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A Reference Guide to the Gospel Story
A partial list of scripture references for Jesus’ miracles, parables, important teachings, and life events
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To Know Another
An individual worksheet where students rank the importance of discovering specific types of information about another person
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Faith Shield
An individual activity that asks students about their faith and their relationship with God.
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From Fasting to Feasting
A short prayer that calls us to feast on kindness and compassion towards others.
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Isaiah: The Peaceable Kingdom Is Coming!
This handout offers a brief look at the use of Isaiah’s visions of the kingdom during Advent.
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Interview Questions for a Married Couple
A list of questions to ask during an interview with a married couple.
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I Pray
This prayer for a large group asks for our eyes to be opened to the injustices in the world and our souls to be strengthened by Christ’s presence.
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Parish Council Committee Assignments
This handout assigns students to a made-up Parish Council Committee. Students must then brainstorm ideas and activities to help engage young people in the life of the parish.
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One Solitary Life
This short reflection calls to mind the profound impact Jesus Christ has had on humanity and the world.
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The Resurrected Jesus
Students answer questions about the story of Jesus' Resurrection from one of the four Gospels.
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The Miracles of Jesus
Students review many familiar miracles performed by Jesus in the gospels before choosing a favorite.
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The Good News Proclaimed to Me!
This handout asks students to reflect and write about the ways that Jesus' healing is needed in their lives.
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Called to Share the Mission of Jesus
This small-group activity provides each group with an example of Christ's mission. Groups must answer questions surrounding their particular example.
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Jesus Had Feelings Too
Students read passages from the Gospels to explore the numerous emotions that Jesus experienced during his time on Earth.
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Who Is Your God?
This handout presents a list of different definitions and identities for God. Students are asked to choose ones that resonate with them.
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Our Culture, Our Selves
This handout asks students to rank a list of items in life and society according to their importance.
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Prayer Service: Reflections on Relationships
This prayer service reflects on some of the aspects of relationships.
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Communication in My Family
This handout helps students to explore the communication and relationship they have with their parents by asking a series of reflective questions for students to answer.
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Telling Our Body's Story
This handout helps teens reflect on their body image and the influences on their attitudes towards their bodies.
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Relationships in Marriage
This handout presents numerous questions about healthy, life-long marriages for students to think about and answer.
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Cases to Examine: Changing Roles
This handout presents several real-life family situations about which students must evaluate and make a decision.
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Cases to Examine: Parenting Dilemmas
This handout provides several examples of parenting dilemmas. Students are to read the situations, choose a course of action, and explain their thoughts.
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Paths to Marriage
This handout gives a brief explanation for several types of relationships that end in marriage. Students are then asked to evaluate the reading and complete a journal prompt.
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Reflections on Relating
This poem provides a reflection on the fears and insecurities that we all carry underneath the outward impressions we give off.
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Scoring "My Responses to Conflict"
This handout provides the scoring that should be used to interpret the accompanying Handout 9-D.
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My Responses to Conflict
For this worksheet, students choose which behaviors match how they typically respond to conflict in relationships.
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When To Keep Things Confidential
After reading several pieces of information that might be shared by a friend, students decide which should be kept confidential and which might be shared with others.
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Whom Will You Tell?
Students identify with whom in their life they would share a list of personal pieces of information.
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Listening Traps
Students reflect on and answer a series of questions about their listening skills.
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Interpersonal Style
Students reflect on and answer a series of questions about their interpersonal style and relationships with others.
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Cases to Examine: Where Is Love?
Students read and respond to several stories about what it means to love yourself and others.
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Please Help
This is a writing prompt to help students reflect on what it is like to be a virgin in society today.
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Facts About Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS
This article gives information about common STDs and AIDS.
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Questionnaire on Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS
This handout provides a list of True/False statements about sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS.
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Role-play: "I'm Pregnant"
This handout provides two role-play situations in which a couple has discovered they are pregnant.
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Opinionnaire on Gender Roles (Part 2)
Students share their opinions in response to a series of statements about gender roles in society.
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Opinionnaire on Gender Roles (Part 1)
Students share their opinions in response to a series of statements about gender roles in society.
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Word Association
Students identify the different associations with and meanings of sexuality as portrayed in the media, by peers, and from adults.
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Attitudes About Sexuality
This handout presents a series of statements about sexuality. Students are to indicate their level of agreement or disagreement with each.
