4Real Forums: Tell me about 3rd graders!!

Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.

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Topic: Tell me about 3rd graders!!

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MommyD
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Posted: Sept 06 2007 at 8:35pm \| IP Logged

I've been asked to teach the 3rd grade CCD class at church this year. Yikes!! The class will have between 3 and 5 students and they are all boys. Double yikes!! Since my oldest is only 6 and I only have sisters, please tell me what 3rd grade boys like to do. What can I do to make this year successful?

Melissa

folklaur
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Posted: Sept 06 2007 at 9:13pm \| IP Logged

My dh is Den Leader for our son's cub scout pack -- his den is a group of six 3rd grade boys

.

I am sure you will have some general guidelines on what you will have to do, and have to cover, etc. But if you can find an "active" way to cover it, that might be an idea? Boys don't always love to do the quite-type paper crafts (of course, some do!). Boys tend to like to move around a bit

CAgirl4God
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Posted: Sept 06 2007 at 9:43pm \| IP Logged

when I taught CCD, I did a lot of active stuff to keep all the kids interested.

when we learned about the Holy Spirit (and the Fruits, Gifts etc...) we made a tree out of an old branch, and made the "fruits" out of recycleables and paper etc...
I assigned two fruits per kid. same with the gifts. the put them under the tree. then we had a Holy spirit parade. I brought in a bunch of musical instruments and went marching around the patio area. we did this over a couple of classes.

once we made our own stations of the cross too. out of twigs and leaves and nuts that we found outside on a hunt the week before. we did this during Lent. and learned about the Passion.

when we learned about confession I brought in a 2x4 and nails and wood putty and sand paper, paint etc..
I taught them that our sins were like nails that get pounded into our soul (the wood). but when we go to confession, our nails are pulled out by the Jesus, through the priest. then with our penance, they are filled in, sanded and painted over like they were never there at all. That it is like that with Jesus. He forgives us completely, clean slate...
I let all kids pound in a nail, pull it out, then fill it in etc...

we did writing on the boards, games, games show type things where I asked questions and the kids were on teams and answered. there were prizes involved, lol. we would dress up like Saints and the Angels when we learned about them. we made Saint dolls for each others.

we held on going contests as to who could learn more prayers faster.... again with small prizes...

I will have to remember some of the other things we did...
hope this helps

__________________
Home is where the Coast Guard sends us

Jamie, married to John
JC, Nugget, Christina & Judy
Chowder

MommyD
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Posted: Sept 06 2007 at 10:24pm \| IP Logged

Yes, that is really helpful and I'd love to hear more ideas if you have them!! I do have a book to use but they give us a lot of room to do our own thing. I really don't think that sitting there looking at the book for an hour every Sunday will make any impact on a room full of boys so I'm working on other plans.

Melissa

CAgirl4God
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Posted: Sept 06 2007 at 10:36pm \| IP Logged

you know I was never that impressed by what was in the books. and I never had enough time each week to cover what they recommended in the books.

so I would make up my own. I would talk to the DRE and the priest about what the kids needed to learn that year, and what they wanted them to learn. and we kind of went by the church calendar. then I added in when the calendar was slow.

I guess they liked me.... they kept asking me to come back, LOL.

I used the BC and saint books. I used Seton's Religion K once yr for the little kids. we went right through the book, with lots of hands on activities.

I also used lots of music.
I would have an outline for each class.
opening prayer
rug time (I brought in a big rug to fit my kids on. one yr I get carpet squares donated)
talk about subject for the day.
read abook or text to them (or have them read if they were older).
table time (or outside, up time)
Craft/activity
clean up
rug time, with music/scripture meditation
closing prayer.

this worked out pretty well and at the end of the yr I gave each child a cd of the music we used all yr.

oh I would also give homework. something to keep them thinking about Jesus and their faith during the week.... and get the parents involved.

__________________
Home is where the Coast Guard sends us

Jamie, married to John
JC, Nugget, Christina & Judy
Chowder

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