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SSTN # 105 - October 17, 2003


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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:


--> Holiday FUN-draiser

1) Creative Suggestions for Storytelling, Enforcing the Story, and Memory
Verse Ideas


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--> Holiday FUN-draiser

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--from SSTN: the following posting is long but important enough to warrant
it's own newsletter. Enjoy!

1) Creative Suggestions for Storytelling, Enforcing the Story, and Memory
Verse Ideas

Re. Bored

> Hello. I'm wondering, is there anyway I can make teaching more fun and
> more exciting?

I know this is rather long, but I have included this information in my
teachers handbook. You have to get them up and moving to keep their
attention. While some of the suggestions are liturgically related, others
would apply to anyone. If you need further descriptions on any, please
contact me via e-mail at:  sabrinaevans@mindspring.com .

Sabrina in Nashville


Creative Suggestions for Storytelling, Enforcing the Story, and Memory
Verse Ideas

1. Use action figures – You probably have these in your house already. You
can check local thrift stores for bags of them.

2. Beanie Babies – Whales, donkeys and doves – fit certain stores.

3. Clay creatures – Have the children make props for your stories, such as
urns for water or wine, or oil lamps.

4. Have the older children draw a coloring book to teach the younger ones
the stores. Suggested items: layout of the altar and its parts, priest’s
vestments, seasons of the church.  You can also draw out a comic book
series layout for things like the birth of Jesus or Easter.

5. Choose a character from the story. Make a diary and have the children
write a page of the story from that character’s perspective.

6. Current events – have the older children look in the paper or Internet
for a current event that is similar to the story (Good Samaritan – someone
persecuted for his or her religious beliefs, prejudices). You can also
find articles about locations in the Holy Land.

7. Dark and light – if using the creation story, inside the whale’s belly
or the storm calmed by Jesus or any story that relates to darkness, turn
the lights out. Use a flashlight.

8. Boat stories – Turn you chairs to form a boat. Cover the outside of the
chairs with paper. Make a mast using a towel. (I have wooden crosses
available from which you can tape your towel).

9. Face off – make masks from paper plates (lion for Daniel in the lion’s
den)

10. Flags – Children can decorate their own tribal flags by table for some
of the OT stories.

11. Games – Who wants to be an Episcopalian? Puzzles, or make your own up.

12. Illustrate and present – Have each child draw their favorite scene of
the story and present it to the class.

13. Imagination – Have the children tell you what things look like. Get
them to describe a camel or what they think the Garden of Eden looked
like. They can also describe what they think God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit
looks like.

14. Interview (for older children) – Set up file folders on each character
of the story and have the children research from the Bible and what they
know to tell us who, what, when, where, why and how. Then report back from
the group. Use various Bible translations.

15. Mural – Have the children design the scenery from the story or an
important part of the story.

16. Design a newspaper using the important part of the story. Decide on a
name for the paper and use old magazines to find pictures (such as
Headlines – Adam and Eve removed from Garden.) They can interview the
serpent, God, Adam and Eve and look for photographs for each individual
and
what the garden looked like.

17. Bumper stickers - You can put the main theme on construction paper,
laminate and hang on the wall.

18. Add sound effects to your story – Is Balaam on the donkey? Can you
hear the donkey’s clomp or his braying?

19. Time line – when did this story take place in history. What was
happening before and after?

20. Transparency films – Give each a child a transparency sheet (number
them in the corner). Assign a specific part of the story for them to draw
individually (assign the parts in order of their transparencies). Do not
tell them the story, just what to draw. Such as “draw something that will
represent a king” – they can draw the person or a crown. Put them in
number
order. As you read the story, display the transparencies.

21. Come in character or have someone else come in costume to tell the
story.

22. Props – Look for ways to enhance the story – such as the widow’s mite
–bring copper pennies, or with the manna in the wilderness, use instant
potato flakes.

23. Write a word or phrase that is part of the story on a post it note.
Give one to each child as they enter and have them stick it on their dress
or shirt where you can see the words. Tell the children to listen for
their
word as you tell the story and when it is heard, they are to shout “Got
It!” They only respond one time. When they have replied, have them remove
their word. (With younger children, you can use pictures from magazines or
colors)

When finished with the story, have the children put the post it notes in
sequential order of the story.

24. Scavenger Hunt – Using your main theme or story, write words on a post
it note or index card and hide them throughout the church. Give the class
clues of where they will find them. Divide into groups – 1 adult with each
group. Bring the clues back and put the story in order.

25. Puppets and scenery can be made by the children to enact the story.

Memory Work

1.  Put one word each of a Bible verse on index cards. Spread the cards on
the table. Ask the class to put them in order. (You could do one for each
table)

2.  Have the children sit in a circle (you may do this by table). You will
need either a plastic ball or ball of yarn for each group. After you have
repeated the verse several times, begin by telling them you will say the
first word of the verse and then send the ball or yarn rolling across to
another person. That child is to say the second word and then pass the
ball
to another child. It continues until all the children have said a word and
the group knows the verse. (If you are using yarn, hold on to the end when
you begin. As the next child says the verse, they may gently toss the ball
to the next person. They need to hold on to the string before they send it
to the next child.

3. Develop sign language to represent certain words and use them every
time
you are trying to learn a specific verse.

4. Practice cheering the verse. Saying it loud, soft, slow and fast.

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