Teaching Children Bible Basics is a book of 34 Old and New Testament lessons that helps children ages 8–10 learn how to use the Bible. The lessons and activities are designed to teach children how the Bible came to be, how to use this important book, about the Torah, and about the important stories of the Hebrew and Christian Testaments. Key Features: Features 16 Old Testament and 20 New Testament lessons; Provides 30- to 45-minute experiential lessons that teach children how to use the Bible; Each lesson accommodates the needs of various learning styles; Each lesson highlights a specific desired result (for example, students will discover and retell the creation story day by day); Each lesson includes a lesson focus, a Scripture text, a section listing materials needed, various learning activities, discussion questions related to the Bible topics being “discovered,” and a closing prayer. Key Benefits: Teachers will be enabled to teach children aged 8–10 basic Bible skills through interactive Bible lessons that stimulate creativity and critical thinking; Teachers will find practical help and guidance in how children can gain a working knowledge of the structure of the Bible, the organization of the books of the Bible, and the significance of the Bible to Christians; Can be used with any Bible translation. Barbara Bruce has worked as a Christian educator for nearly twenty years. She is the owner of Process: CREATIVITY, a consulting firm offering workshops in creative and critical thinking. She is the author of Teaching Children Bible Basics, 7 Ways of Teaching the Bible to Children, Standing Up Against the Odds, Start Here; Teaching and Learning With Adults, 7 Ways of Teaching the Bible to Adults, and Our Spiritual Brain. Her most recent publication is Mental Aerobics: 75 Ways to Keep Your Brain Fit. Teaching Children Bible Basics 34 lessons that help children learn to use the Bible By Barbara Bruce Abingdon Press Copyright © 1999 Abingdon Press All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-687-02465-0 Contents Preface, Introduction, PART 1 The Bible, LESSON 1 In the beginning, LESSON 2 How do I use my Bible?, PART 2 The Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Teaches Us Today, LESSON 3 The story of creation, LESSON 4 Adam and Eve and choices, LESSON 5 God destroys the world—almost, LESSON 6 Abraham and Sarah and laughter, LESSON 7 God has a plan for Joseph, LESSON 8 Ten Commandments, LESSON 9 Children can do amazing things with God's help, LESSON 10 Songs to God, LESSON 11 The wisdom of Solomon—Proverbs, LESSON 12 Review, PART 3 The Christian/New Testament Teaches Us How to Live, LESSON 13 The Christian or New Testament, LESSON 14 A child is born, LESSON 15 The baptism of Jesus, LESSON 16 The temptations of Jesus, LESSON 17 Jesus calls his disciples and us, LESSON 18 Prayer and the Lord's Prayer, LESSON 19 Jesus performs a miracle and teaches us to share, LESSON 20 Jesus heals, LESSON 21 God celebrates when the lost is found, LESSON 22 Who is my neighbor?, LESSON 23 The parable of the sower, LESSON 24 Palm Sunday—the triumphant entry into Jerusalem, LESSON 25 Holy Thursday, LESSON 26 Good Friday, LESSON 27 The Easter story, LESSON 28 The conversion of Saul, LESSON 29 Paul was a missionary, LESSON 30 Paul in prison, LESSON 31 The body of Christ, LESSON 32 The greatest of these is love, LESSON 33 Pentecost—the birth of the church, LESSON 34 Discovering what we have learned, Parents' Questions, Scripture Index, CHAPTER 1 LESSON 1 In the beginning Focus: In the beginning Scripture: John 1:1 Connections: Students will experience counting the books of the Bible, discovering that the Bible is divided into two parts, and how the Bible came to be. Materials Needed: 66 books (large/small/thick/thin/hymnal, etc.) arranged on a table that is easy for students to access, each student's Bible, newsprint/marker or chalkboard/chalk, parent signature slips. Activities: 1. Opening: Share names, grades, schools attended, and favorite subject. Invite students to get to know each other's names and other helpful information. Say: What is the Bible? Invite discussion and record answers. 2. Invite students to count together the books that are arranged on the table. One child can point while the others count. Then ask them to open their Bibles to the table of contents and count the number of books listed. Share with students the fact that each of the books tells a special story of God's people. Some of the books are poetry, songs (psalms), or laws, and some are letters; but all of the books give us information that helps us to know God. 3. Refer again to the table of contents. Ask students to discover the two main parts of the Bible. Look for the word testament— ask if anyone knows the meaning of "testament." Explain that "testament" means a covenant or promise between God and humans. The Old Testament tells us about how God created the world and the early stories of God