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David and Goliath

Games Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

The children will review the story of David and Goliath by playing a game that involves throwing a sock sling at a cardboard Goliath and answering questions about the Bible story.

Scripture Reference: 1 Samuel 17: 1-58

Memory Verse: 2 Samuel 11:2b-3 (NLT)

Objectives for rotation (see listing above)

Additional objectives for Games workshop
At the end of the session, the students will

understand they should seek success in ways that serve God.

Teacher preparation in advance:

Read the scripture passages and lesson plan and attend the Bible Study, ....
Prepare a closing prayer.
Learn the memory verse.
Prepare the story summary so you can tell it with a minimal amount of reading.
Gather any props you plan to use for the story summary.
Photocopy the scripture passage page attached to this lesson and cut it apart for Bible Time with the older children.
Prepare stones for memory verse activity (use a Sharpie marker to write on them).

Room set-up:
Set up the cardboard Goliath at one end of the room or outside if the weather is suitable.

Supply List:

Bibles
Pencils/Markers
Photocopy of scripture passage without verse numbers
Sock slings (see attached instructions) or bean bags
Cardboard box “Goliath”
Smooth river stones for memory verse activity
Journal sheets with “What is something….” printed on it
Stickers/Pebbles (Optional)
Extra activity sheets for Shepherd Time

Presentation

Opening-Welcome and Introductions:
Greet the children and introduce yourself. Wear your name-tag. (Remember, you are interacting with a different group of students each week who may not know you.) Make sure the children are wearing name-tags. If not, ask the Shepherd to supply a temporary badge.

We had an opening prayer during the gathering time, but you may open with prayer if you feel led to do so.

Explain the purpose of this workshop. Use kid friendly words to give a brief overview of what the children are going to learn and do.

Scripture/Bible Story:
Have the children locate the story passage in their Bibles. Review the organization of the Bible: The Bible is divided into two big parts, the Old and New Testaments. Each part is a collection of books. Each book is divided into chapters and verses. Have them figure out whether I Samuel is in the Old or New Testament. (Happened before Jesus so it’s in Old Testament.)

Show them that if they open their Bible in the middle, they will usually land in the book of Psalms in the OT. Point out that the book name is at the top of each page. Tell them that I Samuel comes before Psalms, then let them flip through the first half of the Bible for it. After they’ve found I Samuel, help them find chapter 17 and tell them this is where the story of David and Goliath is told in the Bible. Some of the children may confuse chapters and verses. Show them that chapter numbers are the big ones, and also are at the top of every page (in most editions).

For K-1st grade class and possibly 2nd-3rd grade class:
Review the story, using the summary attached as a guide. When summarizing a story, it is important that you have your Bible in front of you to reinforce the fact that you are telling a story from the Bible. If you need notes or prompts for reviewing the story, put note cards in your Bible. Using simple props is a great way to enhance the telling of the story. Remind children to pay close attention to the details because they will need to remember them for the game. Unless this is the first Sunday of the rotation, let the children help you tell the story. This will give you an idea of how much they already know. To review the story in later weeks, begin the story and let volunteers add one line to the story until it is complete. Help them tell the COMPLETE story.

For 4th – 5th grade class and possibly 2nd – 3rd grade class:
Review the story following the suggestions for the younger children. To review the story in later weeks, photocopy the passage (remove verse numbers), cut it up and pass out sections. See if they can put it back together correctly.

Dig- Main Content and Reflection:

Application:
Divide the class into two teams. Place the cardboard box “Goliath” at one end of the room (if it is a nice day outside you may want to do this activity outside.). Let the children take turns being “David” and throwing sock slings at Goliath’s head. If “David” hits Goliath, his team gets to answer a question. Allow them to use their Bibles to look for the answers. If “David” misses Goliath, the other team gets to answer. Use the questions at the end of the lesson plan, and feel free to add some of your own.

If the class is small, you can give each child five tries (since David had five stones). If it’s a big group, limit each turn to two or three tries. Don’t bother to keep score, just keep the game moving. Let the team answer as a group. If they miss a question, let the other team try to answer. Make sure everybody gets a turn.

Grades K-2: Position Goliath where he is fairly easy for the children to hit. When you ask a question, offer a choice of answers.

Grades 3-5: Position Goliath where he is a little bit challenging to hit. If it still seems too easy, you might have the kids try swinging the sling around their head (more or less David-like) before releasing. When you ask a question, don’t offer the multiple choices unless the team needs them.

Pulling it all together (closing discussion):
Discuss: When David heard Goliath’s challenge, do you remember what he said? He asked the soldiers, “What will a man get for killing this Philistine and stopping him from insulting our people? Who does he think he is? He is making fun of the army of the living God.”

I wonder why he asked what the reward would be for killing Goliath?

I wonder if he wanted to know what was in it for him?

Give the children a chance to tell any thoughts they might have on that question, then tell them:
We don’t really know everything that was going on in David’s mind, but we do know that when the story ends, there is no mention of David collecting the reward.

