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A Little Help Here!

After reading several real-life examples of conflict, students provide suggestions to mediate each situation.

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Dear Millie and Mike

This handout provides several real-life situations that teens might encounter. Students are challenged to respond to the situations and give advice to other teens.

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Baptism of Jesus Study Guide

This study guide helps students reflect on the story of Jesus’ Baptism.

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Empathizing (Religion in the Modern World)

This article provides several suggestions of ways to help students reflect on their experiences with people from different forms of religion in the modern world.

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Empathizing (Islam)

This handout provides several suggestions to help students draw connections between Islam and Christianity.

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Empathizing (Shinto)

This article provides several possible ideas of ways to help students see, experience, and better understand the Shinto religion.

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Empathizing (Zen Buddhism)

This short article provides questions, reflections, and suggestions to help students empathize with Zen Buddhism.

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Empathizing (Taoism)

This short article provides questions, reflections, and suggestions to help students empathize with Taoism.

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Empathizing (Jainism)

This short handout provides questions, reflections, and suggestions to help students empathize with Jainism.

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Empathizing (Hinduism)

This short handout provides questions, reflections, and suggestions to help students empathize with Hinduism.

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Worldviews: Religions and Their Relatives

This article explores two examples of modern worldviews and how they different from traditional religions.

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Buddhist and Judeo-Christian Understandings of God

This article compares and contrasts the Buddhist and Judeo-Christian understanding of God.

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What Harm Is in Our Sun Dance?

This short article provides the point of view of a Blackfoot Indian about the illegalization of the Sun Dance.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 39

A lesson plan for lesson 39 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 38

A lesson plan for lesson 38 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 37

A lesson plan for lesson 37 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 36

A lesson plan for lesson 36 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 35

A lesson plan for lesson 35 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 34

A lesson plan for lesson 34 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 33

A lesson plan for lesson 33 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide. In this lesson students explore God’s call to each of us to pray.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 32

A lesson plan for lesson 32 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide. In this lesson students explore what it means to use virtues and grace to live a moral life.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 31

A lesson plan for lesson 31 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide. In this lesson students explore what it means to respect truth.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 30

A lesson plan for lesson 30 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide. In this lesson students explore what it means to respect material goods.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 29

A lesson plan for lesson 29 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide. In this lesson students explore what it means to respect the sexuality of ourselves and others.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 28

A lesson plan for lesson 28 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide. In this lesson students explore what it means to truly respect life.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 27

A lesson plan for lesson 27 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 26

A lesson plan for lesson 26 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 25

A lesson plan for lesson 25 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 23

A lesson plan for lesson 23 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 22

A lesson plan for lesson 22 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 21

A lesson plan for lesson 21 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide. In this lesson students explore the sacraments of healing.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 20

A lesson plan for lesson 20 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 19

A lesson plan for lesson 19 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 18

A lesson plan for lesson 18 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 17

A lesson plan for lesson 17 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 16

A lesson plan for lesson 16 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide. In this lesson students explore how the Holy Trinity is revealed through liturgy.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 15

A lesson plan for lesson 15 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 14

A lesson plan for lesson 14 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 13

A lesson plan for lesson 13 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 12

A lesson plan for lesson 12 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 11

A lesson plan for lesson 11 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 10

A lesson plan for lesson 10 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 9

A lesson plan for lesson 9 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 8

A lesson plan for lesson 8 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 7

A lesson plan for lesson 7 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 6

A lesson plan for lesson 6 in the Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 5

A lesson plan for lesson 5 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 4

A lesson plan for lesson 4 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 3

A lesson plan for lesson 3 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 2

A lesson plan for lesson 2 in The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide.

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Lesson Plan for Lesson 1

A lesson plan for lesson 1 in The Catholic faith Handbook for Youth: Catechist Guide. This lesson plan challenges students to identify why they are Catholic and the core beliefs, practices, and attitudes of Catholicism

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Lesson Planning Chart

A sample lesson planning chart.

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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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Sample Lesson Planning Chart

A sample of a week's lesson planning chart

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Handout: Psalm 23

An adaptation of Psalm 23 to be used in prayer or reflection

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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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For Love Is Stronger than Death

A reading of the Resurrection story from Luke's Gospel.

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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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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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Lesson Planning Chart

An example of a completed lesson planning chart for Chapter 1: A-D.

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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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Facts About Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS

This article gives information about common STDs and AIDS.

