Monday, March 5, 2012

Crafty Crafters: Holy Thursday/Last Supper Craft






So how crafty are you?

What is your favorite religious craft you make for the Last Supper?



Here is a craft that all children will love to make:


Introduce craft: Who sat with Jesus during the Last Supper? (The disciples.)



Holy Thursday/Last Supper Craft by catholicicing.com- an easy craft based on the famous Leonardo da Vinci Last Supper painting.



Please comment so I can add the link to your blog to this post. We would love to see what you do!





crafolic.com- Agony in the Garden ~Craft / Diorama






Saturday, March 3, 2012

Holy Week







Holy Week

Palm Sunday/Jesus Rides Into Jerusalem- lesson plan for 1st grade on up with: Objectives, Review, Vocabulary Words, Bible Story with questions, Activities, Crafts, Games, Snacks, Puzzles/Mazes/Worksheets, etc.

Last Supper/Holy Thursday- activities, coloring, games, puzzles, quizzes, worksheets, etc.

Last Supper/Holy Thursday- lesson plan for 1st grade on up with: Objectives, Review, Vocabulary Words, Bible Story with questions, Activities, Crafts, Games, Snacks, Puzzles/Mazes/Worksheets







Have you ever experienced a Passover Seder? For many, Seder meals are not a common part of their typical Holy Week traditions. To help children understand what was eaten during this meal, here is a game that reviews the traditional food of the Seder meal.

cajestl.org- Fill Your Seder Plate Board Game







Passover Seder Plate Crafts- Passover Seder ideas for the students to make.







Last Supper File Folder Game- Play individually or in teams and work your way around the game board answering questions about the Last Supper. If you are correct you roll a die and move your marker in your row in any direction you want. If you land on a colored space, you can move one row toward the center with “Last Supper”. Play continues until a team or player reaches “Last Supper”.









Holy Week- activities, coloring, games, puzzles, quizzes, worksheets, etc.

Holy Week- (Pre K – K) lesson plan with: Objectives, Word Wall, Bible Story with questions, Songs and/or Finger Plays, Activities, Crafts, Games, Snacks, Coloring/Puzzles, etc.

Holy Week- lesson plan for 1st grade on up with: Objectives, Review, Vocabulary Words, Bible Story with questions, Activities, Crafts, Games, Snacks, Puzzles/Mazes/Worksheets, etc.



These activities below are free, however they are only to be used for classroom and personal use. They may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit.


What Happened During Holy Week?- Label the pictures below with the correct day of Holy Week. Then color the pictures. (For younger students: Ask the students what is happening in the first picture. Discuss. Then ask them, “What day of Holy Week is it?” Write #1 on the board and Palm/Passion Sunday beside the number. Continue with pictures 2 – 4.

Holy Week Worksheet- The following days of Holy Week are in the wrong order. Number them so they are in the right order. Then draw a line to what happened on that day.

Holy Week Quiz- 20 questions with answers





This game is free, however it can only to be used for classroom and personal use. It may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit.


Holy Week File Folder Game: The objective of the game is to go through all the days of Holy Week by answering questions about each day.


Directions- Print out Directions, cut it out, and glue on front of file folder.

Game Board- Print out Game Board, trim, and glue on the inside of the file folder. Make sure the directions are on the front of the file folder. Laminate or cover file folder with clear contact paper to make it last.

Questions- Use these questions or make your own. Use only the questions that reflect your student’s abilities.

Spinner- Make spinner according to the directions.









Friday, March 2, 2012

What will you do in your classroom or home? (Class #20)





What are you doing in your classroom or home? I think it would be great to see what others are doing to exchange some ideas. I am constantly looking for new activities to do and I know others are too.


This is what I plan on doing with my first grade CCD class:


Review-

• Review - Sign of the Cross, Grace Before Meals, Glory Be, Our Father (Lord’s Prayer)

• Review- Loaves & Fishes Take Home Sheet

• Review- People at Mass using People at Church Cards.

• Review- Liturgical Objects at Mass (pew, stoup, altar, chalice, ciborium, Body of Christ, Blood of Christ, tabernacle, bells, lectern, ambo, Lectionary, missal, Book of the Gospels, Processional Cross, cruets, Presider’s/Celebrant’s Chair, Sanctuary Lamp) using Liturgical Objects Used at Mass Cards.



Celebrating the Mass Lesson-

The Lord’s Prayer

Jesus taught his friends how to pray. This prayer is the Lord’s Prayer or Our Father. When we say this prayer, just before communion, we pray together as a community. We stand as we say or sing the Lord’s Prayer. In many churches the congregation holds hands to show that they are one family in Christ.

