Another update on our Lego Building Workshop... This time around we are creating more scenes from the story to get a more complete recreation.
Here's our lesson and photos from the first session. I'll update after our second session. Kids LOVE this so much and it's really so memorable. We had all boys on this Sunday, but our girls love legos too!
State Street UMC G.R.E.A.T. Adventure
Holy Word Theater: Video and Lego Build Workshop
Joshua: Into the Promised Land!
Scripture References:
NIV Adventure Bible: Joshua 1-6
Deep Blue Bible Storybook: pages 87-102
Memory Verse: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
Overview of the Workshop: Children will review the story through three short video clips and then by build several scenes from the story with lego blocks.
Resources: What the Bible is All About for Young Explorers, Frances Blankenbaker, Gospel Light, l998.
Themes: God keeps his promises. God wants us to trust and obey.
Objectives and Life Application:
- Children will locate the book of Joshua in the Bible.
- Children will identify the book of Joshua as an Old Testament book of History. (grades 3-5)
- Children will retell the story in their own words.
- Children will name the following individuals in the story: Moses, Joshua, Rahab.
- Children will understand that God is with us always.
- Children will explore the concepts of obedience and faithfulness and obstacles to these.
- Children will memorize Joshua 1:9.
Video Supplies:
Laptop or internet accessible TV
Television
Links to videos:
Joshua Leads: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqhPOd0JxBs
The Israelites Cross the Jordan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVDU4XnbolI
The Walls of Jericho: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAkwWE2UGLo&t=27s
Lego Build Supplies:
Large basket of Lego building blocks in variety of sizes
Lego "people"
Base plates
Tubs or trays to hold sorted bricks
12 small pebbles (or aquarium type gravel) for memorial
Preparation and Room Set Up:
- Review background information and lesson materials.
- Preview the video clips. Test the computer setup before children arrive.
- Gather lego bricks, including base plates and people.
- Separate one table to use as a building table and use the other tables for holding the legos.
- Sort bricks and place in different tubs – base plates, people, “household” type items, flexible bricks, regular bricks.
- Set up the computer and the TV.
Please start on time!
Time Guidelines:
Welcome and Introductions 5 minutes
Bible Study 5 minutes
Video Clips 10 minutes
Construction 25 minutes
Reflection/Closing 5 minutes
Welcome/Introduction
Welcome the children and introduce yourself. Make sure everyone is wearing a nametag. Tell the children that they will be learning what happened to God’s people after they wandered in the wilderness with Moses for many years.
Opening Prayer
Light the Christ Candle and place in the middle of the table where all can see.
Say: We light this candle to remind us that Jesus is the Light of the world. God is with us wherever we go. God is with us here in this place today. Please give us open minds and hearts to hear your Word. In Jesus Christ’s name, Amen
(the candle should remain lit until the end of the session)
Introduce the Story
Do you remember the story of Moses and how he led his people out of Egypt? God saved the people by parting the Red Sea. God provided food every day called manna. God provided the law for them – the ten commandments. God promised he would give them a new home… the Promised Land, called Canaan or what is modern day Israel. But the people were too afraid to go into the land, and so they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. And now there is a new leader… his name is Joshua. God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous, to not be afraid, because God is with him. That’s actually our memory verse this month. Let’s review it.
Memory Verse
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
Will Joshua listen to God? Will he trust him?
Signing the Memory Verse
Be – right hand to lips (palm facing to left) and move forward
Strong – make muscle arms
Courageous – place “claw” hands at shoulders, move outward into fists.
Do not – shake finger no
Be – right hand to lips (palm facing to left) and move forward
Terrified – both fists at shoulder height – bring into chest and spread fingers
Do not – shake finger no
Be – right hand to lips (palm facing to left) and move forward
Discouraged – hands at chest palms in, middle fingers extended toward body, lower hands with sad face
Lord – make “L” with right hand. Place on left shoulder and bring across chest and down to right hip.
God – Raise right hand above right side of head, bring down to head.
With – tap fists together in front of body
You – point outward
Wherever – hold right index finger up and wiggle back and forth
You – point outward
Go – make walking motions with hands
Bible Study: Grades K-2
Deep Blue Bible Storybook
Joshua lived many years before Jesus was born. Where would we find his story in the Bible? (Old Testament) Help the children turn to page 87 in their Bibles. Read the introduction.
Say: The story of Joshua is found here. We’ll read and review it this month.
Bible Study: Grades 3-5
Joshua lived many years before Jesus was born. Where would we find his story in the Bible? (Old Testament). Joshua is the first book of history in the Old Testament.
Help children locate the Introduction page to the book of Joshua in their Bibles. Review the information, noting the first four stories listed at the bottom of the page.
Have children find Joshua 1 – the Lord Commands Joshua.
