Liturgical Unit: I wonder what happened at Christmas

Notes for this ResourceThis resource is intended as a unit of work to be implemented after the Advent Unit which allowed the students to explore and become familiar with the events of the Annunciation and the Visitation until the celebration of Christmas.

Teachers are reminded that this Christmas Unit is an exemplar resource that models the linear teaching of content according to the Achievement Standards for all Levels.

As always, you are expected to engage with the suggestions this resource contains, make choices and adapt and apply the activities to suit your own school situation.

There are several activities listed in this unit for students in year levels from Prep-Yr. 10. Teachers are invited to talk with their colleagues to choose which activities are most appropriate for students and year levels.

In determining the content to teach you must first decide on the Achievement Standard you wish to demonstrate and choose teaching and learning activities that will teach the content required for achievement of the Standard.

When time is limited, your guiding principle is, as it is with all good education, less content, taught more richly and deeply.

Quantity should never supersede quality1.

1 Dr Margaret Carswell 1 | P a g e

Catholic Education – Diocese of Rockhampton

The season of Christmas, a high point of the Church’s liturgical Year, celebrates the act of God becoming human. God’s gracious gift of love, Jesus Christ, is born in Bethlehem for the salvation of the world. The Christmas festival begins with the feast of the Nativity of Jesus on December 25 (at the Vigil liturgy) and unfolds with early manifestations of Jesus including the Feast of the Epiphany. It concludes with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord which announces Christ’s earthly mission.

Colour: White

Duration: at least 2 weeks

Start: Christmas Day (Vigil)

Finish: Baptism of the Lord

Themes: rejoicing, celebration, salvation.

There are several activities listed in this unit. Teachers are invited to talk with their colleagues to choose which activities are most appropriate for students

and classes.

2 | P a g eCatholic Education – Diocese of Rockhampton

Suggestions for staff on the content and focus of this unit.Using the Worlds of the Text with 3 keys for Meaning.

Begin with the text - World of the Text➔ Read the text from the bible and identify its literary form. Knowing its literary form directs you to the kind of truth it carries

and, therefore, how you are to interpret what you read.2 ➔ look at where the story occurs in the whole of the Gospel.

Look behind the Text - Worlds behind the Text ➔ when reading the text identify words, practices, places etc that will help develop an understanding of the time the author

wrote and the time the author was writing about.Use three keys for meaning - World in Front of the Text

➔ 3 Keys for Meaning➔ What is the author trying to say about :

◆ 1 God◆ 2 People◆ 3 Our ideal world 3

Keys can be purchased from: https://www.frenchknot.com.au/products.php?c=&p=5344 or any other home décor outlet.

Resources Note:The website Liturgy Help, www.liturgyhelp.com has the readings for the feast day as well as commentaries and worksheets.

Please see APREs for the username and password.Dr Margaret Carswell has two valuable websites that also have a lot of valuable and helpful resources and information.The Bible Doctor http://www.thebibledoctor.com/ and Teach scripture http://www.teachscripture.com/

2 Dr Margaret Carswell3 Carswell3 | P a g e

Catholic Education – Diocese of Rockhampton

The Bible Project https://thebibleproject.com/ also has a number of useful resources.

Activities taken from:Ryan, M. (2010) Learning Links to Christmas. Hamilton, Australia: Lumino PressCatholic Education , Archdiocese of Brisbane, (n.d.) A- Z Teaching Strategies , retrieved from http://rokreligiouseducation.com/resources/?k=&resource-category=teaching-strategies&resource-type=

2019 : Yr A Term: 4 Weeks: Years: Prep-yr10Knowledge & Understanding…

Prep-Yr 2Students know:Jesus is the central person in the Gospels.He was born in Bethlehem.He lived in a family.Mary was Jesus’ mother.Joseph and Mary cared for and looked after Jesus.Mary is the Mother of JesusCCC485The Church celebrates Jesus through special seasons of theliturgical year.Christmas: Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus.CCC1194

Yr 3 -Yr6The Christian scriptures teach about Jesus (the New Testament particularly the Gospels).Knowledge of the cultural contexts of the Gospels assists the reader to better understand the life and teaching of Jesus. Jesus was a Jew.CCC531-533The Bible is the inspired Word of God and it should be treated with respect.

Skills…

Prep-Yr 2.Students can:Recall simple key concepts about Jesus' family

Demonstrate their knowledge that Mary is the mother of Jesus.She made loving choicesCCC 273, 492.508

Recall the infancy narratives in both Luke and Matthew.

