Lesson Objective:
Know and Understand the Stories of Abraham and Sarah
Think about the significance of Abraham’s actions

 

Lesson Outcome:
By the end of the lesson, the children will have learnt about the stories of Abraham and Sarah and thought about how Abraham was serving God with his good deeds.

 

Resources:
The Story of Abraham and Sarah
The Story of Abraham and the Strangers
Abraham and Sarah People Templates
Storyboard Template
Abraham and Sarah Colouring Pages
Lechi lach
Mitzvah Goreret Mitzvah

 

Introduction

  • Brainstorm – Abraham and Sarah – Children to think about what they know about Abraham and Sarah. Can the children remember any stories or any of their descendants?


Main Teaching

–          What did God ask Abraham and Sarah to do?

–          What did he promise them?

–          What do you think Abraham thought about leaving his home? What do you think Sarah  thought?

–          Why do you think they decided to go?

–          How would they have travelled at that time and what do you think they would have taken with them?

–          How would you feel about leaving your home and going to an unknown place to live? What would you take with you?

 

  • Story 2: Abraham and the Strangers – Read the The Story of Abraham and the Strangers. Discuss why Abraham let the strangers in and why this is such a good deed in God’s eyes. What would be the equivalent mitzvah today? How can we help strangers and those in need?


Activity

  • Option 1: Drama– Children to act out one of the stories of Abraham and Sarah using any costumes or props that they might have available to them. Children may wish to script the scene first or improvise whilst the story is being read.
  • Option 2: Characteristics of Abraham and Sarah – Children to discuss the type of people both Abraham and Sarah must have been – (e.g. brave, crazy, nervous, trusting in God, united as a couple, scared). Using the People Templates, children to write and draw the characteristics of Abraham and Sarah on and around their person. Following this they should decorate them to look like Abraham and Sarah.
  • Option 3: Comic Strips – Talk about the idea of Mitzvot – where have children heard of this before? What does it mean? Discuss the difference between a commandment and a good deed. Using the Storyboard Template, children to create a comic strip to show how including someone or welcoming someone in to a group can be beneficial for everyone involved – a good deed to do.
  • Option 4: Mitzvah in an Envelope – Each child to be given an envelope and a piece of paper/card. Ask them to write down one or two Mitzvot that they would like to do in the next week. When they have written their Mitzvot, seal the envelope and write their name on it. Tell the children that they will be checking next week to see if they have completed or achieved their Mitzvot. Try to encourage them to write something that will benefit something else, a true ‘good deed’.

 

  • Option 5: Mitzvah Book (Good Deed Book) Ask children to think about the good deeds that they would like to do in the next week. Children to create a good deed book and ask them to decorate the front cover, writing their name and any important information that they feel relevant. Ask children to draw scenes depicting them doing a mitzvah and encourage them to perform these mitzvot during the week. Using their book (which they could take home) they should write, draw or even take a photo to stick in to their book showing them doing a good deed. Teacher to encourage them to look after their book and bring them in next week to share with the rest of the class.  
  • Option 7: LEGO scenes – let each child or in pairs chose a scene and recreate it in LEGO and take close up pictures of it. With the group use the the Storyboard Template to organise the prints into the correct storyline.
  • Option 8: Bake a welcome – bake cookies  or muffins to welcome any strangers. You can use themed cookie cutters, aleph bet cookie cutters, and all sorts of sprinkles to make them colourful. Let the children invite people to share the food with, for example someone they don’t know very well like the caretaker, administrator, or parents. This can be combined with option 1: Drama.


Plenary

  • Characteristics – What characteristics might the children share with Abraham and Sarah? When were they nervous, brave, trusting in others etc?
  • Sing / Link to Hebrew  – Lechi Lach and Mitzvah Goreret Mitzvah
  • Show work produced – Children to present their work to the rest of the class/parents