MIDDLE SCHOOL LESSON PLAN

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Drusilla Parks
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1 MIDDLE SCHOOL LESSON PLAN Theme: Drugs & Alcohol Materials Needed Newsprint (or dry erase board) and markers. You may want to pre-write the quotes from the Bishop s letter on newsprint. Bible, with enthronement and candle, if possible blindfolds Small bell Gathering The first purpose of the opening of each session is to establish a sense of welcome and hospitality as well as allow youth to engage and prepare for the formative portion of the evening. The second purpose is to make youth aware of the dangers of drugs and alcohol as well as our Christian responsibility to resist the temptation of drugs and alcohol. A Bible should be enthroned prominently in the room. Gather around the Word for prayer. Begin the session with an opening prayer. Opening Prayer Let us pray. Holy Spirit, we welcome you into this space. Fill our hearts. Transform us. Enlighten us. Let us not hesitate or be afraid, But enable us to be open to our Father who loves us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen Youth are seated. Youth Ministry leader (or youth Core team member) takes Bible from enthronement and proclaims reading. Be sure reading is marked in advance. Scripture Reading & Faith Sharing Proclaim the reading (1 Peter 5: 5-9): A reading from the First Letter of St. Peter After the reading, a brief period of silence follows. Then, the catechist asks the youth these or similar questions: What did you hear in the reading? After the teen s initial response, proclaim the reading again.

2 A reading from the First Letter of St. Peter What did you hear in the reading? What do you think St. Peter meant by cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you? Who in your life do you cast your cares upon when you are worried? What do you think St. Peter meant when he said we should Be sober and vigilant? Explain that Peter is telling us to stay sober and alert so that we can be a witness to others. He is telling us to be sober and alert so that we can grow to know and love Jesus even more. He is also telling us that we need to turn to God in our worries and our fears. We are also called to find others in our life living lives that are pleasing to God to turn to when we are worried and tempted. Opening Game Dizzy Bell Invite the youth to an open space for a game. State that we are going to do a game to see how sober and alert we are. All the players but one are blindfolded and scatter around the room. On the leaders go, blindfolded players are to spin eight times in a circle. The one who is not blindfolded carries a bell loosely in one hand so that it will ring with every step. If desired this bell may be hung around the neck on a string or ribbon. The blindfolded players try to catch the one with the bell who will have to use considerable alertness to keep out of the way. Whoever catches the bellman changes places with him. Where there are over twenty players there should be two or more bellmen. If there are not enough blindfolds, the game can be played several times with the winner of each round playing in the last round. Game Discussion Is anyone still dizzy? Who had a very hard time finding the person with the bell? Bishop s Letter Reading and Discussion The leader makes a transition from reflection on the Scripture and game to discussion on the teaching of the Church, quoting from Bishop Malesic s pastoral letter:

3 Take a minute and think about how you felt when you were spinning. You wanted to find the person with the bell but it was difficult to do as your head was spinning and your body did not want to cooperate. It was very difficult to stay sober and alert. Today we are talking about drugs and alcohol and the effect that they have on our bodies. I am sure that many of you could probably give a good talk about the effects of drugs and alcohol. I am sure that you are spoken to about it at school; probably in health class and that your parents have told you about the harmfulness of drugs and alcohol. All of this is true. We are going to look at a part of the Bishop s letter on the drug abuse crisis. The Bishop writes, Often the addict knows that the person he or she has become is not the person they once were or want to be now. They do not know how to find their way back to health and wholeness. They can feel powerless to begin the journey back to who God made them to be. Ask the youth: What does it mean to be who God made them to be? How has God created us each to be unique? Explain that we are all beautiful creations of God and he truly wants what is best for us. Becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol does not allow us to see clearly how unique and loved by God we truly are. We need to show those who are addicted how much God loves them. We need to realize that we need to help our family and friends and those who are addicted to journey back to God. Again, read from the Bishop s letter: As an addiction grows, the hold it has on every aspect of a person s humanity is unbelievable. Ask: Why do youth your age want to drink? What makes young people turn to drugs? Why is it dangerous for youth your age to drink or do drugs? How can you remain strong when drugs or alcohol tempts you? Often we hear that people are turning to drugs and alcohol because everyone else is doing it or it is what adults are doing so it is not a big deal. What we often do not realize is that the consequences of drugs and alcohol are quite damaging. They have an effect on your bodies at

