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Engaging Faith

Practical Lesson Ideas and Activities for Catholic Educators
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Working with Bible Study Aids

Your school may be embarking on Elective Course A, Sacred Scripture, of the USCCB Doctrinal Framework. Even if you are not, Scripture study plays prominently in each of your school's required and elective courses. Correspondingly, making sure students are familiar with Bible study aids (e.g., Bible dictionaries, one-volume Bible commentaries, and Bible concordances) is an essential prerequisite for this task. Use the following exercise to introduces students to these tools. Activity Directions Introduce students to these Bible study tools: the Bible dictionary, a one-volume Bible commentary, and a Bible concordance. Display at least one example of each to show the class. Then have them complete the following short exercises with their group. Allow about five minutes to work. Then rotate the study aids. Continue until each group does one assignment for each study aid. Bible Dictionary Assignments Look up and define "nomads" and list one example of nomadism from the Bible. Look up "genealogy." How many genealogies are there in the Bible? List them. Look up "mystery." How is it defined in the Old Testament? How is it defined in the New Testament. One-Volume Bible Commentary List three interesting facts about Jesus' anointing at Bethany (Mk 14:1-11). What are the origins and background of Hannah's hymn of praise (1 Sm 2:1-11)? What does Paul mean by "freedom from the Law" (Rom 7:1-25)? Bible Concordance What is the first reference of "Jerusalem" in the Bible? (Jos 10:1) What is the last reference? (Rv 21:10) What is the Scripture reference for "Such a one, man or beast must not be allowed to live"? (Ex 19:13) Which Gospel has the most references to St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus? (Matthew) Option: Arrange a trip to your school library (or local Catholic university library) to compare single-volume Bible commentaries with multi-volume versions. This activity is part of the Ave Maria Press textbook Sacred Scripture: A Catholic Study of God's Word by Dr. Daniel Smith-Christopher and Fr. Patrick Mullen.

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Bible Basics for Teens

Earlier this year we had the honor of publishing an excellent introduction to the Bible by Franciscan University professor John Bergsma called Bible Basics for Catholics: A New Picture of Salvation History. Dr. Bergsma, who is a colleague of Dr. Scott Hahn, is known for his fun and creative drawings that illustrate the deep meaning behind the Old Testament biblical texts. He has a unique approach to teaching the Old Testament that all religion teachers can learn from and teens will surely enjoy. What is really remarkable about this book is the memorable drawings of challenging texts. In a world with so much technology, students learn more visually today than ever before. Dr. Bergsma's drawings act as excellent teaching tools for the modern learner. Earlier this year, Dr. Bergsma gave a webinar titled, "How to Get Through the Bible in an Hour," in which he shared brief samples of his creative illustrations. Here is the recording of that webinar: Watch his presentation on YouTube or Vimeo. Dr. Bergsma works really fast in this presentation, so you may want to watch and rewatch the way he teaches certain stories in the Bible: Creation, Abraham, Moses, David, the Prophets, and the Eucharist. You may even want to pick out clips from the presentation to show to your students. Dr. Bergsma's book, Bible Basics for Catholics, gives a step-by-step explanation and discussion that dig deep into the key Old Testament stories that illustrate God's covenants throughout salvation history. Teaching Bible Basics to Teens Whether you teach a course on Sacred Scripture or occasionally include a lesson or two on the Bible, reflect on the following questions: How can I use images to teach about the meaning of the Old Testament and the New Testament? What connections can I show between the Old Testament and the New Testament? How can I help students see God's "covenant" in the texts we will study? How can I use humor to spike my students' interest in the Bible? Bible Basics for Catholics is also available as an eBook on the Kindle and Nook or on the iPad using the Kindle or Nook apps.

