With St. Valentine’s Day approaching, here’s a simple and fun icebreaker to get your students in the mood for a more serious presentation on the topic of love or St. Valentine himself.
Preparation
Provide blank bingo cards with nine squares to each student. Write entries having to do with love on each square (see sample entries below). The center square can be a free blank square.
Sample Entries
Can name three famous questions in love.
The word that came to mind when you experienced your first crush.
Can recite a love poem or verse.
Can say “I love you” in a language besides English.
Will describe my perfect Valentine.
Can sing a lyric of a song having to do with love.
With a partner, can enact first meeting a date’s parents.
Knows where the nearest bridal shop is.
Can give the place where Jesus performed his first miracle.
Directions
Pass out the bingo cards and a pencil to each student. Tell them to move around the room and get signatures for each square. A person can only sign one square on each player’s card. Say: “When you have all the squares signed call bingo.”
Take the card of the person who called bingo. In order for him or her to be declared winner, all the people who signed the card have to verify the square they sign for. Check a few of the signatures before the whole class. For example, say: “Mark can you sing a couple of lyrics from your favorite son? Yvette, will you describe your perfect Valentine?”
If all the signers check out, you have a winner. If not, continue playing the same way as before.
Erica Hunckler, a senior at Guerin High School in Noblesville, Indiana, wrote this poem to support the right to life of unborn children. Read the story of her family's long history in the pro life movement here. As an assignment, nearing the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision on January 22, have your students write their own pro life poems or journal entries.
At ten weeks
I have ten fingers
And ten toes.
I have two eyes,
Two ears,
One mouth,
And one nose.
I have a beating heart
That will continue to grow,
With love for you,
And the world I have yet to know.
This body of mine-
Yes- it is my own. Uniquely made,
By God, I was sewn
Into my mother’s womb
So, let it be known:
I was made
In the Image of God, The only One
Who sits on the throne.
With Him reside the Angels, Saints, and souls,
Who lost their lives,
As they were torn,
Part from whole.
Let us not forget,
The parents filled with regret, And their need to be consoled.
No rally, protest, or political poll Can prepare a mother or a father, For the toll,
That abortion takes,
On their immortal soul.
To those who know
Of the lies that spread:
Share the truth with them instead.
No woman needs abortion,
To be a woman of ambition.
It is through this detestable invention,
That misogyny continues to be written, In our laws and in the hearts,
And in the minds
Of young gentlemen.
There is a popular pro-choice claim:
“Old white men are those to blame.”
With tongue in cheek
I say this is true,
For the justices in favor,
Of a woman’s “right to choose”
Nine justices
On the bench.
Nine white justices
Were appointed,
So they went.
To fulfill their duty,
Regardless of by whom they were sent.
Nine white male justices
And just two of them would
dissent.
From this decision came, Legalization
Of an incorporation
That inflicts pain.
I prefer to use their name,
Because Planned Parenthood,
Is seemingly unashamed.
Spreading lies for personal gain.
Exploiting women to boost their fame.
Stand up! Be not afraid!
Our bodies are not Planned Parenthood’s domain.
They prey on the marginalized, Marketing specifically in their location,
Establishing their disservice
With countless health violations.
Did someone forget to mention? Racism is their foundation-
Abortion’s minority is Caucasian.
48 years pass.
Generations are heartbroken Alas, hearts burst into shards Like a pile of shattered glass, Because the deafening silence, Of aborted children en masse, Thunders in the hearts
Made of glass.
Use this famous short story by Hans Christian Andersen to recount the victimization of children that existed in Europe at the end of the nineteenth century. The victimization of defenseless children continues to this day.
The Little Match Girl
It was very, very cold; it snowed and it grew dark; it was the last evening of the year, New Year’s Eve. In the cold and dark a poor little girl, with bare head and bare feet, was walking through the streets. When she left her own house she certainly had had slippers on; but what could they do? They were very big slippers, and her mother had used them till then, so big were they. The little maid lost them as she slipped across the road, where two carriages were rattling by terribly fast. One slipper was not to be found again, and a boy ran away with the other. He said he could use it for a cradle when he had children of his own.
So now the little girl went with her little naked feet, which were quite red and blue with the cold. In an old apron she carried a number of matches, and a bundle of them in her hand. No one had bought anything of her all day; no one had given her a copper. Hungry and cold she went, and drew herself together, poor little thing! The snowflakes fell on her long yellow hair, which curled prettily over her neck; but she did not think of that now. In all the windows lights were shining, and there was a glorious smell of roast goose out there in the street; it was no doubt New Year’s Eve. Yes, she thought of that!
