How to Develop a Culture of Life in Your Home and Classroom

During January, teachers and parents often weave lessons and discussions about the dignity of the human person into their plans and activities.  This truth is important every day of the year, but remembering Martin Luther King Jr., the anniversary of Roe V. Wade, and the March for Life present us with teachable moments that are relevant today.  As I make plans for some of those important discussions in the coming weeks, I am excited to start using The Culture of Life Study Program created by the America Life League. I'm so impressed by the curriculum they have created and grateful to add this new resources to my classroom content.  Go click on over to their website to explore all the things they offer (including both print and digital lessons for purchase and many FREE instant downloads to get you started, like this set of sample lessons.).  If you'd like more info or to hear my humble opinion about some of the resources they offer, read on :).

Disclaimer: American Life League provided me with free lessons and materials in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own!  I'm happy to share this solid resource with other educators.

Across Content Areas and Grade Levels:
This program includes lessons for preschoolers through high schoolers, organized into both stand alone mini lessons as well as full units of study.  The cohesive nature of the units would allow a religious ed program, school, or family to develop continual growth of understanding about the culture of life over the education of its students.

The lessons are also supplemented with Scripture, art, hands-on models, literature, and media, providing opportunities for all types of learners to engage with the material.   They cover pro-life topics with both depth and breadth.  Many times kids (and adults) think that pro-life topics are limited to pre-born babies instead of recognizing the dignity of each and every human person.  The Culture of Life Study Program offers materials on babies, the elderly, disabilities, eugenics, diversity, marriage, euthanasia, social justice, and more.  The cross-curricular lessons are intended to tie into literature, science, art... and even foreign language classes!

All of the Units of Study and Mini Lessons are organized, complete, and thorough.  As a teacher, I love that the authors have included not only the recommended steps for an activity or lesson, but also objectives, ideas for reinforcement and evaluation, supply lists, sample discussion questions, color photos of sample student work, opening/closing prayers, etc.  They really have thought of everything related to this curriculum and have organized it into easy to follow lessons, including appendices of handouts/printables.  From the experienced to the novice, I know that any teacher, catechist, youth leader, or parent could comfortably and successfully use these lessons.

Some of the lessons are created as one time activities, like this book study, discussion, and art project about Mother Teresa.  Others are multi-day units covering more content, such as The Beauty of the Developing Human Being for 7th-8th graders.  And other materials, like the sweet Miracle of Life Coloring and Activity Book, could be used time and time again to promote pro-life conversations and formation.

Units of Study:

The Culture of Life Units of Study are setting up a sequence of lessons for the full education of a student.  The units begin with the  Life Primer in elementary, move to Life Foundations in middle school, and offer Life Lens, Life Scope, and Life Quest in high school.

Included in the Life is Precious Unit Study for K-2nd grades is the video Baby Steps, which offers 4-D Ultrasound imagery of babies 8-34 weeks.  Menu options let you watch the babies grow at each week of development, seeing them kick, wiggle, smile, and yawn.  There also is a Guided Tour feature, which gives a five minute narrated week-by-week overview of fetal development.  (You can watch the English narrated version here.)  They also send a Precious One 12 week fetal model for the students to see and touch.  I've written here before about how much I love the Touch of Life Fetal Models.  They continue to be one of my very favorite pro-life resource.

Books and Movies:

Teachers of any kind will tell you that time is at a premium.  Adding in another unit might seem impossible, but these lessons fit well within many different subject areas and even use books and movies that are often already in a classroom curriculum.  Content in the Life Primer Unit (K-2nd) includes popular picture books (like Horton Hears a Who and On the Night You Were Born) to introduce each topic.  Discussion guides are available for chapter books like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, The Giver series, and To Kill a Mockingbird, just to name a few.  There are also a whole collection of discussion guides for modern movies, teaching kids to look for culture of life themes in everything they read and watch.  There are lessons for some of my favorite movies including The Blind Side, August Rush, The King's Speech, Bella, The Magic of Ordinary Days, and It's a Wonderful Life.  Those movie discussions would lend themselves perfectly to a youth group or pro-life club.

And so much more...
The exciting thing is that the Culture of Life Studies Program is still in development.  More and more lessons will be added, creating a full K-12 scope and sequence.  I'll be keeping an eye out for the additional curriculum, especially in Life Foundations.  In the meantime, you should go check out the current materials in their store (including many FREE downloads!), the ever-growing topics and ideas on their blog, and consider making a donation to fund the next unit of study.

