The Catholic Church describes a collection of works of mercy to fulfill the great commandment to “love they neighbor.” Use this lesson plan and the activities below to help teach your students about the seven corporal works of mercy and seven spiritual works of mercy. Works of Mercy Lesson Objective SWBAT explain the difference between…
Morality
Catholic Virtues Lesson Plan
One of the greatest gifts we can give to our students is the desire to grow in virtue. There are seven important Catholic virtues to introduce to our students so that they can integrate them into their lives. These virtues include the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity (love) and the four cardinal…
Mortal Sin vs. Venial Sin Video & Worksheet
Download and print the Mortal Sin vs. Venial Sin graphic organizer worksheet for students to complete while watching this video: Download the Mortal Sin vs. Venial Sin Worksheet > Scripture and the Catholic Church make clear distinctions between two different kinds of sin based on the gravity of sin: mortal sin and venial sin. First,…
Ten Commandments Word Search and Crossword Puzzle
At the core of every Catholic religious education curriculum are the Ten Commandments. Students have to learn them and review them every year. In order to teach the commandments effectively, we first need to teach them to know them then we need to help the students live them. I’m a big proponent of religious education that…
Beatitudes Activities: 11 Teaching Ideas for Religious Educators
One of the most commonly requested topics from teachers, catechists, and fans of The Religion Teacher has been the Beatitudes. I cannot believe this is the first time I’ve ever written or created something about this important set of teachings of Christ. I took a little time and did some brainstorming on all of the…
A Ten Commandments Activity
The ten commandments are such an important topic in Catholic religious education curricula. They have a place in almost every year’s course. This Ten Commandments activity asks students to creatively interpret and understand these great laws. An important disclaimer: the risk of using this activity is that students lose an appreciation for the Scriptures as…
High School Theology of the Body (Tips for Teaching Teens)
If you have had the pleasure of teaching teenagers about John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, then you will surely agree that it is changing the face of Catholic sex education today. As more resources become available for teachers and as the Theology of the Body continues to grow in popularity throughout the Church,…
A Reflection on Developing Virtues in Teens
One thing that separates religious education from other disciplines is that religion teachers and catechists go beyond teaching about the faith to teach students how to have faith. This is especially the case with the Christian moral life. With Christ as our model, teachers show students how to be moral persons. They do this by…