In a corner formed by two houses, one of which was a little farther from the street than the other, she sat down and crept close. She had drawn up her little feet, but she was still colder, and she did not dare to go home, for she had sold no matches, and she had not a single cent; her father would beat her; and besides, it was cold at home, for they had nothing over the them but a roof through which the wind whistled, though straw and rags stopped the largest holes.
Her small hands were quite numb with the cold. Ah! a little match might do her good if she only dared draw one from the bundle, and strike it against the wall, and warm her fingers at it. She drew one out. R-r-atch! how it spluttered and burned! It was a warm bright flame, like a little candle, when she held her hands over it; it was a wonderful little light! It really seemed to the little girl as if she sat before a great polished stove, with bright brass feet and a brass cover. The fire burned so nicely; it warmed her so well,—the little girl was just putting out her feet to warm these, too, when out went the flame; the stove was gone; she sat with only the end of the burned match in her hand.
She struck another; it burned; it gave a light; and where it shone on the wall, the wall became thin like a veil, and she could see through it into the room where a table stood, spread with a white cloth, and with china on it; and the roast goose smoked gloriously, stuffed with apples and dried plums. And what was still more splendid to behold, the goose hopped down from the dish, and waddled along the floor, with a knife and fork in its breast; straight to the little girl he came. Then the match went out, and only the thick, damp, cold wall was before her.
She lighted another. Then she was sitting under a beautiful Christmas tree; it was greater and finer than the one she had seen through the glass door at the rich merchant’s. Thousands of candles burned upon the green branches, and colored pictures like those in the shop windows looked down upon them. The little girl stretched forth both hands toward them; then the match went out. The Christmas lights went higher and higher. She saw that now they were stars in the sky: one of them fell and made a long line of fire.
“Now someone is dying,” said the little girl, for her old grandmother, the only person who had been good to her, but who was now dead, had said: “When a star falls a soul mounts up to God.”
She rubbed another match against the wall; it became bright again, and in the light there stood the old grandmother clear and shining, mild and lovely.
“Grandmother!” cried the child. “Oh, take me with you! I know you will go when the match is burned out. You will go away like the warm stove, the nice roast goose, and the great glorious Christmas tree!”
And she hastily rubbed the whole bundle of matches, for she wished to hold her grandmother fast. And the matches burned with such a glow that it became brighter than in the middle of the day; grandmother had never been so large or so beautiful. She took the little girl up in her arms, and both flew in the light and the joy so high, so high! and up there was no cold, nor hunger, nor care—they were with God.
But in the corner by the house sat the little girl, with red cheeks and smiling mouth, frozen to death on the last evening of the Old Year. The New Year’s sun rose upon the little body, that sat there with the matches, of which one bundle was burned. She wanted to warm herself, the people said. No one knew what fine things she had seen, and in what glory she had gone in with her grandmother to the New Year’s Day.
Comprehension Questions
1. What happened to the little girl’s slippers?
2. How many matchsticks had the little girl sold that day?
3. Why was the little girl afraid to go home?
4. What did the little girl’s grandmother say about the meaning of a falling star?
5. What happens to the little girl at the conclusion of the story?
Discussion or Journal Questions
1. What was the last thing that the Little Match Girl saw? Was this vision a reality or fantasy?
2. Who are children today who live like the Little Match Girl in misery?
Activity
“The Little Match Girl” has been adapted several times, including onto video and film. Look up the adaptations of the story. Choose and view one of the videos or films that illustrate the story. Summarize: How was the version different than how you imagined the story? How was it similar to your imagination?
Here’s a short class opener that might be appropriate for the first day of a new semester.
Secure playing cards ace (one) through eight.
Print and number the following sentences on the board:
I want my friends to see me as a person who . . .
Academically, this semester I hope to . . .
This semester I hope to know God better by . . .
This semester I am looking forward to . . .
A person I would like to get to know better this semester is . . .
Athletically this semester I hope to . . .
Ten years from now I hope to . . .
After I die, I hope I will be remembered for . . .
Say:
Spend a few minutes deciding what you might say if you were called on to finish each of the sentences on the board. Think of endings that tell us something important about you and your values. You can work together with a partner to think up your answers.
When most are ready say:
I have in my hand playing cards valued from one (ace) to eight. When it is almost your turn, I will pull a number to tell you which sentence you are going to finish for us. You will be told your number one turn ahead so you have a minute to get your thoughts together.
