Grade 2: Christ Our Life, God Cares for Us LESSON #1- Chapter 1: “God is the Giver of Gifts” Teacher preparation: Read in advance your Catechist’s Guide Book pages T6-T11. This will present the material for today’s class and will give you guidance and information for discussion as you cover this lesson . Objective: Students will learn that God is an all-loving God who cares personally about each of us, that everyone and everything is a gift from God and they will become aware of God’s presence in the everyday. Getting acquainted activity (15 minutes) Introduce yourself to your class and share with them three things about yourself, then go around the room having each child introduce themselves and share three things about themselves. Ex: My name is ….and I have five people in my family….my favorite color is…etc. Gift box activity I will have a wrapped gift box on the middle of your classroom table when you arrive. Present the gift box and discuss how people are made in God’s image (His likeness) by following the teacher/catechist’s script (pg. T6 #4 in Catechist’s Guide Book) below: I want to show you another of God’s wonderful gifts. You will know what this gift is when you look inside the gift box. Who would like to unwrap the gift box and look inside to find out what the gift is? Don’t tell us what you see. Choose one child to unwrap the box. Pass the box around the room allowing each child to look inside to discover that the gift is themselves. Why did you laugh or smile when you looked into the box? You saw an image (likeness) of yourself The Bible tells us that we are made in the image and likeness of God. Read the following adaption of Genesis 1:27 from the Bible- God created man and woman in his own image, in the image of God he created them. We all have special gifts, strengths and weaknesses, but God loves each of us, and that is why God loves each of us and that is why God made us. We are special gifts. What can people do that the mountains, flowers, and animals God made cannot do? Pass out student workbooks (35 minutes) having each student write their full names on the front cover. Help students remove pages 2 (“A Letter Home”) - 10 from their workbooks. Staple these pages together making sure to place the “A Letter Home” page on the top and having students write their names on the front page of the packet. Read the stapled pages to the students and help them complete and discuss the activity pages and the review page together. Closing prayer: Begin with the Sign of the Cross, then ask each student to thank God for one thing that he has made/created. Example: “Thank you God for making the beach”, “Thank you God for making my mom” or “Thank you God for sending us a wonderful catechist/teacher this year”! Please have student’s place their books on the bookshelves in your classroom at the end of class and send home the stapled lesson packets with your students.
Transcript
Grade 2: Christ Our Life, God Cares for Us LESSON #1- Chapter 1: “God is the Giver of Gifts”
Teacher preparation: Read in advance your Catechist’s Guide Book pages T6-T11. This will present the
material for today’s class and will give you guidance and information for discussion as you cover this lesson.
Objective: Students will learn that God is an all-loving God who cares personally about each of us, that
everyone and everything is a gift from God and they will become aware of God’s presence in the everyday.
Getting acquainted activity (15 minutes) Introduce yourself to your class and share with them three things
about yourself, then go around the room having each child introduce themselves and share three things about
themselves. Ex: My name is ….and I have five people in my family….my favorite color is…etc.
Gift box activity
I will have a wrapped gift box on the middle of your classroom table when you arrive. Present the gift box and
discuss how people are made in God’s image (His likeness) by following the teacher/catechist’s script (pg. T6 #4
in Catechist’s Guide Book) below:
I want to show you another of God’s wonderful gifts. You will know what this gift is when you look
inside the gift box.
Who would like to unwrap the gift box and look inside to find out what the gift is? Don’t tell us what
you see. Choose one child to unwrap the box.
Pass the box around the room allowing each child to look inside to discover that the gift is themselves.
Why did you laugh or smile when you looked into the box?
You saw an image (likeness) of yourself
The Bible tells us that we are made in the image and likeness of God.
Read the following adaption of Genesis 1:27 from the Bible- God created man and woman in his own
image, in the image of God he created them.
We all have special gifts, strengths and weaknesses, but God loves each of us, and that is why God
loves each of us and that is why God made us. We are special gifts.
What can people do that the mountains, flowers, and animals God made cannot do?
Pass out student workbooks (35 minutes) having each student write their full names on the front cover. Help
students remove pages 2 (“A Letter Home”) - 10 from their workbooks. Staple these pages together making
sure to place the “A Letter Home” page on the top and having students write their names on the front page of
the packet. Read the stapled pages to the students and help them complete and discuss the activity pages
and the review page together.
