GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS This lesson was designed to teach about the dignity of life. Students will continue to build on this idea with a lesson each year through Grade 8. The lesson is designed to take 90 minutes, with the intention that it could be divided and taught at different times or all at once. LESSON PLAN DESIRED RESULTS What do you want your students to know and be able to do? Goals Learning Standards Essential Questions Knowledge 1. Students will discuss the different types of people that Jesus interacted with. 2. Students will understand that when it comes to human dignity, we are all equal in the eyes of God. 3. Students will identify examples from Scripture. 4. Students will demonstrate Jesus infinite love of all people. 5. Students will identify people who need love and care in today s society and ways to reach out to them. 1. Students will identify that the New Testament is divided into two main sections: The Gospels and the Epistles. Scripture.4.3 2. Students will identify the Epistles as letters written to various communities of people, which encourage them to follow the teachings of Jesus. Scripture.4.5 3. Students will identify the Gospels as stories about the Good News of the infinite goodness of God who became man in Jesus and brought us to salvation. Scripture.4.6 4. Students will recognize that Jesus is the visible sign of God s love. Doctrine.4.2 5. Students will practice the Corporal Works of Mercy (Mt. 25:31-46). Community.4.1 6. Students will identify ways they can serve others. Service.4.2 What are some examples of different types of people that Jesus surrounded himself with? If Jesus were on earth today, whom do you think he would spend his time with? What can we do to reach out to people who are in need of love and care? 1. Students will learn that Jesus does not separate us by differences. When it comes to human dignity, we are all equal. 2. Students will have examples of where these ideas can be found in the Bible. 3. Students will learn about the Corporal Acts of Mercy. ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE How will you identify what students know and are able to do? Teacher observation of student attentiveness. Teacher observation of student participation in class discussion. Student preparation and presentation of skits. 4-1
IMPLEMENTING THE LESSON PLAN How is the lesson structured to accomplish this task? Resources needed: Bible(s) Chalkboard/Chalk or Whiteboard/Marker Pen/Pencil Marker Blank Paper Handout with Scripture passages for activity Learning Activity Begin by reading Galatians 3:28. It may be helpful to write this verse on the board. After students have a minute to reflect upon the verse, have students share their thoughts. Brainstorm a list of people that Jesus spent time with whom others may have avoided or seen as a waste of time. Write list on the board. Discuss where we look in the Bible for stories of Jesus spending time with these different groups of people. Students should understand and know the definition of the two main parts of the New Testament: the Gospels and the Epistles. Sample Teacher Questions We are going to begin by reading a verse from the book of Galatians. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Take a minute to read the verse again quietly and think about what it means. (Christ does not separate us by differences when it comes to the dignity of each human. Each person has as much dignity as the next in God s eyes.) Christ showed this by surrounding himself with all different types of people, many whom even his own disciples were surprised that he spent time with. Can you think of examples of some of the people that Jesus spent time with whom others may have avoided or seen as a waste of time? Remember to keep in mind the time in which Jesus lived. (children, tax collectors and sinners, blind, a woman, lepers) We are going to look at a few specific examples of this in Scripture. What part of the Bible would we look to for stories of Jesus spending time with others in His time on earth, the Old Testament or New Testament? (New) Do you know what two main sections the New Testament is divided into? (The Gospels and The Epistles) Which section of the New Testament would we look to? (The Gospels) What is the difference between the Gospels and the 4-2
Epistles? (The Gospels are stories about the "Good News" of the infinite goodness of God who became man in Jesus and brought us to salvation. The Epistles are letters written to various communities of people, which encourage them to follow the teachings of Jesus. The Gospels focus on the time that Jesus was on Earth and the Epistles take place after Jesus time on earth. Paul was the author of many of the Epistles.) Briefly read and discuss five examples as a class. (Students will be breaking into groups to role-play these scenarios, so you do not need to spend too much time- each group will be looking at an example more closely and sharing with the class.) You may use Bibles to look up the verses or use the handout containing all five Scripture passages. We are looking to Jesus as the visible sign of God s love. He showed us how all people have equal value and dignity. Matthew 19:13-15 (Children) Mark 2:16-17 (Tax Collectors and Sinners) Matthew 20:29-34 (Blind) John 4:7-10, 27 (Samaritan Woman) Luke 17:11-19 (Lepers) Introduce role-playing activity. Use the verses and examples of outcasts listed above. See directions on the right. We are going to split up into five groups. Each group will receive one of the examples that we discussed. You will have about ten minutes to plan for role-playing your scenario. The verses that you receive should be read at some point in your presentation. You also need to make a sign or signs to label the person or people in your group who are the outcasts. This is to represent the labels that society places on people. At the end of your presentation, whoever plays Jesus will tear each sign in half. For example one group will have one person labeled Samaritan woman while another will have a few people labeled as leper. Your verses are not very long so your presentations are meant to be very short little skits. When students have finished preparing, 4-3
each group will present their skit. After students have presented, discuss if students think the same people would have been labeled the outcasts in today s society. Brainstorm who the outcasts are in modern society. Record student s ideas on the board. Now the same groups of students will have a chance to prepare another short skit each using a modern example that the class came up with. Each group should roleplay a different group. Topics can be assigned, chosen by groups, or picked from a hat. This skit will probably take students longer to prepare and perform than the last. Discuss the Corporal Acts of Mercy. Give students time to reflect on what they can do to reach out to people in need of care and love. Do you think these same people (children, blind, lepers, foreign woman, tax collectors and sinners) would be labeled as the outcasts in today s society? If Jesus were here with us on earth right now, whom would he be spending his time with? (Some examples may be: the poor, homeless, disabled (physically or mentally), prisoners, pregnant teens, drug and alcohol addicts, people living with HIV/AIDS) Now you will have a chance to role play one of the modern day examples that we just came up with together. You will label your outcasts the same way as before. In your skit you should show how people in society might treat a person in your situation. Then think back to what Jesus did in our five examples from Scripture. Based on his previous actions, what would he do for the person in your skit? Hopefully these activities have gotten you thinking about what you can be doing to value the dignity of human life by reaching out to those who are in need of care and love. The Church calls us to practice the Corporal Works of Mercy. These include feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick, ransoming the captive, and burying the dead. Please take a minute to quietly reflect on the Corporal Acts of Mercy and the people that you roleplayed. Think of at least one thing that you or your family could do to reach out to one of these people. Make a list of the ideas that students came up with. 4-4
Summarize lesson and close with Matthew 25:31-46 for prayer. Remember to look to Jesus as the visible sign of God s love as you encounter different people in today s society. Jesus broke down barriers and showed us that when it comes to human dignity, we are all equal. Please take time to serve those who are in most need of love and care. The Corporal Acts of Mercy come from Matthew 25:31 46. We will close in prayer by reading these verses together. As we read, think about what God is asking of us. 4-5