Celebrating the Mass Lesson- Liturgy of the Word Sequence

(This lesson is in accordance with the new Roman Missal that is to be implemented on November 27, 2011.)

*Be sure to adjust this lesson to fit the needs of your students.


(Please take in consideration that I am just a Mom and I'm providing these lessons and activities to the best of my abilities. I will try to make them as accurate as possible, but I know I will make a few mistakes and it was not intentional.)



There is a specific order to the readings done at Mass. The people sit and the Lector stands at the ambo and reads the first reading from the Lectionary. The Lector can either be a man or woman. Sometimes teens are Lectors. The first reading is from the Old Testament (except during the Easter Season) which was written before Jesus was born and relates to the Gospel Reading of the day.

To indicate the end of the reading, the Lector acclaims: “The Word of the Lord.”

All reply: “Thanks be to God.”


After the first reading comes the Responsorial Psalm, which is an important part of the Liturgy of the Word and holds great liturgical and pastoral importance, because it fosters meditation on the word of God. The Responsorial Psalm should correspond to each reading and should, as a rule, be taken from the Lectionary.

The Book of Psalms is from the Old Testament. It is a collection of inspired poems, hymns, and prayers. It is preferred that the Responsorial Psalm be sung, at least as far as the people's response is concerned. The Cantor sings the verses of the Psalm from the ambo or another suitable place. The entire congregation remains seated and listens but, as a rule, takes part by singing the response, except when the Psalm is sung straight through without a response.


Then the Lector reads the second reading from the ambo. The second reading is from the New Testament which deal with the coming of Jesus and the establishment of God’s New Covenant with humanity through Jesus, God’s Son.

To indicate the end of the reading, the Lector acclaims: “The Word of the Lord.”

All reply: “Thanks be to God.”


This is followed by the Gospel Acclamation (Alleluia) or another chant laid down by the rubrics, as the liturgical time requires.

After the Second Reading we are about to hear the Gospel proclaimed. First, the Gospel Acclamation, the Alleluia, it is usually sung and this can be done in a number of ways. Alleluia is a word of praise and happiness and it is part of our preparation for the reading of the Gospel. As we stand, the priest or deacon moves toward the altar to take the Book of the Gospels. The minister who will read the Gospel is joined by two candle bearers called “acolytes” (a Greek word that means “attendants”), and another acolyte who bears incense (in Masses during which incense is being used). As we sing the Alleluia, the Book of the Gospels is held aloft and carried in procession to the ambo.

During the Lenten season the Alleluia is not sung or said. The Alleluia is replaced with another verse that gives praise to the Lord. The Book of the Gospels is still carried in solemn procession during the season of Lent, but the absence of the Alleluia alerts us to a time of meditation. After the Alleluia we continue to stand for the Gospel.



Questions:

What do we call the person who reads the first and second reading? (The Lector.)

Which book is the first and second reading read from? (The Lectionary.)

Where do the first readings usually come from in the Bible? (The Old Testament.)

How do we respond to the readings after the Lector says, “The Word of the Lord.” (“Thanks be to God.”)

The Book of Psalms is from the Old or New Testament? (Old)

Do we stand or sit during the first and second reading? (Sit)

Is the Lector a man or a woman? (Either)

Where do the second readings come from in the Bible? (The New Testament.)

Do we stand during the Gospel Acclamation (Alleluia)? (Yes)

What season is the Gospel Acclamation (Alleluia) not sung or said? (During Lent.)

Do we stand or sit during the Gospel? (Stand)



Lesson:

thereligionteacher.com- Liturgy of the Word Lesson Plan
Lesson plan consists of objectives, learning activities, worksheets, lecture, centers, assessment, etc.



Craft:

Lesson 9: Liturgy of the Word Sequence- Children Discover the Mass by Mary Doefler Dall
Color pieces then cut them out. On a long strip of colored paper glue the pieces in the correct order. (Craft directions and template on page 55 & 56.)



Game:

This game 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. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted. All graphics/images/clipart etc. used on this game are not my own and are from various internet sources.




Liturgy of the Word Sequence Card Game- For 2 to 4 players print out on card stock at least 2 copies of each page (for more players print more copies). Shuffle cards and the Dealer deals out 4 cards to each player. Dealer puts cards down in the middle of the table, turns over the top card, and places it beside the deck. From the cards in his hand the Dealer must place the next card in the sequence of the Liturgy of the Word on top of the card facing up. If he does not have the proper card, he must draw a card from the deck. Play moves clockwise. If the deck runs out, play moves to the next player clockwise and game continues. The first player to run out of cards wins.

Celebrating the Mass Lesson- Gloria

(This lesson is in accordance with the new Roman Missal that is to be implemented on November 27, 2011.)

*Be sure to adjust this lesson to fit the needs of your students.


(Please take in consideration that I am just a Mom and I'm providing these lessons and activities to the best of my abilities. I will try to make them as accurate as possible, but I know I will make a few mistakes and it was not intentional.)



Gloria is a song, sometimes it is read. It is a joyous acclamation in which we praise God and recognize the Father as our heavenly King and Jesus as the Lamb of God. We do not sing or recite the Gloria during Sundays in Advent or Lent.

Gloria is a prayer that is actually an ancient hymn with three parts. The first part is the song that the shepherds heard sung by a heavenly choir of angels at the birth of Jesus. The second part praises God by recalling all of His attributes. The third part prays to Jesus, asking Him to save us from our sins.


We continue to stand during Gloria as it is sung or it is read.

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.

We praise you,
we bless you,
we adore you,
we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.

Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father,
have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.

Amen.



When this hymn is concluded, the priest, with hands joined, says: “Let us pray.”

And all pray in silence with the priest for a moment.

Then the priest, with hands extended, says the Collect prayer, at the end of which the people acclaim: “Amen.”



Questions:

Are we standing or sitting during Gloria? (Standing)

Is Gloria sung or said? (Either)

Long ago, who heard the angels sing part of this song at Jesus’ birth? (The shepherds)

The second part of this song praises whom? (God)

The third part of this song prays to Jesus asking Him to do what? (To save us from our sins.)

What times of the year is this prayer not said or sung at Mass? (During Sundays in Advent and Lent.)



Activities:

catholicmom.com- Catechist Resources for Roman Missal, 3rd Edition
Gloria- lesson with Puzzle (page 2), Stand Up Angel Craft (page 3)



Crafts:

Introduce craft: Who died on the cross so our sins would be forgiven?



catholicicing.blogspot.com- Printable Resurrection Set
Only make Jesus on the Cross which is on page 1. Directions on how to make craft is posted.
*Be sure to have students cut out the cross on the dotted lines so the cross will stick out.

christiancrafters.com- Mosaic Cross
Easy cross necklace/magnet that all kids can make.

christiancrafters.com- Colors of Christ Cross (neat tip on the bottom for little ones)

orientaltrading.com- Jelly Bean Prayer Cross Craft Kit

kinderart.com- Jelly Bean Sweet Jar (craft)

mama-jean.blogspot.com- Jelly Bean Prayer label (printable)

churchhousecollection.blogspot.com- Jelly Bean Prayer Toilet Paper Roll Craft For Easter

thriftyfun.com- Jelly Bean Prayer Magnet
Cute magnet using painted dry beans.



