Workshops we’ve used – Page 2 – Family Faith Companion

Moses: Let My People Go!

Posted on February 2, 2012April 26, 2017 by Carol Hulbert

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Hebrews are enslaved in Egypt — Let my people go!

On Saturday nights and on Sunday mornings at FUMC our Cool Disciples experience Rotation Model Christian education. They learn about Bible stories and concepts through kid-friendly workshops that each focus on different learning styles.

In February 2012, we are continuing the story of Moses. Last month we learned about Moses from his watery beginning in a papyrus basket, to his dramatic experience as an adult meeting God in a burning bush. God wanted Moses to bring his people, the Israelites, out of Egypt to the Promised Land (Exodus 3:9-10).

We saw Moses reluctantly agree to lead God’s people to freedom. And this is where we pick up our story for this month. As we will see, freeing the Hebrews from Pharaoh’s grip is not an easy task. It involves frogs, and gnats, and flies! And a mysterious “passing over” with protection provided by the blood of a lamb. Read about our story in Exodus 5:1-6:13, 7:1-12:42. (It’s another long one. ~~Stay tuned for~~ Here is another reading plan to break it into manageable chunks!)

This is where the “Schedule” used to appear — which grades were visiting which workshops over the course of this Rotation. However it was removed as it was sort of out of date 🙂 Our current schedule of workshops, for whatever Rotation we are currently on, can be found on this page.

For prosperity, here is what we did in each workshop for this story: (Be sure to catch pictures of the action!)

In the Art Workshop students will create comic strips that tell the story using their thumbprints (Ed Emberley style).
In the Cooking Workshop students will make unleavened bread and discuss the Passover and the Israelites’ departure from Egypt.
In the Games Workshop students will participate in a Bible Bowling game as they learn story characters, events and story sequence. Which team will win – the Gnats, or the Flies, or the Frogs?
In the Music Workshop students will learn a silly song about the story. The words to B-I-N-G-O never sounded like this!
In the Video Workshop students will watch portions of the animated video The Prince of Eygpt. I wonder how closely the creators of video follow the story as told in the Bible?

If you are in the area please join us for the fun learning at First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor, MI

Photo credits:
Line drawing of Hebrews enslaved, from the book The Big Picture Bible Time Line by Gospel Light. Used with permission.

Break down the Moses story into study-able chunks

Posted on January 12, 2012February 11, 2018 by Carol Hulbert

The stories about Moses are sizable! They cover 40 chapters in the Old Testament book of Exodus! How should they be taught?

Using the Workshop Rotation Model, we have chosen to teach Moses in sections, beginning first with a Rotation that covered the early years: Moses’ birth and his float among bulrushes — to his burning bush experience as an adult.

Then we followed up with the sequel — a Rotation about Moses and the plagues on the Egyptians! We had conveniently planned these Rotations so that we could follow up what happened in the last plague (Passover!) with a Rotation on the Last Supper.

Read the first part of our story in Exodus 1:1-4:17. Yep, it’s a big story. Break it down; read a bit of it every night at the dinner table. Hey! That makes me think that I need to post a family reading plan. ~~Stay tuned!~~ Here it is!

For prosperity, here is what we did in each workshop for our Rotation on Moses – Birth through the Burning Bush.

(We used these Workshops in January 2012 and in January 2018 — we repeat stories every six or so years. )

In the Art Workshop (2012 & 2018) students created a variation of the ancient Jewish art form of micrography to create a burning bush scene. (Micrography uses very small writing to create shapes and designs.) Focus on the burning bush portion of the Moses story
In the Cooking Workshop (2012 & 2018) students heard the story about Moses from a portion of a video, What’s in the Bible, Vol. 2 Let My People Go. Then they made something to take home to tell the story of Moses – edible baby Moses baskets.
In the Drama Workshop (2012) students participate in enacting the burning bush portion of the story. (Watch for a possible video clip?)
In the Games Workshop (2012) students will play a review game modeled after Cranium, focusing on events in our story. This game involves using a life-sized game board!
In the Storytelling Workshop (2012) students will hear the story via a “visitor” posing as Moses from Bible times. (I hear he’s been growing his beard to look the part!)
In the Video Workshop (2012 & 2018) students watched portions of the animated video Nest Entertainment: Moses, enjoy popcorn (can’t have a movie without popcorn!) and learned story details.