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Measuring Fixed Costs
On this handout students calculate the fixed expenses of an independent adult on a monthly and yearly basis.
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How Much Did You Pay for That?
Students estimate the cost of a list of items needed to live independently. This exercise is meant to help students understand the amount of money needed to survive.
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Work Values
On this handout students explore the qualities they look for or want in a job and brainstorm possible jobs that fit those qualities.
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Ranking the Prestige of Occupations
Students rank a list of careers based on their importance and prestige in society.
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Perceptions of Leisureliness
This handout provides a list of statements designed to help students evaluate the leisureliness of a specific person.
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Support for Leisure Activities
This handout asks students to decide which types of leisure activities their peers encourage them to participate in.
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Checking Your Leisure Benefits
Students categorize their favorite leisure activities based on the primary benefit they receive from each.
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Cases to Examine: Leisure or Work?
This handout presents two real-life scenarios for which students must read and answer questions.
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Leisure Satisfaction
Students list leisure activities in which they participate before rating the frequency and satisfaction for each.
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Circles of Learning
This handout provides a diagram for students to fill in as they reflect on the impact of friendship and relationships.
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Goals of Formal Education
Students rank eight possible goals of formal education based on their importance or relevance.
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Cases to Examine: Levels of Independence
Students read several scenarios and rank the level of independence demonstrated.
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Personality Perceptions of __________
Students choose adjectives from a list to describe a specific person.
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About Myself
This handout provides a series of questions for students to answer about themselves.
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How Do I Know That I Am Fully Alive?
This handout asks students to rank statements according to their beliefs about what it means to be fully alive.
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Cases to Examine: Dealing with Conflict
This handout provides three situations for students to read and evaluate. Students must give a suggestion for how to respond to the conflict in each scenario based on the strategies in the book.
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Cases to Examine: Is This Euthanasia?
This handout provides three situations for students to read and evaluate. Students must decide if the story shows an example of Euthanasia.
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The Ending is Yours
This handout provides the beginning of a story about a teen who is about to break up with his girlfriend. Students are to complete the story following teacher instructions.
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Cases to Examine: Self-respect
This handout provides three situations where teenagers are not fully respecting themselves. Students read the situations and respond with suggestions that demonstrate more self-respect.
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Role-plays: Kindness and Truth
This handout provides two role-play situations for students to practice open, honest communication in a kind, truthful way.
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TV Truth: Keeping a Record
This handout provides a chart to help students keep track of the types of truths and lies portrayed on TV.
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An Inventory on Money Matters
This handout provides a chart to help students keep track of their expenditures during one week
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Perspectives on Sex
This handout provides several comments from teenagers about sex. It can be used as a discussion starter or writing prompt.
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Three Perspectives on Drugs
This handout provides three different comments from teens about their drug and alcohol usage. This can be used as a discussion starter.
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Cases to Examine: What Are We Afraid Of?
Students read several real-life scenarios and explore the many fears, anxieties, and pressures that influence decisions.
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What Can a Person Do?
This article gives several suggestions of how an individual can bring about distributive justice.
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The Plight of the Worlds' Children
This handout provides several statistics and pieces of information about the alarming needs of children in our world.
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Pushed Once Too Often
This handout presents a story about drug pushing in a school community. Students are challenged to reflect on several questions regarding the situation.
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Games Within Games
Sports are far more important in our life than they might seem at first glance. Watch the waves of emotion on the faces of players who let their feelings show: pride, shame, ecstasy, despair, joy, and anger. “Mind games” are …
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Cases to Examine: Conscience and Guilt
Read the following cases. For each one, fill in the words that describe what kind of conscience and what kind of guilt the person has. Then write a sentence or two of advice that you would give to that person.
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The LISTEN Model
Briefly describe below a moral dilemma that an individual might face. For each section of the LISTEN process, fill in one or more things a person facing this dilemma might need to consider.
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Which Principles Apply?
he following moral principles (described in the text on pages 58–59) can be considered basic or foundational: a. Do good; avoid evil. b. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. c. The end does not justify …
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Getting to Know My Parents' Views
This checklist will help you identify how well you understand your parents’ (or guardians’) views on moral issues and whether you think that your parents understand your views on moral issues.
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The Strange Mysteries of Competition
Let’s look at some of the mysteries of competition to see how the inner and outer games function. Please indicate whether you think the following mystery statements are generally true or false and be prepared to discuss the reasons for …
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Cases to Examine: Moments in Competition
Read the following cases of competition and answer in writing the question for each.
