment? (You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor) – write
commandment on the board.
6. The Ninth Commandment? (You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife) – write commandment
on the board.
7. The Tenth Commandment? (You shall not covet things that belong to your neighbor) – write
commandment on the board.
8. Who are all seven of these commandments about? (each other; our neighbors). And who are
our neighbors? (everyone else besides ourselves).
“Last week, we started to learn about Jesus, who he was, and his mission here on earth with us.
We learned about how following the Ten Commandments helped us to live as sons and daughters
of God, just as Jesus showed us how to live as Children of God.
“Today we are going to continue to learn about who Jesus was, about what he accomplished for
us and our salvation, and about why it is important for us to go to Mass each Sunday.”
Read:
Tell the students that you will read about the Mass to them from Chapter 22. Have them keep
their textbooks closed as you begin reading the first five subsections of Chapter 22, “Sacrifices”,
“Sin Offerings”, “Mission from the Father”, “The Perfect Sacrifice”, and “Jesus the Priest”.
Give each student a Missalette. As you pass them out, be sure to remind them to write their
own names on the first inside page of the booklets. Before you begin the sections on the Mass in
the textbook, introduce the students to the layout of their Missalettes. Explain that every Mass is
said in the same order all over the world, so they can keep these books and use them every time
they attend Mass, no matter where they are!
Then, as you continue reading, ask each student use his/her missalette to find the sections of the
Mass you are reading about as you complete Chapter 22.
Emphasize: Remind the students that attending Mass is a very special way of thanking God for all he
has done for us, and a special opportunity to feel closer to Jesus as we participate in receiving his
body and blood in the Eucharist.
Remind the students of their own First Eucharist. Do they remember it? Were they excited? What
did they think of when they received the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist? Do they
still go to Sunday (Saturday) Mass with their families? In Chapter 23, we are going to learn more
about the Holy Eucharist and why it is important for us to receive it often.
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Chapter 23
“Bread From Heaven” (30 minutes)
Objective: The students will learn about the Holy Eucharist and about why Jesus is referred to as the “Bread that came down from Heaven” or as “Manna from Heaven”. The will also learn about why it is important to spend some time preparing themselves to receive the Holy Eucharist.
Teach: Remind the students of the Passover story, when the Jews were freed from slavery in Egypt.
Ask:
1. Does anyone remember how long the Children of Israel wandered in the desert after they
were freed from slavery?” (40 years)
2. Where did their food come from? (the ‘manna’ (bread) from heaven)
3. Who sent the food to the Children of Israel? (God) Why did God do this? (he wanted to provide
food for the long journey, so that his people would be saved)
“Today we are going to learn about Jesus as the ‘Bread of Life’. Jesus, who was sent by God and
came down from heaven to save us. Jesus, our ‘Manna from Heaven’.”
Read Chapter 23 by having the children take turns reading paragraphs. You can call on them
randomly, alphabetically, around the table, or whatever works best for your class. If they get
squirrelly, have them read only one sentence in turns around the table. This usually helps to keep
them engaged.
Ask the students the series of questions about the Eucharist found on page 111 of their text
books (please ask them to close their books before asking the questions):
3. What is the Eucharist? (sacrament that contains the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord,
Jesus Christ, under the appearances of bread and wine)
4. When did Jesus institute [do for the first time] the Eucharist? (at the Last Supper – before his
death on the cross)
5. Is it the same Jesus Christ, who was born of the Virgin Mary, present in the Eucharist we
receive at Mass? (yes, it is the same Jesus)
6. What is the Consecration? (it occurs during the Mass when the priest says the words, “Let your
Spirit come upon these gifts to make them Holy, so that they may become the Body and Blood of our
Lord, Jesus Christ…This is my Body…This is my Blood” – the priest makes the sign of the cross
over the bread and wine as he says these words and then elevates the Consecrated Host and the
chalice.)