I hope you are feeling inspired this month (and always!) to weave culture of life conversations and lessons into your classrooms and homes.

And if you are interested, here are some of the pro-life resources I have on the blog:
Touch of Life Fetal Models & People of Integrity
Favorite Pro-Life Videos
Spiritual Adoption Prayer Coloring Page
Spiritual Adoption Bookmarks and Culture of Life Discussion Guide/Bible Study
Spiritual Adoption Update Postcards

Katie Reads {2}

Summer!  Summer is for reading! I am sooooo excited to have a bit more free time and reasons to dive in and finish the (ahem) stack of unread books that have collected through the school year.  But before I do that, I should probably post some books I've read over the last couple of months.  (And here's my last Katie Reads post.) Sorry, this list is fiction heavy, but at the end of the school year I just couldn't buckle down and wrap up the few non fiction books I'm currently in the middle of. :)

(FYI- the links for the books are Amazon Affiliate links.  That means that if you click through and purchase something, I will receive a small percentage at no cost to you.  I will gratefully use it, probably to stock up on more books! :) )

Since I would rather be reading than writing long book reviews, I'll give you a grade and a quick run down.  Totally just my opinion based on what I like to read.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on these books or suggestions of what I should read next in the comments!

While You Were Mine , Ann Howard Creeel {B} (not pictured above- read through Kindle )

• I read this book from Kindle First and it was exactly what I needed during a busy weekend- a light, simple story.  It's not deep, thought provoking literature, and that is ok.
• Synopsis- New York during WW2, main character finds herself raising her roommate's abandoned baby.  Just as she seems to have everything sorted out, the war ends and the baby's soldier father shows up. Cue drama & love story.
• After reading this, I discovered that the author also wrote  The Magic of Ordinary Days, which is one of my favorite Hallmark Gold Crown Movies (also about WW2, a baby, and a marriage of convenience, coincidentally).
• If you like the WW2 era and are looking for a light, easy read, this book is for you.

The Moment is Now, Lisa Marie Hunt {B+} (not pictured above- read through Kindle)

• I think the subtitle tells the story- Do More Than Just Survive Your Single Years, Practical Tips to Live Them for God's Glory
• I don't blog much about the struggles of singleness (whomp, whomp), but this book is worth sharing.  It was floating around on social media one day for $.99, so I thought I'd give it a try and I'm glad I did.  It's a short read that was easy to get through, but will also be great to go back and reference as needed.
• The author and I have had so many common experiences that it was uncanny.  It was good to read about the honest struggles and successes of someone else who has been there.  
• Her practical tips for for thriving are actually just good, honest guidelines for the path to holiness.
• The thing that stuck with me the most from her book was a point that I have often felt but have never articulated or read anywhere else.  She tells a story of a personal friend who struggles with infertility and how the "parallel lives" they lead allow them to support and challenge one another.  This kinship of longing between single women desiring marriage and married women desiring children can form strong bonds and intentional formation.
• If you are a single Christian woman, or not a single Christian woman, this book is for you.  Seriously, it is about how the desires of our hearts can and should point us to Christ, so it is for anyone!

Ella, Jessilyn Stewart Peaslee {A-} (not pictured above- read through Kindle)

• One great reason to teach middle school?  No excuses necessary for getting to read Young Adult Fiction. :) 
• I loved this sweet, but original Cinderella retelling.  If you enjoyed the beauty of Disney's live action Cinderella or the unlikely heroine of Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted (the book, for goodness sake, NOT the movie!), then you will love this Ella too.
• Definite Christian themes of forgiveness, truth, femininity, faithfulness, and charity that are prime for discussion with a preteen girl.
• If you (or your daughter) like fairy tale retellings and stories about virtue shining in dark circumstances, this book is for you.

Emma, Jane Austen {A+}

• I mean, it's Austen.  
• Emma is my favorite Austen book, and it had been a couple of years (during my Jane Austen Book Club days) since I had read it.
• Isn't Mr. Knightley enough of a reason to want to visit Highbury again?
• But really, it was Haley's post about being an Emma that made me want to read and hate and love the characters all over again. 
• If you are looking for a story of a flawed girl who is allowed to grow and change through the challenge and direction of someone who loves her, this book is for you.  And if you don't feel like picking up a giant book right now, at least go watch the amazing BBC miniseries version of the story.

