Return from Exile

Games Station

Summary of Lesson Activities:

The students will learn about the story as they move through a life-size game board.

Scripture Reference and Key Verse:

See above in the first post.

Preparation

1.  Review Bible Background notes.

2.  Pray for the children and for your teaching of the lesson.

Materials List:

• Bibles (found classrooms)       
• Pencils, crayons, markers, paper, scissors (found in guide boxes—kept in classrooms)        
• Zerubbabel Rebuilds the Temple (Arch book)        
• Storybook on Ezra and Nehemiah (described here)        
• Set of 8 story cards (described here)         

Bible Storybook Ideas:  You may read the story from the Bible or a Bible storybook (make sure that the children know this is a true Bible story and not a storybook).  

• Through the Bible in Felt—Felt Board and Figures        
• See List in Bible Background document

• Large game dice       
• Life-size game board       
• Question list – see end  of lesson       
• Old Testament map       
• Several large garbage bags filled with crumpled up newspaper       
• A small pile of building blocks or large Legos       
• A picture of the city of ancient Jerusalem (you will need one copy per class)
• Flashlight       
• Several hammers or other building tools (no saws please)       
• Play Sword

Note on the game board:

For our game board, we have 40 or so large rectangular pieces of Fun Foam in a variety of colors (available at any craft store). One side is blank. The other side has one of 3 symbols drawn on them: a question mark, a cross, or a stick of dynamite. For this game, lay out the foam pieces on the floor in a wandering pattern (just like a Chutes and Ladder or Candyland board). Make sure that the symbol side is showing and have these set out in a random fashion.

Advance Preparation Requirements:

• Refer to schedule and decide how you will make adjustments for the different ages.
• Obtain supplies from the SS storage areas the week BEFORE you teach (just in case supplies are missing, etc)—check with the Meiers for access to storage areas.
• If you are using a Bible storybook, check to see if it is there.
• Print out the set of 8 story cards and cut them apart.
• Attach pieces of  paper with the numbers 1-6 on the 6 sides of the large game dice
• Set up the board and props before the students’ arrival.

Important Note for Games Station Teachers:

Playing games helps to cement the knowledge and reinforce the skills you introduce during the Bible lesson. The goal of the games station is to learn the Bible story—it is not meant to be competitive!!  If there are teams, you might want to assign them instead of having the students choose teams.  Try for a mix of ages and knowledge.

When a team is to answer a question, have the entire team work together on the answer even if only one team member is to give the answer.  This gets the entire team thinking—and keeps the pressure off someone who is unsure of their knowledge.  Games with questions can involve the whole class even if only one student answers (they are all thinking of the answer even though you only call on one).  Use both factual and Bible truth (real-life application) questions.

Presentation

Opening-Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

1. Introduce yourself to the students.
2. Introduce the day’s story/station and the main learning purpose: For the past two months, we have been learning Bible stories about the time when God’s people were being held captive in a foreign land. They were in exile. The people we learned about were Daniel and Esther. Now we will be learning about the time when God’s people RETURNED from exile. They returned to the land of Israel and to the city of Jerusalem.  We will be learning more about the story as we play a game on a giant life-sized game board.
3. Open with a prayer.

Dig-Main Content and Reflection:

Please make sure that the students hear and “get” the Bible story as well as the application of that story to their lives.  The Bible story is the MOST important part of the lesson—it is much more important than the activity associated with this station!

Say:  Before we start, I want to give you a little background information. This story takes place late in the time of the Old Testament—before Jesus was born. It takes place long after King David.  There had been many kings after David. The people became increasingly wicked and most stopped worshipping God. The people of Israel were defeated and the people taken away from their country and into exile. God remembered His people and kept His promise to return them to their country. Our story is told in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Have the older students find the book of Ezra.

Say:  The story in the Bible is much too long to read word for word, since it is two entire books. We have some Bible storybooks that will help you to learn the story.

Read the Arch book on Zerubbabel first. Then read the printed out book on Ezra and Nehemiah.

Show the children the set of 8 story cards. Have them put them in the right order.

If this is the second or later week of the rotation, you could try showing the pictures in the books and having the students tell you the story.

Questions:

Ask a few questions about the Bible story.  You can ask

• Factual questions (Who, What, When, Where, etc)
• Why questions (Why did they do this, why did this happen, etc)
• What do you think or feel about what happened?
• Application questions—some examples (How were their lives different because….. and how would your life be different;   Was……..different or harder in Bible times than it would be now; what would this look like today; how could you……….)

Activities: Play the Game

• Divide the children into teams of two to four.       
• Teams roll one die to determine how many spaces to move forward. All team members must move together and stay on the game board spaces together. (The crowding adds to the fun!)  To eliminate too much crowding and bunching up, you might want to start some of the teams at one end of the board and the other teams at the opposite end of the board.  Either way, they have to go through the entire board to win.       
• When teams land on a specially marked space (cross, question or dynamite) ask them a question from the appropriate question list. Be sure to ask the questions in order.  If they have to leave this square to do an activity, have the guide keep track of the space that they were on.       
• Teams MUST CONFER together before answering – absolutely NO CALLING OUT OF ANSWERS! (This is important – we want all children including newcomers, visitors or infrequent attendees to feel comfortable. If necessary, tell teams who call out answers without conferring together, that they will lose a turn.)       
• If children need help and there is a Bible reference, encourage them to use their Bibles as a lifeline! (After all – we want them to learn that they can find answers in their Bibles!)       
• If a team answers the question correctly, follow the directions on the question list. (move forward or back). Play then passes to the next team.       
• After following the instructions on the question list, play passes to the next team. (even if the cards tell teams to move ahead and they land on another marked space their turn ends!)       
• Have the team with the youngest child go first.       
• First team to get to the finish line is the winner.

