(WT) Elijah Super Set - Table-top Drama Workshop with LEGOS or Posable Figures

Rotation.org Writing Team

Elijah Super Set*

Table-top Drama Workshop
using LEGOS or other Posable Figures

Summary of Activities

Students will construct and retell the four Elijah stories using "table top drama" materials.

As an optional "layer of cool," older students may use a cellphone video camera to "broadcast" a fun close-up "you are there" perspective to a TV for the rest of the class to enjoy. See the "selfie stick camera" technique notes below on that!

*Check this link for what a "Super Set" is.

Scripture for the Lesson

1 Kings 17:1-24, Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath
1 Kings 18:2-46, Elijah, Ahab, and the Prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel
1 Kings 19:1-16, Elijah and Still Small Voice at Mt Horeb Cave
2 Kings 2:1-14, Elijah recruits Elisha, Chariot of Fire, the Mantle across the Jordan

Construction and Time-saving Tips: Ideally, you will split the four stories into four different construction projects. To save time and construction materials, you can reuse the Mt Carmel scene to make Mt Horeb by adding a "cave." Or you can combine the Mt Carmel and Mt Horeb stories into one story group. The fire on Mt Carmel can also be reused for the fire at Horeb (that "God was not in") and for parts of the Chariot of Fire. To save class time, you can pre-construct parts of a scene, or an entire scene, and dramatize it yourself to show them how. More tips below!

About "Table Top" Dramas

Table-top drama is a new twist on an old storytelling technique many teachers will be familiar with. Perhaps you've told a story with posable dolls, or created a "shoe box" drama kit with clothespin characters, or pulled story scenery and props out of a bag as you have told a story. Table-top Drama says, "Let the kids construct it and tell it!"

LEGOS are the easiest story construction material to work with for these great reasons:

(1) They are reusable!
(2) They appeal to a wide age-range and allow simple or complex use.
(3) Kids are familiar with them and can quickly construct scenes with them.
(4) Characters can be purchased and modified.

Check out this scene below created using Lego's Duplo series blocks.

If you don't have access to LEGOS or the budget to get them, you can provide students with other building materials and figurines, or let them make them out of other craft supplies. Many churches have "Bible play sets" in their preschool department which could be borrowed. You can make mountain scenery by placing a box under a sheet, and make the cave of Horeb out of a piece of cardboard and grey felt. Character dolls can be purchased or they can be borrowed from the kids (a Ken doll makes a great Elijah, just add beard and a felt robe; or use Spiderman, etc.). Or use simple objects, such as clothespins wrapped with a cloth. You could represent the widow with an empty cup which gets filled with flour, and an arrow as Elijah "pointing the way to God." God could be a cloud. Rubber balls can have faces drawn on them and funfur hair pinned to them. Wind, earthquake, and fire can be made with colored paper and shaken for effect. Use your imagination and mix it up!

Lesson Objectives

See the Bible Background at rotation.org for this set's complete list of objectives.

Preparation and Materials

Read the Bible Background and scripture.
Bibles for each group (or children's storybook for younger children).
Collect materials to construct the four scenes.
If you are NOT using LEGOS, you will then need some green, brown, and blue cloth; red and yellow felt or paper for fire; some small cardboard boxes to form the Widow's home, Elijah's cave, and Elisha's home. You will need something to make a mountain. And you will need things that can be fashioned into a flaming chariot/horse and a mantle. You will also need several figures: The Widow, son, Elijah, Elisha, Ahab. If you don't have enough for each group, the groups can share their figures with the next story when they are done. Masking tape, scissors and fine tip markers for option of drawing their own facial expressions onto figures. NOTE: You can combine LEGOS with these other types of materials. Felt water with LEGO Elijah, for example. Or "Barbie Widow" with LEGO Elijah in a cardboard house. Mixing and matching will be part of the creative fun.
Video camera with a connection to the TV. We recommend your cellphone's camera on a selfie stick. See the description at the end of this lesson about that.
Recruit Four Helpers, one for each story group.

In addition to LEGOS, you can also draw from a number of toy sources (Bible and secular) to create a collection of posable figures and props that work with many Bible stories.

There are a number of Bible toy companies that have produced story kits and figures, all of which can be re-used to tell other stories. Read Rotation.org's articles about "how to" and where to find them.

