Jonah

Storytelling Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Hear the story of Jonah, then have the students help re-tell the story to cement the sequence of events in their minds. [Note: 1st – 3rd graders visited this workshop.]

For scripture, objectives, and background- see above.

Leader Preparation:

• Read the scripture for this lesson.
• Read and reflect on the overview material provided for this lesson.
• Gather the materials

Supplies List:

• An easel; appropriate marker
• Masking tape
• For 3rd graders: Adventure Bibles, one with tabs (Law, History, etc.) and Bible tab writing kit: tabs, fine-line Sharpie pen
• A set of enlarged pictures that depict the story (see resources)
• Story paraphrase: “Runaway Jonah Learns a Lesson” (see next post)
• A scroll (a place to hide your story cheat-sheet)

Before Start of Class:

• Study the paraphrase. If possible, learn it so that you can tell the story with dramatic emotions, without looking at a paper. In case you need to look, make any notes to help you remember this story using paper that will fit so it hides in the scroll. (It is ok to tell this story using your own words; just be sure to cover the concepts as outlined in the paraphrase.)
• Plan how you will hang the pictures on the easel as you tell the story- so that they will fit.
• Take a look at the individual pictures that depict the story. Notice how the pictures relate to the paraphrase. Create loops of masking tape equal to the number of pictures in the set. Place these loops near the easel.
• When third graders visit, distribute Bibles around the tent area.

Presentation

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction:
Greet your students warmly, welcoming them to the Storytelling Workshop. Introduce yourself and any other adults.
[The Shepherd will quietly take attendance/do nametags etc. while you are starting your lesson.]

Ask: Has anyone ever given you a second chance? (perhaps a teacher, a parent, etc.)
Why do you suppose you got a second chance? (allow a few responses)

Say: Today we are learning about the story of Jonah. In this story Jonah got a second chance and lots of other people, the people who lived in a city called Nineveh, they also got a second chance.

Dig- Main Content and Reflection:
Ask: What can you tell me about the story of Jonah?
If the students mention a portion of the story for which there is a picture, show them the scene and use a loop of masking tape to attach it to the easel.
[The scenes are numbered on the back. Leave space on the easel to place missing scenes not mentioned by the students.]

Say: Let’s look in the Bible to see if we’ve left anything out of the story.

Ask: Where would we find a story in the Bible that takes place many years before Jesus was born? (Old Testament)
Say: The Old Testament includes stories about events that happened before Jesus was born. Besides being divided into two testaments, the books in the Bible are further divided into collections. We find the book of Jonah in a collection known as “Prophets.”
Ask: What is a prophet?
Say: A prophet is a messenger of God.

For 3rd grade:

Make sure that everyone has an Adventure Bible to use. [Note: Even if kids have told you the entire story, still have them do this exercise to find the story; it’s good practice.]

Have everyone open to the Table of Contents. Point out how the “Prophets collection” starts with Isaiah and includes all the way through Malachi.

Say: All these books (with the exception of Lamentations) are names of prophets - messengers of God. If you have your own Bible today, be sure you receive the tab for Prophets. [Show the purple Adventure Bible with tabs. Have the Shepherd do tabs for students who bring their Bibles. Use the classroom Bible with tabs as an example.]

Have everyone open to the introductory page about Jonah. [On page 1003.]

Say: In these Bibles, every book starts with an introduction page.
Have everyone look at the 2nd question: “Why was this book written?”
Ask someone to read the answer. (“Jonah shows Israel that God does not punish if people repent and are sorry for their sins.
Have everyone look at the 3rd question: “What do we learn about God in this book?”
Ask someone to read the answer. (“God forgives his disobedient prophet and gives Jonah a second chance. God also forgives the people of Nineveh. God does not punish people who repent.

Ask: God does not punish if people repent. What does “repent” mean?

If kids don’t know, encourage them to turn to the dictionary in the back of the Bibles – on page 1447: “to turn away from sin; to be sorry for what one has done and to promise not to do it again.”

Ask: Do you suppose that this message from God is applicable to us today? (allow all responses)
Say: It’s amazing isn’t it, that God forgives us; God gives us second chances! That is great news!

For all students:
Say: Listen carefully as I tell you the story of Jonah from the Bible. Then you will be helping me to re-tell the story.

Using the paraphrase, tell the story. As you come to the portion of the story with a picture, refer to it on the wall or hang it up if it’s missing, using loops of masking tape.

Discussion:
Say: I need your help in re-telling this story. I would like for you to become such good storytellers that you can go out and tell other people this story. First, we need to make sure that we understand what happened in our story. Let’s run through it but let’s add some voices and a little bit of action to our story telling.

Ask: How would God’s voice sound?
How about Jonah’s voice?

Using the voice of the various characters, re-run through the story. Intersperse this with your normal voice, which asks these questions…

Ask: What did God tell Jonah to do? (go to Nineveh to preach to the people there)
Say: First God said, [in a booming, God sort of voice, or whatever way the kids suggested] “Go to Nineveh. Tell the people to give up their evil ways.”

Ask: Why did Jonah run away? (he didn’t want to do what God asked)
Say: So Jonah said, [in the voice suggested by the students, perhaps squeaky?] “Nineveh! No way!”

Ask: How did Jonah feel about the people of Nineveh? (didn’t like them, were his enemies)
Say: Jonah was saying to himself, [in your Jonah voice] “The people of Nineveh are my enemies. No way will I share God’s message with them!”

