spirit of truth - sophia institute for teachers · spirit of truth grade 4 sample ... exploring the...

Included here are two sample lessons from the 4th grade Spirit of Truth teacher’s guide, followed by the corresponding

pages from the 4th grade student workbook.

S P I R I T of T R U T H

Grade 4 Sample Unit 1, Lessons 1 and 2

Order the full Grade 4 books atSophiaInstituteforTeachers.org/SpiritofTruth

UNIT ONE

God Is All Good

Lessons in This Unit ӹ Lesson 1: Exploring the Goodness

of God with Sacred Art

ӹ Lesson 2: God Is Good, and Holiness Is Sharing in His Goodness

ӹ Lesson 3: The Reflection of God in Creation

ӹ Lesson 4: Made in God’s Image and Likeness

ӹ Lesson 5: In God’s Image: The Abilities of the Soul

Scripture Studied in This Unit

ӹ Genesis 1

ӹ Genesis 2:18-24

ӹ Psalm 118:1

ӹ Psalm 8

ӹ Jeremiah 1:5

ӹ Jeremiah 10:12

ӹ Matthew 5:8

ӹ Matthew 19:4-6

ӹ John 1:1-3

ӹ Colossians 1:15

ӹ 1 Timothy 4:4

Connection to the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Lesson 1 ӹ 355, 356, 1701, 1702

Lesson 2 ӹ 2052, 1803-1829

Lesson 3 ӹ 198, 237, 295-298, 339, 341

Lesson 4 ӹ 356, 357, 369, 370, 371,

372, 373, 1700 -1709

Lesson 5 ӹ 357, 362, 363, 364, 1701-

1705, 1702, 1703, 1704, 1705

UNIT 1 OvErvIEw 1

Introduction

GGod is all good and everything He creates and does is good. We share in God’s

goodness when we pursue holiness in our earthly lives. We can know God’s goodness through what He has made. God made human beings in his image and likeness, which we can understand in a few ways, none of which, ironically, are that we “look like God.” First, to be made in God’s image and likeness means that we have similar abilities as God, specifically, intellect, will, and the capacity to love. Second, when we become His adopted children in baptism, we also receive certain roles including priest, prophet, and king, that make us like Christ. We are called to live out these roles in our Christian lives. Finally, to be made in God’s image and likeness means that we are created male and female to be united in marriage as an icon of God’s inner life itself, the Blessed Trinity.

The Goodness of GodScripture affirms the goodness of God by telling us that everything He creates is good. In fact, on the 6th day of creation, after God had finished his work, he looked at everything he had made and proclaimed it to be very good. God created not because he needed to, but out of his goodness and love. To pursue holiness and nurture the virtues in our earthly lives is to share in God’s goodness. There are virtues that we can strengthen like muscles. These are the Cardinal Virtues: temperance, prudence, justice, and fortitude. There are also virtues that are gifted to us by God through His grace. They are the Theological Virtues: faith, hope, and charity, or love. To the extent that we nurture the Cardinal

Virtues, the Theological Virtues will have greater or lesser effect in our lives.

We can come to know God and His goodness and love through His creation. God created the universe ex nihilo, which is Latin for “out of nothing.” Unlike how we create something new using pre-existing materials, God created from nothing. He simply spoke and it was. This tells us that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, the one, true God, and all-good and loving. We can see evidence of the nature of God in the beauty of a sunset, the majesty of the stars in the night sky, and in all of the wonders of creation.

The Imago DeiGenesis 1:27 states that “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that “of all visible creatures only man is able to know and love his creator. He is the only creature on earth that God has willed for its own sake, and he alone is called to share, by knowledge and love, in God’s own life. It was for this end that he was created” (no. 354). We are persons created with free will. Because we have intellect and will, the very image of God, we are responsible for our actions and obligated to live according to moral laws. This is how we are able to achieve our final destiny as God desires.