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Sample Lesson Planning Chart

A sample chart of a week of lessons.

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Lesson Planning Chart

A blank chart to be sued for a week of lessons.

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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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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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What Can a Person Do?

This article gives several suggestions of how an individual can bring about distributive justice.

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Grandpa and Tim

Read the following story and be prepared to discuss it in class.

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Lesson Planning Chart

A lesson planning chart.

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Saint Joan of Arc: A Brief Biography

A biography of Saint Joan of Arc.

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Sample Lesson Planning Chart

A sample lesson planning chart.

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Lesson Planning Chart

A blank lesson planning chart.

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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 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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Sample Lesson Planning Chart

A sample lesson plan.

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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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Seeing with Faith, Acting in Faith

Read the two pieces of writing below thoughtfully and carefully.

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Sample Lesson Planning Chart

An example of how to create a lesson plan.

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Lesson Planning Chart

A chart for formatting lesson plans.

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Sample Lesson Planning Chart

A sample lesson plan.

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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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"The Dance of Love"

The story of the Dance of Love.

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Scope and Sequence

An overview of Chapters 37-50 from the Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle Schoolers, Second Edition.

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Scope and Sequence

An overview of Chapters 19-36 from the Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle Schoolers, Second Edition.

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Scope and Sequence

An overview of Chapters 1-18 from the Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle Schoolers, Second Edition.

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Life Issues B Summary: God, Where Are You?

A nice summary of the ways God promises to be with us always.

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Life Issues A Summary: Dealing with Peer Pressure

A good summary on dealing with peer pressure.

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Life Issues B Summary: Friends in Jesus

A summary of Life Issues B: Friends in Jesus from the Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle Schoolers, Second Edition.

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Life Issues A Summary: Who Am I?

A summary of Life Issues from the Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle Schoolers, Second Edition.

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Handbook Session Overviews

Overviews of the five sections in the Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle Schoolers, Second Edition.

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Catechist Guide Overviews

As stated in other sections of this online resource, three catechist guides accompany the sessions presented in The Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle School- ers, Second Edition (CCH). Each session in the CCH is supported by a session in the …

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Program Scheduling

A guide for how to schedule programs based on the Catholic Connections program.

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Getting Started

This segment will help you to get started with Catholic Connections. First it de- scribes details about the program and section features. Then it describes specific “getting started” tasks and provides a checklist for your planning.

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Program Overview

An overview of Catholic Connections for Middle Schoolers, Second Edition.

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Around the World in More Than Eighty Days

Let’s take a glance around the globe to see some of the missionary efforts that began during the Fifteenth through Seventeenth centuries.

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Dialogue with Others

Excerpts from the address of Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday, April 17, 2008 at the John Paul II center in Washington D.C.

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The Council of Trent

An article about The Council of Trent, excerpted from The Catholic Church: A Brief Popular History, by Cynthia Stewart.

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Belief and Violence: The Crusades

A reading about the Crusades.

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Islam: Historical Orgins

Islam began almost two thousand years after the start of Judaism and more than six hundred years after Christianity. In fact, Islam, which goes back to the seventh century, began in support of the monotheism of these two religions, and …

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The East-West Split

Looking back over the first 1500 years of Church history, the picture is not one of perfect harmony. Political conflicts, religious controversies, invasions, and condemnations created sometimes occasional, sometimes lasting rifts. For the Eastern Church and the Latin Church, the …

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The Divinity of Jesus: An Early Christian Debate

A reading about the early Christian debate over the divinity of Jesus.

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Handout: Morally Good or Morally Suspect

For each situation, determine whether the action is right, neutral, or wrong; whether the intent is good or not good; and whether the circumstances allow you to decide freely or keep you from deciding freely.

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Handout: Being Catholic

Being Catholic: Beliefs, Practices, and Attitudes.

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Key Concepts Underlying Catholic Social Teaching

Catholic social justice teachings are based on some key concepts. By applying these concepts to different social issues, the Church makes judgments about the correct direction to follow. In this lesson we look briefly at the following four key concepts, …

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Building the Table of the Lord

Descriptions of the Eucharist as the source and summit of Christian life, thanksgiving, memorial sacrifice, and the presence of Christ.

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Fourteen Effects of Baptism

A list of the fourteen effects of Baptism.

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The Holy Trinity

Descriptions of each person of the trinity.

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Phillip's Story

The story of Phillip, an eight-year-old boy with down syndrome.