Why are we doing different workshops for the different times we’ve taught this story?

There are several reasons including:

Our focus for a Rotation has changed (we’ve gained new understanding!)
We know our kids. We know what will, and won’t work with them.
We’ve got a new idea!

Explore more about Rotation Model goodness!

Photo credits:
Illustration from an old story Bible, via Wikimedia Commons, is in the Public Domain.

Looking for a study of Psalm 23?

Posted on September 29, 2011November 18, 2017 by Carol Hulbert

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.)

A Shepherd leads his flock to still waters

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.

Studying Psalm 100: The workshops we used

Posted on August 5, 2011July 2, 2017 by Carol Hulbert

We use the Workshop Rotation Model to teach kids about Bible stories. We are helping transform their lives.

One of the stories we’ve taught is Psalm 100. That’s right – the whole Psalm! (Okay, so it is short, with only five verses. Hey! How about making it a project to learn-it-by-heart?)

Did you know that the fast way to find a psalm is to open up a Bible in the middle? Try it and see! (Or read Psalm 100 on-line here.)

Psalm 100 is about being joyful!

A child shouts for joy in a wave at the beach

Here is the way we are exploring Psalm 100…

Workshop	Activity
Games Workshop	Use remote control cars to run a relay to help learn Psalm 100.
Missions Workshop	Learn about mission work and participate in a service project to pick up around the church grounds. I wonder what mission work has to do with Psalm 100? (Sounds like a good topic for a blog post! Updated: Read it here.)
Photography Workshop	Discuss and take photos to ultimately create a photo collage of the seven imperatives in this Psalm: Make, Worship, Come, Know, Enter, Give, Bless.
Science Workshop	Participate in science experiments about sound and make musical instruments to make a “Joyful Noise.”
Video/Music Workshop	Watch portions of the video Sister Act and discuss the importance of praising God through music.

Check out some of the lessons we’ve used.

If you are in the area please join us for the fun learning at First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor, MI

Photo credits:
Rotation Model logo, used with permission, has been slightly altered.
Shouting for joy by Michael, is licensed on Flickr under Creative Commons (CC BY 2.0).
Any other photos are copyright (unless noted otherwise), from my archives.

Workshops for Daniel and the Lions

Posted on February 10, 2011February 6, 2017 by Carol Hulbert

A lion waits for lunch

Daniel is a long story in the Old Testament so we are focusing on how Daniel’s habit of prayer helped him when he experienced a den full of lions!
Read about our story in Daniel 6:3-23.

Here is where the “Schedule” used to appear — which grades were visiting which workshops over the course of this Rotation. However it was removed as it was sort of out of date. 🙂 Our current schedule of workshops, for whatever Rotation we are currently on, can be found on this page.

For prosperity, here is what we did in each workshop for our Daniel and the Lions Rotation:

In the Games Workshop students participated in a quiz game using the life-sized board game and the game wheel. Spinning for your color determines how far along the board game you get to move, if the team correctly answers the question! Questions such as: If Daniel had decided to hide his prayers to God, how do you suppose he would have felt about himself?
In the Art Workshop students created mosaics of a story image, using paper “tiles.” A question they discussed: If you were Daniel in the lions’ den, what would you pray for?
In the Video Workshop students watched portions of the animated video The Roach Approach: The Mane Event. They enjoyed popcorn (can’t have a movie without popcorn) and explored questions such as: When was the last time you were faced with a den of lions?
In the Photography Workshop students “enacted” various scenes from the story. They “froze” so the scenes could be photographed. A question they faced: How did Daniel trust God?
In the Puppets Workshop students used puppets to enact modern-day situations where choices must be made. They discussed questions such as: Daniel was an old man by the time of this story. How important do you think it is that Daniel had years to prepare his faith?
In the Cooking Workshop students mix-upped a snack mix of “Lion Chow” – with each ingredient representing a portion of the story. They talked about issues such as: What does it mean to you, to trust God?