So by virtue of our being made in God’s own image and likeness, we have been graced with intellect and will. By our intellect we are obligated to discern whether or not our actions, thoughts, and intentions correspond to God’s actions, thoughts and intentions. By our further gift of free will, we are able to choose

© SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS2

or reject the laws we discover and even the purpose God intends for us. Once we discover that we were created in the image and likeness of God and that by the right use of reason we can participate in eternal law, we can come to appreciate the nature of the freedom with

which God has imbued every human soul. God does not force us to obey him and we are free to choose obedience or rejection. The freedom of Christ is the freedom to seek goodness, truth and beauty by way of the virtues perfectly embodied by Christ.

To be made in God’s image and likeness means that we have abilities similar to God’s, specifically, intellect, will, and the capacity to love.

The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo

UNIT 1 OvErvIEw 3

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UNIT 1, LESSON 1


ӹ CCC 355

ӹ CCC 1356

ӹ CCC 1701

ӹ CCC 1702

Vocabulary ӹ Fresco

Learning Goals ӹ Adam was created in God’s image.

ӹ Like Adam, all human beings are created in God’s image.

ӹ Jesus reveals to us what it means to be fully in God’s image and models how to be Godlike.

ӹ All human beings, born and unborn, have the right to life.

Exploring the Goodness of God with Sacred Art

Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth. God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

GENESIS 1 :26-27

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

COLOSSIANS 1 :15

BIBLICAL TOUCHSTONES

5

Lesson Plan

ӹ Materials ӹ The Creation of Adam

ӹ Scripture copywork pages

DAY ONEWarm-UpA. Project the image The Creation of Adam (page

4). Give students several minutes to quietly view the art before you say or ask anything. Allow them to come up and stand closer to the image to examine details. Note: You might wish to acknowledge that Adam is naked in order to cut off or discourage any giggling. You might even wish to address it squarely by asking why he is naked. Let your students’ maturity level guide you here.

B. Once several minutes have passed, ask students:

ӹ What do you first notice about this work of art?

ӹ This is a special kind of art called a fresco. A fresco is a painting done on wet plaster so that the paint dries as the plaster dries. Do you think it would be easier or harder to paint like this? Why or why not?

ӹ Why do you think the artist chose to paint like this instead of with normal paint?

ӹ What do you like about this work of art?

ӹ Do you know who painted this fresco?

ӹ What kind of space do you imagine this fresco is located in?

ӹ How big do you think this fresco is?

Explain that this fresco is located in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. The Vatican is a city-state located within the city of

Sistine Chapel, Apostolic Palace, Vatican City.

The Creation of AdamBY MICHELANGELO BUONARROTI (C. 1511)

4


LESSON PLAN

Rome, Italy. It is the geographical heart of the Catholic Church. The pope lives in the Vatican. Painted by Michelangelo over five hundred years ago, this painting is part of a much larger work of art on the ceiling of the chapel that depicts the creation of the world, God’s relationship with man, and man’s fall from grace. The image of the creation of Adam appears in the center of the ceiling.

ӹ What do you think the location of this fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel tells us about the artwork?

ActivityPut students in small groups and ask them to turn to The Creation of Adam (page 5). Have them discuss the questions each other. During this time, focus on keeping students intent on the artwork and the discussion questions, letting their conversations go in unexpected ways.

Formative AssessmentA. Circulate among the groups, listening to their

discussions, keeping them on task, and offering insights or clarification where needed.

B. Before moving on to the next activity, have each group write one question they would ask Michelangelo about his fresco and turn it in.

DAY TWOWarm-UpProject once again an image of The Creation of Adam at the front of the room, and read aloud a few of the most interesting questions offered by the student groups the previous day. Allow students to share their reactions and other personal responses to the art.

The Creation of Adam, by Michelangelo Buonarroti (c. 1511)

Directions: Take some time to quietly view and refl ect on the art. Let yourself be inspired in any way that happens naturally. Then think about the questions below, and discuss them with your classmates.