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Emphasize: What have we learned about God from these two chapters? (God loves us so much that he
sent his son, Jesus Christ, down from heaven to become our ‘manna from heaven’. Jesus gave us his own body
and blood to save us from slavery to sin and to bring us to everlasting life. When we receive the Eucharist at
Mass, we are getting closer to Jesus, becoming one with Christ)
Activity: Help them find the part in their Missalettes where the Liturgy of the Eucharist is found.
Ask them to pay very close attention to the Eucharistic Prayers the next time they are at Mass. See if
they can hear the words of the Consecration.
Conclude with Our Father and recite the Apostles’ Creed (pg 161 in student text): “I believe in
God, The Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who
was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius
Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He
ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. He will come again to
judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, The communion of
saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection of the body, and the life ever-lasting. Amen. ”
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JESUS OUR GUIDE, Faith and Life Series: Grade 4 LESSON #14 – Chapter 24 (30 minutes) Mistakes Along the Way Objective: The students will learn about Original Sin which causes our tendency to be tempted by doing
things we know are wrong (Concupiscence). They will also learn about both mortal (serious) and venial
(less serious) sins and the importance of receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Penance) often.
Open with a Prayer: Our Father, Hail Mary.
Review the Apostles’ Creed (pg 161 in student text): “I believe in God, The Father Almighty, Creator
of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the power of the
Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was
buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at
the right hand of God the Father Almighty. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in
the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, The communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the
resurrection of the body, and the life ever-lasting. Amen. ”
Review:
“Last week, we learned that Jesus celebrated the first Mass at the time of the Last Supper right
before his crucifixion. We learned about the Holy Eucharist and how the priest, acting in the
person of Christ, changes the bread and wine into the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ at
the time of the Consecration. We also learned that Jesus is fully present in the Holy Eucharist and
that he is the same Jesus that was born of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
“This week we are going to learn about forgiveness and about the beautiful Sacrament of Penance
which, when we receive it, draws us back toward the loving arms of God.
Ask:
4. Can anyone tell the class what our ‘conscience’ is?” (our judgment about how we ought to act
or not act – about what is right and good, and about what is wrong and not good – remember Jiminy
Cricket?)
“In Chapter 24, we are going to learn about a properly-formed conscience and about how our
conscience and knowing the Ten Commandments helps us to act as Children of God.”
Read:
Tell the students to open their books to page 113. They will only read subsections “Your
Conscience”, and “Sin”, taking turns in whichever way works best for your class.
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Teach: After reading these two sections, ask the students to close their books and just listen to
you. Rather than reading the text, it would be better to open the discussion on “big” and “lesser”
sins in a more conversational way.
“Without talking, think of a time when you chose to disobey any of the Ten Commandments and
do something wrong in a really serious way even though you knew it was the wrong thing to do.
Did you ever refuse to go to Mass with your parents (excepting, of course, when you were sick)?
“Refusing to attend Mass is one kind of serious [mortal] sins that we would want to be sure to
bring to the Sacrament of Penance. Whenever we deliberately choose to break one of God’s
Commandments in a serious way, we are separating ourselves from God’s love. To be a serious
sin, we choose to do something wrong that we know is wrong, that we thought about and did it
anyway, or that we chose to do it freely without being forced to do it. (TEACHER’S NOTE:
Children rarely if ever experience serious [mortal] sin. Very serious actions such as murder would
fall into this category of sin.)
“Again, without talking, think of a time when you might have broken any of God’s Ten
Commandments, but it was not your fault. Has there been a time you wanted to go to Mass but
could not because you did not have a ride, your family was travelling, you had visitors at your
home and your family missed Mass? When you did not complete the chores around the house
that your mom and/or dad asked you to do (sin of omission)? Maybe you lied to get out of
trouble. Or maybe you hurt someone for no reason. Maybe you took something that belonged to
someone else with the intention of keeping for yourself. Did you ever destroy another person’s
property on purpose?
“These are the lesser (venial) sins that most children experience. Sometimes we feel pressure to
act against one of God’s Commandments, or maybe we didn’t even understand how serious our
behavior was until an adult explained it to us. These smaller sins are also important to bring to
the Sacrament of Penance, because we want to work hard to stop these behaviors before they
become a bad habit.
