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David and Goliath

Summary of all workshops in this Rotation:

  • Art: make two stick puppets- one to represent Goliath (a giant in their lives) and the other to represent what our shield is. (Note: written for 1st - 3rd grades, easily adaptable for older kids.)
  • Cooking: Make a giant cookie and discuss giants in their lives.Our preschoolers got to play this game too - to practice battling giants
  • Games: Answer game questions to throw a "sock-rocket" at a giant. Focus is on learning story details.
  • Puppets: Use object theater (i.e., kitchen utensils as story characters) to enact the story. (Note: written for 4th-6th grades)
  • Video: View portions of the video, The Beginners Bible Series: The Story of David and Goliath.
  • Drama: Two lessons are included --
    • #1: Enact the story of the Israelites facing Goliath including, of course, a giant! (Note: written for 4th-6th grades)
    • #2: Read through the script and perform the skit  “The Day the Bully Went Down” from 30 New Testament Quick Skits for Kids. (Note: written for 2nd-5th grades; a copy of this script is not included for copyright reasons.)

Scripture Reference: 1 Samuel 17:1-49

Key Verse:  "Have I not commanded you? 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 (NIV)

Rotation Objectives — After completing this Rotation, participants will be able to:

  • Name that the story is found in the Old Testament.

  • (2nd grade and up) Locate the story in the Bible. Identify that this story is found in the collection of Bible books called “History.”

  • Retell the story of David and Goliath.

  • Express the unlikelihood of an outcome of David battling the giant Goliath with just small stones; his greatest tool was his faith in God.

  • Explore how a person develops trust/faith in God.

  • Identify potential “giants” in their life and recognize that God can be trusted to help them face those giants.


Story Background

David was a shepherd, songwriter, soldier, great king, and ancestor of Jesus. He easily qualifies as a hero of the Old Testament (in spite of also having a number of negative qualities). Our Rotation will focus on an encounter David has with a giant named Goliath, an event that takes place when David is a youth, before he becomes king.

The story of David and Goliath is perhaps the most well known story in the Bible. It is easy to understand the appeal of this narrative for kids; there is suspense, excitement, and a great outcome: a small guy triumphs over a bully. But what life application can our kids take from this Bible story? The intention is not to teach our children to throw rocks at bullies! While kids don’t often find themselves literally on a battlefield, we all do face “giants” – both externally and internally. This is a story about using faith in God to fell those giants.

Who was David?

Our kids learned of David last September, in the story of David’s anointing (1 Samuel 16:1-13). The youngest son of Jesse, David lived with his family in Bethlehem. At that time, Saul was king of Israel. Saul had started off as a good king, but he had become rebellious and no longer obeyed God. God instructed the prophet Samuel to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as a replacement king.

Samuel followed God’s call and traveled to Bethlehem to seek the new leader. One by one, Jesse’s eldest seven sons were introduced to him, but none of them was the one chosen by God. Finally David was called from the fields where he was tending the family’s sheep. “Then the Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; he is the one’” (1 Sam. 16:12c).

Anointed as king

The process of anointing someone – pouring oil on their head – was used to set someone apart for service to God. As Samuel anointed David’s head with oil, “from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power” (1 Sam. 16:13b). David was anointed as king, but this anointing happened in secret. Though Saul knew he was being replaced, (1 Samuel 15) he was still legally the king. It wasn’t until later that he would learn that David was his replacement – but that’s another story!

Still a shepherd

David had plenty of time to mull over his anointing experience. God’s plan for the future of his people – the kingdom of Israel – depended on David. Imagine the strength David would gain from knowing this! God had his back!

As he awaited God’s plan to be put into action, David kept busy tending sheep. We also know he played the harp. Perhaps he experienced closeness to God through his music. As we’ll learn later in our Bible story, being a shepherd gained David valuable skills. 1 Samuel 17:34-35, David describes his bravery in protecting his sheep:

When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield

The Israelites found themselves threatened by their enemies, the Philistines. Jesse’s three oldest sons were sent to join King Saul’s army against the Philistines. “So the Philistines and the Israelites faced each other on opposite hills, with the valley between them” (1 Samuel 17:3). Right from the start, neither side wanted to start a battle in such terrain. Who would risk an attack across open ground and up the opposing slope? Given the situation, it was common for an army to avoid the high cost of battle by pitting their champion against the champion of their enemy. Thus, Goliath, a Philistine giant over nine feet tall, sets forth his challenge:

Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other” (1 Samuel 17:8-10).

Check out the description of Goliath’s protective coverings in 1 Samuel 17:5-7. His armor weighed 125 pounds! For forty days, twice a day, Goliath would stride out to challenge the Israelites, verbally taunting them. Imagine him shouting put-downs against “the army of the living God” (1 Samuel 17:26c).

Why won’t anyone fight Goliath?

Saul and the Israelite army were frozen with fear. This fear at first seems reasonable – Goliath sounds terrifying! But a little knowledge of history can make this fear also seem puzzling. The Old Testament history books of Joshua and Judges are full of stories of successful battles against insurmountable odds, as long as the Israelites obeyed and trusted God. Shouldn’t the Israelites be asking, “Only one giant?” (Deffinbaugh). It is in Joshua (1:9) that we find the apt words of our key Bible verse (which the Israelites needed to remember):

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

It seems that Goliath is intimidating due to his size, but also because the kingdom of Israel lacks faith in God.

David arrives on the scene

Recall that David’s three older brothers are on the scene of this “battle.” Their father, Jesse asked David to bring his brothers some food. As David arrived in camp he heard Goliath’s ranting. David understood that when Goliath insulted God’s people, he was also insulting God. To not respond was shameful. David knew what to do. He told Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him” (1 Samuel 17:32).

Preparing for battle

Because of his young age and small size, Saul tried to dissuade David from fighting, but David is convinced that he should fight Goliath. “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37a).

Saul then gave David his own armor, including a bronze helmet and his sword, but David was not accustomed to the weight. He told Saul, “I cannot go in these, because I am not used to them” (1 Samuel 17:39b). So it was that David went off to battle with only his shepherd’s staff, his slingshot and five smooth stones plucked from a stream.

Why did David refuse Saul’s armor? He had faith! He knew he could defeat Goliath by trusting in God and relying on God's power.

When Goliath saw that a boy had been sent to fight, he taunted David and bragged that he would feed his body to the birds. David shouted back that the Lord would hand Goliath over to him. David made it clear that it was not his skill, but God’s power and might that would settle this battle. David wasn’t just trying to win a reward for himself, he was trying to serve God. He told Goliath:

I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down … the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands (I Sam. 17:45-47).

A slingshot and one stone?

When we read about a slingshot we think of a Y-shaped stick and a rubber band. David’s slingshot wasn’t like that. A slingshot in those days was a leather pouch with two long cords attached to it. The stone was placed in the pouch and the entire unit was waved around your head before the stone was released. People skilled with slings could rifle stones at 100 mph!

Yet David’s slingshot was not a super weapon. A slingshot against an armored giant was nothing; Goliath even said so (I Sam 17:43). The odds of it defeating Goliath were zilch. Thus be careful not to turn the slingshot into a metaphor for “small things we can do to bring down big problems” (MacQueen). While that's an interesting idea, the point of David’s slingshot is to heighten the impossibility and thus the need to allow God to act.

David is too young and too small to wear armor and thus appears to only bring to battle a slingshot, but David also brings his confidence in God! David wasn't that good a shot. Neither are we. Do we depend on God for our success? It’s not the rocks we throw; it is the rock upon which we stand!

How we get faith/trust in God?

This story is about being prepared to serve God, and to courageously do seemingly impossible things. So how do we get there? How does a person develop trust/faith in God? What practices will prepare us to face the inevitable giants of life?

Faith is not something that we can gain just by following certain guidelines, however at any age we can take steps to grow our faith:

  • Realize that you are on a faith journey, a way of living. Recognize that you will always have new potential of a different relationship with God.
  • Know who God is, what God teaches, and what God promises. “You can't just use your heart; [faith] also includes your head” (Jacobson). So study your Bible! Aren’t you glad to be learning along with our kids?
  • Make the choice to put God first in your life, no matter what the cost.
  • Experience faith in community. Worship together, pray together, serve together, talk and ask questions.


Battling today’s giants

We all experience our own “giants” on a daily basis. Kids face pressures to conform to certain standards of appearance and behavior. Goliaths are also represented in the bully on the playground, and the temptations of drugs, alcohol, sex, cheating, lying, etc. With this story we will strive to help our children know that they do not face these pressures alone. God is with them always, and will give them strength and courage, just as he did for David.

Have I not commanded you? 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).



References:

  • Crane, Amy. “David and Goliath: Teacher Background Notes.” 2003. Web.
  • “David and Goliath Workshop Leaders’ Bible Study.” Faith Quest Lesson Sets at Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church. 2003. Web.
  • Deffinbaugh, Bob. “The Life and Times of Samuel, Saul and David: A Study of 1 and 2 Samuel.” Biblical Studies Foundation. 1998. Bible.org.
  • Easton, Matthew George. “Entry for David.” Easton's Bible Dictionary. 1897. Web.
  • G.R.E.A.T. Adventure Dream Team at State Street United Methodist Church, Bristol, VA. “David and Goliath - Giant-Sized Faith!” 2001. Print.
  • Jacobson, Rolf A. Crazy Talk: A Not-so-stuffy Dictionary of Theological Terms. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 2008. Print.
  • Life Application Study Bible Notes. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1996.
  • MacQueen, Neil. “Critique of David & Goliath Lessons, and what this story is about.” July 3, 2004, updated 2014. Web.


