Lesson planning made easy

In this chapter , the EXPLORE what the

Holy Spirit invites creeds of the Church you to → tell us .

DISCOVER how God has revealed himself .

DECIDE ways to live and share faith in God .

Revelation [ Dei verbum ]) 21 , 22

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Elementary

SCHOOL teacher guides

School Teacher Guides , Grades 1 – 6

The Teacher Guides build confident , capable , and committed educators in Catholic schools . The guides offer consistent features and easy-to-use resources that help teachers prepare engaging lessons each week .

Features include :

• Chapter Background : Theological context for the chapter content

• Teacher to Teacher : Practical suggestions that assist with teaching and with one ’ s personal faith journey

• The Church Teaches : References from key catechetical documents , the Catechism of the Catholic Church , and the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults

• Teacher Prayer : A short prayer to center teachers as they begin each lesson

Looking Ahead

I Will Be

Your God

How can you get to know your friends better ? What are some of the ways that you come to know God ?

The Bible helps us to know God better . Imagine that you could go back to the time of Moses in the Old Testament . Listen as God speaks to Moses about the promise of his special friendship , or Covenant , with the people of Israel :

“ Therefore , say to the Israelites : I am the Lord . I will free you from the forced labor of the Egyptians and will deliver you from their slavery . I will rescue you by my outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment . I will take you as my own people , and you shall have me as your God .” Exodus 6:6 – 7

What do you hear God telling you about himself in this passage ?

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Lesson planning made easy

To help teachers in their planning , Be My Disciples includes a Lesson Planner for each chapter that offers :

CHAPTER

TEACHING TIP

The Opening Prayer . The prayer suggested for the opening page of each chapter is an important feature of the lesson . It relates to the chapter theme and sets the tone for learning . It also provides the learner the opportunity to experience prayer in a variety of ways .

DAY 1

EXPLORE

Pray

→ Greet the students as they enter class . Invite them to join you in prayer by praying the Sign of the Cross together . Remind them about God ’ s presence with them .

→ Pray :

Thank you , God , for making yourself known to us . Amen .

→ Close with the Sign of the Cross .

Reflect

→ Invite a volunteer to read the opening questions . Give the students several minutes to think about their responses .

→ Describe to the class how a person has helped you come to know who God is . Encourage the students to share the ways that other people have helped them to know who God is . ( Answers will vary . Affirm all appropriate responses .)

→ Tell the students that they are going to take a short trip back in time and learn about God ’ s promise of friendship for all people . Invite them to listen closely as you read the introductory paragraph and the Scripture passage .

→ Pose the question following the Scripture reading . Have the students discuss what God promised to the Israelites .

Focus

→ Ask the students to look at the picture . Ask what they are seeing that could remind them of God . ( Answers will vary .)

→ Preview the chapter by reading Looking Ahead .

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Chapter 1

Interpreting the Bible

Familiarizing ourselves with the Bible does not mean merely to memorize chapter and verse , although it is always good to be familiar with particular Bible passages . We strive to understand the depth of God ’ s message to us . To do this we employ three criteria for interpreting the meaning of Sacred Scripture .

First , we are attentive to the content and unity of the whole of Scripture . We avoid lifting a particular passage out of context . This means that we always read each passage and each book with regard to the whole of the Bible .

Second , we appreciate Scripture as part of the living tradition of God ’ s people . The inspired books of the Bible are written less upon paper than they are upon the hearts of the People of God . Thus , only within the living body of the Church , guided by the Holy Spirit , can Scripture be interpreted , and the meaning of God ’ s Word to us be truly discovered .

Third , we do not simply read the Bible as if it were like any other type of literature . We always remember there is a deeper message leading us into greater faithfulness to God .

Grade 4 god ’ s toUs Word

BaCKgROUnD

The Living Word of God

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As Catholics , we cherish the Scriptures , the inspired holy Word of God . We believe that words of Sacred Scripture tell the story of the many marvelous ways that God spoke and continues to speak to us , drawing us to live in covenant and communion with him . The Scriptures are not just any group of stories . They are the living Word of God .

• Planning-at-a-Glance

• Color coding

Being Fed by the Word of God

When we proclaim , reflect upon , meditate over , or study the Scriptures , we are nourished by the Word of God , living and active among us .

For Reflection

What passage from the Gospel sheds special light on Jesus Christ for me ?

How does prayerfully reading Sacred Scripture provide strength for my faith and food for my soul ?

• Lesson activities

[ S ] uch is the force and power of the Word of God that it can serve the Church as her support and vigor , and the children of the Church as strength for their faith , food for their soul , and a pure and lasting fount of spiritual life . . . . Access to sacred Scripture ought [ therefore ] to be open wide to the Christian faithful . ( Dogmatic Constitution on Divine

As catechists who venerate and employ Scripture through all of our formational , liturgical , and educational endeavors , we constantly bring people to the table of the Word of the Lord . We invite people to be fed with the living Word of God .

• Learning features , such as “ Faith Vocabulary ” and “ Faith-Filled People ”

• Materials and Resources

Teacher to Teacher

Passing On the Word of God

in the beginning of the Church , God ’ s Word was passed on primarily by word of mouth . there were very few written copies of the writings of Sacred Scripture . those that did exist had to be carefully copied by hand . Since the printing press , all that has changed . printed , and now electronic , copies of Sacred Scripture are easily available . Many of these are available in child-friendly editions .

Becoming Familiar with the Word of God

Spend some time reflecting on the Scripture readings assigned for this Sunday ’ s Mass . Familiarity with the Scripture readings will carry over into the classroom . in your sessions , try to use the Bible frequently and guide the students in becoming familiar with it . For example , ask the students to put their fingers between the Old testament and the new testament and see which is bigger . then look back at the table of contents and have them try to remember which books are found where . You might even create and play games to see how many of the names of the books of the Bible they can remember . these simple , fun , and effective techniques can really help the students learn their way through the Bible .

Teacher Prayer

Spirit of Wisdom , help me this week to always share the Word of God wisely and generously with the students . Amen .

A concise wraparound plan leads teachers through a creative teaching process .

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The Church Teaches …

“ human experience provide the sensible signs that lead the person , by the grace of the holy Spirit , to a better understanding of the truths of the faith ” ( National Directory for Catechesis , 29a ).

in this chapter the students will be introduced to the concept of Divine revelation and faith and how the two work together to help them come to know and believe in God .

RCL Benziger Catalog 2017 | Página 28

Lesson planning made easy

Elementary

SCHOOL teacher guides

School Teacher Guides , Grades 1 – 6

Lesson planning made easy