Topical Studies Template: 6th – 12th grade

(The following guide is specifically used for 6th – 12th grade, when researching a Bible topic. Remove everything in parenthesis () and leave the embolded text intact as you write your lesson plan. Teachers refer to this model as a “Direct Instruction” lesson plan)

Title: (the title should mention specifics and sub-category of subject)

Subject: Topical Studies: (Bible topic)

Grade Level: (6th – 12th grade)

Brief Description: (one sentence)

Goals/Objectives: (List at least two of these, state what the students will know, not what you hope for. This is merely a technicality for writing a correct objective. Some of the people who download lesson plans from our file are actual parochial school teachers and they will be looking for these kinds of written goals and objectives. A goal is broad information. An objective is full of detailed information.)

Resources: (This is where you give credit to the author of materials and ideas used in your lesson plan. You should also mention the facility or equipment needed for the benefit of those responsible for arranging rooms.)

Supplies Per Student: (It is important to list the supplies per student only because every teacher has different requirements and methods for organizing supplies. Don’t try to estimate the size of the classroom or number of children you think the teachers will have, just let the teacher using your lesson do this according to his or her own environment.)

The Main Activity: (In this format the main activity is likely to be about Topical Studies in the Bible.)

Demonstrate the Research Activity In Five Steps:

1. Talk about the goals that you have in mind with your students. Make these simple and attainable for the time you have to share with them.
2. Demonstrate how to read and look up a scripture verse in a Bible.
3. Tell the students that they will first be given the scripture, then, they will look it up , write down their answer and read it out loud in either a larger group , a small group or in pairs. The number of students that are in attendance on a given Sunday or Saturday may directly influence the choices the teacher makes in terms of dividing up students into smaller groups.
4. Assess to ensure that the students are performing the activity successfully with an example question before giving the larger set of questions.
5. After ascertaining the student’s ability to successfully accomplish this simple research, the teacher may then give his or her students the complete listing of questions and scripture references needed to research the topic from their Bible texts.

Question: (This is the question the teacher asks the students to answer after looking up the scriptural reference.)

Look It Up: (List the verse(s). Each student should have a Bible of their own, preferably one with easy to read text. Students are asked to look up the answers in their bibles for every question asked. This process will teach them self-sufficiency and confidence. They will also learn a behavior that develops interest and dependence upon God’s word.)

Answers: (A quick reference for the teacher to refer to as the discussion progresses.)

Debrief: Pose questions contextualizing the topic as it relates to current events. (list below three or four)

Memory Work: (two verses relating to the topic)

More Information: (Tell our patrons about your web ministry in four or five sentences and supply the link to your web pages here.)

Read Aloud Template/DOK: preschool – 3rd Grade

(The following guide is used for preschool – 3rd grade, when reading a story aloud. Remove everything in parenthesis () as you write your entry; leave the embolded text. Teachers call this kind of literacy template  a “Read Aloud” lesson plan)

Title Of The Book or Poem:

Book/Poem’s Author:

Book/Poem’s Illustrator:

Subject: Religious Publications/Books/Poetry

Suggested Grade Level:

Preview The Book: Look at the book’s pictures with your students and discuss these briefly before reading the book aloud to your students. (List some interesting observations or questions you might make before beginning the “Read Aloud.”)

Depth of Knowledge (DOK): Questions That Challenge Thinking Practice

   Level One: Recall: (bullet point questions next line)

   Level Two: Skill/Concept: (bullet point questions next line)

   Level Three: Strategic Thinking: (bullet point questions next line)

   Level Four: Extended Thinking: (bullet point questions next line)

Supporting Activity: (The supporting activity could be a game, an art project, a large group activity, a visit to a location that reinforces the lesson.)

Step-by-step: (The step by step serves as a guide for teachers to think their way through a lesson plan. Step-by-steps are best when loaded with detail and reminders. This is a “role playing” device that prepares teachers for many scenarios in the classroom. You do not need to write it with complete sentences and it may be bullet pointed.)

