“God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27 We read in the first chapter of the Book of Genesis that God created human beings in his image and likeness. If we know who God is and what God is like, then…
The Religion Teacher Blog
Lectio Divina Lesson Planning
This concept was so effective for religious educators who started using it in class, that I expanded it into an entire book on lesson planning: Christ in the Classroom: Lesson Planning for the Heart and Mind. How do we help our students know, love, and serve God? How do we teach both the head AND…
Help! My Students Are Bored in Class
Are your students bored in class? It is a common problem and as the students get older, they tend to be more and more bored. A 2015 Gallup poll of high school students showed that 40 percent of teenagers were “engaged” in school. “Bored” was the most commonly cited adjective to describe how they felt…
Word on Fire’s Exodus & Moses Lesson Plan, Video, and Handouts
This Exodus lesson plan is adapted from Word on Fire’s CATHOLICISM School Enrichment program, which offers resources for middle school and high school religion teachers based on Bishop Robert Barron’s CATHOLICISM DVD Series. Bishop Barron’s team has generously offered to share this lesson to spread the word about their wonderful educational resources. To learn more,…
Tower of Babel Activity
What are the towers in your life? That is the question to pose to your students as you teach them about the story of the Tower of Babel in the Book of Genesis. In this story, the people came together to try to build a tower and a city all on their own. They seek…
Cain and Abel Lesson Plan
This Cain and Abel lesson plan will help you teach young people about the importance of generosity over jealousy. They will read and remember the story of Cain and Abel, but more importantly, they will read and reflect on how it relates to their lives. Cain and Abel Lesson Objective Students will be able to…
The Rule of Three: Find Focus in Your Lesson
You are probably trying to teach too much. It’s okay, we all fall into this trap. There are too many topics to teach in the textbook. There are too many vocabulary words to define. There are too many stories to share. There is just too much. The kids know it, too. They get overwhelmed trying…
Holy Trinity Lesson Plan
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20 One God, three persons. God…
Hundreds of Print-or-Play Resources for Religious Educators
Imagine . . . A classroom of kids actively engaged in learning about their faith. They work diligently on assignments. They listen to your presentations. They ask questions and are able to go home and articulate what they learned in class to their parents and friends. Now imagine the opposite . . . Students are…
Confirmation Project: Summertime Saints Survey
To prepare for their Confirmation, young people are required to pick a saint’s name similar to the name they were given at Baptism. Often parishes require the Confirmandi to do some research on their saints ahead of time so that they can pick a saint name that is meaningful to them. The problem is a…
