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Reply to "COMPLETE LESSON SET: Jesus and the Children, from 1st Pres. Nevada, MO"

Jesus and the children

Computer Workshop


Summary of Lesson Activities:

K-2nd grade: Since there is already a lesson plan using "Play and Learn Bible" (see St. Paul's Lesson Set) I will just describe how we modified it. I created a guide with questions from the "factoids" accessed by clicking on the characters in the story. At the end of the lesson, we did a group writing exercise in which all students contributed to a prayer thanking Jesus for being with us and wanting us with him. They came up with some pretty deep stuff. It was a good lesson. They were then allowed to explore the program on their own with the remaining time.

3rd-5th grades
Activity: Children will use Life of Christ software, Lesson #23.
References: Sky Media, The Life of Christ, Discovery House Publishers. 1999-2003

Lesson Objectives:

Children will…

  • Take a quiz on the story using the software.
  • Learn that salvation is a gift, something we cannot earn.
  • Write a prayer expressing their gratitude for the free gift of salvation.

Workshop Preparation:

  • Attend the leader's Bible study.
  • Pray for guidance before reading through the lesson plan and accompanying background information.
  • Explore the software prior to the workshop.
    Have the program running on each computer before the children arrive. (Turn off the monitors on all but the main computer, to minimize distractions at the beginning of the lesson.)

Supplies:

  • The Life of Christ CD (Needs to be installed on each computer.)
  • Memory verse poster
  • Parchment paper with printed lines—one for each child.
  • Gel pens
  • Markers


Presentation


Opening - Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Welcome and Introductions: Greet the children and introduce yourself. (Remember, you are interacting with a different group of students each week, who may not know you.)

Explain the purpose of this workshop: Today we will use the Life of Christ software. We will learn that Jesus wants to us to come to him.
Review memory verse.

Dig - Main Content and Reflection:

Story and Quiz--Life of Christ CD:

  • Go through the story on the main computer with all the children together.
  • Click on lesson # 23, “Jesus Blesses the Little Children” The story will start automatically.
  • Pause the story to check for comprehension as needed.

Discuss:

  • (From the end of Lesson #23) How does it make you feel to know how much Jesus loves children and wants to bless them?
  • In the story the narrator said that salvation is a free gift from God. What does “salvation” mean to you? Why can’t we earn salvation?

Theological note: I first had to explain the term “salvation” using an example of being rescued from a fatal situation (such as from drowning in the middle of a turbulent river in the middle of a storm). I then compared this to the situation we are in with sin—we are drowning with no way to save ourselves, calling for an heroic rescue--achieved by what Christ did on the cross. Often children and even many adults believe that they earn a place in heaven by “being a good person” and doing good deeds. Even at our best we are not good or holy enough to earn a place in heaven. Salvation comes as a gift. When we accept the gift, we agree to the process of salvation. This is where good works come in—not that we are trying to earn our way in; we are already in. The good that we do is evidence of God’s saving work in our lives. As salvation progresses, the good we do flows from what God is doing in our lives.

  • Children should now go through the story again, on their own, and then do the quiz.
  • Prepare the children for the quiz:
    Show the children the program menus. Show the children the side bar menu that appears when the cursor is moved to the left of the screen.
  • Make sure the lab assistant and/or Shepherd have a computer lab guide. Assign one adult to monitor 2 computers. Instruct them to help the children follow the guide.
  • Assign 1-3 children to each computer.

Instruct children to so the following:

  • Click on lesson # 23, “Jesus Blesses the Little Children” The story will start automatically.
  • Take the quiz. (Click on the green circle on the bottom right of the screen to continue.) If the score is less than 5, children should listen to the story again and retake the quiz.
  • Click “Return to lesson index”; click “Back” (lower right corner of the screen)
  • Children who finish early may explore the software. When all have successfully completed the quiz, go on to the journaling activity.

Journaling (Lesson extension led by workshop leader)
Introduce the journal prompt:
(Children will write a thank you letter to Jesus for the blessing of salvation, and other ways they are blessed)

  • Discuss the ways God blesses us.
  • Say: Including us in God’s family is the greatest blessing ever. When God blesses us, it is good for us to turn right around and bless God back. We do this by giving thanks to God and praising God for what God has done.
  • Discuss words that can be used to say thank you, and words that can be used in prayer. Write these on the white board. Encourage creativity!
  • Hand out lined parchment paper and gel pens. Clip pages to journals. Maintain a quiet “thinking” environment while kids write.

Moderator adds: Journaling could be done using the software Kid Pix 4 (or 3-D).

Closing:

End with a prayer.


A lesson from First Presbyterian Church
Nevada, MO

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.

Last edited by Luanne Payne
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