The people hold hands and say this aloud with the priest:

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

The priest joins his hands.

The people conclude the prayer, acclaiming:

(If the people are holding hands they raise their hands higher and say the following.)

For the kingdom,
the power and the glory are yours
now and for ever.

(The people then stop holding hands.)


*Then ask students questions from the lesson.



Celebrating the Mass Activities-

Introduce craft: What do some parishioners often do during the Lord’s Prayer? (Hold hands.)

Make paper doll chains.



marthastewart.com- Paper Doll Chain directions and template (click on template to receive a pdf file). Boy and girl paper doll chain templates posted.



Introduce worksheet and game: What prayer did Jesus teach us? Do you know it? Let’s find out.



faithfirst.com- Cut out words and put the words in order. Paste the words in order on a piece of construction paper.




The activity below is free, however it can only to be used for classroom and personal use. It may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit.


The Lord’s Prayer- (file folder game)
Print out Game Board, trim and glue on the inside of the file folder. Make sure the directions are on the front of the file folder. Laminate or cover file folder with clear contact paper to make it last.





Lesson Plan-

Palm Sunday and go over vocabulary words with students. Read story: “Jesus Rides Into Jerusalem” The Usborne Children's Bible by Heather Amery and ask questions from Take Home Sheet that will be sent home today. Note: When I read the story to the students I usually sit in the chair in the corner by the board and have the students sit on the floor in front of me. After the students have answered the questions about the story, I have them go back to their seats to continue with what is on the lesson plan (activity, craft, game, puzzles/worksheets, etc.).



Craft- Introduce craft: What did the people wave at Jesus and put on the ground in front of him?




dltk-bible.com- Palm Leaf Fold and Cut Craft


Tip: Use the pattern and draw the palm branches on the paper before class.



Mini Book-

lambsongs.co.nz- “Jesus Rides A Donkey To Church” by Jill Kemp

Have students read the mini book out loud in class by taking turns (each read a page) and take home to read to their parents. Students can also color mini book.



Game- Introduce game: How are we to treat others?

Temple Bowling- This game will help children discover God wants his house to be a place of worship. (The Encyclopedia of Bible Games for Children’s Ministry, page 83). *Use empty 2 liter soda bottles.



Puzzles & Worksheets- While students are doing puzzles/worksheets, etc. they may say a prayer. Students are asked to recite 5 prayers by the end of the year. A “We Know Our Prayers” chart is on the bulletin board. If the student can recite the prayer correctly, write the date on the chart, and they get to pick a prize from the prize bag.

Blessed Is the King - Hidden Pictures: Explore Hidden Treasures in God’s Word Grade 1-3 by Linda Standke, page 26



Homework- Give each student a Palm Sunday Take Home Sheet for their parents to go over with them to review what we have done in class. Parents need to help their child fill this out and bring back to class the following week. Students that complete their homework and bring it back to class will be able to play Homeworkopoly. Each Sunday the students make a mini story book and/or story wheel in class. Students need to read these to their parents (or the parents read to them) the mini book and/or story wheel for homework.



What will you do in your classroom or home? Please comment so I can add the link to your blog to this post. We would love to see what you do!





Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Act of Contrition Board Game



This game is free, however it is only to be used for classroom and personal use. It may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit.


Act of Contrition Board Game is based on Puluc a game played by the Kekchi (Qeqchi) Indians of Guatemala.




Act of Contrition Board Game: For 2 Players or 2 Teams

The idea is to answer questions about the Act of Contrition so players can roll the dice and move their pieces up and down the road attempting to capture their opponent’s pieces. The form of capture is unique because the captured piece is not immediately removed but instead is placed under the capturing piece. The capturing piece is placed on top of the captured piece to form a stack (if you capture an opponent’s piece, their playing piece is placed under yours). On his next turn the capturing player starts to move the stack of pieces back along the road towards his home position the number of spaces indicated by the throw count. When the capturing player reaches the home position the captured piece is removed from the board.



Needed:

Dice
5 red and 5 black checkerboard game pieces
Question Cards
Game Board



Set Up: This game can be played individually or in teams. Shuffle the deck and place it face down in a small basket near the game board. Put an empty basket nearby for the discards. Players put their 5 playing pieces at Home (picture shown above).


Rules: The board is a track made up of 9 spaces as shown above. Each player has five pieces, usually small stones or sticks using any shape or color to distinguish between players. The players sit opposite each other across the road and the home position for each team is to their left.

