The Resurrection

Art Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Children will use soft oil pastels "chalk pastels" to create images from the story of the Resurrection as they hear the story.

One of the exciting tactile features of this style of illustrating is getting your fingers into the process to blend the pastels on the page. It's a way to express the story "with feeling" (both literally and figuratively speaking) that sticks in the brain and makes each illustration personal.

This lesson technique was inspired by the description and photos found at chalkpastels.com

Scripture Reference:

Matthew 28:1-18

See how we've split Matthew 28:1-18 into four parts at the end of this lesson. Each of these parts are to be illustrated.

You can use another Gospel's version of the resurrection story if you'd like. Just divide up the story into four parts for the students to stop and illlustrate.

Key Scripture Verses:
Matthew 28:5-6a The angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus who was nailed to the cross. He isn’t here! God has raised him to life, just as Jesus said he would.” (Contemporary English Version)

Concepts:

• God raised Jesus from the dead.
• Disciples believe that Jesus was crucified and then raised from the dead.
• We see and experience this miracle of miracles by imagining it and placing ourselves at the scene.

Leader Preparation:

• Read the scripture passage and attend the Faith Quest Leaders Workshop.
• Assemble the oil pastel crayons (also known as chalk pastels) and make a sample of one of the scenes.
• Prepare all the materials you will need for the creation process. Have the materials ready to go. There will be limited time for the creation process, so do everything you can to conserve time.
• Decide how you want to close the lesson. Prepare a prayer or use one of the group suggestions.

Materials List:

• Oil Pastels (also known as chalk pastels)
• 8” X 10” pastel paper (it's heavier than regular paper and that's important)
• Illustration of a Roman guard and the Empty Tomb
  
  

Lesson Plan

Opening:

Welcome the children and explain what they'll be doing today and what you hope that they will learn.

Demonstrate "sketching" with the oil crayons and then "smudging" with your fingertips to fill in and blend.

Demonstrate the choice of colors that can help depict the darkness and dawn of Easter morning, as well as the hope that explodes on the scene when the disciples realize that Jesus has risen! 

Listen and Draw!

Rather than read the story and then create the art, in this lesson you will read the parts of the Bible story one at a time, pausing in-between so students can begin to SKETCH OUT the scene with their oil pastels. 

See the list of verses/illustrations at the end of this lesson.

Then, after the story has been completely read, they can then come back and finish each individual drawing.

During the sketching phase, the teacher suggests some objects, characters, and layout ideas to inform their sketch. Have students sketch a keyword, such as, "the stone was rolled away" to, in effect, label their sketch.
Give students about 4 or 5 minutes of "sketching time" before asking them to set aside their sketch and grab a new sheet of paper for the next part of the story.

Reflection:

Have students share their completed illustrations. Point out some of the interesting artistic choices each student has made as you reinforce key moments and insights into the story of Jesus' Resurrection.

At this time you may pass around a stapler so that students can turn their collection into a book of their artwork. Invite them to add a COVER PAGE with a title of their own choosing.

Close with a prayer that our artwork would inspire us to remember and continue to thank God for the resurrection of Jesus and our salvation.

Jesus Has Risen
Matthew 28 (NIV)

Illustration 1:
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

Illlustration 2:
There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

Illustration 3:

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

Illustration 4:
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

A lesson from the Rotation.org Content Team based on a lesson posted by Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church in Cary, NC