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Video, A-V Lessons, Ideas, Activities, and Resources for Teaching the Story of Joshua and Jericho in Sunday School.

Post your video, A-V lessons, ideas, activities, and resources for teaching the Story of Joshua and Jericho in Sunday School.

Joshua, Battle of Jericho, Joshua 6, etc. 

Bible lessons and ideas about Joshua -with video, audio-visual, movie, video-tape, animated Bible, etc.
 
Use the "Post Reply" button below to post your video, A-V lessons for teaching the Story of Joshua in Sunday School. 
 
All lessons should be formatted for easy readability.

 

Last edited by Rotation.org Lesson Forma-teer
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Posted by Lisa M 

  • Veggie Tales has "Josh and the Big Wall" whose treatment of the story "should we do it our way or God's way?" works with theme of obedience.
    The Veggie Tales video includes a bit where the squash build a "wallminator" to tear down the wall because they don't think God's plan will work. Perhaps your kids could construct their own wallminator then discuss doing things our way vs. God's way.
    Here's are lessons, at rotation.org, that uses this video link and link.
  • I also think some discussion about walls and whether they protect or divide people -- especially in the political context of the wall being built between Israel and Palestine -- would be interesting. A video of the coming down of the Berlin wall would be a neat movie alternative. How do individuals and churches "build walls" to keep others out? How does God encourage us to break down barriers that separate us?

 


Posted by tracey

  • I showed the DVD Joshua and the Battle of Jericho hosted by Charleton Heston to my 1st-5th grade. The kids really enjoyed it. I sent them home with a picture of Rahab looking out of her window with a piece of red yarn attached and for a treat a red twizzler liquorice stick. We talked about being obdedient to God and knowing God will never leave us even when we are scared. I'm excited about the Joshua unit.
Last edited by Luanne Payne

Joshua

Movie Workshop

Note: we covered the story of the spies and the walls of Jericho in one rotation, but this movie is really good at covering the Spies and Rahab - it also covers Walls of Jericho but you could stop before that part starts. Another nice thing is that it gives you some background story before the spies were sent out right back to Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt.

 Summary of Lesson Activities:

Uses the video The Beginner’s Bible: The Story of Joshua & The Battle of Jericho
1996.  Beginner's Bible has posted this one on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5R42Q6aeoI  (26:25 mins).


Leader Preparation:

  • Watch the video ahead of time and be aware where you want to pause the DVD for questions.
  • Gather the materials.

Supplies List:

  • TV / DVD Player
  • Computer or projector with internet access (if watching it from YouTube)
  • Popcorn & Juice


 Presentation

 Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Greet the children and introduce yourself.

 Open with a prayer.

 Dig-Main Content and Reflection:

 Show the video, pausing after each section below to ask questions.

 Questions:

Moses and the Twelve Tribes

  1. Do you remember who led the Israelites out of Egypt where they were slaves? Moses
  2. How many tribes were there? TWELVE
  3. What was the name of the land God had promised to Abraham and his descendants. Canaan
  4. What was kept in the Ark of the Covenant? The Ten Commandments
  5. Why did the people not go to Canaan?They didn’t trust God and were afraid of the Canaanites and their armies.
  6. This made God angry for not trusting him to lead them safely into the Promised Land, and so he made the people wander in the desert for how many years. FORTY


