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| Unit Theme |
What Catholics Believe |
How Catholics Worship |
How Catholics Live |
How Catholics Pray |
Unit 1
Our Church Community
Children are helped to explore the Sunday worship experience and learn the meaning of the signs and events they may witness. Basic orientation toward liturgy and prayer, as well as a sense of community, are part of the unit objectives.
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1. We Belong to Jesus' Church
• Appreciate belonging to a family
• Identify the Church to which we belong as the Catholic Church
• Explain how people will recognize Jesus’ followers
• Name some of the things that Catholics do
• Learn to make the Sign of the Cross
CCC 764, 2157
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2. We Gather to Celebrate Mass
• Recognize the cross on a church as a sign of Jesus
• Understand that our parish community gathers in church to celebrate Mass
• Realize that Jesus is with us when we pray with our church community
• Name some of the objects in a Catholic church
• Pray a blessing prayer for God’s gifts
to us
CCC 1083, 1180–81, 1198–99
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3. God's Word Teaches Us at Mass
• Identify different ways children learn
• Realize that the readings at Mass come from the Bible
• Understand that the word of God and the homily teach us how to follow Jesus
• Discover that God speaks to us when we listen to his word
• Pray a prayer about listening to the word of God
CCC 104
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4. We Give Praise to God
• Describe how we feel when someone praises us
• Learn that prayers of praise celebrate God’s goodness
• Discover how people in Bible times praised God
• Discuss ways Catholics praise God
at Mass
• Sign, say, and sing praise to God
CCC 2564, 2691, 2696
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| Unit Theme |
What Catholics Believe |
How Catholics Worship |
How Catholics Live |
How Catholics Pray |
Unit 2
Our Loving God
God the Father, as presented by Jesus in the Gospels, is at the center of this unit. The Father’s love and goodness are highlighted.
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5. God Is Our Loving Father
• Explain how things God made show his love
• Learn that God created everything in the world from nothing
• Discover ways that God, our loving Father, cares for all that he creates
• Discuss ways that we can care for God’s creation
• Pray a prayer of thanks to God for the gifts of creation
CCC 27, 51, 218–21, 239–40, 275, 295, 301, 336, 352
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6. Baptism Is a Wonderful Gift
• Discuss the importance of welcoming others
• Appreciate Baptism as a celebration of becoming a member of the Christian community
• Describe how a person is baptized
• Realize that as Christians, we are
followers of Jesus Christ
• Pray with holy water, a sign of our new life with Jesus
CCC 1213, 1668
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7. God Made Us to Be Good and Holy
• Understand that everything has a
purpose
• Explain that God made us to be loving people
• Realize that God wants us to be happy with him in heaven
• List ways that we can show our love for God and others
• Pray with movement to a holy song
CCC 1023–24,1700, 1702, 1719–21, 1726
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8. We Give Thanks to God
• Discuss why it is important to thank someone
• Understand why we call God "our Father"
• Name special gifts they should thank God for
• Learn about the leper who returned to thank Jesus
• Give thanks to God with hearts and voices
CCC 2143, 2638, 2700–2704, 2722, 2792–93, 2801
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| Unit Theme |
What Catholics Believe |
How Catholics Worship |
How Catholics Live |
How Catholics Pray |
Unit 3
God's Son, Jesus
Jesus is God’s greatest gift to us. He is God’s Son and our brother, divine and human. Jesus Christ is present to us in the Eucharist. We learn about God’s forgiveness in the Gospels.
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9. Jesus Is God's Son
• Tell about hearing good news
• Understand that Mary is the mother
of Jesus
• Realize that God sent his Son, Jesus, into our world because he loves us
• Explore ways to spread the good news of Jesus’ birth
• Pray an echo prayer about Jesus
CCC 457, 501
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10. We Celebrate the Gift of Eucharist
• Discuss what makes family meals
special
• Recognize that the words of the Eucharistic Prayer describe what took place at the Last Supper
• Explain that Jesus is present in the Eucharist
• Learn about Saint Katharine Drexel
• Pray before the Blessed Sacrament with signs of respect
CCC 1323, 1378–80
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11. Jesus Teaches Us About Forgiveness
• Interpret right and wrong actions
• Realize that God wants us to be sorry when we do wrong, and that God is always ready to forgive us
• Learn that God’s laws help us choose what is right
• Know when to say "I am sorry" and "I forgive you"
• Pray a prayer of sorrow
CCC 1850, 1950, 1975, 2083, 2113, 2401, 2454, 2464, 2505
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12. We Pray with God's Word
• Name ways that people like to pray
• Describe some ways that Jesus prayed
• Learn how to pray with Gospel stories
• Experience praying with God’s word as a way of getting closer to Jesus
• Act out a Bible story
CCC 2705, 2708
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| Unit Theme |
What Catholics Believe |
How Catholics Worship |
How Catholics Live |
How Catholics Pray |
Unit 4
The Holy Spirit
Scripture stories about the promise of the Holy Spirit and the action of the Spirit are presented. These
stories show the relationship of the Holy Spirit to the Father and the Son, as well as the role the Spirit plays in the life of the Church and every person.
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13. Jesus Sends Us the Holy Spirit
• Discuss how people help us
• Realize that Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit
• Understand that the Holy Spirit is the gift of God’s love
• Name ways the Holy Spirit helps us make good choices
• Praise God as Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit
CCC 733
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14. We Celebrate the Gift of the Holy Spirit
• Name everyday uses of water and oil
• Realize that water in Baptism and holy oil in Confirmation are symbols of the Holy Spirit
• Understand that the Holy Spirit lives
in us
• Identify ways the Holy Spirit works in our lives
• Pray with oil as a reminder that the Holy Spirit lives in us
CCC 1262, 1302
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15. The Holy Spirit Is Our Helper
• Distinguish good habits from bad habits
• Name seven fruits of the Holy Spirit
• Understand that the Holy Spirit helps us follow Jesus
• Describe ways of using the fruits of the Holy Spirit
• Pray to the Holy Spirit for help and guidance
CCC 1803
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16. The Holy Spirit Helps Us Pray
• Name people who teach us to do new things
• Understand that the Holy Spirit teaches us to pray
• Discover how the Church prays to the Holy Spirit
• Write a petition to the Holy Spirit
• Participate in a Holy Spirit procession
CCC 2670-71
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| Unit Theme |
What Catholics Believe |
How Catholics Worship |
How Catholics Live |
How Catholics Pray |
Unit 5
Jesus' Church of Followers
The beginnings of the Church which Jesus founded are presented through Scripture stories and
liturgical passages Emphasis is placed on the concept of Church as the center of action for those who are dedicated to living the Gospel.
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17. Jesus' Followers Become the Church
• Discuss what friends do with each other
• Learn about life in the first Christian community
• Realize how church members care for one another
• Describe ways we can act like the first Christians
• Pray "Amen" as a prayer of faith
CCC 764, 781, 1061–65
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18. We Celebrate Pentecost
• Discuss what makes birthday
celebrations special
• Recognize the feast of Pentecost as the "Birthday of the Church"
• Realize that the Church is a diversified world community
• Describe ways the church celebrates Pentecost
• Experience in prayer the love and peace of the Holy Spirit
CCC 1076, 1934–35
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19. The Church Helps the World
• Identify needs that people have
• Understand that the mission of Christians is to help others
• Discover ways the Holy Spirit works through the Church today
• Learn ways that church helpers love and serve others
• Listen to God and say yes to his call
CCC 781, 2392
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20. We Pray with Holy Songs
• Name times when people like to sing
• Discover that holy songs are prayers
• Realize that when we sing with our hearts, we are praying
• Understand why Catholics sing holy songs
• Sing an end-of-year prayer of thanks and praise to God
CCC 1156–57
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