Family Unit Study The Papacy

Family Unit Study: The Papacy

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The Papacy is one of the foundational aspects of Catholicism and can be the perfect vehicle for exploring so many other important parts of the Faith. I knew that I wanted to capitalize on the excitement of Pope Leo’s recent appointment this school year within our homeschool curriculum, which, of course, meant that I created a family unit study on the Papacy. 

Why a Family Unit Study? 

One of the most beautiful things about homeschooling is the intermingling of all of the ages of kids. Here at Cousin School we have 10 kids ranging from 2 years old all the way up to 11, and though I don’t teach them all the same lessons, I do like to teach the same topic as much as possible to build common ground. A family unit study is a great way to do that. 

What’s a Family Unit Study? 

A family unit study is exactly like it sounds. It means that I’ve pulled together resources and created lesson plans that allow all of our kids, from the toddlers to the middle schoolers, to learn about the same topic. 

As a note: this method and format also allows for use within a school setting or co-op, so while I’ll be talking about this in the context of homeschool, the principles are the same and the lessons are easily adapted. 

How to use this Unit Study 

To put it simply, you can use this however you like. I’ll offer some suggestions with every section and have broken the lessons up into age groups, but you should never feel like you have to use everything or use it in a particular way. 

This unit study uses several spine books (books that the lessons are built around): 

They’re all great additions to any Catholic library, and well worth either purchasing or requesting that your local library purchase. 

Papacy Unit Study: Little Kid Edition

For my younger crew, I wrote a storytime rubric that uses 3 fantastic books. The storytime has songs, rhymes, and activities, with everything you need to make it happen. 

Ideas for making it happen: 

  • Invite friends over and host a storytime. Follow the rubric for a morning’s worth of toddler and preschooler fun. 
  • Separate the books out and complete the pieces of the storytime over the course of a week (or weeks) as part of your daily school. 

With a multi-age group: I always invite my elementary kids to participate in read-alouds since they still very much enjoy them. My eldest daughter especially loves what we call “Toddler Time,” which is when the bigger kids help keep the little kids occupied so that I can work with the middle kids, so she will jump at the chance to read aloud and sing songs. 

Papacy Unit Study: Elementary Students 

For the elementary set, there are so many topics that you can explore.  

I love using Katherine Bogner’s book, We Have a Pope, to explain the conclave process. It’s a great elementary read-aloud, and pairs beautifully with OSV Kids Discover: The Pope. Katherine and Kortnee Senn, the book’s illustrator, have created a whole slew of free resources you’ll want to explore. 

Bonus: The resources on the Swiss Guards can be paired well with the Too-Tall Swiss Guard read aloud.

I’ve created many lesson plans to go alongside OSV Kids Discover: The Pope. These are my elementary kids’ favorites: 

  • Create Your Own Ring of the Fisherman: This is a great jumping-off point for discussing the role of the Pope within the Church and the symbolism found in the ring. (Bonus: there are some fantastic photos and even video of Pope Leo tearing up when receiving his.)
  • Design Your Own Popemobile: This one was a huge hit and a great opening lesson for discussing papal travel. (This instagram post has more ideas on studying the Pope’s trip to Turkey this month.)
  • Comprehension Questions: Reading for information is a skill that all kids need. Personally, I like to work on this with subjects that aren’t language arts (it keeps reading enjoyable for them). This set of comprehension questions is one of the ways that my older elementary students are working on this. 

Papacy Unit Study: Middle Schoolers 

Obviously, depending on the age, interest, and ability of the middle schoolers you’re teaching, some of the elementary lessons will work well. But, if you have students who are ready for more in-depth and independent projects, here are the ones I’ve created: 

Bonus: Catholic Paper Goods has a set of coloring pages, prayer cards, and worksheets that include specific Popes. They aren’t free, but they are reasonably priced and awesome. If you have a kid who doesn’t want to draw the Pope they’re researching, this is a great option.

To Wrap Up 

Once again, I want to reiterate that you should feel free to use any parts of this unit study in ways that work for you and your family (or students). Enjoy learning about the Papacy! And please, if you do use this and post photos, tag me in them. I’d love to see your kids learning! 

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