Say: God is about to do a new thing – lead his people into the land he had promised them many years before. God promises to be with Joshua. God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous and not afraid. He says that A LOT. Let’s count how many times God says this to Joshua.
Read:
Joshua 1:6
Joshua 1:7
Joshua 1:9 (our memory verse)
Joshua 1:18b
Do you think it’s important for Joshua and the people to be strong and courageous? What’s about to happen? Let’s find out!
Joshua and the Walls of Jericho Video Clips
Video Clips:
Joshua Leads: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqhPOd0JxBs
The Israelites Cross the Jordan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVDU4XnbolI
The Walls of Jericho: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAkwWE2UGLo&t=27s
(If time allows) Memory verse song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljRww6Ocs_k
Directions:
Bring children to theater seats for video clips – (sorry no popcorn this week – these are just short clips to review the story)
Construct the Story – Lego Build
Children will build several scenes from the story with legos.
- 3-5 Graders will build the crossing of the River Jordan and the meeting of the Commander of the Lord's Army with Joshua.
- K-2 graders will build the walled city of Jericho and the Israelites marching around the city.
Directions:
- Have children return to the table.
- Review the Bible note about the city of Jericho. Talk with the children about the use of walls for protection of the city and its inhabitants.
- Show pictures of walled cities to them.
- The walls of Jericho were so thick houses were built in between the inner and outer walls.
- Before collecting bricks, review key details of their assigned scene. What needs to be included to tell the story?
- Commander and Crossing Jordan – Commander of Lord’s Army, Joshua, other people camped nearby, Jordan River, Ark of Covenant, priests, river parting, 12 memorial stones
- Jericho – thick walled city, Rahab’s red cord from window, people marching around city, priests with trumpets, Ark of Covenant
- Have children come to table where materials are sorted. Be sure to build on a base plate.
- Encourage them to work together. Everyone must participate!
- Take lots of pictures!
- Once the scene is completed, have children describe what they have built.
- Take a photo of the completed scene with the children.
If time allows… Discussion Topics
Why did the Israelites wander in the wilderness for forty years? (because they had disobeyed God and were afraid to enter the Promised Land the first time)
What are some of the similarities between Moses and Joshua? (parting of water, holy ground, sending the spies)
What did the Israelites do after they crossed the River Jordan? (made a memorial from 12 stones)
Why 12 stones? (12 tribes of Israel)
Why a memorial? (to remember… God wants them to remember what He has done)
What did the Ark of the Covenant symbolize to the Israelites? (God’s presence)
What do you think the people of Jericho were thinking as they watched the Israelites march around their city for six days?
Are we as Christians, asked to do some things that don’t make sense to the rest of the world?
Has anyone ever made fun of you for doing what you thought was right? How did you feel? What did you do?
What instructions does God give us to follow today? (10 commandments, love God, love neighbor)
How do we know what God’s instructions are? (read Bible, listen at church)
What did God tell Joshua to do in order to be successful? (be strong and brave, obey God’s laws, read and study God’s word)
Later on we know that the Israelites did not obey God – they began worshiping idols and turned away from the one, true God who had brought them safely into the Promised Land.
Reflection/Journal Time
The last ten minutes should be reserved for Journal Reflection Time. This is an opportunity for processing and reflection about what children have learned. Ask the shepherds to pass out the journals, pencils, and the journal question for the day. Workshop leaders and shepherds should sit down with the children in small groups to facilitate discussion and writing in Faith Journals. Memory verse stickers are also included for each session. Children may also write the memory verse and illustrate. Journal Stickers are color coded for each age level (purple for K-2, blue for 3-5). Please be sure to use the correct stickers.
Journal Questions:
Grades K-2: Draw your favorite part of the story.
Grades 3-5: What part of this story do you most want to remember? Why?
Closing prayer
Gather the children together near the candle and near the props used for the activity.
Say: One of the important parts of this story was the memorial stones. Why did they erect the memorial? (to remember what had happened here, what God had done) We want to remember this story too. Think about the story and the scenes you have created here. Look at them. What part of the story do you want to remember most. Maybe it's the memorial stones or the river crossing or the Ark of the Covenant. Maybe it's The Commander of the Lord's Army or Joshua or the words "be strong and courageous." Our prayer will be "God help me remember ______" and you'll add the part of the story you most want to remember. Then we'll close with the Lord's Prayer.
Begin the prayer, going around the circle, asking each child for their “remember” prayer. Close with the Lord’s Prayer.
Use the candle snuffer to “change the light.”
Say: As we go from here we remember that God is with us wherever we go and whatever we do, just like God was with Joshua.
Clean-up: Encourage the children to help you clean up. Bricks and supplies can be left out until after the final session. Do not take apart the lego construction. We’ll display for parents and congregation.