Closing Activity: (Wrap up the lesson. Ask children to talk about their favorite parts of the time spent with you. Ask them to describe the story or parts of it. Encourage children to tell their parents about what they’ve learned.)

Memory Work: (one simple verse relating to the story)

Reflection: Students share their feelings or opinions in class with at least one other student and their teacher. Teachers will develop informal assessments according to their own classroom requirements. (If you are submitting a lesson plan to our collection, you need not include a formal assessment under this category. Certified teachers will write this additional information if they choose to later.)

More Information: (Tell our patrons about your web ministry in four or five sentences and supply the link to your web pages here.)

Read Aloud Template: Literacy and Artistic Connections

(The following guide is used for any grade level, when reading a story aloud. Remove everything in parenthesis () as you write your entry; leave the embolded text. Teachers call this kind of literacy template  a “Read Aloud” lesson plan)

Title Of The Book or Poem:

Book/Poem’s Author:

Book/Poem’s Illustrator:

Subject: Religious Publications/Books/Poetry

Suggested Grade Level:

Strategy: (Literacy Strategy)

Preview The Book: Look at the book’s pictures with your students and discuss these briefly before reading the book aloud to your students. (List some interesting observations or questions you might make before beginning the “Read Aloud.)

Questions Asked During The Read Aloud: (bullet point a listing)

Conclusion: Discuss briefly what was observed, heard and asked.

Discussing Vocabulary: (become familiar with essential terms so that these may be discussed with students. List here definitions of the terms anticipated from the book.)

Lesson Extension: (A second article, book, film, or CD may be suggested for comparison.)

Extend The Lesson: 2 Literary/Artistic Connections: (Leave embolded text folks; it’s part of the lesson plan format.)

1. Connections – Students make connections between the book or poem initially presented and another artwork, book, poem, film etc. . . of the same caliber.
2. Literary & Artistic Evaluation – Students review the style of both the author’s writing and the illustrator’s vision.

Reflection: Students share their feelings or opinions in class with at least one other student and their teacher. Teachers will develop informal assessments according to their own classroom requirements. (If you are submitting a lesson plan to our collection, you need not include a formal assessment under this category. Certified teachers will write this additional information if they choose to later.)

More Information: (Tell our patrons about your web ministry in four or five sentences and supply the link to your web pages here.)

Read Aloud Template/ Involvement Responses

(The following guide is used for any grade level, when reading a story aloud. Remove everything in parenthesis () as you write your entry; leave the embolded text. Teachers call this kind of literacy template  a “Read Aloud” lesson plan)

Title Of The Book or Poem:

Book/Poem’s Author:

Book/Poem’s Illustrator:

Subject: Religious Publications/Books/Poetry

Suggested Grade Level:

Strategy: (Literacy Strategy)

Preview The Book: (Look at the book’s pictures with your students and discuss these briefly before reading the book aloud to your students. List some interesting observations or questions you might make before beginning the “Read Aloud.”)

Questions Asked During The Read Aloud: (bullet point a listing)

Conclusion: Discuss briefly what was observed, heard and asked.

Discussing Vocabulary: (become familiar with essential terms so that these may be discussed with students. List here definitions of the terms anticipated from the book.)

Extend The Lesson: 3 Involvement Responses: (Leave embolded text folks; it’s part of the lesson plan format.)

1. Identifying with The Characters – Students imagine themselves in the position of the character and talk about the choices they would make if they were in a similar circumstance. Students draw analogies between their own life and that of the character; they express empathy for the character.
2. Character Assessment – Students judge the characters positively or negatively.
3. Investing in The Story – Students express their desire to continue reading and emotionally connect with the events, environment, or characters in the story.  They will verbally respond to the story as if they were living in it or know the characters as real people.

Reflection: Students share their feelings or opinions in class with at least one other student and their teacher. Teachers will develop informal assessments according to their own classroom requirements. (If you are submitting a lesson plan to our collection, you need not include a formal assessment under this category. Certified teachers will write this additional information if they choose to later.)

More Information: (Tell our patrons about your web ministry in four or five sentences and supply the link to your web pages here.)