Other resources: Visit Carol's blog – where we encourage parents to continue the learning at home.

(Conflict of Interest Disclosure: None, Carol does not make any money from her blog. Any ads you may see are placed by Wordpress.)


Images in this post copyright 2015 by Carol Hulbert.

A set of workshops written by folks from:
First United Methodist Church
120 S. State Street Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Copyright 2004, 2008, 2015 First United Methodist Church, Ann Arbor, MI.  Permission to copy materials granted for non-commercial use provided credit is given and all cited references remain with this material.


If you use this material, even in a modified form, please include the following reference:
Hulbert, Carol. "David and Goliath: Story Background." Rotation.org. 2015. Web. Place URL where lesson found inside angle brackets<>.

Printed from Rotation.org

Last edited by Luanne Payne
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David and Goliath

Art Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activity:

Create two puppets – one to represent a giant in their lives and the other to represent God as their shield. Discuss the giants we face in our lives. What can help us face our giants? [Note: 1st – 3rd graders visited this workshop though it could easily be adapted for older students.]

Scripture Reference & Key Bible Verse & Objectives: 

Refer to first post in this lesson set.


Leader Preparation:

  • Read Bible Background and scripture.

Materials List:

  • For 3rd grade and up: Bibles
  • Book: David and Goliath by Jean Marzollo
  • Easel; appropriate marker
  • Sharpie marker
  • Duct tape
  • Stones - medium sized, need to write words on them
  • Paint sticks (two per student)
  • Poster board: pre-cut shield shapes (one per student) and precut squares or rectangles (one per student)
  • Construction paper in a variety of colors, scissors, glue, tape
  • Any other supplies to create puppets – this is a great workshop to get rid of odd stuff!
  • Markers, gel pens, colored pencils, crayons

Advanced Preparation Requirements:

  • Write out the key Bible verse on pieces of Duct Tape - one or two words per piece. Put these pieces of tape on the rocks. (“Have I not commanded you? 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)
  • Attach the sticks to the puppet bases ahead of time – for each student: one “Goliath” puppet base attached to a stick, and one “shield” puppet base attached to a stick.
  • Set out puppet supplies. [Note: it is best not to make sample puppets to show the kids. It allows students to use their own creativity. It is OK to play with materials so you are aware of how they can be used.]
  • Look over the book David and Goliath so that you will be able to tell the story, rather than reading it. Bookmark the page in the book that shows the picture of Goliath. [There aren’t any page numbers. Use the page with the picture of Goliath that has no words on it.]


Presentation

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction

Greet your students warmly, welcoming them to the Art Workshop. Introduce yourself and any other adults.

Do:  Show the students the bookmarked page in the book David and Goliath.
Ask: How many of you have ever had to face a giant like this one?

Say: Thankfully none of you have had to face this giant. This is an artist’s rendition of someone who was called a giant, because he was a very tall man. His name was Goliath. Our Bible story is about how a young boy named David was brave enough to battle Goliath. Today, as we discuss our story, we’ll be making puppets.
 

Dig: Main content and Reflection

Ask: The Bible is divided into two sections. What are the two sections called? (the Old Testament and the New Testament)
If our story was one that Jesus would have heard when he was your age, where would we find this story? (in the Old Testament)

Say: We find this story in the Old Testament of our Bible. All of the stories in the Old Testament are stories that Jesus would have heard as he was growing up.

For 1st and 2nd graders:

Say: We find our story in an Old Testament book called First Samuel. 

 

For 3rd grade and up:

Distribute Bibles.
Ask: Who can tell me the names of the books of the Old Testament?
Review the names up to the Samuels: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, First and Second Samuel.

Show them that if they open their Bible in the middle, they will usually land in the book of Psalms in the OT. Point out that First Samuel comes before Psalms, since we didn’t name Psalms. Let them flip through the first half of the Bible for it, referring to the list of books (hopefully in their heads!) or use the table of contents. If anyone has tabs in their Bible, tell them that 1st Samuel is considered a History book.

After they’ve found I Samuel, help them find chapter 17, verse 1 and tell them this is where the story of David and Goliath is told in the Bible.

For all students:
Ask the students to tell you what they know about David and Goliath. [This will guide you in knowing what to emphasize during the lesson.]

Use the book David and Goliath to tell the story. (Don’t read every word in the book; it will take too much time.) Show the pictures as you tell the story. In later weeks of the Rotation ask the students to tell you the story using the pictures in the book as a prompt.

Initial Discussion:
Say: Let’s talk a minute about giants. Goliath was very tall so we say he was a giant. But the word giant can describe anything that is big – say, a giant problem. A bully can be a giant; a teacher or a boss that is a taskmaster can be a giant; being afraid of the dark is a giant; a problem in your family can seem like a giant.

Ask: With that definition of a giant, I am wondering what giants do you sometimes face?

Generate a few ideas, listing them briefly on the easel paper. If possible, share a giant that you personally have faced in your life.

Ask: Did David have any fancy armor or weapons to use against Goliath?
What did David use to fight Goliath?

Show the students a picture of David’s sling – use the page in the book David and Goliath where David is fighting a lion.

Say: It’s pretty amazing that Goliath was killed using a slingshot. King Saul had offered David his armor and sword but David didn’t wear it!
Ask: He must have had a secret weapon, what do you suppose it was?

Draw a large shield shape on the easel paper. Write the words “trust God” inside the shield. 

Say: David didn’t have a shield like King Saul but he had a special kind of armor – David trusted God to protect him. David told Goliath that it was not his skill, but God’s power and might, that would settle the battle.

Ask: What about for us; what can our armor or shield be against our giants [refer to the list that was made]? (allow all answers)

Say: Our armor against our problems, our giants, is to trust that God will help us. We call that, having faith. The giants may still seem scary but our faith in God helps us face them.

 Introduce the art materials:
Say: Today we are going to make two stick puppets. Make one puppet that represents a giant in your life. You may use any of the materials on the table. The second puppet will be in the shape of a shield. It represents the armor we have to protect us from our giants. Decorate your shield puppet as a reminder of how God is with you.

Allow the students to create two puppets. Use the Sharpie to write their names on the puppet sticks. Give them time to think about what they would like to create. Offer suggestions only if they need them:

  • Their “giant” puppet should remind them of a giant in their life – one they have already faced or will face. 
  • They may use construction paper and scissors to make shapes to decorate their puppet. 
  • Their shield puppet could be a picture that reminds them of a time when God was with them. 
  • They could write on the shield, reminders of how God is with us. (Trace a shield shape on construction paper and write words on it and then cut it out.) Or write the memory verse.

Discussion: (while the kids are working, ask)

  • Looking back in the story about David, what other ways was God with David? (as a shepherd fighting lions and bears)
  • What are some past experiences that you can draw on to find courage in God?
  • How does our armor protect us? How is God with us?
  • How do we get armor like David had – how do we develop faith in God? (learn about God, read Bible, pray, ask questions, talk with your family, come to Sunday’s Cool)

Activities for early finishers:

  • Challenge them to arrange the set of stones into the correct order of the key Bible verse.
  • Have them use their puppets to enact the story. Ask them to enact a modern day version of the story.

Closing:
Ask: Do you think David was afraid when he faced Goliath? What made him brave?
Say: David proved that God was at a child’s side, giving him courage.

Say the memory verse together. “Have I not commanded you?  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

Say: Take your puppets home and use them to tell your family the story of David and Goliath. Your puppets are a reminder that we can trust God to help us face giants.

Say: Let’s close with 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. A suggestion: “Dear God, Thank you for the chance to be creative today in our art projects. We thank you for creating us. Help us to live boldly – even when we face giants in our lives. Help us to trust that you love us and call us your special friend. (End with the Lord's Prayer) Amen.”


Resources for Art Lesson:

  • Faith Quest Lesson Sets at Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church, Cary, NC. “David &Goliath.” 2003. Web.
  • Bible.org
  • Heyward, Will. “David and Goliath.” Smyrna Presbyterian Church. Waynesboro, VA. 2002.
  • Shield Shape (note original link no longer active - here is another shield pattern https://patternuniverse.com/download/shield-pattern/)

Workshop Leader comments:  "The younger kids had difficulty translating their personal giant into the puppet format - most just 'decorated' their form, not a bad activity, but didn't allow for reinforcement of the message as much as hoped."  [Note: For this reason, this lesson was not repeated in 2015.]


If you use this material, even in a modified form, please include the following reference:
Hulbert, Carol. "David and Goliath: Art Lesson." Rotation.org. 2004, 2008. Web. Place URL where lesson found inside angle brackets<>.

 A lesson written in 2004, updated in 2008, by Carol Hulbert from:

First United Methodist Church
Ann Arbor, MI, USA
 A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.