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Beliefs Practices and Attitudes

The beliefs, practices, and attitudes of the Catholic faith.

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Aquinas’s Five Proofs for the Existence of God

The Summa Theologica is a famous work written by Saint Thomas Aquinas between AD 1265 and 1274. It is divided into three main parts and presents reasoning for almost all core Christian beliefs. The Summa Theologica is well known for …

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Letters in Paul's Day

An article that discusses the format of Paul’s letters and how they are different from letters today.

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In Mary's Voice

A reading that tells the story of Mary’s relationship with Jesus through her perspective.

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Human Rights

Several articles from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Convention on the Rights of the Child.

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Footprints

Footprints in the sand poem.

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Ignatian Discernment of Spirits

An article that breaks down the differences between good and evil spirits.

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What Do Sisters Do?

An article that discusses the roles and responsibilities of religious sisters.

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“To Brother”: A Personal Story

An article written by Br. Armand Alcazar FSC, who discusses his view of his vocation as a verb, “to brother”, or “brothering” in teaching and community life.

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The Future of Marriage

An article on the eschatological perspective of marriage.

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Conversion's Impact on Marriage

An article about the ways that a married individual is called upon to be converted; as an individual, within the marriage, and as one called to live in the image of God.

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The Witness of One

An article about how the greatest testimony to the faith comes not from famous and influential people, but through you and me, as we face the challenges that come to us each and every day.

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"You Have Heard…But I Say"

An article about Jesus’ command to love everyone, even those who society has deemed unlovable.

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Living God's Call

A reading, with reflection questions, on living out God’s Call of unconditional love, agape, for all.

Article

Biography of the Holy Father Francis

The first Pope of the Americas Jorge Mario Bergoglio hails from Argentina. The 76-year-old Jesuit Archbishop of Buenos Aires is a prominent figure throughout the continent, yet remains a simple pastor who is deeply loved by his diocese, throughout which …

Article

Who Is Jorge Mario Bergoglio?

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J., Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ordinary for Eastern-rite faithful in Argentina who lack an Ordinary of their own rite, was born on 17 December 1936 in Buenos Aires. He studied as and holds a degree …

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Roman Missal Overview

This resource is intended to assist you in preparing young people for the implementation of the new missal.

Saint John of Egypt (304-394)

Saint John of Egypt devoted himself to a life of prayer and meditation as a hermit. He lived the majority of his life in a small, walled-up cell. He was as strict with his diet as he was with his …

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Resurrection Passages

Several Resurrection passages from Scripture.

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Passion Passages

Scripture passages from all four Gospels on the Passion of Jesus Christ.

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Scripture Passages on Morality

A collection of Scripture passages focused on morality.

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Understanding the Lord's Prayer

An activity to help students understand the Lord's Prayer from "The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth" Teacher Guide.

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Pray in Good Form

A worksheet, from "The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth" Teacher Guide, to assist students in researching and presenting different prayer forms.

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Prayer 101 An Introduction

An introduction to prayer from "The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth" Teacher Guide.

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What Is Prayer

A worksheet, found in “The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth” Teacher Guide, that is based on students’ current understanding and experience with prayer.

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Final Performance Task Options for Unit 6

Options for final performance tasks for Unit 6 of "The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth" Teacher Guide.

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Aquinas' Five Proofs for the Existence of God

A listing of Saint Thomas Aquinas’ five proofs for the existence of God.

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Revelation: A New Testament Apocalypse

An article on the Book of Revelation.

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Christian Persecutions in the Roman Empire

An article on the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire.

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Using Hevruta

A lesson plan on using Hevruta in the classroom.

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Pauline and Deutero-Pauline Letters

An article on the Pauline and Deutero-Pauline letters.

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Chalk Talk

Steps on how to facilitate a silent conversation in writing in response to a topic or question posed.

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Paul's Cultural Context

A reading on Paul’s cultural context.

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The Passion According to John

An article on the Passion according to John.

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Jesus and Judaism

An article on Jesus and Judaism.

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Introducing Biblical Criticism

An article on introducing biblical criticism in the classroom.

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Bloom's Taxonomy

A short reading where the six levels of Bloom’s taxonomy of the cognitive domain are explained.

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Sustained Silent Reading Log Instructions

Instructions for students’ sustained silent reading logs.

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Sustained Silent Reading

An article on how to use sustained silent reading as an effective tool in the classroom.