Ask: How did God feel about the people of Nineveh? (God loved them & wanted a 2nd chance for them)
What happened to Jonah when he ran away? (storm, thrown overboard, swallowed by giant fish)
Say: A huge storm came over the boat that Jonah was on. [Make motions as though on a ship caught in a storm.] Jonah was thrown overboard. [Say with a pirate’s accent: “ahoy, maties, man overboard”] And was swallowed by a huge fish! [Open arms as though the mouth of a large fish.]

Ask: How many days was Jonah inside the fish? (3)
I wonder what Jonah thought about while inside that great fish? (Jonah prayed to God)
Then what happened? (fish spit Jonah up, God spoke to him again, went to Nineveh)

Note: You can add voices and motions to these answers if desired. 
Ask: What happened after Jonah preached in Nineveh? (people repented)
Say: The people of Nineveh changed their ways. [in a pleading, I’m sorry sort of voice] “Oh Lord. Forgive me. I’m sorry.”

Ask: Did God change his mind about Nineveh? (yes)
Say: God said, [in a God voice] “I am happy to see that the people of Nineveh have changed. I will forgive them. I will not destroy their city.”

Ask: How did Jonah feel about this? (he was mad)
Say: Jonah said, [in a mad, Jonah voice, stamping your foot] “They don’t deserve to be forgiven! Oh God, isn’t this just like how I knew you would act! You are always so loving and so willing to forgive anyone! Since what I predicted isn’t going to happen, since you’ve decided not to destroy Nineveh, I’d rather be dead than alive.”

Ask: How would you feel if someone whom you feel didn’t deserve it, got a second chance? (allow all answers)
Has this ever happened to you? Tell us about it.
Then what happened? (Jonah went & sat down outside the city)
Say: Jonah said, [in a mad Jonah voice] “I’m just going to sit down here outside of the city and watch. Maybe God will change his mind again and destroy the place after all.”

Ask: Then what happened? (God makes a vine grow)
Say: It was hot sitting in the sun! God made a vine to grow. [Pantomime a vine growing up to shade you. Smile pleasantly.] Jonah was very pleased with the vine.

Ask: What happened the next day? (a worm ate the vine)
Say: God sent a worm to eat the vine and Jonah’s shade was withered. And Jonah complained even louder, [in a really mad Jonah voice] “Oh, I’m stuck in the sun again. My shade has died! It is better for me to die than to live.”

Ask: How did God respond? (accept all answers)
Say: [in a God voice] “What right do you have to be angry?” [in a Jonah voice] “I am angry enough to die!” God responded in a strange way. God asked Jonah a question.
[in a God voice] “You did not plant that vine or take care of it, yet you’re concerned about it. Now in the city of Nineveh there are more than 120 thousand people who cannot tell right from wrong — not to mention all the animals! Don't you think I should care about them?” The End.

Ask: Isn’t that a strange way to end the story – by asking a question? How do you suppose Jonah answered? (accept a few replies)

Ask: What can we learn about God from this story? (God loves/forgives everyone)
Do you suppose that Jonah “got” this lesson? (accept all answers)
What do you suppose Jonah did next?
How can we show people around us that we forgive them? (give them a second chance)

Say: Jonah didn’t like the people of Nineveh. He didn’t think that they should be forgiven.
Ask: Is there someone that you don’t want to be forgiven?

Say: God wanted Jonah to understand that instead of being disappointed that a vine died, that he should be happy that a city filled with people and animals had been saved. God loves everyone; even people we don’t think deserve his love.

Re-tell the story:
Say: Now help me to tell the story again. This time let’s add more movement to our telling. Everyone should do what I do and repeat after me.

Run through the story again. This time, add more motion and have everyone follow along with what you are doing. For example, when Jonah runs away, “run” out of the tent to one side of the room. When Jonah goes to Nineveh, march over to the other side of the room. When Jonah goes to sit on a hill outside the city, go to the other side of the room and sit down. Get the kids involved in helping to tell the story. Ask: What comes next? or what did Jonah say? Re-run through the parts as told above leaving out the normal voice questions unless necessary.

If time allows retell it again this time asking the kids to lead the storytelling.

Closing:
Gather everyone sitting in the tent area.
Say: You did an awesome job telling the story. Let’s close in prayer.
Ask for any prayer requests. Ask if anyone would like to lead the group in prayer. Be prepared to say a prayer yourself, working in prayer requests. Use the Lord’s Prayer as the ending. A suggestion: “Dear God, Thank you for the stories that Jesus learned, that we can learn them too. Thank you for lessons you have about how loving and kind you are. Help us to remember to ask for forgiveness and to know that you will forgive us. (End with everyone joining in on the Lord’s Prayer.) Amen.”

If you have extra time:
Run through the story another time.

Resources:

G.R.E.A.T. Adventure Dream Team at State Street United Methodist Church, Bristol, VA.
“Jonah The Reluctant Prophet: Art Workshop.” 2005. Link.

The NIV Adventure Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zonderkidz, 2000.

Scenes of the story are from: http://www.christart.com/christianbooks/read/4764/4

A lesson written by Carol Hulbert for First United Methodist Church
Ann Arbor, MI 

If you use this material, even in a modified form, please include the following reference:
Hulbert, Carol. "Jonah: Storytelling Workshop." Jan. 09. Place URL where lesson found inside angle brackets<>.

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