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Prophets Lesson Plan

A very large portion of the Old Testament focuses on the lives and messages of the prophets. The prophets played a very important and influential role in the history of Israel and the development of the Jewish people. They voiced a constant reminder from Yahweh that his people must worship the one, true God and treat others with dignity and respect. Old Testament Prophets Lesson Plan Lesson Objectives: SWBAT list the eighteen prophetic books of the Old Testament. SWBAT categorize the prophets as major/minor and northern kingdom/southern kingdom. Assessment: Prophets Matching Quiz Teaching Approaches: 1. Bell Work: Directed Reading Guide Jesus Christ: God's Revelation to the World (Chapter 5, pages 107-116) Or The Old Testament (Chapter 7, Introduction) 2. SMART Board Activity (or Prophetic Worksheets) Using the Prophets SMARTBoard Notebook presentation or the PDF prophets worksheet version of the activities, address the following questions: How many prophetic books are in the Bible? (18) To what do the terms "major" and "minor" refer? (the length, not the importance, of the prophetic books) Who were the "major" prophets? (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, [Daniel]) Who were the "minor" prophets? (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habbakuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi) Who were the prophets of the northern kingdom? (Elijah, Elisha, Amos, Hosea) Who were the prophets of the southern kingdom? (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah) Who were the postexilic prophets in Judah (southern kingdom)? (Zechariah, Haggai, Isaiah (3rd), Joel, Malachi, Zechariah, Jonah) 3. Create Matching Quizzes To memorize the categories for each prophet, have the students create matching quizzes on blank notebook paper. Have them create an answer key on a separate sheet of paper. After 10-15 minutes, allow the students to exchange their quizzes with a partner. Repeat the process as time allows. 4. Verbal Check Check the students' ability to categorize the prophets. Say the name of a prophet and have the students show who the prophet is in the following ways: stand if the prophet is a major prophet sit if the prophet is a minor prophet raise a hand pointing to the sky if the prophet is from the northern kingdom point to the ground if the prophet is from the southern kingdom point behind yourself if the prophet is from postexilic Judah After students have shown sufficient evidence that they know the categories of each prophet, distribute the quiz. 5. Assessment: Matching Quiz Give students the opportunity to show their knowledge in the Prophets Matching Quiz (PDF or Word versions). Note that the final question can use some of the names on the front of the sheet, but will require students to know the prophetic books that are not listed. Answers: 1. A, 2. B, 3. B. 4. B, 5. B, 6. A, 7. A, 8. B, 9. B, 10. B, 11. A, 12. C, 13. A, 14. C, 15. B, 16. B, 17. A, 18. B, 19. A, 20. C, 21-22. the length, not the importance, of the prophetic books, 23-40. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Amos, Nahum, Hosea, Habakkuk, Micah, Zephaniah, Joel, Haggai, Jonah, Zechariah, Obadiah, Malachi, Lamentations, Baruch.

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Fun and Informative Look at the Pesach

Monday at sundown marked the beginning of the Pesach, the major Jewish feast of the Nisan cycle (corresponding to March or April). Commonly known as Passover, it celebrates the Hebrews' freedom from Egyptian slavery. God reminded Israel to celebrate the Passover meal every year to remind future generations of God's deliverance, salvation, fidelity, and love. The Israelites ate quickly and departed Egypt with only a few belongings. Relocation Activity Have your students imagine they have to immediately from their homes and relocate to a land a great distance away. They are given only one wooden crate that they may fill with ten personal treasures: possessions, heirlooms, symbols of their life that will remind them of their and their families' past. Tell them to write down the ten things they will take. Then, ask them to share their most important item with a partner. Also, for discussion ask: "How many of the ten items involved a memory of a time when you our your family reached out in service to others?" Finally, play this enjoyable look at Passover from the largest Jewish informative website.

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Old Testament Timeline Activities

There are many events in the Old Testament for students to keep track of in a course on Scripture. Consider using the following activity suggestions for creating timelines and the websites that might provide helpful information.   Timeline from The Old Testament: Our Call to Faith and Justice     Old Testament Timeline Activities • Have students survey their Old Testament textbooks by checking the chapter titles, section headings, and pictures. Have them record the most important events and compile them into a timeline. • Have students choose one particular Old Testament figure to focus on in a timeline. Have them do research online or pull key events straight from the Bible. If dates are imprecise, make sure the events are at least put into chronological order. • Have students focus on a particular theme in the Old Testament and trace its history in the form of a timeline. Themes might include: Old Testament battles, idolatry, God’s providence, infidelity, music, angels, the kings, the prophets, forgiveness, water, light, the Temple, the Ark of the Covenant, etc. This may take a little more time than the other variations, but it is a great opportunity to highlight important themes and to encourage students to take particular perspectives on the Hebrew Scriptures. • One possible variation to a written timeline, is to have students create an illustrated timeline using colored pencils, markers, magazine clippings, or Internet photos. This may require some poster board, but these offer great items to decorate the classroom walls.     Old Testament Timelines Online Timeline of the Old Testament (BibleStudy.org)—This site has a comprehensive timeline with many links to quality information. History of Israel (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs)—This information was developed by the national of Israel and provides some extensive information about the Jewish people up to the present day. History of ancient Israel and Judah Wikipedia’s version of the history of Ancient Israel. Chronology of the Bible Wikipedia’s version of the chronology of the Bible. I it quite extensive and includes both the Jewish calendar and Julian Calendar. Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Israel (Fordham.edu) Information and historical dates of the documents and historical artifacts surrounding the Old Testament.