Games:

christiancrafters.com- 2 Games: Clean Heart & Repent (scroll down for these)



The following games are from nashvilleras.com- More than 100 Missions Bible Memory Games and Other Activities

A May Zing- Display Gloria on a chalk or white board. Children read Gloria together several times. Erase Gloria. Begin writing it again on the board, but purposely incorrectly. As soon as a child detects an error, he or she calls out, “Zing!” Erase and begin again. Continue going through Gloria several times before you write it correctly.

Bible Verse Hopscotch- Using masking tape or chalk, mark off a hopscotch grid in an open area. Write the words of Gloria on a card. Place a card in each of the squares of the grid. Children will take turns completing the hopscotch grid until all have learned Gloria.

Blank Verse- On a chalk or white board write Gloria, leaving blanks for words you intentionally leave out. List all the words omitted on the board in a random fashion. Ask one child to go and write a word in the proper blank. Repeat until Gloria is completed. This can be done several times until all children have the verse memorized.

Cut and Glue a Verse- Write Gloria on construction paper and tape it on the wall. They are to find and cut out letters to the words of the verse from magazines and glue them under the words on the wall. Say Gloria when all have been found. (You can assign a few students to each do a line to avoid confusion.)

Domino a Verse- Write words to Gloria on the backs of several dominoes. Lay them face down on a table. Children turn them face up and arrange them in correct order to form Gloria. Children say Gloria correctly. After that they can “domino Gloria” by arranging standing dominoes to fall.




These games below are free, however they can only to be used for classroom and personal use. They may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted.

Jelly Bean Prayer File Folder Game- The objective of the game is to collect the most Jelly Bean jar cards by answering questions about Jesus and get to FINISH. (Scroll down for this game.)






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.



Worksheet:

This worksheet 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. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted.


Gloria (fill in the blanks)- Fill in the blanks with the words from below. (With younger students you can do this together on the board.)

Celebrating the Mass Lesson- Lord, Have Mercy (Kyrie Eleison)

(This lesson is in accordance with the new Roman Missal that is to be implemented on November 27, 2011.)

*Be sure to adjust this lesson to fit the needs of your students.


(Please take in consideration that I am just a Mom and I'm providing these lessons and activities to the best of my abilities. I will try to make them as accurate as possible, but I know I will make a few mistakes and it was not intentional.)



After the Act of Penitence, the Kyrie is always begun, unless it has already been included as part of the Act of Penitence. Kyrie it is a chant by which the faithful acclaim the Lord and implore his mercy. Sometimes it is sung, sometimes it is said.

As a rule, each acclamation is sung or said twice, though it may be repeated several times, by reason of the character of the various languages, as well as of the artistry of the music or of other circumstances.

If the prayer is prayed as the Kyrie eleison and Christe eleison, it is the remnants of an ancient prayer in Greek. Because the New Testament was written in Greek, here we are praying in the language of the early Church.


We are all standing and the Kyrie eleison (Lord, have mercy) invocations follow, unless they have just occurred in a formula of the Penitential Act.

V/: Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.

R/: Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.

V/: Christ, have mercy. Or: Christe, eleison.

R/: Christ, have mercy. Or: Christe, eleison.

V/: Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.

R/: Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.


*If the students need extra help:

Say to the students: We are all standing (have students stand up) and each acclamation is usually repeated twice. During this time the priest will say or sing something and then we repeat what he just said.

(Write this below on the board before class. Write what is in English in one color. Write what is in Greek in another color. Stand in front of the Greek language so the students cannot see it at this time.)

Priest: Lord, have mercy. ------ Kyrie, eleison.

People: Lord, have mercy. ------ Kyrie, eleison.

Priest: Christ, have mercy. ---- Christe, eleison.

People: Christ, have mercy. ---- Christe, eleison.

Priest: Lord, have mercy. ------ Kyrie, eleison.

People: Lord, have mercy. ------ Kyrie, eleison.


Say to the students and point to each line accordingly: We are all standing during the “Lord, have mercy”. The priest says, “Lord, have mercy.” What do we say, (“Lord, have mercy.”). Then the priest says, “Christ, have mercy.” What do we say? (“Christ, have mercy.”). Then the priest says, “Lord, have mercy.” What do we say? (“Lord, have mercy.”)

Say to the students: “Lord, have mercy” is in English. What would the priest say in Greek? (Move out of the way so the students can see what is on the board. Point to what the priest says and help the students pronounce each part correctly. Go through each line and help students pronounce the words in Greek.)

Say: I will now say what the priest would say in Greek and I want you to repeat what I say in Greek just like you would in Mass. (Point to what the students should say in Greek.)



Questions:

Are we standing or sitting during Lord, Have Mercy? (Standing)

Is Kyrie, eleison (Lord, have mercy) sung or said? (Either)

How many times are each acclamation usually repeated? (Twice)

What does Kyrie eleison and Christe eleison mean?

(Kyrie eleison- Lord, have mercy)
(Christe eleison- Christ, have mercy)



Craft:

Lesson 7: Lord, Have Mercy- Children Discover the Mass by Mary Doefler Dall
A mobile that helps reinforce “Lord, have mercy” and “Christ, have mercy” in English and Greek. (Craft/Activity directions and template on pages 43-44.)



Lessons:

tuesdaycafe.wordpress.com- Lesson 11: Lord, have mercy! – Psalm 51(32)

isaiah61-3.com- Lord, Have Mercy! Psalm 51



These activities below are free, however they can only to be used for classroom and personal use. They may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted.


Handwriting:

Lord, have mercy. Kyrie, eleison.



Puzzles:

Word Search

Crossword

Celebrating the Mass Lesson- Penitential Rite

(This lesson is in accordance with the new Roman Missal that is to be implemented on November 27, 2011.)

*Be sure to adjust this lesson to fit the needs of your students.


(Please take in consideration that I am just a Mom and I'm providing these lessons and activities to the best of my abilities. I will try to make them as accurate as possible, but I know I will make a few mistakes and it was not intentional.)



The Mass continues with the Penitential Rite. The Penitential Rite is a time of reflection on one’s sins and a prayer for God’s mercy. It focuses on our sinfulness and helps us to confess our sorry for any wrongdoing, knowing that God is always there for us, ready to forgive.

The priest has other options in celebrating the Penitential Rite. He can use other shorter options but the purpose is the same: to declare our sinfulness before God and each other and to implore the Lord for His forgiveness and mercy.