The following scene was created using pieces from "Playmobil" historical sets and figurines which many creative Sunday School teachers put in their Bible story kits. This one, for example, utilizes an Egyptian chariot Playmobil model with their caveman figurine and a generic character behind the chariot. You can find figures on Ebay and Amazon from different resellers. Check our article for more sources.

Lesson Plan

Open

Welcome your students and explain what they'll be doing today.

Ask them to tell you how much they already know about Elijah.

Draw or show a quick map of Israel. Note the locations of the four stories and major features (such as Jerusalem and Sea of Galilee). At each location, write out the Book/Chapter/Verse for the four stories as a reference for the upcoming scene assignments.

The numbers correspond to the four story passages. "Tishbe" was Elijah's hometown.

Camera Warm Up

With your cellphone plugged into the TV, walk up to your students with your camera on –ask them to pose the following: Bold and sure! ... Angry and Exhausted ... Surprised. These are some of the emotions Elijah goes through in his story. **See the Selfie Stick Camera Notes below.** (Take a few snapshots while you're at it.)

Assign and Construct the Stories

Divide into groups and assign an Elijah Bible story to each. Tell them they have fifteen - twenty minutes to read and construct the story scene with the construction materials you have provided. This will go well if you have HELPERS working with each story group. Construction time is an excellent time to do some teaching. Give the HELPERS some of the talking points and follow up questions you will be asking later so the helper can prime the kids during construction.

What the Helper Does:
1. Help the group read the passage.
2. Help the group identify what they need to build and start building it.
3. Help the group to build quickly. They don't have all afternoon.
4. Help the group practice moving the characters through their scene.
5. Identify who in the group can be the narrator (or the helper can be the narrator).

Tip: Give your helpers the list of "key story moments" found at the end of this lesson plan.

Give your students approximately 5 minutes to read their story, then 10-15 minutes to design and construct their assigned scene. Watch for certain student(s) who may seem to be taking over the process or coveting certain pieces.

Sharing and Preparation Tips: If you have a lot of kids and not a ton of construction materials, divide them up BEFORE class at separate stations. This will keep the kids from "picking pieces from each other." This also allows you to include special materials at each station for specific stories (such as a mountain for the two mountain stories and red and yellow flame felt or paper). The helpers should keep an eye on the time and keep the building moving, as you want to be sure to have time for the groups to present the stories to each other.

Designating an Elijah and Elisha figure: If you have enough posable figures for each story, then let your students decide which figures represent Elijah, etc. But if you don't have enough figures, hold them back from the construction project and then re-use them for each re-telling.

Older Students: To facilitate showing character reactions and attitudes in their story, if you have time, have older students add facial expressions to their characters using masking tape and a sharpie pen.

Presenting the Stories to the Class

Have the entire class gather around the first story scene. As the narration is read, the students who constructed the scene are the ones who move things around as they hear the narration. This is a key teaching point: you or the team's helper will need to prompt the action. After the first scene the other students will "catch on" and do better.

As each scene is completed, take a moment to highlight something important in that scene. Below are "key talking points" you can make and questions to ask the construction team about their scene. Keep it short.

Scene "Talking Points"

1 Kings 17:1-24, Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath
What message does the "jar that didn't run out" and saving of the widow's son tell us about God?
1 Kings 18:2-46, Elijah, Ahab, and the Prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel
Did the big "win" on Mt Carmel help or hurt Elijah's message? What could he have done differently to win the people over to God?
1 Kings 19:1-16, Elijah and Still Small Voice at Mt Horeb Cave
Why do you think God chose to speak to Elijah in the "still small voice"?
What do you think that voice sounds like? (try speaking like that)
What made Elijah get up and keep going?
2 Kings 2:1-14, Elijah recruits Elisha, Chariot of Fire, the Mantle across the Jordan
Did Elisha have a choice to follow in Elijah's footsteps? What made him want to do it? What do YOU need to do to pick up Elijah's mantle and become one of God's messengers?

In general...,
How do you think Elijah felt when the widow's son died?
How do you think Elijah felt when Ahab chased him off of Mt Carmel?
How do you think Elijah felt when he went into the Cave of Horeb?
Have you ever felt like you were overwhelmed, stressed out, problems were too big, lost?
How did God choose to speak to Elijah? and why?
What did God do to help Elijah?
Why was it important for Elijah to train Elisha?
What made Elisha pick up Elijah's mantle?
What is hard or challenging about following God?

Selfie Reflections

After the scenes are re-enacted...

You can continue to use the selfie stick camera to point the camera at random students to create a close-up of them on the TV, then ask them a follow up question about the story. This is sort of like a game to them, part dread and part desire to have the camera pointed at them. You can use this as a final reflection.

Possible Reflection Questions:

Name something that some people love more than God.
Name someone who is like Elijah, a messenger or prophet for God.
Like Elisha, if you could ask God for a "double share" of something that you think would make you a better Christian, what would you ask for? (If needed, prime the pump by writing some things on the board, such as knowledge of Bible, strong faith, good at helping others, unafraid to share my beliefs with others, enthusiasm for going to church, better prayer life.)
Where are you in picking up Elijah's mantle? (I'm still looking for it. I'm thinking about it. I've picked it up, but I'm unsure how to follow God sometimes. I'm ready to be a prophet.)
What do you need to do to become a follower of God like Elijah or Elisha?

Adaptations

For Younger Students: Have some of the scenery already made. Practice moving the characters (like you would with puppets) as the story is being read.

For Pre-teens: Invite them to recreate and learn the scenes, then present them to a preschool class. After the presentation, have the pre-teens help each little guy make an "Elijah Mantle-Cape" out of cloth. See the Art Workshop lesson for additional Mantle making and meaningful decorating ideas.

Using a Cellphone Video Camera on a "Selfie Stick" to help tell the story

Kids love cellphones, and they love to make things appear on the TV screen, including their own faces. By moving a camera around the scene during the story narration and re-enactment, they will create an "up close" perspective on the TV for others to watch. You are not necessarily recording the drama. Rather, the video camera is "streaming" the drama to your TV. (It's easy to do, learn how.) It's a creative trick that provides students with an additional point of FOCUS, and allows the teacher to "direct" the camera operator to zoom in on a character and moment to make a point. It's also a fun way to ask kids follow-up questions --by pointing the camera at them and "putting them on TV" to answer."Selfie sticks" are a handy and inexpensive way to facilitate camera movement. They allow students or the teacher to get close to the action without blocking the view with their body.

Key Story Highlights to Consider Dramatizing

Story 1: 1 Kings 17:1-24, Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath

Elijah travels outside of Israel to Zarephath, which is near Sidon (Jezebel's hometown)
There is a severe drought.
Elijah meets a starving widow and her son who only have enough for one more meal.
Elijah performs a miracle of making their jar of flour and oil not to run out.
The widow's son becomes ill and dies.
Elijah prays to God and the son comes back to life.
The Widow declares Elijah to be a true prophet of the true God.

Story 2: 1 Kings 18:2-46, Elijah, Ahab, and the Prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel

Elijah tells the people of Israel to make a choice, either God or Baal.
Elijah challenges Ahab and the Prophets of Baal to a contest on Mt Carmel to see whose God is the real God.
The Prophets dance around their bull but nothing happens.
Elijah calls down fire from heaven to ignite his pile of watered down wood and bull.
Ahab chases Elijah off the mountain and into the wilderness where he is revived by angels.

Story 3: 1 Kings 19:1-16, Elijah and Still Small Voice at Mt Horeb Cave

Elijah enters a cave at Mt Horeb and complains to God that nobody listens.
God calls Elijah outside, sending wind, earthquake, and fire on the ground, then a still small voice.
Elijah complains again, but God tells him to go find helpers, including Elisha who will become the next prophet.

Story 4: 2 Kings 2:1-14, Elijah recruits Elisha, Chariot of Fire, the Mantle across the Jordan

Elijah finds Elisha plowing his family's field and throws his mantle over him as a call to follow.
Elisha first cooks a dinner for his family and Elijah, then goes with Elijah
Three times Elijah tells Elisha to "stay behind" while he goes on, but Elisha refused to leave his master's side.
Elijah asks Elisha, "What do you want from me before I die?" And Elisha asks for a "double portion" of Elijah's spirit.
They cross the Jordan on dry land, and a chariot of fire appears to take Elijah into heaven in a whirlwind, leaving his mantle behind. Elisha cries out in loss.
Elisha picks up the mantle, strikes the Jordan asking, "where is the God of my father Elijah?" And God answers by making the river water part for Elisha to cross.