Death Comes to Pemberley, P.D. James {A+}

• On the subject of Austen, this spin off takes the cake.  I read it several years ago and enjoyed it well enough.  Then I watched the miniseries last summer (so good!) and it helped the book come alive when I reread it this spring.  One of the few times that the "movie" actually helped me enjoy the book :)
• In this who-done-it murder mystery that picks up a few years after the end of P&P, one of my favorite parts is how the author gave insight into events from the novel (and before the novel) through different perspectives that help the characters' stories fit together in a tighter and more intricate web.
• It ties up loose ends and solves unanswered questions at the end of P&P, and even makes a few subtle connections with characters from other Austen novels.
• Again, don't feel like reading?  Go watch the BBC miniseries.  The style, casting, and costuming all fit in so well with the book.  The mini series adds in a little more drama at the conclusion compared to the book by slightly changing the timeline and characters to add suspense.  The ending of the book is more Austen, the ending of the miniseries is more entertaining to watch.
• Also an interesting observation- while the book was definitely Darcy driven, the miniseries is Elizabeth driven. 
• If you love Jane Austen or crime drama, and especially if you love Jane Austen AND crime drama, this book is for you.

All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr {A+}

• Considering that The Book Thief is one of my favorite books ever, this book has been on my reading list since it was first advertised.  
• It lived up to the hype.  WW2, dynamic, one-of-a-kind characters, rich rich symbolism, redemption...I loved it.  Gotta be honest, it was a hard read.  And it does not tie up all the loose ends in a pretty little happy bow.  But the ultimate story, which was always about the contrast of light and darkness, shows that the light wins.
• Either before or after you read (depending on if you like spoilers) watch the Word on Fire video and listen to the Fountains of Carrots episode about the book.  Love the conversation and details pulled out connected to the theme of grace.
• If you like rich, complex & interwoven stories about complex characters that point to truth in profound ways, this book is for you.

So there we go!  What have you been reading?  What should I add to my summer reading list?

Katie Reads {1}

Oh, books, how I love thee.

As a teacher, I have found that personal reading during the school year gets pushed to the wayside (unless of course we are talking about our 5th grade novels or PD books of course.)  So during summer and on breaks, I eat up books.  Spring break was a couple of weeks ago, and I'm just getting around to bringing these suggestions to you.  Maybe there will be something that looks like the perfect book for your next free weekend!

(FYI- the links for the books are Amazon Affiliate links.  That means that if you click through and purchase something, I will receive a small percentage at no cost to you.  I will gratefully use it, probably to stock up on more books! :) )

Since I would rather be reading than writing long book reviews, I'll give you a grade (once a teacher...) and a quick run down.  Totally just my opinion based on what I like to read.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on these books or suggestions of what I should read next in the comments!


The Warrior: Caleb , Francine Rivers {B+}

• Gotta admit, I'm typically skeptical (and critical) of Biblical fiction, but Tessa Afshar's In the Field of Grace changed my mind for the better
• And I love Francine River's Redeeming Love, so when I saw The Warrior (and The Priest- book one in the series) at the thrift store, I had to pick them up
• I happened to be finishing up the Book of Numbers in my Bible reading plan over break, so this novel about the life of Caleb was perfectly timed
• Loved the insight into Caleb's warrior heart and why he was chosen as one of only two men from his generation to enter the promised land
• But it almost tried to cram too many large events (covering all of the wandering in the desert and the conquest of the promised land...) into one little novella
• I'm working on reading the first book in the series about Aaron, and will keep my eye out for the other three as I'm thrift shopping
• If you would like to dive deeper into the lives of Old Testament key players through your imagination, this book is for you.

The Brontë Plot, Katherine Reay {A-}

• This was a must read for me because Reay's Dear Mr. Knightley is one of my absolute favorites
• I love Reay's flawed characters, heavy English lit references, recreated stories, and unpredictable (but yet predictable) plots
• The Brontes don't hold a super dear place in my heart, knocking this book down a little bit for me, and really, its going to take a lot to outshine Dear. Mr. Knightley
• If you like Austen & the Brontes, old stories made new, and happy endings, this book is for you.