Closing prayer: Begin with the Sign of the Cross, then ask each student to thank God for one thing that he has
made/created. Example: “Thank you God for making the beach”, “Thank you God for making my mom” or
“Thank you God for sending us a wonderful catechist/teacher this year”!
Please have student’s place their books on the bookshelves in your classroom at the end of class and send
home the stapled lesson packets with your students.
Grade 2: Christ Our Life, God Cares for Us
LESSON #2 - Chapter 2 “Jesus is God’s Best Gift”
Teacher preparation: Read in advance your Catechist’s Guide Book pages T12-T21. This will present the
material for today’s class and give you guidance and information for discussion as you present Lesson #2.
Objective: Students will learn in this chapter that God’s greatest gift is his Son, Jesus, who freed us from sin.
Jesus shows us how we can enjoy life with God forever.
Take attendance at the beginning of each class. A staff member will stop by your room to collect your
attendance sheet before the end of class.
Activity: (5 minutes)
A package of seeds will be provided for you.
Begin activity by holding a concealed seed in your hand and following the script below:
I have one of God’s gifts to show you. It is something so tiny you can hold it in your hand, but it can
become something large. Can you guess what it is?
After children’s responses show the seed to them, now show them the package of seeds. Ask them
will the seeds grow while they are still in the package? (no)
What must we do to a seed before it can become a new plant? (plant it)
What else does the seed need to grow? (water and sunlight)
What happens to the seed in the ground? When a seed is in the ground it begins to change, or die, so
that it can become a new plant!
Read adaptation of John 15:5-7 (chapter 15 verses 5-7) “I am the vine, and you are the branches. A branch cannot bear fruit if it is cut off from the vine. If you live in me, you can do many good things.”
Pass out student workbooks and remove pages 11-18 and staple together then have the children put their
names on the front page of the packet.
Read/discuss Chapter 2 (45 minutes) asking for volunteers to help and complete activity pages 11-18.
Closing prayer: Pray the Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
When we pray the Sign of the Cross we remember Jesus’ love and we remember that Jesus saved us from sin
and death.
Please have students place their books on the bookshelves in your classrooms at the end of class before
they leave and send home today’s stapled lesson packets with your students.
Grade 2: Christ Our Life, God Cares for Us
LESSON #3- Chapter 3 “Jesus Lives in His Church”
Teacher preparation: In advance read pages T22-T31 in your Catechist’s Guide Book. This will present the
material for today’s class and give you guidance and information for class discussion as you present today’s
lesson.
Objective: Today’s lesson will help the children have a deeper understanding of the Sacrament of Baptism
and the Church. Through Baptism, we receive God’s grace and share in God’s life and we want to share God’s
love with others.
Take attendance at the beginning of class. Attendance sheets will be collected before the end of class.
Activity (10 minutes): Building Block Activity
A package of building blocks will be provided for you
Have a student take the blocks and make a small, sturdy building in the center of the table
Ask the child to remove a piece from the middle of the building
Each piece supports the others. Each is needed and each is important.
Each of us is important to the Church too. Who can tell me why? (Each person has a place that no one
else can fill. If we don’t do our part, the Church, like our building with a missing block, is not as strong
and as good as it could be)
What are some ways people serve the Church here at Holy Family? (become a choir member, an altar
server, lector etc.)
A community is a group of people who are united and care for one another like a big family.
Here is what God said when you joined the Church through the Sacrament of Baptism: “You are no longer
strangers or visitors. You now belong to the saints and are part of God’s people.” (adapted from Ephesians
2:19)
Pass out student workbooks and remove pages 19-26, staple together and have the student’s write their
names on the top of the front page. Begin by asking the students: What is the first sacrament we celebrate?
(Baptism), When did you become a member of God’s Church? (at Baptism). This year you will be celebrating
two sacraments. Who can tell me what the two sacraments are are? (Reconciliation and the Eucharist).
Read/discuss/complete workbook packet pgs. 19-26 asking for volunteers to help with the reading.
Closing prayer: Have students turn to the back cover of their workbooks and pray together the “Act of Faith,
Hope and Love Prayer” (adapted): Jesus, I believe in you. Jesus, I hope in you. Jesus, I love you. Amen.
Please have students return their workbooks to the bookshelves in your classroom and send home today’s
stapled lesson packets.
