Introducing 5th graders to Vocations

[DominicanHeart]

Hi everyone.

I am teaching 5th grade CCD this year. I'm thinking about topics to discuss beyond the textbook. I would like to spend some time talking about vocations with them but at their age, I'm trying to think of the best way to introduce the topic to them. Are there any resources that are age appropriate for them?

[sr.christinaosf]

Maybe try cmswr.org or the USCCB.

[John Paul]

Set up a appoinment with the parish priest or if possible a sister or brother maybe.

[beatitude]

I would bring a sister or a brother in for a Q&A. Fifth-graders probably have lots of things they want to ask and that would be more interesting and memorable for them than just a straightforward lesson.

[truthfinder]

My students were a little older, but before I taught the session, I contacted several religious orders for some vocation pamphlets, posters, etc and specifically told them that I'd be teaching this lesson.  One convent even sent some picture books/comics that I could show to the students, and it really let them see various religious and come up with their own questions.  Luckily, when I taught it again, I had a religious sister co-teaching with me all year, so that was helpful. 

I broke down some various terminology: vocation, nun, monk, and highlighted both active and contemplative vocations. Since a lot of students do not see religious nor are they exposed to the terminology, they really do need to have it broken down to an age appropriate level.  "A vocation is God's call to each individual person.  Many people are called to be married and have children when they're older.  Some people have a calling to be a nun, brother or priest.  Who can tell me some of the things a priest does? etc..."

[DominicanHeart]

I love those ideas

[beatitude]

The National Office for Vocation in the UK has a website aimed at kids about your students' age, Called Today. It explains what a typical day is like for a contemplative nun, a monk, an apostolic religious sister, an apostolic brother, and a priest. It has nice cartoons that your students might like, plus a poster that you could download for the classroom wall and some vocations prayers that you could maybe use as a class.

[DominicanHeart]

That website is fantastic! Thank you!