SUBJECT: Religion/Language Arts-Analyzing a text

GRADE LEVEL: 4th - 8th

OBJECTIVE: Students will analyze prayers to determine which type of prayer: praise, petition, sorrow and thanksgiving or combination they are. Students will write their own prayer of one of the types.

TIME: 2 to 3, 30 minute class periods.

MATERIALS: copies of Kid's Explore America's Catholic Heritage, copies of formal Catholic prayers such as Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, 4 colors of highlighters, paper and pencils.

ACTIVITIES:
Day One-
1. Read KEACH, chapter "Praise and Celebration" p. 93-97
2. -As a whole group, try to highlight the parts of the Our Father that correspond to each of the four types of prayer. Use a separate color for each of the types. See notes for an example.
Day Two-
1. Working in pairs, students will analyze another formal prayer and highlight the text for the four types of prayers.
2. They should then share, compare and discuss their findings with the whole group.
Day Three-
1. Students individually will write a prayer and identify which type of prayer it is. This could be used as an assessment of understanding of the types of prayer.

Notes: Analysis of Our Father (accept other ideas that can be explained)

KEY: PRAISE-yellow, PETITION-blue, SORROW-green and THANKSGIVING-pink

Our Father, who art in heaven, -yellow
Hallowed be thy name. -yellow
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, -blue
On earth as it is in heaven. -blue
Give us this day our daily bread. -pink or blue
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. -green
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. -blue.