Read Aloud Template: Immersion Responses

(The following guide is used for any grade level, when reading a story aloud. Remove everything in parenthesis () as you write your entry; leave the embolded text. Teachers call this kind of literacy template  a “Read Aloud” lesson plan)

Title Of The Book or Poem:

Book/Poem’s Author:

Book/Poem’s Illustrator:

Subject: Religious Publications/Books/Poetry

Suggested Grade Level:

Strategy: (Literacy Strategy)

Preview The Book: Look at the book’s pictures with your students and discuss these briefly before reading the book aloud to your students. (List some interesting observations or questions you might make before beginning the “Read Aloud.”)

Questions Asked During The Read Aloud: (bullet point a listing)

Conclusion: Discuss briefly what was observed, heard and asked.

Discussing Vocabulary: (become familiar with essential terms so that these may be discussed with students. List here definitions of the terms anticipated from the book.)

Supply List for Lesson Extension: (list materials per student)

Extend The Lesson: 4 Immersion Responses: (Leave embolded text folks; it’s part of the lesson plan format.)

1. Understanding The Big Ideas – Student write about the plot and their interpretation of the themes, morals, subjects etc… that the author and illustrator had in mind.
2. Character Introspection – Students write about the characters in general and also share their likes and dislikes concerning these. Students are encouraged to explain their opinions.
3. Predicting The Outcome – Students write a second ending to the story or may write about the consequences of those actions or beliefs characters described in the text.
4. Questioning – Students write about those ideas that intrigued them or about those ideas that they did not understand.

Reflection: Students share their writing in the following class with at least one other student and their teacher. Teachers will develop formal assessments according to their own classroom requirements. (If you are submitting a lesson plan to our collection, you need not include a formal assessment under this category. Certified teachers will write this additional information if they choose to later.)

More Information: (Tell our patrons about your web ministry in four or five sentences and supply the link to your web pages here.)

Biography Template: 6th, 7th, and 8th grade

(The following guide is specifically used for 6^th – 8^th grades, when writing a biography. Remove everything in parenthesis () and leave the embolded text intact as you write your lesson plan. Teachers refer to this model as a “Concept Teaching” lesson plan)

Title: (the title should mention specifics and sub-category of subject)

Subject: (according to our categories listed at the web site)

Grade Level: (6^th – 8^th)

Brief Description: (one sentence)

Goals/Objectives: (List at least two of these, state what the students will know, not what you hope for. This is merely a technicality for writing a correct objective. Some of the people who download lesson plans from our file are actual parochial school teachers and they will be looking for these kinds of written goals and objectives. A goal is broad information. An objective is full of detailed information.)

Resources: (This is where you give credit to the author of materials and ideas used in your lesson plan. You should also mention the facility or equipment needed for the benefit of those responsible for arranging rooms.)

Supplies Per Student: (It is important to list the supplies per student only because every teacher has different requirements and methods for organizing supplies. Don’t try to estimate the size of the classroom or number of children you think the teachers will have just let the teacher using your lesson do this according to his or her own environment.)

Read Aloud: Title Of Biography: (Include your biography here. Students should take turns reading aloud separate paragraphs to the class.)

Discuss: The important attributes of the biography should be made clear in your discussion ask questions like the following:

• What events in the person’s life shaped their personality?
• Did a particular event cause them to make certain choices?
• What are some of the adjectives used by this author to describe the main character in the biography?
• What are the main events discussed in the biography and why?
• How did this person impact the history of the church or the world around them?

Read Aloud: A quick sample of an essay that is clearly not a biography but that is about the same character.

Discuss:

• What are the differences between these two samples of writing?
• What are the similarities?
• What kinds of information will you include in a biography assignment?

Test for Understanding and Analyze Student Responses: Read aloud a brief listing of information and ask your students “how” they might include the information in a biography so that it describes an account of another person’s life. (Include this list below, with bullet points, for the lesson plan.)

