Teachers and Learners · Week 3 · Grades 3–5
Guided Notes: St. Thomas Aquinas
- Name
- Date
- Class
Follow along as your teacher presents. Fill in each section when its slide is on the screen.
St. Thomas Aquinas
A boy with a big question
Thomas was born about the year blank 1 in his family’s castle at Roccasecca, in Italy. His family was rich and powerful.
When he was about five, they sent him to school with the monks at Monte Cassino. A famous story tells that young Thomas kept asking his teachers one question: What is blank 2?
As a teenager he studied at the University of blank 3. There he met the Dominicans, friars who studied, preached and owned almost nothing. Thomas wanted to join them.
Words to know
Write what each word means.
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Friar | Write your answer |
| Dominicans | Write your answer |
| Theology | Write your answer |
| Summa Theologiae | Write your answer |
| Canonized | Write your answer |
The quiet student
Thomas’s family did not like his plan. His blank 4 took him home and kept him there for about a year. Thomas did not change his mind, and at last they let him go.
He studied under St. Albert the blank 5. Thomas was large and quiet, and tradition says his classmates called him the Dumb Ox. Albert saw how bright he really was.
Thomas became a teacher in blank 6 and wrote a huge book, the Summa Theologiae. He also wrote hymns about the Eucharist. He died on March 7, 1274.
Quick check
Why did Thomas’s brothers take him home? Circle one.
- A He was failing his classes
- B He was sick and needed rest
- C They missed him very much
- D They did not want him to be a friar
Think like Thomas
Thomas looked for what was true and thought carefully before he answered. Sort each choice online or at school. Check one box for each.
| Item | Seeking the truth | Skipping the thinking |
|---|---|---|
| Asking a teacher if a video’s claim is true | ||
| Sharing a post before reading it | ||
| Checking a fact in two good places | ||
| Copying an AI answer without reading it | ||
| Listening to a classmate who disagrees | ||
| Believing a rumor from a group chat |
Quick check
Who saw how bright the quiet Thomas really was? Circle one.
- A St. Francis of Assisi
- B St. Albert the Great
- C St. Benedict of Nursia
- D St. Dominic de Guzmán
Think, pair, share
Thomas spent his life asking questions and looking for true answers. Today a phone or an AI helper can answer in seconds. How can you tell if an answer is really true?
Think: my idea before we talk
Sentence starters: “One way to check an answer is ...”“A question I still wonder about is ...”“Thomas would probably ask ...”
Pair: something my partner said
Let us pray
God of all truth, thank you for our minds.
Help us to ask good questions and to study well.
St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for us.
Amen.
My own prayer or intention:
Well done!
Thomas was canonized in 1323. His feast day is January 28, and he is the patron saint of students.
One thing I learned today:
One question I still have:
Challenge: This week, when you see something surprising online, stop and ask: Is this true? How do I know?