Conversation Questions

1. Whom do you see in this fresco?

2. What appears to be happening?

3. What do you notice about the colors the artist chose? How does the light look? Where is it coming from?

4. What are some feelings that this painting inspires in you?

5. How is Adam’s posture different from God the Father’s? How are they similar?

6. Why do you think Michelangelo painted the Father’s hand and Adam’s hand almost, but not quite, touching?

7. What does the suggestion of movement in the picture tell us about this moment?

8. Who do you think the fi gures with the Father are? Why do you think so? What are they doing?

9. How does this painting show the ultimate purpose for which we are created?

10. If this painting were a moving picture or a clip from a movie, what do you think would happen in the next few seconds?

The Creation of Adam

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UNIT 1, LESSON 1 7

LESSON PLAN

ActivityHave students skim over the questions they discussed the previous day. Then call on groups in turn to share their answers to each of the questions. Conclude the discussion with the question of how Michelangelo probably wanted the people who viewed his fresco to feel.

Formative AssessmentTell the class that some physicians have suggested that the shape behind the God the Father resembles the outline of a human brain. If this is true, why might Michelangelo have painted it that way. Answers will vary; accept reasoned responses, and ask follow-up questions to check for understanding.

DAY THREEWarm-UpHave a student stand and read aloud Genesis 1:26-27. Explain that in this unit, we are going to be exploring God’s goodness and how man was made in God’s image and likeness. Many art historians believe that Michelangelo was inspired by the Bible passage we just read, Genesis 1:26-27, when he painted this fresco.

ActivityA. Ask the class if they see anything in this fresco shows how Michelangelo was inspired by

Genesis 1:26-27 when he painted it. Answers will vary, but should include: Adam is imitating God’s posture, both God and Adam have outstretched arms, both Adam and God are depicted as men, Adam and God are looking at each other, God is reaching out to Adam to give him his “spark” of life, and so forth.

B. Have a student stand and read aloud Colossians 1:15:

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”

C. Explain that in this passage, St. Paul is explaining that Jesus is the image of God. Jesus reveals to us fully and completely what it means to be made in God’s image. Jesus gives us a model to follow so that we can more fully become like God.” Explain that God makes all human beings in His image and likeness, like Adam in this fresco. We know that the new life inside a mother’s womb is a human life. God told the prophet Jeremiah, and he tells all of us: ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you’ (Jeremiah 1:5). Today, some new mothers, for different reasons, choose to end the life of their unborn children through abortion. We should pray for these unborn children often, that they might be given the chance to live a full life in God’s image and likeness.


LESSON PLAN

D. Project “A Prayer for the Unborn” (found at Catholic.org) or another appropriate Catholic prayer, and pray it aloud together as a class.

AssessmentUsing the Unit 1 Copywork section in the student workbooks, have students write out and commit to memory the following Bible verses, which complement all the lessons in this unit. Give students a few minutes each day to study them and practice recitation and writing. Before completing this unit, select one or two of these verses to have students write out from memory as a quiz at the end of the unit.

Students should also be able to recite all the memorized Scripture and identify the work of art in this lesson. You may wish to give extra points to students who can identify not only the title of the work but also the artist, time period, and location of the work.

ӹ Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness.

GENESIS 1 :26

ӹ God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good.

GENESIS 1 :31

ӹ Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.

JEREMIAH 1:5

ӹ Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, His mercy endures forever.

PSALM 118:1

ӹ So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

MATTHEW 5:48

ӹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

JOHN 1:1-2

UNIT 1, LESSON 1 9

Sistine C

hapel, Apostolic P

alace, Vatican City.

The C

reation of AdamB

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4


Answer Key1. God the Father

is on the right, surrounded by human figures, Adam is on the left.

2. God is stretching His hand towards Adam, who is also reaching out towards God, but in a more relaxed manner.

3. Accept reasoned answers. Light appears to be coming from God, illuminating Adam.

4. Accept reasoned answers.

5. Adam looks to be lounging or relaxing, compared to God the Father who looks more energetic.


7. All the movement in the fresco is concentrated on God’s side. This shows us that God is the source of all life.


9. The fresco shows humanity with our creator. We were created to be with God in heaven.



Directions: Take some time to quietly view and refl ect on the art. Let yourself be inspired in any way that happens naturally. Then think about the questions below, and discuss them with your classmates.









