Chapter 6 Organizing Bible Learning

Organizing Children’s Bible Curriculum Historical Organization  Children develop an understanding of the sequence of Biblical events  They begin to connect Bible people to each other Thematic Organization  Make the “Big Ideas Expert”  Biblical principles explicit for the children Historical and Thematic organization can be combined

Teaching One Big Idea 4MAT© Learning Cycle  requires serious lesson development work  requires classroom experiences Multiple Intelligences  Don’t try to create activities that focus on one intelligence only  keep track of which intelligences you use each week Modes of Learning  For each Bible lesson you design activities that will appeal to visual learners, auditory learners, tactile learners, and kinesthetic learners

Designing Activities for Bible Learning Teaching MethodType of LearnerTeaching MethodType of Learner Choral Reading Ch. 10 Comparing Ch. 14 Constructing Support Ch. 14 Dramatic play Ch – Imaginative 4 – Dynamic 2 – Analytic 1 – Imaginative 3 – Commonsense 1 – Imaginative 3 – Commonsense Pantomime Ch. 10 Parables (Metaphoric Reasoning Ch. 14 Peer Discussion (Pairs, Think-Pair- Share Round Robin) Ch. 12 Questioning Ch – Imaginative 3 – Commonsense 1 – Imaginative 1 - Imaginative All (depending on topic) 2 - Analytic

Designing Activities for Bible Learning Teaching MethodType of LearnerTeaching MethodType of Learner General-to-specific Reasoning Ch. 14 Graphic Organizers Ch. 13 Jigsaw Puzzle (Cooperative Learning) Ch. 11 KQL Ch – Analytic 3 – Commonsense 4 - Dynamic 2 – Analytic 3 - Commonsense 1 – Imaginative 2 – Analytic 3 - Commonsense 2 - Analytic Reflection Ch. 12 Role Play Ch. 10 Say – See – Do Ch. 9 Specific – to – General Reasoning Ch. 14 All 1 – Imaginative 3 – Commonsense 4 - Dynamic All 2 – Analytic 3 – Commonsense 4 – Dynamic

Designing Activities for Bible Learning Teaching MethodType of LearnerTeaching MethodType of Learner Memorizing Scripture Ch. 13 Music Ch. 15 Model – Prompt – Practice Ch. 9 Nature Stories, Object Lessons Ch. 10 All 1 – Imaginative 2 - Analytic Stories, Skits, Plays Ch. 10 T-Chart Ch. 9 Three-minute Pause Ch. 13 Using the senses Ch – Imaginative 3 – Commonsense 4 – Dynamic 2 – Analytic 1 – Imaginative 2 – Analytic 1 – Imaginative 3 – Commonsense 4 - Dynamic

Adapting the Curriculum General principle:  Make the changes you need, but don’t “dumb-it-down” An activity requires skills my students have not yet developed  Recruit volunteers to do the task  Recruit volunteers to help the children do the task

Adapting the Curriculum (2) The program keeps repeating the same type of activity and the children are bored  Decide on the purpose of the activity  Substitute another activity with the same purpose The activity cannot be completed in the allotted time  Adapt an individual activity into a small group activity  Limit the scope of the activity The activity is too simple for my children  Expanding the breadth or depth of the activity

Adapting the Curriculum (3) The activity is designed for a small class but I have a large Sabbath School  Divide your large class into several small groups  Each small group functions with an adult facilitator  Mix whole class and small group activities  Substitute another activity that achieves the same purpose The activity is designed for a larger Sabbath School than mine  Demonstrations can be done by all students in a small class  Ask children to play multiple roles in skits or plays  Invite parents or another Sabbath School division to join your class

Keys to Organizing Bible Learning Bible curricula are usually organized historically or thematically. Organize the Bible study hour around a single Big Idea. Learning cycles provide a systematic way of organizing learning activities. Learning cycles are designed to meet the needs of many types of learners.

Keys to Organizing Bible Learning Learning cycles can be based on learning styles, multiple intelligences, or learning modes. All curriculum packages require some adaptation. Substitute a comparable activity that will achieve the same purpose as the original.