Explore the meaning of giving gifts.

Yr. 3-Yr 6.Identify people from the New Testament and from their own lives who live the Word of God.Begin to analyse gospel stories by drawing on a growing knowledge of the cultural context in which the Gospels were written. e.g. Village life in first century Palestine Social structure – women, men, the poor…Geography – Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth

Name significant people, places, events and stories in the New Testament.Show reverence when reading and handling the Bible.

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Narratives about Jesus are found in the Gospels.CCC101-104Jesus is present in the Scriptures.CCC124-125The Bible’s referencing system is structured according to book, chapter and verse.The structure of the Bible.The geographical, social, and religious elements in first –century Palestine help to gain an understanding of Jesus’ life on earth.Honour Mary as Mother of Jesus and our mother.CCC488, 495Honour and celebrate Mary through prayers, feasts and season of the Church’s liturgical year.CCC971

Yr.7-Yr.10Jesus is the Son of God, who offers hope to the world.Jesus was a Jew, who lived and grew within the Hebrew tradition. CCC 577-594The Incarnation is Jesus, present in the world, truly human and truly God.The Incarnation and Resurrection of Jesus are foundational beliefs of Christianity.This is understood and portrayed in many ways in the rich history of the Christian tradition

Identify by name the four Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Identify some features of text organization namely book, chapter, verse.Name the two testaments of the Bible.

Become familiar with typical structural stages and language features of various texts in the New Testament.Locate geographical places associated withJesus and the Holy Land.eg Jerusalem, Sea ofGalilee, Samaria, Judea, Nazareth…Wonder on scripture passages that tell about Mary.

Name the liturgical seasons and the liturgical colours used by the Church.Christmas – white

Yr.7-Yr.10 Examine some political, social, historical and religiouselements in first–century Palestine.Present the key teachings and practices of Judaism in the time of Jesus

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Year Level Achievement Standards:

PrepStudents know who Jesus is and recall simple key concepts and stories about Jesus’ life.Students recognise that the Bible is a special book that is treated with respect.

By the end of year One,Students demonstrate their knowledge of Mary as mother of Jesus.Students recall scripture stories of Jesus' birth

By the end of year Two, Students compare and contrast some of the cultural and social background of the Gospels with oursStudents demonstrate an understanding of the life of Mary.

By the end of Year Three, Students name significant people, places, events and stories from the Gospels

By the end of Year Four, Students locate texts within the Bible by book, chapter and verse. By the end of Year Five, Students locate the lands of the Bible and name some significant geographical locations in Jesus’ time.Students recognise aspects of Marian spirituality through liturgical feast days, Marian prayers and images

By the end of Year Six, Students compare different understandings of Mary in scripture, images and titles.Students demonstrate understanding of symbols, seasons and feasts of the liturgical year.

By the end of year Seven,Students examine some of the social and cultural practices of Judaism in the time of Jesus

By the end of year Eight,Students express an understanding of how Mary and the disciples are models for Christian life.

Scripture that will be the focus: Readings taken from the Liturgical feast of Christmas Year A

Vigil Mass Gospel – Mathew 1:18-25 Midnight Mass – Luke 2: 1-14

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Matthew 1:18-25Mary will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus.

This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

The Virgin will conceive and give birth to a sonand they will call him Emmanuel,

a name which means ‘God-is-with-us’. When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord told him to do: he took his wife to his home and, though he had not had intercourse with her, she gave birth to a son; and he named him Jesus.The scriptural quotations are taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton Longman and Todd Ltd and Doubleday & Co Inc, and used by permission of the publishers.

World of the Text World Behind the Text World in Front of the TextGenre: This text is a narrative. Most of the Bible is a narrative: a story written to entertain or inform. Narratives often contain…A clear plotDefined charactersLots of detailDialogueLanguage which keeps you engagedLots of verbs

Matthew begins the genealogy from Abraham to Joseph and connects Jesus birth to Mary, not to joseph. However, in 1:18-25 Matthew “solves this conundrum by emphasizing that joseph names jesus, thereby adopting Jesus as his own son.

