Perfecting the Saints — One Lesson at a Time
Pose a question, and then hand several students a piece of chalk with an invitation to write their answers up on the board. Other students can line up for a turn when they are ready to respond, or students may hand off the chalk to others in the class for responses. The best questions for this exercises are broad with short answers, like “What are some of the biggest myths…
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Eaton and Beecher sometimes give students five minutes to prepare a 60-second talk on a verse from the day’s reading. Students then present their talks. If student become long-winded, offer a prize for the student who comes the closest to 60-seconds without going over. Nothing helps students lean a principle so well as having to explain it on their feet. Adapted from Becoming a Great Gospel Teacher, Eaton and Beecher…
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Assign students a passage or set of several verses to read. Have students imagine they are the prophet who would like to tweet the main idea of this passage or set of verses to his followers. What might he write? What will tell followers the most important information in fewer than 140 characters? After a few moments, share the tweets. Encourage them to write the best tweets in the margin…
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Have kids read a set of scriptures or passage. Pick an Appetizer – verse(s) that tantalize your own spiritual taste buds Beverage – cross-reference that helps wash down the Main Dish Main Dish – verse(s) that give an overall understanding of the entire block or main principle Dessert – short phrase that is spiritual topping to it all This exercise could be done as individuals, as groups, or as a…
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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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Our SI rep has been teaching us that when you separate into groups you should assign every member of the group a role. This helps each student participate in the group learning process. No matter the size of your group, you should assign a role to each student. Assignments may be given by the teacher, by a group/zone leader, or randomly. Here are some roles you might use in your…
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You know how this works: each student’s name is written on a piece of paper. You draw a name out and that’s the person who reads or prays next. EXAMPLE: I use a bucket with craft sticks that have each student’s name written on it. One end of the stick is red and the other is green. Students with red facing up, have been chosen. It’s an easy way to…
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This technique is great for scriptures that have multiple great phrases of advice or wisdom, but that don’t require a whole lot of discussion to understand. Either have students go in order through a passage, or write scripture references on the board and use Hey There Delilah or Cold-calling to have random students read verses. When called on, each student should state the “one-liner,” or the words or phrases that…
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You can do this as a group activity or as an individual activity. I generally do it as a group activity. Assign students a passage to read. Have students imagine they are newspaper reporters who are going to write a headline for this passage. What will they write? What headline will tell your readers the most important information in the fewest words? Give students a few seconds (I usually do…
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You already know how to play Scriptionary — one student draws a picture of a gospel story or item and the other students try to guess it. But in Seminary Scriptionary, I tell my students that they are going to draw a list of items that have to do with a certain gospel topic, like patriarchal blessings. Then I provide students a list of words, like – Liahona – scriptures…
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Students open their notebooks and write two things: one question they had about the reading and one thing they learned anew or that they had forgotten. We spent probably 40 minutes covering the things they wrote. Great discussion and opportunity for sharing. Great for: Reviewing a scripture story, Giving every person a turn, Eliciting thoughtful responses, Reading a serious passage, Helping students find meaning in the scriptures Class size: Any class size…
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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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