“In Chapter 25, we are going to learn more about the Sacrament of Penance and why it is
important for us to receive it often, to ask for forgiveness for the actual sins we commit.”
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Chapter 25
“Turning Back to God” (30 minutes)
Objective: The students will learn about the Rite for the Sacrament of Penance and the use of the Ten Commandments to help them do a complete Examination of Conscience. They will also review the Ten Commandments with an examination of conscience.
Read the entire Chapter 25 by having the children take turns reading paragraphs. You can call on
them randomly, alphabetically, around the table, or whatever works best for your class. If they
get squirrelly, have them read only one sentence in turns around the table. This usually helps to
keep them engaged.
After you complete the chapter, pass out 3x5 cards for the students to write on. Explain that no
one else will look at these cards and we will not share these answers; they are only for their own
eyes. Ask them to listen quietly while you read through a reflection on the Ten Commandments.
Remind them that this is the same reflection they received in their own “Ten Commandments”
booklets and that they should bring these booklets with them every time they receive the
Sacrament of Penance (class will receive on Monday, March 28th):
The Ten Commandments:
1. First Commandment (I am the Lord, your God; you shall have no other gods above [before] me) –
write commandment on the board.
Read: Did I fail to love God, to put Him first in my life, to thank Him, to trust Him, and love Him
as He deserves? Did I forget to pray? Did I forget to set aside special time each day to talk to and
listen to God? Have I made other things such as TV, sports, or popularity more important in my
life?
2. Second Commandment (You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain) – write
commandment on the board.
Read: Did I curse or swear, using God’s name? Did I use God’s name lightly or carelessly? Have I
used bad language about God or told bad jokes about my faith? Have I listened while others were
making fun of the church or using bad language about God?
3. Third Commandment (Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it Holy) – write commandment on
the board.
Read: Have I deliberately missed Mass on the Lord’s Day or Holy Days of Obligation? Have I
allowed other activities on Sunday morning or Saturday evening to interfere with going to Mass
every week? Did I leave Mass early without a good reason? Have I been to Confession lately? In
any of my previous Confessions, did I lie to or deliberately conceal something from the priest? Have
I received Holy Communion at least once every year?
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4. Fourth Commandment? (Honor your father and your mother) – write commandment on the
board.
Read: Did I honor and obey my parents? Did I respect my brothers and my sisters? Did I respect
others with lawful authority, especially teachers? Did I fail to help at home or to spend time with my
family? Have I talked back? Do I blame my parents or talk about them unkindly to others?
5. Fifth Commandment? (You shall not kill) – write commandment on the board.
Read: Did I give in to feelings of anger or jealousy? Have I kept hatred for another in my heart?
Did I fight, strike anyone in anger, or give a bad example of behavior by yelling or screaming? Have
I wounded another person’s spirit by being unkind or by failing to give encouragement or support to
another when needed? Have I made fun of others by deliberately trying to hurt their feelings, or have
I called others by hurtful names?
6. Sixth Commandment? (You shall not commit adultery) – write commandment on the board.
Read: Have I treated all others with dignity and respect? Have I acted only after careful thought
and without giving into impulses and temptations? Am I loyal and trustworthy in my friendships,
guarding against jealousy? Have I taken my friendships for granted? Have I been modest in my
behavior, with my clothing, and with my words?
7. Seventh Commandment? (You shall not steal) – write commandment on the board.
Read: Have I ever stolen something which was not mine? Did I return it and try to make up for
what I had stolen? Have I cheated on tests or homework, stealing others’ ideas as my own? Have I
copied and pasted work from the internet and turned it in as my own? Have I used electronic
devices to cheat on tests?
8. Eighth Commandment? (You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor) – write
commandment on the board.
Read: Have I lied or gossiped (talked about another person behind his/her back)? Am I sincere and
do I always tell the truth? Did I reveal secrets that should not have been shared? Am I critical,
negative, or unkind in my talk? Have I agreed with comments that were unkind or prejudicial
against other races or nationalities?