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Oral Tradition

An article on oral tradition.

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Non-canonical Gospels

An article on the non-canonical Gospels.

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New Testament Christologies

An article on New Testament Christologies.

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Formation of the Canon

An article on the formation of the Canon.

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The Gettysburg Address

A copy of the Gettysburg Address.

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How to Teach Biblical Research

An article on how to teach students to conduct biblical research.

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How Should We Interpret Scripture?

An article on how we should interpret Scripture.

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A Brief History of Catholic Biblical Interpretation

A reading that gives a brief history of Catholic biblical interpretation.

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Old and New Testament Passages

A chart showing the similarities between Scripture passages in the Old Testament and Scripture passages in the New Testament.

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Writing Workshop

How to conduct a writing workshop in the classroom.

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Paired Verbal Fluency

How to conduct a paired verbal fluency exercise in the classroom.

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Informal Assessments

A reading on methods of informal assessment.

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Why the Second Vatican Council Really Is That Important

An article on the importance of the Second Vatican Council.

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Events at the Second Vatican Council

An article on the events that took place at the Second Vatican Council.

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Symbols in the Book of Revelation

A reference sheet for the symbols that are used in the Book of Revelation.

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Imaginary First-Century Letters

Two imaginary first-century letters that describe the difficulties of staying faithful to the teachings of Jesus in a culture that rejects them.

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Historical Genre Stations, from “The Catholic Youth Bible” Old Testament Teacher Guide

An activity where students read certain Scripture passages and look for illustrations of community and identity, from “The Catholic Youth Bible” Old Testament Teacher Guide.

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Learning about Learning

A review of students’ understanding of unit material and their learning experiences. This review consists of several questions and encourages additional written feedback from students.

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Using Final Performance Tasks to Assess Understanding

A reading on using final performance tasks in the classroom to assess students' understanding.

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The Domestic Church

An article on family life and the domestic Church.

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God's Story Plotline 4: Reconciliation

A reading on why God, whose love in unlimited, constantly picks out special groups.

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The Anointing of the Sick

A reading on the Sacrament of anointing of the sick, with a discussion of how the Sacrament was viewed in the past and how it is viewed today.

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All Are One in Christ Jesus

Several Scripture passages that show that all are one in Christ Jesus.

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The Disciples on the Road to Emmaus

A scriptural excerpt from Luke 24:13-35.

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War and Peace in Catholic Social Teaching

An article on war and peace in Catholic social teaching.

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Writing a Script for a Guided Imagery Meditation

A handout that describes how to write a script for guided imagery meditation, and why students enjoy participating in this type of meditation.

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How to Lead a Socratic Seminar

A reading on how to lead a Socratic seminar.

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The Challenge of Peace

An article on the foundations for a justified war and the just war doctrine.

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Using the Jigsaw Process

A resource on how to use the jigsaw process, with is a method where students share information and insights from different readings to create a larger picture.

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Conducting Justice Simulations

A resource on how to conduct a justice simulation.

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Principles of Catholic Social Teaching for Business Ethics

An article on the principles of Catholic social teaching for business ethics.

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The One-Act Play

One-act plays give students the opportunity to be creative as they explore a concept, issue, dilemma, person, or situation.

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Teaching Individuals with Differing Abilities

A reading on teaching and talking to students about differing abilities, along with several reinforcing activity ideas.

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In-Class Debates

A format for an in-class debate.

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Expert Groups

A reading on how expert groups are a valuable classroom instructional strategy that helps to build student confidence, class collaboration, and expertise in chosen topics.

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Students Teaching Students About Environmental Justice

A lesson plan entitled “Students Teaching Students about Environmental Justice.”

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Using Graphic Organizers

A reading on how to use graphic organizers as learning tools to deepen understanding.

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Creating a Quick Assessment

A reading on creating a quick assessment with Clickers.

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Thomas Merton and Nonviolence

A reading on Thomas Merton and nonviolence.

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Audits: Point of Inquiry

This document explains the educational benefits of an audit, instructions on how to assign an audit, and an example of an audit handout.

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Confirmation

A reading on the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Catholic Church.

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Using Learning Stations

Instructions on how to effectively use Learning Stations in the classroom.

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Principles of Catholic Social Teaching

A reading on the principles of Catholic social teaching.

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Using Video in Your Classroom

A reading on why using video in the classroom is beneficial.

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Using Skits in Teaching

A reading on using skits as a method of teaching.