LearningCycles series This is My Body Creative Activities for Teaching the Last Supper & Eucharist

The LearningCycles series offers a creative approach to faith formation based on different learning styles, appropriate for K-5th graders.  Each LearningCycles unit generally includes seven workshops: Art, Story & Games, Drama & Activity, Music, Kitchen, Movie, and Publishing.  This series works well for whole family/intergenerational catechesis and is a great basis for grandparent camps or other vacation bible schools.

Every Sunday when we gather at the altar, we remember how Jesus gathered his friends together for a special supper. We remember how Jesus died and then rose from the dead and we celebrate all the ways that God loves and provides for us.

This resource helps children learn about Eucharist: what it means, why it is important and how the tradition was given to us. It is a great cycle for Lent, and has some specific suggestions for using it during this time.

• Art Workshop – Create items needed for worship: stole, chalice, paten, etc. Each class completes one project. What do we SEE at Eucharist?
• Publishing Workshop – Look for and color symbols used at Eucharist. What are the SYMBOLS of Eucharist?
• Drama Workshop – Talk about the Last Supper, examine artworks about this meal, and explore the dramatic movements and symbols that are present in Eucharist each week. Who gave us the TRADITION of Eucharist?
• Movie Workshop – Watch “Jesus” or another movie that depicts the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples, as well as home videos of meal preparation, and discuss what goes into preparing for special celebrations. How do we PREPARE for Eucharist? (Supporting DVDs can be found for sale here.)
• Story Workshop – Hold a Last Supper “picnic” and talk about the meals we share together in community as a way of passing on and remembering the Story. What do we REMEMBER at Eucharist?
• Kitchen Workshop – Learn to make bread and “wine” while talking about the Last Supper. Model Jesus’ example of foot washing and talk about caring for each other. What do we TASTE at Eucharist?
• Music Workshop – Learn songs that we sing during communion and talk about the different things we do during Mass. What do we HEAR at Eucharist?

Click to find additional resources for use with this unit.