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The Mission of the Church
Jesus has just risen from the tomb. Although you and all the other Christians are overjoyed, you now have to decide what to do. You are one of the followers who has been with Jesus for more than two years. …
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Peace: A Guide to Win-Win Conflict Resolution
The PEACE process is a way to approach a conflict so that the outcome is a win- win situation, one that ensures that the good of both parties is considered and given priority. PEACE stands for problem and purpose, empathy, …
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Peace: Exploring Terms
In the first blank column, express your own sense of what it means to live out the following traits. In the second blank column, explain what you think the culture teaches you it means to live out each trait. Leave …
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Earth-Friendly Living
This is a scavenger hunt for earth-friendly products suitable for a bedroom: furniture, clothes, and so on. Your goal is to furnish this room in the most earth- friendly and inexpensive way you can, while still furnishing a room you …
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The Eucharist in Mathari Valley
In 1986, Fr. Jim Notebaart flew to Nairobi, Kenya, to live and work as a missioner. Years later, he told an audience in the United States about an experience of Eucharist as transformation. Read this story and, on a separate …
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Lazarus and the Rich Man: A Sequel
Characters: Reader, Narrator, Servant, Levi, Hannah, Isaiah, Simeon.
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The Work of Art
Read the story below, and be prepared to discuss the questions that follow it.
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Work and Budgeting
Fill out the first empty column in this chart to reflect a family’s monthly budget. Leave the second column blank until you receive further instruction.
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Diversity Awareness
Read down the first column, and for each description, mark an X in all the columns that apply to you. (If there is a description you do not feel comfortable writing down, make a mental note of it and leave …
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Participation in the Media
This handout lists several key questions to use when reading or viewing various media from the perspective of different groups of people. Choose one of the following groups of people, and on a separate sheet of paper, write answers to …
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My Own Story
Develop a paper that tells your life story. Use any of the following questions, which may help you to develop a greater sense of who you are, where you have come from, and where you want to go.
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How Does the Culture Value Me?
A list of different roles and conditions of males and females within society.
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The Circle of Faith-in-Action
The steps of awareness, analysis, action, and new awareness are explained in this handout.
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Creating a Relationship Map
A relationship map provides a blueprint for justice—it reveals the conditions and relationships that are necessary to build a just situation. The following are steps to follow when creating a relationship map. To aid in understanding the steps, we will …
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What is the State of Justice?
Evaluate the degree to which the seven themes of Catholic social teaching are present in a given situation. Use the scale below each theme to rank the extent to which it is present or absent, and write N/A (not applicable) …
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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the United Nations in 1948, sets the international standard for human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has thirty articles. The following list paraphrases and summarizes the articles from …
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Justice Resources
Brief description of organization/agency/group and the nature of its work: How does it build relationships? promote justice?
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Practicing Prophecy
An activity where students are given the opportunity to imitate the prophetic model by observing the world around them and attempting to interpret injustices.
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The Scriptures and Concern for Justice
A list of justice-centered biblical passages that can be used for preparing class prayers and liturgies, as a resource for assignments, and for your own reflection and prayer.
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Symbol Interviews
A series of interview questions that students can ask married couples about symbols and marriage.
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Jesus' Healing Presence
A worksheet that asks students to locate and answer questions about a healing story from each of the Gospels.
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"The Secret Garden"
A set of questions that can be used to reflect on the movie “The Secret Garden,” a film that is an excellent example of reconciliation.
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"My Life"
A set of questions that can be used to reflect on the movie “My Life” and the key themes surrounding the sacrament of Reconciliation.
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Am I a Sacrament of Reconciliation?
This exercise can give students a better sense of their role as an instrument for reconciliation.
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Remembering My Confirmation
A worksheet where students are asked to interview several adults about their Confirmation experiences.
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That Catholic Feeling
Whether or not you have been baptized, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults outlines a process for growing in faith. Here are four statements from the introduction to the rite that describe characteristics of the process. After each statement, …
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My Baptismal History
If you were an infant when you were baptized, ask the following questions of your parents to learn more about the celebration of the sacrament. If you remember your Baptism, answer the questions yourself and ask your parents for details …
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Alienation and Belonging
Without thinking for too long on any one item, complete the following sentences.