Pledged to be married

Jewish engagements were initiated by a contract of marriage, and a legal action was required to break the engagement. This is what is meant by joseph’s intention to “divorce her”. According to rabbinic traditions, engagements, which usually were arranged

The Gospels are not intended to be biographies or historical reports. Each of the Gospels was written to do just one thing: help people come to believe that Jesus was the messiah, God in human form. 5

See also Margaret Carswell’s explanation of Matthew and Luke at http://www.thebibledoctor.com/uploads/2/3/7/5/23753282/luke_poster.pdf

The canonical Gospel according to Matthew was originally written in Greek by a noneyewitness whose name is unknown to us and who depended on sources like Mark and Q. There are many features of Jewish thought and theology in Matthew. The use of OT indicates he knew Hebrew and perhaps a little Aramaic. 6

Matthew’s account of Jesus birth is sparse. All is shaped by the desire to bring out the extraordinary mode of Jesus’ conception and how his birth in this way fulfils a divine script set out in Scripture.

The relationship between Joseph and Mary is a fully

Poetry: “Ordinary day” by Jeannine Brown. This 1997 lyric speaks to the meaningfulness of incarnation for ordinary life:

Ordinary day

Nothing in the way of unusual

Doing all things

I usually do

Not so very wise

Not so very spiritual

On so very usual

Is my life

Bot God was not afraid to come

Into this very unusual world

Entering our lives

Taking our humanity

So very flesh as blood

5 Carswell http://www.thebibledoctor.com/about-the-gospel-writers.html n.d.7 | P a g e

Catholic Education – Diocese of Rockhampton

lasted about a year, after which the couple was married and the wife lived with the husband’s family.

An angel of the Lord.

Matthew includes angels and/or divine messages, often given in dreams, quite frequently in his early chapters. Joseph is led by angelic instructions and dreams as are the magi.

Joseph, son of David

Joseph is called “son of David,” just as Jesus is so designated at 1:1. While the descriptor could simply designate one from David’s royal line, as in Joseph’s case, Matthew applies “son of David” to Jesus with messianic connotations.

The name Jesus…call him Immanuel…the name Jesus.

Each of these three moments in the birth story of Jesus accents the naming of jesus. Joseph is inst5ructed by an angel in a dream to name Mary’s son “Jesus.”

The final words of the passage indicate that Joseph obeys and does just that.

Jesus

The name Jesus derives from the Hebrew name “Joshua”, which means “God is salvation.” Matthew both assumes this etymology and emphasises it for his audience.

Through the prophet

Matthew draws on Isaiah 7:14 for his first of ten such fulfilment quotations. Each begins with a similar formula – “so was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet”. Matthew’s use of this formula along with his many citations and allusions to the Old Testament, demonstrates his interest in jesus as the one who

married at a very early age – when they were about twelve – and then, because of their youth, to remain a year or so longer in their own family home before moving to that of their husband. During this time, even though not living together, the couple were man and wife – not merely ‘engaged’ in the modern sense.

Hence Joseph’s conclusion at this point can only be that, since Mary has not become pregnant through relations with himself, her condition must be the result od=f sexual impropriety – that she is, in fact, guilty of adultery. If exposed tot eh full rigour of the law, she is liable to be stoned as an adulteress at worst or at least vulnerable to public shame and lifelong humiliation.7

Matthew’s gospel makes no mention of any manger. He tells us that wise men came to visit Jesus in a “house”. Matthew’s gospel presumes that the child was born in Joseph’s house which stood in Bethlehem. Joseph and Mary had always lived in Bethlehem and there the child was born, in their home.

The saviour’ l9ove

Eternal word of God

From al time existing

Now to dwell

Among us eternally

God was not afraid

To come

Into this very usual world

Ordinary day

Nothing in the way of unusual

Doing all the things

I usually do

But here in the mundane

Reminded of reality

That God is in the usual God with me.

Matthew introduces Jesus as “God with us” (1:22-23), providing the church from its earliest days with a starting point for its doctrine of the incarnation.

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fulfils the ”Law and the Prophets”. 4

Luke 2:1-14Today a saviour has been born for you.

Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census of the whole world to be taken. This census – the first – took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to his own town to be registered. So, Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and travelled up to Judaea, to the town of David called Bethlehem, since he was of David’s House and line, in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first-born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn. In the countryside close by there were shepherds who lived in the fields and took it in turns to watch their flocks during the night. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone round them. They were terrified, but the angel said, ‘Do not be afraid. Listen, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly with the angel there was a great throng of the heavenly host, praising God and singing:

‘Glory to God in the highest heavenand peace to men who enjoy his favour.’

© The scriptural quotations are taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton Longman and Todd Ltd and Doubleday & Co Inc, and used by permission of the publishers.  

