Teachers and Learners · Week 3 · Grades 6–8
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.
The plan and the choice
Thomas was born about blank 1 at Roccasecca, near Aquino in Italy, the youngest son of a noble family. At about age five he was sent to the great Benedictine abbey of Monte Cassino. His family hoped he would one day be its abbot, a position of honor and power.
At the University of Naples, Thomas met the blank 2. This new order of friars studied, preached and lived by begging. In 1244 he joined them.
His family was furious. His blank 3 seized him on the road and held him at home for about a year. Thomas would not give in, and they finally released him.
Thomas’s life and legacy
Write what happened at each point.
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| c. 1225 | Write your answer |
| c. 1230 | Write your answer |
| 1244 | Write your answer |
| 1245 | Write your answer |
| c. 1265 | Write your answer |
| 1273 | Write your answer |
| 1274 | Write your answer |
| 1323 | Write your answer |
Check the facts
Why did Thomas’s family oppose his joining the Dominicans? Circle one.
- A They wanted him to give up the Christian faith
- B They wanted a place of honor for him, not begging
- C They thought he was too young to leave Naples
- D They needed him to fight in the family’s army
Why is that the right answer?
The ox finds his voice
Thomas studied under St. Albert the blank 4, a Dominican scientist and thinker. Thomas was big and silent, and tradition says classmates nicknamed him the Dumb Ox. A famous story tells that Albert predicted this ox would be heard around the world.
The works of blank 5, an ancient Greek philosopher, were being translated and studied in Europe at that time. Some Christians feared them. Thomas read them closely and kept what was true.
In his blank 6 he always stated the strongest objections to his view first, then answered them. He also wrote hymns about the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Jesus, that are still sung.
How Thomas argued
How did Thomas begin each question in the Summa Theologiae? Circle one.
- A By making fun of people who disagreed
- B By quoting only writers on his side
- C By stating the strongest objections fairly
- D By refusing to mention other opinions
Why is that the right answer?
Argue like Aquinas?
Thomas stated the other side fairly and cared more about truth than about winning. Sort each online habit. Check one box for each.
| Item | Seeks the truth | Just wants to win |
|---|---|---|
| Restating someone’s point before you reply | ||
| Posting an insult instead of a reason | ||
| Reading the article, not just the headline | ||
| Sharing a clip cut to make someone look bad | ||
| Admitting it when the other person is right | ||
| Asking an AI only for points that agree with you | ||
| Checking where a quote really came from |
The straw
In 1273 Thomas stopped writing. What did he say about his work? Circle one.
- A It seemed like straw beside what he had seen
- B It held mistakes he was ashamed to have made
- C It was finished and needed nothing more added
- D It should be burned so no one could read it
Why is that the right answer?
Think, pair, share
Thomas could explain more about God than almost anyone, yet he said his words were like straw beside God. A search engine or an AI tool can give you information in seconds. What is the difference between having information and having wisdom?
Think: my idea before we talk
Sentence starters: “Information is ... but wisdom is ...”“Something a screen cannot give me is ...”“Thomas’s words about straw make me think ...”
Pair: something my partner said
Let us pray
God of truth, you are greater than all our words.
Give us minds that seek you and hearts that listen.
Help us to study honestly and to speak fairly.
St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for us.
Amen.
My own prayer or intention:
Well done!
Thomas was named a Doctor of the Church, a great teacher of the faith, in 1567. His feast day is January 28.
One thing I learned today:
One question I still have:
How could the example of St. Thomas Aquinas shape the way I live, online and offline?
Challenge: Before you disagree with someone online or in person this week, first say their point back to them fairly.