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Online Lessons
Good News helps children to pray both
spontaneously from the heart and together
as a community of faith. In this lesson, the
children will practice praise prayers.
Prayers of petition are concrete and usually
about us and those we care about. Prayers
of thanksgiving are often about us, too.
But praising God for God’s great works is
about God. Many of the Responsorial
Psalms we pray at Sunday Eucharist are
prayers of praise. This lesson provides
activities that immerse the children in one
of the praise psalms. The children will also
agree to some class rules that will make
their time together more productive and
pleasant.
Materials
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copies of the Activity Page, Praise God!
Psalm 148
Good News music CD and a CD player
colored paper, white construction paper
or drawing paper
crayons and markers, scissors, tape
tag board or poster board
Sharing Life Stories
Opening Ritual
Have volunteers prepare the ritual space in
your meeting place. Ask the children to
gather there as they arrive. Begin with the
Sign of the Cross. Invite the children to
offer petitions that they would like the
group to pray about. After each petition,
lead the children in the response that your
parish uses at Sunday Eucharist. Then invite
children to thank God for people or events
for which they are thankful. Conclude this
sharing by thanking God for the members
of the class and asking God to bless your
time together. Close by singing “The Whole
World Is in God’s Hands.”
Set Classroom Rules
Contrary to popular belief, children love
rules! Your responsibility is to help children
arrive at rules that promote community and
learning in your classroom. Ask children to
help you think of some rules for respectful
behavior. They will probably come up with
some version of the following. Print the
rules on the chalkboard or on newsprint as
the children name them.
● We call each other by name.
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We don’t interrupt someone who is
speaking.
We help clean up after projects.
We take turns and share.
Give them time to discuss the rules. Ask if
they can think of other rules they wish to
add. If everyone agrees on the rules, print
them on a large sheet of poster board or
tag board. Ask everyone to sign their name
or initials. Display the rules where the
children can see them during class.
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Stretch
Have the children gather in a circle holding
hands. Direct them to take two steps back
and then drop hands. Lead them in this
stretching activity several times.
Stretch, stretch your hands up high.
Now let your fingers fly.
Stamp your feet, both left and right, left
and right.
Now stretch up tall and reach your height.
Listening to the Gospel
Gospel Story
This part of a Good News lesson is always
dedicated to hearing the Sunday Gospel
story. Because these online lessons can be
used on any Sunday, the Sunday Gospels are
not part of the lessons. Use this time
instead to teach the children about psalms
as prayers of praise.
Begin by asking the children if they like
to hear something good about themselves.
When you say something good about
something or someone you praise that
person or thing. Write the word praise on
the chalkboard or on a sheet of newsprint.
Praise sounds like prays, so it is important
for the children to see it spelled out. Point
out that praise statements tell us something
good about ourselves.
Ask the children to listen carefully to
things you are going to say. If they hear
something that sounds like praise, they may
stand up. Use the following sentences or
make up some of your own.
● I like your new haircut.
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I need a new TV.
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You are a good friend.
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I don’t like broccoli.
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You are a good singer.
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This class is very attentive.
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I missed the bus yesterday.
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My mother is a great cook.
God, your world is so beautiful.
Explain that one of the ways everyone in
the world learns about God is by looking at
creation. Ask the children what we mean by
creation. Anything God made, including
the stars and planets, the earth and the
animals, birds and fish, each of us.
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Sing and Stretch Give the children a
movement break before you start the
activity. If they know the Johnny
Appleseed grace, sing it together three or
four times, adding gestures. Many children
know The Unicorn Song, made popular by
the Irish Rovers. They will enjoy teaching
you a song they know.
Building Christian
Community
Psalms of Praise
When we praise someone, we say what we
like about that person. Praising God is the
same way. When we praise God, we tell
God what we like about the things and
people God made. These things help us
know and learn more about God
A long time ago, people wrote poems
and songs about God. They collected these
poems in a book of the Bible called the
Book of Psalms. The word psalm means
“song.” Jesus prayed these poem-prayers
when he lived on earth. We sing a psalm
almost every Sunday during the Liturgy of
the Word. This psalm is called the
Responsorial Psalm.
Distribute copies of the Activity Page,
which is a child-friendly version of eleven
verses of Psalm 148. Read the verses aloud
to the children while they follow along.
Stop occasionally and wait for them to
supply the next word. After the reading,
have the children find the wonders of
creation the psalm mentions in the
illustrations on the page. Distribute
crayons or markers and give the children
time to color the illustrations.
Good News/We Pray Together
Creation Art Project
If you have time, have the children choose
individual lines of Psalm 148 to illustrate.
The children may work individually or in
pairs. Be sure all the lines are chosen or
assigned. Have a variety of art materials
available—colored paper, tissue paper,
crayons, markers, paints, colored pencils and
chalk. Ask the children to print “Praise
God!” at the top of a sheet of white
construction paper or tag board and
illustrate their line of the psalm. Encourage
the children to use their imaginations and
to be creative. Point out that using their
gift of creativity is a way to praise God, who
gives us everything that is good.
Closing Prayer
Ask the children to bring along their copies
of Psalm 148 to the prayer circle. You may
wish to divide the children into four groups.
Each group can read one of the first four
stanzas. Everyone reads the final lines.
If the children illustrated individual lines
as described above, ask them to come
forward, hold up their illustration, and
remain standing. After the prayer, post the
illustrations on a bulletin board in your
meeting place. Or make arrangements for
the children’s illustrations to be displayed in
the vestibule of the church.
Close by singing “The Whole World Is in
God’s Hands.
Good News/We Pray Together
Name _________________________________
Praise God!
Ps alm 148
Praise God, all you angels.
Praise God, sun and moon.
Praise God, shining stars.
God commanded and you were created.
Praise God, you sea monsters.
Praise God, lightning and hail.
Praise God, snow and clouds,
and all you strong winds that obey God’s commands.
Praise God, hills and mountains.
Praise God, fruit trees and forests.
Praise God, all you animals, wild and tame.
and all you reptiles and birds.
Praise God, all people of the earth.
Praise God, girls and young men.
Praise God, old people and children.
Let everyone praise God’s name.
God’s glory is above heaven and earth.
Praise God!
© 2012 Pflaum Publishing Group, Dayton, OH (800-543-4383)
pflaum.com. Permission is granted to reproduce this page for class use.
Good News/We Pray Together/Activity Page