The fourth option for the Penitential Rite is the Rite of Blessing & Sprinkling of Holy Water. This is most commonly used during the Easter season. On Sundays, especially in the Season of Easter, in place of the customary Act of Penitence, the blessing and sprinkling of water may be done as a reminder of Baptism.



*Review with your students what you do at your church.


Everyone continues to stand and the priest invites the faithful, saying: Brethren (brothers and sisters), let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.

A brief pause for silence follows. We are given time to think and reflect.

Confiteor is a Latin word that means “I confess,” are the first words of the prayer that we all recite together:

Form A

I confess to almighty God
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,

(And, striking our breast with our fist softly, we say:) through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault;

Then we continue:

therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,
all the Angels and Saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.


Form B

Priest: Have mercy on us, O Lord.
People: For we have sinned against you.

Priest: Show us, O Lord, your mercy.
People: And grant us your salvation.


Form C

Priest: You were sent to heal the contrite of heart.
People: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: You came to call sinners.
People: Christ, have mercy.

Priest: You are seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us.
People: Lord, have mercy.




The absolution of the Priest follows:

Priest: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.

People: Amen



Questions:

Why do we do the Penitential Rite during Mass? (The Penitential Rite is a time of reflection on one’s sins and a prayer for God’s mercy. It focuses on our sinfulness and helps us to confess our sorry for any wrongdoing, knowing that God is always there for us, ready to forgive.)

Do we stand or sit during the Penitential Rite? (Stand)

On Sundays, especially in the Season of Easter, in place of the customary Act of Penitence, the blessing and sprinkling of water may be done. Why? (As a reminder of Baptism.)

What does Confiteor mean? (It is a Latin word that means “I confess”.)

How many forms are there of the Penitential Rite and what are they? (There are 4 different forms. Form A, B, C, and The Rite of Blessing & Sprinkling of Holy Water.)

What do we say after the priest gives us absolution?

Priest: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.

(People: Amen)



Activities:

Cakewalk- Use paper plates for this activity. Write a line of the Penitential Act on each paper plate. Arrange the plates in a circle- like a cakewalk- with the words in order. While music plays, the children walk around the circle of plates. When the music stops, the person standing on the plate with first line of the Penitential Act starts. Each child reads the words he/she is standing on until together they have said the Penitential Act. Continue playing several times.

Correct Me If I'm Wrong- Divide the class into two teams. Each team sits in a circle around a bell. The teacher says the Penitential Act and the kids wait for her to purposely make a mistake. When they think they've heard a mistake, they try to be the first one to ring their team's bell. They must then say the Penitential Act and point out the teacher's mistake. Award points for most corrections, if you like.

Ice, Ice, Baby- Have children form a line. Hand the first child a square piece of ice. The child must hold the ice in his hand until he says the Penitential Act (you can have this written on the board to make this easier). He then passes the ice to the next child who must say the Penitential Act while holding the ice, etc. (As the students get better with saying the Penitential Act, erase some of what you wrote on the board and see how well they do.)

ministry-to-children.com- Post-it Cover Up
For this activity write the Penitential Act on the front board of the classroom. Practice reading it once together and then use post-it notes to cover up one of the words. Then, practice reading it again followed by covering up a second word with post-it notes. Continue this pattern until the entire Penitential Act is covered and the children are saying it from memory. You could also reverse the game beginning with some words covered and have children guess the missing words.

ministry-to-children.com- Erase the Verse
Write the Penitential Act on a dry erase board. Have the children read the Penitential Act together. Then ask for a volunteer to read it aloud. This child is then allowed to erase one word from the Penitential Act. Call on another child to read the Penitential Act as it was originally written. Then allow them to erase a word. Repeat this process as the children remove more and more of the Penitential Act. After they gain confidence, you can speed things up by allowing them to erase two words after each time they recite the Penitential Act.



The activities below are free, however they can only to be used for classroom and personal use. They may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted.

Penitential Act Puzzle- Print puzzle on card stock and have the students cut on the lines to make a puzzle. Have the students put the puzzle together to practice the Penitential Act. Put puzzle pieces in an envelope or Ziploc bag.

Penitential Act- Cut out strips and glue strips of the Penitential Act in the proper order on a piece of construction paper. (For younger students you can do this together as a group activity.) You can play this as a game by dividing the class into teams and give each team the strips of the Penitential Act. See which team can put it in the proper order the fastest.

Penitential Act (fill in the blanks)- Fill in the blanks with the words from below. (For younger students you can do this together on the board.)

Penitential Rite (file folder game) is based on Alquerque which originated in the Middle East as the game Quirkat. Alquerque boards are carved into the stone slabs which form the roof of the great temple at Kurna, Egypt. The Arabic author Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani mentioned Quirkat in his 24 volume work Kitab al-Aghani ("Book of Songs") c. 950 AD. Alquergue migrated to Europe when the Moors invaded Spain. It was named Alquerque (the Spanish form of El-Quirkat) in the Alfonso X Manuscript which was written between 1251 - 1282 at the command of Alfonso X, King of Leon and Castile. This game is the ancestor of modern day checkers (Draughts in the UK) when it evolved to being played on a chess board instead of the standard Alqerque board. The Madagascan game Fanorama may have evolved from Quirkat.

Penitential Rite (file folder game)- For 2 Players or 2 Teams. The idea is to answer questions about the Penitential Rite so you can remove one or more of your opponent’s pieces. The goal of the game is to remove all the opponent’s pieces.

Church Potluck Recipe: Congo Squares

Have you ever signed up to bring chocolate chip cookies to the next Potluck at church and you are too tired to make them? Well, here is a great alternative.



Congo Squares





1/3 lb. (1 stick and 2 ½ tablespoons) real butter
1 box light brown sugar (about 2 1/3 cups firmly packed)
3 eggs
2 ¾ cup sifted flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 package (12 oz.) Hershey chocolate chips

Stir together butter and light brown sugar using a mixer. Add eggs. Then add flour, baking powder, salt. Mix well and add pecans and chocolate chips. Bake in a 9 x 13 inch greased and floured pan for 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool before cutting into squares.

Celebrating the Mass Lesson- Greeting

(This lesson is in accordance with the new Roman Missal that is to be implemented on November 27, 2011.)

*Be sure to adjust this lesson to fit the needs of your students.


(Please take in consideration that I am just a Mom and I'm providing these lessons and activities to the best of my abilities. I will try to make them as accurate as possible, but I know I will make a few mistakes and it was not intentional.)



When the opening hymn has concluded the priest and the people, who are still standing, sign themselves with the Sign of the Cross, while the Priest, facing the people, says:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

The people reply: Amen.


Then the priest, extending his hands, greets the people, saying;

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Or

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Or

The Lord be with you.

People: And with your spirit.


In this first greeting a Bishop, instead of The Lord be with you, says:

Peace be with you.