The first players of both teams throw the dice to decide who starts the game. The player with the highest throw starts.

The opponents make their moves by turns. To make a possible move you must answer a question (the other player draws a card and reads you the question). If you are correct you then you roll the dice. If you do not answer the question correctly, your turn is over. The players take turns to throw the dice and move one piece along the road from space to space according to the throw count. The players enter their pieces at opposite ends of the road from the home position and move in opposite directions (shown by the arrows in the picture above). A player may either move a piece or enter another piece onto the road. A player must not move a piece onto a space occupied by one of his own pieces.

When the piece has reached the other end of the road it is moved back to its home position again. When the piece reaches its home position it is available at a subsequent turn to be moved on another lap down the road. It is not necessary to throw an exact number to enter the home position.


Capture: If a playing piece lands on a space occupied by that of an opponent, the opponent’s piece is captured. The capturing piece is placed on top of the captured piece to form a stack (if you capture an opponent’s piece, their playing piece is placed under yours). On his next turn the capturing player starts to move the stack of pieces back along the road towards his home position the number of spaces indicated by the throw count. When the capturing player reaches the home position the captured piece is removed from the board.

If a playing piece lands on a stack consisting of a capturing piece and a captured piece, the stack is itself captured and now reverses back the road towards the home position of the capturing piece with the capturing piece on top. When this stack reaches the home position the pieces belonging to the capturing player are "liberated" and may be re-entered onto the track in later turns.

There may be any number of captures and re-captures. A stack may be captured by another stack.

The game ends when the winner has captured all their adversary’s pieces.



Directions- Print out Directions.

Game Board- Print out Game Board, assemble, trim, and glue on poster board. Laminate or cover with clear contact paper to make it last.

Game Cards- (Use these cards or make your own.) Print Game Cards out on card stock. Cut out Game Cards. Laminate or cover with clear contact paper to make them last. Use only the cards that reflect your student’s abilities.

*The Game Cards are in MS Word and are editable so you can change them any way you like and use which ever Act of Contrition you choose.


Game Pieces- Use 5 red and 5 black checkerboard pieces to play game.





Sunday, February 26, 2012

Special Events for March





Please check out Gospel for the Mass for the month of March on its own page under the header. I have links to activities, coloring, crafts, games, puzzles, worksheets, quizzes, etc. that can help you with your classroom or at home.


*This month’s special events are: St. Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Annunciation of the Lord. Please look below because I have quite a number of activities for you to check out.


St. Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

newadvent.org- St. Joseph

wf-f.org- Saint Joseph
Readings, Prayers, Family Activities, etc.

catholicculture.org- Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Information and activities posted.

marypages.com- Information and prayers

catholicicing.blogspot.com- Lots of recipes, activities, crafts and coloring pages posted!





The Annunciation of the Lord

wf-f.org- The Annunciation of the Lord
Readings, History, Family Observance, Activities with Children, etc.

americancatholic.org- Information

catholicculture.org- Information and activities

newadvent.org- The Feast of the Annunciation

hubpages.com- The Story of the Annunciation For Children (activities posted)

Mary and the Angel- lesson plan for 1st grade on up with Objectives, Review, Vocabulary Words, Bible Story with questions, Activities, Crafts, Games, Snacks, Puzzles/Mazes/Worksheets, etc.



Coloring:

becomewhatyouare.wordpress.com- Several coloring pages posted here

sjtbre.org- Mary and the Angel

emmausroad.org- The Annunciation (scroll down to page 6)

ourpreciouslambs.wordpress.com- Click on picture to print coloring page.

sermons4kids.com- An Angel Appears to Mary (3 coloring pages)





Friday, February 24, 2012

Church Potluck Recipe: Vegetarian Lasagna






Need something meatless for Lent? Here is a winner that I have made for almost 30 years. Great for Church Potluck!



Vegetarian Lasagna


Ingredients:

10 Lasagna noodles
2 packages (10 oz. each) frozen chopped spinach (drain well by squeezing spinach down in colander with wax paper)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup grated raw carrots
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1/2 cup chopped pitted rip black olives
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 cups cream-style cottage cheese
1 lb. sliced Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese



Directions:

1. Prepare noodles, drain.
2. Prepare spinach according to package (or simply defrost ahead of time)
3. Sauté onion in oil, till soft. Add carrots and mushrooms; cook until crisp-tender. Stir in tomato sauce, paste, olives, and oregano.
4. Grease 13 x 9 x 2 inch casserole pan.
5. Layer 1/2 each noodles, cottage cheese, spinach, sauce mixture, and 1/3 cheese. Repeat placing remaining 1/3 Monterey Jack cheese on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
6. Bake 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Serves 8.





