Ask students to say aloud words or phrases that come immediately to them when you say the word “patriotism.” List the words on the board.

Distribute a handout with the following quotations and questions.  Read the first quotation and have the students write their reflections on the questions that follow. Repeat the format for sections 2 and 3.

Finally, ask the students to answer in writing the two “Final Items.” To conclude, ask the students to share their reflections either in small groups or with the whole class.

The annual Catholic Schools Week, sponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association, begins on Monday January 29 and runs until Saturday, Feburary 4. This year's theme is “Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service.”

Here’s a short discussion activity you can lead prior to a fuller lesson on the Sacrament of Penance and, perhaps, participation by your students in the sacrament itself.

Here’s a refresher on the role of saints in the Church, in lieu of the coming of All Saints’ Day on November 1.

The World Meeting of Families will occur from Tuesday, September 22 to Friday, September 25, while the Holy Father’s presence in Philadelphia will be Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27. It is important to recall that the World Meeting of Families is not merely an event to capture the attention of parents with families –after all, it is likewise a chance for even the youth to be drawn to reflect on the importance of the family within society.

This lesson—created by Sr. Kieran Sawyer, SSND—or an adaptation of it serves well for a first week introduction to your class

In anticipation of the June 18 release of Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si ("Be Praised" or "Praised Be") which focuses on environmental issues, please note information on several ways Catholic Relief Services is reaching out to address climate change issues around the world.

With issues around the First Amendment to the United States Constitution swirling in the news, including around the recent Supreme Court Decision in the Hobby Lobby case, and worldwide in the brutal persecution and decimation of Christians in the Middle East, please note the following articles and resources.

Interested in teaching your students about Pope John Paul II? As part of the celebration of the canonizations of the pope, Ave Maria Press is offering St. John Paul II: A Five-Day Mini Unit, a supplementary resource designed to celebrate the life of Karol Wotyla, the beloved pope whose nearly twenty-seven year papacy that transitioned the world from the twentieth to twenty-first century.

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.

During an introduction of the topic of Salvation History, review the plot structure diagram with students. Connect this story diagram with salvation history. Invite students to fill in as much as they know of the story of salvation history.

On Tuesday, Br. Michel Bettigole, editor of the book The Catholic Spirit: An Anthology for Discovering Faith Through Literature, Art, Film, and Music, presented a sample lesson on the Eucharist drawing from classic works of art and literature.

On Sunday September 19, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI beatified Cardinal John Henry Newman, Catholic convert and exceptional apologist.

What can we know about Jesus’ resurrection based on the Gospel similarities and differences?

Below are some suggestions for teaching about the new Health Care Law in the context of Catholic Social Teaching.

Based on the writings of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, the Church has set forth the following criteria for a “just war.”

This lesson plan is useful for anyone teaching a course on the Introduction to the New Testament.

The attendees of Ave Maria Press's Teacher Enrichment Day share some favorite lesson plans.

As you begin a new semester, the Church is celebrating a special jubilee year dedicated to St. Paul.

I've designed a theology site called Nicenet.org (independent of Ave Maria Press) that I'd like to make available to anyone who teaches the faith and visits the Ave Maria Press web site.

Here's a re-do of a post we published last year during the all-encompassing NCAA Basketball tournament.

As Catholic Christians we are called to choose the most loving thing in a given situation.

With presidential politics and primaries in full swing and the feast day of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American born saint recently celebrated, consider the following lesson icebreaker on the theme of the Catholic Church in America.

One of the most difficult realties about high school life is the devastating effect of gossip upon students and staff.

Over the summer, the Associated Press and MTV released findings of an in-depth study of young people and happiness.

No one, not even in the secular media, can ever doubt Mother Teresa’s service to the “least brothers and sisters” of this world. She spent a majority of her life caring for the “poorest of the poor.” She spoke many times of the importance of love and family, of accepting the gift of life, and of learning many lessons from the poor.