Materials: Green = provided by CRE / Blue = on website / Purple = Optional, catechists provide

Unit: Easter2nd Grade Week 16: EasterNote: You need to hide eggs. It would be best to do this before class, so a catechist needs to arrive early. If you are going outside, make sure that no other catechists are using the same area. If you are hiding the eggs inside, please do not put in any cabinets or areas that pre-school uses.

Catechist Preparation:Alive in Christ Catechist Edition: pp. 43A-49Objectives:

Discover Jesus’ Easter message Explain that Easter is a season of joy Describe what happened at Pentecost

Catholic Faith Words: Holy Spirit, Pentecost, Good NewsBible Verses: John 20:19-21,Acts of the Apostles 2:1-4

Classroom Lesson:

Welcome Make an Easter card for someone to share your Easter joy. Use Easter stickers to put on the card.

Invite

Prayer Space

p. 43Let Us PrayGod’s Word: Scripture ReflectionWhat do you wonder?

DiscoverLesson Part I:Read pp. 44Discuss Easter. Tell the children that Jesus rising from the dead was a miracle, and gives us hope and life! Tell them that you will do a fun activity to tell the Easter story.Do “Hide the eggs” activity

Lesson Part II:Read pp. 47-48Let children know that Pentecost happened after Jesus went up to heaven. Jesus said He will be with us always through the Holy Spirit.Show the pictures of Pentecost. Ask children to imagine what it was like to hear the wind, and to have a “tongue” of fire on their head.

LiveTalk about the Easter card you made. Who will you give it to?

Songs: “We Remember the Three Days”, “Come to us Holy Spirit”

People of Faith The Pope and the Twelve Apostles (read p. 306)

Going ForthSend home note about End-of-year partyCelebrate the Spirit p. 49

Easter Story told with Easter Eggs

Focus

To relive the passion and death of Jesus

Tell the story:On a Sunday that we call Palm SundayJesus came to Jerusalem, riding on a donkey, riding strong and high.Children and adults ran to meet Him, palms in hand singing: "Hosanna, Hosanna to our king."

On Wednesday of that week, one of his friends, Judas, went to the leaders and told them that he could tell them where they could find Jesus. They gave Judas 30 pieces of silver as his reward.

On Thursday night, we call it ‘Holy Thursday,’ Jesus went to eat a special meal with his disciples. They were eating the Passover supper. Jesus gave them bread and wine. He told them, this is my body. This is my blood. When you do this, remember Me.

After the meal, they went to a garden. Jesus knelt and prayed. He asked His apostles to pray with him, but they fell asleep. Jesus asked His Father to help Him.

Then Judas came with the soldiers. The soldiers took Him to Pilate who sat on a throne.

The soldiers were mean to Jesus. They whipped Him, put a crown of thorns on Him and made fun of Him. They made Jesus carry the cross. He fell three times.

Then the soldiers nailed Him to the cross. The people made fun of Jesus. The soldiers used dice to see who would get to keep Jesus’ clothes.

Jesus died. The soldiers put a spear into His side to make sure He was dead.

A man named Joseph came for Jesus’ body. They took His body and wrapped it in cloth. Then they put Jesus in a cave. It is also called a tomb. Then they put a big rock in front of the tomb to make sure that His body would be safe.

The next morning, Easter Sunday, the womb came to the tomb. They were surprised someone had moved the rock. Jesus was gone. He is risen to new life from the dead.

Hiding the Eggs

You can hide them outside or in the classroom. Instruct the students that they can only pick up one egg. However, they can help someone else find one. If you have more than 12 students in class this day, you may have to pair some up.

Caution:

To make this activity truly effective you must go in slow motion. In other words, before finding the eggs, review the story in detail by asking the students to retell what they remember of the passion story. They watch the passion play every year on Palm Sunday so they should know a great deal.

Activity

o When all the eggs are found, sit in a circle and find out who has # 1. Ask the student to open the egg, show what is inside and read the explanation inside.

o Pass the item around the circle. o Each child should repeat what the symbol stands for. o Proceed with other eggs in numerical order.

Note: Be sure to close each egg as you finish with it and put it back into the box/bag so the items inside don’t get mixed up or lost.

EASTER STORY TOLD WITH EASTER EGGS

Instructions: Open each egg in numerical order. After opening #1, for example, read or tell about the symbol…then close it and go on to #2, etc. After a while the children will be able to tell the story themselves as they open the eggs.

