This Beatitude project is Part 3 of a 3 week project for 5th graders to make “The Way”, a visual representation of “The Way” to God. See Part 1 and Part 2 to get an idea of the beginning phases of the project up to this point.
Key Points
Following “The Way” needs to be our goal. If we adopt the Beatitudes as we walk this path, we will be people with ATTITUDES that will make us happy, blessed, and Christ-like. Each of the Beatitudes helps us be people filled with true love, joy and peace.
Vocabulary
“The Way”, meek, merciful, mournful
Supplies
- Bibles
- “The Way” project on butcher paper that was worked at the sessions on The Way Part 1: Psalms and Sin Stumbling Blocks and The Way Part 2: 10 Commandment Sign Posts
- beige paper footsteps (two per student) printed from this footsteps template or beige cardstock (if the students will cut their own footsteps)
- markers, scissors and glue
Opening Discussion
Lead a class discussion by showing “The Way” butcher paper and asking:
- What have we added to “The Way” so far?
- What do the stumbling blocks (logs, snakes, boulders, etc.) represent?….[our sins]
- Why did we create sign posts?……[to represent the 10 Commandments that help us stay on the path]
Add your own insights into what they have created so far and let them know we will finish it by adding the Beatitudes.
Scripture: The Beatitudes [Matthew 5:1-12]
Pull out your Bibles and read together the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount [Matthew 5: 1-12].
Large Group Activity: Review the Beatitudes
Show a poster of the Beatitudes and review each of them individually.
Feel free to print these posters to show in your classroom.
Explain the purpose of the Beatitudes:
- On our life journey the Beatitudes help us take a very happy walk on the path to God.
- In some Biblical versions, they start with “Happy are they..” instead of “Blessed are they….”
- If we adopt the Beatitudes, we will live a Blessed, Christ-like life.
- Beatitudes help us avoid sins that are ones of ATTITUDES. Do you ever suffer from having an attitude of….?
- crabbiness
- laziness
- impatience
- hatefulness
Worksheet: Who has the “BE”attitude?
Ask students to complete this worksheet activity in which they must name people who they feel embody the spirit of each Beatitude. Connections will be made to how living the Beatitudes can help us all live a happy life on our lives journey.
Tip: before having them fill-it out, go over the “BE” column examples.
Roundtable Sharing
Go around the room and ask the kids to share details about some person they wrote down for a particular Beatitude.
Activity: Add Beatitude Footsteps to “The Way”
- Pass out the beige footsteps or if you are having the students cut their own, pass out beige card stock. They can trace their own feet to make their own footsteps.
- On the left footstep, ask them to write their name.
- On the right footstep, ask them write a beatitude that they will try to adopt to try to live a better life. Write it on the footstep in the format of “Be _________________.”
- Have everyone glue their footsteps to the path on the butcher paper to symbolize a resolve to live better.
Activity: Finishing Touches to “The Way”
Find volunteers or assign students to do the following tasks to put the finishing touches on “The Way”
Task 1: Write the following on a piece of paper and then glue it to an empty spot on “The Way”:
- Sins are …..our stumbling blocks, our ditches, our snakes, our logs, our ravines.
- The Ten Commandments……are our sign posts along the way.
- The Beatitudes…….are our attitudes that help us walk happily with firm footsteps on the path
Task 2: Ask another volunteer write on the sun in the corner: “Jesus is The Way, The Truth, The Light”
Task 3: Decorate the big title lettering and the background with markers.
Task 4: Hang the completed way somewhere at church for all to see.
Game: Bowling for Beatitudes
Play this fun Bowling for Beatitudes game as a review. The game reinforces key concepts by having beatitude prompts be answered with each bowl of the ball.
Closing Prayer
Email to families
At class, we will do several things:
- Read the Beatitudes in Matthew 5: 1-12
- Discuss what attitudes someone who lives the Beatitudes would have and how that keeps us on the path of “The Way”.
- Then each student will add 2 footprints on “The Way” on butcher paper:
- One with their name
- One with one Beatitude attribute they think will help them stay on “The Way” of Christ.
Questions for the car ride home:
Which Beatitude tell us to:
- Not fight?…..[Blessed are the Peacemakers…]
- Be forgiving?…..[Blessed are those who are Merciful…]
- Be calm and gentle?…..[Blessed are the Meek….]
- Be fair?……[Blessed are those who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness….]
- Be sorry for our sins?…..[Blessed are those who Mourn….]