Reflect/Closure:

If you finish the game, but have not read all the questions, use some of the remaining ones for discussion.

Close in prayer.

Age Adaptations

Younger students:  If some of the questions are proving to be too difficult, make them multiple choice or true/false.

PreK-Kind Adaptations

(Since these students have the need for simpler activities—and have shorter attention spans—we offer these more detailed adaptations.  In most cases, the main part of the lesson will be shorter.  The extra time at the end could be filled with various activity stations, such as play dough, puzzles, coloring, rice/grain table, etc). Supplies for these activities are kept on the shelves in Room 301—you will need to take them with you to whichever room your station is assigned.

1.  Additional Materials List

         Plastic pencil box filled with song cards

2.  Changes to Activities

You may need to simplify some of the questions or make them multiple choice or True/False.  There may be a few questions that you will want to eliminate.

3.  Activity Station Ideas (if time permits)

Building blocks—reinforce the idea of the rebuilding of the temple church and the city walls.

4.  Changes to Closing

        Pick out 1 or 2 songs from the song box to sing with the class

Resources/Bibliography

• Moses #1: From Bulrushes to Burning Bush: Games & Bible Skills. State Street UMC, Bristol, VA. https://www.rotation.org/topic/...2#295011598215936182

Return from Exile Question List:

Question Mark Spaces:

(Teams that answer correctly may move ahead one space)

1. This story is found in which Testament of the Bible?  (Old)
2. Which two books of the Bible is this story found in?  (Ezra and Nehemiah)
3. The people were held in captivity in the land of Babylon.  Run to the wall map and show Babylon on the map!
4. How many different groups returned from exile to Jerusalem?  (Three)
5. Who was the first leader that returned with fellow exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem?  (Zerubbabel)
6. True or False:  The temple was rebuilt by people who had always lived in Jerusalem because they had never gone into exile.  (False)
7. The next leader was Ezra.  He was sent to teach the people about God’s laws.  Tell us one thing that you know about God.  (Accept any reasonable answer)
8. True or False:  Ezra was a king  (False—he was a priest)
9. How did Nehemiah react when he heard about the broken walls of Jerusalem—act it out.  (Nehemiah cried; they might also say prayed—either is acceptable)
10. Nehemiah prayed often to God.  When are two times that you can pray to God?  (accept any reasonable answer)
11. Prayer is important.  Go to the story wall and find the memory verse. Then stand as a group and recite it together  (I Thessalonians 5: 16-18)
12. God used all kinds of people in this story to help his people.  He used kings in foreign lands who didn’t even believe in Him. He used priests.  He used regular people like you and me.  Name someone who helps you to know more about Jesus?  (Accept any reasonable answer)

Cross Spaces:

Teams may move ahead two spaces after answering or doing the action or the card is read (Remember it is important to know the answers to questions, but it is more important to SHOW that we know by acting that way!)

1. God remembered His people and helped them to return to their homeland.  Raise your arms in the air and shout “God, Please Help Us!”
2. When was a time that God helped you?  (accept any reasonable answer)
3. Zerubbabel had to go back to Jerusalem—a city that was in ruins and surrounded by enemies.  Even though it was scary, Zerubbabel obeyed God.
4. The first thing that Zerubbabel and the people did was to rebuild the altar so that they could worship God.  Then they would start rebuilding the walls of the temple.
5. Work on the temple had stopped for many years.  They were able to finish building the temple when the former king’s law was found.
6. Ezra was the second leader to bring people back to Jerusalem.  The king in Babylon gave them many expensive gifts to bring to God’s house.  Take the large bags and carry them across the room.
7. Nehemiah, the third leader, prayed to God for help on many occasions.
8. Nehemiah led the people in rebuilding the walls of the city.  Use the blocks to build a wall.
9. The walls of the city were almost 2 miles around.  With God’s help, the people were able to rebuild these walls in just 52 days!
10. The people worked together to do what God wanted them to do.
11. After the walls of the city were rebuilt, the people stood and listened for half a day while Ezra read to them from God’s Word.  Find a Bible and bring it to the altar area by the cross and the mosaic.
12. The people celebrated after they had heard God’s Word.  Jump up and down and shout “Yeah” three times.

Dynamite Spaces:

Teams must go back one space, unless otherwise directed, after landing on this space.

1. God’s people kept disobeying God and turning away from Him.  The city of Jerusalem was destroyed and the people were taken away into exile and captivity.  Tear up the picture of the city of Jerusalem.
2. The people were in captivity in a foreign land for 70 years.  Jump up and down 7 times—once for each 10 years of captivity.
3. The enemies of God’s people stopped Zerubbabel and the people from finishing the building of the temple.  GO BACK TO START!
4. The people of Israel listened to their neighboring enemies instead of listening to God.
5. Ezra fell to his knees and wept and prayed when he saw that the people of God were sinning.
6. You disobeyed your parents and then you lied about it.
7. What does God want us to do when we sin?  (ask for His forgiveness)
8. When Nehemiah first arrived in Jerusalem, he went out at night to see what shape the walls of the city were in and found that they were in a terrible mess.  Take the flashlight and walk around the wall with the altar and mosaic so that you can “inspect” it.
9. The neighbors of Israel made fun of them and tried to make them stop building the walls.
10. You made fun of someone at school.
11. The enemies of Israel said that they would attack and fight them to keep them from rebuilding the walls.  So God’s people put guards all around the city.  The Bible says that they worked on the walls with a sword in one hand and tools in the other.  Find the tools and hammers and bring them to the teacher.
12. In all of their difficult times, God was with His people.  Tell about a time when God was with you.  (accept any reasonable answer)

A lesson written by Cathy Walz

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.