Pick the numbers of the first two people. Call on a talkative person to give his or her first answer. After the person talks, allow the rest of the class to ask one or two follow up questions. Then pick a number for a third person as the second person answers his or her question.
Continue on for as long as you have time. When you play the game again, begin with students who didn’t get a chance to talk the first time.
This litany--appropriate for Advent--revolves around the theme of light and darkness.
Preparation
Assign students to search for Scripture passages around the theme of light and darkness. Duplicate pages of a Bible concordance that use the words light and darkness and give them to each student. Vary the pages of the concordance to include examples of light and darkness from several different books of the Bible.
Say something like:
Look for passages where light and darkness are used as symbols for good and evil. Skim down the concordance pages until you find a passage that seems to have symbolic meaning. Then look up the passage in the Bible to verify your guess. If you find that it is a meaningful passage for our light-darkness theme, copy it on a 3x5 card. Write down the Scripture reference and the parts of the passage that fit the theme.
Litany
Give everyone a taper. Dim the lights or darken the room completely. Light a larger candle and read Genesis 1:1-5. As each person reads his or her chosen candle, their taper is lit. Go around the room until everyone has read their passage. Conclude with the following prayer:
The light of Christ has been entrusted to us to keep burning brightly. May we always walk as children of the light. May we keep the flame of faith alive in our hearts. We ask this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ who is the light of the world. Amen.
Play a reflective song with lyrics that highlight the theme of Jesus as the light of the world.
Help the students to think about death in terms of the near future as typically teens assume they have plenty of time to better themselves and to reach unlimited goals. Setting a limit on life often brings our true values into sharper focus.
Print out the following activity and have the students follow complete each step. Note that Step 3 involves a group discussion.
Step 1
Suppose you have a terminal illness. You have only three months more of life. The doctor says that you will feel little pain until the final week, so you can continue doing whatever you would like to do until then. What are ten things you would most like to do? Write them down.
Step 2
Now rank your “last things to do list in order of importance to you with “1” b3eing most important, “2” being second most important, and so on.
Step 3
Meet in a group with four to five classmates. Compare your top three rankings with the group. Then broaden the discussion with the following questions:
Would you want to know when you were going to die? Why or why not?
What is the best way for a person your age to prepare for the death that will someday befall you?
How does your belief in the afterlife affect the way you live your daily life? Explain.
This is an individual spiritual exercise students may use as an examination of conscience prior to receiving the Sacrament of Penance. Make a copy of the directions and exercise below for each student. Option: allow students to discuss their response with a partner or in a small group.
Directions: Read the description of the biblical names for the four obstacles to ridding oneself of an area of sinfulness. Look up and read the corresponding passages from the Bible. Then write your responses to the questions that follow.
1. Blindness is the failure to even see your own sinfulness. Read John 9:1-41
What were the Pharisees blind to?
Name a personal pattern of sinfulness you have fooled yourself about (but cannot fool God about?)
2. Pride is the refusal to admit something is your own fault. Read Luke 18:9-14
What is the attitude that is praised in the parable?
Agree or disagree. Is it more effective to admit your sin out loud than to just admit it to yourself? Explain your answer.
3. Hardness of heart is knowing that you are sinning, but not caring or wanting to change. Read Luke 5:27-32.
What effort did Levi make to show he had given up his sinful ways?
How has another person helped you to recognize and change your sinful ways?
4. Weakness or fear leads to your inability to do anything about your sins. Read Romans 6:12-23
According to the reading, what is the final result of a life of sinfulness?
In the Sacrament of Penance, what are some visible signs that help you to overcome sinfulness?
Former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz has said about choosing a career:
Find something you like and something you are good at. Then get someone to pay you for it. If you can’t get anyone to pay you than you have a hobby not a career.
Lead an exercise that assists students in matching skills with careers. Follow these steps:
Pass out six 3” x 5” pieces of paper to each student. Tell them to write six different questions to the same question--“Who am I?”--one on each paper. (For example: “I am a person who is good at soccer.” Or, “I am a person who enjoys spending time with my family and friends.”
After allowing time for writing, tell the students to draw a star next to any of the answers that tells something they like to do. Then ask them to draw another star by any answers that tell them something they are good at. They may have two stars on the same paper.
Point out to the students that examining what they like to do and what they are good at can give them a good idea of what they can do for a career.
Pass out one more slip of paper to each student. Ask the students to write an idea about how they might combine what they like and what they are good at into a career. On the other side of the paper ask them to speculate on “who might pay them for this career”; i.e., what type of living they could make in this area.
When the exercise is complete, call on students to share some of the results of the survey with the entire class.
