A Week of Religions

In our World Religion class, we take a little time at the beginning to learn about different holidays from various religions.  Here are a few you may have missed.

Tuesday, September 27th was Meskel, a day that revolves around the story of Queen Eleni (also known as St. Helen) and her search for the true cross.  Legend has it that she dreamt of a bonfire with smoke that  would show the way to the spot where the cross that Jesus was crucified on was buried.  On this day a fire is made to symbolize this and the ashes may be used to make a cross on practitioner's forheads.

Wednesday, September 28th was Navaratri Dusserha.  In Hinduism, nine nights are used to celebrate different incarnations or avatars of the goddess Shakti.  These include Durga the warrior, Lakshmi the giver, and Saraswati the wise.  During this time special offerings of rice, flowers, and money can be left at temples. 

Thursday, September 29th was Rosh Hashanah.  This holiday begins the Jewish new year and  actually began at sundown on Wednesday.  It is a time of prayer and celebrating the creation of the world.  It also begins the ten Days of Awe that culminate in Yom Kippur.

Are You Smarter Than a 7th Grader?

How would you do on 7th grade's upcoming Luke quiz?  Take a look at a few of our review questions to find out!  Not sure about the answers?  Quick, find your nearest 7th grader and have them help you out!

1. Who are Elizabeth and Zechariah

2. Why are Elizabeth and Zechariah unable to have children?

3. Who announces to Zechariah that he will have a son?

4. What is Zechariah’s son to be named?

5. When Zechariah doubts that he will have a son, what is the consequence?

6. How do Mary and Elizabeth know each other?

7. Why is Mary unable to have a child?

8. Who announces to Mary that she will have a son?

9. What is going to be special about Mary’s son, Jesus?

10. To whom is Mary engaged?

11.  What is the name of the famous prayer that Mary says when she learns about her pregnancy?

12.  While Mary is pregnant, she and her husband must travel.  Where do they have to go and why?

13. Where does Mary have her baby?

14. In Luke, who are the first three visitors to baby Jesus?

15. When Jesus is 12, he gets lost in Jerusalem.  Why was he in Jerusalem and where do his parents find him?

16. Where does John the Baptist go to mediate?

17.  When John begins to preach to the people of the Jordan valley, what does he tell them they need to do (hint: there are two things)?

18. What important person does John end up baptizing?

19.  What happens when he does this?

20.  Where does Jesus go to meditate and fast and how long is he there?

21. While in the wilderness, who tempts Jesus?

22.  What three things does Jesus get tempted to do?

More videos!

For some reason,  there are two videos that just won't load!  Don't worry, I'm working on it.  Keep voting and we will come up with some sort of solution in class to make it all fair and just. :)

"Mini" Presentations!

In World Religion, students were given 15 to 20 minutes in class to research a specific idea with in Judaism,  then they were asked to present this info to the class.  These are our appetizers before going on the main course of Judaism!

The History of Religion...

As we start to learn about different religions and cultures, I thought this video might be helpful in gaining some perspective...

Friday's Current Event

On Fridays, I like to give my 8th graders a break by discussing a current event that might be relevent to our class in some way.  Here is a sneak peek of our current event for tomorrow. 

Amish Men Refuse to Use Orange Safety Triangles

*Whew* What a Week!

It has been a fast and furious week, but tomorrow is Friday, and my 5th period 7th grade class can't wait! We have spent the last two weeks discussing the different ways that Jesus is prepared for his ministry in the early parts of the Gospel of Luke.  Now we're getting ready to move into the parables he used to teach.  Will all this going on, it's a wonder they still have time to ham it up in front of the camera!

The Gospel According to Luke

Our 7th grade classes have been busy looking at the Gospel of Luke lately.  Today they compared a popular video version with what they had read so far in their Bibles.  If you are interested in this activity, take some time to watch the video below after reading the first few chapters of Luke.

Welcoming Fall!

With amazing weather like this, we had no choice but to take our class discussions outside today.  Here is an example of a "Just for Discussion" question from McGrath's book I Believe. 

Do you agree with McGrath's statement that our culture has a decidedly anti-Christian sentiment?  Why or why not?  Make sure to give examples to support your opinion. 

If you feel up to it, ask your student what they think.  Their answers might surprise you!

Context and Perspective

On September 2nd (Friday), 7th grade Religion classes discussed how their experiences shape their perception.  We are going to use this knowledge when we read the Gospel of Luke to understand the different ways Luke tried to relate Jesus' story to his specific audience.  Take a look at the image below.  What do you think it symbolizes?  Why do you think you arrived at this idea first?  Your context and perspective are hard at work making sense out of information given to you!

Learning About the Apostles' Creed

This week in 8th grade, we began our charge against apathy. Students have been encouraged to discuss why they believe what they believe and how it stacks up against the Apostles' Creed. We've had some interesting discussions, and it's only the second week of school! If you're curious about the book we're using I encourage you to order a copy online and follow along with your student.

Two students are hard at work discussing McGrath's ideas of Christian faith.

Collaborating on an assignment helps students test out theories and ideas.