Trivia game tests kids on Catholic facts
St. Peter School students had fun Tuesday morning showing off what they know about the Catholic faith.
In a special version of "The Great American Challenge," which tests knowledge of U.S. history and worldwide geography, students at the Geneva school were also asked about the Bible, Catholic doctrine and Catholic practices.
With their classmates loudly cheering them on in the gym, students did their best to come up with the right answers and buzz in fast.
Younger kids were asked easier questions, such as, "What do we celebrate on Christmas, our birthday or Jesus' birthday?" and, "What word comes after 'Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy …'?"
The children met in two assemblies, one for kindergarten through fourth grades and another for fifth through eighth grades.
Teachers were also tested at the end of each assembly.
The "Great American Challenge" is conducted by Linda Slein and Jessica Harrigan of Chicago, who own the game. They expect to do 16 of these Catholic versions this week.
Each team member got to answer a multiple-choice or true-false question. If they were right, the whole team got a follow-up question.
The faith questions were mixed in with social studies and geography questions.
"For Catholics, what is meant when we pray for our 'daily bread?'"
"Who took care of Jesus when he was a little boy?"
"Which sacrament can you receive more than once in a lifetime, baptism or the eucharist?"
A tough one for the teachers: In 1999, what popular singer loaned his wraparound sunglasses to Pope John Paul II for a photo opportunity? (It was Bono of U2)
"We asked a lot of tough questions this morning," Slein said. One of the toughest? Name the seven sacraments, which a seventh-grade team did with as much ease as they did when were asked to name the Great Lakes.
They pulled the questions from the Catholic school curriculum. Adding the Catholic spin was done at the suggestion of Slein's husband, who, ironically, is Jewish, as the duo got a lot of requests for "The Great American Challenge" for Catholic Schools Week.
The students are celebrating in other ways. Tuesday, they got to wear red clothing instead of their usual school uniforms. Monday, they made a "living rosary," with students representing each of the beads.
Today, they have a roller-skating party and a service project, collecting new winter hats and gloves for needy students at other Catholic schools. Thursday, the students will see a demonstration by the Marmion Academy Flannigan Rifles drill team and donate soup to the church's food pantry. Friday, there's a teacher appreciation luncheon, open house and a Mardi Gras family dinner.