Recaps

Each class usually starts with a recap of the previous class, not to exceed 5 minutes. The recap is done from a sheet of notepaper which has maybe 5 words or phrases I wrote down after the previous class. I punch holes in the notepaper and it goes in my class binder in front of this week's lesson plan. If time permits, the recap may have some new ideas as well. New ideas will always tie the recap to something else: a Bible story, something Catholic, something they already learned, or something that they'll be learning in the future, i.e, anticipating a future lesson.

For example, last week we finshed up with a bit about Elisha & Elijah using Elijah's cloak to cross over Jordan on dry ground (2Kings 2). Part of this week's recap added a reenactment of Elijah putting his cloak over Elisha in the field to show Elisha would succeed Elijah (1Kings 19); using the chicken bone relic to remember that Elisha's bones brought a dead man back to life (2Kings 13:20); and finally recalling that Elijah, who was taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot, later appeared talking with Jesus at the Transfiguration (Matt17).

God's grace, God's power, can go through physical things. This theme prepares the class for understanding Sacraments.

Later on, when we learn about Elisha and Naaman as a prelude to baptism (2Kings 5), they'll already have some idea of who Elisha is.