Teaching about the Mass Activity Sheets

Each year as I teach about the Sacraments, I try to gauge the needs and interests of my students and create activities that are right for them.  This year after learning more about the Eucharist, I set up a review week with four tasks related to the Mass.  I made four activity sheets to guide their reflections and help me assess their learning.  The sheets are all linked below and could be used with a wide range of ages and specific activities.  I intentionally did not include written instructions so that I (and you!) could tailor them to individual kids, groups, and tasks. 

Here are the ways I used these sheets this year:

Mass Articles
These Mass sets, which really are designed for younger learners, were actually incredibly helpful for my students as they learned the proper names and uses of items that they see in the church.  After reviewing our resources on things used in the Mass, they had to choose four of them that they learned something new about, draw their own picture and then write their own description, helping me gauge their understanding.

The Order of the Mass
This page was used to review the four main parts in the Order of the Mass.  I labeled the Introductory Rites, Liturgy of the Word, Liturgy of the Eucharist, and Concluding Rites.  The students had to draw something that illustrated the main action of that part of the Mass as well as write a description.  Using these Order of the Mass Cards in earlier lessons definitely helped my students know how the parts of the Mass fit together.  For younger students or if using this as an introduction, you could have the students copy a "definition" for that part of the Mass and then draw their own illustrations.

Mass Book Review
The next page was an opportunity to read and review a book about the Mass.  I set out a basket of books (including the kids' books from this list) and they had the chance to read, analyze, and recommend the book they chose.

Mass Reflection
Aaaaand disappointingly, I can't find any photos of the fourth page, which was a Mass Reflection.  It has a space for a large illustration and many lines of writing.  I had prepped my students before a school Mass to pay attention for a moment when they felt particularly close to Jesus.  They drew their own pictures of that moment and then wrote a couple of paragraphs about it.  You could use that page in many other ways. including writing about the homily, the readings, a particular prayer of the Mass, why Mass matters to them, etc.

I happened to have a stack of leftover posters from a Eucharist centered retreat, and was able to trim them down and use as covers for a book about the Mass that my students then added to their Fulton Sheen Notebooks.  (Waste not, want not, right?)

Click on any of the images below to get the four Mass Activity Pages:

Updated: Here's a matching version but with the text in manuscript instead of cursive:

P.S.- This is unrelated, but I just had to share:
I've posted several times here on the blog about the new Catholic Journaling Bible (the list of posts is here) and I also started an Etsy shop earlier this year with stamps and stickers to use in Bibles, planners, journals, or anywhere you want to bring a little bit of your faith.  This week I finished a project that had been in my head for a while, and am so, so happy with how they turned out.  These Stained Glass Biblical Ladies Stickers are based on windows found in the Lady Chapel of St. Mary Cathedral in Peoria, IL.  I have them both as line art that you can color yourself and as a watercolor set that is ready to print.  I added them to my Bible, and just love them.  They're in my Etsy shop now if you'd like to have a set for yourself!
P.P.S.- Make sure to check back next week for a revival of the Why Make Beautiful Things Series!  Monday through Thursday will feature guest posts on the topic of beauty, why it matters, and how it points to our Creator, and Friday I'll be hosting a HUGE giveaway with over $200 worth of prizes.  You don't want to miss it!