Joshua / Two Spies / Rahab

  1. 40 years have passed and Joshua is the new leader – God speaks to Joshua and tells him to go West across what river? Jordan River
  2. Before a big battle, the leader of the military needs to know a few things. He needs to know all about the city they are attacking, and he needs a battle plan. So, Joshua sent how many spies into Jericho to find out about the city? Two
  3. When they two spies where discovered who hid them? Rahab
  4. Do you know why Rahab saved them? She knew that the Lord had given them the land and that her people were very afraid of the Isrealites. They had heard how the Lord dried up the Red Sea for them when they came out of Egypt. The Lord their God is the God who rules over heaven above and earth below.
  5. Where did she hid them? She hid them on her roof (under Flax, I don’t believe they say this in the movie), and told the soldiers she saw them running for the city gates.
  6. How did she get them out of the city? She hung a red robe over the city wall that the spies slide down and ran for safety.
  7. Where did she tell them to go? To hide in the hills (mountains) for 3 days
  8. What favour did Rahab ask of the spies? To save her family when they attacked the city
  9. What did the spies tell Rahab to do so her family would be safe? Hang the red rope out her window
  10. Upon their return what did the two spies tell Joshua about the Canaanites? the people were afraid of the Isrealites and their God and they were small people, not giants


Battle Plan

  1. How did Joshua come up with his plan to destroy the city? God gave him a plan


Crossing the Jordan River / 12 Rocks

  1. How did they cross the Jordan River? the priest stepped into the river carrying the Ark and the waters parted (just like the Red Sea), they then waited in the river bed while everyone else crossed
  2. After the people had crossed the river how many men did God tell Joshua to pick? 12 men, one from each tribe
  3. What were the men to do? Each take a rock from where the priest stood in the river bed and place them in a memorial at their next camp as a memory of what God did to get them their by parting the Jordan River when the Ark entered it with the priests


Fall of Jericho

  1. It turns out that Jericho was a VERY STRONG city. It was surrounded by very high, very strong walls – in some places, the walls were 20 feet thick (compare that to normal 8-9 foot ceilings in classrooms). Joshua needed a very good battle plan to defeat this city.  God told Joshua how to attack the city.

    Fill in the blanks:

    No one was to ______? Talk
    _______ priest with _______ horns?
    Seven Ram
    carry the _____ of the covenant? Ark
    men were to be ______? Armed
    they were to march _____ time around the city each day? one
  2. How many days did they march around Jericho? Six days
  3. Each day how many times did they go around the city? Once
  4. On what day were the brave soldiers suppose to march around the city 7 times? Seventh day
  5. On the seventh day who joined the soliders? The woman and children
  6. On the seventh day were they quiet? No they shouted and screamed
  7. What happened after they marched around seven time, on the seventh day? The walls fell down
  8. Does anyone remember what the name is of the horn the prests blew? A shofar


Joshua & Rahab

  1. What did Joshua tell Rahab? That she could live

Closing:

 End with a prayer.

Sources:

 DVD - "The Battle of Jericho" (Beginner's Bible Series).  Was re-released Sept. 22, 2015 in a collection called "Beginner's Bible Vol. 4". Great for your younger children.   It includes 4 of the original titles:  Joseph & His Brothers, Daniel & the Lion's Den, The Battle of Jericho, and Jonah. Looks like they may be taking this out of print as Beginner's bible are now posting full episodes on YouTube as noted above.


 A lesson written by Luanne Payne from:  Hampton United Church
Hampton, Ontario, Canada

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

Last edited by Luanne Payne

Joseph

Video/Games Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Watch the video, Joshua and the Battle of Jericho from “The Greatest Adventure Stories from the Bible” by Hanna Barbera (1985). Play a marshmallow wall-building relay race game.

Memory Verse:

Joshua 1:9


Leader Preparation:

  • Read the scripture ahead of time.
  • Gather the materials.
  • Preview the video.

Supplies List:

  • Joshua and the Battle of Jericho from “The Greatest Adventure Stories from the Bible” by Hanna Barbera (1985).
  • Popcorn
  • Plastic Spoons
  • Marshmallows

Advanced Preparation Requirements:

  • Have the video ready to go when the kids arrive.
  • Pop the popcorn.


Presentation

Opening-Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Introduce yourself to the children as they come into the room with their guide. They will be wearing nametags, and in September, when you are new to them, you can also wear a nametag.

Open with a prayer.

Review the memory verse, “Be strong and courageous, …for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 Also review the bonus verse, “…as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15

Dig-Main Content and Reflection:

Show the children your Bible, and tell them that today’s story is from God’s Word, the Bible, from the sixth book, Joshua. Name the first six books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy and Joshua.