8. Who do you think the fi gures with the Father are? Why do you think so? What are they doing?




5

UNIT 1, LESSON 1 11

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UNIT 1, LESSON 2


ӹ CCC 2052

ӹ CCC 1803-1829

Vocabulary ӹ Holiness

ӹ Mercy

ӹ Virtue

Learning Goals ӹ God is the supreme good and the source

of all good things.

ӹ We respond to God’s goodness, and to the good things He has given us, with thanksgiving and with the pursuit of holiness.

ӹ Holiness is to become more like God and to share in his goodness.

ӹ Practicing and growing in virtue lead us on the path of holiness.

God Is Good, and Holiness Is Sharing in His Goodness

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, His mercy endures forever.

PSALMS 118:1

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected when received with thanksgiving.

1 TIMOTHY 4:4

BIBLICAL TOUCHSTONES

13

Lesson Plan

ӹ Materials

ActivityA. Have a student stand and read aloud Psalms 118: 1:

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, His mercy endures forever.”

B. Lead a brief discussion, asking what this psalm tells us about God? Possible answers: He is good; He is merciful; He is merciful forever; His mercy never ends; we should thank Him for His goodness; and so forth.

C. Put students in pairs or trios and ask them to turn to “God Is…” Activity (page 13). Ask students to read each Scripture passage and discuss what each one says about God. Then have students write on the blank line after each description the letter of the Scripture passage that corresponds to it.

DAY ONENote: The activity and assessment may be completed over two days.

Warm-UpA. Ask students to turn to Good Things (page

12). Ask students to spend the next few minutes creating a list of five good things in their lives. Offer assistance as needed to students who might struggle to think of five things.

B. Ask students to share some of the things they wrote and create a list on the board. Accept any reasonable response.

C. Ask students where all these good things come from. Lead students in a brief discussion on the source of the good things in their lives. Conclude by telling them that God is the supreme or ultimate good and the source of all good things (CCC 2052). Therefore, the good things in their lives ultimately come from God because He is good. There is nothing that is truly good that is not from God.

ӹ Good Things

ӹ “God Is…” Activity

ӹ What Is Virtue?

ӹ Virtue Descriptions

ӹ Good Things Prayer of Thanksgiving

Materials

Good Things

Directions: List fi ve good things in your life.

Five good things in my life are...

1. ______________________________________________________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________________________________________________________

5. ______________________________________________________________________________________________

12


LESSON PLAN

Refl ection Question: What is something that you have worked very hard to be able to do? How did you feel when you fi nally were able to do it well?

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D. Discuss answers with students after they have completed “God Is…” Activity. After each response, ask each student to explain his/her choice.

Formative Assessment Have students write two or three sentences that describe how God’s goodness is related to His love and mercy. Answers may vary but should include some reference to the fact that God sent His only Son to save us from sin by dying on the Cross. This is the greatest act of love. God did this because He is good and merciful.

DAYS TWO AND THREENote: The activity may be completed over two days.

Warm-UpBegin by reviewing the work from the previous lesson. Ask students what they learned about God’s goodness, love, and mercy, and write reasonable responses on the board.

ActivityA. Ask students if God is good, and all good things

come from Him, including us and all the good things we have, how should we respond to His goodness. Answers will vary but should be directed to the conclusion that since God is good, and we are created in His image, we ought to be good as well. We become good like God by working to become holy.

B. Ask students how we become holy. Accept any reasonable responses and write them on the board. Then have students read What Is Virtue? (page 15) then complete the focus and reflection questions.

Corresponding Letter Summary Statement

_________________ 1. God is Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

_________________ 2. God the Father is the Creator of all things.

_________________ 3. God the Son is the Savior who was sent by the Father.

_________________4. God the Holy Spirit teaches and reminds us of everything that

Jesus taught us.

_________________ 5. There is only one God, who is one even though three.

_________________ 6. God is love.

_________________ 7. The greatest expression of love is giving one’s life for another.

_________________8. We know love because Jesus gave His life for us to save us from

sin.

