Understanding Forgiveness: A Religious Education Unit

Posted on Nov 22, 2024 in Religion

1. Timing

This Didactic Unit will be held in two sessions in mid-course, around the end of February or early March.

2. Aim

A. Curricular Component

Learning Objectives

  • Further define the concept of God as a Father always ready to forgive.
  • Reflect on the attitude of forgiveness towards others, as a result of God’s forgiveness and mercy.
  • Understand the meaning of the sacrament of Reconciliation.
  • Assess the importance of repentance and the ability to forgive others.

Communication Competencies

Language
  • Understand biblical language.
Social and Civic
  • Discern positive and negative attitudes.
  • Discover God’s love through the value of forgiveness.
Learning How to Learn
  • Search for biblical quotations and discuss their meaning.
  • Analyze cases to understand the value of recognizing personal failings.
  • Participate in a case of moral dilemma.
  • Construct sentences from conceptual sketches.
Autonomy and Initiative
  • Know oneself.
  • Understand the root of one’s own behavior.

3. Content

Conceptual

  • God is a Father always willing to forgive.
  • Forgiveness is loving and giving another chance.
  • The relationship between forgiving and being forgiven.
  • The Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Procedural

  • Analysis of the text and meaning of parables.
  • Analysis of different endings for the same story.
  • Application of acquired knowledge in the explanation of artwork.
  • Reflection on attitudes.

Attitudinal

  • Assessment of the consequences of understanding God as a Father.
  • Awareness of the relationship between forgiving and being forgiven.
  • Assessment of repentance and forgiveness as attitudes that enhance coexistence between people.

First Session Activities

1. Introductory Activity

A student or teacher will read a text aloud. Afterward, the teacher will ask questions to check comprehension:

  • What do Louis and his friends do in the square?
  • Why does Luis ask for forgiveness?
  • What does Grandfather say?
  • What do you think Louis feels at the end of the story?

2. Understanding Offenses

People often offend others with words and behavior. The teacher will write incomplete sentences on the blackboard for students to complete with phrases they have heard when someone behaves badly:

  • That’s not right!
  • You deserve that!
  • You’re wrong!
  • You did it on purpose!
  • …

3. Personal Reflection

The teacher will ask questions such as:

  • Have you ever been told one of the sentences above?
  • Who said it? Why?
  • Were they right to say that to you?

4. Image Analysis

The teacher will show two images. Students must identify and list instances where relationships are broken.

5. Keyword Classification

Students will classify keywords into two columns in their notebooks, which will then be reviewed on the board:

Unite Us: Love, Patience, Understanding, Reconciliation

Separate Us and Do Evil: Pride, Revenge, Lies, Envy

6. True or False

Students will determine if the following sentences are true or false:

  • We only forgive friends.
  • When we forgive others, we resent the damage they do to us.
  • We forgive when we have done damage.
  • We ask for forgiveness for our sins.
  • We return evil for good.

7. Understanding Forgiveness

The teacher will ask children if they made a mistake during the week at home and if they were forgiven:

  • Why were you forgiven?
  • Did you ask for forgiveness?
  • What did your family do to show they forgave you?
  • Explain how you felt when you were forgiven.

8. The Prodigal Son

To help children understand forgiveness, the teacher or a student will read the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32).

9. Parable Discussion

After reading, the teacher will ask students which details they liked and why.

10. Role-Playing

A group of students will represent the parable, updating the characters to a modern context.

Second Session

11. Jesus and Forgiveness

This session focuses on Jesus and forgiveness. To start, children will draw four people who always forgive others. Afterward, the teacher will ask:

  • In what situations have you seen others forgive?
  • Which people find it easier to forgive?
  • Whom is it most difficult for you to forgive?

The teacher will then read and discuss biblical texts about forgiveness:

  • Matthew 9:10-13: Jesus tells us to always forgive and not tire of forgiving.
  • Matthew 18:21-23: Jesus tells us that Christians must always forgive, including enemies.
  • Luke 6:27-28: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.
  • John 20:22: Jesus gave the apostles the power to forgive sins.
  • Luke 23:24: Jesus exemplified forgiveness by forgiving those who mistreated him on the cross.