God Is Love and God Loves Us UNIT 1, LESSON 4 Learning Goals God is love. God loves us. Good parents love and protect their children; we are God s children, and He loves and protect us. Guardian Angels help God protect us. The love of our family is like God s love, and God s love is even greater. Connection to the Catechism of the Catholic Church CCC 221 CCC 352 Vocabulary Guardian Angel BIBLICAL TOUCHSTONE God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. 1 JOHN 4:8B-9 43
Lesson Plan Materials Madonna with Child Look and Learn The Guardian Angels Teacher Resource: God Is Madonna with Child Love Puzzle Template Coloring Page God Is Love The Banjo Lesson Look and Learn DAY ONE Warm-Up A. Have the class stand and make the Sign of the Cross, saying the words together slowly. B. Lead students in ten minutes of stretching and easy calisthenics. As you do each exercise together, do a call and response along the following lines: C. Stand with arms raised high, then bend and touch toes. You say, God loves me and He gave me ten Students respond Toes! D. Extend arms to the sides, wiggling fingers. You say, God loves me and He gave me ten students respond, Fingers! E. Crouch down in a squat four or five times. Point to your knees as you do so. You say, God loves me and He gave me two Students respond, Knees! And so forth. Activity A. Have students get into a circle. Using the class angel to moderate discussion, go around the circle giving each student a few moments to tell the class about someone or something they love. Encourage students to say two different things: first, who or what it is they love, and second, one way they show their love. B. Ask for a show of hands for how many students mentioned someone in their families. C. Discuss with students how our families are a sign of God, who is the Blessed Trinity. God is a communion of Persons an unbreakable bond of life-giving love. Our families are unbreakable bonds! Your parents love you even when you disobey. The love of our families gives us a taste of what God s love is like. His love is even greater His love is the greatest thing in the universe! D. Wrap up the discussion by connecting the exercises you did together a few moments ago to the way we show love. God created our bodies, and everything He made is good. We use our bodies to show love to our family Mothers carry their babies in their womb, they nurse their babies, both parents feed their babies, change diapers, tuck them in at night, give hugs, reassuring pats, and so forth. Have students raise their hands and list other ways they use their bodies to show love. In addition to the ideas student generate, you could add: 44 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS
LESSON PLAN They hug their parents and siblings. They do chores to help around the house. They pick up after themselves. They hold hands when they cross the street. Madonna with Child Look and Learn What do you like about this painting? Where is the light coming from in the painting? Formative Assessment Does the lady look like a good mother? Why or why not? A. Hold up the image of Madonna with Child (page 20) from the student workbook. You may want to let them know that madonna means My Lady in Italian. We use the title to refer to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Tell them to look at the painting for a few minutes in silence, and to notice whatever they like about it. B. Read aloud and discuss the questions on Madonna with Child Look and Learn (page 21), then read aloud from A Parent s Love (page 23). 20 A Parent s Love Madonna with Child The lady By in Sassoferrato the painting is Mary. Mary loves her baby Jesus very much. She would do anything for Him. Parents love their children more than themselves. A parent would give her life for her child. We are God s children. God loves us so much that He gave us His son, Jesus. Jesus gave his life for us. 21 C. Have students color Madonna with Child Coloring Page (page 22) in their workbooks. As they are coloring, remind students of the Blessed Trinity and note that we call God our heavenly Father. We are God s children. God loves us so much that He gave us His son, Jesus. Jesus gave his life for us. Giving your life for someone else is an act of love. 23 Madonna with Child Coloring Page His mother kept all these things in her heart. (Luke 2:51b) 22 Unit 1, lesson 4 45
LESSON PLAN DAY TWO The Banjo Lesson Look and Learn Who do you think the people in the painting are? What do you see in the background? The two people might be a father and son. Do you think the man is a good father? Why or why not? What are they doing? What do you think they were doing earlier? What will they do next? Warm-Up A. Have the class stand and make the Sign of the Cross, saying the words together slowly. B. Have students turn to the The Banjo Lesson Look and Learn (page 25). Discuss the questions in the workbook. Then, invite a volunteer to tell aloud a creative story about who the people in the painting are, and what they are doing. Call on a few students to share their creative stories. 24 The Banjo Lesson By Henry Ossawa Tanner 25 Activity A. Ask students to compare and contrast this painting with Madonna with Child. How are they similar, how are they different? B. Discuss with students how you have been looking at examples of good parents with these two paintings. What are qualities of a good parent? What does a good parent do? What does a good parent believe? C. Encourage students to raise their hand and offer one example. Repeat back each example as you write a simplified version on the board. For example, a good parent: prepares meals for his child, cares for him, provides clothing and shelter, helps him when he is hurt, and so forth. A good parent believes that his child is important, can learn, and should be loved. D. Summarize all the examples that students give by stating that good parents put the needs of their child above their own needs. A good parent sacrifices for the good of his or her child. Invitation to witness: Tell a story about a time that you knew God loved you and was protecting you. Frame the story using terms you have been using throughout the lesson. Include in your story that Jesus sacrificed Himself for our good. Formative Assessment A. Connect the way parents protect their children to another way God protects His children the Guardian Angels. B. Make sure students are quiet because you are about to share with them God s word in Scripture. Reassure students that they don t need to understand every word. 46 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS
LESSON PLAN C. Read aloud from Psalms 91:10-13: No evil shall befall you, no affliction come near your tent. For he commands his angels with regard to you, to guard you wherever you go. With their hands they shall support you, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You can tread upon the asp and the viper, trample the lion and the dragon. D. Talk with students about how every single person has a guardian angel who helps protect us from evil and preserve us from sin. E. Continue to reinforce this information as children color in the picture on The Guardian Angels (page 26). 26 The Guardian Angels He commands his angels with regard to you, to guard you wherever you go. (Psalms 91:11) F. Close with the Prayer to Your Guardian Angel: Angel of God, my Guardian dear, to whom His love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen. DAY THREE Warm-Up A. Before class, use the template on Teacher Resource: God is Love Puzzle Template (page 57 in this guide) to make a puzzle set for each student. B. After creating a quiet and prayerful atmosphere, together make the Sign of the Cross and then read aloud from 1 John 4:8b-9: God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. C. Enter into a dialogue with students in which you go over the following information: This Bible verse tells us that God is love. Love isn t just something that God does; love is what God is. God is also the greatest thing in the universe. How do we know? He created everything in it. That means He is greater than anything in the universe! If God is the greatest thing in the universe, and God is love, then what is one way we can become like the greatest thing in the universe? Love! When we love someone, we are sharing in God s divine life. D. Take a moment to look at and read aloud some of the things you wrote on your Classroom of Love bulletin board. Unit 1, lesson 4 47
LESSON PLAN God Is Love E. Explain that Scripture tells us something like this as well. Read aloud from 1 Corinthians 13:13 So faith, hope, love remain, these three, but the greatest of these is love. Activity and Assessment Distribute a God Is Love Puzzle set to each student and give them time to complete the puzzle. Then have them color and decorate their own version of the puzzle on God Is Love (page 27) in their workbooks. 1 John 8b 27 48 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS
Madonna with Child By Sassoferrato 20 Unit 1, lesson 4 49
Madonna with Child Look and Learn What do you like about this painting? Where is the light coming from in the painting? Does the lady look like a good mother? Why or why not? 21 Accept reasoned answers 50 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS
Madonna with Child Coloring Page His mother kept all these things in her heart. (Luke 2:51b) 22 Unit 1, lesson 4 51
A Parent s Love The lady in the painting is Mary. Mary loves her baby Jesus very much. She would do anything for Him. Parents love their children more than themselves. A parent would give her life for her child. We are God s children. God loves us so much that He gave us His son, Jesus. Jesus gave his life for us. 23 52 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS
The Banjo Lesson By Henry Ossawa Tanner 24 Unit 1, lesson 4 53
The Banjo Lesson Look and Learn Who do you think the people in the painting are? What do you see in the background? The two people might be a father and son. Do you think the man is a good father? Why or why not? What are they doing? What do you think they were doing earlier? What will they do next? 25 Accept reasoned answers 54 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS
The Guardian Angels He commands his angels with regard to you, to guard you wherever you go. (Psalms 91:11) 26 Unit 1, lesson 4 55
God Is Love 1 John 8b 27 56 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS
God is Love Puzzle Template TEACHER RESOURCE Directions: Copy the puzzle pieces below onto heavy paper and laminate them. Then cut out the pieces, keeping sets together. Distribute a set to each student. Unit 1, lesson 4 57
Notes 58 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS
Madonna with Child By Sassoferrato 20 Unit 1, Lesson 4
Madonna with Child Look and Learn What do you like about this painting? Where is the light coming from in the painting? Does the lady look like a good mother? Why or why not? Unit 1, Lesson 4 21
Madonna with Child Coloring Page His mother kept all these things in her heart. (Luke 2:51b) 22 Unit 1, Lesson 4
A Parent s Love The lady in the painting is Mary. Mary loves her baby Jesus very much. She would do anything for Him. Parents love their children more than themselves. A parent would give her life for her child. We are God s children. God loves us so much that He gave us His son, Jesus. Jesus gave his life for us. Unit 1, Lesson 4 23
The Banjo Lesson By Henry Ossawa Tanner 24 Unit 1, Lesson 4
The Banjo Lesson Look and Learn Who do you think the people in the painting are? What do you see in the background? The two people might be a father and son. Do you think the man is a good father? Why or why not? What are they doing? What do you think they were doing earlier? What will they do next? Unit 1, Lesson 4 25
The Guardian Angels He commands his angels with regard to you, to guard you wherever you go. (Psalms 91:11) 26 Unit 1, Lesson 4
God Is Love 1 John 8b Unit 1, Lesson 4 27