Third Grade teacher at School of the Madeline, Ms. Giséle Teixeira, has been tweeting about a Lenten Project that has been encouraging her students to perform deeds, many of which are Works of Mercy, that will help reflect on their actions and become better versions of themselves.
Teixeria has given us permission to share her Lenten Tree Lesson plan with others who may be interested. This lesson can be altered to reflect different types of lessons, themes, and times of the year. Follow her on twitter to see the other projects happening in her classroom.
Lenten Tree Lesson Plan
Purpose: Learn about the opportunity for renewal and growth that resides in the heart of Lent through actions of change and careful reflection.
Materials: Lenten Calendar*, Flower Template*, Classroom Tree Display, Basket to collect blossoms
*Download the Materials
Procedure:
1. Create two copies of the calendar for each student: 1 for home and 1 taped to their classroom desks.
2. Set up a bare tree on a bulletin board in the classroom.
3. Explain the purpose of this project to the students: "The bare tree would be the symbol of our class 'growing as better people, blossoming with renewal, and taking the chance to start fresh, like the blossoms of our tree.
4. As a warm up or "do now" activity in the morning, ask students to reflect on the calendar of suggested actions for the previous day. If they have accomplished that task or an alternative worthy deed, the student needs to cut out a flower and place it into the collective basket.
5. At the end of the day, place the blossoms on the tree to watch as the tree becomes fuller and fuller each day.