John Wesley

Summaries:

• Video K-5th: Watch "John Wesley Proud Methodist" Tape and "Disney's American Legends (Johnny Appleseed)" DVD.  See this post for an alternative video suggestion.
• Video 2nd-5th: video tape a newscast, script included.
• Computer: Using Kid Pix 4 (or 3-D) each child draws a scene from the story (alternative suggestion: type his famous line into Cal & Marty's Scripture Memory Game).
• Storytelling (Older Elem): John tells his story - followed by discussion.
• *History/Science: timeline (panel) walk-through and domino's falling.
• *Drama: hear Susanna Wesley tell her story, act out Fire Fire (script not provided).
• *Music K-3rd: hear story pausing several times to sing a song.
• *Music 4th-5th: similar to above

Note: *several of the lesson in this set refer to material from the curriculum called "J.W. & Company" by Daphan Flegal, Cokesbury.  This is no longer in print.

Update 2015:  It appears to have been republished in book format (assuming all material from original curriculum is included).  See this post for details.

John Wesley

Movie Lesson

K-5th Grades

Summary: Watch "John Wesley Proud Methodist" Tape and "Disney's American Legends (Johnny Appleseed)" DVD.  See this post for an alternative video suggestion.

Memory Verse:
Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.
Mark 16:15

Objectives:

• John Wesley was called by God.
• John Wesley spread the good news of Jesus to all people.

Supplies:

• John Wesley: Proud Methodist video tape
• Disney’s American Legends DVD
• Popcorn & popcorn containers
• Water glasses

Lesson Plan:

Outline:

• Arrival Activity
• Opening
• Memory Verse
• John Wesley video (video tape)
• Johnny Appleseed video (DVD)
• Discussion
• Joys & Concerns
• Closing

Arrival Activity
As people enter the room, welcome them. Pass out popcorn and glasses of water.
You can have the DVD player going with one of the other stories from Disney’s American Legends, if you like.

Opening:

Begin class by praying the Lord’s Prayer with the kids. You can ask if any of them would like to begin the prayer.

(1st week) Tell the students that we are studying the life of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.

(other weeks) Ask the students who are we studying? What do you know about him?

Memory Verse
Review the memory verse.
Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.
Mark 16:15

Dig:

John Wesley Video
Play the John Wesley: Proud Methodist video beginning at about 13:00 in. There’s a complete fade to black after his trip to Savannah. Start after the black screen, just as he arrives back in England.

When the video is over, ask if anyone has any questions about what they saw.

Johnny Appleseed Video
Play the Johnny Appleseed story from the Disney’s American Legends DVD.

Discussion
Ask:

• Why do you think we watched the Johnny Appleseed story today? What does it have to do with John Wesley?
• What started Johnny Appleseed on his trip west planting apple trees? What started John Wesley in his preaching ministry?
• What did Johnny Appleseed share? What did John Wesley share?
• What was Johnny Appleseed’s legacy (what he left behind)? What was John Wesley’s legacy?
• What did Johnny Appleseed take on his journey? What did John Wesley take with him as he traveled around? [Basically, J.W. only took what would fit in his saddle bags – a change of clothes, a Bible, some paper, a pen -- although he always had a book to read]. How would you feel going off on a journey with that little?

Joys and Concerns
You or the shepherd need to go around the room asking the kids to share their Joys (happy things) and their Concerns (sad things).

Closing:

Someone needs to offer a closing prayer. If that is you, then you can pray something like this:

Dear God, thank you for this chance to learn about you. Help us share your good news with others by our words and our actions. Amen.

Extras while waiting for parents to arrive
Have the students help clean up the room.

Work on learning the memory verse. Divide the room into 3 groups. Have the first group be “Go into all the world”. Have the second group be “and proclaim the good news”. Have the third group be “to the whole creation.” Have them practice saying the memory verse by having each group say their part in turn (have them stand up when they say it and sit down when they’re done). Then reassign parts to the groups and try it again.

Cleanup
Make sure the popcorn machine is off/unplugged and old popcorn is given away or thrown out.
Pick up any trash.
Rewind the video to the beginning (or the correct starting place if the lesson will be repeated next hour or next Sunday).
Remove the DVD and video from the machines. Turn off all the equipment and lock the equipment.

Lesson written by JoOehrlein.

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