Get Real! Catechizing with Pinocchio

Home , Geppetto, Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio, Pinocchio (Fables), Pinocchio (play), The Coachman

Prepared by James Bitting

Lesson Overview Lesson Details

By way of various analogies pulled from the Subject area(s): English, Film, Religion, Core Pinocchio movie, students will come to a better USCCB Curriculum, Life in Jesus Christ, understanding of God’s love and His plan for his Responding to the Call of Jesus Christ , Moral adopted sons and daughters. They will better Theology appreciate the gift of conscience and the freedom that increases when we follow God’s Grade Level: High School, Middle School, instruction. The nature of sin and its effects will Elementary also be addressed as well as the value of sacrifice and the new life that arises from laying Resource Type: Close Reading/Reflection, down our lives for the sake of those we love. Discussion Guide, PowerPoint Presentation

A power point, a list of doctrines, and options for Special Learners activities are included with this lesson. This resource was developed with the following Lesson Materials special learners in mind:

Additional materials for this lesson can be Traditional Classroom accessed at Homeschooled Students https://sophiainstituteforteachers.org/curriculum/l Classical Education esson/get-real. Materials include: Gifted Learners

Pinocchio_Power_Point Pinocchio_PowerPoint_With_Notes

Pinocchio Lesson by James J. Bitting Jr. M.A.

The 1940 Disney Movie Pinocchio can be used to illustrate the following doctrines:

Biblical Inspiration/Holy Spirit/Bible

-Pinocchio receives a written message via a dove. The contents of the message indicate where Geppetto (Pinocchio’s Creator/Father) can be found and that the journey Pinocchio must undertake to be reunited with Geppetto is a dangerous one that could cost him his life.

Conscience/Freedom

-Jiminy Cricket personifies Pinocchio’s conscience. Jiminy receives a high calling from a supernatural source (the Blue Fairy). The Blue Fairy instructs Jiminy on his role as Pinocchio’s conscience. He is the keeper of the knowledge of right and wrong. He echoes Geppetto’s instructions to Pinocchio. He points out temptation (Honest John) and tells Pinocchio to turn away from evil and do the good. Following Jiminy leads to Pinocchio encountering the written message from the dove. Pinocchio also enjoys the freedom to pursue his father once he follows Jiminy. Jiminy tells Pinocchio to tell the Blue Fairy the truth and once Pinocchio does what his conscience told him to do and he expresses true contrition he his set free from prison by the power of the Blue Fairy.

Evil exists in different forms and degrees (embracing one type of evil often leads to other greater evils)

-Honest John is a “street level” con-artist

-Stromboli is willing to kidnap a “child” for the profit of his business

- Lampwick instructs and encourages sinful behavior

-The Coachman is leading a human/donkey trafficking ring

-Monstro (the Whale) is pure rage

God as Creator/Father/Provider

- Illustrated through Geppetto’s character. He is the “creator” of time (clock maker), keeper of animals (cat, fish), He is an artist/craftsman, he desires Pinocchio to be a real boy, educates Pinocchio and sends him to school, he desires union with Pinocchio and searches from him when he is lost, he cooks a great meal for Pinocchio.

The Love of God

-Geppetto’s desire for the real good of Pinocchio and his constant searching for Pinocchio (seeking the

- God’s desire for us to be “Real” boys and girls i.e. be who He made us to be

-Geppetto desires that Pinocchio be real like himself. He wishes in a prayer-like manner that Pinocchio become a real boy.

Grace (typically manifested through the actions of the Blue Fairy)

-Grace and true contrition are necessary for us to be set free from the slavery of sin

-Grace is necessary for us to become “Real” i.e. the beings God created us to be

-Grace raises Pinocchio from the dead after he lays his life down to be reunited to his father.