The Priest, or a Deacon, or another minister, may very briefly introduce the faithful to the Mass of the day.



Questions:

Are we standing or sitting during the Greeting? (Standing)

When the priest says, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” what do we do? (We make the Sign of the Cross.)

How do we respond to the priest’s greeting? (And with your spirit.)



Activities:

catholicmom.com- Catechist Resources for Roman Missal, 3rd Edition
Greeting- lesson with Decoder Puzzle (page 2), Church Greeting Card Craft (page 3 & 4)

thereligionteacher.com- “And with your Spirit” lesson plan with activities



These activities below are free, however they can only to be used for classroom and personal use. They may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted. All graphics/images/clipart etc. used on these activities are not my own and are from various internet sources.

Younger Students: Greeting Handwriting Activity- Have the students trace the letters. Then have students cut out a heart from red construction paper and glue in the center of the paper.

Older Students: Have students write on a colored piece of construction paper at the top, “The Lord be with you”. Then have students cut out heart from red construction paper and glue in the center of the paper. Underneath the heart have the students write, “And with your spirit.”



Worksheet:

The Mass Begins- The following sentences are in the wrong order. Number them so they are in the right order.

Celebrating the Mass Lesson- Opening Procession

(This lesson is in accordance with the new Roman Missal that is to be implemented on November 27, 2011.)

*Be sure to adjust this lesson to fit the needs of your students.


(Please take in consideration that I am just a Mom and I'm providing these lessons and activities to the best of my abilities. I will try to make them as accurate as possible, but I know I will make a few mistakes and it was not intentional.)



Mass begins with everyone standing and singing the opening hymn. If incense is used the procession is lead by a thurifer carrying a thurible with burning incense. Next comes the cross bearer holding aloft the Processional Cross and usually there are two altar servers holding candles on either side. If there are other servers, they follow behind the cross bearer. If there are concelebrants (one or more priests who are not the principle celebrant), they come next. Then comes the deacon or lector who carries the Book of the Gospels overhead. Last is the presider of the liturgy, a priest or bishop. If there are two deacons, one will be with the Mass celebrant. When they arrive at the sanctuary of the church, together they make a profound bow toward the altar. The Book of the Gospels is then placed on the altar. The deacon and priest will go to the altar and venerate (honor) it by kissing it. If appropriate, the priest incenses the cross and the altar. The priest then walks and stands in front of the celebrant’s or presider’s chair. During the whole procession we stand and sing the opening hymn.



Questions:

If incense is used who carries the thurible? (The Thurifer.)

What does the cross bearer hold aloft? (The Processional Cross.)

Who carries the Book of the Gospels? (The deacon or Lector.)

Who is last in the Procession? (The presider of the liturgy, a priest or bishop.)

What happens when they all arrive at the sanctuary of the church? (Together they make a profound bow toward the altar.)

What does the deacon and priest do when they go to the altar? (They venerate it by kissing it.)

What are we doing during the Opening Procession? (We stand and sing the opening hymn.)



Crafts:

What does the cross bearer hold aloft? (The Processional Cross.)

Make crosses.

daniellesplace.com- Cross Crafts (several cross crafts listed)

christiancrafters.com- Mosaic Cross
Easy cross necklace/magnet that all kids can make.

christiancrafters.com- Colors of Christ Cross (neat tip at the bottom for younger students)

momontimeout.com- Stained Glass Cross Craft

kindercraze.com- Stained Glass Cross

catholicicing.blogspot.com- Cross Crafts for Kids (lots of different kinds are posted)



Worksheets:

The worksheets below are free, however they can only to be used for classroom and personal use. They may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted. All graphics/images/clipart etc. used on these worksheets are not my own and are from various internet sources.


Opening Procession (for younger students)- Cut out pictures and trim. With the pictures that are given, glue them in the proper order that they appear in the Opening Procession.

Opening Procession- Match the words in the first column to the best available answer in the second column.

Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament

Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is the service in which Jesus Christ is adored in the consecrated Host exposed on the altar, and in which the priest blesses the faithful with the Sacred Host.

Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament begins with the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament (i.e., consecrated Host) in a monstrance set upon the altar. The liturgy includes singing the ancient Latin hymns written by St Thomas Aquinas, O Salutaris Hostia and Tantum Ergo, followed by the benediction proper. The celebrant holds the monstrance wearing a humeral veil covering his shoulders, arms and hands, and then blesses the faithful with the Blessed Sacrament by tracing the sign of the cross with the monstrance held steadily upright before him. The liturgy concludes with the Divine Praises and Psalm 117 (LXX 116) "Laudate Dominum" with the antiphon, "Let us forever adore the Most Holy Sacrament."

A monstrance is a vessel used in the Roman Catholic, Old Catholic and Anglican churches to display the consecrated Eucharistic host, during Eucharistic adoration or Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. The monstrance is usually gold or silver and has an opening through which the Consecrated Host can be viewed. Benediction is often employed as a conclusion to other services, e.g. Vespers, Compline, the Stations of the Cross, etc., but it is also still more generally treated as a rite complete in itself. Created in the medieval period for the public display of relics, the monstrance today is usually restricted for vessels used for hosts. The word monstrance comes from the Latin word monstrare, meaning "to show", and is cognate with the English word demonstrate, meaning "to show clearly". In Latin, the monstrance is known as an ostensorium (from ostendere, "to show").



Coloring:

christiancoloring.com- Monstrance

etc.usf.edu- Just click on Download TIFF* File to print.



Crafts:

therealpresence.org- Monstrance Picture Craft for Children

Directions

Monstrance Picture

Picture of Jesus



catholicicing.blogspot.com- Craft a Monstrance with a Gold Doily


weekofgraces-yearofthepriest.com- made from clear plastic plates on an upside down plastic wine glass with doilies behind them and decorated with stick on jewels.


ewtn.com- Banana Nut Candy Monstrance



Lessons:

fullhomelydivinity.org- The Order for Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament (scroll down to this)

ceciliaschola.org- Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament (music included)

thesacredheart.com- Eucharist Adoration and Benediction

davenportdiocese.org- Instructions: Exposition / Adoration / Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament

locator.net- Exposition and the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament

rosary.freeuk.com- Service of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction with some popular prayers. A5 leaflet.



Videos:

strimoo.com

ustream.tv

youtube.com

Celebrating the Mass Lesson- Entering the Church

(This lesson is in accordance with the new Roman Missal that is to be implemented on November 27, 2011.)

*Be sure to adjust this lesson to fit the needs of your students.


(Please take in consideration that I am just a Mom and I'm providing these lessons and activities to the best of my abilities. I will try to make them as accurate as possible, but I know I will make a few mistakes and it was not intentional.)