Brooklyn, Colm Toibin {A-}

• After all the award hype, I knew I wanted to see Brooklyn (the clothes! the era! the accents! and again, the clothes!) but after discovering it was originally a book, I am under strict self-imposed guidelines to read.the.book.first.
• So I read the book first.
• And I liked it- but I am a little surprised by the hype 
• Well written? Yes.  Story that should be told? Yes.  
• However, I thought it was a tad slow, but in a kind of beautiful simplicity 
• Overall, I really enjoyed it and now definitely want to see the movie...for the clothes of course
• If you like coming-of-age tales and period pieces from the post war era, this book is for you.

A Man of the Beatitudes: Pier Giorgio Frassati, Luciana Frassati {A-}

• Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati is our CCD patron Saint for this Year of Mercy, so I ordered this book over the summer to do my research
• And it sat on my bedside table until two weeks ago
• But it was worth the wait.  Written by Pier Giorgio's own sister, it gives a unique view of his growing up, family life, desires, and hopes for the future as only his sister could tell
• I loved the snippets of notes and letters written by Pier Giorgio himself, as well as the evidence that only at the end of his life did his family truly understand who he was
• I also discovered that I apparently don't know enough about politics and social class in Italy in the 1920s, but I was able to figure out the gist at least
• If you are looking to be inspired about the combination of youth, service, and holiness, this book is for you.

If I Run ,Terri Blackstock {B-}

• This book way my biggest impulse buy on this list and also my biggest disappointment
• I have enjoyed Terri Blackstock's crime thrillers for years as easy but interesting reads
• So when I saw she had a brand new book with a seemingly different story line I was intrigued
• The first person point of view...I'm not sure I liked it or if it added to the understanding of the characters.  I think it was supposed to make it more suspenseful, but instead maybe made it more annoying
• But really, I was disappointed because I didn't know that this brand new book is the beginning of a series.  What seemed like an interesting story line stretched out way too long, introduced and solved an entirely different problem, and led the two main characters to not even meet until the last chapter of the book
• I'm annoyed enough to not even want to finish the series
• If you are patient and wait until this whole series is written and then can check it out from the library all at once, this book is for you.

Well, there you have it- what do you think?  Of the five books I read, which are you most tempted to pick up?

Linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy.  Go see what she recommends!

The Passover and The Passion- A Youth Bible Study

The Passover and The Passion

A Youth Bible Study

Happy Holy Week!

This week at school, we are diving into Holy Week, exploring the depths and meaning of each day as we prepare to celebrate Easter Sunday.

One thing that we have done was created these Resurrection Eggs as a class, learned the story behind each symbol, and read the relating scripture.  Then, each 5th grader was paired with a 2nd grader, and they told them the story of the Triduum in their own words using the objects as story telling guides.  I always am amazed at how well the kids can relate their knowledge to their younger peers.  I also love when I catch them using their "teacher voice" while answering a question or telling the other student something. :)

Another project that we are working on is preparing us for watching this movie on Holy Thursday:

Check out The Prince of Egypt: Dreamworks Studios' first animated film, gorgeous music, creative story design, pretty accurate Biblical portrayal.  It's of my favorites :)

To get ready to watch the movie, we did an in class Bible Study of the story of the Passover...and then looked at how Christ's Passion fulfills the Passover.

While reading Exodus 11-12 and discussing Moses, the plagues, the Passover, and God's plans for His people,  one of my students said "Wow, I really like this Bible thing.  We should do this more often."

Point taken.  Very often we TELL kids the story, but it is important to actually get them INTO the story.  It can be done with kids of all ages- there are lots of great age appropriate Bibles out there.

As we began our discussion, I first asked the kids what they already knew about the Passover.  This is what they brainstormed:

• The Israelites (God’s chosen people)
• Slaves in Egypt- God said let my people go
• The first born son of the Egyptians died
• Story of Moses
• Lamb sacrificed- blood on the door
• Angel of death
• 10 Plagues

We then came up with a list of questions that the kids wanted to find out:

(Many of these we answered as we read the story...and some of them are going to take some further research.  I bet you can pick those questions out of our list.)

