Lesson Plan (Early Years: Ages 5–7) — “Together Means We Listen and Help”
Learning objectives
By the end of the lesson, children will be able to:
- Say that being together means more than being in the same place; it includes listening and helping.
- Give one example of togetherness at home/school.
- Describe togetherness as a kind of care for others (solidarity), not just “being nice sometimes.”
- Recognise that in a Christian way of life, welcoming others matters.
Resources: PowerPoint, action cards for ‘Mirror’ game, ball or soft toy, and bingo handout.
Summary of session
- Introductory prayer
- Icebreaker: When we are Together …
- Story – The Stone Soup (Traditional European folktale) and guided discussion
- Game-Mirror
- Concluding Activity- Little Acts of Kindness Bingo Handout
- Concluding Prayer
A – Opening prayer (students can repeat after the animator)
Dear God, Thank you for our class and for everyone here. Help us be kind together. Help us listen with our whole hearts. Help us help and include others.
Keep our community safe and loving. Amen.
B – Simple icebreaker (5 minutes): “When we are together…”
- Sit in a circle.
- Animator says: “When we are together, I can use my best listening ears.”
- Pass a ball/soft toy to one child. Ask them to complete this sentence:
- “When we are together, I can …” (Keep answers short)
Sample answers: When we are together, I can … help my friend; share my toys; listen to others; be kind; play with someone who is alone; take turns; say kind words; make someone smile; help tidy up; invite others to join our game; encourage my friends; say sorry; forgive someone; be patient; cheer someone on; be a good friend.
C – Story: Stone Soup (Traditional European folktale)
Link to “Being Together”
- Everyone belongs and welcoming matters.
- Every contribution matters.
- Sharing builds community.
- Working together creates something beautiful that no one could create alone.
Summary
A group of hungry travellers arrives at a village hoping for food, but each villager hides what they have because they fear there won’t be enough to share. The travellers smile and announce that they will make stone soup. Curious, the villagers gather around as the travellers place a large stone into a pot of boiling water.
As the soup begins to cook, the travellers casually remark, “It would taste even better with a few carrots.” One villager brings carrots. Then they suggest onions, potatoes, herbs, and other ingredients. One by one, everyone contributes a little of what they have.
Soon, the once-empty pot is filled with delicious soup—far better than anything the travellers could have made alone. The villagers sit together, eat together, laugh together, and realise that when everyone shares a little, everyone has enough.
Discuss:
- Were the travellers welcomed in the village?
Not really because the villagers were not generous with them. Jesus always welcomed everyone he met because that is the first step in showing love and care and building friendships.
- What is the story trying to tell us? Main message:
Together, we can achieve far more than we can alone. Every person has something valuable to contribute, no matter how small.
- What is one small thing you can share with others—not just objects, but your time, kindness or talents?
- If the villagers ignored the travellers and did not use their listening ears, what would have happened?
The travellers would have remained hungry.
- If the villagers did not share their food, what would have happened?
They would not have become friends and shared a lovely meal together.
D – Practical activity / game (12 minutes): ‘Mirror Game’ —Listen, Help, Include Setup (minimal materials):
- Paper slips or cards with action words face down:
- If no slips are used: just use the spoken action words and mime them.
How to play
- Place the cards face down on a table in a corner of the class.
- Children each have a turn to run to the table with the cards and mime the action shown.
- Animator calls out the card/action if the student cannot read it and the rest of the class mirror the actions or make their own interpretation.
Examples:
- Listen: make “listening ears,” then nod.
- Help: pretend to hand a tool/toy to someone.
- Welcome!: gesture “come join”, shake hands.
- Encourage: thumbs up / gentle clap
Real-life examples (3 minutes)
Short discussion ask: “Where and how do we practice togetherness?”
Family: e.g. We share jobs at home (e.g., tidying toys together, washing plates)
School: e.g. We let people play with us
Church: e.g. We are silent and respectful in God’s house. We listen to His word
Neighbourhood/local community: e.g. We are kind to people in our area
Sports/hobby clubs: e.g. We cheer for others
Country: e.g. We care for people far away too—by being kind and respectful
Tie it back: solidarity means care for others as part of community life, not random generosity
E – Concluding activity: Give each student: Little Acts of Kindness Bingo handout
Explain the activity (short instructions found on the handout)
F – Closing reflection/prayer
Dear God, help us be together with kindness. Teach us to listen, help, include, and encourage.
Make our community a caring place. Amen.
Being Together – Lesson Plan (Upper Primary: Ages 8–10) — “Being Together Builds Strong Communities”
👉 Learning objectives
By the end of the lesson, children will be able to:
- Explain the difference between being near and being together (requires actions like listening/helping).
- Use the word solidarity correctly as a Christian attitude: commitment to others in a community.
- Identify how students can practice togetherness in: family, school, neighbourhood, clubs, and country by discussing real-life situations and positive ways to relate to others.
- Demonstrate respect in a multifaith setting by talking about shared values rather than arguing.
Resources: PowerPoint, Little Acts of Kindness – handout to adapt
Summary of session
- Introductory prayer
- Icebreaker: Together or Just Nearby?
- Story – The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde and guided discussion
- Group work – Community Mission
- Concluding Activity – Little of Acts of Kindness (handout)
- Concluding Prayer
A – Start with a short prayer
Dear God,
We thank you for bringing us together today.
Help us to remember that being together means more than sharing the same place.
Make our school a place where everyone feels welcome, respected, and cared for.
Amen.
B – Simple opening activity / icebreaker (6 minutes): “Together or Just Nearby?”
On the board (or orally), read short statements and children vote with hands:
- Together (two hands open)
- Just nearby (arms crossed)
Statements:
- “Two students sit together but don’t talk or include anyone.”
- “A student notices someone is new and invites them to join.”
- “Someone waits their turn to talk.”
- “A team cheers only for themselves and not for others.”
- “People work together to clean up after an activity.”
- “Students during a student council meeting discuss how they can educate fellow students on how to better the school environment.”
Connect quickly to Catholic teaching: Solidarity is a direct demand of human and Christian brotherhood.
C – Story: THE SELFISH GIANT
Link to “Being Together”:
- We all need one another.
- Communities grow when everyone is included.
- Kindness changes hearts.
- Being present for others brings joy to everyone
Summary
A giant owns a beautiful garden where children love to play. After being away for several years, he returns home and becomes angry when he finds the children there. He builds a high wall around the garden and puts up a sign that says, “Trespassers will be prosecuted.”
Without the children, something strange happens. Spring refuses to come to the Giant’s garden. While flowers bloom and birds sing everywhere else, his garden remains cold, snowy, and lifeless. Winter seems to stay forever.
One day, the Giant hears birds singing. Looking outside, he discovers that the children have found a way back into the garden. Wherever they are playing, flowers bloom, trees blossom, and spring returns. But one little boy cannot climb into a tree. Seeing this, the Giant’s heart softens. He goes to him and gently lifts the child into the tree, and immediately the tree bursts into blossom.
The Giant realises that it was his selfishness that kept happiness away. He tears down the wall so that all the children are always welcome. From then on, the garden is filled with laughter, friendship, and life, and the Giant himself becomes kind, generous, and deeply loved.
Start by asking the students to tell you what the story was about. Then discuss the following questions:
- – What do you think the message is? When we welcome others instead of shutting them out, everyone thrives—including ourselves.
- – What are some ‘walls’ people sometimes build that stop others from feeling welcome? How can we help bring those walls down?” – being judgemental; being afraid of ‘new/different’ things, ideas, cultures; being glued to screens for too long and as a consequence ignore the needs to others around me; being comfortable as I am and not being willing to make sacrifices to make others happy/welcome/included.
Pick other questions to discuss depending on time:
- What is the difference between being near and being together?
Being near means being physically close. Being together means caring about each other, sharing and including everyone.
- Which action matters most: listening, helping, including, encouraging, caring—why? Including others is very important because everyone wants to feel that they belong. But all these actions help us to care for one another.