_________________ 9. God is good and merciful.

_________________ 10. We have been saved because of God’s mercy.

14

“God Is…” Activity

Directions: Read each Scripture passage. Discuss with your partner or group what each passage tells us about God. Then read the summary statements. Match each Scripture passage to its summary statement. Write the correct letter of the passage on the line.

A PSALM 118:1 — Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, His mercy endures forever.

B JOHN 15:13 — No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

C EPHESIANS 4:4-6 — …one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

D MATTHEW 28:19 — Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

E 1 JOHN 3:16 — The way we came to know love was that He laid down His life for us.

F 1 JOHN 4:8 — Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.

G JOHN 14:26 — The Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in My name — He will teach you everything and remind you of all that [I] told you.

H GENESIS 1 :1 — In the beginning, when God created the Heavens and the earth…

I TITUS 3:5 — …not because of any righteous deeds we had done, but because of His mercy, He saved us.

J 1 JOHN 4:14 — Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent His Son as Savior of the world

13

nature to live in a relationship with God by believing in him, hoping in

his promises and loving him as our greatest good.

Focus and Refl ection Questions

1. What does the word “virtue” mean? ______________________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the opposite of virtue? ______________________________________________________________________________________

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3. Why should we build virtue in our lives? ______________________________________________________________________________________

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4. How does the example of the piano player help us understand virtue? ______________________________________________________________________________________

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5. What are the two kinds of virtue, and how are they different? ______________________________________________________________________________________

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What Is Virtue?

Directions: Read the essay, then complete the focus and refl ection questions.

A virtue is a “habitual and fi rm disposition to do the good” (CCC

1803). In simple terms, to build virtue is to build good habits. When doing the good is your habit, doing the good becomes natural and brings you joy. When we sin, we build bad habits called vices. When we make good decisions, we build good habits that turn into virtues. This takes a lot of time and effort, but it is worth it! St. Gregory of Nyssa said that “The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God.” The more good decisions we make and good actions we choose, the more we grow in virtue and holiness. Virtue makes us more like God and helps us experience true happiness in our lives.

To grow in virtue is hard at fi rst. It eventually becomes easier and even fun. Think about learning to do something new. It’s hard at fi rst too. It gets easier and more fun as you get better at it. A new piano student might not look forward to

playing scales over and over. But with hard work, he can start playing more challenging and beautiful pieces. It’s always more fun to do something when you’re good at it. You become good at things through hard work, or discipline. Just like playing an instrument, practicing virtue leads to happiness. Even more importantly, without virtue we cannot overcome sin.

There are two kinds of virtues: cardinal or moral virtues, and theological virtues. We receive these virtues at our Baptism. The cardinal virtues are temperance, prudence, justice, and fortitude. The theological virtues are faith, hope, and love (charity). The cardinal virtues are spiritual habits that grow within us when we cooperate with God’s grace. With God’s help, they build character and help us do what is good and avoid what is evil. The theological virtues directly relate us to God. They adapt our human

15

UNIT 1, LESSON 2 15

LESSON PLAN

C. Review their answers and conduct a brief discussion regarding the content of the essay.

Formative AssessmentBreak students into seven groups and assign each group a virtue. Give each group a virtue description from Virtues Descriptions (page 18) and ask them to put the description into their own words. Finally, ask each group to create and draw on their own paper a visual representation of each virtue to illustrate its meaning.

DAY FOURWarm-UpShow the class the drawings of each virtue made last time. Ask the class to identify the virtue from only the drawing (ask the students who made the drawing not to share which virtue is illustrated). Ask for a volunteer who was not involved with the particular drawing to try to explain how the drawing is a good representation of the virtue.

Activity and AssessmentA. Ask students to turn to Good Things Prayer of

Thanksgiving (page 19). Ask them to write again their list of good things in their lives, add any new ones that might come to mind, and recall the sharing and discussion from the first day of the lesson.

Virtues Descriptions

Directions: Read the defi nition of each virtue, and then put it into your own words in the space below.

Prudence — Helps us judge and act on what is good and right in a situation.

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Justice — Helps us respect the rights of others and treat others fairly.

