Papal Lap Book Unit One: St. Peter, The First Pope

Thank you all so very much for your enthusiastic support for my Papal Lap Book!   You all are the best, and I am so touched by all of your kind comments and generosity to my family!   Since I spent so much time on the computer over the weekend I've had a little catching up to do around our home, in addition to trying to keep up with our school week, so I am once again extremely behind with answering emails.  If you are still waiting for a response from me, do know that I usually do receive all the emails that have been sent (on occasion some disappear to my spam folder, but I am making an effort to check it frequently) and read and appreciate each and every one.  However, even though I try, it is often impossible for me to respond to them all.  So thank you again, and to those who have asked questions I will either email you soon, or try and make a point of trying to blog about those topics sometime in the future.  :)

Anyways, back to the Lap Book!  That brief study-guide/outline I shared in my last post (to go along with the Lap Book) was created very late Sunday night (or rather early Monday morning)  and was thrown together rather quickly since I wanted to finish up the post to share with you all.   I broke it into 5 "Units" (my original document read days, due to lack of sleep) based on the order in which I thought I would have my children complete the mini-books.



Since last Friday, the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, we have been working on our first unit: St. Peter, The First Pope.  The boys were gone most of Friday, but the girls had started working on their St. Peter's Basilica Pop-up Books that day, and we read St. Peter's Story.  We continued this theme over the past few days.

To answer some questions I've been receiving I thought it might be helpful to some of you to share how my children have been completing this Unit Study and the progress we have been making. Plus I would like to document it here anyways.  I am hoping to blog a little about what we accomplish during each of the units.   

(Remember, there is no "right" way to do this... Unit studies can be as simple or elaborate as you choose to make them, and just because something works well for my family, doesn't mean it will for yours!  Sometimes we put together a Lap Book in an afternoon, other times we spend weeks.  My guess is we will spend the next two weeks completing this unit study and Lap Book, adding in additional reading, crafts and activities.)

Unit One :: St. Peter, The First Pope

Read:


Family Read Aloud:

• Lost in Peter's Tomb
• The Man Who Never Died: The Life and Adventures of St. Peter the First Pope

Younger Children:

• St. Peter the Apostle by Father Lovasik
• St. Peter's Story
• Peter Receives the Primacy from The New Catholic Picture Bible

Older Children:

• The First Christians: The Acts of Apostles for Children
• The Primacy of Peter from My Catholic Faith (link to online version)
• Catechism of the Catholic Church 551-553 (my document)

Other Reading:

• St. Peter page A Holy Card Prayer Book
• I think I'm going to send the little kids on a scavenger hunt to see how many of our Saint Books in which they can find Saint Peter! ;) 

Explore:

• "Delivery of the Keys" Fresco by Pietro Perugino in 1482 - Sistine Chapel, Rome, Italy
• Virtual Tour of St. Peter's Basilica (Vatican Website - Loved this!)
• St. Peter's Basilica Interactive Website
• Of course my children had to find it on Google Earth too! :)

Copywork: 

• Copy Matthew 16: 18-19 on to "The Primacy of Peter.  (I added a traceable version for younger children, including my little ones.)

NOTE:  I have created a second collection on Scribd where I will upload any additional documents I create to go along with our Papal Unit Study.   I just added this traceable quote for younger children.

Begin Creating Lap Book Mini-Books:

• Write a Paragraph about St. Peter, for Some Special Popes, based on one of the reading assignments.  (I'm creating a fill-in the blank for Chiquita and a reduced sized coloring picture for the two youngest.  Twinkle Toes wrote a paragraph based on a picture book, Rascal used the reading selection from My Catholic Faith, and I assigned Captain three paragraphs from the CCC (You can download my document here.). 
• Create St. Peter's Basilica Pop-Up Book and add cover picture.
• Write a Paragraph about St. Peter's Basilica.

A Beautiful Day at St. Peter's Basilica by Captain

Lightning Strikes St. Peter's by Rascal   (He cracks me up! I figured one of my boys would try and figure a way to create a pop-out lightning strike...) 