When you enter the church, near the doors you will find a holy water font or stoup. The water is blessed and it is the first thing you should do when you come into the church. Dip your forefingers of your right hand into the blessed water and make the Sign of the Cross. As you make the Sign of the Cross you should say, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

As you walk down the aisle to sit, be mindful of the Presence of God. We should be quiet while we find a seat and try not to distract others. When you finally choose a row to sit at, genuflect toward the front of the church to where the tabernacle is which contains the Blessed Sacrament. When you genuflect you lower yourself onto your right knee until it touches the floor. At the same time we make the Sign of the Cross. If the tabernacle is not in the main body of the church or if the sanctuary lamp is not lit, signifying that the tabernacle is empty (on Good Friday and at the beginning of the Easter Vigil Mass) you should make a profound bow toward the altar. A profound bow is when you bend forward at the waist completely.

If there are kneelers where you are sitting you make the Sign of the Cross and kneel. If there are no kneelers you sit in a prayerful posture with your hands resting on your lap. Prepare yourself and clear your mind for God. Sometimes it is helpful to pray a few memorized prayers, but these should always be followed by a real conversation with God. Tell Him what is on your mind and reflect on where God is in your life as you kneel or sit in the church.



Questions:

What is the first thing you do when you enter the church? (Dip your fingers into the holy water font or stoup and bless yourself and say, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”)

Why should we be quiet in church? (We should be mindful of the Presence of God and try not to distract others.)

What do you do before you enter the row where you will sit? (You genuflect toward the front of the church to where the tabernacle is which contains the Blessed Sacrament. At the same time we make the Sign of the Cross.)

What do you do if the tabernacle is not in the main body of the church or if the sanctuary lamp is not lit? (You should make a profound bow toward the altar.)

If there are kneelers what do you do? (You make the Sign of the Cross and kneel.)

What do you do if there are no kneelers? (You sit in a prayerful posture with your hands resting on your lap.)

What do you do after you kneel or sit? (Prepare yourself and clear your mind for God. Sometimes it is helpful to pray a few memorized prayers, but these should always be followed by a real conversation with God. Tell Him what is on your mind and reflect on where God is in your life as you kneel or sit there in the church.)



Crafts:

Make a prayer book to take with you to Mass.

123homeschool4me.com- FREE Prayer Book for Kids

catholicicing.com- Prayer Craft for Preschoolers

catechist.com- Template for Prayer Bag Craft



Games:


These games below are free, however they can only to be used for classroom and personal use. They may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted.


Introduce game: Let’s see how well you have been listening. See if you can answer the questions correctly by acting out what you should do.


What Should You Do Game

Directions- Have the students stand beside their chair or desk. Ask the questions below and the students must act out what they should do.

What is the first thing you do when you enter the church? (Dip your fingers into the holy water font or stoup and bless yourself and say, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”)

What do you do before you enter the row where you will sit? (You genuflect toward the front of the church to where the tabernacle is which contains the Blessed Sacrament. At the same time we make the Sign of the Cross.)

What do you do if the tabernacle is not in the main body of the church or if the sanctuary lamp is not lit? (You should make a profound bow toward the altar.)

What do you do if there are kneelers? (You make the Sign of the Cross and kneel.)

What do you do if there are no kneelers? (You sit in a prayerful posture with your hands resting on your lap.)

What do you do after you kneel or sit? (Prepare yourself and clear your mind for God. Sometimes it is helpful to pray a few memorized prayers, but these should always be followed by a real conversation with God. Tell Him what is on your mind and reflect on where God is in your life as you kneel or sit there in the church.)





Introduce game: How well do you know your prayers? Let’s find out!



Name That Prayer File Folder Game- The objective of the game is to get to FINISH first by answering questions about prayers. Review all or just a few of the prayers.



Puzzle:


The puzzle 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. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted.


Entering the Church (crossword)- For younger students you can do this together on the board.

Story Wheels

A story wheel can be used with any lesson you are teaching. They are also a great way to supplement your Bible stories and help your students to remember the lesson. Children turn their story wheel dial to retell the Bible story they learned over and over again. Story wheels can be made with 2 paper plates or you can use cardstock or tagboard. Just print out small coloring pictures for the student to color and glue on to the story wheel. Or you can use stickers to help tell the Bible story.


Story Wheel Templates

readingrockets.org- Story Wheel Template

reading.ecb.org- Story Wheel Template



Story Wheels Online

craftingthewordofgod.com- Days of Creation Wheel

biblecraftsbyjenny.weebly.com- Creation Brad Wheel

arrowskidsclub.wordpress.com- Creation Wheel

christianpreschoolprintables.com- Creation Wheel Craft (scroll down to this)

lambsongs.com- Various Old Testament Story Wheels (scroll down for these)

cleaverpatch.com- Nativity Story Wheel

truewaykids.com- Wandering in the Wilderness Story Wheel

storiesbystephen.com- Easter Story Wheel







Books with Story Wheels



Bible Wheels To Make and Enjoy by Carmen Sorvillo- Bible Wheels are Bible stories on wheels that help reinforce Bible stories. Children ages 4 to 7 can make the Bible Wheels easily by cutting them out, coloring, and assembling. Each wheel is made from two reproducible patterns that you can print out on cardstock and are secured with a brass fastener. A window in the wheel reveals what happens in the Bible story and the children can turn the wheel dial to retell the Bible story they just learned over and over again. Bible Wheels are a great way to supplement your Bible stories and help your students to remember the lesson. Children are fascinated by how they work and the Bible Wheels in this book will surely keep the children’s attention and spark their imagination. The book contains 30 (14 Old and 16 New Testament) Bible Wheels that have limited text with the title of the story, the Bible reference and pictures telling the Bible story on each one. Cutting is simple but for younger students you might want to cut out all or some of the craft prior to class. Bible Wheels are a great take home activity for children to do with their parents and they are an excellent way to help the children remember the Bible story.








Preschool Christian Crafts by Linda Standke- (pages 37 – 46)

Directions on how to make a story wheel and patterns are included in this book for various Bible stories.

• Garden of Eden
• Resurrection
• Noah
• Birth of Jesus
• Daniel in the Lion’s Den
• Jonah






Here are a few I made.

These activities 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. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted. All graphics/images/clipart etc. used on these activities are not my own and are from various internet sources.

Directions: Print the top and bottom wheels out on cardstock. Cut out wheels. Cut out the window on the top wheel so you can see the pictures as you turn it. Have children color wheels. Attach a brass fastener through the center of both wheels. On the back of the bottom wheel attach a strip of cardstock (at least 1 inch wide and 6 inches long) leaving half extended over the side (so you can turn the wheel). You can also draw an arrow on the top side of the strip on the end to indicate which way to turn the bottom wheel.


Adam & Eve Story Wheel:

Cut out apple shape (not stem and leaves) on the inside line edge.

