Our 1st – 6th graders at FUMC in Ann Arbor, MI) do Sunday school in a novel way via what is called the Workshop Rotation Model. They learn about Bible stories and concepts through kid-friendly multimedia workshops that each teach the story from a different learning style. Here are the workshops we used when we studied Psalm 23. (You can see which Bible story we are currently covering here.)
Since we have studied this story a couple of times — we repeat stories every six or so years — there are multiple descriptions for some workshops. Where available, I’ve linked to the lessons we used. They live on in perpetuity at the website for all things Rotation: Rotation.org.
Check out this Bible passage on-line here. And peruse a growing list of opportunities to foster faith learning at home using this story.
- In the Art Workshop students discussed the word pictures found in Psalm 23 and used watercolors to paint a visual image of the psalm. Link to the lesson.
- In the Cooking Workshop students will learn about sheep and shepherds, focusing on Psalm 23:1. Design sheep-shaped sugar cookies. Will kids be able to recognize their sheep?
- In the Games Workshop (2011) students participated in two games. First a relay race called “Follow me to the Lord’s House.” Then Pictionary to work on learning Psalm 23.
- In the Games Workshop (2017) students participated in a Psalm 23 Olympic obstacle course.
- In the Newsroom Workshop students will create and videotape a news broadcast on a portion of Psalm 23 (verses 4-6). Link to the lesson.
- In the Puppets Workshop students will use puppets to act out using Psalm 23 as comfort in a time of trouble. In this workshop the focus is on verse 4.
- In the Storytelling Workshop students will learn about sheep and the tough job of a shepherd, from a storyteller dressed as a Bible times shepherd. They will play a True/False quiz game involving herding “sheep.”
- In the Video-Making Workshop students created background and characters with Legos and other materials, and then created a video of a Psalm 23-like story, using their created scenes.
If you are in the area please join us for the fun learning at First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor, MI.
Photo credits:
One of a set of photographs of a shepherd life, illustrating the Twenty Third Psalm,
created by the Photo Dept. of the American Colony (Jerusalem), circa 1900 to 1920. Access the original in black and white via Library of Congress, in the Public Domain. A colorized version via Waiting for the Word at Flickr.
Any other photos are copyright, from my archives.
Family Faith Companion 