- How does Jesus show us how to make each other feel welcomed? Jesus welcomed everyone, especially people who were lonely or left out. He listened to them, cared for them and treated everyone with love.
- How can we be kind to each other? We can be kind by listening, helping, sharing, forgiving, including others and using kind words.
- What would real togetherness look like in our school? Everyone would feel welcome, included and respected. We would help each other, listen to each other and make sure that nobody is left out.
Reinforce that solidarity is not only individual acts; it is community-minded responsibility.
Note for the animator: regarding Multifaith:
- “We don’t try to prove who is right. We try to be respectful and learn from each other.”
This mirrors Catholic teaching that interreligious dialogue requires openness while maintaining clear identity (we respect but we do not accept everything).
D – Practical activity / game (12 minutes): “Community Mission”
Instructions:
- Split the group in smaller groups.
- From the PowerPoint show the following scenarios and discuss each one by asking the 3 questions mentioned below (keeping in mind what God might do in such a scenario):
- What is happening? How are the people feeling?
- What is our mission? How can we make the situation better? Eg To make sure not one eats or plays alone or to encourage the player and remind everyone that a team wins and loses together.
- What is the announcement? E.g. “Our mission is to include everyone, so no one feels alone” or “Our mission is to encourage instead of blaming.”
Scenario examples (choose 6–8 total)
- “A new student wants to join a game but everyone ignores them.” (Include + encourage)
- “Someone makes a mistake and others laugh.” (Care + help them, not the teasing)
- “Your team loses and people stop trying.” (Encouragement + solidarity)
- “A friend feels worried and won’t speak up.” (help + listening)
- “A community event needs helpers, but no one volunteers.” (Encouragement + Community care)
- “Someone posts something mean online.” (Respect + charity)
E – Concluding activity:
Give each student the handout: Little Acts of Kindness Tic Tac Toe
Instructions found on the handout (to be done later in class or at home).
Communion, Participation, and Mission
This session is aimed at serving as a suggested guideline for Lenten Exercises in middle and senior schools. The session can either be delivered as an 80-minute session or in two 40-minute sessions: the first would include the introduction and point number 1, while the second session resumes with parts 2 and 3, and the conclusion.
Introduction: To Grow is to Change (15 minutes)
- The animator introduces the theme Growing Together and asks whether it is better to grow and succeed on our own. The initial answer may well be “yes”, but they say: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
Here, students can be invited to vote and then asks someone who thinks it is better to work alone, for example, to move a number of chairs from one side of the room to the other – until animator starts adding the help of his classmates (with the aim that the work is completed and the point emerges).
- The animator states that growing—not alone, but with others—is indeed a choice, but not ours: it is God’s idea. Thus, St Paul says: “You are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved.” God chose us first to be like Him: Holy!
Here, students can be invited to vote and then asks someone who thinks it is better to work alone, for example, to move a number of chairs from one side of the room to the other – until animator starts adding the help of his classmates (with the aim that the work is completed and the point emerges).
- The animator states that growing—not alone, but with others—is indeed a choice, but not ours: it is God’s idea. Thus, St Paul says: “You are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved.” God chose us first to be like Him: Holy!
Here, it can be explained that the word “holy” means being “dedicated-to” and therefore being a “different” person – a hospital is a different building from another building because it is dedicated to the care of the sick; a football ground is different from any field because it is dedicated to playing – therefore there is a connection between being different and being dedicated to something or someone, but what are we dedicated to?
- The animator explains that God is “Holy” meaning completely different from us human beings because we are creatures and He is the Creator, we are weak and He is perfect in His Love etc but during this Lent God is calling us to change for the good, so that we may become like Him, so that we may live according to the grace that His Holy Spirit gives us, and grow together (because alone it is impossible) in holiness as God is holy.
Here the animator shares the quotation by John H Newman, To live is to change…
1. Like a Treasure💰hidden in a Field
Perfection is found in communion with God and with human beings (25 minutes).