After the Storm by Twinkle Toes

by Chiquita 

by Snuggles

PURPLE! by Rose (I would have guessed pink...)

Additional Activities:

• We made St. Peter's Keys... 

• Enjoyed "The Barque of Peter" Banana Boats with a Fishers of Men Snack for lunch one afternoon... 

• Played St. Peter Fishers of Men and checked to see who could still master the Key Puzzle Brain Teaser our 2012 "O Key" Antiphon gift...

• Colored St. Peter and the Keys during some of our read aloud time... 

• And added St. Peter, The First Pope to the History Through the Ages Record of Time.  (FYI:  Yes, this is a rather expensive timeline, but it is awesome!  Each of our school age children have their own treasured copy that they will continue to add to throughout their education.  It will be such a fun keepsake for them.   I've posted more about these here and here.) 

by Twinkle Toes

By Chiquita and Captain

A few of the children still have a little writing to finish up, but tomorrow, we will begin our second unit on Our Holy Fathers - Past and Present, as we say goodbye to our dear Pope Benedict XVI on his last day...  We will miss you dear Holy Father, so very much!  We will continue to pray for you, and we are so very thankful for that last gift you recently sent our way!

7 Quick Takes on the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter

— 1 —

It's a Friday during Lent and we gave up sweets, which means we didn't make any special treats for today's Feast of the Chair of St. Peter. However, that doesn't mean we haven't done anything special for this feast day, during this very significant time for our Holy Mother Church as we wonder who will be sitting in the "Chair of St. Peter" soon. So, I thought today would be the perfect day to begin our Papal Unit Study!

— 2 —

Here is a sneak peek at the Lap Book I'm creating for my children to complete and assemble!

Yep, this is what I've been working on all afternoon, instead of exercising or working on my next Catholic Digest submission...  What? Me procrastinate?!  Never! ;)  

— 3 —

I'm so excited with how it's turning out! Isn't the cover perfect? I made a sample for the kids, and will let them each create their own. I used a yellow file folder and a piece of white card stock to create the base, and then attached the Vatican flag in the shape of the country! (Did you know that Vatican City is really a country?) I glued just the yellow of the flag to the yellow file folder, overlapping the rest onto the white. I haven't figured out how many additional flaps it will need, since I am still creating the mini-books, so I'll just add those later.

— 4 —

I'm even more excited about the St. Peter's Basilica Pop-up Book! (It was inspired by the Erie Canal Mini-Book from the boys Early 19th Century Lap Book, and I was so thrilled to figure out how to make it work for St. Peter's!) You can see my rough draft in the picture above along with the final printed version. The kids will be able to color the basilica and the background (the sky) before assembling it and adding their description.

— 5 —

I've displayed some of our "Pope" themed picture books which we will be reading over the next few weeks beginning with St. Peter's Story and Saint Peter the Apostle today. I'll be sure to include a list of all our books when I post the Lap Book (if anyone is interested in using it too?) but in the meantime I have them listed in the sidebar. In addition to reading lots of great books, I'm drawing from My Catholic Faith and some online websites (like this one - thanks, Charlotte, for the link!)

— 6 —

We broke out these fun books too!  My boys loved reading them and I thought they (or at least the first one) might make a fun read aloud over the next couple weeks.   You can find them here:   Lost in Peter's Tomb, Break-In at the Basilica, Curse of the Coins, and Secrets of Siena.   My boys originally received these in their Easter baskets, if I remember correctly...

— 7 —

As for me... I'm currently reading, and loving, Lent with Pope Benedict XVI a little bit each day.

“Let it not be said, or thought, that this ministry of Peter finishes with his life on earth. That which is given as the support of a Church which is to last forever, can never be taken away. Peter will live in his successors; Peter will speak, in his Chair, to the end of time.”  ~ Jacques Bossuet

For additional Quick Takes visit Conversion Diary. Thanks for hosting Jen! 

My Daybook :: June 29, 2012

Outside my window...
we have been enjoying watching these little twins.  Aren't they just the cutest?!?



I am thankful...        
for fun summer activities, and multiple child discounts!