9. Ninth Commandment? (You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife) – write commandment on
the board.
Read: Do I look to God to show me the true model for love and happiness? Am I happy with the
friends God has brought into my life? Do I appreciate my friends for who they really are instead of
looking only for friends who have lots of “stuff”? Do I pray to God to help me be the very best friend
I can be for others?
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10. Tenth Commandment? (You shall not covet things that belong to your neighbor) – write
commandment on the board.
Read: Is my heart greedy, making me jealous of what others have? Do I compare myself to others
and wish to have what they have? Am I critical, uncharitable, or negative in my thoughts of others?
Is my heart set on earthly possessions instead of on the treasures in heaven? Am I moody or
gloomy?
“Let’s say a prayer together to ask for God’s forgiveness (say an “Our Father”). Please hold on to
these cards and bring your Ten Commandments booklets to help you the next time you receive
the Sacrament of Penance (will be offered to entire class on Monday, March 28th).
Emphasize: What have we learned about God from these two chapters? (God loves us so much that
he wants us to stay close to him, to come to him when we have sinned, and to ask forgiveness so we can
always stay close to his heart)
Conclude with Our Father and recite the Apostles’ Creed (pg 161 in student text): “I believe in
God, The Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who
was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius
Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He
ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. He will come again to
judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, The communion of
saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection of the body, and the life ever-lasting. Amen. ”
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JESUS OUR GUIDE, Faith and Life Series: Grade 4 LESSON #15 – Chapter 26 (20 minutes) The Holy Spirit Objective: The students will learn about the Holy Spirit as part of the Trinity, as the love between God the
Father and Jesus Christ the Son. They will learn that the Holy Spirit has been with us since the beginning of
time, that it was through the Holy Spirit that all prophets from the Old Testament spoke, and that Christ gave
the Holy Spirit to us at Pentecost to be our advocate for all time following his Ascension into Heaven.
Open with a Prayer: Our Father, Hail Mary.
Review the Apostles’ Creed (pg 161 in student text): “I believe in God, The Father Almighty, Creator of
heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the power of the Holy
Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He
descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of
God the Father Almighty. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the
holy catholic Church, The communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection of the body, and the
life ever-lasting. Amen. ”
Review:
“Last week, we learned that God loves us so much that he wants us to stay close to him, to come to
him when we have sinned, and to ask forgiveness so we can always stay close to his heart. We are
able to stay close to God through receiving the Sacrament of Penance. Next week, we will have six
priests available to hear our confessions so that we may be reconciled to God and draw closer to him
as we prepare for Easter.
“This week we are going to learn about the Holy Spirit and how his presence in our lives helps us to
follow God’s Commandments and to admit our faults when we have broken one of God’s
Commandments.”
Ask:
1. How do you imagine the Holy Spirit?” (answers will vary)
“The Bible describes the Holy Spirit as ‘breath’, or as ‘wind’, or as tongues of flame. Listen to these
descriptions of the Holy Spirit from scripture: read: Gn. 2:7 (Genesis, chapter 2, verse 7); Jn. 20:19-23
(Gospel of St. John, chapter 20, verses 19-23); Acts 2:1-4 (The Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2, verses 1-
4).”
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Read:
Tell the students to open their books to page 123. They will read the entire Chapter 26, taking turns
in whichever way works best for your class.
Teach: After reading the chapter (or during, if the question comes up), clarify the teaching of the
Trinity by using the H2O analogy:
The idea of three distinct persons in one God is difficult for even the most learned theologians to explain.
However, you can use the water analogy (although imperfect), ie., the three states of H2O = liquid, solid, vapor
= God (liquid), Jesus (solid), Holy Spirit (vapor). It does help the kids to get a visual. God is three persons, God
the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, with one nature.
