One year during my time teaching first grade in a Christian classroom, I had a little boy lose his mom in the middle of the school year. While this would be a tragedy for any student, first graders don’t have a lot of experience with death so it was especially poignant. It gave us a great opportunity to talk about the hope we have as Christians though. Suddenly the resurrection of the dead and the new creation promised by Jesus became much more significant. Previously they had been words on a page, now they were a living, breathing hope with the power to change lives.
Resurrection Hope
We have a dead fish cemetery in the back yard. Being amateur fish keepers, we have experienced quite a number of fatalities as we have learned to navigate the world of aquatic pets. My sons like to talk about what that area of the yard might look like on the Last Day. (They believe quite firmly in the resurrection of pets despite being told multiple times of the Bible’s silence on that topic!) They look forward to seeing their brightly colored little friends alive and swimming once again. If that’s what a fish cemetery might look like when Jesus returns, imagine what kind of places our cemeteries will be! Tears and quiet reflection will have given way to loud happy family reunions.
All Saints’ Day Lesson for Christian Classrooms
All Saints’ Day is a fantastic holiday to celebrate in the classroom. If you’ve never had it in your lesson plans previously, it’s time to make room! You can start with this page of All Saints’ Day sketch notes for Christian classrooms. It’s a fun way to introduce middle schoolers to the topic, promote discussion and inspire creativity.
If you are looking for this ready-to-use resource for your students, check it out in my store.
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