Joseph's Journey Stations (Drama) Workshop
Photo's Below include Summary of Lesson Activities:
We adapted Amy's lesson above by doing the following:
In our case, I told Joseph's story and as we traveled through the stations I would pick children to be the characters in each story and to act out the actions as I told the stories (character props were simple head pieces and/or dream props). I did not have the children read any scripts. And there is a lot to get through so the teacher needs to know the story well, so they can run with it, so you can get it all done in time.
Note: I would normally have done this in our large open room, but that morning it was set-up for a congregational meeting and a potluck - so found myself setting up in our hallway area outside our classrooms. As we only had a small group, it worked out fine, but for a large group you would need more space to move around.
I had taken my camera, but as usually once you get into the lesson your too busy and forget about trying to take pictures of the kids in action - so the kids posed afterwards for a couple of pictures before I had to dash off for the congregational meeting. So later in the day I took some photos of the station set-ups before I took everything down.
6 Stations of Joseph's Journey were set-up and traveled through by the children.
- Jacob's Tent & Colored Coat
- The Pasture & Joseph's Dreams
- The Pit (Well) & Slave Traders
- Egypt - Potiphars' House
- Pharaoh's Prison / Baker & Cup Bearer Dreams
- Egypt - Pharaoh's Palace, Dreams, and Grainery
Stations Full View
both directions
Station 1: Jacob's Tent & Joseph's Coloured Coat
ivity:On the floor I laid a white bathrobe (from our costumes cupboard) and gave each child several *colored strips and they transformed Joseph's plain coat into Joseph's amazing coloured coat—simply by laying their coloured pieces randomly on the coat. It looked pretty cool when they were done as pictured and we can redo this activity year after year.
*The coloured strips I used were from the doorway curtain to our movie theater seen in the photo under Station 6 below. The curtain is no longer available from "Ikea", called a "Vitaminer Drape Room Curtain Divider Rainbow". It was too long for our doorway so theses are the pieces I'd cut off.
To adapt this idea you could simply cut out narrow 1" x 10" strips of paper in several different bright colors. If you don't have a white bathrobe, simply cut out a coat shape from white or brown paper.
Station 2: The Pasture & Joseph's Dreams
Pasture: green blanket and large stuffed sheep.
Jacob dream props: Glow in the dark stars, sun & moon (cut from cardstock). Plastic wheat.
(All from a dollar store).
Station 3: The Pit (Well) & Slave Traders
Joseph's Pit (Well)
I racked my brains on how to make an interactive well (one the kids could get inside) and had a God inspired moment and came up with the design pictured below. It also stores FLAT!
Attached to this lesson: DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING PIT (Well) see pdf file at end of this lesson.
Below, Joseph being led away by Slave Traders
Our Cardboard Camel:
I didn't make him, and do not know who did, so here's the best description I can give of how he looks to be put together. 
1) The base is an old skateboard - so the camel can be pulled.
2) The camel's body was cut out of two pieces of cardboard. Along the bottom of the camel the cardboard continues--folds under, on both sides.
3) There is a 2x4, the length of the skateboard, that has been laid on top of those extended pieces of folded, which are on top of the skateboard, it has been screwed through the 2x4, through the cardboard, into the top of the skateboard.
4) To hold the camel upright, there are also two pieces of 2x4, one between each leg - vertical, these are attached to the 2x4 on top of the skateboard. Nails driven through sideways.
5) Along the camel back, starting at his tail, up and around his head, and part way down his neck he has been glued (assuming they used a glue gun).
6) On both sides he's been spray painted brown and then, his features were highlighted with blank paint or permanent marker: hoofs, eyes, ears, mouth, nostrils. He's missing his tail. A red cord around neck.
7) Hanging over camel's hump we hung a money pouch (bag with drawstring--my mother-in-law made for me) inside were nickels (20 pieces of silver), for the slave traders to buy Joseph from his brothers.
Station 4: Egypt-Potiphar's Home
Egyptian Background: Plastic sand/sky backdrop and some Egyptian scenery pieces added to that (pyramids, palm trees).
Props: Egyptian mask for Pharaoh/Poptiphar, headpiece for Poptiphar's wife, and arm bands and broom (kids) for Joseph the servant.
Station 5: Pharaoh's Prison / Baker & Cup Bearer Dreams
Prison: We made our prison from a used "Wardrobe Moving Box" I had on hand (a fridge box would work as well). I cut open one corner, so I could lay it flat, then on the outside I glued on corrugated rock wall paper from Group Publishing. I cut the "rock wall" paper into four sections so there would be a gap along each corner edge, to allow the box to still fold easily for storing, when not in use (folds flat to an approx. 5"-6" thickness). The white window was cut from a sheet of Polystyrene I had and I cut up dowel rods and inserted for bars. Glued the whole thing on, but it didn't hold, so my plan is to bolt it on at the four corners with bolts and nuts, to the box.
DREAM PROPS:
Baker: kid's play chef hat, basket filled with toy bread, and a raven finger puppet.
Cupbearer: gold plastic tray, plastic grapes and a plastic wine glass.
Other: Toy plastic cuffs and metal keys on a ring, for added fun.
Station 6: Pharaoh's Palace, Dreams, and Granary
Throne: is a chair covered in a used twin bed gold comforter (check used stores)
Joseph: white shepherd's hat. He receives a gold vest (I made) and this cool looking headpiece when he became ruler, there is also a fake gold necklace.
Dreams: large full body cow puppet (fat) and a smaller hand cow puppet (skinny) and a hat we used for the magicians who couldn't figure out the dream.
Granary: bottle of corn kernels, lunch bags opened (sacks), cups for pouring, and plastic coins to hide in sacks. Not pictured but a special cup to hide in Benjamin's sack.
Resources:
- River Community Church, Joseph in Egypt Drama Lesson by Amy Crane (above)
- Crazy Clothesline Characters, by Carol Mader, Group, 2001, 9780764421402. (Out of Print - copies new and used can still be found on-line). Page 23-27 Imagination Stations (Joseph)
- For Egyptian related props etc. check your local party store (or online), especially in October when their costume stock is highest.
A lesson by Luanne Payne, Hampton U.C.
Hampton, ON
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