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 come together to try to build a tower and a city all on their own. They seek…
Scripture
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…
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…
Six Activities to Help Teach about the Parables
“The disciples approached him and said, ‘Why do you speak to [the crowds] in parables?’ He said to them in reply, ‘Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.’” Matthew 13:10-11 When Jesus spoke to the crowds (the group of…
Ascension of the Lord Worksheets
Help students explore the meaning of the Ascension of the Lord with a couple of worksheets from The Religion Teacher membership website and The Religion Teacher’s Rosary Activity Pack. A good catechetical worksheet not only helps students recall information, it helps them reflect on how God is working in their lives today. When I create…
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…
The Liturgy of the Word Lesson Plan
I realized as I was teaching one of the final lessons of the year this week that I don’t share what I actually do in class often enough. I make a lot of suggestions based on what works for me, but it has been awhile since I shared a full lesson plan that I have…
Moses Lesson Plans
One of the most important figures in the Old Testament is, of course, Moses. Moses was called by God to lead the people of Israel out of captivity in Egypt and into the freedom of the Promised Land of Israel. Most of his life story appears in the Book of Exodus, but also in Leviticus,…
The Basic Steps of Lectio Divina
Lectio divina is an ancient Catholic prayer method for reading and praying with the Bible. Don’t let the Latin scare you away from learning to do it yourself or from sharing it with your students. It is an essential practice for all Catholics to learn and certainly not something we should avoid teaching young people…
Are You a Witness? A New Focus on Teaching AND Testimony
“You will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, and Samaria, and all the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 I started something new this semester and it really made a big impact on my students. I started using a new approach to…
