Storytelling Workshop--Scene & Prop Directions
Gideon: Mighty Judge of Israel

Supplies:

• Baseball cap with title “Assistant Director” on it
• Assortment of costumes—tunics
• Clipboard
• Sign for each location: Rural Israel; Winepress; Asherah’s Grove; Gideon’s Camp; Down by the River; Midianite Camp
• Picture or poster of pastoral Israel OR
• Large roll of paper so you can sketch your own picture
• Simple campsite: campfire ; baskets with food, jars
• Masking Tape OR
• Packing box (large enough for student to stand in)
• Picture of winepress
• Bundle of barley or wheat
• White flower (artificial)
• A few stones
• Wooden “idol”—TIKI figures or wooden animal
• a[piece of fleece
• Ram’s horn or some sort of trumpet—could even get cheap party horns so each child could have one (don’t reuse!)
• Blue fabric to make a river
• Tent (Blanket over 2 chairs?), campfire
• Round loaf of bread
• Lamps, torches—with flowerpot or jar to cover torch
• Sword

Scene & prop directions:

Put up signs, or a simple sign post at each location. It can read Scene 1,2,3 or the location – like Gideon’s camp, or Asherah’s Grove. You’ll be leading the children to the spots for each scene.

You can be elaborate with your settings, or simple. Just a few props sitting around can be enough to help you tell a spirited tale.

Scene 1: Rural Israel, The period of Judges

Some posters or pictures of pastoral Israel. Try to find something panoramic, showing fields and mountains in the distance.  You could also sketch a scene on a large piece of paper, incorporating some of the items listed in the script.

You can set up a simple campsite – fire, tent, a few baskets with food. Kindling, oil jars.

Scene 2: Winepress.

Tape an area on the floor to show where the winepress will be, or use a large packing box. If you can find pictures of a bible-times winepress, have it to show the children.

A bundle of barley or wheat. You can usually find these grasses in the flower arrangement sections at craft stores.

A white rose or a white flower. It will denote the angel who speaks to Gideon.

Scene 3: Asherah’s Grove

If you can find TIKI figures, have some of these scattered on the ground, or in baskets. A few wooden animal figurines would be good, too.

A few stones to piled up into an altar (you can make stones if need be by filling lunch bags with newspaper)

Scene 4: Gideon’s camp

A fleece – you can purchase fleece material at a fabric store and cut it to look real. It doesn’t have to be real fleece, just something wooly.

A shofar(a ram’s horn trumpet) – or a trumpet of some kind.

Scene 5: Down by the River

Blue masking tape on the floor, denoting a river. Or, blue netting or fabric stretched out – a place for the kids to kneel and pretend to drink.

Scene 6: Midianite camp

A tent – pull a blanket over two chairs, or make a tent from cardboard. Have a fire pit by your tent.

A round loaf of bread, a few baskets, pots. Swords. Torches.

Jars to cover the torches. You can use plastic flower pots, or a clay jar.