So let’s think of other reasons David had for fighting Goliath. Remember when he asked the soldiers about the reward, he also said, “Who does he think he is? He is making fun of the army of the living God.” And then when he was talking to Saul, he said Goliath should not have made fun of the army of the living God. Then when he went out to meet Goliath, he said, “You have insulted the God of Israel. The Lord will help me beat you, and the whole world will know that Israel’s God is real.”
So I wonder why David thought it was important for somebody to fight Goliath? [Because when Goliath insulted God’ people, he was insulting God. David wasn’t just trying to win a reward for himself, he was trying to serve God]

If we want to be like David, we should not seek success for ourselves, we should seek success in ways that serve God. I wonder how we can do that?

Review the memory verse.
Write the words of the verse on smooth stones. Make several of sets of stones. Divide the class into groups of 3 or 4 and give each group a set of stones and challenge them to put the stones into the correct order.

At 11:50 a.m. ask the Shepherd to pass out the journal pages and pencils/markers.

Shepherd Time:
Pass out the journal pages (attached to this lesson) and pencils/markers. Optional: Give the children a sticker or some memento (maybe a pebble) to paste in their journal as a reminder of the workshop.

Read the questions on the journal page to the children: “What is something you are good at? How can you use your skill to serve God?” If necessary, help them think of an answer: If they are good at sports, they can serve God by playing fair, encouraging and helping other kids, being a good sport instead of just trying to win. If they are good at reading, they can read to younger kids, help friends who struggle with reading, read their Bibles to learn more about God.

This is meant to be a time of reflection and introspection. Writing about faith helps clarify lessons. Children may draw pictures, list highlights of the day’s activities, rephrase the memory verse, or respond to the question. The journal pages will be saved and given to the children at the end of the school year.

You may want to provide an extra activity or worksheet for children who finish their journals quickly, such as coloring sheets, crossword puzzles, word searches, games. See the Workshop Leader’s Background Notes and rotation.org for ideas.

At noon, ask the students to turn in their journal pages and sit quietly for prayer.

Closing:

Ask God to help the children to use their skills to serve God and to rely on God when they are facing challenges.

Tidy and Dismissal: Ask children to help tidy the room. Give any specific instructions for clearing the workshop room.
Give everyone the parent take-home flyer the first week of the rotation; give it only to children who were absent and have not yet received it the other weeks of the rotation.

Additional Suggestions:
You will need to decide how best to adjust the lesson for older and younger students. Keep the children active and involved in activity. Do what works for you and the children. In addition to the suggestions in the lesson plan,

For classes composed primarily of pre-readers, show the children how to find the passage in the Bible and then have them do it. After everyone has found the passage, have them close their Bibles and listen while you read.
Focus only on the first half of the memory verse.

Resources:.

David and Goliath lesson set. Kirk of Kildaire Church. http://www.kirkofkildaire.org/...;GAntiochArcade.html
Heyward, Will. “David and Goliath.” Smyrna Presbyterian Church. Waynesboro, VA. 2002.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

To Make a sock sling with old panty hose

(from Heyward, Will. “David and Goliath.” Smyrna Presbyterian Church. Waynesboro, VA. 2002.):

Take one hose and tie a knot on the toe end.
Take a handfull of other hose and stuff them in the open end (the thigh end) down to the toe.
Push the hose in tight and form a ball at the toe end.
Tie a knot in the hose just on the other side of the hose that has been pushed down into the toe
Now comes the fun part. Stick your hand down the thigh end of the hose all the way down to the hose knotted at the toe end.
Grab hold of the ball of hose at the toe end with this same hand.
With your free hand, pull the thigh end of the hose off your arm and over the hose tied in a ball at the toe end.
Knot the hose (again) close to the toe end. You have just added another layer or “skin” to the ball of the sock rocket.
Repeat #5 – 8 as many as five to ten times. Remember to tie a tight knot in the hose as close to the balled up hose as you can.
This sock sling can be used by swinging the thigh end of the hose and aiming it at “Goliath”.

Waste hose are available from Sara Lee Hosiery. They will ship you a box of white waste hose (The toes are not sown in them). There are about 240 hose in a box. They charge ten dollars to cover shipping and handling. Make your check payable to Sara Lee Hosiery and mail it to:

Sara Lee Hosiery
Waste Work Program
P.O. Box 719, Highway 576
Marian, S.C. 29571

David and Goliath

Story Summary

Some people called Philistines were enemies of the Israelites. The Philistines got ready for war and set up camp on a hill near a town that they planned to attack. King Saul and the Israelite army set up camp on another hill. There was a valley between the hills where the armies were camped.

The Philistines had a soldier named Goliath who was over 9 feet tall. [Show the kids how tall nine feet is but don’t make a big deal of it. You might mention that some manuscripts say he was only 7 feet tall – still quite large for his day.] He wore a bronze helmet and had bronze armor covering his chest and legs. He had a bronze sword strapped to his back, and carried a spear. He was so strong, the armor on his chest weighed 125 pounds, and his spearhead weighed more than 15 pounds. A soldier always walked in front of Goliath to carry his shield. (How would you like to be that guy?)

Goliath stood and shouted across the valley to the Israelites, “Why are you lining up for battle? I’m the best soldier in our army. Choose your best soldier to come out and fight me! If he can kill me, our people will be your slaves. But if I kill him, your people will be our slaves.”

