The Lent Unit Study is listed below. Twelve days of readings or activity to help you and your homeschoolers learn about the church season of Lent.
This unit study is formatted this way to make clicking on live links easier.
what is Lent?
Lent is the church season between Epiphany and Easter. Lent is 40 days and begins on Ash Wednesday. Lent is commonly understood to be a time of repentance and preparation for Christ’s death and resurrection.
Many people keep Lent by sacrificing a worldly pleasure (like candy or television) in exchange for times of prayer and repentance.
While this practice is not necessary, many find it to bring more reverence and piety to the season.
As always, this unit study is written with the hope that your family is attending weekly Divine Services, receiving the Sacraments, and attending mid-week Lenten services.
There are 12 lessons to this unit study, and may be added into your homeschool in whatever way best fits your schedule.
lent unit study
Lent Lessons 1 & 2: Understanding Lent & Ash Wednesday
The first two lessons of the Lent unit study are to learn about Lent & Ash Wednesday and (ideally) attend an Ash Wednesday Divine Service where you will receive ashes on your forehead.
Before you begin your lessons, download this Lenten countdown calendar. This is a great way for young children to track the 40 days of Lent. (This is a resource from a Catholic site, please use discretion, but I have found this calendar to be a good resource in the past.)
Click here to download the Lenten Countdown Calendar
Lesson 1: Read this article that explains about Lent, Ash Wednesday, and the practice of receiving ashes on our foreheads. Discuss as a family.
Click here for the article about Lent & Ash Wednesday
Lesson 2: Attend an Ash Wednesday Divine Service as a family.
If you are unable to do this, read through this Ash Wednesday sermon and discuss as a family. Parents with younger children may consider reading there sermon first and summarizing for their children.
Click here to access the Ash Wednesday sermon
Lent Lessons 3 & 4
At the beginning of each lesson be sure to reference your Lenten countdown calendar to mark off days and identify what important days might be coming up next.
Lesson 3 -Read aloud the writing on keeping Lent from The Lutheran Witness and discuss as a family.
Click here to access the writing
Lesson 4– Below is a fantastic resource from the LCMS church, it is a PDF file of a short hymn study on some Lent hymns. Choose one hymn to learn about and sing as a family.
Keep this link handy, you will need it again.
Click here for Hymn Studies – Lent – One Year Lectionary
Click here for Hymn Studies – Lent – Three Year Lectionary
Lent Lessons 5 & 6
**Don’t forget to check in with your Lenten countdown calendar**
Lesson 5 – Choose a second Lent hymn to learn about (using the article linked under lesson 3 & 4) and sing aloud as a family – you can often find recordings of music on YouTube to sing along with
Lesson 6– Choose one of two Lent hymns you have studies to memorize as a family.
You may choose to memorize the entire hymn or just one verse. You may choose to simply recite the hymn or sing it.
If you are musically inclined as a family this is a great opportunity for everyone to come together and show off their talents (you will “present” your hymn in lesson 12).
Otherwise, students may simply recite one or two verses from the hymn (this is how we do it in our home.)
Older students might choose to study and present an additional hymn from the hymn study. Younger students might just present one or two facts and sing the hymn.
It is up to each family to decide how much your students should present.
Be sure to schedule time to practice at the beginning of each lesson.
Lent Lessons 7 & 8
**be sure to spend a few minutes at the beginning of each lesson rehearsing your hymn that will be presented in lesson 12, as well as checking in with your Lenten countdown calendar**
For lessons 7 & 8 as well as lessons 9 & 10 you and your students will complete a picture study.
For this unit study we have provided several options and you may choose the one that best fits your family’s needs.
Picture Study: Choose One (click here to access the paintings)
Your picture study may be as simple or as in-depth as you like.
We suggest showing your students the piece (preferably printed, but on the screen is okay too) and allow them a few minutes to observe the art work without asking questions or prompting.
After 3-4 minutes of observation you may discuss the painting. You might also consider reading the history of the painting aloud.
After careful observation and discussion, ask students to create their own version of the picture you studied.
Allow students to choose a medium they prefer (drawing, water color, etc.). Students may create a replica or they may create their own interpretation.
Allow students to create at their own comfort level. Display finished pieces for the remaining Lent season.
***note – it is recommend to only observe & discuss the first day; on the second day students may observe the piece of art again and then begin their own creations***
Click here for the link to the paintings for Lent
Lent Lessons 9 & 10
**be sure to spend a few minutes at the beginning of each lesson rehearsing your hymn that will be presented in lesson 12, as well as checking in iwht your Lenten countdown calendar**
Picture study: The Flagellation of Our Lord Jesus Christ by William-Adolphe Bougeureau
There are two other works of art featured on this webpage, “The Flagellation of Our Lord” is the second one – you may choose to study an alternate piece if you wish.
Use the same method for picture study as detailed in lessons 7 & 8.
You might also consider taking some time to compare and contrast the two paintings you have studied.
Click here for the painting “The Flagellation of our Lord Jesus Christ”
Lent Lessons 11 & 12
Lesson 11– Spend time in a final “rehearsal” for your hymn study presentation during lesson 12. This is also a great “flex day” where students may catch up on any work missed.
Lesson 12– Gather together and present your hymns. You may sing or recite, share as much or as little about your hymn as you prefer.
In our home, we rehearse one last time during the day and the put on a performance for Dad when he gets home from work.
It’s quite simple and only takes a few minutes, but the boys love to show off their learning and my husband always enjoys seeing what his boys work on during the day.
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