Active Learning
Bible Studies
Active Learning Bible Studies
No Reading Needed
People of all ages and literacy levels have a remarkable capacity to learn. Reading certainly flings open the doors for increasingly deep Bible study… but it is not necessary to know how to read before knowing your Savior. My own earliest memories of family devotions are fond ones, for I loved that we kids got to take turns choosing that day's hymn (even young children can learn lyrics by ear). Decades later, when I became responsible for a roomful of wiggly seven-year-olds in Sunday School, effective learning activities still involved the child's active participation.
In Sunday School, we began classes by reading aloud that week's Bible lesson and discussing it. But even though most of these students could read, they were at a developmental age which still engaged best during activities. (Know your students so you can set each up to succeed in an assigned activity—be thoughtful about learners' skills and personalities. It's good for people to stretch their comfort zones, but it's hard to learn while bored, scared, or miserable.) A few active learning ideas follow that don't require reading; choose or develop activities that work well for your learner!
VARIATIONS: STUDENT "RETELLING" THE LESSON
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Student draws a picture about the lesson, then shows and describes it to class/family.
-
Students role-play key parts of the lesson during guided discussion. "Jesus just performed a miracle! Do you remember how the crowd reacted?" Use role-play strategically to highlight a main idea you want students to think about—overuse will turn acting into a distraction rather than a teaching aid.
Try It!
Emphasizing Main Ideas with Activities
First, read your lesson in Scripture and identify its main idea.
Read the account of the Flood in Genesis chapters 6, 7, 8, and 9:1–17.
Look for the point of the account.
Think, "Why did God record this?"
What is the main idea here?
Main idea: Holy God punishes sin with death.
Because all people sin, God rescues us.
God used the ark to rescue Noah from the Flood, and he sent Jesus to save all of us from death.
Second, plan an activity or two that emphasizes the main idea.
What activity emphasizing this idea might work well for your learner?
Activities will vary depending on learners, settings, and teachers.
Activities for non-readers might use art, puppets, music, words, etc.
Older students will explore the Flood in more depth, though this may involve similar projects. Pay attention to your learners: what fires them up? Or, if troubled by the hard truths of this account, do they need help understanding these?
Main idea: God provides for his people.
He provides
-
workers in his Church;
-
his Spirit to give each person abilities to work for him; and
-
eternal life—Elijah, one of two people taken to heaven without dying, shows that believers go to heaven!
What activity would emphasize the main idea well for your learner?
Main idea: God wants everyone to be saved.
-
He sends all believers to tell the world about Jesus.
-
Satan fights us, but God uses trouble to spread the good news even further!
-
Salvation comes by faith: God says he freely gives Jesus' righteousness to the world.
What activity would emphasize the main idea well for your learner?
VARIATIONS: STUDENT "RETELLING" THE LESSON
-
Student draws a picture about the lesson, then shows and describes it to class/family.
-
Students role-play key parts of the lesson during guided discussion. "Jesus just performed a miracle! Do you remember how the crowd reacted?" Use role-play strategically to highlight a main idea you want students to think about—overuse will turn acting into a distraction rather than a teaching aid.
Try It!
Emphasizing Main Ideas with Activities
First, read your lesson in Scripture and identify its main idea.
Read the account of the Flood in Genesis
chapters 6, 7, 8, and 9:1–17.
Look for the point of the account.
Think, "Why did God record this?"
What is the main idea here?
Main idea: Holy God punishes sin with death.
Because all people sin, God rescues us.
God used the ark to rescue Noah from the Flood, and he sent Jesus to save all of us from death.
Second, plan an activity or two that emphasizes the main idea.
What activity emphasizing this idea might work well for your learner?
Activities will vary depending on learners, settings, and teachers.
Activities for non-readers might use art, puppets, music, words, etc.
Older students will explore the Flood in more depth, though this may involve similar projects. Pay attention to your learners: what fires them up? Or, if troubled by the hard truths of this account, do they need help understanding these?
Main idea: God provides for his people.
He provides
-
workers in his Church;
-
his Spirit to give each person abilities to work for him; and
-
eternal life—Elijah, one of two people taken to heaven without dying, shows that believers go to heaven!
What activity would emphasize the main idea well for your learner?
Main idea: God wants everyone to be saved.
-
He sends all believers to tell the world about Jesus.
-
Satan fights us, but God uses trouble to spread the good news even further!
-
Salvation comes by faith: God says he freely gives Jesus' righteousness to the world.
What activity would emphasize the main idea well for your learner?
