One of our creative catechists shared a couple suggestions for teaching December’s classroom topic, Mary: God’s Masterpiece.

“For acting out the story, bring some simple props to liven up the acting out part.  A broom for Mary’s chores, a book for her lessons, a hammer for Joseph the carpenter, two plastic wine glasses for the wedding, the list goes on.  The more the kids can act out the story by actually doing something the better they will remember it and enjoy it.”

“I might suggest teaching the song mid way through the lesson if a change of pace is needed from coloring and/or listening.”

And last, the dogma of the Immaculate Conception is one that even adults confuse.  To help your students get a visual fix on the concept, you might want to try drawing something like this to help them remember that while both Jesus and Mary never sinned, the Immaculate Conception specifically describes what the Church teaches about the Blessed Virgin Mary.

 Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, “full of grace” through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:

The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 491