CATECHIST/TEACHER GUIDE Sept. – Dec. 2009 / Vol. 19.1

Dear Catechists/Teachers, Welcome back to a new school year with all its anticipation, excitement and challenges. I hope this newsletter finds you rested, refreshed and ready for the challenges the year will bring. Thank you for participating in the mission component of the Holy Childhood Association (HCA). The HCA encourages children around the world to pray, to learn and to share, so through these actions, the children become missionaries themselves. This term, students are invited to learn about the country of Peru in South America. Peru is a developing country with a rich cultural heritage. The information contained here is just a snapshot of this fascinating country. Currently, the HCA funds projects helping 7659 children in Peru. Many of these children are living in the Amazon area. Please read the Junior and Primary newsletters for additional photos and information that you may find useful. Suggestions for Using the Newsletter

1. Begin your lesson by giving each student their HCA prayer card. They can recite it as a group or you could choose one student to lead. Spend some time discussing the prayer. Ask them about their past involvement with HCA. Remember that some of your students may be learning about the HCA for the first time.

2. Students will need an atlas or access to an internet map of the Americas. Have them locate: Canada, USA, Mexico, Central America, Peru and the countries that border Peru – Ecuador, Columbia, Brazil, Bolivia and Chile. They should see that the Pacific Ocean is on the west coast of Peru, just as it’s on our own west coast. Have them locate the Amazon River.

Religious Education: Integrating the HCA into your Program

Grade 8: Stand By Me., Unit 3: We Believe in the one Holy and Apostolic Catholic Church. Theme 2: What Can I Hope For When I Give? Key Concept: True love is self giving love. (pg 70 text) Outcome: Students will become more aware of the importance of compassion and generosity in their lives.

Grade 7: Believe in Me. Unit 3: We Believe in God the Father Almighty. Theme 3: Who Is In Control? Key Concept: Making the right choice in life is not always easy. (pg 60 text) Outcome: Students will be able to show the same care for others that they want for themselves.

1. Point out the words of St. Luke contained on the first page. Have a student read the complete scripture passage

(Luke 6:36 – 6:38) to the class. This passage speaks of compassion and generosity. Jesus taught us a beautiful lesson about giving. He said that when we give to others, we receive much more back. This does not mean that we will become rich with money. We will become rich in happiness, knowing that we are following Jesus’ teachings. When we give, as Jesus taught us, warmth and joy return to us in many unexpected ways. Have a discussion about the

times your students have seen people give to others.

How do they feel when they give to others?

How do they feel when someone thanks them for doing, sharing, giving or being kind?

Students could illustrate the passage to remind them to give to others

Write a journal entry about the importance of giving

Make a collage on this theme.

2. Read together or silently the section of the newsletter “The Need in Peru”. Follow this with a class discussion. Explain to

them that each person is important. We are created in the image of God and loved by God. Remind the students that we are called to love others. We need to pray for people in need in Peru and around the world. Students could write a prayer for the children of Peru, then write a prayer that the Peruvian children would write for them.

GRADES 7, 8 & 9 INTERMEDIATE

Say the HCA prayer daily and/or chose a day of the week to be “Mission Day”. Consider the idea of a “Mission Club”. Contact us at the mission office to order brochures for further ideas

so that the HCA becomes a part of your ongoing program.

Choose 1 or 2 students to become “master teachers”. They can research and present their findings on Machu Picchu to the class or in groups.

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3. A brief biography was given for St. Martin de Porres and St. Rose of Lima featured on the first page of the newsletter. They both lived in Lima at the same time, performed the same good works for the sick and poor and had friends in common. Although no definite proof exists that they knew each other, it does seem likely that they did. Have the students do further research on these two saints. They could also look for information on other saints from Peru.

Additional Activities: a) Math challenge: Find the difference in landmass between Peru and Canada and the population difference between the

two countries. b) Create a story board for a TV show based on life in the village of Cayalti. c) The Puma: Students might like to know that the puma is also known as a cougar, catamount, panther or mountain lion

depending on where they live in the Americas. Puma is the name the Incas gave this cat in their language – Quechua. Ask your students what they are called in your region.

d) Quechua (gheshwa) was the official language of the Inca Empire and is still spoken today by over 10 million people in South America. English and Quechua are the two official languages of Peru. What languages are spoken in your class?

e) The newsletter shows a picture of Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu means “old peak ‘ or “old mountain” in the Quechua language. It was built about 1460 AD and abandoned 100 years later for unknown reasons, but smallpox carried by

Spanish invaders may have wiped out the population. The city has about 200 buildings, most of them residences for the over 1000 people that lived there. They grew potatoes or maize (corn). It was “rediscovered” over 500 years later by Hiram Brigham, a professor from Yale University, who was in Peru doing research on the Incas. The local people knew about the ruins and took Mr. Brigham up over 2000 m into the Andes Mts. to show it to him and his expedition. It is now famous around the world and is the most visited tourist attraction in Peru.

Newsletter Answers:

Trivia on Peru: 1) Canadian, Australian, Bolivian etc. 2) red and white

3) Amazon River 4) Peru is in the Southern hemisphere

5) 81% 6) Peru

The Need in Peru: Lamps use kerosene or candles instead of electricity. Crossword: Across: 3-bear, 4-amazon, 6-soccer, 8-Lima, 10-puma, 12-pacific, 15-association, 18-ottawa, 20-llama, 21-hockey, 22-moose.

Down: 1-potato, 2-share, 5-atlantic,7-church, 9-equator, 13-mackenzie, 14-lacrosse, 16-picchu, 17-eagle, 19-maple.

* 22 across –homophones are a specific type of homonym. They are words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings and, usually, spellings. The other type of homonym is the homograph. They are words that sound alike and are spelled alike. Bear/bare are homophones. Bear/bear are homographs. Please Note: 1) Page 4 of the newsletter highlights schools and their fundraising efforts for the HCA. Encourage your class

to set realistic goals and ensure they understand why they are taking action to pray for, learn about and share with children around the world. We have fundraising ideas and Advent calendars available. You can order these from the HCA office.

2) We have Missionary Rosary brochures available at the HCA office. The Missionary Rosary was introduced by Bishop Fulton Sheen in 1951. It highlights the Missions by asking us to pray for a different continent for each decade.

PLEASE: send photos and stories for use in future publications. Email is an excellent way to transmit photos and stories. Send them to hca@missionsocieties.ca or by regular mail to: Holy Childhood Association, National Office,

3329 Danforth Avenue, Scarborough, ON M1L 4T3 Also, please make sure that photos you send to HCA are cleared for publication through your school or parish Freedom of Information policy