Prayer

-On his knees with hands folded, Geppetto wishes that Pinocchio be a real boy

-The Blue Fairy responds to Geppetto’s wish/prayer

-In order for Geppetto’s desire to be realized Pinocchio must cooperate with the gifts (grace) he has received by choosing to be “brave, truthful, and unselfish”

-Pinocchio cries out “Father…Father” while he is on his way to find Geppetto.

Resurrection

-Because He is brave, truthful and unselfish and he lays down his life for his father, Pinocchio is resurrected to new life and becomes a real boy by the supernatural power of the Blue Fairy. Pinocchio celebrates with his Father, the animals, and his father’s creations with music and dancing. Jiminy receives a medal of honor i.e. he is rewarded and raised up for a job well done.

Sacrifice

-Geppetto searches for Pinocchio in the midst of a storm. He tells the cat and fish that they will not eat a bite until they have Pinocchio home safe. Geppetto ends up in the belly of a whale (essentially laid down his life to find Pinocchio)

-While in the belly of the whale, Pinocchio is willing to sacrifice their worldly possessions (furniture, boat, newly caught fish) in order to be freed from Monstro’s belly. This scene could be likened to a burnt offering of sorts.

The author of this lesson shared it with other educators within the Sophia Institute for Teachers Catholic Curriculum Exchange. Find more resources and share your own at https://www.SophiaInstituteforTeachers.org. -Pinocchio searches for Geppetto in the sea despite having to risk encountering the ferocious whale Monstro. Pinocchio risks his life and even loses his life while trying to save his father. Just prior to Pinocchio’s death, he is riding on a raft trying to escape the evil Monstro with Geppetto notice that the mast on the raft is in the shape of a cross.

Sin/Confession

-Disobeying his father’s instructions and not following his conscience lands Pinocchio in the prison of Stromboli’s cage. He became Stromboli’s slave (See Jn 8:34). He is unable to get himself out of the cage. His conscience (Jiminy) is also unable to get him out of the cage. He needs super natural assistance to be set free but he must also be truly contrite. He must tell the Blue Fairy the truth about what he did and express his true contrition then the Blue Fairy sets him free.

Lesson Objective:

-By way of various analogies pulled from the Pinocchio movie, students will come to a better understanding of God’s love and His plan for his adopted sons and daughters. They will better appreciate the gift of conscience and the freedom that increases when we follow God’s instruction. The nature of sin and its effects will also be addressed as well as the value of sacrifice and the new life that arises from laying down our lives for the sake of those we love.

Intended Audience:

-The Lesson can be adapted for use with elementary students on through high school students.

Duration of Lesson:

-If the entire movie is shown you will need 90 minutes for the movie and about 90 minutes for the power point, explanation, and activities. This can be reduced if you select clips from the movie to illustrate certain doctrines.

Materials:

-DVD of Disney’s Pinocchio 1940

-Power Point Presentation

-Catholic Bible

-Catechism of the Catholic Church

Opening Prayer/Environment, Warm Up, Activity, Wrap up

The author of this lesson shared it with other educators within the Sophia Institute for Teachers Catholic Curriculum Exchange. Find more resources and share your own at https://www.SophiaInstituteforTeachers.org. *Note – Warm up, Activities, and Wrap up will vary depending on the doctrines covered in class using the Pinocchio movie and presentation. All of the doctrines mentioned above could be covered or a selection could be made and clips from the movie shown.

-Opening Prayer:

-Lead students in an opening prayer. Call on the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Read a short passage from Scripture, Church Teaching, or Saint (pertaining to the lesson).

