Online Lenten Resources

Formed.org:  Lenten Resources:
Formed.org has Lent videos with "Brother Francis" for children, Lenten daily reflections for adults, Living Lent as a Family, and much more!    New programs, movies, audio talks, and e-books are available to stream at your convenience through All Saints’ subscription to Formed.org.  Our parish access code is 16e125. Use this to set up your login credentials and check out everything available in this resource.

Videos:
YouTube: Fr. Mike Schmitz - What's the Purpose of Lent? (there is a whole series of videos from Ascension Press on lent).
YouTube: BustedHalo.com - Lent in 3 minutes
YouTube: CatholicCentral.com "Lent - How to get the Most out of it"
YouTube: CatholicKidsMedia "What is Lent"

Activities:
TheReligionTeacher.com Lent Activities page (see subscription information on this webpage)
​Lenten Pinterest Board: Our Sunday Visitor's Pintest Board with LOTS of resources
Lent Frequently Asked Questions: With Joe Paprocki
Joe Paprocki, National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, provides simple answers to frequently asked questions about Lent.
40 Ideas for 40 Days Calendar
The activities are grounded in the symbols, Scripture readings, devotions, and traditions of the Lenten season. Check this calendar each day to find another Lenten activity that you can adapt for your own setting.
Teach Children about the Triduum
During the Easter Triduum, we celebrate the death and Resurrection of Jesus. Download a printable Triduum activity designed for early childhood and primary aged children.
Loyola Press Lenten Activities for Children
The activities provided offer ideas for how you can help the children you serve understand and embrace the season of Lent.
USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) website on Lent with a Lenten Calendar, and catechetical information for adults

Online Religious Education Websites & Resources

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has a website with news about the Catholic Church, daily Holy Mass readings, liturgical year reminders, and much more.  USCCB Link
The Religion Teacher.com - All Saints Subscription  
TheReligionTeacher.com is a Catholic resource site for catechists and religion teachers with many lesson plans and activities.  . All Saints has a membership so that you may access the materials:
​Visit web address:  TheReligionTeacher.com
User Name: [email protected]
Password: Catechist!!
 Catechist's Journey Website: Joe Paprocki, nationally known catechetical speaker, has a blog and website full of resources called Catechist's Journey.    Catechist's Journey Website Link
Catechist.com | Online version of Catechist Magazine with many resources
Discovery Education |  Free Puzzlemaking service.  Here you can create word search, criss cross, double puzzles, mazes, hidden messages, and much more! 
www.catholicmom.com   Check under the "resources" tab for many lesson plans and activity sheets, craft ideas.
www.catholic.org
Biographies, prayers, and illustrations of Catholic Saints.  
http://www.daniellesplace.com/
Christian Biblical worksheets and craft ideas
http://www.dltk-bible.com/
Christian coloring pages, crafts, poems, songs, puzzles, and games.
www.teachingcatholickids.com
Seasonal activities and resources for children.​

"Tech Free" Review
Games and Activities

 Activity: True or False                           
Supplies: Two signs (two pieces of construction paper); one that says TRUE and one that says FALSE; tape. List of true/false review statements.
Setup: Make a list of 10 (or more if you have a larger class) true/false statements to review the chapter/theme/topic.  Tape a “True” sign to 1 chair, and a “False” sign to another chair.
  1. Divide students into two teams; line up across the room from each other, facing each other. On the other two walls of the room, place 1 chair on each side.  Chairs face each other.   
  2. Leader, standing in center, asks one true or false question to the first two people in the lines.
  3. They have to move and sit in the correct chair of the correct answer.  The team who gets to the correct answer first, gets a point for their team. 
  4. Continue until everyone has had a chance to play (you may need more than 10 questions depending on class size…10 questions is for a class of 20; 15 questions for a class of 30; 20 questions for a class of 40)
  5. A variation of this game is to use the signs to divide the room into a ‘True’ side and a ‘False’ side using a strip of masking tape on the floor and have all students play at once (with no points or competition). Have students stand on the line (tape) and then read the statement and have students move to the correct side. 