Adam & Eve Story Wheel- Printable



Fishers of Men Story Wheel:

Fishers of Men Story Wheel- Printable template



The Good Samaritan Story Wheel:

The Good Samaritan Story Wheel- Printable template

Celebrating the Mass Lesson- People and Liturgical Objects at Mass

(This lesson is in accordance with the new Roman Missal that is to be implemented on November 27, 2011.)

*Be sure to adjust this lesson to fit the needs of your students.


(Please take in consideration that I am just a Mom and I'm providing these lessons and activities to the best of my abilities. I will try to make them as accurate as possible, but I know I will make a few mistakes and it was not intentional.)



Crafts:

The Catholic Toolbox- Church Building Crafts

The Catholic Toolbox- People at Mass Crafts

catholicicing.com- Craft a Mass Kit

catechist.com- A Dwelling Place for Jesus



These activities can be reviewed several times during the year to help students remember and comprehend all the people and liturgical objects at Mass.




There are many people working together to celebrate Mass. We combine many voices and talents to make each Mass special. We have all seen men, women and some children help during Mass. These are usually people who have volunteered to read the readings, psalms, and help with other parts of the Mass on a more or less regular basis. At many parishes, these volunteers take turns, rotating during the course of a week or month so everyone has a chance.

Who are these people? What do we call them? What are their job responsibilities?



These activities below are free, however they can only to be used for classroom and personal use. They may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted. All graphics/images/clipart etc. used on these activities are not my own and are from various internet sources.



Games:

People at Church Cards- Show each card to the students and have them identify the person(s) and what they do. (Altar Servers, Cantor, Choir, Eucharistic Ministers, Greeter/Usher, Lector, Musicians, Priest). They can also play Memory or Go Fish with these cards.


Who am I? (card game)- Children can play Memory or Go Fish with the cards by matching the pictures of people from church with the correct name.





Who am I? File Folder Game (for younger students)- Place your markers on START. The player rolls the die and follows the directions. If you land on a space with a person’s job description (even if you were told to go back) you read it out loud and you must say who that person is. (If they cannot read, the teacher or someone else can read it for them). If you are correct, you stay where you are. If you are not correct, you go back two spaces and read that job description and say who that person is. If you are correct, you stay where you are. If you are not correct, you go back two spaces, etc. If you land on a picture of a person(s) you must say who that person is. Same rules apply for the picture identification as well. The first person to move around the board and land on FINISH wins. Continue playing to find out who comes in second, third, fourth, etc. place.













Who am I? File Folder Game- Identify the person at church by their job description.

Place your markers on START. The player rolls a die and follows the directions. If you land on a space with a person’s job description (even if you were told to go back) you read it out loud and you must say who that person is. If you are correct you stay where you are. If you are not correct you go back two spaces and read that job description and say who that person is. If you are correct you stay where you are. If you are not correct you go back two spaces, etc. The first person to move around the board and land on FINISH wins.













Worksheets:

People at Mass- Match the words in the first column to the best available answer in the second column. (Say a word from the first column and then give your child two choices to pick from in the second column).







Liturgical Objects Used at Mass

There are also several items use using during Mass. We used certain items during Mass to remind us of the holiness of the celebration. Can you name some of them? What do we do with these?



Activities:

Treasure Hunt- Take the students on a tour of the church and point out and discuss items found there. Divide the students into small groups. Give each group a clipboard with a list of objects. The students have to locate each item and write down where it is located in the church.






These activities below are free, however they can only to be used for classroom and personal use. They may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted. All graphics/images/clipart etc. used on these games are not my own and are from various internet sources.


Games:




3 pages of cards

Liturgical Objects Used in Mass Cards- Show Liturgical Objects Used as Mass cards to the students and have them identify the object. *Children can play Memory or Go Fish with the cards (make 2 copies) by matching the pictures of liturgical objects.


What am I?- Have your class work together to make riddles for objects used in Mass. Then have the students take turns reading their riddles to the class. Or you can play this game using the riddles provided.






What Am I? (file folder game)- Identify objects used during Mass by description or picture. Place your markers on START. The player rolls a die and follows the directions. If you land on a space with a description of an object used at Mass (even if you were told to go back) you read it out loud and you must say what that object is. (If they cannot read, the teacher or someone else can read it for them). If you are correct, you stay where you are. If you are not correct, you go back two spaces and read that description and say what that object is. If you are correct, you stay where you are. If you are not correct, you go back two spaces, etc. If you land on a picture of an object used at Mass you must say what that object is. Same rules apply for the picture identification as well. The first person to move around the board and land on FINISH wins.














Liturgical Bingo- Students play regular bingo, but they answer questions about Liturgical items used at Mass.







Picture Liturgical Bingo- Students play Liturgical Bingo, but with pictures.

Mass: Participants and Liturgical Objects Used in Mass- The ultimate objective is to move all of your game pieces off of the board before your opponent does and to have the largest number of game pieces remaining in your possession. This game can be played individually or in teams.



Puzzle:

Items Used at Mass- Word Scramble



Quizzes:

Easy Liturgical Quiz- Read each question and circle the correct answer.

Liturgical Quiz (hard)- Fill in the missing blanks with the correct word. Word bank provided.



Worksheets:

catechistsjourney.loyolapress.com- A Tour of the Church Student Worksheet

waupun.k12.wi.us- Inside a Roman Catholic Church

Liturgical Chart- Fill out the definitions of each object. Cut out the picture and put in the correct box.

Liturgical Objects in Church (6 objects)- Write the name of the object in the blank. (Ideas for younger students are given).

Do You Know What These Are? (9 objects)- Match the answer with the correct picture.

Liturgical Objects in Church (12 objects)- Do you know what these are? (Ideas for younger students are given).

Liturgical Objects in Church (12 objects)- More Objects Used at Mass. Write what the object is in the space provided. For younger students you can use a word bank on the board.

Objects Used in Mass Handwriting Worksheet #1- chalice, ciborium, altar, stoup, pew

Objects Used in Mass Handwriting Worksheet #2- cruets, tabernacle, Body of Christ, Blood of Christ

Objects Used in Mass Manuscript Handwriting Worksheet- Body of Christ, Blood of Christ, tabernacle, bells

Objects Used in Mass Handwriting Worksheet- Book of the Gospels, ambo, lectern, Lectionary

Liturgical Objects Used at Mass- Directions: Write the correct number of the object in the blank. For younger students: Teacher will write on the board a word from the list. The teacher will then read the word and definition to the students and they will answer out loud during class the correct number. Have students write down the correct number beside the word.

Celebrating the Mass Lessons

The celebration of Mass is a hard concept for younger students to understand and with the new Roman Missal being implemented on the first Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2011 makes it even harder. With that said I will attempt to produce various lessons to help students learn the parts of the Mass. The lessons will provide catechists, teachers, or parents with activities, crafts, games, puzzles, worksheets, etc. to use with their students or child to learn what goes on during Mass and what they should do. This will be geared for students first grade on up.