4 your age. Your body is in a major stage of development, not just on the outside where it is noticeable, but also on the inside. Your brain is growing and changing. The use of drugs and alcohol can cause severe damage to your brain as well as how it develops. In addition to this, is the effects that addiction has on us spiritually. We often lose sight of our relationship with God and focus on the feelings that we get from alcohol or drugs. We are challenged by our reading from early today to stay sober and alert. Focus on your relationship with God and support your friends in their relationship with God, too. One of the most difficult things is not only the personal temptation that you might have to drink or do drugs but also, how you approach someone you love that might be addicted or using alcohol or drugs illegally. The Bishop writes, Now, you might ask, how can we offer hope to those who are in the grasp of hopelessness? We accompany them with courageous faith. We offer them the comforting presence and power of Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. Jesus will provide. Ask the youth: How can you provide support for your friends who are tempted to drink or do drugs? Why is it important to have good friends who will support you and help you to make good decisions? How do you have courageous faith? How do we know that Jesus will provide? You and your friends may face temptations to drink or do drugs. God gives us the courage and strength to say no. If you or a friend is struggling with an issue, find an adult who can answer your questions and guide you to someone who can help you. If you are not struggling with an addiction or do not have friends struggling with an addition, continue to pray for those that are that they are brave enough to say no to temptation. Closing Prayer Return to prayer space After all have gathered, leader or youth core team member should proclaim the reading.

5 A reading from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 29: 11-14) Let us pray: Give me faith, Lord that when I am weary, discouraged, and beaten down I am inspired to trust in your great promises. Please give me courage, Lord, when my faith wavers. Help me obey your word no matter how challenging it may seem or how discouraged I may feel. Thank you for giving me a bright future in Jesus. Please help me live more consciously aware of this great gift. We ask this in the name of Jesus your Son and through the power of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

6 HIGH SCHOOL LESSON PLAN Theme: Drugs & Alcohol Materials Needed Newsprint (or dry erase board) and markers. You may want to pre-write the quotes from the Bishop s letter on newsprint. Bible, with enthronement and candle, if possible. 1 plastic children s bat per small group Small prizes for winning small group Fr. Mike Schmitz Video on Temptation Copy of Serenity Prayer for each person Gathering The first purpose of the opening of each session is to establish a sense of welcome and hospitality as well as allow youth to engage and prepare for the formative portion of the evening. The second purpose is to make youth aware of the dangers of drugs and alcohol as well as our Christian responsibility to resist the temptation of drugs and alcohol. A Bible should be enthroned prominently in the room. Gather around the Word for prayer. Begin the session with an opening prayer. Opening Prayer Let us pray. Holy Spirit, we welcome you into this space. Fill our hearts. Transform us. Enlighten us. Let us not hesitate or be afraid, But enable us to be open to our Father who loves us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

7 Youth are seated. Youth Ministry leader (or youth Core team member) takes Bible from enthronement and proclaims reading. Be sure reading is marked in advance. Scripture Reading & Faith Sharing Proclaim the reading (Luke 4: 18-21): A reading from the holy Gospel according to Saint Luke After the reading, a brief period of silence follows. Then, the catechist asks the youth these or similar questions: What did you hear in the reading? After teen s initial response, proclaim the reading again. A reading from the holy Gospel according to Saint Luke What did you hear in the reading? What do you think St. Luke meant by he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor? How are you proclaiming the good news? What did St. Luke mean by He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind? Explain that God has a beautiful plan for our lives. He wants us to live a life of holiness and purity. He wants us to be happy. Through our Baptism, we are also told to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. God always loves us and always will forgive us. He wants this message to be shared with all. Opening Game Dizzy Bat Relay Divide into small groups. Have each small group get into a line and sit down at one end of the room. The first person from each small group will run to the middle of the room and pick up a