Grade 2- Christ Our Life, God Cares for Us
Lesson #4- Chapter 5: “Jesus Shows Us How to Love God Our Father”
Teacher preparation: Read in advance pages T42-T51 in your Catechist’s Guide Book (Teacher’s Manual). These pages
will help you to present the material for today’s class and will give you guidance and information for discussion as you
cover this lesson. Write on your chalk/dryerase board the three key terms: Pray, Name, Lord’s Day these key terms will
help your students remember the Ten Commandments.
Objective: Jesus, through his loving response to his Father in all things, shows us how we can find God’s loving care in
everything that happens. The children learn how they can follow Christ and express their love for the Father by praying,
speaking of him with love, and keeping Sunday holy. They will discover how the first three commandments ask us to
express our love for God as Jesus did: by praying to God, by speaking of him with love and by keeping the Sabbath holy.
The remaining seven commandments, which focus on loving others as Jesus does, will be discussed in the following
chapters of this unit.
Pass out student workbooks and have students remove pages 37-44, staple pages together with page 36 “A Letter
Home” on top. Have children write their names on the front page.
Read/discuss Chapter 5 (40 minutes) asking for volunteers to help and complete activity pages.
Top Ten CD’s Activity (15 minutes): I will have baggies in the classrooms for you
Have the children turn to the back of their workbooks to the Lesson Pullouts/Punchouts section and remove the page
with Chapter 5 “God’s Top Ten” paper CD’s on it (there will be eight CD’s on this page) and also have them remove, from
the next page on the right hand side of the page, the punch out labeled God’s LAWS OF LOVE (this will be the “album
cover” for their CD collection (see pg. T51 in Teacher’s Manual)
Have the children remove the Top Ten CD and CD cover punchouts.
Help them tape or staple the cover for the CD’s, write their names on the covers and color them.
These CDs will help students remember the key terms for the Ten Commandments. Point out on the board the
three key terms they have learned during today’s lesson (Pray, Name, Lord’s Day), see page 39 in student
workbooks.
Place the CD’s in a baggie labeled with each child’s name and keep baggies in your Teacher’s bag for use in
future lessons.
Closing prayer: Close with the sign of the cross and The Our Father prayer.
At the end of class please have students place their books on the bookshelves and bring their stapled lesson packets
home encouraging them to share what they have learned in class today with their families.
Grade 2- Christ Our Life, God Cares for Us
Lesson #5- Chapter 6 “Jesus Shows Us How to Love Others”
Teacher preparation: Read in advance Catechist’s Guide Book pages T53-T59. This will present the material for today’s
class and will give you guidance and information for discussion as you teach today’s lesson.
Objective: Jesus, who calls us to love others as he has loved us, shows us that love consists of listening to God our
Father and using our gifts to bring his joy and peace to others. The children will learn that their actions toward others
are also directed to God and are led to reach out to others with love by working on special projects. In this way, they
use their gifts to respond to the needs of others.
Pass out student workbooks and have students remove pages 45-52, staple pages together and have students write
their names on the front page.
Read/discuss/complete pages in Chapter 6 (40 minutes) ask for volunteers to help with the reading.
Kindness Card Activity (10 minutes) I will have the supplies needed in your classrooms.
The children will be making “kindness cards” to give people who are sick, sad or lonely.
Have children draw a large heart on the card with either crayons or markers. Above the heart write Dear
_______, (person’s name receiving the card). Inside the
heart : have children write short a message that will make someone happy and have them sign their name under
the heart.
Have the children decide to whom and when the cards should be given, or suggest some people (grandparents,
neighbor etc.) Make the children aware of the contribution those who are sick and elderly made and continue
to make to our society through their work and prayers.
Let them pray over their cards, asking God to bless the person for whom they were made.
Remind the children that when they love others as Jesus did, they show love for God.
Closing prayer: Have students turn to the inside front cover of their workbooks and pray the Sign of the Cross and the
Our Father prayer followed by Dear Jesus, teach us how to love others through our words and our actions each day.
Amen.
Have students place their workbooks back on to the shelves in the classroom and remind them to bring home their
stapled packet from today’s lesson and encourage them to share what they have learned with their families.
