Lesson 5.2 Notre Père

Steps

1. Warm-up

   Do this together: Say the Lord’s Prayer in English together. Today you learn how French children begin the very same prayer.

2. Teach the new idea

   Read aloud: The story. One day the disciples watched Jesus praying. When He finished, they said, Lord, teach us to pray. And Jesus gave them the prayer we call the Lord’s Prayer. It begins, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. All over the world, in hundreds of languages, Christians pray these same words every day. French children pray it too: Notre Père qui es aux cieux.

   Read aloud: How French sounds. Cieux is the plural of ciel: the heavens. Say SYUH with rounded lips. In règne, gne sounds like the ny in canyon: REHNY. In sanctifié, every syllable is clear: sahnk-tee-FYAY.

   Read aloud: Say it slowly. Fold your hands. A parent says one line in French, and you repeat it: Notre Père qui es aux cieux, / que ton nom soit sanctifié, / que ton règne vienne, / que ta volonté soit faite sur la terre comme au ciel. Then say the whole prayer in English and end with Amen.

3. New words

   Do this: Say each word clearly; your child says it back twice. Point to a picture or the real thing when you can.

   • notre [NOTR]: our
   • le Père [luh PEHR]: Father
   • les cieux [lay SYUH]: the heavens
   • le nom [luh NOHN]: name
   • le règne [luh REHNY]: kingdom; reign
   • la volonté [lah voh-lohn-TAY]: will
   • Amen [ah-MEN]: Amen
4. Show how

   Show: What does Notre Père mean?

   Say this: “Notre means our.”

   Say this: “Père means father.”

   Answer: Our Father.

   Show: What does aux cieux mean?

   Say this: “Cieux is the plural of ciel.”

   Say this: “Aux cieux means in the heavens.”

   Answer: In heaven.

5. Practice together

   Do this: Ask out loud. Let your child try first; help only after a real try.

   Ask: What does Notre Père mean?

   Listen for: Our Father.

   Ask: Who taught us the Lord’s Prayer?

   Listen for: Jesus.

   Ask: Say Amen.

   Listen for: Amen.

   3 more on the lesson page.

6. Project: Prayer card

   Read aloud: Make a beautiful card with the first lines of the Notre Père to keep by your bed.

   Steps:

   1. A parent writes Notre Père qui es aux cieux, que ton nom soit sanctifié, que ton règne vienne in neat letters in the middle.
   2. Decorate the border with stars, a moon and a sun.
   3. Make the N of Notre big and gold, like a page from the Très Riches Heures in Unit 1.
   4. Read it aloud each night this week.

   Tips for you:

   • Add the next line, que ta volonté soit faite.
   • Make a second card for a grandparent.

   Done when your child can say:

   • My card has the first lines of the prayer in French.
   • I can say them from memory or by reading.
7. Sketchbook

   Do this: Your child picks one or more; you write the date.

   1. Copy Notre Père qui es aux cieux in your French notebook in your best handwriting. Draw a starry sky above it.
8. From history

   Read aloud: Au clair de la lune is one of the oldest songs French children know. It is about a friend knocking at Pierrot’s door by moonlight to borrow a pen, because his candle has gone out.

9. Watch for
   • Saying the x in cieux. It is silent: SYUH.
   • Rushing the prayer. Say it slowly and reverently; it is talking to God.
10. Game: Prayer echo

    Not a race: a quiet game. A parent whispers one line of the Notre Père, and you whisper it back. Then a little louder, then in a clear voice. End together with Amen.

11. Narration

    Say this: “Tell me what you learned today.”

    Listen for: Say the first lines of the Lord’s Prayer in French.; Know what Notre Père, ton nom, ton règne and ta volonté mean.; Sing the old French night song Au clair de la lune.

12. Scripture

    After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

    In the French Bible of Louis Segond (1910), this verse reads: <i lang="fr">Notre Père qui es aux cieux! Que ton nom soit sanctifié;</i> Jesus taught us to call God our Father and to pray that His name be honored as holy.

Spread over the week

3 sessions of 15–20 minutes. Stop while it is still going well.

1. Session 1. Warm-up, then read and teach the new idea and the new words. Show how.
2. Session 2. Practice together, then start the project. Finish the project, then the sketchbook.
3. Session 3. Narration, the game and the Scripture.