Assign A Independent Research Project Including A Written Assignment: Students will be given a list of important persons that they will be researching on the web, in a library or from a collection of encyclopedias. They will each select a person from the list and write a brief biography about that person. Teachers need to write a list of potential candidates for this assignment under this category. Teachers, make sure that a list of candidates share some common experiences or goals so that the lesson plan will reflect a underlying theme. Listed below is information that each student should be included in his or her assignment. Teachers may chose to write the information on the board and have students copy it or give a printed worksheet to each person to fill out before writing their final draft.

Required Biographical Information: Students will be expected to read aloud their final biography and present a few artifacts relating to their important person. They will describe how those artifacts are associated to the person whom they chose to write about, after their presentation. The presentations should not last more than five or six minutes.

1. Students Name
2. Name of the person he or she is researching
3. What is special about the person you are researching?
4. List the time and place the person was born in.
5. What was the person’s family life like?
6. What did this person experience and do it their life time that was significant to you?
7. Bring pictures or items that are connected with this person’s life to class and talk about them.

Assessment: Teachers should always plan ahead a method or strategy for analyzing student comprehension and practice. A simple way for a Sunday school teacher to determine the success or failure of this assignment is to focus on their student’s enthusiastic participation and their student’s inclusion of the required elements in a written biography. Certainly the added bonus of the student relating similar life experiences or admiration of the individual they research is a reflection of excellent results. A classroom teacher must, however, compose a formal analysis/report. If you are submitting a lesson plan to our staff formally, for a reciprocal link, you are not required to write a formal assessment for the lesson plan; just leave the above embolded, text in tact.

More Information: (Tell our patrons about your web ministry in four or five sentences and supply the link to your web pages here.)

Topical Studies Template: 4th and 5th grade

(The following guide is specifically used for 4th – 5th grades, when researching a Bible topic. Remove everything in parenthesis () and leave the embolded text intact as you write your lesson plan. Teachers refer to this model as a “Direct Instruction” lesson plan)

Title: (the title should mention specifics and sub-category of subject)

Subject: Topical Studies: (Bible topic)

Grade Level: (4^th – 5th)

Brief Description: (one sentence)

Goals/Objectives: (List at least two of these, state what the students will know, not what you hope for. This is merely a technicality for writing a correct objective. Some of the people who download lesson plans from our file are actual parochial school teachers and they will be looking for these kinds of written goals and objectives. A goal is broad information. An objective is full of detailed information.)

Resources: (This is where you give credit to the author of materials and ideas used in your lesson plan. You should also mention the facility or equipment needed for the benefit of those responsible for arranging rooms.)

Supplies Per Student: (It is important to list the supplies per student only because every teacher has different requirements and methods for organizing supplies. Don’t try to estimate the size of the classroom or number of children you think the teachers will have, just let the teacher using your lesson do this according to his or her own environment.)

The Main Activity: (In this format the main activity is likely to be about Topical Studies in the Bible.)

Demonstrate the Research Activity In Five Steps:

1. Talk about the goals that you have in mind with your students. Make these simple and attainable for the time you have to share with them.
2. Demonstrate how to read and look up a scripture verse in a Bible.
3. Tell the students that they will first be given the scripture, then, they will look it up , write down their answer and read it out loud in either a larger group , a small group or in pairs. The number of students that are in attendance on a given Sunday or Saturday may directly influence the choices the teacher makes in terms of dividing up students into smaller groups.
4. Assess to ensure that the students are performing the activity successfully with an example question before giving the larger set of questions.
5. After ascertaining the student’s ability to successfully accomplish this simple research, the teacher may then give his or her students the complete listing of questions and scripture references needed to research the topic from their Bible texts.

Question: (This is the question the teacher asks the students to answer after looking up the scriptural reference. A word of caution, do not include texts that require students to have too much background information about sociology in order to give a direct answer. Those types of questions are best suited to students with greater reading and research skills. I will include templates that address these complicated ideas for high school aged students not 4th and 5th graders.)

Look It Up: (List the verse(s). Each student should have a Bible of their own, preferably one with easy to read text. Students are asked to look up the answers in their bibles for every question asked. This process will teach them self-sufficiency and confidence. They will also learn a behavior that develops interest and dependence upon God’s word.)

Answers: (A quick reference for the teacher to refer to as the discussion progresses.)

Supporting Activity: (The supporting activity could be a game, an art project, a large group activity, a visit to a location that reinforces the lesson.)

Closing Activity: (Wrap up the lesson. Ask children to talk about their favorite parts of the time spent with you. Ask them to describe the story or parts of it. Encourage children to tell their parents about what they’ve learned.)

Memory Work: (two verses relating to the topic)

More Information: (Tell our patrons about your web ministry in four or five sentences and supply the link to your web pages here.)

Bible Story Template: 1rst – 3rd grade

(The following guide is specifically used for 1rst – 3^rd grades, when telling a Bible story. Remove everything in parenthesis () as you write your entry. Teachers refer to this model as a “Presentation” lesson plan)

Title: (the title should mention specifics and sub-category of subject)

Subject: (according to our categories listed at the web site)

Grade Level: (1rst, 2^nd, 3^rd)

Brief Description: (one sentence)

Goals/Objectives: (List at least two of these, state what the students will know, not what you hope for. This is merely a technicality for writing a correct objective. Some of the people who download lesson plans from our file are actual parochial school teachers and they will be looking for these kinds of written goals and objectives. A goal is broad information. An objective is full of detailed information.)

Resources: (This is where you give credit to the author of materials and ideas used in your lesson plan. You should also mention the facility or equipment needed for the benefit of those responsible for arranging rooms.)

Supplies Per Student: (It is important to list the supplies per student only because every teacher has different requirements and methods for organizing supplies. Don’t try to estimate the size of the classroom or number of children you think the teachers will have just let the teacher using your lesson do this according to his or her own environment.)

The Main Activity: (In this format the main activity is listening to a Bible story. I have a different template for those of you using a picture book or a puppet skit.)

Biblical Reference: (This is the scripture reference.)

First Reading: (Chunk your reading materials into parts for these first, second and third graders. This is an important adaptation for the an age group with a short attention span.)

Questions: (Ask questions after each brief reading. Use simple words. Listen for accuracy and enthusiasm. When students get part of a question right, encourage them and then add the additional correct information to their statements. Reinforce polite behaviors and respect for every child present.)

Quick Assessment: (Observe and listen for understanding and general happiness among student participants. Encourage students to listen to the story as it progresses so that they will know the answers to your questions when you ask. This is an important technique used in classrooms everywhere that promotes comprehension in children. Take your time with the technique and make sure all of your students learn “how” to listen carefully. Smile as you go.)

Biblical Reference: (This is the scripture reference.)

Second Reading: (Chunk your reading materials into parts for these first, second and third graders. This is an important adaptation for the an age group with a short attention span.)

Questions: (Ask questions after each brief reading. Use simple words. Listen for accuracy and enthusiasm. When students get part of a question right, encourage them and then add the additional correct information to their statements. Reinforce polite behaviors and respect for every child present.)

Quick Assessment: (Observe and listen for understanding and general happiness among student participants. Encourage students to listen to the story as it progresses so that they will know the answers to your questions when you ask. This is an important technique used in classrooms everywhere that promotes comprehension in children. Take your time with the technique and make sure all of your students learn “how” to listen carefully. Smile as you go.)

Supporting Activity: (The supporting activity could be a game, an art project, a large group activity, a visit to a location that reinforces the lesson.)

Step-by-step: (The step by step serves as a guide for teachers to think their way through a lesson plan. Step-by-steps are best when loaded with detail and reminders. This is a “role playing” device that prepares teachers for many scenarios in the classroom. You do not need to write it with complete sentences and it may be bullet pointed.)

Closing Activity: (Wrap up the lesson. Ask children to talk about their favorite parts of the time spent with you. Ask them to describe the story or parts of it. Encourage children to tell their parents about what they’ve learned.)

Memory Work: (one simple verse relating to the story)

More Information: (Tell our patrons about your web ministry in four or five sentences and supply the link to your web pages here.)