Grade 2- Christ Our Life, God Cares for Us
Lesson #6- Chapter 7 “We Give Love to Others”
Teacher preparation: Read in advance Catechist’s Guide Book pages T62-T69. This will present the material for today’s
class and give you guidance for discussion as you teach today’s lesson.
Objective: We follow Christ’s way of love when we are courteous, honest and true. The children reflect on how they
can bring God’s love to others and are invited to respond to God’s love by promising to follow Jesus.
Pass out student workbooks and have students remove pages 53-58 and page 231, staple pages together and have
students write their names on the front page.
Read/discuss/complete workbook pages from Chapter 7 (40 minutes) ask for volunteers to help with the reading.
Activity: “Doggie, Doggie, Who Stole Your Bone?” (10 minutes)
Select a child to sit on a chair with his or her back to the class and with his or her eyes closed.
Set an eraser or other classroom item under the chair and choose someone quietly to come up, take it and hide
it.
When the eraser/item is hidden, the class calls out, “Doggie, doggie, who has your bone?’ and the child on the
chair faces the class and guesses who stole the eraser/item.
Tell the class this game of stealing was make-believe. But what if the dog really had its favorite bone stolen?
How do you think that it might feel? (angry, sad)
If we could know what goes on inside of a dog’s mind, what do you think it might feel about the children in the
class? (it wouldn’t trust them). The dog wouldn’t trust the class because the children were not honest.
People who are honest don’t steal. They love other people, so they respect what other people own. Honest
people don’t cheat other people. They are fair.
Honest people are not selfish, either. They share what they have to make other people happy. They know that
everything is a gift from God.
We are honest and obey the Seventh Commandment when we respect other people’s things.
Closing prayer: Have students make the sign of the cross and pray The Our Father prayer, followed by “Dear God help
us to live your commandments each day joyfully”. Amen.
Have students place their workbooks back on to the bookshelves in the classroom and remind them to bring home
their stapled packet from today’s lesson and encourage them to share what they have learned with their families.
Grade 2 - Christ Our Life, God Cares for Us
Lesson #7- Chapters 9 & 10: “Our Friend Jesus Forgives Us” & “Jesus Leads Us to His Peace”
Teacher preparation: Read in advance through Catechist’s Guide Book pages T79-T100 to familiarize yourself with the
material that will be condensed in to this week’s lesson. These chapters begin the formal catechesis for preparing the
children for the Sacrament of Reconciliation/Penance this year.
Objective: The children will learn about God’s loving mercy in giving us the gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation
(Penance) and that in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Jesus gives us a sign of his divine forgiveness and the strength to
grow in his love.
Pass out student workbooks and have students remove pages 68-84, staple pages together having the “A Letter Home”
page on the top and have students write their names on the front page.
Read/discuss workbook (40 minutes) pages 69-70 and completing page 73 activity “We Can Choose to Be Friends of
Jesus” and pg. 76 “Witness and Share” section. Ask for volunteers and continue reading through pages 77-81. Complete
lesson covering the Review section on page 82.
Practice the Act of Contrition (Prayer of the Penitent) on the back cover of the student workbooks:
“My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good,
I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things.
I firmly intend, with your help, To do penance, To sin no more,
And to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us.
In his name, my God, have mercy. Amen.
Closing prayer: Begin with the Sign of the Cross and pray the Our Father prayer together. Follow with- Dear God
please guide our second grade students as they continue to prepare to receive their Sacrament of First Penance later
this year. Amen.
Have students return their workbooks to the bookshelves and remind them to being home their stapled work packet
from today’s lesson encouraging them to share what they have learned today with their families.
Grade 2- Christ Our Life, God Cares for Us
Lesson #8- Chapter 12 “We Meet Jesus in the Sacrament of Reconciliation”
Teacher preparation: Read in advance from the Catechist Guide Book/Teacher’s Manual pages T113-T119 to help you
prepare for the material that will be covered in today’s lesson and for guidance while discussing the lesson with your
class.
Objective: The Sacrament of Reconciliation encourages a warm, friendly dialogue between the priest and the penitent.
The priest (also called the confessor) by his manner, enables young children to realize that they are truly encountering
the forgiving Jesus. The children will learn about God’s infinite mercy and love and that by receiving the Sacrament of
Reconciliation often, Jesus gives us his peace and his pardon.
Pass out student workbooks and have students remove pages 91-96 , staple pages together and have students write