World of the Text World Behind the text World in Front of the TextGenre: This text is a narrative. Most of the Bible is a narrative: a story written to entertain or inform. Narratives follow a distinctive pattern and structure.Orientation (Introduction of characters and setting)Development of a problem or conflictResolution of the problemCoda (where we often see the result of what has happened) Narratives often contain…A clear plotDefined characters

The Gospels are not intended to be biographies or historical reports. Each of the Gospels was written to do just one thing: help people come to believe that Jesus was the messiah, God in human form. 10

See also Margaret Carswell’s explanation of Matthew and Luke at http://www.thebibledoctor.com/uploads/2/3/7/5/23753282/luke_poster.pdf

The reading situates Jesus in the real world of his time – a world ruled by a distant Roman Emperor, and a local Roman

In any birthday celebration, we pause to celebrate the life of the person as it has unfolded so far. It is not so much the baby we remember, but the person now, in whatever stage of life they are and with memories of all the richness of their life – both its joys and sorrows. So, it is today. We celebrate a birth, whatever day it may have happened, but more importantly we celebrate a life given for us. We celebrate that God has joined our human story in the person of Jesus and lives on with us in the Spirit.13

4 Jeanine K Brown Teach the text Matthew, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, 2015, pp16-19.7 Brendan Byrne Lifting the Burden Reading Matthew’s Gospel in the Church Today. St Paul’s Publications, Strathfield, NSW,2004, pp.22-249 | P a g e

Catholic Education – Diocese of Rockhampton

Lots of detailDialogueLanguage which keeps you engagedLots of verbsA climax8

Caesar Augustus Caesar Augustus was effectively emperor form 31 BC to AD 14. Luke mentions hm here not only to provide a basis for the census that took Joseph to Bethlehem but also to set up an ironical contrast between the great commander and statesman of Rome and the child born in an ordinary village.

From the town of Nazareth …to Bethlehem the town of DavidEven if Joseph and Mary had a donkey (Luke does not say so), this was a long and hazardous journey for a heavily pregnant your woman. Since the two were not yet married, it is surprising that Mary came too rather that giving birth among her family in Nazareth. But it was symbolically important for the child to be born in the place where the Messiah was expected to be born.

Her firstbornThis prepares us for the ceremony of the dedication of the first born in 2:22-24.

There was no guest room available for themThe Greek word traditionally translated “inn” normally denotes a guest room in a private house; Luke uses a different word for a commercial inn and it is questionable whether Bethlehem was a large enough settlement to have an ‘inn’ as such. So jesus was born among the family in the living room. The circumstances were humble and perhaps inconvenient in contrast to an emperor’s palace, but the scene is one of warmth and acceptance in a family home, not of rejection and squalor.

Governor. Within this political context a couple travel to Bethlehem to meet the requirements of the law. It would be helpful to point out that the word translated as ‘inn’ really refers to any sleeping place where one could roll out a sleeping blanket. It would be incorrect to imagine Joseph and Mary travelling round Bethlehem to the various ‘motels’ looking for a room. More likely, following middle-Eastern customs of hospitality, Joseph would seek lodging with his relatives. What the text says is that there was no room on the floor of the house where the family would roll out sleeping mats after the evening meal. In the middle-east, during the winter months, the small flock of animals, owned by the family, would be sheltered within the house, at the back and probably at a slightly lower level. Such one-room houses were the norm. This provided shelter for the animals and also additional warmth for the family. Therefore there would have been a manger or eating trough within the house. Mary’s child is not born in an outside stable, but within a single-room family dwelling. Luke gives us the information that the sheep were outside being minded and so this section of the house would have been empty and left with straw – a perfect, secluded place for the birth of a child.11

Brendan Byrne writes that it is important to note the context in which Luke sets the birth of Jesus. Caesar Augustus, ruler of the sole superpower of the time, has decreed a universal census. Along with countless other subjects of Rome, the family of Jesus has to obey the worldly power. The edict of the greatest power on earth serves a divine purpose. The census means that Jesus will be born where Israel’s Messiah should be born: in David’s city, Bethlehem. As it turns out there is no room for Joseph and Mary in the town caravansary. So, Mary gives birth to her child outside the town. This ‘visitor form on high” (1:78) finds no “room”, no hospitality, in the city that, as Son of David, he can rightly call his own. His birth takes place on the margins, beginning a pattern to be realized over and over in his life and ministry.12