Printed from https://www.rotation.org

Last edited by Luanne Payne

David and Goliath

Cooking Workshop

 

Summary of Lesson Activity:

Make (and eat!) a giant cookie while learning story details about David and Goliath. The first week of the Rotation, the class will use a pre-made cookie dough and then they will make the dough for use in subsequent weeks.

 

The opening slide of our David and Goliath PowerPoint

 

Note: We created a PowerPoint to tell this story using pictures from the book by Brendan Powell Smith, David and Goliath: The Brick Bible for Kids. Some pictures are from the website by the same author, The Brick Testamenthere and here.   

 

For copyright reasons, this PowerPoint can not be shared. An alternate way of telling the story is included below.

 

 

Scripture Reference & Key Bible Verse & Objectives: 

Refer to first post in this lesson set.

 

 


 

Leader Preparation:

 

  • Read Bible Background and scripture.

 

Materials List:

  • A batch of pre-made cookie dough (see end of lesson for recipe, makes four 5½ inch round cookies (cut into ¼’s for a total of 16 servings)
  • One Egg (per batch of dough to be created by students)

  • Butter (one stick = 1/2 cup, per batch of dough)

  • Flour (one and one-quarter cups per batch of dough)
  • Brown sugar (one half a cup, packed)
  • White sugar (one quarter of a cup)
  • Vanilla
  • Baking soda
  • Mini Chocolate chips - One cup (one half of a 12-ounce size — One cup 1/2 package)
  • Serving utensils (spatula, knife) and a serving tray
  • Two large sheet pans
  • Parchment paper
  • Two Ice cream scoops (~ 2” diameter or 1/8 cup capacity)
  • Measuring cups and Teaspoons
  • Two Mixing Bowls (one large and one smaller)
  • A Hand mixer
  • A Pencil
  • A five inch circle stencil (to draw on parchment paper for cookie size)
  • Aprons
  • A zipper freezer bag (for freezing dough for the next weeks use)
  • Story paraphrase  (See the attachment at end of lesson. To download, click on the underlined words "Story Paraphrase.doc")
  • The Young Reader’s Bible (if the story paraphrase is used)
  • For 2nd graders and up: Adventure Bibles
  • Pen and note pad
  • Napkins

 

Advanced Preparation Requirements:

  • Take cookie dough out of refrigerator to become more pliable, & break it into two halves.
  • Take 1/2 cup of butter (one stick) out of the fridge to soften
  • Cover the sheet pans with parchment paper and draw two circles (using 5-inch stencil) on each piece of parchment in pencil.
  • Decide if you’d like to premeasure any ingredients (recommended for younger students)
  • Cover the baking pans with parchment paper.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (For a convection oven use 325.)
  • When 3rd graders and up visit, distribute Bibles around the tables.

 



Presentation

 

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction

 

Do: Greet your students warmly, welcoming them to the cooking workshop. Introduce yourself and have the Shepherds introduce themselves.

 

Ask for a few volunteers to briefly share a moment when they felt afraid. (Perhaps you’ll need to share a moment from your experience to prime the pump.) Make a note (either mental or writing it down is ok) of any moments that sound like “giants” in their lives.

 

Say: In today’s Bible story, a boy named David faces a very large man named Goliath. Goliath was really big. He was described as a giant! Everyone was afraid of Goliath but David was sure he could fight Goliath and win.

 

Ask: Who knows how the story turns out? (allow a brief answer)

 

Say: It sounds like a pretty unlikely story doesn’t it – a small boy wins a battle with a large, over nine feet tall giant – and with only a slingshot!

Ask: Have you ever faced a giant like Goliath? Wait, can’t the word giant describe anything that is big – say, a giant problem?

How many of you have faced that kind of giant – a giant problem? [If necessary, remind the students of the “giants’ in their lives, mentioned earlier.]

 

Say: Because we are talking today about “giants” – we are going to make some giant cookies. While our cookies bake we’ll discuss more about our story and how the story can help us face giants in our own lives.

 

 

Dig- Main Content and Reflection:

 

Do:  Wash your hands first and then have everyone wash their hands. Offer aprons to those who’d like to wear one. Break the class into two groups. Give each group half of the batch of cookie dough.

 

Say: To make our giant cookies, some of you will be scooping dough and some of you will be pressing the dough into a circle.

 

Do: Ask each group to take turns scooping three - ½ ice cream scoops of dough (about ½ cup total) onto each parchment paper circle. Those that are not scooping can press the dough into the form of a circle.

 

Note: Have the students pressing the dough put some flour on their hands to prevent sticking, and to try to press the dough into an even thickness.

 

Say: Notice the size of the cookies compared to the very small chocolate chips. Goliath cookies and David chocolate chips!!  

 

Do: Ask Shepherd to bake and time the cookies (about 10-14 minutes, they are done when they are golden around the edges), and, when done, to cut each cookie into quarters and bring them to the Social Hall on the serving tray.

 

Say: Now we are going to make dough for next week’s class!

 

Do: Assign the following tasks to the two groups. Name the groups “David” and “Goliath”.

  1. Have the David group add these items to the bowl and mix them. Try to make turns as even as possible. If someone doesn’t add something, have them use the hand mixer to mix.
    • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
    • 1 stick of butter
    •  1/4 cup white sugar
    • 1 Egg
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  2. Meanwhile, have the Goliath group add the dry ingredients to the smaller bowl and mix together:
    • 1 1/4 cups flour
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  3. After the wet ingredients are in the bowl, have the David Group use the hand mixer to get them all incorporated. Make sure to have them start it on low so the ingredients don’t go everywhere! It takes about 2 minutes for the ingredients to become fully mixed.
  4. Have the Goliath group add the dry ingredients into the larger wet ingredient bowl. (if there are more students than jobs, divide up the flour adding and the hand-mixing task.)
  5. Have the Goliath group use the hand mixer to incorporate the dry ingredients in (takes about a minute to get it together).
  6. Have the David group add the mini chocolate chips and mix in by hand (take turns). The batter should be stiff and smooth.
  7. Ask the Shepherd to bag up the dough into a zipper freezer bag and pop into the freezer.

Do: Have the students wash their hands, and meet back in the classroom area for the lesson and discussion.



Hear and discuss the story:

 

(Note: here is where we started the PowerPoint. I had added slides to show during the discussion about the organization of the Bible.)


Say: Let’s dig into our Bible story.

 

Do: Run quickly through the next three slides…

 slide on PowerPoint for how many testaments

Ask: How many testaments are in the Bible? (2)

 

Ask: Why are there two testaments?

Say: The two testaments divide the Bible into the portion that Jesus learned when he was your age – the Old Testament, and the New Testament which is stories about Jesus and the early church.

 

Ask: Is the story of David and Goliath in the Old Testament or the New Testament?

 

Say: Since Jesus would have learned this story of God always with us, when he was your age, we find it in the Old Testament.

 

For 2nd and up:

 

Say: Besides being divided into two testaments, the Bible is further divided into collections. Let’s take a look at some of the collections that make up the Old Testament, since our story is in the Old Testament.

 

Do: Have students turn to the Table of Contents and find the list of Old Testament books. Ask: Can anyone tell me the first collection of books of the Old Testament?

Say: The first collection in the Old Testament is called the “Pentateuch” (Pronounced: PEN-tuh-took); penta meaning five. This collection is also called the books of the “Law” or the books of “Instruction.” Our story is found in First Samuel.


Ask: What collection is First Samuel in?

Say: This collection is called “History” because they tell us about the history of God’s people who were known in those days as the Israelites. Let’s turn to First Samuel, chapter 17, verse 1.

 

Do: After they’ve found I Samuel 17:1 tell them this is where the story of David and Goliath is told in the Bible.

 

For all students:

 

Say: I have a slide show of our story about David and Goliath.

Ask: How many of you enjoy playing with Legos?

Say: Well the fun thing about this story is all of the pictures have been created out of Legos!

 

Do: Play the Power Point presentation and click to advance to next page. Read the words under each of the pictures. → On later weeks of the Rotation: rather than reading the words, ask the students to tell you the story.

 

Watching the PowerPoint Our students enjoying the PowerPoint

 

An alternate way to tell the story:

 

Have open in front of you an Adventure Bible to 1 Samuel 17:1.
Tell or review the story, using the paraphrase along with the pictures in the story Bible – The Young Reader’s Bible.


For the first paragraph: Start on page 142 with David caring for sheep.
For the next paragraph: Go to page 146/147.
For the next paragraph: Go to page 148/149.
For the last paragraph: Go to page 150.

In later weeks of the Rotation, ask the students to tell you the story. You may not need to read the summary, just use it to fill in details.


Discussion:

 

Note: Whenever the cookies are done, ask the Shepherd to serve one slice of cookie to each student. They can munch while you continue the lesson.  

Giant cookies

(Giant cookies pictured on right!)          

 

Say: Everyone was afraid of Goliath. He was over 9 feet tall!

 

Ask: Why do you suppose David was so certain that he could beat Goliath? (allow all answers)

But David didn’t wear the amour that King Saul tried to give him. What do you suppose made David so strong?

 

Say: David trusted God to help him face the giant Goliath.

Ask: Why do you suppose David trusted God? (accept all answers)

 

Ask: Would any of you like to share why you trust in God?