Activity: Human Matching Words                       
Setup: Choose the “words to know” from a textbook chapter or unit.  Create a list of the words on a set of index cards.  Write their corresponding definitions on another set of index cards.    
  1. Divide the students into teams.  Give one team, and each of its members, a definition card.  Give another team, and each of its members, a term card.
  2. Have each “term” person find their “definition” partner.  Give them a time limit to organize themselves.   Check each term and definition to be certain they are correct. 
  3. When finding an incorrect team, direct them to stand aside.  After checking each pair, direct all of the incorrect teams to find their correct partner.

Game: Bingo                                         
Supplies: Papers with blank Bingo boards (or papers with Bingo words or images drawn in).  There should be 20 spaces on the board, with a free space in the center, Bingo markers.
Setup: Choose 20 “words to know” from a particular unit.  Write these words and their definitions on cards for the leader.  Also write them on the whiteboard.  Pass a blank Bingo board to each student.   For younger students, choose 16 pictures related to the chapter topics.  Print these on larger Bingo squares, with just 4 vertical and horizontal squares.  Write out descriptions of each picture for the leader to use.
Procedure: Students write the words to know in the squares, in their own order, so their sheets are individualized.  Draw a card from the basket and call out the definition of the word.  Have the students place a Bingo marker on the space with the correct word (or correct picture of the word for younger students). When student has all the spaces filled in diagonally, horizontally, or vertically, they may call “Bingo”. 

Game: Who Am I                            
Supplies: Index cards.
Setup: Choose names of Biblical persons from the unit or units of the textbook.  Write the name of the person and a description of each person on a separate index card. 
 Divide the students into teams.  At each team’s turn, pull a card and read the person’s description.  Give the team a certain amount of time to attempt to answer the question.  If team gets the answer correct, they get a point.  If incorrect, the other team may answer the question for the point.  Play then proceeds to the next team.

Game: Tic Tac Toe Review             
Supplies: Whiteboard or Chalkboard, Basket, Cards
Setup: Make a “Tic-Tac-Toe” board on the whiteboard or chalkboard. Choose the “words to know” and their definitions from a particular chapter or unit.  Write these on cards (formulating them into questions) and place the cards in a basket.
  1. Divide the students into teams and assign each team  “x” or “o”. 
  2. Draw a card from the basket, asking the first team the question.  If team gets the question correct, they get to mark their symbol on the Tic-Tac-Toe board. 
  3. If they answer incorrectly, question goes back into the basket.  Draw another card from the basket and ask the second team the question.
  Game: “Jeopardy”                                
Supplies: Blank Jeopardy Board, question sheet, “Final Jeopardy” question card, blank cards.
Setup: Design a blank “Jeopardy” style board with 5 question categories related to the unit or topic.   Sample topics: Sacraments, Biblical Persons, Life of Jesus, Miracles of Jesus, etc.  Design 5 questions for each category and type these onto a separate sheet of paper for leader.   “Jeopardy” style board may be written on the ActivPanel "WhiteBoard", the actual whiteboard or on a sheet of posterboard (it needs to have the dollar values for each question category (100 – 500).  Develop a “Final Jeopardy” question. 
  1. Divide the students into teams of 3 or 4.  Elect a spokesperson for each team.  The first team selects a question category and a dollar amount.  Leader asks appropriate question and first team attempts to answer the question.  If they answer incorrectly, question goes back into play.  If they answer correctly, they receive the  points.
  2. Play then proceeds to the next team, with each team having a chance to answer questions.
  3. To end the game, present the “Final Jeopardy” question category.  Invite teams to wager their points on a card in secret before the question is given.   Present “Final Jeopardy” question to the teams and give them time to answer the question on their card.  Determine team answers, and points wagered.  Tabulate points. Team that wins is the team that has the most points after the “Final Jeopardy” question.