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The Nativity of St. John the Baptist

 John the Baptist played a pivotal role in the coming of the Kingdom of God. He is connected with the prophets of the Old Testament while at the same time he acts as a model for the new Kingdom of God. The story of John the Baptist’s birth (Luke 1:5-38, 57-75) can be related to many other stories of births in the Old Testament, particularly in Genesis. Direct the students to some examples of how the Patriarchs were born: Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac (Gn 15:3; 16:1); Isaac, Rebekah, Esau, and Jacob (Gn 25:21); Jacob, Rachel, and Joseph (Gn 29:31, 30:1-2, 22-24). In each case, the pregnancy was made possible by God. Two other births have close similarities to the infancy narrative of John the Baptist including the birth of Samson (Jgs 13:2-3), who like John took ascetic vows (Lk 1:15) and whose parents received a visit from an angel of the Lord. It is probably most likely that the birth of Samuel (1 Sm 1:9-2:11, 18-21) is the prototype of Luke’s infancy narrative: both had barren mothers (1 Sm 1:2; Lk 1:7); both had parents who prayed in the temple (1 Sm 2:9; Lk 1:9); both make ascetic vows (Lk 1:15; 1 Sm 1:11, 22); both are dedicated to the Lord (1 Sm 1:22) The birth of John the Baptist is also closely related to the birth of Jesus Christ: Announcement from an Angel (1:10; 1:26) Mary has faith (1:45) in contrast to Zechariah who has doubt (1:20) The Canticle of Zechariah (2:68-80) and the Magnificat (1:46-55) as responses to God’s gift. Divide these various stories among groups of students. Have them read together both the infancy narrative of John and their passages. Have them find and cite each of the similarities. Then have them propose the reasons why Luke would make these connections to the Old Testament. Discuss their results as a class. Notes on the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist: According to the Gospel of Luke, John the Baptist was born six months before Jesus. The feast of his birth, therefore, is on June 24th. In some countries, St. John’s Eve—like Christmas Eve—is celebrated the day before the feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. This custom is particularly popular in rural Ireland.

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Old Testament Battles and Warriors Project

It is always a challenge to teach in ways that will grab the students’ attention. One way to do this in a course on the Scriptures is to highlight the warrior-heroes and battles of the Old Testament. This activity is especially useful if you teach at an all boy’s school. Assign students the following names of warriors of the Old Testament and have them create a report on them to present to the class.1. Joshua (Joshua 1:1-11; 5:13-6:27; 10:7-15)2. Caleb (Joshua 15:13-193. Ehud (Jgs 3:12-30) 4. Deborah (Jgs 4-5) 5. Gideon (Jgs 6-8)6. Jephthah (Jgs 11)7. Samson (Jgs 13-16) 8. Jonathan (1 Sm 14) 9. Saul (1 Sm 10-1210. David (1 Sm 17)11. David’s Warriors (2 Sm 23:8-39) 12. Joram (2 Kings 3) 13. Naaman (2 Kings 5) 14. Jehu (2 Kings 9) 15. Hezekiah (2 Kgs 18-20)16. Judith (Judith 8, 13) 17. Mattathias (1 Mc 2)18. Judas Maccabeus (1 Mc 3-5, 9) 19. Jonathan (1 Mc 9-13) 20. Simon (1 Mc 13) Give the students the following guidelines for the report: 1. Read the passage from Scripture about the warrior (including the footnotes). 2. Write summary of everything you can deduce from the Old Testament passage: unique qualities, reason for fighting, the enemies, their success of failure. 3. Describe whether they consider the warrior to have participated in “Miracle Warfare” (see below). In the Torah, “Divine Warfare” or “Miracle Warfare” was commonplace. Miracle Warfare is the idea, unique to the Israelites, that God will fight, not just with them, but for them against their enemies. Ask the students to decide whether or not they see this theology in action as they are doing their research. Does God literally fight on their behalf? If so, explain. *Note that studying these figures does not condone the evil of violence and war. You may also consider following up with a lesson on the Just-War Doctrine of the Catholic Church.

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Old Testament Themes

Dr. Daniel Smith-Christopher will be the keynote speaker at the fifth annual Teacher Enrichment Day on October 10 at the University of Notre Dame, sponsored by Ave Maria Press. Dr. Smith-Christopher is a Professor at Loyola Marymount University specializing in the Hebrew scriptures. Below he offers some advice on reading the Old Testament. Reading the Old Testament is not like reading any ordinary book. Yes, we need to read the words and sentences. But more than a literal reading of the text, we need to read it with faith. This means we reflect on the underlying message of the text: the message of truth God is wishing to communicate to us. Here are some main themes found in the Bible. Keep these in mind as you study particular stories or events in the Old Testament.  ·      God created a good world. ·      God has blessed human life. ·      Humanity has a tendency to sin. ·      God is a God of mercy. ·      God keeps promises. ·      The covenant binds God to Israel. ·      The Law expresses Israel’s bond to God. ·      Worship is praise and thanksgiving. ·      Religious life is life in community. ·      God directs all of human history. As the introduction to the New American Bible explains, these themes can be applied to our own lives today in the following ways: ·      All things in our life must flow from faith. ·      Our prayer and our daily life must be one. ·      We must respect God’s holiness. ·      We must imitate God’s holiness. ·      Holiness must be translated into compassion. ·      Life is a journey that requires trust in God. ·      We are people of the land. (We must take the environment seriously.) ·      Faith is a family affair. ·      Prayer must fill our lives.  For more information on the Teacher Enrichment Conference and to register, please contact Kerry Circosta.

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