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Fortitude — Helps us to be strong, to resist evil, and to overcome diffi culties.

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Temperance — Helps us to control our feelings and avoid extremes.

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Faith — The gift from God that allows us to believe in Him, in His promises, and in His Church.

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Hope — The gift from God that helps us to desire and be confi dent in heaven and eternal happiness.

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Love (Charity) — The gift from God that helps us to love God above all things and to love our neighbor as ourselves because we love God. Charity makes all the other virtues possible.

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Prayer of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Prayer Statements

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Virtue Prayer Statements

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Good Things Prayer of Thanksgiving

Directions: Rewrite your list of fi ve good things in your life. Consider adding new ones that you’ve thought of during this lesson. Then, in the left-hand box on the next page, write a prayer of thanksgiving for each good thing. Then choose a virtue to practice for each of those fi ve goods. In the right-hand box at the bottom, for each virtue, write a prayer to ask God’s help in practicing that virtue in order to honor Him.

Five or more good things in my life are...

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19


LESSON PLAN

B. Ask students to write a brief prayer in the bottom left-hand column, thanking God for the good things He has given them. Encourage students to include in their prayer something about recognizing that God, out of His love and mercy, has given them all the good things they have and that the correct response to these gifts is thanksgiving, and that they must use these gifts virtuously.

C. Ask students to choose a virtue to practice in conjunction with a good they have listed. Then, in the bottom right-hand corner, have them write a brief prayer asking for God’s help in growing in that virtue as a means of pursuing holiness and becoming more like God. For example:

Good: My family

Thanksgiving prayer: Thank you, God, for giving me my family and for their love. I know that You gave me the family I have because You love me.

Virtue prayer: God, help me to grow in justice to treat my brothers and sisters better.

To conclude, lead the class in a prayer of thanksgiving and ask for God to help them grow in virtue. Ask in advance two or three students to share their prayer statements during the prayer.

UNIT 1, LESSON 2 17

Good Things

Directions: List fi ve good things in your life.


1. ______________________________________________________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________________________________________________________

5. ______________________________________________________________________________________________

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Accept reasoned answers














13

UNIT 1, LESSON 2 19






Jesus taught us.


_________________ 6. God is love.



sin.



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Answer Key1. D

2. H

3. J

4. G

5. C

6. F

7. B

8. E

9. A

10. I


What Is Virtue?

Directions: Read the essay, then complete the focus and refl ection questions.

A virtue is a “habitual and fi rm disposition to do the good” (CCC


To grow in virtue is hard at fi rst. It eventually becomes easier and even fun. Think about learning to do something new. It’s hard at fi rst too. It gets easier and more fun as you get better at it. A new piano student might not look forward to



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UNIT 1, LESSON 2 21

Answer Key1. A habitual and

firm disposition to do the good. To build good habits.

2. Vices or bad habits.

3. Virtue make us more like God and helps us to experience true happiness in our lives.

4. Learning to play the piano well takes hard work and practice. This is also true of practicing virtue. It takes hard work and practice to develop a habit to choose the good.

5. There are two kinds of virtues: cardinal or moral virtues, and theological virtues. The cardinal virtues are spiritual gifts God give us that we can develop or strengthen through good habits and cooperation with God’s grace. The theological virtues are gifts from God that strengthen our abilities.



Focus and Refl ection Questions



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Refl ection Question: What is something that you have worked very hard to be able to do? How did you feel when you fi nally were able to do it well?

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Answer KeyReflection Question: Answers will vary.

UNIT 1, LESSON 2 23


Directions: Read the defi nition of each virtue, and then put it into your own words in the space below.


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Fortitude — Helps us to be strong, to resist evil, and to overcome diffi culties.

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Hope — The gift from God that helps us to desire and be confi dent in heaven and eternal happiness.

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18




Directions: Rewrite your list of fi ve good things in your life. Consider adding new ones that you’ve thought of during this lesson. Then, in the left-hand box on the next page, write a prayer of thanksgiving for each good thing. Then choose a virtue to practice for each of those fi ve goods. In the right-hand box at the bottom, for each virtue, write a prayer to ask God’s help in practicing that virtue in order to honor Him.