• What was the angel of death?  Was it a certain angel?  Do we know its name?
• What if a family didn’t have a first born?  Did it kill girls too?  What about babies in the womb?
• Why a lamb?  Any random lamb?  What did they do with the lamb?  Living lamb or dead?  Could it be an older sheep instead?
• How did the people know what to do?
• What did they do with the blood?  Why were they passed over? 
• Did the blood go on both the top and the sides of the door?
• Did the plague affect the adults too?
• Weren’t the people slaves?  Where did they get the lambs then?
• Were the plagues one day after another or spread out?

We then took notes on the key facts about the Passover as we read the story in Scripture.  You could use one of the graphic organizers below as a guide.  

The next day, we reviewed the Passover, and then jumped into Holy Week.  We read Matthew 26-27 this time, looking for specific connections to the Passover that was being celebrated.  Look at what we found:

 

 

One of the kids said that they should have plugged their ears because Their.Minds.Were.Blown.

I love it.  It is awesome to find connections between the Old and New Testaments, and this is a perfect time of year to show students how Jesus is the Paschal Lamb.

I was able to do this with my 5th graders, but I think that it easy could be used to guide a discussion in a middle school classroom, or even a youth group.

Click here for a blank graphic organizer to fill in:

Click here for a version of the study with the Passover side filled in and a blank left column for the Passion connections:

 Click here for the filled in version to use as a guide:

Then watch the movie and see the connections come to life!

I took my Youth Group to see Noah, and I don't regret it.

I took my Youth Group kids to see Noah today.

It was a gamble, and I have to admit that I was a bit nervous.   I usually don’t even consider PG-13 movies for Youth Group, let alone ones surrounded by controversy, to take other peoples’ kids to.  But ever since they saw previews for this movie, they have been begging to go as a group.  I read lots of reviews, mostly ones that were cautious if not all out against the film.  I heard lots of people speak very poorly of the movie’s interpretation of Scripture, many saying that it was a complete work of fiction.  Someone told me that the only thing the movie had in common with the Bible was that there was a man named Noah and there was a big flood.

But I still wanted to see it, and I knew that most of the kids would end up seeing it with or without me, so I hoped to create a teachable moment.  As Christians, we often want to put a bubble around our children.  To protect them from all that is false, ungodly, and immoral.  However, we also live in the world.  They will live in the world without our guidance someday.  So we need to teach them to think, to look for God in all circumstances, to discern the good and choose to do it.  Going to this movie seemed like a good opportunity to show them how to do that, in a small way.  I read the Plugged in Movie Review, which gave me info to share with the parents about what their kids would see, and I also was glad to read Sr. Helena and Bonnie’s thoughts about the movie.

The kids were required (ha) to read Genesis 6-9 before coming to the movie, and each car had a list of a few questions to discuss on the drive to get them thinking.  We had fifteen people sit and enjoy the movie, completely caught up in the story, cinematography, and acting.  After the movie was over, we posed for some goofy pictures with the big Noah poster in the movie theater, and then drove across the street to get ice cream.  We probably sat and talked for a half an hour about what had happened in the movie, what we loved, what we disagreed with, and what we thought of the message overall.

Here are a few of my thoughts: (Spoilers ahead…)

