Clay Jars (Dead Sea Scrolls) Art

We spent 9 weeks during a summer on a Rotation to learn about the Bible's structure, books, etc.  We did several activities (we had 3 Art sessions during the 9 week period).

Art Session 1- Make Paper

We talked about how the Bible was originally written, on papyrus, parchment, codex, etc. We made our own paper then wrote our Bible verse using soot ink and sharpened sticks.

First the children made paper (the lesson tie-in was how the Bible was first written on various materials such as papyrus, and parchment -- we found scriptures that talked about papyrus, parchment and scrolls that they looked up).

Then they turned the paper into scrolls. They wrote their memory verse on the paper scroll using "soot ink" and a sharpened stick, much as biblical people might have. We also provided clay pots that the children could break up into small pieces (pot shards) and write on.

Art Session 2- Create Small Clay Jars

We told the story of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the children created small clay jars to hold their small scrolls.

Art Session 3 - Glazing a Large Ceramic for church

During the last session, the children glazed and painted a very large ceramic jar to house the giant scroll made in the computer workshop.

We glazed a very large pottery jar and wrote on it in Greek lettering (again our Bible verse) -- Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet . . . (The tie in here is the story of the Dead Sea Scrolls and how the ancient scrolls were almost identical to more recent translations -- lending credibility to the Bible's being truly the "inspired Word of God.")

We also sang that song, along with books of the Bible songs.

Computer Session

We make a giant scroll that tells the "One Big Story" of the Bible (using key characters and stories of the Bible, with added facts and illustrations).

Games Session

We are also doing the small wooden block Bible books - put in the correct order, in our games workshop. See what other games they played, it's under the games workshop.

This has been the most ambitious Rotation we've done -- all because I didn't want to "waste a story" during the summer when attendance typically is so low. (I wasn't sure how our first WoRM summer would be attendance-wise, but so far, our attendance was almost double what it was last summer.)

Volunteer Moderator notes: you may wish to visit 3 sessions of Jaymie's Bible overview lessons done with children/families on another summer; not the art lessons described above, but others in this series.