Day 6-God Created Animals and People

Scripture Reference: Genesis 1:24-27; 2:7, 18-25

Suggested Emphasis or Theme: God made animals and people on the sixth day. Also, emphasise that people are different from animals in that we are made in God’s image to have a relationship, or friendship, with Him.

Memory Verse: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made, your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14. ICB

Story Overview:

On the last day of creation, God created animals, and after this, it was finally time for God to create man and woman. There was something special about this last creature of creation. God created man and woman in His “own image.” Unlike what we often hear from evolutionary teaching, people are not just “more evolved and more intelligent animals”, but we are made to have a special relationship and partnership with God.
How to Teach This Lesson as Part of a Creation Unit or Theme

Background Study:

Now, it was time for the animals that lived on the earth. God made wild animals and farm animals. He also made the creatures that crawl on the ground. Amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds which do not fly are all creatures of the ground.

God completed His creation by making humans in His own image. He blessed and gave them a mandate to multiply and fill the earth.

Genesis 1 relays the story of creation. Genesis 2:4-25 gives more details specifically how Adam and Eve related to the rest of the creation.

God created Adam from the dust of the earth and breathed life into him. Adam was given the responsibility to care for the garden, but God did not mean for Adam to do this alone. God brought all of the animals before Adam and gave him the honour of naming them. As he reviewed the animals, Adam must have found it obvious that each animal had a mate. God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep and removed one of his ribs. From this rib, God formed a woman. The creation of mankind was now complete. Adam and Eve were beautiful and pure. They experienced no shame or need to cover up with clothes.

They were complete in this place because God provided for all of their needs. God placed two trees in the centre of the garden. Fruit from the Tree of Life apparently gave eternal life as long as one could partake of it. The other tree, the tree of knowledge, was a forbidden tree.

God created Adam and Eve to be special to Him. He created Adam and Eve in His own image. We, too, are created in God’s image, and we’re special to God, just as Adam and Eve were.

What else does the Bible have to say about animals?

All living things God created belong to him and are under his control. Job 12:7-10; Psalm 50:10-11
Praise God for the way he cares for his creation. Psalm 145
Animals and people living together peacefully is a poetical way to describe the peace that comes from God. Isaiah 11:6-9
God tells us to be kind to animals. Exodus 23:5; Proverbs 12:10; Proverbs 27:23
Biblical truths are sometimes explained by using animals as an example. Job 12:7-10; Job 35:11; Proverbs 30:24-31; Matthew 10:29-31; James 3:7-10

What else does the Bible have to say about people?

God formed human beings and knows every part of us, even in our mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13-16
God knows us so intimately he knows how many hairs are on our heads. Luke 12:6-7
Humans are different from animals. Job 35:11
God created man to be special in his creation. Above and responsible for animals yet still made to live on earth instead of the spiritual realms like the angels (Psalm 8:3-9) In the final resurrection, through Christ, man will receive a new spiritual body that is different from the earthly one. 1 Corinthians 15:44

Way to Introduce the Story:

Give each child some play dough or clay and ask them to make the shape of their favourite animal. After they have done this, ask them to make the animal come alive. Discuss the fact that man can make shapes, and sometimes even robots or other mechanical things that move, but only God can make something have life. “Today, we are going to find out about what God created on the sixth day of creation.”
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The Story:

Depending on the ages of the children you are teaching, you may choose to let them read some of these Bible passages aloud- straight from the Bible. If children are too young to read this, then make a point to show that you are reading from the Bible. These words are easy to understand, and this is a good opportunity for children to hear them directly.

“Then God said, ‘Let the earth be filled with animals. And let each produce more of its own kind. Let there be tame animals and small crawling animals and wild animals. And let each produce more of its kind.’ And it happened.
So God made the wild animals, the tame animals and all the small crawling animals to produce more of their own kind. God saw that this was good.” Genesis 1:24-25, ICB

He made every kind of wild animal and every kind of farm animal. He also made the creatures that move along the ground (reptiles and insects, for instance. God looked at the living creatures that He made, and He was pleased.

