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- Last week’s 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, Sacramentary) using Liturgical Objects Used at Mass Cards.
Celebrating the Mass Lesson-
Final Blessing & Concluding Rite
Standing at the altar or at the chair and facing the people, with hands joined, the priest says:
Let us pray.
We all stand and pray in silence with the priest for a while, unless silence has just been observed. Then the priest, with hands extended, says the Prayer after Communion, at the end of which the people acclaim:
Amen.
If there are announcements to be made they are made at this time. If there is any other parish business to be taken care of, it usually will happen at this time as well.
Then the dismissal takes place. The priest, facing the people and extending his hands, says:
The Lord be with you.
People: And with your spirit.
The priest blesses the people, saying:
May almighty God bless you:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (The people make the Sign of the Cross when the priest says this.)
People: Amen.
Then the Deacon, or the Priest himself, with hands joined and facing the people, says:
Go forth, the Mass is ended.
Or:
Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.
Or:
Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.
Or:
Go in peace.
The people reply:
Thanks be to God.
Then the Priest venerates the altar as usual with a kiss, as at the beginning. After this he is joined by the other ministers in front of the altar, and after a brief moment they all bow toward the altar. While this is happening the congregation sings the final hymn. The ministers of the liturgy, minus the Book of the Gospels, now exit the church. The congregation should remain in their places until the end of the closing hymn.
When you leave your pew, be sure to genuflect and do the Sign of the Cross. Just before you leave the church bless yourself with Holy Water at the water font or stoup, making the Sign of the Cross.
*Then ask students questions from the lesson.
Celebrating the Mass Activity-
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.
Actions Speak Louder Than Words Game- A fun review game about actions during Mass.
Lesson Plan-
Breakfast By the Lake and go over vocabulary words with students. Read story: “Breakfast By the Lake” 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.).
Story Wheel-
Breakfast at the Lake Story Wheel (Bible Wheels to Make and Enjoy by Carmen Sorvillo, page 59 & 60). Students are given the story wheel to color and put together. Then they turn their story wheel dial to retell the Bible story they learned over and over again.
Have students read the Story Wheel out loud in class by taking turns (each read a section) and take home to read to their parents.
Craft- What were the disciples doing when Jesus called out to them? (Fishing from their boat.)
Make a construction paper fish to play Flying Fish Relay
Games- Introduce game: How long did the disciples fish? (All night)
Flying Fish Relay- In this funny race, players frantically fan their fish across the room into a plate. (Great Big Book of Children’s Games by Debra Wise, page 177).
Breakfast By the Lake File Folder Game- In this game players must answer correctly questions about the Bible story to receive a fish to put on their plate. Be careful not to eat all your fish and have to put all of your fish back. The player that reaches FINISH with the most fish on their plate wins.
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.
Breakfast By the Lake (find the mistakes)- More 365 Activities for Kids on November 27
Homework- Give each student a Breakfast By the Lake 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!
