Perfecting the Saints — One Lesson at a Time
Jigsaw was first developed in the early 1970s by Elliot Aronson and his students at the University of Texas and the University of California. To teach using the Jigsaw method, “divide a topic up into, say, four sub-topics. For example childhood diseases could be divided into mumps, measles, whooping cough and German measles. Alternatively students can be given four different key questions or ‘spectacles’ that require students to analyze the…
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Have a short (I mean it — SHORT), great quote written on the board when students come into class. They will read it and begin to focus on the topic of your lesson before you even say a word. I’ve done this with gospel quotes and other quotes, like “With Great Power comes Great Responsibility.” It helps students get their minds on topic even before the prayer. If they already…
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Students pretend to be newscasters who tell a familiar gospel story. EXAMPLE: I told my students that we were going to pretend to be newscasters describing the events of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Each zone received a section of Matthew 21 to give a news cast on. The parables were difficult, but the kids were able to cover them by doing those interview-style, like “You were present when Jesus…
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This is the easiest way to engage kids in scripture reading in my opinion. You’ll need something soft like a beanbag or small stuffed animal. A wadded up piece of paper could even be used in a pinch. You may need to lay out some ground rules like : – do not aim above the shoulders – no overhand tosses – no repeats After you make your reading assignment and…
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—- Please note, I haven’t tried this one yet. —- A narrator reads a passage of scripture while actors dramatize it. When the teacher yells “freeze”, the actors freeze and an actor (or actors — you choose) comes in from the sidelines. They tap an actor on the shoulder and take his or her place in the action. The teacher says “Action!” and the dramatization continues. Continue freezing the action…
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A student suggested this method based on something they do in her drama class at school. A narrator reads a passage of scripture while students act out their roles. Someone (a teacher or another person) randomly chooses a character to “vote off the island”. This selection can be done by tapping an actor on the shoulder or dubbing them with a foam sword or other item. Now, the remaining characters…
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I learned this method at a Seminary regional training. It’s a great method that requires little or no preparation. This works best with passages that include plenty of action. Assign one student to be the narrator. The Narrator will read a passage of scripture with FEELING. He or she should do the voices and any sound effects needed for the roles. Other students are assigned to be the actors in…
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Write the assigned verses or passages on a post it note. Mix up the order you will be covering the passages in, and stick an assignment under each seat in the classroom. When it comes time to read, have everyone look under their seat for their passage and read. I usually employ this method when we have several scriptures to read from different areas of the scriptures. Great for: Reading many…
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My students love group drawing. It’s good for covering material that is easy to imagine visually. I have also used it to cover distressing topics — like the events preceding the second coming — because these events seem less frightening when sketched for some reason. I have done group drawing a couple of ways. One is to divide the class into small groups and have the whole group drawing at…
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Find out what things your students are interested in. Do your students love piano music? Is it rugby season? Are they great artists? Interested in motorcycles? Like to read? Using the search tools at http://www.Mormon.org/ locate a video of someone who shares the interests of your student(s). Before you show it to the class, ask students to watch the video for ways that the person developed his or her testimony….
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Invite a guest to come share an experience with a gospel topic with the class. Listen during sacrament meeting, Sunday School, and other times to find people who have experiences or testimony that is valuable to share with your students. I’ve had great success doing this, especially when I take the time to explain the purpose of my lesson to the guest. “We’re having a lesson on missionary work; would…
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Invite all students to read a passage silently. Have a couple of students come to the front of the class. Tell them they will be acting out the events in the story, but with a twist — they are mimes, and must act out silently. OPTIONAL: Ask other students in the class to follow along with the action in the text. If the mimes forget something, they should call out…
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