Source Options:

-CCC 1 (we were created to become members of God’s family and share in His life)

-Ephesians 1:3-10 (God’s plan for man to be holy in Christ)

-Luke 15:4-7 (the Lost Sheep), Luke 15:11-32 (The Prodigal Son)

-"You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you."- St. Augustine of Hippo Confessions

-“He who made you knows also what he wants to do with you” –St. Augustine

Warm Up:

-Read CCC 1 - Identify the reason and purpose for our existence. How can our destiny be achieved? How can we become the human beings God created us to be? The words and actions of Geppetto are the words and actions of a loving father. The echo of these words is found in the character of Jiminy Cricket. “Conscience is man’s most secret core, and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths” (Gaudium et Spes 16). By embracing this “voice”, this Word of God we are embracing Christ. Union with the Way, Truth, and Life is analogously depicted when Pinocchio follows the voice of his father and his conscience. It leads to his freedom and life. When he turns away from his father’s instructions and the echo from his conscience he loses freedom and becomes more beast-like and less like a real boy. So embracing the Word of God leads to us becoming “Real” boys and girls with freedom and life, while rejecting the Word of God leads to slavery and a base, beast-like way of life.

Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin” (Jn 8:34).

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live” (Jn 11:25)

-Watch the Pinocchio movie with the students (or show a selection of clips pertaining to the doctrines you are covering)

-Go over the power point with the students. I recommend making a set of fill-in-the-blank notes for

Activity: * The Teacher/Catechist should rely on the Catechism of The Catholic Church for his/her understanding of the doctrines explicated with the help of the Pinocchio analogy.

Option 1 – Cause and Effect: Have students identify three good effects and three bad effects in the movie and then identify and match the causes for each of the three good effects and the three bad effects. This can be done as a discussion with the whole class, or within small groups, or in writing as individual students. E.g. Three bad effects would be Pinocchio ends up locked in Stromboli’s cage, He ends up in bad company with Lampwick who is a bad influence, and he starts to turn into a Jackass on Pleasure Island.

Option 2 – Have students write the words “Brave, Truthful, & Unselfish” on the left hand column of a piece of paper with 5-7 lines in between the words. On the reverse side or on another sheet of paper they should write “Cowardice, Untruthful, & Selfish”. Have the students either as individuals or in small groups identify and write down two instances in the movie when Pinocchio is Brave, Truthful, Unselfish as well as when he acts like a Coward, is Untruthful, and is Selfish. Two instances in which Pinocchio is brave, two when he is truthful, two when he is unselfish…etc.

Option 3 – For Older Students the teacher could help them to see the relationship between God, Grace, Conscience, and Free Will in the human person’s growth in holiness i.e. in becoming “Real”. This could be discussed in class and then an essay could be assigned. Prompts such as “Explain the role and limits of God, Grace, Conscience, Free Will, and Man in the achievement of an individual’s Holiness” could be used.

Wrap Up:

Option 1 – lead students through an examination of conscience in preparation for the sacrament of Reconciliation. Teach students how to do an examination of conscience of conscience on their own. Another option would be to teach them how to do a brief examination each night before bed. Equip them with practical ways to do this. Create or use memory helps so they remember to take action at home (e.g. a reminder bracelet, key chain, shoe lace bead, cell phone alert or app…etc.). After a few days ask them how they are doing with the practice at home.

Option 2 – Have students identify areas in their life when bravery, honesty, generosity are challenged. Assist them in creating a two-fold action plan: Actions to prepare for a challenge and Actions to deal with a challenge when it confronts them. Emphasis should be on turning to God for strength, refuge and protection. Sources and inspiration for the action plan should come from Sacred Scripture, the Liturgy, the Teachings of the Church and examples from live of the Saints. Talk about how Jesus prepares for trials and what He does in the midst of trials. E.g. Retreat to a quiet place, Be docile to the Holy Spirit, Pray, Fast, rely on the Word of God in the midst of battle (see Mt 4:1-11)

Concluding Prayer

-Lead students in a prayer of thanksgiving to God, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit for the gifts of our lives, our conscience, the grace He provides to us through the Church, and the gift of freedom to love

The author of this lesson shared it with other educators within the Sophia Institute for Teachers Catholic Curriculum Exchange. Find more resources and share your own at https://www.SophiaInstituteforTeachers.org. Him as he loves us which flows from the Sacrifice of Christ. Together Pray an Our Father and a Glory Be …