Thursday, February 23, 2012

What will you do in your classroom or home? (Class #19)





What are you doing in your classroom or home? I think it would be great to see what others are doing to exchange some ideas. I am constantly looking for new activities to do and I know others are too.


This is what I plan on doing with my first grade CCD class:


Review & Introduce-

• Review - Sign of the Cross, Grace Before Meals, Glory Be, Our Father (Lord’s Prayer)

• Review- Lent Take Home Sheet and Test #3

• Review- People at Mass using People at Church Cards.

• Review- Liturgical Objects at Mass (pew, stoup, altar, chalice, ciborium, Body of Christ, Blood of Christ, tabernacle, bells, lectern, ambo, Lectionary, missal, Book of the Gospels, Processional Cross, cruets, Presider’s/Celebrant’s Chair) using Liturgical Objects Used at Mass Cards.

• Introduce- new object using cards (Sanctuary Lamp)



Celebrating the Mass Lesson-

Celebrating the Mass Lesson- The Great Amen



Celebrating the Mass Activities-


catholicicing.blogspot.com- Yes Lord Craft
Make this craft as shown or write “Amen!” with a marker.




Lesson Plan-

Loaves & Fishes and go over vocabulary words with students. Read story: “Loaves & Fishes” The Usborne Children's Bible by Heather Amery and ask questions from Take Home Sheet that will be sent home today. Note: When I read the story to the students I usually sit in the chair in the corner by the board and have the students sit on the floor in front of me. After the students have answered the questions about the story, I have them go back to their seats to continue with what is on the lesson plan (activity, craft, game, puzzles/worksheets, etc.).




Craft- Introduce craft: What did Jesus feed the 5,000 people? (Fish and bread.)


Fish and Bread- Preschool Christian crafts by Linda Standke, page 55 & 56. Color and cut out basket from pattern. Color and fold paper sides upright and glue. Glue on paper handle to make into a basket. Color fish and bread and cut out. Put fish and bread inside basket.




Mini Book-

lambsongs.co.nz-
“The Boy Shares His Lunch” by Jill Kemp

Have students read the mini book out loud in class by taking turns (each read a page) and take home to read to their parents. Students can also color mini book.



Game- Introduce game: How much food did the boy have? (5 loaves and two fishes.)

Use Liturgical Objects Used at Mass Cards and play Go Fish.




Puzzles & Worksheets- While students are doing puzzles/worksheets, etc. they may say a prayer. Students are asked to recite 5 prayers by the end of the year. A “We Know Our Prayers” chart is on the bulletin board. If the student can recite the prayer correctly, write the date on the chart, and they get to pick a prize from the prize bag.

Jesus is More Than Enough- Hidden Pictures: Explore Hidden Treasures in God’s Word Grace 1 - 3 by Linda Standke, page 22




Homework- Give each student a Loaves & Fishes Take Home Sheet for their parents to go over with them to review what we have done in class. Parents need to help their child fill this out and bring back to class the following week. Students that complete their homework and bring it back to class will be able to play Homeworkopoly. Each Sunday the students make a mini story book and/or story wheel in class. Students need to read these to their parents (or the parents read to them) the mini book and/or story wheel for homework.



What will you do in your classroom or home? Please comment so I can add the link to your blog to this post. We would love to see what you do!





Monday, February 20, 2012

Gloria File Folder Game



This game is free, however it is only to be used for classroom and personal use. It may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit.

Gloria File Folder Game is a simple board game with the straightforward objective of racing the player's 4 pawns from start to finish with dice throws. Similar to the brand-name board "Sorry!" marketed by Parker Brothers, Gloria (Ludo) shares similarities with the game Pachisi (or Parcheesi), which in turn originated in 6th century India.



Gloria File Folder Game: Players race against other players in advancing his/her 4 playing pawns from start to finish by answering questions about Gloria and with successful die rolls. Each player has four specifically-designated finishing positions. The winner is the first player to successfully rest his 4 pawns on his designated finishing space. This game can be played individually or in teams.




*This game is in accordance with the new Roman Missal that was implemented on November 27, 2011.


