THINK FAITH
UNIT 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE BIBLE
The world’s most influential book
1
STAGE 4A
Published 2016 by CEP eISBN: 9781 925 041 811 Copyright © Christian Education Publications 2016 This resource is copyright. Apart from fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism and review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this book may be reproduced by any process without the express permission of the publisher, apart from the following provision. This curriculum may be reproduced for use only in the Special Religious Education classes of the purchaser’s school, or of the school in which he or she has the responsibility for the provision of Special Religious Education. It may not be distributed, or copied for distribution, beyond the purchaser and his or her classroom. Permission to make copies of the Visual aids, Teaching aids and Worksheets is given only to those who hold an active licence with CEP for the Think Faith curriculum. These copies are for use only in the Special Religious Education classes of the purchaser’s school, or of the school in which he or she has the responsibility for the provision of Special Religious Education. Christian Education Publications PO Box A287, Sydney South NSW 1235 Australia Email: sales@cepstore.com.au Web: cepstore.com.au
THINK FAITH Web: highschoolsre.net
THE THINK FAITH TEAM: Project manager: Dr Kaye Chalwell
Anna Johnstone-Buckle
Writers:
Wendy Kettlewell
Lisa Andrawes
Matthew Mulready
Regina Atkins
James Lane
Kaye Chalwell
Marty Richardson
Emma Collett
Kirsty Robertson
Mike Dicker
Edward Sowden
Rachel Dirks
Ed Springer
Nigel Dixon
Jon Thorpe
Ivan Harris
Editorial: Loren Becroft, Natasha Percy
Kat Harris
Design and PowerPoints: Bethany Abbottsmith
Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL READER’S VERSION®. Copyright © 1996, 1998 Biblica. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of Biblica. NEW INTERNATIONAL READER’S VERSION® and NIrV® are registered trademarks of Biblica. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica.
CONTENTS UNIT GUIDE Introduction to the Bible............................................................................................................................. 4 Overview of lessons..................................................................................................................................... 6 Teacher Planning Sheet............................................................................................................................. 8 SRE Teacher Unit Evaluation Form ...................................................................................................... 9
LAUNCH LESSON The Bible is God’s word.............................................................................................................................. 10 Teaching resources..................................................................................................................................... 15
STILLA 1 How do I find something in the Bible?.................................................................................................. 17 Teaching resources..................................................................................................................................... 23
STILLA 2 What is in the Bible?.................................................................................................................................... 30 Teaching resources..................................................................................................................................... 35
STILLA 3 What is the big story of the Bible?......................................................................................................... 41 Teaching resources..................................................................................................................................... 45
STILLA 4 How do we know the story of Jesus is true?..................................................................................... 59 Teaching resources..................................................................................................................................... 65
STILLA 5 How has the Bible changed people?..................................................................................................... 68 Teaching resources..................................................................................................................................... 74
STILLA 6 How does God’s word change our heart and actions?................................................................... 78 Teaching resources..................................................................................................................................... 84
LANDING LESSON Bringing the Bible home ............................................................................................................................ 89 Teaching resources..................................................................................................................................... 94
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UNIT GUIDE INTRODUCTION TO THE BIBLE
The world’s most influential book The Bible is an incredible book: 66 books
Bible is that it is God’s word. The wonderful
written by 40 people over 2000 years.
thing about the Bible is that it holds together
The original text was written in two main
as one story. How? The Bible has many
languages and uses a multitude of literary
human authors who were all inspired by
forms and genres. It has been completely
God to tell the one story of God’s work in
translated into 554 languages , and 45 per
creation. By the power of his Spirit, God
cent of Australians own a physical Bible.
wrote the Bible through humans, ensuring
Millions access it online and Australians
that everything they wrote was exactly
accessed the Bible online 50 million times
what he wanted. Even though the Bible
in 2013 . It has been sworn on in court,
covers a great deal of history and topics and
debated for centuries and quoted in famous
stories, it tells one story from start to finish:
speeches and when people stub their toe.
God has acted to save the world through
The Bible is, and continues to be, the most
Jesus Christ his Son. Humans can know God
influential book ever written.
and have a relationship with him now and
1
2
forever. The Bible enables us to understand
The Bible is more than a popular book
ourselves and what is happening in our
with some cool stories. It is Christianity’s
world, and to live wherever we are with
sacred text. It is the foundation of the
purpose and hope.
Christian faith, shaping our beliefs, ethics and practice. Even though it was written by
The Bible is one life-changing story. It has
many human authors, in different places
always influenced people because it is written
over a long period of time, the power of the
by God. The creator of the world has spoken.