Check out the growing list of opportunities to foster faith learning at home using this story.

Photo credits:
A lion waiting for lunch by Peter Harrison, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.

What is up for the four friends?

Posted on November 13, 2010September 29, 2019 by Carol Hulbert

During the school year, each Rotation for our Cool Disciples (our 1st – 6th graders at FUMC in Ann Arbor, MI) includes several workshops that each teach the story using the concept of Multiple Intelligences. (True Rotation Model goodness!) In November 2010, (and in January 2017 — we repeat stories every six or so years) we studied about four friends who worked really hard to bring a paralyzed man to Jesus. Read the story in Mark 2:1-12.

For prosperity, here is what we did in each workshop, for the Faith Through the Roof Rotation:

In the Art Workshop in 2010, students created blankets to donate to Project Linus. In 2017, they each created a scarf using fleece material, to give to someone (a friend or otherwise) in need.
In the Cooking Workshop students create an edible storytelling kit for sharing the story. Have your kids share the story using their kit twice before eating it!
In the Drama Workshop (2010) students will enact the story after identifying story characters and their feelings.
In the Games Workshop students will play a unique relay game to explore the faith and commitment of the four friends.
In the Newsroom Workshop (2010) students will participate in a Talk Show to hear the characters in the story describe their experiences. They’ll get to watch their taped show!
In the Video Workshop students will watch two different animated videos (video #1 and video #2) that tell our story. Watching the 2nd video muted will allow us to play a game by trying to provide the narration!

I wonder what your favorite workshop ~~will be~~ was?

Edited to add pictures… in the Cooking Workshop students built houses, complete with Teddy Graham people – to use as a storytelling kit. Before they could eat their creation they had to tell the story!

Building a graham cracker house - part of a storytelling kit for the Four Friends

four friends house storytelling kit

And in the Art Workshop (in 2017) we created Rainbow Scarfs to give away to someone we felt needed some extra love. Here the circles are prepared…

Four Friends - scarf project

Check out the growing list of opportunities to foster faith learning at home using this story.

Photo credits:
A painting of our story by James Tissot, in the Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Other photos are from my archives and are copyright.

The Beatitudes – workshops we’ve used

Posted on September 15, 2010April 27, 2017 by Carol Hulbert

When you’ve been using the Workshop Rotation Model for Sunday school as long as we have (15+ years!) you find that stories are repeated – at least every 6 years. (Six grades cycling through each Rotation… every six years is a totally new group of kids. Time for some do-again!)

In April 2017 we are about to revisit The Beatitudes, last done in 2004 and 2010. The schedule of which workshop your child will visit in the coming weeks, can be found on this page.

In a look at the past, here is what we did in each workshop for The Beatitudes Rotation, in preceding years:

In the Art Workshop (2010) students will imagine themselves in the crowd that participated in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. They will create renditions of themselves that will then be cutout and displayed on a mural. Stay tuned to see everyone at the Sermon on the Mount! (To ensure that everyone has a chance to be in our creation, two Art workshops will run concurrently, one for younger grades and one for older.)
In the Cooking Workshop (2010) students will discuss how Jesus’ teachings seem contrary (upside-down). Create mini Pineapple Upside-Down cakes to take home to share with their family. (And hopefully to further talk about the up-side down nature of Jesus’ words!)
In the Drama Workshop (2010) students will use sign language to discover a different way to express the Beatitudes. Discuss how can we apply the Beatitudes to our lives in the “Kingdom of God.”
In the Games Workshop students will explore living as Jesus taught while playing as game pieces on a life-size game board.
In the Video Workshop (2010) students will view the live-action video, The Visual Bible: Matthew showing Jesus teaching the Beatitudes.

Why are we doing different workshops?
There are several reasons including: