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Title: Bread of Life

Grade level: 3-4

Overview: Jesus said, "I am the bread of life" (John 6:48). In this activity the children will discuss the meaning of that statement. They will consider the fact that the consecrated Bread of Life which they will receive in the Eucharist is, indeed, the Body and Blood of Christ. Finally, they will search the Web for bread recipes, make bread using the recipes they find, and share their newly-baked bread around a common table.

Objectives: In this activity the children will learn that the consecrated Bread, in the form of the Host, which they will receive at Communion is the true Body and Blood of Christ. They will also develop basic Internet search skills as they search the Web for bread recipes.

Suggested Time Allowance: Two to three weeks.

Resources/Materials: a computer with Internet access; a conventional oven in which to bake the children’s bread.

Activities/Procedures:

1. Read or tell the story of the Last Supper to the class (see, for example, Matthew 26:17–20, 26–30).

2. After presenting the story, lead the class in a discussion of the importance and significance of bread in everyday life and the importance and significance of the Bread of Life in the Eucharist. Use questions such as the following to start the discussion: "Why is bread important to all people?" "When does your family gather and share bread?" "What do we receive at Communion?" "How is the Bread we receive at Communion different from ordinary bread?" "What did Jesus say the Bread is?"

3. Divide the class into small groups (ideally, two to three children per group), and have the groups take turns searching the Internet for information on how bread is made, using such key words as "bread recipes" and "bread making." (Note: The children may need the help of older students or adults to search the Web.)

4. When the groups have found information on the history of bread and on how bread is made, have each group share their findings with the rest of the class. (Note: The children may again need the help of older students or adults to print out the information they have found online.)

5. Have the groups search the Web for simple recipes for different kinds of bread. Have each group pick one type of bread to make.

6. Determine where and when the bread will be baked, and line up some adult helpers to assist.

7. After the bread has been baked, have the children come together to share the different types of bread that they have made. During this sharing of the bread, point out to the students that they are gathering as friends of Jesus and as friends of each other to share their bread, just as we gather at Mass to celebrate and share the Body of Christ in the Eucharist.

8. Have the children prepare copies of the recipes they used. Gather these recipes into a booklet and prepare a copy for each member of the class. (Note: Once again, older students or adults may have to help the children with these tasks.).

Special Note: The recipes that the children will be gathering for this activity will most likely be under copyright. Make sure that you give proper credit to the source of each recipe by placing a credit line after each recipe in the booklet (example: "this recipe was found online at www.ajkids.com."). Besides teaching the children about honest use of others’ property, you are also helping the authors of the online material spread the word about the Web resources they have developed.

Links:

You might have the children visit Ask Jeeves for Kids, a children’s search engine, at www.ajkids.com. Using this site’s built-in search feature, the students can ask Jeeves, "How is bread made?" This question will yield several options: a pull-down menu of links to a variety of bread recipes, and a link to a bread information page on the Web site of the Encyclopædia Britannica. The Britannica page offers a link to a short but informative article on the history of bread as well as a link to the off-site Internet Bread Recipe Archive, a repository of bread recipes from around the world.
At The Internet Chef, a Web site for cooks at www.ichef.com, you will find a built-in "recipe search" engine linked to a large on-site recipe archive. Just type in the keyword bread and, if you wish, specify an ingredient or two.
Finally, you might wish to visit the "Just for Kids" pages of Breadworld.com, the Fleischmann’s Yeast Web site, at http://www.breadworld.com/justkids/index.asp. Here you can click on the "Fun with Dough" icon to access a step-by-step, kid-friendly description of the bread-baking process, complete with safety tips. You might also want to visit the site’s "Beginner’s Kitchen" pages, at http://www.breadworld.com/beginners/index.asp for a selection of beginners’ bread recipes.

Assessment: The children will be evaluated on their ability to understand that the consecrated Bread, in the form of the Host, which they receive at Communion is truly the Body and Blood of Christ. They will be also be evaluated on their ability to cooperate with other children when working in a group, their ability to access a Web site and conduct a simple search, and their ability to follow directions in a recipe.

Catechism Correlation: An approved edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church can be found on the Internet at www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm . The Catechism deals in depth with the Eucharist in paragraphs #1322 through #1419. For this activity you may find the following paragraphs of particular interest: numbers #1382 (the Mass as sacrificial memorial and sacred banquet); #1385–1387 (preparation and requirements for receiving the Eucharist); #1334-1337 (the signs of bread and wine); #1358 (the significance of the Eucharist), and #1359–1361 (praise to the Father and thanksgiving). Also relevant is paragraph #1244 (First Holy Communion).

Created by: Jan Gagen, Director of Religious Education for Saint Mary Nativity Parish in Joliet, Illinois. She has been active in Religious Education for the past fifteen years as catechist, coordinator of primary grades, and director.

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