A plea! In the popular imagination, the nativity accounts of Luke and Matthew have been conflated and their distinctly different accounts and theology are not heeded. It would be very helpful when displaying a crib to try to depict only what is in the text and refrain from any additional items, as, later, young people can feel they have been misled and so begin to doubt the truth of the Scriptures. There is no donkey or cow mentioned – sheep are present along with shepherds who are outside.14

Luke's version of the birth of Jesus places Jesus in first century history and links him with the house of David, the miraculous incidents that accompany his birth notwithstanding. Situating the birth within the world of real Roman rulers underscored the fact that he was indeed born at this time, in this place, among these people, as a descendant of David. The Incarnation occurred in history. Despite the humble circumstances surrounding it, the birth of this extraordinary child was marked by celestial grandeur. This simple yet beloved Christmas story contains a complex Christology. On the one hand, Jesus is clearly of the human family of David. On the other hand, he is saviour and Lord. Such is the mystery of Christmas.15

8 Margaret Carswell http://www.thebibledoctor.com/narrative.html n.d.10 | P a g e

Catholic Education – Diocese of Rockhampton

There were shepherdsJews did not share the Egyptians disdain for shepherd, after all king David had been a shepherd. But these are ordinary workers, of no social standing, who are chosen to be the first witnesses of the Messiah’s birth.9

For all people “the people’ is a term specially used for Israel, God’s chosen people. The focus remains firmly on Jesus’ mission as the Jewish Messiah

No Activity/Experience/Differentiation ResourcesICLTs

9 R.T. France Teach the Text Luke. (Grand Rapids, Baker Books, 2013) pp33-34.11 Coloe. https://www.liturgyhelp.com/calendar/date/2019Dec25/2/ComMaCol12 Brendan Byrne, The Hospitality of God. A reading of Luke’s Gospel, (Strathfield, NSW, St Paul’s Publications, 2015) pp41-42.

13 Mary Coloe https://www.liturgyhelp.com/calendar/date/2019Dec25/2/ComMaCol Dr Mary Coloe PBVM is a Presentation sister and teaches in the field of New Testament studies at the Yarra Theological Union. She was Associate Professor in New Testament at the Australian Catholic University and has taught at Boston College, the Jesuit School of Theology Berkeley, and at the Ecce Homo Biblical Institute Jerusalem.Her specialist research areas include the Gospel of John and early Jewish Christian relationships. Dr Coloe has written numerous books, essays and journal articles on these and other topics and is a member of Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas and other biblical associations. Her home page is http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/staffhome/macoloe/10 Carswell http://www.thebibledoctor.com/about-the-gospel-writers.html n.d.14 Coloe. https://www.liturgyhelp.com/calendar/date/2019Dec25/2/ComMaCol15 Dianne Bergant https://www.liturgyhelp.com/calendar/date/2019Dec25/2/ComDiBerDianne Bergant CSA was a Professor of Biblical Studies at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, where she taught from 1978 to 2014. She holds a BS in Elementary Education from Marian College, Fond du Lac, WI; an MA and PhD in Biblical Languages and Literature from St Louis University. Amongst other things, she served as President of Catholic Biblical Association of America (2000-2001) and has been awarded honorary doctorates from several other universities. She was an active member of the Chicago Catholic/Jewish Scholars Dialogue (1988-2017) and sat on the editorial boards of The Bible Today (1979-2005), Biblical Theology Bulletin  (1990-2014), Catholic Biblical Quarterly (1992-2001), New Theology Review (1997-2003), Teaching Theology and Religion (2003-2005), and Chicago Studies (2003-2009). She has taught and lectured in many places in the United States and abroad and has written numerous books, articles and chapters in books.

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Tuning In Prep-yr2Read Luke 2:1-14 Let’s wonder about Christmas…I wonder… Why God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus How Mary felt when she was asked to be the mother of Jesus What it would be like to be born in a manger What angels are like. Why God’s angel told the shepherds about Jesus’ birth

Bible

Prep - yr 2Tell the story of Jesus’ birth using the version from Luke’s gospel and the appropriate figures of the Christmas crib. Nativity scene

Prep- yr 2Make a set of five sequence cards telling the story of Christmas from Luke’s Gospel. Discuss with the students what is happening in each card. Then ask them to place the five cards in the correct order according to the gospel account.

Sequence cards

Tuning In All year levelsWhat are some of the historical features of this passage?Read the passage slowly and carefully.Underline any words or phrases which tell us about the historical setting of this passage.