Ask:
1. What are the two sacraments with which we receive the Holy Spirit in a special way? (Baptism
and Confirmation [which completes Baptism])
2. Does that mean we do not have the Holy Spirit at other times? (no, the Holy Spirit stays with us
always; also, until your Confirmation, you can also ask the Holy Spirit to fill your heart with love and
help you to grow closer to God)
3. Why did Jesus leave us with the Holy Spirit? (the Holy Spirit strengthened the Apostles so they
could continue the mission of Jesus here on earth; the Holy Spirit continues to be with us today to help
guide and strengthen us, and to lead us in the truth of our Catholic faith)
Emphasize: Jesus promised us that the Catholic Church would be protected against error and evil for
all time. That does not mean that some people within the Catholic Church haven’t made mistakes
and done things that were very wrong – there have been times when that has happened because
human beings are not perfect and we do choose badly at times.
What it does mean is that Christ’s mission for the Church will continue for all time and that the
Church will never be overwhelmed with evil to the point of destroying the Church completely. The
inherent goodness of Jesus, God’s Son, will prevail, and he left the Holy Spirit for us to help inspire
and guide the Catholic Church in truth.
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Chapter 27
“The Church of Christ” (40 minutes)
Objective: The students will learn how the Holy Spirit has been present throughout Salvation History in the Old Testament and how the Holy Spirit remains in our Catholic Church today.
Read Chapter 27, subsections “The People of God”, “The Mystical Body of Christ”, “The Church’s
Shepherds”, “Guardians of the Truth”, and “Other Christians” [SKIP: “A Priestly People”, “A Kingly
People”, and “A Prophetic People” WE WILL DO AN ACTIVITY FOR THIS]. You can call on them
randomly, alphabetically, around the table, or whatever works best for your class. If they get
squirrelly, have them read only one sentence in turns around the table. This usually helps to keep
them engaged.
After Reading: Tell the students that we, the People of the Church, participate in the same roles as
Jesus, but in a different way:
Activity: Using construction paper, “Prophet, Priest, and King” Handout, and poster board, create a
collage with your class which can then be hung up in your classroom.
The students may cut out each strip, color, and complete each section of the handout. Then paste
each strip under the proper heading on the poster board, using construction paper to provide a
colorful background.
As they are working, read the following:
“At your baptism you were marked with oil as a sign that you are consecrated to God and anointed
by the Holy Spirit. Your anointing also was a sign that you are joined to Christ and share in his
threefold mission as prophet, priest, and king.
The Israelites anointed their priests and kings with oil. They spoke of their prophets as being
anointed with the spirit. Jesus, known as the Christ, the anointed one, fills all three roles. According
to Luke, at the outset of his public ministry, Jesus read from Isaiah and claimed that the words
referred to him: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the
poor (Luke 4:18).”
1. A prophet is a messenger sent by God, a person who speaks for God. He or she witnesses to
God, calls people to conversion, and may also foretell the future.
Jesus fits this description. He is none other than the Word of God in the flesh. He called the
world to turn from sin and return to the Father and was put to death for it. In Scripture Jesus is
presented as a prophet. Crowds identified him as “Jesus the prophet” (Matthew 21:11). He
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spoke of himself as a prophet: “No prophet is accepted in his own native place” (Luke 4:24).
He foretold his passion and resurrection.
Jesus was a Prophet, we are a Prophetic People – that means that you can help to spread the Word of
God through your actions toward others and through your own words.
Ask: What can you do to be a Prophet today? (have them write answer on their handout)
2. A priest is a mediator, or bridge, between God and human beings. He offers sacrifice to God
on behalf of all. Once a year on the Day of Atonement, the Jewish high priest went into the
Holy of Holies in the Temple. There he offered sacrifice to God to make up for his sins and the
sins of the people.
The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews compared Jesus to Melchizedek, a mysterious, superior
priest in the Old Testament who blessed Abraham. Jesus is the greatest high priest. Because he
is both divine and human, Jesus is the perfect mediator. He is not only the perfect priest, holy
and sinless, but the perfect sacrifice. The sacrifice of Jesus need never be made again. Jesus
“entered once for all into the sanctuary, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his
own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12). Jesus continues his role as
priest. “He is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever
to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).