1. Ride on a donkey…Jesus rode on a donkey into Jerusalem.2. Silver coins…Judas took 30 silver coins for giving Jesus away to the

Jewish leaders.3. Passover cup…At the last supper with His disciples, Jesus used the

cup of wine to explain His death. We remember the Last Supper at every Mass.

4. Praying hands…Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray with His disciples. They fell asleep. Soldiers came for Jesus.

5. Leather whip…After His trial by Pilate, the Roman soldiers used leather ropes to whip Jesus.

6. Crown of Thorns…The soldiers placed a crown of thorns on His head. They made fun of him saying, “Hail, King of the Jews.” They made Jesus carry His cross.

7. Nails in the cross…Nails were put into His hands and feet to keep Him on the cross.

8. Dice for gambling…The soldiers used dice to decide who would get to keep his clothes.

9. Spear…Jesus died. The soldiers put a spear into the side of Jesus to make sure He was dead.

10. Cloth… A man named Joseph wrapped Jesus’ body with a cloth after He died on the cross. They put His body in a cave and closed the cave.

11. Stone at the tomb…The huge stone that had covered the cave was rolled away.

12. Empty tomb…The cave was empty because Jesus rose from the dead!

If you have time, have the children trade their eggs and retell the story. See if they can remember telling what they heard about.

2nd Grade Lesson 16 SupplementalNote: You need to hide eggs. It would be best to do this before class, so a catechist needs to arrive early. If you are going outside, make sure that no other catechists are using the same area. If you are hiding the eggs inside, please do not put in any cabinets or areas that pre-school uses.As children arrive *hang liturgical calendar on board, write No CRE next week on board

Have children hang their Lent path on board and give prizes for each****hide eggsLent color sheets & stations of the cross booklets

Prayer Time Sing Our God is HereRead John 20: 19-21Read p. 43 Let Us Pray & ask What do you wonder questions

Activity Read the Easter story (previous pages)Each child to find 1 egg then sit in a circle in numerical orderOpen each egg in order and retell the story (see directions previous)

Discuss On Holy Saturday night, we light the Easter candle because Jesus has risen. He brings light into the darkness. We remember our baptism and welcome new members to the church. (talk about RCIA) Easter officially begins at sundown on Saturday night.Jesus died for us, and gave us his body and blood in the form of bread and wine. The mass is a celebration of Jesus’ death, resurrection and Ascension (heaven). Jesus’ great sacrifice is celebrated at every mass when we follow his command to do what he did at the Last Supper. This is the sacrament of the Eucharist.So remember how during Lent we go to mass more often to prepare for Easter? What happened on Easter that’s so important?Who went to mass last weekend? What is your favorite part of mass?What part of mass do you not get to participate in yet?Yes, the most important part – the Eucharist. Mass is a whole celebration of the Eucharist. A sacrament that we can get every single week.

In this sacrament, Jesus shares himself with us when the bread and wine become his body and blood. After Easter we will start practicing for 1st communion.

CraftUsing the flip book:What season will it become in a week and a half? Write The Easter Story at the top. What color is Easter? (symbol of light) Same as Christmas – why? (celebration / joy)What season is it now? Open that flap and color the fish the color of lent – which is? (purple)Open the next flap – what is that a picture of? Write Palm Sunday under the picture.Open the next flap – what is that? (last supper) When do we celebrate the last supper? Write Holy Thursday under the picture.Open the next flap – what is this? When do we honor the stations of the cross? Write Good Friday.Next flap – When did Jesus rise from the dead? Write Easter Sunday under him. What are we celebrating? Jesus rising from the dead was a miracle, and gives us hope and life!How long is Easter? (50 days) Flip the book over.Easter ends on another holiday – Pentecost. What happened on the Pentecost? (God sent the Holy Spirit to the apostles) Pentecost happened after Jesus went up to heaven. Jesus said He will be with us always through the Holy Spirit. Ask children to imagine what it was like to hear the wind, and to have a “tongue” of fire on their head.Why did the Apostles need the Holy Spirit? (they were scared and didn’t know what to do) What did they need to do? (teach others about God)How do we get the Holy Spirit now? Why do we need it?

People of Faith The Pope and the Twelve Apostles (read p. 306)Going Forth Celebrate the Spirit p. 49

Jesus is Alive!