BENZIGER FAMILY LIFE GRADE 7. GOD’S GIFT OF FAMILY UNIT 1

BENZIGER FA

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GOD’S G

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UNIT 1 - LESSON 1 - FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Goal -to examine good communication skills within family relationships and how birth order and changes during puberty can affect the way we interact

UNIT 1 - LESSON 1 - FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Birth OrderBlended FamilyCompassionGenerationMercy

UNIT 1 - LESSON 1 - FAMILY RELATIONSHIPSBirth Order – describes the sequence of

offspring and thus particular position within the family according to when born

Blended Family – a family created when adults with children from an earlier marriage enter a new marriage

UNIT 1 - LESSON 1 - FAMILY RELATIONSHIPSCompassion – the character strength of

being able to identify with the situation and feelings of another; built on an attitude of equality

Generation – a group of related people born at the same time

Mercy – loving kindness in the context of forgiveness and compassion

UNIT 1 - LESSON 1 - FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

The lesson will help you:• Explore the meaning of family

relationships• Connect compassion to

communication• Practice the skill of listening

in conflict situations

UNIT 1 - LESSON 1 - FAMILY RELATIONSHIPSRead page 11

Small Group Discussion:

1.Share any information with your group regarding your name.

2.Reveal your birth order.

3.Tell the advantages and disadvantages of your birth order.

4.According to your birth order, what do you contribute to your family?

UNIT 1 - LESSON 1 - FAMILY RELATIONSHIPSPage 14

Read Catholic Family Album – the three archangels

Read Resolving Conflicts

Individually:

Choose one of the Do’s principals and tell how you will use it. Write in your notebook.

UNIT 1 - LESSON 1 - FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

What qualities do you admire in yourself, your family? What do you want to pass on?

What qualities has your family passed on to you?

UNIT 1 - LESSON 1 - FAMILY RELATIONSHIPSSpeaking Honestly

1.Look at the person to whom you are talking.

2.Tell exactly what happened. Do not leave anything out.

3.Answer the questions to help fill in details.

4.If you have made a mistake, admit it, and then apologize.

UNIT 1 - LESSON 1 - FAMILY RELATIONSHIPSPages 12 and 13.

Copy Growing in Virtue and Catholics Believe into your notebook.

Read pages 12 and 13, Maturing and Compassion.

Small Group Activity:

“Showing Compassion” page 13 in notebook.

UNIT 1 - LESSON 2 - VALUES AND VIRTUES

Goal - to explore values and understand how they influence our decisions to live virtuously

UNIT 1 - LESSON 2 - VALUES AND VIRTUES

Peer PressurePerseveranceResponsibilityValue

UNIT 1 - LESSON 2 - VALUES AND VIRTUES

Peer Pressure – influence to others, especially those closest to us, like our friends

Perseverance – the act of continuing with patient effort despite obstacles

Responsibility – the character strength of being dependable, putting care for others and the world around us into action

Value – comes from the Latin word valere, meaning “to be of worth”

UNIT 1 - LESSON 2 - VALUES AND VIRTUESCopy the top of page 13:

This lesson will help you to:

• Explore how values are formed in the family

• Examine the positive influences we have on others by living our values

• Decide ways in which we can put our values into action

Read page 13, Living Treasures

Small Group Discussion:

What values do you hold most dear and why?

UNIT 1 - LESSON 2 - VALUES AND VIRTUESPages 16 and 17.

Copy Catholics Believe and Growing in Virtue.

Read pages 16 and 17.

Small Group Activity:

Recreate the ‘pressure gauge’ in your notebook. Share some peer pressure you have experienced. How did you handle it? What gifts of the Holy Spirit help you handle peer pressure?

UNIT 1 - LESSON 2 - VALUES AND VIRTUESPage 18

Read Catholic Family Album, Saint Hilary of Poitiers.

Read Putting Good Values in Action

Individually:

Recreate the value chart in your notebook. Select three and tell how you would put them into action.

UNIT 1 - LESSON 2 - VALUES AND VIRTUES

Individually : Complete pages 19 and 20

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UNIT 2 - LESSON 3 - IDENTITY

Goal- to examine spiritual maturity in light of the changes that test one’s resiliency during puberty

UNIT 2 - LESSON 3 - IDENTITY

Adolescence – the stage of life between childhood and adulthood. The word comes from the Latin, adolescens, which means “growing up” or “growing toward.”

Endocrine System – a collection of glands that make hormones that regulate body growth, reproductive development and metabolism

UNIT 2 - LESSON 3 - IDENTITY

Maturity – the process through which one realizes their full potential

Resilience – the ability to adjust to change, or capacity to survive and recover from change; a character strength developed through the exercise of fortitude

UNIT 2 - LESSON 3 - IDENTITY

Reflect on Wisdom 4:8-9

UNIT 2 - LESSON 3 - IDENTITY

Copy the top of page 23.

This lesson will help you to:• Explore the different ways you are

maturing• Understand the changes during

puberty• Affirm that your identity is about

your whole person, body and soul.

UNIT 2 - LESSON 3 - IDENTITY

Read page 23, Heading Toward Maturity.

Small Group Work:

1. Write the four dimensions of maturity in your notebook: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual

2. Write an “I can” statement for each dimension.

3. How can you show spiritual maturity in your relationship with God?

UNIT 2 - LESSON 3 - IDENTITY

Pages 24 and 25.

Copy Catholics Believe and Growing in Virtue

Read pages 24 and 25, Change in Motion.

Individually:

Copy and complete “Looking in the Mirror” in your notebook.

Think about the different kinds of growth and maturity you have recently experienced.

UNIT 2 - LESSON 3 - IDENTITY

Page 26.Read Catholic Identity, Saint

Gertrude the Great.Read Identify Yourself.Individually copy and complete

the activity, all ten statements.

UNIT 2 - LESSON 4 - GENDER

Goal - to examine God’s plan in creating complementary genders to help a person accept and appreciate their gender

UNIT 2 - LESSON 4 - GENDER

Complementary – to live with and for each other as equal in dignity, helping each other according to God’s plan for the two genders

Diligence – in the context of sexual identity, the steadfast attention and appreciation of one’s gender

UNIT 2 - LESSON 4 - GENDER

Sexual Identity – sexuality; everything about a person that relates to a person being created either male or female

Stereotype – erroneous ideas or false preconceived notions about an individual

UNIT 2 - LESSON 4 - GENDER

Meditate on Genesis 1: 26-27

UNIT 2 - LESSON 4 - GENDER

Page 27

Copy from top of page.

This lesson will help you:• Explore the meaning of

gender• Understand that males and

females complement each other

• Affirm your gender

UNIT 2 - LESSON 4 - GENDER

Page 27

Read Male and Female he Created Them.

Small Group Work:

Make three columns in your notebook labeled; physical, psychological, spiritual. Under each column write examples of how each gender is perceived (i.e. pretty, smart, athletic)

UNIT 2 - LESSON 4 - GENDER

Pages 28 and 29.

Copy Catholics Believe and Growing in Virtue into note book.

Read Different and Equal and Sexual Identity

Small group Activity:

Make two columns. Label one column, “Seventh grade boys and girls are very similar” and the other column, “Seventh grade boys and girls are very different”

How many ways are you able to list in the columns?

Are seventh grade boys and girls similar or different?

UNIT 2 - LESSON 4 - GENDER

Page 30Read Catholic Family Album,

Paul of Tarsus, Apostle to the Gentiles

Read Part of God’s PlanIndividually copy and complete

the activity in your notebook.

UNIT 2 - LESSON 4 - GENDER

Individually Complete pages 31 and 32