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A Healthy Approach to Life
It may be easy to think of church councils as having very little to do with our personal life. Yet the themes of Vatican Council II—change and renewal—are ones that we are called to live out for the rest of …
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Hugh's Life, My Life
After reading the fictional story of Hugh in the textbook, use the chart below to reflect on the similarities and differences in the faith life of Hugh and you!
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RCIA Interviews
People join our church each Easter. These individuals participate in the RCIA, the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. This is a process that calls for much discernment, study, and prayer. It closely parallels the way early Christians entered the …
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Jesus as Sacrament!
For each statement below, use your Bible to find at least three stories from the life of Jesus that support each theme. Write the citation of the stories under their respective statement, and be sure to tell which sacrament is …
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Images Found in My Church
Use the questions below as you interview key people in your parish. You may want to tape record their responses, with their permission, or take notes in a small notebook. Be sure to begin each section by stating or writ-ing …
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Cemetery Visit
Reflect on and answer in writing the following questions as you visit a cemetery.
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Jesus, Teach Us to Pray
Read each of the following Scripture passages and explain in writing how they each give insight into Jesus’ prayer life.
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Prayer Objects, Prayerful Environment
After spending some time walking around a church or chapel and observing the ways that art is used to create a prayerful, sacred space, answer the following questions reflectively.
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Prayer Is...
Read the following descriptions of prayer by various authors. Choose one description that best fits how you see prayer. Or formulate your own description using a couple of these.
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Favorite Childhood Prayers
Interview five adults of different ages about their favorite childhood prayers. Ask the following questions and record their responses in the space provided or on the back of their handout.
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Prayerful Moments
We can learn so much from one another’s stories! Interview three adults of different ages about times when they were truly prayerful and experienced the power of prayer. Ask them the following questions and record their responses in the space …
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Memory-Making Music
Interview three adults about their special music memories. Ask them the following questions and record their responses in the space provided.
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Ritual Clothing
The dress and demeanor of people involved in rituals tell us much about what the activity is all about. Discuss with your group each of the situations below and write your thoughts in the space provided.
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Seeing with Faith, Acting in Faith
Read the two pieces of writing below thoughtfully and carefully.
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Lifelong Conversion
Conversion is an ongoing process that we engage in throughout our lives. Some people may have a dramatic conversion experience like Saint Paul in the Acts of the Apostles, but most people have smaller, less dramatic experiences that cause them …
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"Field of Dreams"
The movie Field of Dreams is a modern-day parable that teaches some powerful lessons and connects with the major concepts in chapter 1 of the textbook. Ray Kinsella hears voices that tell him to build a baseball field in the …
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Finding God in My Life
As your textbook states, the Catholic belief about sacraments is that “God communicates through the people, places, actions, events, and experiences that shape a person’s life.” Consider the meaning of this statement in your own life by reflecting on the …
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Grace Poems
Questions related to the poems “Renascence” by Edna St. Vincent Millay, and “The World Is Too Much with Us” by William Wordsworth.
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Spirituality Action Plan
It is important for us to take stock of where we are in life and put plans in place to achieve our goals. It is important to do that in our spiritual life as well. We are all spiritual people. …
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Making Connections
Complete the matching exercise below, using your textbook and the Bible to help find the answers.
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Images of God, Understandings of Life
The sketches below represent the different images of God and understandings of life that were held by the Jewish wisdom sages. Beneath each sketch, list the wisdom books that correspond to that image.
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Empires of the Ancient Near East
On this map draw in the boundaries of the following ancient empires. Then label the empires, using a different color of pencil for each.
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Which Marriage Is More Promising?
Imagine that you know two engaged couples and that each couple has decided to write down the terms of their marriage agreement. The couples show you their “covenants,” which are offered below. As you read, consider the pluses and minuses …
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True Prophet Versus a False Prophet
The two lists below contrast the characteristics of a true prophet and a false prophet. Examine the lists.
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Exile and Redemption
Discuss the following questions in your group. Have one person take notes in order to report your responses to the class later.
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What You Offer the World
Look over the following lists of skills and traits. Circle the skills and traits that you have been gifted with.
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"O Lord, You Have Searched Me and Known Me"
Spend a few moments quietly asking God to help you see clearly and honestly into your heart and mind as you begin this examination of conscience. Write your responses to the questions below. No one will collect this handout.