Put on then … compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony (Col 3:12-17).
- The animator starts by saying that – they say – if you find a perfect community, don’t join it because you will ruin it – None of us is perfect!
Here, the quotation is presented in full: “To live is to change and to be perfect is to have changed often” – in other words even our relationships go through changes which are necessary.
- The animator shows a few pictures each suggesting some form of “perfection” and asks students which picture they thought it best define “perfection.”
A snowflake, a Swiss watch movement, Ronaldo’s overhead kick, Michelangelo’s Pietà, a flawless apple, a Ferrari, a cappuccino, a sleeping new-born baby, a spiral galaxy – are all valid suggestions.
- The animator says that when Jesus speaks about “perfection” He says this to the rich young man: “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Mt 19:21).
Here it is explained that Jesus is inviting us to communion with Him. He alone, as God, is truly perfect. Therefore He also says: “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Jesus invites us not only to share our goods with others, but also to leave behind our own ideas of “perfection” and embrace the way He understands it. In this way we find our true treasure in Jesus.
Animator hands treasure template to students and invites them to write answers for the following reflective questions:
- What is precious to you or in you? What do you need to share more with others, especially with those who do not have or do not know?
- Which of the qualities that Saint Paul mentions – qualities of Jesus – do you want to ask the Lord to help you grow in: mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness or patience?
2. Like the branches in the Vine🍇
The joy and peace in us, when we participate in a community of faith (15 minutes).
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful (Col 3:15).
- The animator stresses that communion with Jesus is essential for us to bear the fruit of love, happiness, patience, kindness, gentleness etc. and shows Biblical quotation from John 15:5,10-11.
Here a formula is shows explaining the text: Vine-branches; Jesus-us; Commandments-joy and peace in us.
- The animator says that the opposite also applies: If we are filled with joy and peace within us, we will be able to live the Commandments better.
Here students are invited to pray the following prayer prayed at Mass: Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
- The animator proposes that the peace of Christ continues to reach us in many ways, not least by us being active members within a community of faith. We do not have to go far because school can be one of them. (If the students are from a middle school, here there would be an opportunity to encourage them to continue attending adolescent meetings etc).
Here it would be fitting for the students to hear a testimony from a young person of his growth within a community of believers. A recorded testimony works as well.
3. Like a City on a Hill⛰️
Our faith and maturity are seen through the witness we give and the mission we live (20 minutes).
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God (Col 3:16).
- The animator says that when we experience something true or authentic, good or delicious, beautiful or awesome (bringing examples for each one) we feel within us like a push to share it with others.
Here it can be said that a testimony such as the one we have just heard helps us in our faith – and the person who shared it with us knew that it was something too precious to keep for himself.
- The animator compares this process of “sharing” to one that can become “viral” and says that the community of believers grows precisely in this way: through the sharing that Jesus does with us – sharing that continues to be passed from one person to another until what Jesus wants to pass on to us reaches us through the sharing done with us by those who in some way received first from Him.
Here a reference can be made to the biblical phrase “come and see” that comes out of Jesus’ lips as an invitation to the first disciples (John 1:38-39), but that becomes an invitation from the disciples so that more people may come to know that Jesus (John 1:46).
- The animator admits though that “we” lack such sight (faith!), let alone showing it to others. The words “come and see” were in fact used also by people who did not believe that Jesus could make a difference in people’s lives. The text from John 11:34-35 can be read.
Here, after a brief explanation that Jesus wept in the face of their lack of faith, students could be invited to participate in a prayer activity like Heavy Stone (that helps make as an expression of faith). The students can come forward one by one while “Come and See” is played.
Conclusion: Growing together means growing in harmony with God and with one another (5 minutes).
Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Col 3:17).
- The animator explains that if Babel reminds us that when we work on our own, individually or together but without God, we become confused and lose the ability to understand ourselves and one another, the event of Pentecost is the opposite: the more we are united in God’s name, the more we will be in harmony and the more we can make our lives a gift for so many others.
This could be an opportunity to launch a missionary initiative.