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Catholic Connections—School Edition

A Middle School Curriculum

The Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle Schoolers, School Edition offers a unique curriculum, differing from traditional religion textbooks in appearance and approach.

DON'T MISS the newest offering for middle school young people: Connect! Bringing Faith to Life ! 

Connect! Bringing Faith to Life brings to your school or parish even more relevant, up-to-date scenarios and issues that help young people connect a learned faith to a lived faith. If you're ordering for your 6th graders, we encourage you to order Connect! It promises an incredible value: one textbook for 3 years, plus dynamic eLearning lessons are built in.

Learn about our Connect! School Curriculum

What are the differences between Connect! and Catholic Connections?

Its user-tested design engages middle school students and maximizes readability for greater understanding. The handbook approach gives readers a comprehensive introduction to the Catholic faith, while remaining flexible in how it supports their learning process. Used with Breakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics (in NABRE or GNT), the Handbook provides all of the content for two to three years of religion class, allowing students convenient access to topics covered throughout middle school. The captivating design and engaging articles will appeal to middle schoolers, inspiring them to grow in faith as they discover their call to be disciples of Christ.

Active Learning and Assessments
Each chapter in the Handbook is supplemented by in-depth lesson plans in the Teacher Guides. Hours of classroom observation and interviews with Catholic school teachers have inspired and informed these unparalleled, comprehensive guides. Here teachers will find everything they need for instruction, including blackline masters for activities and assessments.

Integrated Scripture
The Teacher Guides also contain lesson plans for Handbook chapters that use Breakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics (in NABRE or GNT), as the primary text. These chapters enhance true biblical literacy as students actually read the Bible instead of only reading about the Bible!

1:1 Classroom Accessibility
For 1:1 schools, there are many opportunities for bringing interactive elements into the classroom. Each chapter has options for using digital devices with specific activities.

Games and Additional Activities
Game On! is a new way to introduce or review the material in the Handbook. Using spin-to-win-style games, your students can test their knowledge while having fun! The Activity Booklet also offers creative ways for students to explore the concepts presented in the Handbook, giving them additional opportunities for reflection, critical thinking, and application to their own lives. 
 

 

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Components


The Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle Schoolers, Second Edition is a unique program, differing from traditional religion texts in appearance and approach. Its tested design engages middle school students and maximizes readability and understanding. 

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By Stephen Valgos

Invite students into a deeper exploration of the foundational truths of our faith and their rootedness in the stories of the Old Testament. In this course, students will be introduced to the nature of God, his love as expressed in Creation, and his saving plan.

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By Stephen Valgos

How do we understand Jesus and deepen our relationship with him?  This guide Illuminates Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophets, the Messiah who transforms and saves all people, and a guide and friend for youth today. 

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By Pat Finan and Laurie Ziliak

How did we get from the person of Jesus to the Church we experience today? Lead your class through a consideration of The New Testament, exploring the work of the Spirit as evidenced in the New Testament and the development of the Church.

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By Pat Finan and Laurie Ziliak

Explore the heart of our practice of faith with an age-appropriate exploration of liturgy and sacraments. At the center of the Catholic worldview is seeing the world as sacramental – the tangible can convey deeper meaning and lead us to God.

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By Joanne Bateman

What do the Ten Commandments have to do with my life? Help students address this question through an examination of Christian Morality and Social Justice. 

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Where do I find God in my life and how has the Church found God throughout the ages? Through a consideration of prayer, students are invited to deeper relationship with God. With special attention on the Lord’s Prayer, students explore the familiar and are encouraged to find relevancy for the own lives. The second half of this teacher guide examines Church History and allows students to see the growth and development of the Church through the ages. 

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These Church History chapters will allow you to glimpse how the Church has shaped the worldin different ages. You will also see how the events in these ages called the Church to grow and change in order to meet the needs of the world.

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By Gloria Shahin and Joanna Dailey

Edited by Joanna Dailey

This Activity Booklet offers students creative ways to explore the concepts presented in The Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle Schoolers and provide them with opportunities for reflection, critical thinking, and application to their own lives.

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By Gloria Shahin

Chapter tests for the Catholic Connections guides are available in this booklet. Tests contain a combination of objective questions in a variety of formats, such as sentence completion, multiple choice, and essay questions.

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Breakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics is a visual Bible for a visual generation. Bold artwork, a clean design, and fresh content allow young

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Orders

The Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle Schoolers, Second Edition

$29.95

Call 800-533-8095 to order

Available in digital:

The Old Testament and the Trinity

The Old Testament and the Trinity

Catholic Connections Teacher Guide, Second Edition

By Stephen Valgos

$51.95

Call 800-533-8095 to order

Available in digital:

The Prophets, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit

The Prophets, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit

Catholic Connections Teacher Guide, Second Edition

By Stephen Valgos

$51.95

Call 800-533-8095 to order

Available in digital:

The New Testament and the Church

The New Testament and the Church

Catholic Connections Teacher Guide, Second Edition

By Pat Finan and Laurie Ziliak

$51.95

Call 800-533-8095 to order

Available in digital:

Liturgy and Sacraments

Liturgy and Sacraments

Catholic Connections Teacher Guide, Second Edition

By Pat Finan and Laurie Ziliak

$51.95

Call 800-533-8095 to order

Available in digital:

Christian Morality and Social Justice

Christian Morality and Social Justice

Catholic Connections Teacher Guide, Second Edition

By Joanne Bateman

$51.95

Call 800-533-8095 to order

Available in digital:

Prayer and Church History

Prayer and Church History

Catholic Connections Teacher Guide, Second Edition

$51.95

Call 800-533-8095 to order

Available in digital:

Church History Student Chapters

Church History Student Chapters

Catholic Connections, Second Edition

$7.95

Available in digital:

Activity Booklet

Activity Booklet

Catholic Connections, Second Edition

By Gloria Shahin and Joanna Dailey

Edited by Joanna Dailey

$61.95

Test Booklet

Test Booklet

Catholic Connections, First Edition

By Gloria Shahin

$51.95

Call 800-533-8095 to order

Breakthrough!

Breakthrough!

The Bible for Young Catholics, NABRE Translation

Paperback

$32.95

Available in digital: