Lesson Objective:
To Know the Story of Noah’s Ark
Learn about the importance of trust in the story
Consider the emotions of different characters in the story
Consider what it takes for people and animals to live together peacefully
Lesson Outcome:
By the end of the lesson, the children will have learnt about the story of Noah’s Ark and understood the importance of trusting in God
Resources:
Noah story
Pictures of the Ark
Noah’s Ark Colouring Pages
Noah’s Puppets 1, 2, 3
Noah Songs
Introduction
- Brainstorm – Who is Noah? – Children to think about what they know about Noah. Brainstorm ideas and thoughts about the story of Noah.
Main Teaching
- The Story of Noah – Read the story of Noah to the children and discuss why it is important and what it meant. Why would God ask Noah to take two of every animal and then send a flood? What is the significance of this?
- Watch the Story of Noah – for older children:
http://www.g-dcast.com/noah .
Discuss whether you think Noah really was righteous. What should he have done to be righteous? Why do you think he did not tell everyone else what was happening?
- Discussion on Noah – with older children, discuss whether it was okay for God to kill everyone who was bad. Should we punish people who misbehave or should we try to help them become better people? Discuss the value of listening to God’s commands, even if we think it is wrong. Would it have upset Noah’s family to have to do what he said and not really understand why? Should we have absolute trust in God?
- Discussion on Noah – with younger children: imagine what life would be like on the ark?
Ask them to mention different animals, meat vs. veggie eaters, how would they live together, what different problems would the family encounter (how to keep the peace amongst the animals), what about the relationship between Noah and his family. Would it have upset Noah’s family to have to do what he said and not really understand why? Should we have absolute trust in God?
- Trusting God – Play a trust game with the class, discussing why it is important to trust each other.
Examples of trust games might include: Blindfold one child, whilst another instructs them to walk to another place, or instructs how to draw something. Alternatively, the trust falling game, where one person falls backwards into the arms of another. Continue discussion about how Noah’s family trusted in him, just as Noah trusted in God, and we trust that God will never flood the earth like that again.
Activity
- Option 1: Make an Ark – Children to make a large ark for display. Using paper or card, draw an outline of an ark and ask the children to decorate it. Children then use the puppet templates or draw their own pairs of animals to add to the ark. If you wish you can make pop up flaps for the animals to pop out of. Encourage children to write a description of Noah’s ark to go either in or by the side of the ark. This can be as creative as you would like to make it, from an A3 design to a whole wall art.
- Option 2: Draw Noah’s Ark – Individually:
A: Children to draw a picture of Noah’s ark (or use the template) and add animals to the ark.Write a brief description as to why God sent the flood and asked Noah to save two of every animal.
B: Children to draw the Ark according to where they think all the different kinds of animals would live, example: wild animals vs. farm animals, meat eaters like lions in one room for themselves, veggie eaters together, a bird room, monkey room etc. Make them think about all the different needs of everyone onboard from the family to the smallest ants. - Option 3: Diary Entry – Children to write a diary entry as a member of Noah’s family. Encourage them to write about how they are scared about what Noah says is going to happen, but they trust him to know what to do. If possible, each child’s entry could be at a different time in the story, so one child writes about when their dad suddenly started building a wooden boat, one child writes about when it started to rain, one child writes about when the flood first comes, and one child could write about when they’re waiting for the water to go down, and they’re scared they’ll never get back to dry land. Read out the entries at the end of the lesson so that a complete story has been written.
- Option 4: Puppet Show – Using the puppet templates and any other pictures that the children wish to make, children to create puppets and produce a puppet show. This can be using the wall art or pictures that they have created from other activity options. You may wish to film the puppet show and use it as a film production.
- Option 5: Colouring Pages –Children to colour in a selection of pictures.
- Option 6: Make a newspaper – ask children to choose a name of the newspaper and then let them choose a section according what they like:
Front page
Interviews (with Noah, his wife, God)
News (births, new activities room, bar mitzvahs, birthdays etc)
Weather reports
Advice and complaints columns (examples: ants complaining they have to little room, elephants wants more bananas, how to keep cosy in the dark)
Sports (competitions, training)
Cartoons
Pictures/images
AdvertisementsGather all parts of the newspaper and make a colour copy for each child for the following session.
Plenary
- Show work produced – Children to present their work to the rest of the class/parents
- Sing a Noah’s Ark Song – Children to sing one or more of the Noah’s Ark songs.
- Go through each person’s newspaper contribution so they can see what has been made.