1. ‘Scripture & Language Statistics 2015’, Wycliffe Global Alliance, October 2015, viewed December 8 2015, wycliffe.net/statistics 2. McCrindle, 2014, ‘Top 10 facts about Australians, Christianity and the Bible’ April 17, viewed December 8 2015, <http://mccrindle. com.au/the-mccrindle-blog/top-10-facts-about-australians-christianity-and-the-bible>.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES OF THE UNIT
• the Bible has impacted our history and continues to impact our lives • the Bible provides the most important way to get to know God
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
• Jesus is God’s Word.
Students will consider the following questions:
SKILLS
• Why is the Bible the most translated book in the world?
Students will be able to:
• How does the Bible impact day-to-day life?
• find a Bible passage
• Why is Jesus essential to our understanding
• identify Jesus’ place in the biblical story
of the Bible?
• engage personally with texts; recognise,
• Why do Christians keep on reading their
reflect on, interpret and explain
Bible, even when they’ve read the whole
the connections between their own
thing?
experiences and the biblical text.
UNDERSTANDING
RELATING TO GOD
Students will:
Students will understand that:
• be able to explain why Christians continue
• Christians believe that God’s word is living
to read the Bible
and active
• be able to reflect on the difference between
• Christians believe that they are
reading the Bible as a sacred text and
transformed by God’s Spirit as they read
reading it as literature.
God’s word
KEY TERMS
• Christians are guided in their decisionmaking and ethics by God’s word
• Word of God
• Christians pursue a relationship with
• God’s word
God through prayer, worship, service and
• Scripture
reading his word
• Testament
• Christians believe that God reveals himself to us through his word.
• Chapter • Verse
RELATING TO THE WORLD
• Passage
Students will understand that: • Christians relate to the world with the hope
ACQUISITION
of all creation being redeemed.
Students will learn that: • the Bible is different to any other book • the Bible is one book, but also many books that tell God’s unfolding story • the Bible is not a made-up story • the Bible is God’s word to his people
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OVERVIEW OF LESSONS LAUNCH LESSON: THE BIBLE IS GOD’S WORD
STILLA 1: HOW DO I FIND SOMETHING IN THE BIBLE?
Key Bible text
Key Bible text
• 1 Thessalonians 2:13
• Various
Big idea
Big idea
God shows himself to us through his word.
The Bible is organised so that you can find a book, passage or verse.
Overview
Overview
The Launch Lesson introduces the concept that we get to know God by hearing or reading his word.
Students are given the opportunity to look at a Bible
Time is provided for you to establish appropriate
and explore how it is organised. You can ascertain
classroom expectations and to start getting to know
the extent of your students’ prior knowledge in
the students. Students are given the opportunity to
order to pace subsequent lessons appropriately to
read a Bible passage and explore its meaning.
suit their needs. Students discover the way a Bible is structured into Old and New Testament, books,
Sensitivity triggers: None identified.
chapters and verses. They are given the opportunity to practise finding references and reading small parts for meaning. Sensitivity triggers: None identified.
STILLA 2: WHAT IS IN THE BIBLE?
STILLA 3: WHAT IS THE BIG STORY OF THE BIBLE?
Key Bible text
Key Bible text
• Acts 8:26–40
• Revelation 21:3
Big idea
Big idea
The Bible is the story of how God rescues
The Bible is one book made up of many books.
humanity and the world through Jesus.
Overview
Overview
This Stilla identifies the 66 different books of the
The many various types of texts in the Bible reflect
Bible. It explores purpose in texts and revises types
one overarching theme which pervades the whole
of text (genre), leading students through a process
Bible. Students explore a collection of key passages
of identifying the different books of the Bible and
selected from the Old and New Testaments to
the six main genres represented. Students are led
investigate the main thread of the story of the Bible.
through the process of reading, investigating and
They identify that the Bible helps us to know God.
understanding a Bible passage about the power of
His own Son Jesus is the centre of his great story of
reading God’s word (Acts 8).
promise and fulfilment.
Sensitivity trigger: None identified.
Sensitivity triggers: None identified.
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LAUNCH LESSON
THE BIBLE IS GOD’S WORD
1 Thessalonians 2:13 God shows himself to us through his word. SETTING UP YOUR CLASS
10–20 mins
Teacher’s note: It is important at the beginning of the year that you spend time setting up your class for the year ahead. It’s also important that you start to learn and remember names as quickly as possible. Pray for students by name during the week. Options for getting to know student names can include: • getting students to write their name on a card and put it in front of them • establishing a seating expectation with name cards already set out. This is helpful for establishing a culture of respect.