I am thinking... 
about ways to simplify.  So much for the "lazy days" of summer!   I've still been feeling overwhelmed lately, but it's getting a little better and I (thankfully) haven't had another panic attack.

Learning all the time... 
This week has been all about golf, but the big kids have all managed to complete a few math, spelling, and writing lessons as well.   My IEW order arrived and we couldn't wait to dig in and watch the first lesson of the Student Writing Intensive.   The kids LOVED it and I am confident that this will be a perfect fit for our family this coming year!

* Rascal was awarded a Golden Putter for being the "Overall Camp Champion!"

Celebrating the liturgical year... 
with today's feast of Sts. Peter and Paul!  Since it's Friday, I think I'll have Hubby grill some fish in honor of these great "Fishers of Men." I might also whip up some sort of fish themed treat or cupcakes for the kids to enjoy while we play The Journeys of Paul Board Game after dinner!



From the kitchen... 
My new fave... Chipotle Black Bean Burgers topped with a slice of pepper jack cheese, guacamole, red onion, tomato and lettuce.  Oh. My. Goodness. are they DELICIOUS!  (Oh, and they are on sale/coupon at Costco right now... I stocked up!)   

I am creating... 
a unit study for this summer based on the Olympics!  I just ordered a copy of G is for Gold Medal: An Olympic Alphabet and downloaded this lapbook to start.

I am working on... 
making a few changes to our curriculum and ordering our schoolbooks for this coming school year.

I am going... 
through the piles that have accumulated in our schoolroom and filling a box with the books we no longer need or use for this year's Online Curriculum Sale Blog Hop.  I'm planning on hosting the link-up here at Shower of Roses from July 16th-31st this year for all of you that are interested in participating.

I am hoping... 
that we will have some warm and sunny days over the next two weeks, especially since we begin swimming lessons on Monday.   It is raining again today and it just doesn't feel like summer if our corner of the country.

I am reading... 
lots of books to the little ones for the library Summer Reading Program!  I also just received these two new-to-us books in the mail...  I just LOVE Paperback Swap!  Now I just need to find some summer reading for myself, especially for during our time at the pool these next couple weeks... Any suggestions?

I am praying... 
that the Lyme infested tick that bit my Hubby didn't pass along the disease.  Not the best news to receive this past Monday, on his first day back at work after a week of vacation.  He has already started a round of antibiotics, and we are waiting on the results from his blood test.

Pondering these words...
from Through the Year with Fulton Sheen.  Doesn't it make you so happy to hear that he was just declared venerable!  He has so many wonderful quotes, but this is my one of my favorites:

"Sometimes the only way the good Lord can get into some hearts is to break them."

I am listening...  
to The Four Language Arts by Andrew Pudewa.  Love it!

Around the house... 
lots of golf tees.  I keep finding them everywhere!

One of my favorite things...  
themed birthday parties!  We have a couple more birthdays coming up in July and August that I need to start planning.  Oh, speaking of which, I never did show you all the awesome little cars that Rascal made out of modeling wax for his little brother's 5th birthday.  Didn't he do such a great job?!?  I was impressed!

A few plans for the week... {and next}

• 2nd week of Golf Camp for the 5 oldest
• A 20th Anniversary Party {It was so much fun, and everyone brought International themed main dishes and appetizers to share! Yum}
• Parade on Saturday morning, followed by BBQ
• Mass on Sunday 
• Swimming lessons begin Monday morning
• 4th of July party and fireworks
• Try and respond to at least a few emails...  I'm so behind and just haven't had much time to spend online, as usual!  

A little peek at my day...

Bud is trying so hard to crawl.   It won't be long!  In the meantime he keeps frustrating himself, by just backing up off of his soft blankets and away from his toys...

Missionary Saints :: St. Peter the Apostle

Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Mt. 16: 16

Over the past four years, our boys have completed Years One and Two of the Blue Knights Boys' Club twice, first in a group that was led by all of the dads on a rotating basis, and then with another group that was led by a mom.  This year our boys will finally be moving onto Year Three here at home with their Dad & I!