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UNIT 1, LESSON 2 25



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Grade 4 Student Workbook

Sample PagesUnit 1, Lessons 1 and 2

plus Scripture Copywork

UNIT ONE

God Is All Good

God created you so you out of love, so you could share in His Divine Life!

God’s life, which He freely offers you, is called grace. This year you will learn about the chief ways we can receive God’s grace on earth: the Seven Sacraments.

In this first unit, you will learn about how God is the source of all life. He created everything that you can see, and all those things you can’t see as well. He speaks to you through visible creation, and the Church, which Jesus founded to carry out His mission, makes visible many of those things we can’t see.

In this unit, you will learn about…

ӹ Exploring the Goodness of God with Sacred Art

ӹ God Is Good, and Holiness Is Sharing in His Goodness

ӹ The Reflection of God in Creation

ӹ Made in God’s Image and Likeness

ӹ In God’s Image: The Abilities of the Soul

2

What questions do you have right now about the topics you will be learning about in this unit? Write them on the lines below.

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3

Sistine C

hapel, Apostolic P

alace, Vatican City.

The C

reation of AdamB

Y M

ICH

EL

AN

GE

LO

BU

ON

AR

RO

TI (C

. 15

11)

UNIT 1, LESSON 14


Directions: Take some time to quietly view and reflect on the art. Let yourself be inspired in any way that happens naturally. Then think about the questions below, and discuss them with your classmates.









8. Who do you think the figures with the Father are? Why do you think so? What are they doing?




UNIT 1, LESSON 1 5

Genesis 1:26

Then God said: Let us

make human beings in Our

image, after Our likeness.

UNIT 1 COPYwORk6

Genesis 1:31

God looked at everything He had

made, and found it very good.

UNIT 1 COPYwORk 7

Jeremiah 1:5

Before I formed you in the

womb, I knew you.

UNIT 1 COPYwORk8

Psalm 118:1

Give thanks to the LORD, for He

is good, His mercy endures forever.

UNIT 1 COPYwORk 9

Matthew 5:48

So be perfect, just as your

heavenly Father is perfect.

UNIT 1 COPYwORk10

John 1:1-2

In the beginning was the Word, and the

Word was with God, and the Word was

God. He was in the beginning with God.

UNIT 1 COPYwORk 11

Good Things

Directions: List five good things in your life.


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5. ______________________________________________________________________________________________

UNIT 1, LESSON 212













UNIT 1, LESSON 2 13






Jesus taught us.


_________________ 6. God is love.



sin.



UNIT 1, LESSON 214

What Is Virtue?

Directions: Read the essay, then complete the focus and reflection questions.

A virtue is a “habitual and firm disposition to do the good” (CCC


To grow in virtue is hard at first. It eventually becomes easier and even fun. Think about learning to do something new. It’s hard at first too. It gets easier and more fun as you get better at it. A new piano student might not look forward to



UNIT 1, LESSON 2 15



Focus and Reflection Questions



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UNIT 1, LESSON 216

Reflection Question: What is something that you have worked very hard to be able to do? How did you feel when you finally were able to do it well?

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UNIT 1, LESSON 2 17


Directions: Read the definition of each virtue, and then put it into your own words in the space below.


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Fortitude — Helps us to be strong, to resist evil, and to overcome difficulties.

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Hope — The gift from God that helps us to desire and be confident in heaven and eternal happiness.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________


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UNIT 1, LESSON 218


Directions: Rewrite your list of five good things in your life. Consider adding new ones that you’ve thought of during this lesson. Then, in the left-hand box on the next page, write a prayer of thanksgiving for each good thing. Then choose a virtue to practice for each of those five goods. In the right-hand box at the bottom, for each virtue, write a prayer to ask God’s help in practicing that virtue in order to honor Him.


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UNIT 1, LESSON 2 19



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UNIT 1, LESSON 220

spirit of truth - sophia institute for teachers · spirit of truth grade 4 sample ... exploring the...

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