Jesus was a Priest, we are a Priestly People – that means that we can offer ourselves up to God by
praying and by living a holy life
Ask: What can you do to act as a Priestly People today? (have them write answer on their handout)
3. A king is a person who has supreme authority over a territory. When the Jewish people were
ruled by kings, they became a nation. They longed for a Messiah who would again make them
great.
Jesus is spoken of as a king in the Gospels. Gabriel announced to Mary that the Lord God
would give her son the throne of David his father, and he would rule over the house of Jacob
forever. Magi looked for a newborn king of the Jews. When Jesus last entered Jerusalem,
crowds hailed him as a king. He was arrested for making himself king, and the soldiers
mocked him as one. When Pilate asked if he were king of the Jews, Jesus replied, “You say so,”
and he clarified, “My kingdom does not belong to this world” (John 18:36). The charge written
against Jesus was “Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews.” Jesus announced the kingdom of
God. His mission was to have God reign in the hearts of all and to have peace and justice in
the world. Jesus exercised his royal office by serving.
Jesus was the King in the Kingdom of God, we are a Kingly People – that means that since you are
part of the Body of Christ through your Baptism, you can serve Jesus by serving other people.
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Ask: What can you do to participate in building up God’s Kingdom today? (have them write answer on their
handout)
Emphasize: What have we learned about God from these two chapters? (God loves us so much that he
sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, to help us learn how to live as true Children of God; Jesus left us the Holy Spirit
to strengthen our faith, to ensure the Catholic Church would never err in teaching of the faith, and to help guide
and protect us and the Church.)
Conclude with Our Father and recite the Apostles’ Creed (pg 161 in student text): “I believe in God,
The Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was
conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was
crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into
heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. He will come again to judge the living and
the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, The communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
and the resurrection of the body, and the life ever-lasting. Amen. ”
Grade 4
- 69 -
Je
sus is a
PR
OP
HE
T, a
me
ssen
ge
r
sen
t by
Go
d, a
pe
rson
wh
o sp
eak
s for
Go
d. H
e w
itne
sses to
Go
d a
nd
calls
pe
op
le to
con
ve
rsion
.
I can
be a
pro
ph
et wh
en I h
elp to
sprea
d th
e Wo
rd o
f Go
d th
rou
gh
my
actio
ns to
wa
rd o
thers a
nd
thro
ugh
my
ow
n w
ord
s.
Jesu
s is a P
RIE
ST
, a m
ed
iato
r, or
brid
ge
, be
twee
n G
od
and
hu
ma
n
be
ing
s. He
offe
rs sacrifice
to G
od
on
be
ha
lf of a
ll.
I can
be a
Priestly
perso
n a
ny
time I
offer m
yself a
nd
my
time u
p to
Go
d b
y
pra
yin
g an
d b
y liv
ing a
ho
ly life.
Jesu
s is a K
ING
, wh
en h
e a
nn
ou
nce
d
the
kin
gd
om
of G
od
. His m
ission
wa
s
to h
av
e G
od
reig
n in
the h
ea
rts of a
ll
an
d to
ha
ve p
ea
ce an
d ju
stice in
the
wo
rld. Je
sus ex
ercised
his ro
ya
l office
by
serv
ing
.
I am
pa
rt of G
od
’s Ho
ly K
ingd
om
an
d
the B
od
y o
f Ch
rist thro
ugh
my
Ba
ptism
.
Ev
ery tim
e I serve o
thers, I a
m b
ringin
g
Go
d’s K
ingd
om
to o
thers h
ere on
earth
.
Grade 4
- 70 -
JESUS OUR GUIDE, Faith and Life Series: Grade 4 LESSON #17 – Chapter 28 (40 minutes) “Channels of Grace” Objective: The students will learn about the channels of God’s grace which we receive through reception
of the Sacraments of the Catholic Church. They will learn the meaning of grace which is received through
the sacraments, and the meaning of each sacrament received at different times in our life.
Open with a Prayer: Our Father, Hail Mary.