ADDITIONAL NON-READING ACTIVITIES
-
Students memorize a key verse from the Bible lesson. Choose a fun method, such as action verses! Lead students in repeating a Bible verse, performing fitting actions: "For God so loved (hug yourself) the world (gesture in a wide circle) that he gave his one and only Son (slowly stretch arms as if crucified) that whoever believes in him (point arm straight up) shall not perish (shake head "no") but have eternal life (jump for joy)." When class ends, see if students still know the action verse. Memorized action verses could be included in a worship service.
-
Students and teacher pray, taking turns offering each's own short prayer aloud. Most whom I taught were eager to pray; it's also okay for someone to pass.
Try It!
Key Verses and Prayers
First, read your lesson in Scripture and identify the main idea.
Read Genesis 15: God promises Abram a son.
What is the main idea in Genesis 15?
Second, find a short verse that is key to the main idea—a summary verse is often good.
Which key verse might be good to memorize?
Main idea: God keeps his promises.
(Recall from Genesis 12—God promised Abram he'd have a son from whom the Messiah would descend: "All peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Years later, God in chapter 15 repeats this promise not yet kept… and Abram believes him.)
We also believe God's promises: they come true. God counts belief in him as being holy.
Main idea: No one is too bad for God to save.
Alternate idea: Faith produces action.
(Zacchaeus' change of heart showed in his life.)
(This verse is from James, not Luke. That's okay: it summarizes the main idea well.)
If teaching "faith produces action," a great activity for the James verse would be students breathing on a mirror and watching it fog up. If you are alive, your breath will reveal itself; if you are spiritually alive, your faith will show itself in your life! Discuss ways faith is visible.
In a multigrade setting, do a word study to go deeper with much older students!
Both the Hebrew and Greek for "spirit" can mean "wind," "breath," or "spirit." Truly, it is God's Spirit who breathes life into our spirits!
Prayer can also teach, especially when connected to both the lesson and the learners.
Think of such a prayer based on Abram (God's faithfulness).
Think of such a prayer based on Zacchaeus (God's invitation to all, faith showing itself).
an Abram prayer:
LORD God, you are trustworthy and make your promises come true. Thank you for promising that all our sins were paid for on the cross! We love you. In Jesus' name, amen.
a Zacchaeus prayer:
Dear Jesus, you welcome all of us just as you welcomed Zacchaeus. Help us to remember this when we feel alone. Help us to also welcome others who are lonely or need kindness. I want my life to look like yours. Amen.
ADDITIONAL NON-READING ACTIVITIES
-
Students memorize a key verse from the Bible lesson. Choose a fun method, such as action verses! Lead students in repeating a Bible verse, performing fitting actions: "For God so loved (hug yourself) the world (gesture in a wide circle) that he gave his one and only Son (slowly stretch arms as if crucified) that whoever believes in him (point arm straight up) shall not perish (shake head "no") but have eternal life (jump for joy)." When class ends, see if students still know the action verse. Memorized action verses could be included in a worship service.
-
Students and teacher pray, taking turns offering each's own short prayer aloud. Most whom I taught were eager to pray; it's also okay for someone to pass.
Key Verses and Prayers
Try It!
First, read your lesson in Scripture and identify the main idea.
Read Genesis 15: God promises Abram a son.
What is the main idea in Genesis 15?
Second, find a short verse that is key to the main idea—a summary verse is often good.
Which key verse might be good to memorize?
Main idea: God keeps his promises.
(Recall from Genesis 12—God promised Abram he'd have a son from whom the Messiah would descend: "All peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Years later, God in chapter 15 repeats this promise not yet kept… and Abram believes him.)
We also believe God's promises: they come true. God counts belief in him as being holy.
Main idea: No one is too bad for God to save.
Alternate idea: Faith produces action.
(Zacchaeus' change of heart showed in his life.)
(This verse is from James, not Luke. That's okay: it summarizes the main idea well.)
If teaching "faith produces action," a great activity for the James verse would be students breathing on a mirror and watching it fog up. If you are alive, your breath will reveal itself; if you are spiritually alive, your faith will show itself in your life! Discuss ways faith is visible.
In a multi-grade setting, do a word study to go deeper with much older students!
Both the Hebrew and Greek for "spirit" can mean "wind," "breath," or "spirit." Truly, it is God's Spirit who breathes life into our spirits!
Prayer can also teach, especially when connected to both the lesson and the learners.
Think of such a prayer based on Abram (God's faithfulness).
Think of such a prayer based on Zacchaeus (God's invitation to all, faith showing itself).
an Abram prayer:
LORD God, you are trustworthy and make your promises come true. Thank you for promising that all our sins were paid for on the cross! We love you. In Jesus' name, amen.
a Zacchaeus prayer:
Dear Jesus, you welcome all of us just as you welcomed Zacchaeus. Help us to remember this when we feel alone. Help us to also welcome others who are lonely or need kindness. I want my life to look like yours. Amen.