WebLinks

Title: Our Saints Rock

Grade level: 4-8

Overview: The focus of this activity is to have students in grades four through eight study their patron saints. If a student's first name is not a saint's name, they may use their middle name, choose a favorite saint, or pick the patron saint of something meaningful to them. This activity is especially helpful for students who are preparing for Confirmation.

Objectives: Students will:

research and present three or more facts about their chosen saint, including one virtue that saint practiced.
describe how they could practice this same virtue in their own lives.
present their completed Rock Saint and explain how they chose to decorate it.
discuss at least one fact about their study partner's saint.

Suggested Time Allowance: About ten minutes at the end of one class period, one full class period (forty-five to sixty minutes), and part of a third class period for a prayer service.

Resources/Materials: Books about saints, cards listing facts about saints, fist-sized rocks, paint, fabric, pipe cleaners, construction paper, markers, list of Internet sites for students to visit, computers with Internet access.

Activities/Procedures:

a) Approximately two weeks prior to All Saints Day, November 1st, invite the students to talk about their names--why their parents chose their name, if they are named after a family member or a saint, and if they know anything about the saint that has the same name. If students' names do not correspond with any saint, they can look for similarly named saints, use a favorite saint, or use the patron saint of an interest, talent, or event in their lives. Try to prevent having multiple reports on the same saint.

Compile a list of students and their chosen saints' names.

b) Prior to the next lesson, review the following website:

Saints and Angels This site can be searched by saint name, patron saints, calendar days, and even popular saints. This is a great site for students who need help deciding on a saint.

Index of Saints This site can be searched by saint name or feast day. The site is in progress with hundreds of saints being added each month.

Saints - Frequently Asked Questions This site has answers to many current day questions about saints as well as interesting articles on Halloween and its Christian roots.

c) About one week prior to All Saints Day, give the students the list of websites and the books and cards so they can start researching their saints.

d) After completing their online research students should print out the information. If students are using resource books and cards, they can take notes or have the relevant pages photocopied.

e) Each student should choose three or more facts about their saint. One of the facts should be a virtue their saint practiced. These facts should be highlighted in their presentations.

f) Each student should work with a study partner. Together they can practice their presentations. Each presentation should include how they could implement the saint's virtue into their own lives. Study partners should be able to tell the teacher one fact about each other's saint.

g) Next, students should choose rocks for their Rock Saint. Have students decorate and paint the rocks to represent their saint and/or their saint's virtue. They should be resourceful and have fun creating their Rock Saints.

h) Each student will briefly tell the class about their saint and show their finished Rock Saint.

i) During a subsequent class, you may want to use the "Built on a Rock" -- All Saints'" prayer service.

Prior to the prayer service, students should write petitions asking their saint to pray to God (i.e. intercede for them) to ask for help, especially for help with practicing their saint's special virtue in their own lives. During the prayer service, students may have a procession with their Rock Saints, display them in front of the altar, and read their petitions.

Assessment: While the students are working with their partners, the teacher will circulate asking students about their partner's saint. The students should be able to tell the teacher at least one fact about their partner's saint.

The teacher will evaluate each student's presentation along with his or her completed Rock Saint. The student's presentation should cover at least 3 facts about their saint. One of the facts should be a virtue their saint exemplified and the students should share their ideas on how they can incorporate that virtue into their own lives. Students should also explain why they chose to decorate their Rock Saint as they did. In addition, the petitions the students read during the prayer service will further help the teacher evaluate each student's ability to integrate their learning with prayer.

Created by: Margaret Noonan Hunsberger, Principal, Saint Louis School, Owensville, Ohio.

| InterActivities | Disclaimer | WebLinks Home