When it occurred Where it occurred What occurred

Record on 5 WS &H strategy graphic organiser

A-Z teaching strategies

Tuning In Yrs 3-6https://youtu.be/m9FGgyhdobg Christmas in a nutshell You tube clip - A video on the true meaning of Christmas.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/m9FGgyhdobg

Tuning In All year levelsPre-assessment of what they know and associate the Infancy narratives. Students to submit questions about the birth of Jesus that would like to be answered. Allow the students to put on paper all their ideas and thoughts in a safe environment and provide you with a preassessment of what they know.

Finding Out

Yrs. 3-yr6Students read the two narratives about the birth of Jesus – Matthew and Luke In groups, students reflect on God’s gift to us in Jesus. They research and represent each of the key people and events they

Bible Costume resources Card resources

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discover relating to Jesus birth: e.g. in written, pictorial or dramatic from for each of the birth narratives. Make sure that students can identify which character belongs to which gospel. Allocate a specific narrative to the groups. Students dress in costume representing these key people in their specific narrative. Digital images could be taken and downloaded for use on Christmas cards. Select an appropriate scripture form the scripture passage to highlight the event depicted on the Christmas card.

Finding Out

Prep-Yr. 3 Use the Six Senses Cube Strategy to record what the shepherds could hear, taste, touch, see, smell and hear in the story of the Nativity from Luke’s Gospel.

Six Senses Cube Strategy

The Six Senses Cube strategy assists students to reflect on situations using six senses.Process for the Six Senses Cube strategy:

Students sit in circle and take turns tossing the six senses cube. The students’ response is determined by the picture/icon which faces up. The icons have the following representation: Ear – Favourite sound Mouth – Favourite taste Hands – Favourite activity Eyes – Favourite thing to look at Nose – Favourite smell Heart – Feelings and emotions

.A-Z teaching strategies p109

Finding Out

Yrs. 7-10In this lesson, students focus on the role of the magi / wise men in Matthew’s birth narrative– i.e. who they were, their journey, their gifts: 1. Gold 2. Frankincense 3. Myrrh They investigate why these gifts were given – what was the meaning behind them? How did they foretell or mirror later events in Jesus’ life? Students could also examine the magi’s conversation with the King … whether they showed courage or were foolish in choosing not to return to the King

Bible

Finding Out

Yrs 3-10Students explore that while Christmas for most people is a joyous time for celebration, it can also be a challenging time for some people … e.g. for those people who might be alone - away from family, living on the streets, lonely … a time when they need love, hope or just a smile. Is Christmas always a happy time for everyone? What can the class do to help others have a better Christmas? Catholic MissionGifts for St Vincent’s de Paul

Catholic MissionSt Vincent’s de PaulGiving tree

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Giving tree Food for a community-based Christmas lunch The class may decide to contribute to one of these.

Finding Out

All year levelsOften schools will have people from other countries or Christian traditions in them. Students are encouraged to share stories from their own families, faiths, homelands …. Students could research celebrations from the northern hemisphere for example.

Research task

Finding Out

All year levelsStudents investigate and compare Hanukkah e.g. what is being celebrated, how it is celebrated, the role of presents and prayers and coming together, the time of year it is celebrated, ……… Students identify the similarities and differences between Hanukkah and Christmas.

Finding Out

Yrs. Prep-yr2I wonder• Why the wise men brought gold, frankincense and myrrh• Why King Herod was angry when he heard what the wise men were looking for• How Joseph and Mary felt about having to go to a new land• How I would feel if I was in danger and had to leave my home• Why the wise men came to visit Jesus

Create a nativity scene in the classroom. The children could make figures from playdough.

Playdough

Finding Out

Yrs 3-6

Tell the story of the first Christmas Crib – St Francis of Assisi in the village of Greccio in Italy in 1223.

Sorting Out

Yrs 7-10https://youtu.be/wcmGmao-TJA Analysing Matthew’s PrologueRead the prologue to Matthew’s Gospel, Matthew 1:18—2:23, and the sidebar “Jesus’ Family Tree,” Mt 1:1–17, in The Catholic Youth Bible®. Then carry out the following activities.

Part 1 Detect where Matthew foreshadows the themes of his Gospel in these first two chapters. Write your findings after each theme here: Jesus is the Messiah. The Church will be open to Gentiles.Jesus will suffer and die.

