The Woman at the Well
Art Workshop
Summary of Lesson Activities:
Create watercolor paintings to help the children express the meaning of the story.
For scripture and objectives - 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:
- Bibles (for 3rd grade and up)
- For younger students: The Children’s Bible in 365 Stories
- Watercolor paper, watercolor paint (used Cottman tube watercolors), palettes, a variety of paint brushes, water containers, cotton balls, hairdryer (optional), Old shirts for smocks
- Stickers with the key verse printed on them
- Several pictures of paintings showing Christ and the woman at the well
Before Start of Class:
- Distribute around the table, the pictures of the paintings. For 3rd grade and up also distribute Bibles. Have watercolor supplies easily accessible.
Presentation
Opening - Welcome and Lesson Introduction:
Greet your students warmly, welcoming them to the Art Workshop. Introduce yourself and any other adults.
[Note: The Shepherd will be taking care of attendance while you are starting your lesson.]
Say: We will hear the story of Jesus when he was thirsty at a well and about the woman he met there.
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 bringing us all here today. Help us today as we hear your word, to place ourselves in the story. Help us to understand the gifts you offer us, especially the gift of living water. (End with everyone joining in on the Lord’s Prayer.) Amen.”
Dig - Main Content and Reflection:
Refer to the pictures of Christ and the woman at the well.
Say: Before you are pictures of art works that have been created over the years depicting our Bible story. Look at these pictures as you hear today’s story.
For 1st and 2nd graders:
Ask: If we want to read something that Jesus said, where would we find it – in the Old Testament or the New Testament of the Bible? (New)
Say: I am going to read the story today out of a children’s storybook, but you can find the story in your Bible, like mine here in the New Testament, in the gospel of John, chapter 4.
Read story #285 on page 325 of The Children’s Bible in 365 Stories.
For 3rd grade and up:
Ask:
- Where in the Bible would we read about Jesus and his disciples?
- What are the first four books of the New Testament?
- What do we call those first four books? (the Gospels)
Say: The word Gospel means “good news”. Jesus teaches us the good news. Let’s get out our Bibles and find out where our story is today and learn about this good news.
Have everyone find John 4:4 in his or her Bible.
Point out that this is a passage about Jesus (the “he” refers to Jesus).
If this is a week early in the Rotation, read together, John 4:4-30.
As verse 6 is read, point out Jacob’s well. Ask the students if they recall learning about Jacob.
In later weeks of the Rotation, ask the students if they can tell you the story. Have them check their Bibles for accuracy.
Art Activity:
Refer the students to the pictures on the tables. Lead the children in a discussion of the similarities and differences in the pictures.
Ask:
- What elements do we find in every one of them? (Jesus? Woman? Well?)
- How does the woman look? (Happy, Sad, Tired, Scared)
- What is the well made of?
- What is the land around the well like?
Say: Let’s make our own paintings of Jesus and the woman at the well. We have watercolors to work with.
[Note: You will need to review the watercolor techniques and give them as much information as their grade can handle.]
Discussion: (while the kids are working)
Ask: What did Jesus ask this Samaritan woman? (he asked for a drink)
Say: It seems like a simple thing to us, to ask for a drink. But it is significant that Jesus is asking a Samaritan woman.
Ask: Jesus was Jewish. What do you know about how Jewish people treated Samaritans? (Jews hated the Samaritans, Samaritans hated the Jews; they avoided any contact)
[Remind the older kids of the story of the Good Samaritan.]
Say: To relay an example of how Jews felt about Samaritans, think of someone who you can not stand to sit down to eat with.
Ask: What time of day is it when this story takes place? (verse 6 says it was noon)
Say: It was noon and it was hot. It was a time of day when most people were at home resting in the shade. Most people would draw their water from the well at the cooler parts of the day. No one would have been around the well at noon.
Ask: So why do you suppose this woman was at the well at this hot time of the day? Why would someone go to the well when no one else was there? (try to get the kids to think of the fact that she probably wanted to avoid other people)
Ask:
- So what kind of woman was this Samaritan woman? (she was an outcast)
- How did Jesus treat her? (kindly, he talked to her!)
- What did Jesus offer her?
Say: Jesus offered the woman “living water.” He said, “Whoever drinks the water I give will never thirst.”
Ask:
- How can there be water that will make you never thirsty? (accept all answers)
- Jesus wasn’t talking about regular water was he?
- Are there other ways you can be “thirsty”? (examples: thirst for a friend if you
are lonely, thirsty for a hug if you are hurting, thirst for closeness with God)
Say: Jesus saw that the Samaritan woman was thirsty for forgiveness, for acceptance of who she was, thirsty for understanding. These are all things that Jesus can offer. This was the living water that Jesus offered. Maybe she didn’t know it but she was thirsting for God! We all thirst for God. We can have it quenched no other way but by our belief and faith in Jesus.
For 5th and 6th graders:
Ask: How do we know for sure that the Samaritan woman was an outcast?
[Have someone look up John 4:16-18.]
Ask: Why do you suppose that this woman has had so many husbands? (we aren’t told: maybe she was widowed, maybe divorced, or maybe she was rejected because she couldn’t have any children? A woman who couldn’t have children was worthless in those days)
Say: The Samaritan woman was definitely an outcast.
Ask:
- What kind of person would you see as a modern-day outcast? (a beggar, a homeless person, someone who doesn’t look like us)
- Whom do we avoid?
Say: Think about a time when you felt left out.
Ask:
- How did you feel?
- How could Jesus’ living water help you?
Closing:
(After cleaning up their work)
Give everyone a sticker with the key verse to put on his or her painting. Have the kids repeat the key verse with you:
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.” John 4:13-14a
Say: Jesus was offering this living water to the woman at the well. He offers this living water to us today.
Resources:
- Batchelor, Mary. The Children’s Bible in 365 Stories. Batavia, IL: Lion Publishing, 1985.
- Himes, Chris. Art idea posted at rotation.org: “Samaritan Woman at the Well Ideas.” January 19, 2002. https://www.rotation.org/topic...4#295011598215938274
- Art pieces were printed from http://www.textweek.com/art/samaritan_woman.htm
- Scripture quoted is taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