 

Say: I know I feel great having God with me, during my happy times but also during the times I am afraid. Having faith and trust in God helps me tackle those giants -- those giant problems -- that I am afraid of facing.

 

Ask: What about those giant problems that we talked about earlier? Do you suppose we can be like David and trust God to help us face those giants? (accept all answers)

 

 

Closing:

 

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 stories in the Bible which teach us about you. Each time we face giants in our lives, help us to remember the story of David and his trust that you would be with him to fight his giant. (End with everyone joining in on the Lord’s Prayer.) Amen.”

 

 

If you have extra time:

 

Say the key verse with the students: “Have I not commanded you? 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

 

Ask: When things are going well, it doesn’t require a lot of faith to trust God. But when life turns messy, is your faith leading you to depend on God, or do you put your trust in something else?

What can help us to remember that we can put our trust in God?


 

Resources for Cooking Lesson:

 

  • Faith Quest Lesson Sets at Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church, Cary, NC. “David &Goliath.” 2003. Web.
  • "David & Goliath: Creation Station.” 2003. Web.  
  • Idea for a giant cookie from Jaymie Derden at State Street United Methodist Church, Bristol, VA.  

 

Giant Cookie Recipe


Makes four 5½ inch round cookies (cut into ¼’s for a total of 16 servings)

 

 

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 package (12-ounce size) miniature semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)


1. Preheat convection oven to 325ºF.

2. Line a sheet pan with parchment.

3. Mix sugars, butter, vanilla and egg in large bowl.

4. Mix together flour and baking soda in separate bowl.

5. Stir dry ingredients into larger wet ingredient bowl (dough will be stiff). Stir in mini chocolate chips.

6. With lightly floured fingers, press the dough into circles on parchment paper in the pan (try for an even thickness).

7. Bake about 10-14 minutes or until golden brown; cool in pan.

8. Lift with spatula off parchment to remove cookie. Place on serving platter and cut into quarters.

 



 

Images in this post:

David and Goliath (fair use) from the book by by Brendan Powell Smith, David and Goliath: The Brick Bible for Kids.

Clipart image of kids reading the Bible provided via Christart

Other images copyright 2015 by Carol Hulbert.


If you use this material, even in a modified form, please include the following reference:
Hulbert, Carol and Nicole Merritt and Chris Nelson. "David and Goliath: Cooking Lesson." Rotation.org. 2015. Web. Place URL where lesson found inside angle brackets<>.

 

A lesson originally written by Carol Hulbert in 2004, and updated in 2008.
Updated in 2015 by Nicole Merritt, Chris Nelson and Carol Hulbert from:
First United Methodist Church
Ann Arbor, MI, USA

 

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

 

 

Printed from https://www.rotation.org

 

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  • PowerPoint cover with title
  • how many testaments
  • Watching the PowerPoint
  • Giant cookies
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Last edited by CreativeCarol

David and Goliath

Games Workshop


Summary of Lesson Activities:

The children will start off by playing a quick put-the-story-facts-in-order game. Then, review the story by playing a game involving throwing a sock sling at a giant painted Goliath and answering questions about the Bible story.

Scripture Reference & Key Bible Verse & Objectives:

Refer to the first post in this lesson set.


Leader Preparations:

  • Read the scripture for this lesson.
  • Read and reflect on the overview material provided for this lesson.
  • Gather the following materials:
    • Print two sets (more if you have a large class) of story timeline cards - see attached PDF.
    • Bibles (for 3rd graders and up); One leader's Bible with tabs (Law, History, etc.)
    • For 1st & 2nd graders: The Beginner’s Bible
    • David & Goliath storybookFor 3rd grade and up, the book: David and Goliath by Katherine Sully. Pictured at right.
    • Giant “Goliath” banner (painted onto a ceiling height piece of fabric) 
    • Masking tape
    • At least one “sock rocket” – made by stuffing 2 or 3 balled-up socks into the end of another calf-high sock (An alternate way of constructing sock rockets is noted below.)
    • Print a copy of the game questions - see attachment at end of lesson, under the word "Files." To download, click on "David and Goliath Game Questions.doc")
    • A picture of David's slingshot (We used one from The Animated Stories from the Bible Activity Book:  David and Goliath and The Young David  or search on-line.)
  • On the day of class:
    • Hang the Goliath securely from the ceiling at one end of the room. 
    • Choose a spot on the floor for the kids to stand where it will be somewhat challenging to hit Goliath with the sock rocket. Place a line of masking tape on the floor at the spot you have chosen. (For our preschoolers we used a hula hoop placed an appropriate distance from Goliath. Students were to stand inside the hula hoop.)
    • Practice throwing the sock rocket at the Goliath banner yourself, so you can demonstrate how to do it and so that you can assure yourself that the banner is securely hung up.  Hold the sock at the end opposite “the ball.” Raise your hand above and behind your head. Move your arm forward toward the target (almost like throwing a dart!) and let it soar! (Note: this is not the way that David would have done it but prevents sock rockets from flying all over the classroom!) The picture above is of our preschoolers getting a chance to hit Goliath. They played a pared-down version of this game.

Note: An alternate way of creating sock rockets: (originally written by Will Heywood Smyrna Presbyterian Church) This manner is useful to know if you want to create multiple sock rockets—perhaps for other games?

  1. Procure “waste hose” from Sara Lee Hosiery. They will ship you a box of white waste hose (The toes are not sown in them). There are about 240 hose in a box. They charge ten dollars to cover shipping and handling. Make your check payable to Sara Lee Hosiery and mail it to:
    Sara Lee Hosiery
    Waste Work Program
    P.O. Box 719, Highway 576
    Marian, S.C. 29571

    Note: Allow 4 weeks to receive the order. Information valid as of July 2004. (If you find that this info is still current, please post a reply below.)
  2. Take one hose and tie a knot on the toe end.
  3. Take a handful of other hose and stuff them in the open end (the thigh end) down to the toe.
  4. Push the hose in tight and form a ball at the toe end.
  5. Tie a knot in the hose just on the other side of the hose that has been pushed down into the toe.
  6. Now comes the fun part. Stick your hand down the thigh end of the hose all the way down to the hose knotted at the toe end.
  7. Grab hold of the ball of hose at the toe end with this same hand.
  8. With your free hand, pull the thigh end of the hose off your arm and over the hose tied in a ball at the toe end.
  9. Knot the hose (again) close to the toe end. You have just added another layer or “skin” to the ball of the sock rocket.
  10. Repeat #5 – 8 as many as five to ten times. Remember to tie a tight knot in the hose as close to the balled-up hose as you can.



Lesson Plan: Opening

Do:  Greet your students warmly, welcoming them to the games workshop. Introduce yourself and have the other adults in the room introduce themselves.

Say:  Today, we are going to be talking about the Bible story about David and Goliath, but first, let's play a quick game to see how much you know about the story.

Do:  Divide the class into two teams. (Or into however many sets of story timeline cards you have.)

Say:  I’m going to give each team a set of picture cards that tell the story of David and Goliath. It’s going to be your job to put these cards into the correct timeline, in other words, put them in the order that they actually occurred. However, you will only have two minutes to do it. Are you ready? Go!

Do:  Let the teams know when two minutes is up.

Ask:  How many of you think you got this 100% correct?
Say:  Let’s check your answers!

1) Goliath threatened the army of Israel
2) Jesse sent David to see about his brothers
3) David heard about Goliath.
4) David wanted to fight Goliath!
5) King Saul’s armor was too big for David.
6) He chose five smooth stones from the brook.
7) David takes aim with just his slingshot!
8) David defeated the giant Goliath!


Say:  That's okay if you didn't know the story—yet! We’ll be playing a game that will reveal lots of details of the story. We will also be discussing how this story of a young boy, doing battle with a large, giant of a man, has meaning for our lives today. In our game, you’ll get to take a shot at our Goliath and increase how much you are learning about the story. First, let’s do a little review.

For 1st and 2nd graders:

Ask:  Where in the Bible would we find a story that Jesus learned when he was your age? Say:  We find this story in the Old Testament section of our Bible. I want to remind you to pay close attention as I read you this story because it will help you to play the game.

Do:  Read pages 173-180 in The Beginner’s Bible, showing the pictures as you read. --> In later weeks of the Rotation, use the pictures to prompt the students to tell you the story. 
Important: Add these words to page 177: “God helped me fight off lions and bears that attacked my sheep. God will be with me to fight Goliath.”

For 3rd grade and up:

Do:  Make sure everyone has access to a Bible. Hold the leader's Bible with tabs to review the organization of the Bible. (Note these tabs divide the collections in the Bible: Law, History, etc.)

Ask:  Why is the Bible divided into two testaments? (New Testament was written after Jesus was on earth; the Old Testament is the Bible that Jesus learned when he was a child)

Say:  Besides being divided into two testaments, the Bible is further divided into collections. The first collection in the Bible includes the first five books; it is called the books of the “Law.” The Ten Commandments that God gave Moses are in the Law section of our Bible. [Show them the Law section in the Bible with tabs.]

Ask:  Does anyone know the names of the five books of Law? (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)
Who knows what the second collection is in the Old Testament?

