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VOCATIONS

Grade Levels:                       Junior High (7 & 8)

Scripture Focus:                  1 Samuel 3:1-10                      Matthew 5:14-16

                                               1 Corinthians 12:7, 11             Matthew 19:13-15

                                                Matthew 25:31-40 (31-46)      Mark 10:17 -31

                                                Romans 6:3-4                         Isaiah 58:6-12  

NYS Learning Standards:    Social Studies :                      Standard 5

                                                English Language Arts:          Standards 1, 2, 3

                                                Occupational Studies:            Standard 1

Performance Indicators:      Students will:  

·         list key factors in Nelson Baker’s life that guided his decision to choose a vocation.

·         investigate sources of guidance to aid them in beginning to think about their own futures.

·         create a Venn diagram to compare the challenges the youth of the Civil War era may have faced to the challenges faced by the youth of today.    

·         discuss how Father Baker served others.

·         investigate religious vocations through interviewing a priest, sister, brother, or deacon.

·         engage in a service project.

Instructional Task:                As students learn about the life of Father Baker, they may ask the question, “Why did he choose to become a priest?”  Students in these grades begin to seriously think about their future.  “What do I want to be when I grow up?” is a common question for them.

Most students are not too sure about their future.  It may be more important for them to think about the kind of person they want to become.  They need to know that God calls each of us to be a special person and to do special work.  Some become lawyers, factory workers, doctors, teachers, and some choose religious vocations.  Like Father Baker, these students may allow the Holy Spirit to guide them in deciding how to fulfill God’s special plan for them. God promises to be with each one of us and to give us what we need.

Let’s look at the life of one holy man who heard God’s call and answered, “Yes!  Here I am Lord.  Send me.”

Performance Activities:       1.   Engage students in activities that encourage self-reflection and group discussion of the following questions:

·         What types of activities do you most enjoy doing?  Why?

·         What are you really good at doing?  Would you consider these things to be your talents?

·         What type of work do you think you’ll do when you get older?  Why?  What qualities do you feel you have that will help you reach your goal?

2.      God calls each of us in a special way to do His special work.  Share the biography of Father Baker with your students as an example of one man who heard and answered God’s call.

·         Discuss the challenges Nelson faced.  Highlight the fact that he never gave up and that he always prayed for guidance and strength.

·         Allow students to identify and discuss the challenges in their lives.  Ask the students if they could learn something about how to face their challenges by learning about how Nelson faced his.

3.      As a young man, Nelson chose to join the Union Forces in the Civil War.  That era brought many hardships for many families.  Thousands of fathers, sons, and brothers were lost in battle.  Today, families are faced with a host of hardships unlike that of the Civil War era.  Using a venn diagram have students compare the challenges the youth of the 1860’s may have faced to the challenges of today.                

Follow-Up Activities:            1.   Students will write a prayer asking God's help and guidance in

finding their special vocation in life, to help them become the person God has called them to be.

      2.   Interview a parish priest, a deacon, and a religious sister.  Or, take an imaginary trip back in time to interview Father Baker.

·         Before the interview make a list of questions that could be  asked.

                        Examples:

3.      Students can design a vocations brochure.  Remind students that the brochures should be designed to attract people to vocations.

4.      Plan a prayer service.

                              Suggested Scripture Readings : (Choose one or two)

Suggested Songs:

Suggested Prayers:

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