Looking for books to give your catechists or teachers? Jared Dees has written a number of books for religious educators including 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator, Christ in the Classroom, and Just Plant Seeds. Each of these books are available from Amazon, but you can place a bulk order directly from the…
Apostles Lesson Plan and Activities
Who were the Twelve Apostles? Why are they important to the beginning of Christianity and the Church today? This Apostles lesson plan will introduce your students to the significant role the Apostles played in the gospels and the early Church as well as the legacy they maintain today. Scroll to the bottom of the post for a collection of activities ...
Book of Judges Activities (Deborah, Gideon, Samson, and More)
Teach your students about the Book of Judges and the classic Old Testament stories about Samson, Gideon, Deborah, and more with this collection of activities, lesson plans, crafts, and more. Book of Judges Activities, Crafts, and Worksheets Book of Judges Object Lesson (Future Flying Saucers) Judges Bible Activities (Sunday School Zone) ...
Sign of the Cross Lesson Plan
In this lesson your students will understand the meaning of the Sign of the Cross. When they make the Sign of the Cross, they will remember the sacrifice Jesus made for them and affirm their belief in the Holy Trinity. The format for the lesson is a simplified version of Lectio Divina Lesson Planning called The RE3 Framework: Read, Reflect, and ...
Bread of Life Lesson Plan & Activities
Jesus Christ's teachings contained in the Gospel of John chapter 6 are known as the "Bread of Life Discourses." These teachings are the basis of much of the theology behind the Catholic Church's celebration of the Eucharist at Mass. The teachings in John 6:22–59 help us understand that Christ is the "bread of life." This was not an easy message for ...
The Five Forms of Prayer Video & Worksheet
Introduce your students to the Catechism of the Catholic Church's five forms of prayer with this video: How do we pray? When many people hear the word “prayer,” they think about us asking God for help, but that is only one way to pray. The Catechism of the Catholic Church divides prayer into five forms: petition, intercession, ...
The RE3 Framework: Read, Reflect, and Respond
In 2017 I introduced a concept that has transformed the way I teach in religious education: Lectio Divina Lesson Planning. The idea is pretty simple: apply the prayer process of Lectio Divina to everything we teaching catechesis. The process really caught on and many others benefited from the approach, so I expanded the ideas into a book on ...
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Our Guide to Lesson Planning
Reimagining Virtual Catechesis
So, you are teaching virtually this year. Things are going to be different. It certainly won’t be religious education as normal. It might not be the year we expected. But it could be an amazing year. In response to the pandemic, many schools and parishes have chosen between: In-person classes with social distancing and masks…