Archive

Write or Think-Pair-Share

During Think-Pair-Share, group members think about a question/topic individually, then share their thoughts with a partner. Large group summarized sharing also occurs. Hints: The goal of a think/pair/share is to allow participants time to think BEFORE they discuss with a partner. Research shows that when people are given time to contemplate an answer to a question, their answers differ from those they would give if them responded immediately. When doing…
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Make a Movie

Assign students to make a movie about a gospel topic. You may want to have students plan their script so that a Primary child can understand it. My students happen to love anything dramatic, so this is very easy for us. I have a big box of dress up clothes and wigs that they use to make movies. They write short scripts based on gospel topics or they just read…
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New to You

Give students a few minutes to review a passage that is fairly familiar to them. Have them write down something that was “new” at this reading. They may have remembered a detail they forgot or noticed something new. They may have a new understanding of what certain words or phrases mean. The verses may have triggered a new question. If they can’t find something new, I let them share something…
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What’s the Headline?

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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Make a Quiz

Students are invited to write a quiz. It can be in the style of Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, Jeopardy, or even just plain old question and answer style. Students will stand in front of the class and be the game show host. Sometimes my students write questions to ask the teacher, or other times they ask questions to ask each other. You can use this method to determine…
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Mime

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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Scripture Reading Freeze Tag

—- 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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Gospel Cartoonist

Give each student a pencil and piece of paper. Tell your students that they will be cartoonists and should draw a cartoon of the story you are about to read aloud. Stick figures are perfectly okay — this is not about drawing skill, but it’s about picking out the most important details they hear from the story. Let them know they will get a chance at the end of the…
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Scripture Survivor

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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Unique Set of Questions

I used a unique set of questions to teach three parables: the parable of the of the ten virgins, the talents, and the sheep and goats. Before class I taped a set of three questions under each person’s chair. Each set of questions included one question from each of the three parables and was unique. I made the unique sets so that as we answered each question I wouldn’t get…
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Seminary Kung Fu Theater

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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Newscaster

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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