Say: The second collection in the OT is called “History.” The history books tell of the interaction of God with people in history. These stories happened thousands of years ago. Our story is in the History collection.

Ask:  Can anyone name any other books in the History collection? (HInt: Have them look in the Bible table of contents. Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1st & 2nd Samuel, 1st & 2nd Kings, 1st & 2nd Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther)

Do:  Have the students find I Samuel, then find chapter 17, verse 1 and tell them this is where the story of David and Goliath is told in the Bible.
Read aloud the picture book to the class, David and Goliath by Katherine Sully, making sure that everyone sees the pictures as you read. --> In later weeks of the Rotation, use the pictures to prompt the students to tell you the story. 

 
Play the Game:

Do:  To give context, show the students a copy of what David's slingshot looked like. (Not your typical forked stick with a rubber band!)
Say: This is what our “slingshot” looks like.
Ask:  Goliath was a giant! Can anyone tell me how tall Goliath was?
Say:  The Bible tells us that Goliath was more than 9 feet tall!

Do:  Use the tape measure or yardstick to demonstrate that our picture of Goliath is a little less than 8 feet tall.

Do:  Divide the class into two teams. You can choose teams by numbering off or by birthdates. Decide who starts first -- whoever has a birthday closest to today’s date, that team starts. Explain the way the game will work:

  1. You will ask a question.
  2. Each member of a team will take a turn being the team spokesperson. A team may consult on a question but the spokesperson should give the final answer. (Use of Bibles is ok but you may need to enforce a time limit to answer a question.)  
  3. If the question is answered correctly, the spokesperson may take a turn being “David” and throw a sock rocket at Goliath’s head. It doesn’t matter whether Goliath is hit or not.
  4. If a question is answered incorrectly, give the other team a chance to answer the same question. (It encourages everyone to listen to the questions!)
  5. The person who threw the sock rocket will retrieve it and return it to the workshop leader.

Note: Don’t bother to keep score, just keep the game moving.

Do:  Before starting, demonstrate how to throw the sock rocket (as you practiced before class started)

Important: During gameplay, use what you’ve learned in the lesson overview material to engage the students in further discussion. Grades 1 & 2: When you ask a question, offer a choice of answers. Eliminate the harder questions. Grades 3 and up: When you ask a question, don’t offer multiple choices unless the team needs them.

Closing:

Say:  David believed that no matter what happened to him, God would be with him always and would protect him. God loves you. No matter what happens to you, God is with you. Let's close our time together with 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. A suggestion: “Protector God, Thank you for this day and for everyone who is here today. We are thankful to learn about Bible heroes like David who looked to you for courage when facing difficult obstacles. Help us to be more like David and remember that you are with us when we face our difficulties. Amen.”


Resources for the Games Lesson:

  • Story timeline cards created from FreeBibleImages.org by Richard Gunther.
  • G.R.E.A.T. Adventure Dream Team at State Street United Methodist Church, Bristol, VA. “David and Goliath - Giant-Sized Faith!” 2001. Print. (For true/false game questions.).
  • Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church, Cary, NC. “David & Goliath: Antioch Arcade.” 2003. Web. (For game idea & questions)
  • Smyrna Presbyterian Church. Waynesboro, VA. “David and Goliath: Temple Center.” (For idea/construction of sock rockets.)
  • Sully, Katherine.David and Goliath (My First Bible Stories). QEB Publishing, 2015. ISBN-13: 978-1609922610,
  • The Beginner's Bible. Zonderkidz. ISBN-13: 978-0310709626.


The image of the game in action is copyright 2015 by Carol Hulbert.

A lesson originally written by Carol Hulbert in 2004, and updated in 2008.
Updated in 2015 by Beth Pascoe and Chris Nelson and Carol Hulbert
Updated in 2020 by Carol Hulbert

First United Methodist Church, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

Printed from https://www.rotation.org

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Last edited by Luanne Payne

David and Goliath

Puppets Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activity:

Use object theater puppetry (i.e., use kitchen utensils as story character puppets) to enact the story. [Written for 4th – 6th graders.]

Scripture Reference & Key Bible Verse & Objectives:

Refer to first post in this lesson set.


Leader Preparation:

  • Read Bible Background and scripture.
  • For how to do "Object Theater" check it out here over in our Puppet Forum.

Materials List:

  • A variety of Bible versions: NRSV, CEV, TEV, NIV (at least 1 Adventure Bible with tabs - Law, History, etc.)
  • One copy of the document "Bible Dig Sheets" (See the attachment at end of lesson. To download, click on the underlined words "Bible Dig Sheets.doc")
  • Scissors (one pair)
  • A puppet stage
  • Script (see link in resources at end of lesson)
  • Salt & pepper shakers & a Teaspoon (for demonstration)
  • Baby spoon – David
  • Sponges – sheep
  • Various spoons and smaller utensils (at least 3) – David's brothers
  • Spatulas, tongs, ladles (taller utensils) – Philistines
  • A rubber spatula made to look old by attaching some white “beard” – Jesse
  • A large BBQ flipper - Goliath
  • A butter knife – King Saul
  • Props: Mini Marshmallows, some pieces of foil
  • Easel; appropriate marker

Advanced Preparation Requirements:

  • Distribute Bibles around the chairs/seats in the room. Make sure that you include the specific Bibles mentioned above.
  • Cut the Bible Dig sheet apart so that one numbered item is on each piece of paper.
  • Write the key Bible verse on the easel.


Presentation:

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction

Do: Greet your students warmly, welcoming them to the Puppet Workshop. Introduce yourself and have the Shepherds introduce themselves. Invite everyone to come over to the open end of the room.

Say: I would like to give you a little quiz, just so that I can see how much you know about the story of David & Goliath. This quiz requires you to answer the questions by moving. I will ask a true/false question. If you think that the answer is true, go to this side of the room. [Designate one side of the room]. If you think the answer is false, then move to this side of the room. [Designate the other side of the room]. And if you don’t know the answer, you can stand in the middle. It’s ok if you don’t know the answer. [Don’t worry about correcting kids who “answer” wrong. You are just trying to find out what they know.]

T/F quiz questions:

  • Goliath was a short little man. True or false?
  • David was a shepherd and took care of his father’s sheep.
  • The Israelite soldiers drew straws to see who would fight Goliath.
  • David wore King Saul’s armor when he fought Goliath.
  • David used a whole bushel of stones to kill Goliath.

Do: Thank everyone for participating in the quiz. Have everyone sit down.

Dig: Main content and Reflection

Say: Today we will be acting out our story with puppets. First, so that we get the story details right, we’re going to tell this story together and I need your to help. So let's start by finding our story in the Bible.

Ask:  If our story is found in a Bible book called First Samuel, how would we figure out where to find First Samuel? (use Table of Contents)
Say: Let’s all find First Samuel in the Bible.

Do: Have everyone find 1 Samuel 17:1. Then pass out portions of the Bible Dig Sheet.
If there are more than 11 students, form a few groups of two. If you have less than 11 students, eliminate sheets without an asterisk (*). Note: one sheet requires a particular type of Bible.

Say: Follow the instructions on your sheet. You have three minutes and then we’ll all report what we discover as we tell the whole story.

Do: As children read and do what is on their Bible Dig Sheet, sort the portions that you didn’t hand out so you’ll know which questions will not be answered by the class. When three minutes are up begin the following story with input from the students. Note: the #’s represent the Bible Dig Sheet where the answer should come from.

Ask: Is First Samuel in the Old Testament or the New Testament? (anyone can answer - Old Testament)
What collection of BIble books is First Samuel a part of? (#1 - a history book)

Say: First Samuel is a history book. [Show the classroom Bible with tabs.]

Say: We’re going to tell this story together and I need you to help me fill in the blanks.

[Note: Anyone may answer your questions but groups with noted # can be called upon.
In later weeks of the Rotation ask the students to help fill in more of story i.e., leave more blanks, OR try telling the details incorrectly and see if they catch you. For example: David lived 3000 years ago in the town of Ann Arbor...]

Tell the story:

David lived 3000 years ago in the town of Bethlehem. The Israelites who worshipped God were under attack by a tribe called the Philistines. The Philistines had a very large warrior whose name was _____. (#1 - Goliath) who was how tall? _____ (#1 or #2 - over 9 ft). How was Goliath dressed, in his khakis and polo shirt? _____ (#2 ) Oh, imagine the sight, over 9 feet tall and dressed in heavy armor! And can you hear his voice? What was it that Goliath said? _____ (# 3). How did King Saul and all the Israelites react? _____ (#4 - they were afraid!)

There is another character in our story and his name is Jesse. Jesse had eight sons. How many of Jesse’s sons had gone to fight for King Saul and the Israelites? _____ (#5 – three sons) The youngest son _____, (#5 - David) helped his father with the sheep. Now being a shepherd sounds like a piece of cake, right? Well what difficulties might a shepherd face? _____ (#6 - lions & bears) David learned to use a tool called a sling. As long as he had stones, his sling could be deadly against attacking lions.

From reading other parts of the Bible we learn more about David. He liked to write songs and poems that we call psalms. A famous psalm is Psalm 23. What does Psalm 23 tell us about the sort of relationship David had with God? _____ (#7) The Psalms David wrote tell us that he trusted God to be with him at all times.

Now how was it that David ended up on a battlefield with Goliath? _____ (#8) That’s right, Jesse had sent David to take food to his brothers. So David comes into camp and hears Goliath insulting the Israelites. Goliath had been doing this for 40 days!
David finds it hard to believe that no one has yet taken on the battle with Goliath! Forty days this Goliath has insulted God’s people! Goliath is insulting God!

David tells King Saul that he wants to fight the giant. What does King Saul think? _____ (#9) Saul thought that David was too young. But David was sure of God’s protection. After all, God had saved him from the paws of lions and bears.

Saul gives the OK to fight Goliath. What does he try to give David? _____ (#10) But David just couldn’t wear Saul’s armor – he says it doesn’t feel right. So he heads off to face Goliath with just his shepherd’s tools – his staff, his sling and five stones.

Goliath laughs when he sees David the shepherd boy coming toward him. He says he’s going to turn David into bird food. What was it that David told Goliath? _____ (#11)

Then David used his sling to throw one stone at the giant’s head, killing him. David the shepherd boy from Bethlehem had won the battle! The End!


Say: What a great story! This is the kind of story that needs acting out. Let’s use puppets to retell this story. But let’s use a special type of puppets.



Enact the story using puppets:

Have the salt/pepper shakers and a spoon near by.

Ask: Have you ever been at a restaurant and you’re waiting for your food, and you’re little bored so you start playing with the salt and pepper shakers? [Start playing with them.]
And pretty soon the salt and pepper shakers become animated.

Have the salt say to the pepper, “How are you doing today?” Have the pepper respond.
Pick up a spoon; carry on a short conversation with the spoon and the shakers.

Say: These items become a type of puppet. When ordinary household items are used as puppets – it’s called “object theatre.” Today we are going to use object theatre to perform the story of David and Goliath. We can do the puppet show more than once, so that some can be the audience while others are acting out the story; then we’ll switch.

Break the class in half. Assign parts to half of the group. Run through the script (a student may read if desired). Reassign parts so everyone has a chance to “act out” the story. Allow time for discussion and closing. [Perhaps do discussion in between acts of the play.]


Discussion:

Ask: Everyone else was afraid to fight Goliath. Why do you suppose David was so certain that he could win against Goliath? (he wasn’t alone, he had faith in God)
Say: Having faith in God – knowing that God is with you – that made a big difference for David.
Ask: What about giants that we face – do you suppose that having that same faith can help us?
What does it take to have faith like David?
Think of a giant in your life – how would it feel (or look) to face that giant with faith?


Closing:

Say: David believed that no matter what happened to him, God would be with him always and would protect him. God loves you. No matter what happens to you, God is with you.
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. A suggestion: “Dear God, Thank you for this day and for everyone who is here today. We are thankful to learn about Bible heroes like David – who looked to you for courage when facing difficult obstacles. Help us to be more like David and remember that you are always with us. Amen.”


If you have extra time:

Refer to easel, and say the key Bible verse once as group. Then, break into six groups. Have each group recite a portion of the 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

Have them repeat the verse faster, louder, or softer.




Resources for the Puppet Lesson:

  • G.R.E.A.T. Adventure Dream Team at State Street United Methodist Church, Bristol, VA.“David and Goliath - Giant-Sized Faith!” 2001. Print.  (for True/False questions and quiz idea)
  • McKenzie, Lisa-Dawn. “David & Goliath: Script for Object Theatre.” 2008. Web.

If you use this material, even in a modified form, please include the following reference:
Hulbert, Carol. "David and Goliath: Puppet Lesson." Nov. 2008. Web. Place URL where lesson found inside angle brackets<>.

A lesson written in 2008, by Carol Hulbert from:
First United Methodist Church
Ann Arbor, MI, USA

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

Printed from Rotation.org

Attachments

Last edited by Luanne Payne

David and Goliath

Video Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activity:

Start off with a tug-of-war game that illustrates how unlikely the success was of David vs. Goliath. Then watch the animated video, The Beginners Bible Series: The Story of David and Goliath, to learn about the story. Length of video watching is about 23 minutes.

(Note: In 2015 they re-released this series in four volumes on DVD, this video is found on the Beginner's Bible Vol. 2 DVD.  It also appears to be available on YouTube.)

Scripture Reference & Key Bible Verse & Objectives: 

Refer to first post in this lesson set.


Leader Preparation:

  • Read Bible Background and scripture.

Materials List:

  • Thick rope
  • Stool or chair
  • Adventure Bibles
  • The video listed above
  • TV/VCR or appropriate viewing equipment for the form of video being used
  • Easel with paper; appropriate marker
  • Popcorn, napkins (optional)

Advanced Preparation Requirements:

  • Preview the video.
  • Preview the YouTube clip (the first five minutes), that provides an example of the way we’ll be introducing the lesson: http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=9M2JC1NU
  • Recruit a “Large” man to play Goliath
  • Make sure that you understand how to use the video equipment.
  • On the easel write “1 Samuel 17:1-49.” Also, make a “Things to watch for” list. Include these items: Jesse, David, Goliath, King Saul.
  • Have the video cued to the correct starting place: where Samuel is shown walking away, and the three brothers are standing outside David’s house with Jesse. The first words watched should be: “David’s three older brothers were called away”. (About 3 minutes into tape.)
  • Make popcorn (optional).


Presentation

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction

Do: Greet your students warmly, welcoming them to the video workshop. Introduce yourself and have the Shepherds introduce themselves.

Say:  Today we are studying a Bible story of a small person vs. a large person

Ask: Has anyone heard this story before?

Can anyone tell me anything they remember about the story? (accept a few responses)

Say: That's right, it's the story of David and Goliath. This is a well-known story because David was very small boy, but he battled a soldier named Goliath, who was very, very big. In fact, look at my friend, {name of person playing Goliath} here. He’s a big guy. It would be like one of you against him! You know what, let’s give it a try!

Ask: Who thinks they can play tug-of-war with {name of person playing Goliath] and win? Who wants to give it a try?

David vs. Goliath in a game of tug of war

Do: Play several rounds of tug-of-war with a child (or a group of children) vs. "Goliath." (See YouTube video for an example of how to make it work.

Ask: As you conclude the tug-of-war, thank {name of person playing Goliath} and say, “That was tough, I wonder if anybody could beat him?”

Say: Today we will watch a video that tells us all more about this story of David, when he was a young boy, battling a very tall man named Goliath. But David is not alone in this battle – David believes that God is with him and will help him face Goliath.

Dig: Main content and Reflection

Ask: Before we start the video, does anyone remember learning another story about David, way back in September? (in September, the “anointing” of David as king)

Say: Last fall, we learned the story of David being chosen as king of Israel.
Ask: Who can tell me what happens in that story? (allow a few replies)

Was our story in the Old Testament or the New Testament? (in the Old Testament)

Say: We find our story in the Old Testament, in the book of First Samuel.

For 2nd grade and up:

Distribute Bibles.

Have them turn in the Adventure Bible to the second page at the front entitled “About the Old Testament Books.”

Ask: Who can find First Samuel in this list? [Refer to the easel; point out how “1 Samuel” is a way of writing “First Samuel.”]

Say: Our story is found in First Samuel. There are two books whose name contains the name Samuel – First and Second Samuel. Sometimes Bible books are named after their authors, however, Samuel did not write the books of First and Second Samuel. We actually don’t know who wrote these books.

Ask:  Can anyone tell me what collection these books of Samuel are in?

Say: It is important that these are in the collection of “History” books because they tell us about the history of God’s chosen people who were known in those days as the Israelites. First and Second Samuel include stories of about how Samuel had a part in the Israelites becoming a nation ruled by a king. The first king was named Saul. [Refer to Saul on the easel list.] We’ll see king Saul in our video.

Do: Have the students find I Samuel, then find chapter 17, verse 1 and tell them this is where the story of David and Goliath is told in the Bible.

Say:  We'll use our video to tell our Bible story, however, do read it at home this week.

 

For all students:

Say:  Let’s take a look at what we are going to see in our video.

Ask the Shepherd to distribute the snack; meanwhile introduce the characters in the story.
Refer to the “Things to watch for” list on the easel.

Say:  I have a challenge for you today: when you first see one of these characters on the screen, yell the characters name. 

Ask:  Do you think that you are up for the challenge? 

Who do you suppose this is? [refer to the image paused on the video of Jesse with David's three older brothers]

Say: Jesse! There is Jesse, David's father! Okay, that one was too easy. Let's see if you can watch for one of our other characters. I wonder who we'll see next?

Show the Video:


START the video at the designated place.

[Hopefully someone shouts: "David!" as he appears in the first few seconds of shown video.]

[Someone may notice "King Saul" at about 3 and a half minutes into the video, ok to skip this view if not noticed.]

Do: When someone shouts "Goliath" PAUSE the video.

Ask: What is scary about Goliath? (allow all answers - he is large!)

Why didn’t David go to fight the Philistines and Goliath? (considered too young)

How do you suppose King Saul and the Israelite army felt about Goliath?
I wonder if you’ve ever felt threatened by something scary?
What did you do?

Say:  Let's see if see if David decides that he could face Goliath and not be afraid.

Do: Restart the video.

Do: When someone shouts "King Saul," PAUSE the video.

Ask: Why is everyone laughing at David? (they don't think that he can fight Goliath)

Why do you suppose David is not afraid to face Goliath? (accept all answers)

Say: Let’s see what happens.

Do: Restart the video

PAUSE after David has armor removed and he says, “God’s help is all the armor I need.”
Ask: Did you hear what David said?
Say: Let’s listen to that again.
REWIND a short amount, to where David falls over from weight of armor, and restart the video.

STOP at end of video.

Discussion:

Say: Everyone was afraid of Goliath. He was huge!
Ask: What are the chances that David could battle Goliath with just small stones and his sling?
Why was David so certain that he could beat Goliath?
[Remind them of the part you listened to twice: “God’s help is all the armor I need.” David felt that his greatest tool was his faith in God.]

Have everyone close his/her eyes.
Say: Think about something that is scary for you – a giant that you face.
[Pause to allow everyone to visualize his or her giant.]
Say: Would it help you to face that giant if you had faith like David had? Picture yourself facing your giant and singing, “I have a giant of a God, bigger than the trouble in front of me.”

Have everyone open his/her eyes.

Ask: What does it take to have a faith like David’s? (accept all answers: reading the Bible, learning from Sunday’s Cool, learning your others, praying, even experience with giants!)

Say: Trusting God to help us face our giants can be hard. The experience David had trusting God to protect him from lions and bears, taught him to trust God when faced with a giant like Goliath. This week, as you face giants in your life, remember that God loves you. God is with you, helping you face your giants.

Closing:

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, sometimes we are afraid and discouraged. During these times we are comforted by your love. Help us trust that you will be with us wherever we go. Thank you for always being with us to face our giants. (End with the Lord’s Prayer) Amen.”

If you have extra time:

Say the key verse with the students: “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

Have the group plan a different way to “act out” or show each part of the verse – showing arm muscles for be strong, voice inflections, etc. Practice the verse several times, using the motions agreed upon.


Resources for the Video Lesson:



Images in this post copyright 2015 by Carol Hulbert

If you use this material, even in a modified form, please include the following reference: Hulbert, Carol and Chris Nelson. "David and Goliath: Video Lesson." Rotation.org. 2015. Web. Place URL where lesson found inside angle brackets<>.


 

A lesson originally written by Carol Hulbert in 2004, and updated in 2008.
Updated in 2015 by Chris Nelson and Carol Hulbert
First United Methodist Church
Ann Arbor, MI, USA
 

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

Printed from Rotation.org.

Last edited by Luanne Payne

David and Goliath

Drama Workshop # 1 (Note: Two Drama workshops are provided.)  

 

Summary of Lesson Activity:

Videotape a drama of the Israelites facing a giant – how did they react? Who saved the day and how? What giants do we face? What is our protecting armor? (Note: 4th – 6th graders visited this workshop.)

 

 

Scripture Reference & Key Bible Verse & Objectives: 

Refer to first post in this lesson set.

 

 


Leader Preparation:

 

Read Bible Background and scripture.

 

Materials List:

  • Bibles
  • Video camera; Tripod; a way to hook the camera up to the TV
  • Costumes – including helmet, sword, and shield
  • Step ladder
  • Large piece of fabric
  • Roll of duct tape; scissorsa child on a ladder is dressed as a Goliath
  • Shepherd staff
  • A belt with a simple tie bag attached to it
  • Scene clapper



Advanced Preparation Requirements:

  • Familiarize yourself with how to operate the video camera. Have it set up, ready to use.
  • For idea on how to create a step ladder giant refer to the photo on the right.
  • Read Neil MacQueen’s videotaping hints.
  • Cut several pieces of duct tape duct and make them into tape balls (make 5).


  • On the easel write the words “trust in God.” Draw a large shield shape around the words. Cover up this page.
     


Presentation

 

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction

 

Do: Greet your students warmly, welcoming them to the Drama Workshop. Introduce yourself and have the Shepherds introduce themselves.


Say: We are learning about David and Goliath. It’s a story that is great for drama – can you picture a boy named David facing a giant named Goliath? Everyone was afraid of Goliath but David was sure he could fight Goliath and win. 

First let’s review our Bible story.

 

 

Dig: Main Content and Reflection

 

Do: Distribute Bibles.


Ask: Who can tell me the names of the first ten books of the Old Testament?
Review the names up to the Samuels: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, First and Second Samuel.

Do: Show them that if they open their Bible in the middle, they will usually land in the book of Psalms in the OT. Point out that First Samuel comes before Psalms, since we didn’t name Psalms. Let them flip through the first half of the Bible for it, referring to the list of books (hopefully in their heads!) or use the table of contents.  Show them the Leader's Bible with tabs. (Note these tabs divide the collections in the Bible: Law, History, etc.

 

Say:  1st Samuel is a "History" book.

Do: After they’ve found I Samuel, help them find chapter 17, verse 1 and tell them this is where the story of David and Goliath is told in the Bible.

Do: Ask the students to tell you what they know about David and Goliath. [This will guide you in knowing what to emphasize during the lesson.]

If necessary…
Say: Let’s review the parts of this story that we are unclear about.

 

Do: Retell them the story asking them to read whatever parts need reinforcement.

Remind students to use “Radio Reading” – punctuation marks mean you pause. A period means a longer pause. Goliath’s words would be loud and threatening; the frightened Israelites might sound squeaky.

 

Points to cover in retellingScripture to have read if necessary
David from Bethlehem, shepherd boy1 Sam 17:12
Father Jesse sends David to see his brothers1 Sam 17:17,18
Battle between Philistines and Israelites (Mention that Saul was king.)1 Sam 17:19
Philistines had a really tall warrior; Goliath1 Sam 17:4
What Goliath threatened1 Sam 17:8,9
How Saul & the Israelites reacted1 Sam 17:11 
So David took food & he happened to hear…1 Sam 17:23 
David told King Saul that he would fight. Saul said…you’re too young1 Sam 17:33
David told Saul about his shepherding skills1 Sam 17:34,35
Saul gave David his armor but it wasn’t right1 Sam 17:38,39
What David took with him to battle1 Sam 17:40
What Goliath said to David1 Sam 17:42,43
What David said to Goliath1 Sam 17:45
What happened1 Sam 17:49

 

 

Discussion:


Say: Before we act out this story let’s talk a minute about giants. Goliath was very tall so we say he was a giant. But the word giant can describe anything that is big – say, a giant problem. 



Ask: With that definition of a giant, I am wondering what giants do you sometimes face?

[Generate a few ideas –you may wish to write them on the easel – bully’s, tests in school, family problems, problems with friends… If possible, share a giant that you personally have faced in your life.]

Say: It’s pretty amazing that Goliath was killed using a slingshot. King Saul had offered David his armor and sword but David didn’t wear it!


Ask: He must have had a secret weapon, what do you suppose it was?

Show them the hidden shield you drew on the easel.

Say: David didn’t have a shield like King Saul but he had a special kind of armor – David trusted God to protect him. David told Goliath that it was not his skill, but God’s power and might, that would settle the battle.

Ask: What about for us; what can our armor or shield be against our giants [refer to the list that was made]? (allow all answers)

Say: Our armor against our problems, our giants, is to trust that God will help us. We call that, having faith. The giants may still seem scary but our faith in God helps us face them.

 


Enact the story:


Choose a student to be the first Goliath. Get him or her outfitted on the stepladder with props. Choose another student to be David, and one to be Saul. Everyone else can be either Israelites or Philistines.

Have them enact the story, using their own words for dialogue:

  • Goliath threatening the Israelites (in a “Goliath” voice)
  • Frightened response of Israelites (speaking in squeaky voices to accentuate their powerlessness)
  • David’s response
  • Saul offering David his armor (David very confident)
  • David versus Goliath (Goliath and the Philistines making fun of the slingshot; David proclaiming that it was God who would make the victory)
  • To “finish off” Goliath – have David name a “giant” in his/her life that God can help him or her with, and then toss a duct tape “stone” at Goliath.


Allow different students to play the different roles. Videotape the “takes.” If time is short, have subsequent takes only reenact the David vs. Goliath portion to save time. Leave enough time to replay the tape for viewing after the closing. (Or allow kids to get a snack and return for the viewing.)

 


Closing:

 

Say: David had a special kind of armor – David trusted God to protect him. He had learned to trust God as a shepherd. David told Goliath that it was not his skill, but God’s power and might, that would settle the battle. David had giant faith in God!

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, We are glad to be here today. We love acting out stories from the Bible. We love to be able to learn about Bible heroes and their faith in you. Help us to live boldly – trusting that you love us, and call us your friends. Amen.”

 


If you have extra time:


Ask the students to enact a modern day version of the story – something with a bully perhaps.


Resources for the Drama Lesson:

 

  • Faith Quest Lesson Sets at Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church. “David & Goliath.” 2003. Web.
  • Heyward, Will. “David and Goliath.” Smyrna Presbyterian Church. Waynesboro, VA. 2002.(Info no longer published)
  • MacQueen, Neil. "Goliath Visits our Video Workshop.” 2004. Web.

