Hands and Hearts · Week 1 · Grades 3–5
Guided Notes: St. Joseph
- Name
- Date
- Class
Follow along as your teacher presents. Fill in each section when its slide is on the screen.
A carpenter from Nazareth
Joseph lived about 2,000 years ago in Nazareth, a small town in blank 1. He was a carpenter. His family came from the family line of the great King David.
Joseph was engaged to a young woman named Mary. Then an angel told him in a dream that Mary’s child came from the Holy Spirit.
Joseph did what the angel said. He took Mary as his wife. When the baby was born in blank 2, Joseph named him Jesus.
Words to know
Write what each word means.
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Carpenter | Write your answer |
| Foster father | Write your answer |
| Holy Family | Write your answer |
| Patron saint | Write your answer |
Protector and teacher
King Herod heard about the newborn king and wanted to kill him. An blank 3 warned Joseph in a dream. That same night Joseph took Mary and Jesus to Egypt.
After Herod died, Joseph brought the family home to blank 4. There he worked as a carpenter, and Jesus grew up beside him. People later called Jesus “the carpenter’s son.”
The Gospels do not record a single word Joseph said. They show us what he did.
Quick check
Why did Joseph take Mary and Jesus to Egypt? Circle one.
- A To find work as a carpenter
- B To keep Jesus safe from Herod
- C To visit his family there
- D To be counted by the emperor
Maker or just watcher?
Joseph made useful things with his hands. Sort each choice: am I making and helping, or only watching? Check one box for each.
| Item | Making and helping | Only watching |
|---|---|---|
| Building a birdhouse with a grandparent | ||
| Watching videos for three hours straight | ||
| Using a tablet to draw a card for a sick friend | ||
| Scrolling while your mom carries in the groceries | ||
| Doing your own homework carefully | ||
| Watching other people play a game all afternoon |
Quick check
How many of Joseph’s words do the Gospels record? Circle one.
- A One long prayer
- B Two short sayings
- C A letter to Mary
- D None at all
Think, pair, share
Joseph did his work quietly, and nobody clapped for him. Online, people often want likes for what they do. What good work could you do this week without showing it to anyone?
Think: my idea before we talk
Sentence starters: “One quiet job I could do is ...”“Doing good without likes is hard because ...”“Joseph reminds me that ...”
Pair: something my partner said
Let us pray
God our Father, thank you for the work of our hands.
Help us to listen, to protect and to work as Joseph did.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
Amen.
My own prayer or intention:
Well done!
Joseph is the patron saint of workers, fathers and the whole Church. We honor him on March 19 and on May 1.
One thing I learned today:
One question I still have:
Challenge: Make or fix one real thing with your hands this week, with no screen. Give it to someone or use it to help at home.