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The Near East Today
This map shows the lands of the Near East as they were known in ancient times. Using an up-to- date atlas or encyclopedia for reference, draw in (with dotted lines) the political boundaries of the countries that exist in the …
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How to Find a Scriptural Reference
Instructions on how to find a Scripture reference, and practice looking up Scripture passages.
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Teacher Evaluation: An Interreligious Interview
The following ratings identify your scores on a scale from 1 (poor) to 10 (excellent).
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An Interreligious Interview
Pick an interviewee, Ask for an interview, Prepare and conduct the interview, and Follow up after the interview.
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"In the Beginning Was the Word"
The Incarnation, a core doctrine of Christianity, states that in Jesus Christ, God became fully human while remaining fully divine. In the Gospel of John, chapter 1, verses 1 through 18, we see one of the earliest expressions of that …
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Images of Jesus
The chart below contains several phrases that the textbook uses to describe Jesus. Take a few minutes to study these phrases, and place a check mark to the left of the one or two that most closely match your own …
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Greek and Roman Gods Today
Next to the name of each god or goddess in the chart below, jot down any person, place, object, time, program, or product with which you associate the name. You may also note titles of songs or TV programs or …
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A Zoroastrian Symbol
The illustration on this handout is the Faravahar, a symbol of Zoroastrian faith. With the example of the Faravahar in mind, create, on a separate sheet of paper, a symbol that represents your own religious faith or personal understanding of …
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Koans: Food for Intuition
Read the following Zen koans two or three times. Choose one and answer or explain it.
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The Riddler
Working alone or with classmates, identify what is being described in each of the following riddles.
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Who Is the Sage?
In each pair of situations below, one of the people described resembles the ideal of the Taoist sage, the person who lives in accord with Tao and practices the virtue wu-wei. Read each pair of situations and circle the letter …
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Chinese Calligraphy
Calligraphy is one of the cultural arts that was pursued in the process of becoming a chun-tzu. Try your hand at reproducing the Chinese characters below, drawing your versions in the space provided to the right of the characters. The …
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The Sikh Khalsa
The information on this handout provides further insight into the nature of the Sikh Khalsa.
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The Ten Gurus of Sikhism
This list of the ten Gurus of Sikhism briefly summarizes the key contributions of each Guru.
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Kuan-Yin
1. Look at the statue or picture at this station. 2. This image depicts the deity Kuan-yin. Write words that describe this image.
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Monks
1. Look at the picture at this station. 2. Write words that describe the actions that you see in the picture. 3. Write words that describe the relationships between people that you see in the picture.
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Objects Used in Tibetan Rituals
1. At this station are several objects. Some may look familiar. Gently pick up each object and examine it. SOME OF THE OBJECTS ARE FRAGILE. PLEASE HANDLE THEM CAREFULLY. 2. Write the following information about each object.
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The Fasting Siddhartha
1. Observe the statue or picture at this station. 2. Notice that it is probably different from almost any other image of the Buddha that you have seen. 3. Look closely and write down what you observe. How does this …
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Right Meditation
1. Here is a Buddha statue or picture. Sit quietly and stare at it. Meditate on it. Let it be a visual focus for your medi- tation. Learn from it. 2. Write any impressions, observations, or questions you have.
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Karma Marga: "The Path of Works"
For each of the following actions, write a selfish motivation and a selfless motivation. Responses have been supplied for the first action as examples.
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Peer Evaluation: The Game of Samsara
In the space provided for comments, explain the reason for a mark, give praise, or suggest improvements.
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Teacher Evaluation: The Game of Samsara
In the following chart, each circled number indicates your game’s score for the corresponding category.
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Correlation to Curriculum Framework
Correlation to Curriculum Framework Course VI: Life in Jesus Christ from Christian Morality: Our Response to God’s Love.
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Correlation to Curriculum Framework
Correlation to Curriculum Framework Course V: Sacraments as Privileged Encounters with Jesus Christ from The Sacraments: Encounters with Christ.
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Correlation to Curriculum Framework
Correlation to Curriculum Framework Course III: The Mission of Jesus Christ (The Paschal Mystery) from The Paschal Mystery: Christ’s Mission of Salvation.
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Correlation to Curriculum Framework
Correlation to Curriculum Framework Course II: Who Is Jesus Christ? from Jesus Christ: God’s Love Made Visible.
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Correlation to Curriculum Framework
Correlation to Curriculum Framework Course IV: Jesus Christ’s Mission Continues in the Church from The Church: Christ in the World Today.
