CLASSROOM ACTIVITY PLAN: GOD'S COVENANT STORY - AN INTRODUCTION TO THE OLD TESTAMENT

Here’s 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.

Theme: 

GOD'S COVENANT STORY - AN INTRODUCTION TO THE OLD TESTAMENT 

Time Required: 60 minutes

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: law (Torah), history, wisdom and prophets
• 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 Needed

• 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 Breakdown

1. Opening prayer & introduction (5 min)

• 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 min)

Mini-lecture + visual aid

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

3. Group Activity: Bible exploration (15 min)

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 min)

Objective: Learn who’s who in the Old Testament.

• Use flashcards or name tags for figures like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Ruth, David and others
• 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 min)

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

6. Creative reflection (10 min)

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 min)

• 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).

Optional take-home assignment

Family discussion sheet: provide a handout with questions for kids to ask their parents about their favourite Old Testament stories.

Image inspiration ChatGPT with CN Whittle