8 bat. They will pick up the bat with one end upright vertically touching the floor. The first person in each group will run to the center, put their forehead on the end of the top of the bat and spin around five times. They will then run back to their group and tag the next person in line and the activity will be repeated. First group to get through everyone wins. Have small prize for winning group. Game Discussion Was it difficult to get back to your team after spinning? Is anyone still a little dizzy? Bishop s Letter Reading and Discussion The leader makes a transition from reflection on the Scripture and game to discussion on the teaching of the Church, quoting from Bishop Malesic s Pastoral Letter. Let the young people know the following points before delving into the Pastoral Letter. No matter how hard we try, we were dazed, confused, and unable to function in the way we were supposed to function while playing the game. This is just a small insight into what it is like when we allow ourselves to be dizzied by drugs or alcohol. Easy tasks become nearly impossible and impair our decisions and judgement. Today we are going to talk about the influence drugs and alcohol have upon ourselves, our family, and our friends. 90% of Americans with a substance abuse problem started smoking, drinking or using other drugs before the age of 18. ( All the way into your early 20 s, the human body is still growing and developing. Drug abuse during these years in particular can have a lasting impact. In fact, during these years of development, the brain is much more vulnerable to addiction. ( Illegal drugs are not the only addictive drugs. Prescription drugs can also be addictive and have seen a great increase in abuse. Between 1995 and 2005, treatment for abuse of prescription pain relievers grew almost 300% and in the ten years since then has grown even more. Using prescription drugs without a prescription is not only extremely unsafe, but also illegal.

9 We are going to look at a part of the Bishop s letter on the drug abuse crisis. He writes that there have been over 319 deaths to opioid addiction since He says, This is a plague that has come into the homes and families of every city, town, and even the rural areas of our Diocese. It has touched the very hearts and souls of our parishioners in the pews and the people living in our communities; it has affected men and women of every age, profession, and state of life. Ask the youth: How often do you encounter drugs and alcohol? Is it hard to stay away from drugs and alcohol? What are some practical ways to protect ourselves from temptation? Why do you think that people are using drugs and/or abusing alcohol? What is the virtue of temperance? We are called to practice self-control and treat our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit. We must protect our holiness through the virtue of temperance. Temperance tells us to avoid every kind of excess. It is not always easy to avoid the temptation of drugs and alcohol, particuarly when we know many friends and family who are not avoiding it. I want to share with you a video with Fr. Mike Schmitz video on Temptation available at: After video ask: What stood out to you about the video? Do you find it easy or hard to avoid temptation? Why is it important to practice temperance in the face of temptation? Bishop Malesic continues in his letter on additcion. He writes,

10 People who are addicted whether to drugs or alcohol often experience isolation and shame and the feeling that they have lost their human dignity. Ask: What do you think the Church says about using drugs and alcohol? How do drugs and alcohol affect a person s life? What is human dignity? What do you think it means when the Bishop says, they have lost their human dignity? How do we reflect God s dignity? Before we can say what the Church teaches on drugs and alcohol, it is important to know what the Church teaches about human dignity. The Church says that all human life is sacred and has inherit dignity. We all were created in the image and likeness of Christ and because of this we were made to be good. The Church tells us that when we use drugs or abuse alcohol we are destroying our dignity, in essence our holiness, our godliness. Specifically, in the Catechism of the Catholic Church we read, The use of drugs inflicts very serious or grave damage on human health and life. The use of drugs, unless medically necessary goes against protecting our dignity and health. (2291) One of the most difficult things is not only the personal temptation that you might have to drink or do drugs but also, how you approach someone you love that might be addicted or using alcohol or drugs illegally. The Bishop writes, Now, you might ask, how can we offer hope to those who are in the grasp of hopelessness? We accompany them with courageous faith. We offer them the comforting presence and power of Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. Jesus will provide. Have you ever known someone who has changed because of drug use or alcohol? If so, how did you feel when you realized that they had changed? What can you do personally to help someone who is struggling with addiction?

11 How are we called to treat others with respect and love as Christ did? Whether you do or do not know someone who uses drugs or abuses alcohol or even if you yourself have had an experience with drugs and alcohol, it is important to know that God loves all of us. God offers us everything we will ever need to be completely fulfilled. He never leaves us empty or finds us lacking. He wants to offer us healing and forgiveness. Prayer is essential. Pray for your friends and family who face addiction. Pray for yourself so that you can avoid temptation. Ask Christ to help you be a witness and an example of love to your friends and family. Pray that you can be strong in your faith and avoid temptations. Ask for help. Go to a trusted adult. Go to the school counselor. Do not be silent if you know someone is in trouble or if you are in trouble. Closing Prayer Return to prayer space After all have gathered leader or youth core team member should pass out the Serenity Prayer to all and read together. If able, print as in a bookmark so that the teens can bring home and keep with them. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will;

12 that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen.

ELEMENTARY LESSON PLAN A

ELEMENTARY LESSON PLAN A Theme: The Call to Be Disciples Who Put Love in Action Materials Needed Newsprint (or dry erase board) and markers. You may want to pre-write the quotes from Faithful Citizenship