CLASSROOM ACTIVITY PLAN: GOD'S COVENANT STORY

Here is a classroom activity plan for teaching a catechism class about the Old Testament. This plan is designed for a 60-minute class and can be adjusted based on student age and time available.

 

GOD'S COVENANT STORY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

(60 MINUTES CLASSROOM ACTIVITY PLAN

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

By the end of this session, children should be able to:

• Understand what the Old Testament is and why it is important
• Recognize the major sections: history, law (Torah), prophets and wisdom
• Identify key figures and events (such as Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Esther, David and Deborah)
• Learn how the Old Testament points to God's covenant with us, and Jesus the promised Messiah.

Materials:

• Bibles or printed handouts of key passages
• Whiteboard/markers or chalkboard
• Timeline of Old Testament events (poster or printout)
• “Old Testament figures” flashcards or cut-outs
• Worksheet: “Old Testament exploration”
• Colouring or drawing supplies (optional).

ACTIVITY:

1. Opening prayer and introduction: (5 minutes):

• Begin with a short prayer inviting the Holy Spirit to guide the class
• Ask: “What do you know about the Old Testament?” Gather a few responses.

2. Story of the Old Testament: (10 minutes):

Mini-lecture and visual aid:

• Use the whiteboard or a timeline poster briefly to explain:
• The 4 major parts: history, law,  prophets and wisdom
• Key figures: such as Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David
• Central themes: Creation, covenant, law, prophecy.

3. Group Activity: Bible exploration: (15 minutes):

Objective: help students explore important verses and characters.

• Hand out worksheets with clues or prompts such as:
• “Find the verse where God gives Moses the Ten Commandments”
• “Who was swallowed by a big fish?”
• “Where is the story of creation?”
• Allow students to work in pairs or small groups
• Review answers together.

4. Character match-up Game: (10 minutes):

Objective: Learn personalities in the Old Testament:

• Use flashcards or name tags for figures such as Abraham, David, Deborah, Hagar, Moses, Noah, Ruth, Samson and Sarah
• Children take turns matching characters with their stories or symbols
• Make it fun: act it out, quiz style, or do a quick “Who am I?” game.

5. Connecting the Old Testament to Jesus: (5 minutes):

• Explain that the whole Old Testament prepares the way for Jesus
• Discuss prophecies (such as Isaiah 7:14, Micah 5:2) that point to the Messiah, Jesus Christ
• Use a simple analogy: “The Old Testament is the beginning of God’s love letter. Jesus is the fulfilment of the prophecies.”

6. Creative reflection: (10 minutes):

Option A (younger children): draw a favourite Old Testament story or figure such as Moses.

Option B (older children): write a short reflection: “If you could meet one person from the Old Testament, who would it be and why?”

7. Closing prayer: (5 minutes):

• Thank God for the gift of Scripture
• Ask students to say one word or phrase they learned today
• Close with a prayer (could include a verse from Psalms).

HOMEWORK:

Family discussion sheet: provide a handout with questions for children to reflect about their favourite Old Testament stories.

HERE IS YOUR VERY OWN

CATECHISM BOOK ONE

DOWNLOAD AT THE FOLLOWING LINK

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w8Wbg_iqbWP8LMr9eOfqZE5QMFgzsp0M/view?usp=sharing

Image inspiration ChatGPT with CN Whittle