 

Field Notes from the Workshop Leader (2004): "what I loved was not once did anyone say there aren’t any parts in this play for girls. All 4 weeks the girls were just as eager as the boys to play a role."

 



 

 

Image in this post used courtesy of Neil MacQueen.

 

 

If you use this material, even in a modified form, please include the following reference:

Hulbert, Carol. "David and Goliath: Drama Lesson - 2008." Rotation.org. 2004, 2008. Web. Place URL where lesson found inside angle brackets<>.

 


A lesson written by Carol Hulbert in 2004, updated in 2008,

from First United Methodist Church, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

 

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


Printed from https://www.rotation.org

 

Last edited by Rotation.org Lesson Forma-teer

David and Goliath

Drama Workshop #2  (Note: Two Drama workshops are provided.)

 

Summary of Lesson Activity:

Read through the script and perform the skit  “The Day the Bully Went Down” from the book 30 New Testament Quick Skits for Kids. (Note: written for 2nd-5th grades. A copy of this script is not included for copyright reasons.)

 

 

Scripture Reference & Key Bible Verse & Objectives: 

Refer to first post in this lesson set.

 

 


Leader Preparation:

 

  • Read Bible Background and scripture. 

Materials List:

  • Easel; appropriate marker and easel eraser
  • Piece of easel paper with a dark Sharpie marker
  • Sticky Tack (to hang paper on the wall)
  • Overhead projector; Extension cord
  • The script on transparencies
  • Bibles
  • Costumes for Philistines, Israelites, David, Goliath, Jesse
  • 10 copies of the script, “The Day the Bully Went Down” from 30 Old Testament Quick Skits for Kids
  • Flip video camera, tripod, and cables to connect to TV
  • Scene clapper
  • Props:
    • For Goliath – sturdy chair or step ladder to stand on, spear, armor (helmet, shield), maybe a “wild hair” wig and/or a beard
    • For David – a slingshot, something to represent a rock (like a tightly balled up sock or a beanbag, or balled up silver or brown duct tape), and a stick
    • For Jesse – pretend food such as bread or grapes (something easy to identify as food)

Advanced Preparation Requirements:

  • Create the overhead transparencies of the script. Use a large sized font! [Note: We modified the script to remove the part about David cutting off Goliath's head. A reminder: The script is not included due to it being copyright material.]
  • Familiarize yourself with how to operate the video camera -- how to record, play back and hook it to the TV so it can be used to show the recorded video footage. Set up the camera on the tripod.
  • Write the key Bible verse on the easel paper and hang it on the wall. (Leave the wall opposite the stage clear to show the script with the overhead projector.)

  • Lay out the costumes on the stage so they can be located easily when the parts have been assigned.

  • Write the words “Trust in God” on the easel. Draw a shield shape around the words. Also write the names of the various cast members (not the quantity of speaking roles -- that is there for your info) in a vertical column:

Bigger sized speaking parts

Narrator (could be split into 2 parts)

Goliath

David

 

Medium sized speaking parts

Israelites (need 2 or more kids)

Philistines (need 2 or more kids)

 

Small speaking part

Jesse (could be the shepherd if not enough kids)

 

Non-speaking roles

Videographer  

 



Presentation

 

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction

 

Do: Greet your students warmly, welcoming them to the Drama Workshop.

 

Say: Today we have a Bible story to perform on stage. We will rehearse it, we will record it, and if we have time, we will get to watch it! Our story is a familiar one – the story of David and Goliath. We are going to use a script that mixes in a lot of humor with the true story! First let’s start with a time of prayer.

 

Ask: “What are some things that are on your mind that you would like to pray for today? Some things that you are thankful for or some things that you would like God to help you with?” (allow some time for the kids to bring their thoughts to the group)

 

Say: “Dear God, please hear the prayers that the kids in this class have brought before you today. We are grateful to be here together. We love to be able to learn about Bible heroes and their faith in you. Help us to be strong in our faith – trusting that you love us and that you are always with us to provide the strength we need when we face difficult and sometimes scary situations in life.” End with the Lord’s Prayer. Amen.”

 

 

Dig: Main Content and Reflection

 

Do: Distribute Bibles and copies of the scripts. If the class is larger than 10 kids, have the kids share scripts.

 

Ask: Where in the Bible do we find the story of David and Goliath?

Say: That’s right. Our story is found in the Old Testament, in the book called “First Samuel.” Our key Bible verse for this Rotation comes from a different book in the Old Testament; we find our key verse in Joshua, chapter one, verse 9.

 

Say: Please find Joshua 1:9 while I continue talking to you. Joshua is the sixth book of the Bible, so that means it’s sort of near the front of the Bible. The first five books of the Old Testament are called the “Pentateuch” (Pronounced: PEN-tuh-took). This collection are books of “Instruction.”

 

Ask: And Joshua, the sixth book, is a book in the collection called ____ ?

 

Say: Joshua is the first book in the collection called “History.” These books of the Bible tell us the history of God’s people who were known in those days as the Israelites.

 

Say: So you might ask - why is our key Bible verse from a different book than our Bible story? It’s to let us know that while we read our story in the book of 1st Samuel, clear over in the book of Joshua we are also getting the same message! Once you have found Joshua 1:9, read it silently to yourself.

 

Do: Have students turn to Joshua 1:9 and read it silently.

 

Ask: How does this verse relate to the story of David and Goliath?

 

Say: That’s right! God is telling us to not be afraid! It is repeated all over the Bible! God will be with you no matter what! That is a powerful message to remember!

 

Do: Have everyone close the Bibles and place them on the table.

 

Say: We are going to use our skit as a way to tell our Bible story. First, we will do a read-through. We will take turns, moving around the circle and reading through the script as a class. Each new line should be read by the next student. You will get a lot of opportunities to test out what different cast members sound like. After the class reads the script all the way through, I will ask everyone who they would like to be in our play. If you would rather not read, you have the option of saying, “pass” when it is your turn.

 

Do: Begin the script reading yourself and indicate the direction around the circle that you would like the readers to read.

 

When done with the read-through of the script...

Ask: Who would like to be David? Who would like to be Goliath? Etc.

 

Do: As the parts are being determined, fill in the names of the students next to the parts listed on the easel. If there is more than one student who wants to play a particular role, have them play “rock, paper, scissors” to determine who gets the role.

 Drama - David & Goliath

Do: Have the Shepherd help you get the

kids into their costumes and show the videographer how to record with the Flip video camera. Turn on the overhead projector and show the students how they will need to watch for their turn to speak.

 

Do: Run through the play. Have the videographer record it (it should run about 4 minutes long).

 


Discussion:

 

Say: Let’s talk a minute about giants. Goliath was very tall - so we say he was a giant. But the word giant can describe anything that is big – like a giant problem.

 

Ask: I am wondering what giant problems you might sometimes face?

 

Do: Erase the cast list and write their offered ideas on the easel – bullies, tests in school, family problems, problems with friends… Share a giant problem that you personally have faced in your life.

 

Say: It’s pretty amazing that Goliath was killed using just one stone.

 

Ask: Even though it wasn’t part of our drama today, do you remember what King Saul offered to David so he could protect himself. If you do, raise your hand and I will call on someone to answer. (King Saul offered his armor)

 

Ask: Did David choose to wear the armor? (no, he said he wasn’t used to them)

David must have had a secret weapon, what do you suppose it was?

 

Do: Point to the shield that you drew on the easel.

 

Say: David didn’t have a shield like King Saul, but he had a special kind of armor – David trusted God to protect him.

 

Do: Refer to the key verse.

Say: David remembered that God would always be with him. David told Goliath that it was not his skill, but God’s power and might that would settle the battle. That is called having trust in God!

 

Ask: What about for us; what can our armor, our shield be against our giant problems [refer to the list that was made previously]? (allow all answers)

Say: Our armor is to trust that God will help us. We call that, having faith. The giant problems may still seem scary, but our faith in God helps us face them.

 

Do: Show the video to the class.

 

If time allows:

 

Do: Discuss ways for the cast members to improve their performance - actions to add, speaking volume that needs to be louder, facial expressions, voice inflections, where they are looking, where they are moving…

 

Do: Re-do the performance! Have the videographer record it.

 

Closing:

 

Say:  David had a special kind of armor – David trusted God to protect him.  He had learned to trust God as a shepherd.  David told Goliath that it was not his skill, but God’s power and might that would settle the battle. David had giant faith in God! This week, may your faith in God, help you to face all of your giants! 


 

Resources for Drama #2 Lesson:

 

  • James, Steven. “The Day the Bully Went Down.” 30 Old Testament Quickskits for Kids. Cincinnati, OH: Standard Pub., 2004. Print. (p. 58-59.)
  • MacQueen, Neil. “Critique of David & Goliath Lessons.” Rotation.org. 2004. Web.

 



Images in this post copyright Carol Hulbert.

 

 

If you use this material, even in a modified form, please include the following reference:

Pascoe, Beth and Carol Hulbert. "David and Goliath: Drama Lesson - 2015.” Rotation.org. 2008, 2015. Web.

Place URL where lesson found inside angle brackets<>.

 


  

A lesson written by Carol Hulbert in 2008, updated by Beth Pascoe for 2015.

from First United Methodist Church, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

 

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


Printed from https://www.rotation.org

 

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