They are very excited, and even more so, with the knowledge that they have a new "online" group, and will each be assigned a new pen pal within the group to write on a monthly basis!  (Thanks to everyone that has sent in the registration for this Online Group!  I will be emailing you all soon with a list of all the members and pen-pal assignments.  I am also in the process of setting up the private Facebook group for this Online Club!  Thank you all for your patience!)

The third year of the Blue Knights Boys' Club is based on Missionary Saints.  I already posted our schedule and link-up dates, and you can also see that I've moved the meetings around to coincide with feast days we already celebrate.   I had to simplify this as much as possible... I am already not able to keep up with everything I would like to do with my children! ;)

Anyhow, our first Meeting was based on St. Peter!  Here is an overview of what we have been doing in honor of this great Missionary Saint:

~ Coloring Pages ~ 

St. Peter Coloring Pages in Member's Guides

St. Peter from Catholic Artworks Faithkeepers CD

Jesus Gives Peter the Keys from Catholic Moms Helper

~ Craft/Activity ~

The Leader's Guide suggests making a Fishing Pole using 3' dowels, string, duct tape, markers and 3x5 cards with various words written on them like grace, truth, goodness, virtue, etc.

However, instead of making the craft the boys actually went fishing with their Dad and my youngest brother, their Uncle David. They had so much fun, and they got to spend some special time with their Dad.  My boys do enough crafts, and I hope to incorporate more physical activities for their Blue Knights projects when the weather and our schedule allow.  (For example:  Next month is Saint Paul.  Instead of just crafting a walking stick, I am hoping that they can go on a hike with their dad instead!)

As another activity in honor of St. Peter, I planned a back-to-school field trip with a few other families, to go back to Crater Lake!  It was a gorgeous day, and the lake looked even bluer than the last time we were there in August!

Isn't it truly amazing!

The boys were very excited to spend the afternoon with their friends at the lake, and also earn a Junior Ranger patch for attending a couple of the classes and a talk on the lake! 

~ Game ~

Fishing for Men

The Leader's Guide suggests playing a Fishing For Men, which we played this last summer during some of our Saintly Summer Fun.  (You can see pictures here: Saintly Summer Fun :: Saints Peter and Paul) It has been raining here this week though, so I opted to create a Fishing for Men (Go Fish!) game based on all of the Missionary Saints that the boys will be studying this year!

Here are the cards/documents I created:

Missionary Saints #1

Missionary Saints #2

Missionary Saints #3 

(with cover card and directions)

I printed out 4 of each page and plan to eventually laminate the cards for extra durability.  The boys enjoyed their new game! 

~ Snack ~

St. Peter Cupcakes

For a Blue Knights themed snack, we choose the St. Peter Cupcakes that I had come up with this past summer.   The boys had been wanting to try out their idea of making the boats out of caramels instead of the orange candy slices we used last time.  They also wanted to color the sails/shields for the boats, using the color yellow/gold for the keys and red for the sail, representing the fact that St. Peter was a martyr.   I loved that they decided this on their own, with out any prompting or encouragement from their mom! ;)

They had so much fun flattening the caramels with a fondant roller and then molding them into the shapes of boats!

~ Additional Resources ~

Here are a few additional book suggestions on St. Peter from my boys' bookshelves:

• Saint Peter the Apostle
• The First Christians: The Acts of the Apostles for Children
• The Man Who Never Died: The Life and Adventures of St. Peter, the First Pope
• Lost in Peter's Tomb

~ Assignments and Prizes ~ 

Between now and the next meeting the boys will be working on the 10 assignments listed in their Member's guides.   I dug out an old "treasure chest" I have had since I was younger, took all my little keepsakes out of it and plan to stock it with prizes for the boys to choose from at our next "meeting" based on how many of the assignments they complete.  I have been doing something similar with the my Little Flowers Girls' Club since we started and it is always great motivation!


Note:  For those that are joining us each month and would like to share pictures from your own first meetings, here is the link-up post for this month! 

Saint Peter the Apostle, Pray for us!