SUBJECT: Reading and Language Arts
GRADE LEVELS: 4th - 8th

OBJECTIVES:
Students will learn more about saints.
Students will improve reading comprehension skills.
Students will practice answering questions in complete sentences or paragraphs.

TIME: 10 - 30 minutes/activity depending on section length

MATERIALS: Book, paper, pen/pencil, questions

ACTIVITIES: The activities have been broken down by saint with the intent of covering the chapter in several days/two weeks. You might offer the students and opportunity to choose three people. The variety of activities allows the students to meet their individual learning styles.

1. Read the introduction and various sections on saints, pages 38 - 52.

Mary

Directions: Answer the questions below in complete sentences. Feel free to use part of the questions in your answer. Also, reread the section to help you find the answers if you cannot remember from reading it only once.

Activity:
1-4 List four facts about Mary in complete sentences.
5. Why do Catholics pray to Mary?
6. What is Mary’s title in the United States?
7. Write a brief paragraph (4-6 sentences) indicating ways in which Mary is a part of your life.

Key:
1-4 Answers will vary have the students show where they located their answer if questionable.
5. Mary gives our prayers directly to God.
6. Immaculate Conception
7. Answers will vary

Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini

Directions: Answer the questions below in complete sentences. Feel free to use part of the questions in your answer if that is helpful. Also, reread the section to help you find the answers if you cannot remember from reading it only once. Lastly, if questions have two parts, make sure to answer both parts.

Activity:
1. Where was St. Frances Cabrini born?
2. What did St. Frances Cabrini always want to do and be?
3. When and how did she reach her goal?
4. What did she open in the United States?
5. Briefly, in complete sentences and in your own words, describe what happened to Mother Cabrini and a group of children outside Denver, Colorado.
6. Write a brief paragraph about your experience visiting a saint’s shrine near your home. If you have not made a pilgrimage to a shrine, indicate one you would like to visit and why.

Key
1. Italy
2. Go to China, be a missionary
3. 30 years old, began the religious order called the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
4. Orphanages, schools, hospitals, convents
5. Answers will vary
6. Answers will vary

Saint Katharine Drexel

Directions: Answer the questions below in complete sentences. Feel free to use part of the questions in your answer. Also, reread the section to help you find the answers if you cannot remember from reading it only once.

Activity:
1. What was the one thing Katharine wanted as a child?
2. How did her family help her achieve this desire?
3. List the two orders of which Katharine was a part, what she was called in each order and the work she did with both

Key
1. To help the poor
2. Three times a week they opened their home to the poor
3. 1st- Sisters of Mercy, Sister Mary Katharine, missionary work with Native Americans in Wyoming, 2nd- Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, Mother Mary Katharine, dedicated to sharing the Gospel with Native Americans.

Saint Philippine Duchesne

Directions: On a blank piece of paper create a timeline for Saint Philippine Duchesne. Start with her birthday. Your timeline should have a minimum of five events. Draw illustrations to go with each event in her life on your timeline.

Key: Possible items to have on timeline in chronological order: 1769- born, age 12 (1781)- attended boarding school run by Visitation Nuns, age 18 (1787)- entered Visitation Convent, 1789- French Revolution began - Visitation Convent closed, Saint Philippine attempted to reopen convent - fellow sisters disinterested, joined the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, age 49 (1818)- moved to America with fellow sisters to spread Gospel to the Indians, landed in St. Louis, Missouri, age 72 (1841)- became missionary to Potowatomi Indians in Kansas, spent remainder of life praying.

Saint Isaac Jogues

Directions: Read the section about this saint. Saint Issac Jogues endured many hardships during his life on earth, but because of his strong faith he persevered. Write a paragraph describing a challenging time in your life and how your faith helped you through it.

Saint John Neumann

Directions: Read the section about Saint John Neumann. Create a web/idea map with his name in the center. Include all of the significant events of his life on the web/idea map.

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

Directions: Read the section about Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton. Write a summary paragraph, in your own words, describing her life.

Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Blessed Junipero Serra and Blessed Kateri Tekawitha

Directions: Read the sections about all three people listed above. Review the introduction section on page 38. Create a flow chart on a blank piece of paper showing the steps in the process for canonization. Indicate where the three people about whom you just read are in the canonization process on your flow chart. Draw illustrations or list their actions, which make them candidates for sainthood.