Part 2 Notice that in Matthew’s prologue the stories of Jesus’ birth are told from Joseph’s point of view instead of Mary’s, as it was in Luke’s Gospel. List three characteristics of Joseph, and explain your answers based on the prologue. 1.

https://youtu.be/wcmGmao-TJA catholic Youth Bible

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2. 3. How many times does the Lord speak to Joseph in a dream? What other Joseph, who appeared in the Old Testament, had dreams and the gift of interpreting dreams?

Sorting out

All year levels.

Using the three keys to unlock the scripture.Remember that Luke’s audience were not Jews….• What do you think Luke is trying to say to them about God? About Jesus?• What do you think Luke is trying to say to them about people?• What do you think Luke is trying to say to them about the world he thinks God wants?

Can you ‘unlock’ this passage? Can you predict what might be going to happen as the ministry of the disciples begins? What happened next?Peter continues with a very long speech or sermon. Three thousand people were baptised.

Sorting Out

Prep-yr2Collect a large number of Christmas cards that picture biblical scenes of the nativity of Jesus. Ask the students to name the characters in the cards. Recount that character’s part in the story of Jesus. Choose one card tell the story of the card, creating incidents and dialogue, asking questions. Choose one card and act out the scene.

Sorting Out

Yr 3-yr6Share the story of Jacob’s gift where Jacob, a carpenter’s young apprentice in Bethlehem learns when you give a gift to one of God’s children you give a gift to God.Use the main idea Memory jogger strategy to have students identify the Main idea, who, what , where, when, why and how aspects of the story

Max Lucado (1998) Jacob’s Gift

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Yrs. prep-Yr. 6 Create a star and hang it in your home during the Christmas season.You could also watch the DVD Once upon a stable – in this animated film a group of animals – a cow, a mouse, a horse, a pig and a rooster learn they will have an important guest in their stable. They wonder what sort of a gift to give to the King and learn some valuable lessons along the way.

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Yr 3-yr10Watch this video https://youtu.be/_OLezoUvOEQ this video from the Bile project outlines the beginning of Luke’s Gospel Chapters 1-2. We explore the amazing events surrounding the birth of Jesus. The humble conditions of his family and their low status in Israelite society foreshadow the upside-down nature of Jesus’ kingdom.

https://youtu.be/_OLezoUvOEQ

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Retooning https://youtu.be/ZPRaYnm12OQ

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The present video https://youtu.be/3XA0bB79oGc

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Yrs Prep-yr6Children’s Literature on Christmas

For a breathtaking visual take on the nativity, Jan Pienkowski’s The First Christmas  is hard to beat. The story is told in aseries of stunning silhouettes each of which is full of wonder , mystery and humour. The very brief words of the text aretaken from the King James Bible.  

In The Christmas Story by Ian Beck there is more awe and wonder with radiant skies filled with cheerful angels making wonderful music providing a background to the traditional story of the birth in a stable.

 

The Nativity Story by award-winning author Geraldine McCaughrean is a simply and affectionately told version of the traditional story with illustrations by Sophy Williams.

 

Nicholas Allen takes a far more iconoclastic approach in his wonderfully witty Jesus’ Christmas Party which is told from the point of view of the inn keeper.

 

The Nativity Play by Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen humorously captures the creativity that is the essence of every performance of the nativity and the vital role all those involved play in making it a success.

Michael Morpurgo’s Christmas Stories is a selection of his own stories on the theme, illustrated by a variety of artists which includes Christmas stories from many traditions. Of particular relevance this year is the famous story of the football match that took place in the trenches in the first world war.

Brian Wildsmith – a Christmas story

We've all heard the story of the three wise men who brought their gifts to Baby Jesus. But what about the camels who carried them? Here is the story of Humphrey the camel and his long, cold journey to Bethlehem.

The Crippled Lamb Joshua is sad because he is different than the other lambs. One night, a special baby is born in his barn, and Joshua is reminded that God has a place for everyone.

The Birds of Bethlehem This classic book tells the story of the Nativity from a bird’s eye view — literally! This book is great for young and old readers alike.

 

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Yrs 7-10 Discovering Saint Nicholas https://youtu.be/mxrPWOl83aM

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Out Comparison Chart – Learning Links to Christmas p. 35Use the comparison chart to see how Matthew and Luke tell the story of the birth and infancy of Jesus. The answers can be found in the first two chapters of the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Write your answer in the correct box in the column under the name of Matthew or Luke. Give the Bible reference for where you find the answer. Where did Joseph and Mary live before the child was born?Who gave the child the name, Jesus- Mary or Joseph?Who visited the child in Bethlehem?Where did the visitors find the child?Where does the family go after the visitors leave?