*These lessons can also be used to supplement any curriculum that you already use. I plan on using these lessons as part of my curriculum. Since our CCD classroom time is rather long at our church (one hour and fifteen minutes) I will use one lesson from Celebrating the Mass each week then continue with a Bible story lesson.



Wish me luck on this endeavor. I am sure going to need it. Please take in consideration that I am just a Mom and I'm providing these lessons to the best of my abilities. I will try to make them as accurate as possible, but I know I will make a few mistakes and it was not intentional.


*Lesson #1 will be posted on Friday. There will be 22 lessons in all.

A to Z Bible Story Lesson- Letter Z

Z- Zacchaeus

A to Z Bible Story Lesson- Letter Y

Y- Young Ruler


Objectives: The children will be able to
- retell the story The Rich Young Ruler
- identify that they should put God first above anything else
- identify who they should love with all their heart



Review:
Prayer and questions from last week’s lesson


Vocabulary Words:

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. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted. All graphics/images/clipart etc. used on these activities are not my own and are from various internet sources.

Young Ruler Word Wall- Word wall templates are large flash card printables that you can hang on the wall to aid children when they are learning or using new vocabulary words. (When you use these cards ask the students and discuss, “What do you love?” and “Who do you love?”).



Plan:


Circle Time:

Read story: “The Rich Young Ruler” from your own story book.


Then ask questions from below.

What did the young man ask Jesus? How to get to heaven.

What did Jesus tell him? That he had to obey all the commandments.

What did Jesus tell the man to do with all his things? To sell everything he had and give the money to the poor.

Why did the man not follow Jesus? He did not want to give up all the things he had.

Which did the man love more- his things or God? His things.

What should you put above anything else? God

Jesus said it is hard for a rich man to enter God’s kingdom. What did he compare it to? A camel going through the eye of a needle.



Songs and/or Finger Plays:

Introduce songs and/or finger plays: What should you put above anything else? God

gardenofpraise.com- The Rich Young Ruler (song)

sermons4kids.com- some songs are posted that can go with this lesson (scroll down to these)

godsongs.net- Love the Lord your God (round)

Sing “If You Love God and Know It” to the tune “If You’re Happy and You Know It”



Activities:

Introduce activity: What did the young man ask Jesus? How to get to heaven.

missionarlington.org- Jesus and the Rich Man (scroll down to Preschool Lesson) Matthew 19:16-26

missionarlington.org- The Rich Young Man (scroll down to Preschool Lesson) Mark 10:17-27

missionarlington.org- The Rich Young Man (scroll down to Preschool Lesson) Luke 18:18-30

sermons4kids.com- Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? object lesson

sermons4kids.com- The God of the Impossible

web.archive.org- "The Rainbow Fish" and "The Rich Young Ruler" (scroll down to this)



Crafts:

Introduce craft: Does Jesus want us to share our things with others? Yes

web.archive.org- This craft involves making a small booklet which will illustrate how we can share or help others. It can be adapted for both preschool or primary (elementary) aged children by changing expectations for the inside content.


Introduce craft: Who should you put first above all things? God


I Love God Above All Things

Need: Paper plates, markers or crayons, paper punch, and yarn.

Directions: Give each child a paper plate on which you have written the words on the bottom of the plate: loves God above all things. Have each child write their name at the top of the plate (write their names if they need help). Then have them draw pictures of themselves below their name (in the middle of the paper plate) and decorate the plate using the crayons or markers (glitter would add that special touch). Punch a hole in the center top of each plate and add a piece of yarn to hang.



Love God With All Your Heart

Write “Love God with all your heart.” inside the heart to make these crafts.

dltk-holidays.com- Heart Lacing Project (scroll down for heart template)

catholicicing.com- Heart Decoder



Games:

Introduce game: Why did the man not follow Jesus? He did not want to give up all the things he had.

sermons4kids.com- Walking In His Steps (scroll down to this)


The game 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. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted. All graphics/images/clipart etc. used on these activities are not my own and are from various internet sources.


Introduce game: What rules did Jesus mention in this story that we must always obey? The Ten Commandments




Ten Commandments Memory Game (Catholic)

Directions: Cards are laid out in a grid face down, and players take turns flipping pairs of cards over. On each turn, the player will first turn one card over, then a second. If the two cards match, the player scores one point, the two cards are removed from the game, and the player gets another turn. If they do not match, the cards are turned back over.

The object is to match more pairs of cards than the opposing player. (One point is scored for each matched pair, and the player with the highest score after all cards have been matched wins.) When cards are turned over, it is important to remember where they are for when the matching card is turned up later in the game.







Snacks:

Introduce snack: Who do you love above all things? God

pillsbury.com- Thumbprint Heart Sugar Cookies (make these cookies but decorate with the message “I ♥ God”


Letter Y Snacks-

food.com

Yogurt/Yumsters or Yellow-colored snacks



Coloring/Puzzles/Worksheets:

Prayers while students are doing worksheets and/or coloring.

sermons4kids.com- Mark 10:21 (coloring)

sermons4kids.com- Young Ruler (coloring)

dltk-teach.com- What begins with Y (mini book)

kidzone.ws- Hidden Letter Worksheet Letter Y

superteacherworksheets.com- Letter Y Practice Sheet


These activities below are free, however they can only to be used for classroom and personal use. They may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted. All graphics/images/clipart etc. used on these activities are not my own and are from various internet sources.

I Love- mini book for the children to color

Y Young Ruler- handwriting & coloring sheet

A to Z Bible Story Lesson- Letter X

X- Xerxes

*The name Ahasuerus is equivalent to his Greek name of Xerxes, both deriving from the Old Persian language Khashayarsha.


Objectives: The children will be able to
- retell the story Queen Esther
- identify Esther as the woman that was chosen to be queen
- identify Xerxes as the king
- discuss that Esther was courageous and obedient
- discuss ways to be obedient even when it is difficult



Review:
Prayer and questions from last week’s lesson



Vocabulary Words:

Xerxes Word Wall- Word wall templates are large flash card printables that you can hang on the wall to aid children when they are learning or using new vocabulary words.



Plan:


Circle Time:

Purim is a Jewish holiday celebrating the salvation of the Persian Jews from Haman’s evil plot to have them all killed. It is tradition to use noise makers (gragger as they are called in Hebrew) to make as much noise as possible whenever Haman’s name is mentioned when you read the story. The purpose is to stamp down or blot out Haman’s name which comes from the book of Deuteronomy which says, “You shall blot out the memory of the Amalekites (Haman’s people) from under the heavens.” Encourage the children to boo or hiss when the name of Haman is mentioned and cheer when Esther and Mordecai are mentioned.

*Have the children say “X” whenever King Xerxes is mentioned for added fun.


Read story: “Queen Esther” from your own story book.

Then ask questions from below.