Now, it was time for a special creation. When God was ready to make the first person, He said, “Let’s make man in Our image.” Something was going to be different about the man. With everything else God made, He said, “Let there be ____,” and it happened. But God wanted to make man in a special way.

“Then the Lord God took dust from the ground and formed man from it. The Lord breathed the breath of life into the man’s nose. And the man became a living person.” Genesis 2:7, ICB

So God took some dust from the land He had made and lovingly and creatively used some of it to make a man, just like you might make something out of clay. Then God breathed into the man’s nostrils, and the man came alive. Do you know what God named the man? (Adam)

Adam was different from the animals because when God breathed life into Adam, God gave him life. Adam could think, love and worship. Adam could make choices. Adam could talk to God. Adam was a special creation.

“The Lord God put the man in the garden of Eden to care for it and work it.” Genesis 2:15, ICB

What was Adam’s job? The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

God knew it was not good for man to be alone, and God knew that Adam needed a helper. Let’s read from our Bible.

“So the Lord God caused the man to sleep very deeply. While the man was asleep, God took one of the ribs from the man’s body. Then God closed the man’s skin at the place where he took the rib. The Lord God used the rib from the man to make a woman. Then the Lord brought the woman to the man.” Genesis 2:21-22, ICB

So God put Adam to sleep, took one rib from Adam’s side, and made a woman.

God created Adam and Eve to be special to Him. He created Adam and Eve in His own image. We, too, are created in God’s image, and we’re special to God, just as Adam and Eve were.

“God looked at everything he had made, and it was very good. Evening passed, and morning came. This was the sixth day.” Genesis 1:31, ICB

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Ways to Tell the Story:

This story can be told using various methods. Always remain true to the facts found in the Bible, but help children connect to its meaning by using drama, visual aids, voice inflection, student interaction, or emotion.

Each teacher is unique, so only use the illustrations that best relate to how YOU tell the story in THIS lesson. Too many illustrations can be confusing, so eliminate any that cover other stories or details you do not wish to emphasise in this lesson.

Visual Aids that Cover All Seven Days of Creation

If teaching the story of creation as a unit over a few weeks or days, repeat the whole creation story each time and follow this by going back and emphasizing more details about a particular day. Try using a variety of storytelling and visual aid methods. Although the creation story will be repeated, you will go a little deeper on this particular day, “Day 6.” By the end of Day 7, all of the children will remember the story really well.

Click here to download the slideshow: God Created the World, or
click here to download the pictures to print: God Created the World.

Click here to download the slideshow: Days of Creation, or
click here to download the pictures to print: Days of Creation.
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Review Questions:

What did God create on the sixth day? Animals and people
How were man and woman different from the animals? They were made in God’s image and were to rule the rest of creation.
What were the names of the first man and woman? Adam and Eve
Why did God make a woman? Because it was not good for man to be alone
How did God make the woman? He caused Adam to fall asleep, and he used one of Adam’s ribs to make Eve.
What did God think about His creation? He said it was good.

Song Suggestions:

Creation Song (Emphasis on Day Six Part)
Hippo Song
Butterfly Song
My God is So Big Song
Got the Whole World in His Hands Song
Refer to the Song Page on this website for more options.

Learning Activities and Crafts:

(How to choose the best learning activities for my teaching situation)

Activities:

Serve animal crackers as a snack. You can use whatever is available (gummy bears, for instance).
Make Adam and Eve and animals out of salt dough.
Make animal sounds and let the children guess which animal you are imitating. The children could do this, too.
Choose at least one kind of animal and bring a few books about that animal. Let the children help find out as much information as possible about this animal.
Plan an “animal parade” or “petting zoo” for children in a younger class.
How about a field trip to the zoo or a farm?
Help students to perform a general physical check-up (heart rate, weight, vision, hearing, etc.)

Crafts:

Make a collage of pictures of people and animals cut from magazines.
Creation Mural: Attach a long strip of paper to the wall and divide it into seven sections for the days of creation. As the children study each day of creation, glue items or paint pictures onto the corresponding section of the mural. For today’s lesson, cut out animal and people pictures from magazines and glue them on.
Print bookmarks, trading cards or timelines (printable pages).
Visit the Teaching Ideas page for additional activities and crafts.