1. Establishing classroom routines and expectations • Explain what SRE is; for example, ‘SRE (Special Religious Education) is taught from a Christian perspective, therefore we will read the Bible and talk about what the Bible has to say to us. We will also pray—but we won’t make anyone pray if they don’t want to. When we are discussing something from the Bible, you are free to ask questions, and disagree, and share your point of view’. • As you discuss expectations with your students, ensure that you fit into the school’s discipline policy and what they use. It is important to read the school’s policy on discipline. • Remind students that SRE is a place where we respect each other’s opinions, respect God and the Bible (even if they don’t believe it), and respect the teacher and fellow students. • Assert that you want students to enjoy their time in SRE.
2. Routines • Ensure that there is always something for students to do while they wait for others to arrive. • Make sure students understand that they will read from the Bible, and that they are welcome to bring their own Bibles to class. • Make sure you always finish with time to reflect on what students have learned.
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CONNECTING ENGAGING
NOTES
5 mins
Teacher’s note: This activity gives you the opportunity to get to know the students in your class, and it will be used later to introduce the idea that the Bible is the place we go to know God.
Teacher introduction Introduce yourself by answering the following ten questions. 1. Where were you born? 2. What is your favourite dessert? 3. What was the last movie you saw? 4. What did you have for dinner last night? 5. What primary school did you go to? 6. Have you ever watched Home and Away? 7. What job would you love to have one day? 8. What makes you laugh? 9. What is something you like to do with your family? 10. If you could be famous for doing one thing, what would it be?
ENGAGING
5—10 mins
Worksheet L:1
Getting to know students Ask for a volunteer student to come to the front of the room and write down their answers to the same questions. While doing this, each class member writes down the answer they think the volunteer will have for each question in the left column on their worksheets. Ask the volunteer for their answer to the first question. Invite students to put up their hands if they got the answer correct. Continue until all questions have been answered. Then ask students to check how many questions they answered correctly, and invite them to show hands to indicate how many were correct out of ten. For example, ask for students who got one, between one and five, more than five, or all correct.
CONVERSING
3 mins
Teacher’s note: It is anticipated that those students who know the volunteer student will answer many of the questions correctly, while others may not know many answers. The question topics vary from general to more private
to things even those close to the student might not know. A single ? indicates a question aiming to get a brief answer from students.
How do we get to know someone? Ask students:
?? Why do some students know more about the volunteer student than others?
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LAUNCH LESSON
?? What would you need to do to increase your score on a questionnaire like this?
?? Why would some people be more motivated than others to get to know someone better?
REINFORCING
5–10 mins
Worksheet L:1
Teacher’s note: Continue with this activity to help students (and you) get to know each other. 1. Give students a two or three-minute time limit to complete the same questions on their worksheets. 2. Ask students to show their answers to a partner. 3. Select a few students to share one of their answers with the class.
INSTRUCTING
1 min
Teacher’s note: This brief activity aims to draw the previous activities together to make the point that if we want to know God, we should listen to his words in the Bible.
Getting to know God Ask students:
?? If I really want to know about the volunteer student, whom should I ask? (The student.)
?? If I really want to know you, whom should I ask? (You.) ?? If you really want to know me, whom should you ask? (Me.) ?? If we really want to know about God, whom should we ask? (God.)
EXPLORING CONVERSING
10–15 mins
Teacher’s note: These activities will give you some initial insight into the biblical literacy of the students in your class. The aim is to help students to see that the best way to understand who God is is to read the Bible. Some students will need guidance when completing a mind map. For more information, see the Activities Compendium.
God mind map Have students record all that they know about God on a mind map. This may be completed individually or as a class.
?? Where did you learn the things you know about God? ?? How do you know if they are true? 12
LAUNCH LESSON
NOTES
GET TO KNOW ME
get-to-kn ute ow-you CH
ALLENG
Where were you born?
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What is your favourite dessert? What was the last movie you saw? What did you have for dinner last night? What primary school did you go to? Have you ever watched Home and Away? What job would you love to have one day? What makes you laugh? What is something you like to do with your family? If you could be famous for doing one thing, what would it be?
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ER L:1 © CEP 2016—ISSUED UNDER LICENCE FOR 2016 SCHOOL YEAR ONLY
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TO LEAVE What does
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do?
A question I have about Christianity: ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Something I would like to do in SRE this year: ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
Whose ‘word’ is it?
From today’s lesson I would like to: ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
L:2 © CEP 2016—ISSUED UNDER LICENCE FOR 2016 SCHOOL YEAR ONLY