What was the name of the girl? Esther

Was Esther Persian or Jewish? Jewish

What was the name of Esther’s cousin? Mordecai

What was the king’s name? Xerxes

Was King Xerxes Persian or Jewish? Persian

What did Mordecai warn Esther many times never to do? Never to tell anyone she was Jewish and not a Persian girl.

What did Esther become? Queen

Why did King Xerxes choose Esther to be his new queen? Because Esther was beautiful.

Mordecai heard about two men plotting to kill King Xerxes. How did Mordecai warn King Xerxes? He had Esther tell him.

Haman was an important man. Why was he so mad at Mordecai? Mordecai would not bow down to him. Mordecai would only bow down to God.

Who planned to have all the Jews killed? Haman

What lie did Haman tell King Xerxes so he would allow him to kill all the Jews? Haman told King Xerxes that the Jews did not respect him or his laws.

Why couldn’t Esther see King Xerxes whenever she wanted to? She has to wait for King Xerxes to invite her.

What could happen to Esther if she went to King Xerxes without permission? He may become angry and have her killed.

How did Esther get to see King Xerxes? She invited him to dinner.

What did Esther do to save her people? She asked King Xerxes to save her people.

Was Esther was courageous and obedient? Yes. How was she courageous and obedient? She faced her fears to save her people. She did what her cousin told her to do.

Can you name some ways to be obedient even when it is difficult? (Example: You come home from school and your friends want you to come out and play. You have chores you must do before you can play. What do you do?)



Songs and/or Finger Plays:

Introduce songs and/or finger plays: What was the name of the girl? Esther

daniellesplace.com- Haman was a Mean, Evil Man (scroll down to Songs)


perpetualpreschool.com- P-U-R-I-M (to the tune of Bingo)

There is a holiday I love and Purim is its name-o. P-U-R-I-M, P-U-R-I-M, P-U-R-I-M and Purim is its name-o.


perpetualpreschool.com- Purim Song: (Tune: If You're Happy and You Know It)

If you hear the name of Haman stomp your feet. (stomp feet twice). Repeat. If you hear the name of Haman, if you hear the name of Haman, if you hear the name of Haman stomp your feet (stomp feet twice)
If you hear the name of Esther clap your hands......
If you hear the name of Xerxes turn around.....
If you hear the name of Mordecai shout hooray....



Activities:

Introduce activity: Was Esther Persian or Jewish? Jewish

dltk-bible.com- Esther the Queen lesson with memory verse, teacher's guide, puzzles, take home sheet, coloring pages, crafts and activities, etc.

southfloridachurch.org- Queen Esther

southfloridachurch.org- Esther Obeys

missionarlington.org- Esther Saves Her People (scroll down to Preschool Lesson)

Bible Stories from A to Z by Mary Murray- Xerxes and Esther lesson, page 126 – 130



Movie:

Introduce movie: Who saved her people? Queen Esther

Movie- Veggie Tales: Madam Blueberry & Queen Esther Double Feature DVD

Watch Queen Esther and ask questions after movie.



Crafts:

Introduce craft: What was the king’s name? Xerxes

dltk-kids.com- King TP Roll Crafts

dltk-kids.com- Paper Crown

firstpalette.com- Craft Foam Crown

bry-backmanor.org- Purim Crown

The Encyclopedia of Bible Crafts for Preschoolers by Group Publishing- King Xerxes Golden Scepter (page 109)

daniellesplace.com- King Ahasuerus’ Golden Scepter Craft for Kids (scroll down for this). Have the students make a scepter like King Xerxes had.

dltk-kids.com- Purim Gragger Ideas

holidays.net- Make your own Purim Noise Maker (Gragger)

emanuelnyc.org- Make Your Own Purim Kazoo

emanuelnyc.org- King Mask


holidays.net- Purim Masks

King

Queen

Haman



Games:

Introduce game: Who planned to have all the Jews killed? Haman


Throwing Sponges At Haman

Paint a backboard with a Haman face. Players try to hit the face with wet sponges.


Pop Haman

Blow up balloons and draw "Haman" faces on them. Attach the balloons to a backboard such as drywall or thick Styrofoam. Players try to "pop Haman" with darts



Introduce game: What was the king’s name? Xerxes

Play the game called "If I Were King or Queen". Children sit in a circle and tell what they would do if they were King or Queen.



Pin the Crown on King Xerxes

Draw a picture of King Xerxes’ head. Make crowns. Blindfold children and have them try to pin the crown on King Xerxes’ head.





Xerxes- Be the first player to collect 4 Xerxes cards and win!



Directions: Place the Xerxes cards near the game board. Each player places a marker on “START”. Players take turns rolling the die and moving clockwise the number of spaces rolled on the die. Players follow the directions on the space they land on. If a player lands on a picture of a crown that player takes a Xerxes card. If a player lands on “LOSE A CARD”, they must put one of their Xerxes cards back into the pile. If a player lands on a picture of Haman all players boo and hiss. The player that landed on Haman gets to take a Xerxes card from any player they choose. If you land on LOSE A TURN you lose your next turn. When a player has collected four Xerxes cards, that player is the winner.



Optional: Play may continue until every player collects the four Xerxes cards.



Snacks:

Introduce snack: Who planned to have all the Jews killed? Haman

jewishrecipes.org- Hamantaschen (a triangle shaped biscuit said to be in the shape of Haman's hat)


Introduced snack: What Jewish holiday celebrates the salvation of the Persian Jews from Haman’s evil plot to have them all killed? Purim

perpetualpreschool.com- On Purim, it is customary to send baskets (containing at least 2 different types of food) to friend's and family. I like to use strawberry containers. Decorate with ribbon (weaving is a great activity for 3's and 4's!) and fill with colorful tissue paper and treats! The children are always excited to exchange their baskets!


Letter X Snacks-

Rice Krispie treats cut with a large "X" cookie cutter

pillsbury.com- Mini Soft Pretzels and Dip
Shape pretzels into the letter X and bake. Serve with or without the dip.



Coloring/Puzzles/Worksheets:

Prayers while students are doing worksheets and/or coloring.

coloring.ws- Esther is taken before King Xerxes (coloring)

ourpreciouslambs.files.wordpress.com- Esther and the King (coloring)

Bible Stories from A to Z by Mary Murray- Xerxes and Queen Esther (booklet for the children to color), page 128


lambsongs.co.nz- “The Very Brave Queen” by Richard Gunther (booklet for the children to color)

Cover

Booklet


dltk-teach.com- What begins with X? (booklet for the children to color)

Bible Stories from A to Z by Mary Murray- X is for Xerxes (handwriting), page 129

first-school.ws- X is for Xerxes (handwriting)

kidszone.ws- Hidden Letter Worksheet Letter X

superteacherworksheets.com- Letter X Practice Sheet

dltk-bible.com- Esther on her way to King Xerxes (maze)