Review the Apostles’ Creed (pg 161 in student text): “I believe in God, The Father Almighty, Creator
of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the power of the
Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was
buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at
the right hand of God the Father Almighty. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in
the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, The communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the
resurrection of the body, and the life ever-lasting. Amen. ”
Ask:
1. Does anyone know what a sacrament is? (a sacrament is the way Jesus has chosen to give us the
grace he has gained for us through his death and resurrection; Jesus has given us a way to become
members of God’s family, so we can share in his life now and forever in heaven)
2. Can anyone name one of the Catholic Church’s Sacraments which you have probably
already received?” (show of hands; ask for the name of one sacrament from different students. As
they say the sacrament, write them in one of three columns or sections of your board like so [add
headings after next question], even if they don’t say them in this order:
First Column (Initiation) – Baptism, First Holy Communion [or Eucharist];
Second Column (Healing) – Reconciliation [or Penance];
Third Column (Service) –
3. Why do you think I organized the names of the Sacraments in different sections [columns]?
(because they are in groups according to the “kind” of sacrament each is:
Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, First Holy Communion [Eucharist], Confirmation;
Sacraments of Healing – Reconciliation [Penance], Healing of the Sick
Sacraments of Service – Holy Orders, Holy Matrimony)
4. Which one did you receive last week during class time? (Penance) Which one do you
receive each Sunday at Mass (Eucharist)
Grade 4
- 71 -
Teach:
“This week we are going to learn about all the beautiful Sacraments of the Catholic Church. As
we learn about each one, we are going to add to our list of Sacraments and write them under the
correct column [in the correct section].
Read:
Tell the students to open their books to page 133. They will read the entire chapter, taking turns
in whichever way works best for your class. You can call on them randomly, alphabetically,
around the table, or whatever works best for your class. If they get squirrelly, have them read
only one sentence in turns around the table. This usually helps to keep them engaged.
Teach: As you are reading through the different sacraments, give the students an opportunity to
share their own experience receiving this sacrament [“remember when?”] or to share a time when
they themselves or someone close to them have received one of the sacraments.
Emphasize:
“We can see that Jesus has given us sacraments to go along with all the really important times of
our life. Why do you think Jesus gave us all these opportunities to experience God’s grace?
(answers will vary; he loves us so much that he wants us to stay close to him; each time we participate in
one of these sacraments, we obtain God’s grace and can draw closer to him)
“In Chapter 29, we are going to learn more about another way we can become closer to God and
to his Son, Jesus.”
Grade 4
- 72 -
Chapter 29
“Our Mother, Mary” (15 minutes)
Objective: The students will learn about our Blessed Mother, Mary, and about how she can help us to stay close to Jesus`.
Read the entire Chapter 29 by having the children take turns reading paragraphs. You can call on
them randomly, alphabetically, around the table, or whatever works best for your class. If they
get squirrelly, have them read only one sentence in turns around the table. This usually helps to
keep them engaged.
Activity:
After you complete the chapter, pass out the prayer cards with the “Hail Mary” written on the
back. Tell the children that this prayer along with the “Our Father” and the “Glory Be” make up a very
special prayer called the Rosary. Tell them that the Rosary is a set of beads, each one representing a special
prayer to be said in a special order. While we say these prayers, we also think about a special time in Jesus’
life.
Ask: Can you think of a special time in Jesus’ life? (answers will vary)
Let’s think of Jesus at that time. Bow your head and close your eyes.
“Now, let’s try saying the prayers of the Rosary together (recite first the “Our Father”; then follow
with ten “Hail Marys”; finish with one “Glory Be”.
Emphasize: What have we learned about God from these two chapters? (God loves us so much that
he wants us to stay close to him, and the best way to stay close to God is to participate in receiving the
Sacraments as often as we can)
Conclude with Our Father and recite the Apostles’ Creed (pg 161 in student text): “I believe in
God, The Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who
was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius
Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He
ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. He will come again to
judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, The communion of
saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection of the body, and the life ever-lasting. Amen. ”
Next week is our last class! You may plan a little party with your class if you wish They will
have a short “quizlette” first which can be completed in groups with the text open.