What's Needed:

• 2 - 4 Players (or players can be in teams)
• Game Board
• 8 - 16 playing pieces (pawns) in 2 - 4 colors (4 per color)
• 1 - die


About the Game Board:

The game board is laid-out as a "Cross" (having 4 arms). Each arm contains 4 colored "resting spaces" -- also called Home Spaces, which are the destination spaces for a player. These home spaces are bordered by the spaces along which the pawns are intended to travel. At each corner of the board are the 4 colored Starting Zones, where each player's pawns sit at the start of the game awaiting entry into the game board proper. A successful die throw of 6 is required for a pawn to jump from the starting zone onto the starting square. Lastly, the single colored space between the Starting Zone and the Home Spaces is the Starting Space where each pawn starts its journey toward the Home Spaces.


Set Up: This game can be played individually or in teams. Each player gets 4 pawns of the same color. Players put all 4 of their pawns resting in the Starting Zones located at the 4 corners of the game board. Next, shuffle the deck and place it face down in a small basket near the game board. Put an empty basket nearby for the discards. Players choose who will go first and then game play goes clockwise. Players can roll the die and have the person with the highest number go first.


Moving Pawns:

The playing pieces are meant to travel in a clockwise direction along the cross-shaped. Each playing piece is required to travel 1 full rotation around the game board before it can move into the player's Home Spaces. A die throw is used to determine the number of spaces by which pawns may advance.


At Start of Play: The game begins with each player's 4 pawns resting in the Starting Zones located at the 4 corners of the game board. Players take turns answering questions (the first person to their left reads the card). Players must answer a question correctly to roll the die. In order place your pawn on the Game Board a player needs to roll to exit the Starting Zone and enter the game board proper, a player needs to roll a 6. On a successful throw of 6, the player then places a pawn at the colored Starting Space.

The 4 colored Starting Zones are located in the same place. The single Starting Space is designated as the tail end of the colored Arrow pointing towards the center.


Moving One's Pawns:

The player has choices: Provided the player rolls enough sixes, he can have all four pawns in play. Thereafter, he can choose to move any of his pawns on any valid die roll. Conditions for valid moves:

* The destination space should be empty, or,
* The destination space is occupied by another player's pawn. If so, this pawn is "Captured" and gets sent back to its Starting Zone.

Capturing Pawns: Landing one's pawn on a space occupied by another player "Captures" the opponent's pawn. The captured pawn is then returned to its Starting Zone, where it must remain until a successful die throw of 6 makes it possible to be returned to the game board.

Forced Pass: A player is forced to pass his turn if his die roll results in no legal moves. If the only way to complete a move would result in a player capturing himself, the pawns remains in place and the player loses his or her turn.

Landing on the Home Spaces: A player needs an exact die roll in order to land on a vacant home space. Pawns that are already resting on home spaces can no longer be moved.

The game board is laid out as a "Cross" (having 4 arms). The Home Space is the exact center of the game board, which means all 4 pawns must reach the colored "Arrow tip" by means of an exact die roll.


Rule Variations for Faster Games:

*Throwing Multiple Dice: To make a game proceed faster, each player can roll 2-3 dice at the start of the game and keep throwing multiple dice each turn until he rolls a 6. He then uses the results of the multiple dice throw to move his piece. In subsequent turns, the player should only roll 1 die to move.

For example, if a player rolls "6-1-2", he can place 1 pawn on the Starting Space, then move it 1, then 2 places on the game board. Thereafter, he can only roll 1 die each turn, and must roll a 6 before he can place any other pawn at the Starting Space. On the other hand, if the player rolls "4-4-2", then all his pawns remain in the Starting Zone, forcing the player to pass his turn. On his subsequent turns, he can throw 3 dice until he gets a 6, thereby allowing him to place a pawn on the game board proper. Thereafter, he should throw only 1 die.

*Rolling Sixes: Under this rule, a player is allowed to roll again whenever he rolls a six. This way, a truly lucky player can have all four pawns advancing toward his Home Zone in record time.



Directions- Print out Directions and put inside legal size file folder for safe keeping

Game Board- Print out Game Board, assemble, trim, and glue on the inside of a legal size file folder or on a piece of cardboard or poster board. Laminate or cover with clear contact paper to make it last.

Game Cards- (Use these cards or make your own.) Print Game Cards out on card stock. Cut out Game Cards. Laminate or cover with clear contact paper to make them last. Use only the cards that reflect your student’s abilities.

*Pawns can be coins, colored buttons, game pieces from other games, fish rocks for the bottom of aquariums, craft foam cut into shapes, etc. You can paint small objects such as rocks, small plastic tops or caps, etc. You can also buy pawns at game stores.