We will be showing the video, Joshua and the Battle of Jericho from “The Greatest Adventure Stories from the Bible” by Hanna Barbera (1985).

Before you pass out the popcorn and start the video, ask some review questions and provide some information to the children in the audience.

Ask, “Who was Joshua?” (ANS: He was the man chosen by God to be the leader of the people of Israel after Moses died.)

Ask what the students remember about Rahab and the spies from their previous workshops. Give them brief answers if they don’t remember.

Ask, “What river did Joshua lead the people across?” (ANS: the Jordan River)

Ask, “What did they do with twelve stones?” (ANS: They made a memorial heap at Gilgal, to remember God’s great miracles of stopping the River Jordan so they could cross on dry land and parting the Red Sea when they left Egypt.)

Explain to the children that this video series begins with a story of some modern teenagers who travel back in time to the Bible times. This is not really possible, but it helps us get into the story.

Also explain that the Ark of the Covenant in the movie looks like a tent that is carried between two poles carried by four men. Actually, it was a special gold-covered box containing the two stone tables with the Ten Commandments on them that Moses received at Mt. Sinai. It also contained a sample of “manna”, the special food God provided to the Israelites when they wandered for 40 years with Moses in the wilderness. The Ark was the sign of God’s presence with the Israelites. Watch for it in the movie; it is important.

Show the video, and pass out popcorn. Follow the video with a game.

Questions: (Use these as a teaching opportunity.)

  1. How did God keep His promise to bring the Israelites into the Promised Land? (ANS: He used an obedient, faith-filled leader named Joshua, and he gave the people success crossing the Jordan River, even though it was at flood stage, and conquering the walled city of Jericho.)
  2. How do you think God prepared the Israelites to enter the Promised Land? (ANS: He taught them to trust Him by supplying their needs in the wilderness, giving them manna to eat, giving them laws, the Ten Commandments, and a way to worship Him. He also disciplined them [this is new teaching] when they did not trust Him. The first time they tried to enter Canaan, 40 years before this time, Joshua and Caleb were among 12 spies sent to spy out the land. All but Joshua and Caleb reported back to Moses that the inhabitants of the land were too fierce for them to conquer, but Joshua and Caleb had faith that God would give them victory. They had to wait 40 years for victory because God needed to discipline and train His people.)
  3. How is entering the Promised Land a little bit like entering God’s Kingdom, where He rules inside you? (ANS: God can rule inside you when you believe Him and obey Him, just like Joshua did. If you believe God knows and loves you and that He forgives you because of Jesus’ dying on the cross for your sins, and if you follow Jesus obediently, God rules inside of you.)


Game: Marshmallow Wall-Building Relay Race

  1. Divide the group into two parts by having the children count off, “1,2, 1,2…” Twos are in one line, and ones in the other line.
  2. Provide a plastic spoon for each child in line, and place a bowl of marshmallows at the front of the line.
  3. At the signal, the first person in line has to scoop up a marshmallow in his spoon and carry it in his/her mouth while race-walking to a spot designated for building their team’s marshmallow wall.
  4. If the player drops the marshmallow, he/she must go back and start over.
  5. Wall-building has to be done by holding the spoon in the mouth and dropping the marshmallow into a designated area, and then hands are allowed, but only on the newly delivered marshmallow (e.g. a player can’t touch other marshmallows).
  6. The first team to build a wall that does not topple is the winner.
  7. Follow it with treats, marshmallows, of course (with alternatives for allergic kids.)

Closing:
Close with a circle of prayer, and invite children to return next week with their Bible and a friend.


A lesson posted by rotation.org member "learner".

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

Last edited by Luanne Payne

Joshua

Movie Workshop

 

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Uses the video Josh and the Big Wall (Veggie Tales)

 

Scripture Reference:

Joshua 1-9, 22-24.


