Mountain Climbing For Rules To Live By

Sunday November 11th was our tenth session together. This week we covered Unit 2, Chapter 7 "We Think About Our Choices". In preparing for the session, I established the Ten Commmandments as rules God sent us to help us know how to live. The lesson plan for the session includes the topics discussion, the activities worksheet, and craft activity.

Packing Light: If you just want the activity sheet for this session, you can find it here. It has a follow-directions activity, word search, and maze activity.

When we met in the common area for the whole group activity, we all turned in our Toilet Paper and Macaroni & Cheese - which we were requested to bring as our contribution to the Saint Vincent de Paul pantry. Next week we are supposed to bring Peanut Butter and Jelly!

When we arrived at our room today, we noticed the desks had been arranged in a new pattern. This was cause for great discussion and excitement (?!). I asked if everyone was so grumpy because they had eaten all their Halloween candy? Whoa, sensitive subject there I guess!

Moving on, I asked the children to gather together and sit on the floor together in a circle. We remembered how God gave each of us free choice, and that he gave us two gifts to help us make good choices: a conscience, and the Holy Spirit. Then I asked if anyone knew another gift that God gave us to help us know how to make good choices. No takers.

So I started in on a story, and asked them to let me know when they figured it out. I told it sort of mystery-style... about how God selected this man to lead His people out of Egypt, how after lots of arguments with the pharoah there, they finally left. Then, they started to cross the dessert. But they weren't being very nice to each other and they were also worshipping other gods. So God wouldn't let them find their new home until they started to act better. Finally this man went up on a mountain - what we call Mount Sanai - and asked God to PLEASE give us some rules to live by! (At about this time Pragmatic Tiger figured out that we were talking about Moses - yeah!). So then I asked what did God give to Moses on that mountain? Rocking Horse had it: "the Ten Commandments on some stones or something." We talked about how Moses took them down the mountain and taught the people the new rules and how finally they were able to get to their new home. We talked about how we still need to use these rules today.

We reviewed each commandment, what it might mean for us. Here is what we figured out:

Have No Other Gods

We should say prayers to God

We should not skip Church to watch Dexter's Laboratory, because that would be like we liked the cartoons better than God.

Respect God's Name

We should be nice when we use God's name.

We should not use His name in vain. (the children knew it this way!)

Keep Holy the Lord's Day

We should go to Church on Sunday.

We should try to be extra nice on Sunday.

Respect Your Parents

We should not be sassy.

We should not disobey them.

We should not tell them we will do something and then not do it.

Do Not Kill

We definitely should not kill other people. (The children did have a question about if we were having a war and sometimes soldiers need to do it. I told them that is a tough situation and those soldiers are not fighting for themselves they are fighting for their country. I encouraged the children to talk to their parents about it!).

We also talked about how even "just" fighting with someone is not respecting life.

Do Not Commit Adultery

We talked about how this is mostly for grown-ups, how when two people decide to get married they promise to share their love only with each other. (The children had questions about whether that meant they couldn't love their children or other family and friends, and I explained that we were talking about husband-wife kind of love. They did have more questions, I acknowledged them all and told them they were really good questions and they should remember to talk to their parents about it!)

Do Not Steal

We should definitely not take things that are not ours.

We should definitely not take things from someone even if we know they took it first.

We shouldn't cheat on a test or cheat on a game.

Do Not Lie

We should not tell anyone a lie.

Even if we think we are being nice if we tell a lie, we should not tell a lie. We should think of something else that isn't a lie instead.

Honor Your Neighbor's Wife

We talked about how this is sort of like that other grown-up commandment.

Honor Your Neighbor's Goods

We should not want to take away things other people have.

We should not want those people to get hurt or to lose their stuff just because we wanted to have it.

Then, one by one, I handed out strips of paper with a commandment written on it. We started with Fair Cheetah and "Have No Other Gods" and "Respect God's Name". Then Pragmatic Tiger had to re-state the one Fair Cheetah said, and then read his own, "Keep Holy the Lord's Day"... and so forth... each one trying to remember all the ones that came before! We were a team and gave hints when we needed to! That was tough but kind of fun!

Then I explained that we had a game we could play to help us remember. I handed out the 'fortune tellers' that had the Ten Commandments on them. The children who recognized the toys were delighted immediately and set straight away to play with them. I gave a demonstration for the others and helped them to get their fingers into the right slots. It only took a few minutes before they were all playing away and the excitement mounted! They were like butterflies going from person to person asking them to pick a commandment!

There was so much excitement and fluttering-by that I didn't even have an opportunity to catch any photos of the children enjoying their 'fortune tellers'! Now, that's what I call distraction!

I did at least have presence of mind to remember to ask about Mass though:

"What did you notice at Mass today?"

"We had 2 guys up there again today!" (said Effusive Jaguar)

"Yes, we had a visiting Deacon today. What Color were they wearing?"

"Green - definitely green. But that other guy's was different." (said Effusive Jaguar... Sweet Pea Elephant seconded the idea.)

Yes, the Deacon wears different robes. Did you all participate in the Penitential Rite like we discussed?"

"Yeah - but it was different than we practiced!" (said Sweet Pea Elephant)

"Yes, Father chose to use one of the other options today." (We talked a bit about the different options for the Penitential Rite) "...and you know what else I am curious about?"

"Yeah, we know - we sang the Gloria, AND also the Holy, Holy, Holy" (said Sweet Pea Elephant)

Next time we will be covering Unit 2, Chapter 8 "We Say We Are Sorry".

Side Trips: if you want more information, activities, and games...

• If you just have a bit of time, definitely go for the online activity for this chapter at Blest Are We
• If you have two-bits of time, color your way through the story of Exodus at coloringbookfun.com
• For more in-depth activities, check out some of the links in the lesson plan - but note that some of the links may be non-Catholic Christian links and so the wording/ordering of the Ten Commandments may vary somewhat!