Faith Under Pressure · Week 3 · Grades 6–8
Guided Notes: St. Thomas More
- Name
- Date
- Class
Follow along as your teacher presents. Fill in each section when its slide is on the screen.
Lawyer, father, friend
Thomas More was born in London on February 7, blank 1. He studied at Oxford and trained as a lawyer. As a young man he lived close to a monastery and thought seriously about becoming a monk.
He chose marriage and public life instead, and kept a monk’s habit of daily prayer. He raised four children and gave his blank 2 the same education as his son.
He became famous across Europe as a scholar and a witty writer. In blank 3 he published Utopia, a book about an imaginary island that made readers question their own society.
Thomas More’s life
Write what happened in each year.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1478 | Write your answer |
| 1516 | Write your answer |
| 1529 | Write your answer |
| 1532 | Write your answer |
| 1534 | Write your answer |
| 1535 | Write your answer |
| 1935 | Write your answer |
Check the facts
What was unusual about More’s household? Circle one.
- A His daughters studied the same subjects as his son
- B His children were raised by monks in a monastery
- C His family refused to keep any books in the house
- D His son was sent to study at the royal court
Why is that the right answer?
The oath
King Henry VIII wanted the Pope to declare that his marriage to blank 4 of Aragon was not valid. He hoped to marry Anne Boleyn and have a son to inherit the throne. The Pope did not agree.
So Henry had blank 5 declare the king, not the Pope, head of the Church in England. Important people had to swear an oath accepting the change.
More would not swear. He also would not attack the king. He simply stayed silent about his reasons, because the law could not punish silence.
After more than a year in prison he was convicted of treason and beheaded on blank 6 6, 1535.
Why silence?
Why did More refuse to explain why he would not take the oath? Circle one.
- A He had not yet made up his mind
- B He wanted to embarrass the king
- C The law could not punish silence
- D The Pope had told him not to talk
Why is that the right answer?
Conscience or crowd?
More would not put his name to something he believed was false, even when almost everyone else did. Sort each choice. Check one box for each.
| Item | Following conscience | Following the crowd |
|---|---|---|
| Leaving a group chat that is tearing someone apart | ||
| Reposting a rumor because everyone else has | ||
| Checking whether a shocking post is true before sharing | ||
| Liking a cruel joke so you are not left out | ||
| Saying “I don’t agree” calmly, without insults | ||
| Signing an online petition you have not read | ||
| Turning in AI-written work because classmates do | ||
| Asking a trusted adult about a choice you are unsure of |
A shared feast
Who shares the June 22 feast day with Thomas More? Circle one.
- A King Henry VIII, who later repented
- B Erasmus, a scholar and close friend
- C Pope Pius XI, who canonized him
- D John Fisher, a bishop who also refused
Why is that the right answer?
Talk it over
More stayed respectful and even silent, but he would not say “I agree” when he did not. Online, a like, a repost or a tap on “I agree” can work like putting your name to something. Where is the line between keeping the peace and going along with something wrong?
Think: my idea before we talk
Sentence starters: “Staying quiet is fine when ..., but not when ...”“A like or repost means ... because ...”“One time it was hard not to go along was ...”“More’s example makes me think ...”
Pair: something my partner said
Let us pray
“We must obey God rather than men.”
Acts 5:29
Lord God, you are the truth that sets us free.
Form our consciences, and give us courage to follow them.
Keep us honest and kind in what we say and post.
St. Thomas More, pray for us.
Amen.
My own prayer or intention:
Well done!
Thomas More kept his word, his humor and his faith. His feast day, shared with St. John Fisher, is June 22.
One thing I learned today:
One question I still have:
How could the example of St. Thomas More shape the way I live, online and offline?
Challenge: Choose one of the three virtue practices and do it every day until next week’s saint.