 

Leader Preparation:

  • Read and reflect on the overview page for Joshua.
  • Read the book of Joshua. Yes, I know it is long, but it will help you understand what you are teaching. At the very least, read Joshua 1-9, 22-24.
  • Preview the video so you know whether you want to stop at all. The “Silly Songs with Larry” in the middle of the video is truly silly. It has no bearing on the story at all. You might want to consider cutting it out, although you can be the judge on the time you have for class and the amount you want for discussion.
  • Pop the popcorn

Supplies List:

  • Josh and the Big Wall (Veggie Tales)

  • Popcorn 



Presentation

 

Opening-Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Welcome, introduce yourself, take attendance and meet the kids.

 

Open with a prayer.

 

Dig-Main Content and Reflection:

  • Give an introduction to the movie and some key things to look for (or a preview of questions that will be asked following the movie.)
  • Emphasize the key verse. Have the kids repeat it and ask them to keep that in mind as they view the movie.
  • Hand out popcorn.
  • Show the VeggieTales movie, “Josh and the Big Wall”
  • Discuss some of the questions. (Choose the ones that are appropriate to your age group.)

Closing:

  • Close with a prayer. You could say the prayer, or you could have them repeat part of the prayer after you.

Closing prayer:
Dear God, We are glad to be part of your family. Help us to live as you would want us to live. Even though your instructions sometimes seem weird, help us to trust in you and to follow the path you would have us take. It is in Jesus’ name that we pray, Amen.


Questions:


Reflecting on the movie.

  1. Why were the Israelites in the desert to begin with?
  2. How did Joshua react to the news that he was to just walk around Jericho?
  3. Were all of the Israelites in agreement over what was to be done?
  4. Did the people of Jericho believe that the walls would fall down by people just walking around it?
  5. Looking at the key verse, what do you think “serving the Lord” means? Was it easy for Joshua to serve the Lord? What are ways that each of you can serve the Lord?
  6. Have you ever been asked to do something that sounds ridiculous but that when tried, really works? How does it feel after you have done what was asked of you?

 

A lesson posted by rotation.org member "learner". 

 

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

 

Last edited by Rotation.org Lesson Forma-teer

DVD - “Rahab and the Walls of Jericho” (New Superbook Series)

At school, Joy is not getting along with Becky. Suddenly, Superbook sends Joy, Chris, and Gizmo to a time where Israeli spies team up with Rahab. Joy learns that those who seem like enemies can get along and find common ground. Lesson:  When you get to know your enemies, you can sometimes find common ground.  (Animated - approx. 28 mins)

See Rotation.org reviews of the "New Superbook" DVD Series for more details on this series link).

Last edited by Luanne Payne

Animated short video introducing Joshua and the story of Jericho.

Joshua 5. 3:28 minutes long. Suitable as an intro to a Bible study or in worship. From Saddleback Kids, posted on their free YouTube channel.

Last edited by Neil MacQueen

Yikers! 

Recently saw Joshua-Fall of Jericho as portrayed in the first 12 minutes of 2013's mini-series "THE BIBLE," Episode 3: "Homeland."

Rahab, Spies, Joshua, Walls, Battle.

Rahab gets roughed up by the Jericho soldiers and we see her with a knife to her throat.   The fall of the walls IS pretty cool looking, but it's followed by lots of killing   Then the story skips forward to Samson and the episode gets even more violent. 

Give them credit for attempting to accurately portray the violence in these stories --which Sunday School teachers tend to GLOSS OVER.  But count me out for teaching either of these two stories only more than "in passing." From my Jesus-point-of-view, the "conquest" of Canaan looks more like sin, and not anything sacred. 

There are 10 episode in THE BIBLE. I only recommend Episode 5 (Daniel) and 6-10 (Jesus). 

Supporting Members Take Note: 

There are teaching outlines to THE BIBLE Episodes 5-10 and an overview of what's in the "not entirely recommended" Episodes 1-4 which have a few good things in them for kids.

You can see these outlines here at Rotation.org.

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