•  I loved the casting.  Emma Watson stole the show, and her part in Noah’s family was one of the best “creative license” additions to the story.
•  I actually really liked the Watchers.  There, I said it.  Genesis 6:4….who knows what those “men of renown” really were?  Why couldn’t there be a part of God’s creation that was only here in those very early years?  I loved how they went from enemies to protectors and how they asked for forgiveness and received redemption. Major creative license, but overall a good message.
• Noah’s telling of the Creation story was awesome.  So vivid and it encompassed so many ideas about how creation happened.  Loved the symbolism of the light within Adam & Eve, the heart/life within the forbidden fruit, the shadowed symbols of the sin of Cain and Abel continuing through all generations.
• They went pretty easy on the whole "uncovered his father's nakedness" thing.  You're welcome, Ham.
• The costuming and sets were awesome.  CGI animals, sometimes not so much.
•  Loved the last seed from the Garden of Eden creating an oasis in the barren world to give Noah’s family supplies and shelter as they built the ark.
•  I did not like the over emphasis on the killing and eating of animals being the primary reason the descendants of Cain were evil.  Major agenda showing here- totally contrary to Biblical teaching, as well as what Noah was told by God.  Go back to the beginning after all, and Abel’s offering (of animals from his flock) was the one accepted by God.  I appreciated the message of care and concern for creation, but not the vegan/vegetarian mindset as being the only holy choice.  And God would do all that to “save the animals?” No. Plus there is no way Russell Crowe got muscles like that from only eating things growing on the forest floor. Ain't happening.
• While God’s will is rarely spoken in black and white terms to us, I didn’t like Noah’s shadowy understanding of God’s plan for him.  His story in the Bible constantly says, “Then the Lord said to Noah…”  I think Noah had a little bit better of an idea what was going on.
•  I support the creative license in the film, but I think the sorcery/magic/etc. was unnecessary.  There were enough other “unbelievable” elements that having glowing snakeskins, fire rocks, and magic pregnancy tests were not really needed to set the tone for the movie.
• Tubal-cain stowing away on the ark was dumb.  Ham didn’t need a mentor to teach him evil.  Evil was already in his heart, just like it is in every descendant of Adam and Eve.  The movie gave plenty of reason for Ham to turn away, and Tubal-cain being there was a distraction.  I could rewrite all of the scenes on the ark without him, and make them just as dramatic.
•  Let’s talk about Noah wanting to kill his granddaughters.  I don’t agree with it, because of my comments above about him knowing God’s will.  However, if in this version of the story, with abundant creative license, Noah was in the gray area of understanding the plan, I can sort of get his thoughts.  Really, I think that the only thing I can take away from it is a mirror of the story of Abraham and Isaac.  He thought he was being faithful to God's will, and God stayed his hand at the last moment.
• Tubal-cain was an awesome example of how we can take God’s Word and twist it for our own purposes.  He said over and over, “We were made in the Creator’s image and likeness.”  He got that right, and I wish Noah would have picked up on that a little bit.  However, Tubel-cain used that idea for evil and power and greed.  We can do that too easily. I would have loved for them to have portrayed a strong and righteous Noah who knew the real meaning of the dignity of being made in God’s image, and that the flood and the ark and the new start was not for the animals, but was for us, the pinnacle of the Creator’s plan.

These were some major points that we wrapped up our discussion with:
1. Our God is a God of justice AND mercy.
2. It is easy to twist God's Word for our own purposes. The line between good and evil is drawn down the heart of every man.
3. While God's creation is GOOD, mankind was made in His image and likeness, making us VERY GOOD, and valuable beyond measure.

Looking for a literal word-for-word Bible movie to show in Sunday School?  This isn’t it.

Looking for an artistic interpretation based on the story of Noah that will make you think?  I would recommend this.

What to watch it with a group of teens?  Do it, but be ready to talk about it.  If you want some ideas, feel free to use this discussion guide as a start:

Making Secular Movies Holy

I'm giving a presentation tomorrow on using technology in religious education classrooms.  One thing that I wanted to emphasize is using secular media, but making it holy.  For example, here is some info from a handout on using secular movies:

There are lots of great Christian movies out there, but we all know that they are just a small fraction of the movies available on the market.  Instead of ignoring secular cinema contributions, think about finding ways to creatively use those movies in your classroom.  You might find a great movie with an underlying Biblical theme, or one that demonstrates the opposite of a virtue you are trying to teach.  Use a whole movie with thorough discussion, or watch a carefully chosen scene just to illustrate a specific point.  When using a scene, possibilities are endless, giving you the option to even show movies you would not normally use with your particular audience.  Below is a quick list of a few secular movie ideas with topics/themes that they could illustrate.  Keep in mind that these movies are not appropriate for all ages, and the movies as a whole might not exemplify Catholic values.  Be creative in finding ways to incorporate media into your lessons, helping kids to open their eyes to finding God in everything around them.

I like to do things like this, especially with my youth group.  Let's be honest- there just aren't enough good Christian movies out there.  Plus, kids are not watching just Christian movies, so let's teach them to find Christ (or un-Christ-like examples) in the media around them.

The latest example I used with kids was August Rush.  

Christ is "nowhere" to be found in this movie, but it is full of virtue and teachable moments.  After watching the whole movie, discussions could be had on choosing life, adoption, family, making decisions, God having a plan, and good things coming from bad.  Or, a scene or two could be used to illustrate one of those points.

Here is a sheet with a few examples to get you thinking about how to use movies to teach about the faith: