Lesson Objective:
Understand the importance of personal strength
Lesson Outcome:
By the end of the lesson, the children will have learnt about the story of Daniel and the lion’s den, and understood how personal strength is an important quality to posses
Resources:
The Story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den
Lion Template
Abraham Lincoln Quote
Introduction
- Brainstorm – Daniel – Ask the class to recall details of Daniel, who he was, what he did and why he was important. Remind the children that Daniel means “Justice from God” or “God is my judge”. At a young age Daniel was carried off to Babylon where he became famous for interpreting dreams and rose to become one of the most important figures in the court.
Main Teaching
- The Story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den – Read the story about Daniel being thrown into the lion’s den because he broke the law of asking for favours of God. Discuss with the children whether this was fair on Daniel. Why did the other men become so jealous of Daniel? What should the King have done? What should Daniel have done?
Activity
- Option 1: Strength of a Lion – Using the Lion Template, children to write and draw some of their strengths. Compare to the strength that Daniel showed when praying and listening to God even when thrown into the lion’s den.
- Option 2: Drama – Children to act out the story of Daniel and the Lion’s den. You may wish to consider an alternative storyline showing what would have happened if Daniel had not prayed and listened to God. Again, with drama, this can be as creative as you wish, with acting, filming, making props, using puppets etc.
Plenary
- Difficult Decisions – Display the phrase “You can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time but you can’t please all of the people all of the time” (Abraham Lincoln). Discuss what this means and how this is relevant in our lives. Can children think of an example when they have tried to please everybody and have ended up pleasing nobody? How is it best to solve these problems?