Drawing Out an Idea

Using a pen and paper, this simple teaching tool gives the teacher and student an opportunity to participate together in discovering the important words and ideas in a Bible story.  The Bible stories used in the examples in the instructional video above are Jacob, Esau and the Birthright and Deborah, the Judge and Samuel Becomes a Helper in the Tabernacle.

Supplies:

• Pen or pencil
• Paper

Instructions:

1. Before class decide on a format that will be drawn on the paper for this activity.  Don’t feel like you have to do all of the drawing.  Keep it simple.  There are many ways you could do this activity as long as you and the students will have plenty of space to write words and phrases.  Encourage children to do so.  Some examples might include:
   1. Shapes of various sizes so you can write words inside the shapes.  Simple shapes work best.  Try circles or squares. Click for an example.
   2. Dividing the paper into sections or a grid to categorise characters or key points in the story so the sections can be filled with the words you are discussing. Click for an example.
   3. A simple picture or picture outline depicting something in the story.  Again, choose a picture that has lots of space for words. Click here for an example.
   4. Choose a character or important word in the story and draw the outline of the letters of the word.  Fill in the letters with the words you are discussing.  Click here for an example.
2. The teacher or students draw the selected shapes or format on the paper.
3. Working together, fill in the spaces with words and phrases relate to the story you have just studied together.

Adaptations:

1. Use this as a review activity after you have taught the story.

2. Read a verse or two from the Bible and ask the children to fill in the spaces with important words from the verse(s).

3. Ask a child to read the verses or review the story while YOU fill in the spaces.  I find children love to “lead” the teacher.