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Yrs. 3-yr10This activity gives young people the opportunity to enjoy their favourite Christmas songs while exploring the original meaning of Christmas.

Reflection on Favourite Christmas Carols

Have the students, as a class, decide on their five favourite Christmas carols. To help them, take time to actually listen to Christmas carols in class. Doing this out of season will strike some students as "weird," but tell them that doing so is the best way to jog their memory.

After the students have made their selections, assign each of the carols to a small group of students asking them to do three things:

1. Discuss how this and other Christmas carols might be understood as "infancy narratives," that is, as artistic creations intended to respond to our real needs, just as Matthew's and Luke's narratives responded to the needs of their respective audiences.

2. Identify any lyrics that seem to have their origin in one or both of the infancy narratives.

3. Offer some explanation for the lyrics that are not directly tied to the Scriptures. Why, do you think, did the songwriter include them? Do they make any sense in our contemporary world? If not, why do they still touch us deeply--so deeply that the song was selected as a favorite?

At the end of the small-group work, call everyone together and discuss what the small groups arrived at regarding their respective carols. Then ask the students to name popular Christmas songs that have little or nothing to do with the original meaning of Christmas. Elicit the students' opinions on why those songs are popular.

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Yrs. prep-yr2

Wrap a symbolic present from each member of the class to give to the baby Jesus.

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Yrs. 3-6Complete the cloze activity using the breakthrough BibleBreakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics© 2013by Saint Mary’s PressPermission to reproduce is granted.

The Birth of JesusAt the time Emperor ordered a_______ to be taken throughout the Empire. . . . Everyone, then, went to register himself, each to his own hometown. Joseph went from the town of ____________ in Galilee to the town of ____________in Judea, the birthplace of King David.

. . . He went to register with ________________, who was promised in marriage to him. She was pregnant, and while they were in ________________,

the time came for her to have her baby. She gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a___________-there was no room for them to

stay in the _______________.

There were some _____________________ in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks. An

_____________of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them. They were terribly afraid, but the angel said to them, “Don’t be

_____________! I am here with for you, which will bring great joy to all people. This very day in David’s town your Saviour was born — Christ the Lord!”

(Luke 2:1,3–12) The Scripture quotations on this handout are from the Good News Translation®(Today’s English Version, Second Edition). Copyright © 1992 by the American Bible Society. All rights reserved. Bible text from the Good News Translation (GNT) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by the American Bible Society, 1865 Broadway, New York, NY 10023 (www.americanbible.org).

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Yrs. Prep-yr. 6 Record students by video or recorded as they tell the story of Jesus’ infancy. Invite them to make a picturebook to go with the video. Classmates can use headphones to listen to the story as they turn the pages ofthe book.

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Yrs. Prep-yr6.Make up simple poems or rhymes about the infancy narratives. Brainstorm key words for the story of Luke:shepherd, flock, manager, baby swaddling cloths, Bethlehem, Mary…Students can make simple rhymes,make rhythms by clapping or stamping their feet. They can talk about the things they imagine as they telltheir poems to the class.

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Prep-yr. 6Use puppets to tell the story of Jesus’ infancy. Invite students to tell their own version of the story usingpuppets. They can make their own puppets using a range of media; drawings of characters glued tosticks, hand puppets made from old socks; paper bag puppets filled with newsprint and faces drawn onthe bag, marionette puppets made from Styrofoam cups…

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Yrs. 7-10.Learning Links to Christmas p. 41

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Design a crest for Jesus’ family. Include images and designs that communicate ideas such as the birth of the child, the family’s religion, where they live, what their interests are and so on.

TEACHER EVALUATIONAs a religion teacher:Did I spend time reflecting upon the unit and the significance of its implications for my own life and faith? What did I learn about myself and my relationship with God? Was I able to identify and articulate, for myself, the relationship between life and faith? Students’ Understanding How well did activities allow students to come to understandings related to the focus of the unit? How well did activities allow students to come to understandings related to the general focus on life within theunit? Accessibility Were the chosen activities accessible to all students? Student involvement and interest Were students as fully involved and interested as possible? Highlights of unit What were the highlights of this unit? Improvement Can you identify practical ways to improve this unit?

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