LESSON ONE: Planting Seeds of Hope /
GRADE LEVEL: Junior/Intermediate /
TEACHER INFORMATION:
Hope is rooted in the belief that more is possible, that justice and peace will prevail even if not in our own time. To be a hopeful community is to trust that God's plan for God's people will be fulfilled in spite of all obstacles.
"If we live on in the divinely given and assured hope for the all-embracing kingdom of love and peace, then we will always be concerned with the whole - with the victory of love, of justice, and of peace for everyone. Only the gift of hope guaranteed by God can transform our many defeats and sufferings into signs of hope. This guarantee takes us to the core of the theological virtue of hope, a virtue rooted above all in the paschal mystery of Christ." The Virtues of an Authentic Life: A Celebration of Spiritual Maturity by Bernard Harring.
MATERIALS: Book: The Lotus Seed by Sherry Garland Pub. Harcourt, ISBN# 0-15-201483-7 Sherry Garland's book is an emotional tale of a Vietnamese family forced to flee from their homeland to escape a devastating civil war. Set against a background of historical events, "The Lotus Seed" thoughtfully portrays refugees who have adapted to a different way of life in a new country without losing touch with their cultural heritage. This is a story about hope and the continuity of family and culture.
Map of the World
Handout: Lotus Flower paper
TIME FRAME: 1 x 40 minute Lesson
MINISTRY CURRICULA LINKS
Language – Oral and Written Communication
Reading , OE 1, 2
Writing, OE 1
Drama OE 1 / CATHOLIC CONNECTIONS
Catholic Social Justice Teachings: Life and Dignity of the Human Person The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society.
Rights and Responsibilities
The Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Therefore, every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency.
Solidarity
We are one human family, whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. Learning to practice the virtue of solidarity means learning that “loving our neighbour” has global dimensions in an interdependent world.
Religious Education Program:
Gr.8: Unit 1: Theme Four
Gr.7: Theme One
Gr. 6: Unit 3: Theme 9
Gr. 5: Unit 6: Theme 18
Gr. 4: Unit 9
Fully Alive Program: Themes 4, 5
Catholic Graduate Expectations:
7(f) Respects and affirms the diversity and interdependence of the world’s peoples and cultures.
See also: 1(d), 2(c), 6(a), 7(e), (g), (h)
DISCUSSION POINTS
Organizer: Use Lotus flower to jot down ideas
Bible stories:
Easter- Luke 24: 1-12,
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. - Isaiah 9: 1-7
Jesus Blesses Little Children
- Matthew 19: 13-15
The road to Emmaus - Luke 24:13-35
Write quote Pope John XXIII on bb / LESSON DESCRIPTION
Learning Expectations:
The students will:
ü develop attitudes and values founded on Catholic social teaching
ü reflect on the dignity and worth of all people
ü reflect on God’s word as communicated in the Bible
ü read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary, graphic and informational texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning
ü analyse texts and explain how various elements in them contribute to meaning
ü draft and revise their writing, using a variety of informational, literary, and graphic forms
ü and stylistic elements appropriate for the purpose and audience
ü generate, gather, and organize ideas and information
ü create an accompaniment for a story, poem, or drama presentation;
ü produce two- and three-dimensional works of art
ü rehearse and perform small-group drama and dance presentations drawn from novels, poems, stories
Before Reading:
Discussion questions
1. Ask the students if they know of anyone who has emigrated to Canada?· What kinds of difficulties do you imagine they might have had to overcome?
2. Do you have a favorite keepsake?
· What is it?
· Why is that your favorite?
3. What is one thing in your home that has special meaning to your family?
· Why is it special?
Show the students the cover of the book. Ask them where they think this story takes place?
Show Vietnam on a world map or have children look at the pictures of Vietnam on this website.
http://www.ibiblio.org/vietnam/vnpic.html
After Reading Activity
Think/Pair/Share: Ask the students to jot down on the lotus flower paper (see handout) the reasons why the lotus seed was so important to Ba. Ask the students how Ba was hope for her family? Discuss with students the meaning of HOPE – why is hope important to us?
What stories in the Bible do we know that teach us about hope?
Tell the story of the two disciples walking to Emmaus
(Luke 24:13-35)
Discuss how they must have felt on their journey back to Jerusalem.
Ask the students to write down how we can be “seeds of hope” for each other?
Activities:
Option #1: Writing: Interview a grandparent or other adult who has emigrated to Canada and write a paragraph describing their experience
Option #2: Drama: Create a scene depicting someone leaving their native homeland. Include props to show what they would take with them and express how they may have felt when they arrived in Canada?
Option #3:
Large group: “Consult not your fears but your hopes and dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what is still possible for you to do.”
- (Pope John XXIII)
Personal and Group Reflections
Personal Reflections:1. What are the signs of hope that you see in your day-to- day experience of school life
2. How have you been a sign of hope for others?
Small Group Reflection:
1. In the face of situations that may have contributed to a sense of despair, how have you seen a sense of hope instilled in others? Give concrete examples (e.g. outreach to those in need or care for the sick).
Extension:
After cutting 6x6 or 8x8 inch squares of fabric, distribute a square to each student. Ask each student to draw or paint (use fabric paints, permanent marker, fabric crayons, etc.) on the fabric. Illustrate a family celebration or a special family keepsake. Sew the squares together to make a quilt. Alternately, use paper and piece together as a mural in the classroom.
ACCOMMODATIONS:
How I will change the lesson to meet the needs of individual students?
Peer tutor/ Partner Increase/decrease time Manipulatives
Oral Explanation Include visuals Extend
ASSESSMENT:
How will I know when my students are successful?
Anecdotal Notes Peer/Self Assessment Checklist
Rubric Oral Reports Rating Scale
Interview/Conference Include Visuals Extend