God Asks Us to Obey

Joe Paprocki Intermediate Grades

Here’s my plan for this coming Monday’s session:

Monday, October 4, 2010

Theme: God Asks Us to Obey

Big Idea: We shape and form our conscience so that we can know right from wrong and be faithful followers of Jesus

Engage (15 mins)

  1. As kids enter, provide them with a small container of Play-doh and invite them to create a shape
  2. Opening prayer ritual
  3. Review of last session – show broken popsicle stick and rock
  4. Show and tell of Play-doh shapes
  5. Introduce the idea that throughout our lives, we strive to allow Jesus to shape us into one of his faithful disciples.

FIRE DRILL (10 mins)

Explore (30 mins)

  1. Show video clip of devil/angel on shoulder – ask what that represents. (temptation/conscience)
  2. Read aloud chapter 4 using clue card activity to highlight key words.
  3. Write the word conscience on the board and ask kids to explain what they think a conscience is and how it works.
  4. Take out Flip video cam and invite each child to say something to be recorded. Play back.
  5. Explain that our conscience can be compared to a video or audio recorder…throughout life, we “record” messages from important people about what is right and wrong. Ask the children to brainstorm whose faces/voices should be on their “tape.” (parents, grandparents, godparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, catechists, pastors, coaches, good friends, the Bible, Church teachings, the lives of the saints)
  6. Ask the children to identify other faces/voices that can get on our “tape” and sometimes give us the wrong messages about what is right and wrong. (TV, Internet, movies, magazines, friends, media, popular music, etc.)  (*emphasize that you are not condemning these but warning them that we need to be aware of the messages being sent. Even people from our first list can sometimes give us the wrong messages).
  7. Refer back to the clay and point out that throughout life, we can continue to allow ourselves to be shaped into faithful followers of Jesus.
  8. Play recording of The Prayer of St. Francis – Make Me a Channel of Your Peace and talk about how St. Francis prayed that he be shaped into an instrument of God’s peace.

Reflect (10 mins)

  1. Lead guided reflection on an Examination of Conscience from ch. 4

Respond (10 mins)

  1. Explore Catholic Internet sites where kids can learn to be good followers of Jesus and have their conscience shaped.
  2. Direct kids to take the handout home and share with their parents.
  3. Closing prayer
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About Joe Paprocki 2742 Articles
Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, where, in addition to his traveling/speaking responsibilities, he works on the development team for faith formation curriculum resources including Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts and God’s Gift: Reconciliation and Eucharist. Joe has more than 35 years of experience in ministry and has presented keynotes, presentations, and workshops in more than 100 dioceses in North America. Joe is a frequent presenter at national conferences including the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, the Mid-Atlantic Congress, and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. He is the author of numerous books, including the best seller The Catechist’s Toolbox, A Church on the Move, Under the Influence of Jesus, and Called to Be Catholic—a bilingual, foundational supplemental program that helps young people know their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Joe is also the series editor for the Effective Catechetical Leader and blogs about his experiences in faith formation at www.catechistsjourney.com.

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6 Comments

  1. Your planned lesson sounds great! Once again I wish I had the technology you have for your class. Today I taught the kids about the Holy Trinity and how God is three in one by drawing a shamrock on the board (like St. Patrick did). We discussed the Holy Spirit and I asked in what sacraments do we receive it (which they had no clue). We then spoke of the fruits of the Holy Spirit and made the fruits of the Holy Spirit mobile BLM#11. They really enjoyed making the mobile and as they worked I played the song Holy Spirit Rain Down by Hillsong. In general a fairly good class. Thanks for letting me share. God bless

    Reply

  2. Would you tell us what text/series you are teaching this year?
    Thank you for sharing your lesson plan. We quote Emperor’s New Groove at my house frequently and now I have a reason to watch it in class! Love it!

    Reply

  3. Joe,
    Thanks for sharing your lesson plans for fourth grade using Finding God. We also use the series. I have two questions for you: how do you access the technology you use in the RE classroom and how do you find all the great YouTube clips? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Hi Mary. I access the technology in my classroom via a Verizon air card (for Internet) and an LCD projector. I use my own laptop. Bottom line is, I lug a lot of equipment around!

      As for finding the YouTube clips, it’s just a matter of using the best key words when searching on YouTube and then sifting through the various examples that come up until I find one that works. Sometimes I have a very specific idea of what I’m looking for such as “Charlie Brown, Lucy, football” whereas other times, I just do a general search such as “angel and devil on shoulder, cartoon” which took me to the clip from The Emperor’s New Groove.

      Reply

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