"Tech Free" Activities to Teach
​Chapter Content

Method:  Museum Exhibit
  1. Divide up the chapter into sections.  Divide the students into small groups. Assign each small group a chapter section.  Direct them to read their section.
  2. Pass out large sheets of paper and drawing materials to the students.  Ask them to create a piece of artwork that describes the section and illustrates the main points.
  3. Tape the large sheets of paper around the room.   Beginning at the first section, all students should travel around the room.  When arriving at a piece of artwork, the small group should “teach” the artwork to the students.  Leader should be sure to review the teaching at each piece of artwork. 
 Method: Skit Presentation
  1. Divide up the chapter into sections.  Divide the students into small groups. Assign each small group a chapter section.  Direct them to read their section.
  2. Pass out sheets of paper and pens to the students.   Ask each group to create a skit that describes the section and illustrates the main points.
  3. Set the skit parameters: (e.g. it must be respectful to all and appropriate, all members should participate in the skit).  
  4. Have the students present their skits, validating each as it is completed. Leader should emphasize the main points of each skit.
 Method: Group Reading and Reporting: The Top Three
  1. Divide up the chapter into sections.  Divide the students into small groups. Assign each small group a chapter section.  Direct them to read their section.
  2. Pass out sheets of paper and pens to the students.  Ask each group to create a list of the top three points of their sections, and the reasons behind their choices.
  3. Direct each group to stand and present their findings to the remainder of the class.
Method: Placemat Sharing Activity
Preparation: Develop a worksheet:  1 sheet of paper: one 4 x 3 inch square drawn in the middle.  Then divide the remaining white space into 4 sections.
  1. Review the chapter with the students, perhaps focusing on the most important teachings in the chapter.   Divide the students into small groups of 4 students.
  2. Distribute pens, paper, and handout to each student.
  3. Give each group a separate section of the unit (e.g. one of the miracles of Jesus, one of the Judges).   Ask each student in the group to write one important point about the Biblical story or theological point in one of the 4 sections. 
  4. When they have all written their point, then they need to combine all 4 points into one statement, and write this in the center section.
  5. When all groups are complete, call on each group to share.
 Method: Develop a Quiz for the other students
  1. Review the chapter with the students, perhaps focusing on the most important teachings in the chapter.   Divide the students into small groups of 3 students.
  2. Distribute pens and paper to each group.  Ask group to develop a quiz of 5 questions to present to the group. 
  3. Set the parameters: Questions may be true/false or fill in the blank.
  4. Once they have completed their questions, briefly review their questions to be sure they have the correct answers (and appropriate questions).
  5. Ask each group to present their quiz orally to the rest of the class.  They may also “grade” it orally when complete.
 Method:  Rewrite for Modern Day Audience
  1. Review the chapter with the students, choosing sections of the chapter that would lend themselves to a creative rendition (perhaps it’s just one element of the chapter).  Parables lend themselves very well for this activity.  Psalms also work very well!
  2. Be certain to review the parable or psalm with the students so they understand the meaning.
  3. Divide the students into small groups (no more than 3 to a group).   Ask groups to rewrite the parable for a modern day audience, including modern day references.
  4. Set the parameters:  All students must participate in writing the parable, (e.g. the parable must be respectful and appropriate, and keep the original point of the parable)
  5. Ask all groups to share their re-written parable.
 Method:  Write a Newspaper Article, TV News Report Spot, Internet News Spot
  1. Review the chapter with the students, choosing sections of the chapter that would lend themselves to a creative rendition. Events in the lives of Biblical persons work very well for this  (Adam and Eve, Noah, Moses, John the Baptist, Paul being blinded, etc.)
  2. Be certain to review the section with the students so they understand the meaning.
  3. Divide the students into small groups (no more than 3 to a group).   Ask groups to write a news story (“on the scene style”) about the section.  Give an example using another story.
  4. Set the parameters (e.g. All students must participate in writing the item, the item must be respectful, and keep the original point)
  5. Ask all groups to share their news item, giving it in TV news report style if they would like.
Method:  Lesson Mini Book
Supplies – two pieces of white paper per student; pens, pencils, markers
PREP: Create your own mini-book at home in advance to show them and go over with them at the end of class to be sure they get/understand all the main points.
  1. Give students each two pieces of blank white paper and have them fold the pages in half to make a ‘mini book’.
  2. Students make a cover page with the title of the lesson and a picture.
  3. On the other pages, students may write 2-4 important statements about each part  of the lesson. (They can write more, but no more than a paragraph per page). Have them also draw pictures to go with their information.
  4. Choose a few volunteers to share their mini books and show your own mini-book to review the lesson.