For forty days, Goliath came out every morning and gave this challenge. Saul and his soldiers were so scared of him that they didn’t do anything.

Now there was an old man named Jesse who lived in the town of Bethlehem. He had eight sons, and the three oldest were in Saul’s army. The youngest son was David, and he tended his father’s sheep. One day Jesse gave David some food and told him to take it to his brothers and find out how they were doing.

Early the next morning, David set out for the camp. He got there just as the Philistine and Israelite armies were gathering to face each other. David ran up to the battle line to see his brothers. As he was talking with them, Goliath came out and shouted his challenge. When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him.

David heard Goliath and he asked some of the soldiers, “What will a man get for killing this Philistine and stopping him from insulting our people? Who does he think he is? He is making fun of the army of the living God.”

The soldiers told David that the king was offering a big reward to the man who kills Goliath. That man would get to marry the king’s daughter and his family would never have to pay taxes again.

Some soldiers told Saul about David, and Saul sent for him. When David came to Saul, he said, “This Philistine shouldn’t turn us into cowards. I’ll go out and fight him myself!”

Saul replied, “You wouldn’t have a chance; you are only a boy, and he has been a soldier all his life.”

But David said to Saul, “I take care of my father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear gets one of them, I go after it and beat it until it lets the sheep go. It if attacks me, I grab it and kill it. I can kill this Philistine the same way. He should not have made fun of the army of the living God. The Lord has rescued me from lions and bears, and the Lord will keep me safe from this Philistine.”

“All right,” Saul said. “Go ahead. I hope the Lord will help you.”

Then Saul dressed David in his own armor and helmet. David tried walking around, but then he said, “I can’t wear this. I can’t move with all this stuff on.” So he took off the armor and picked up his shepherd’s staff. He went out to a stream and picked five smooth stones, put them in his leather bag and, with his sling in his hand, went out to meet Goliath.

Goliath came toward David, walking behind his shield bearer. When he saw that David was just a boy, he said, “Do you think I’m a dog, is that why you’re coming at me with a stick?” He cursed David by the name of the Philistine gods and said, “Come here, I'll feed you to the birds and wild animals.”

David answered Goliath, “You come out to fight me with a sword and spear and dagger. But I’ve come to fight you in the name of the Lord. You have insulted the God of Israel. The Lord will help me beat you, and the whole world will know that Israel’s God is real.”

When Goliath started forward, David ran toward him. He put a rock in his sling and swung the sling around by its straps. When he let go of one strap, the rock flew out and hit Goliath on the forehead. It cracked his skull, and he fell facedown on the ground. David killed Goliath with a stone and a sling. He didn’t even use a sword.

David and Goliath

Game Questions

Who was the King of Israel when David visited his brothers?
Saul
Solomon
Herod

What was the name of Goliath’s people?
Samaritans
Philistines
Jews

What was Goliath’s armor made of?
Gold
Silver
Bronze

What was Goliath’s challenge?
Send your king out to fight me. If he kills me, my people will be your slaves.
Send your 10 best soldiers out to fight me. If they kill me, my people will be your slaves
Send your best soldier out to fight me. If he kills me, my people will be your slaves

How did Saul and his army react to the challenge?
They were too scared to do anything.
Every day for 40 days, they sent a soldier out, and Goliath killed him.
Every day for 40 days, they shouted insults back at Goliath.

Who was David’s father?
Jesse
Jacob
Saul

What town did David come from?
Jerusalem
Bethlehem
Nazareth

How many sons did Jesse have?
Eight
Thirteen
Three

Who was Jesse’s youngest son?
Saul
David
Jacob

How many of David’s brothers were in the army?
Three
Eight
Thirteen

What did David do while his brothers were away at war?
Helped on his father’s farmTended his father’s sheep
Went to school

Why did Jesse send David to the battle line?
To fight Goliath.
To talk to King Saul.
To take his brothers some food and make sure they were OK.

What did David think about Goliath’s challenge?
It was insulting to God.
It was scary.
It was none of his business.

What did the King offer to do for the man who fought & killed Goliath?
Give him 125 pounds of gold.
Let him marry the king’s daughter and pay no taxes.
Give him 125 acres of land.

When David said he would fight Goliath, what was Saul’s first answer?
Go ahead, what do I care if you die?
At last, somebody is brave enough to fight that Philistine!
You can’t do it, you’re just a boy.

What experience did David have that had taught him how to fight?
He had killed lions and bears that attacked his sheep.
He had been in the army for a while.
He and his brothers had a lot of fistfights.

What did David think of Saul’s armor?
It made him feel much safer.
It was too heavy for him to wear.
It was too light to protect him.

What did David carry with him to the battle?
Saul’s sword and shield
An AK47, a canteen, and five bullets
His shepherd’s staff, a sling and five stones

How did Goliath react when he saw David coming to fight him?
He said, “Uh oh, I didn’t think anybody would call my bluff.”
He said, “Do you think I’m a dog?”
He said, “Do you think I’m a lion or a bear?”

What did David use to kill Goliath?
A spear
A stone and a sling
A sword.