Joseph & the Coat of Many Colors

Newsroom Drama Workshop (Older Children)

Summary of Lesson Activities:
Children will perform a newsroom drama.

Scripture Reference:
Genesis 37:2-11, 16-36,45: 14 & 15

Memory Verse:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 1 Corinthians 13:4

Concepts/Objectives:

• Locate Genesis and identify it as the first book of the Bible.
• To learn these key words: jealousy, envy, relationship, favoritism
• The children will hear that Jacob was Joseph’s father who loved Joseph the most. Showing favoritism can cause hurt relationships. Jacob’s favoritism of his son Joseph made Joseph’s brothers hates him. When we are jealous, we can cause pain to others. God loves everyone and is with us no matter what we do to separate from God. God’s plans helped Joseph and his brothers to be family again later.
• In this workshop, we will learn that even though we can hurt others with jealousy & envy, God’s grace and His plans for us can help us to forgive and love one another. Joseph’s lesson can show us that even unhappy times in our relationships (in families & friendships) can be resolved when we forgive and love one another.

Preparation and Supplies:

• Read the scripture and lesson ahead of time.
• Print the attached easy to read PDF script and make copies for your students.
• Set up for two on-site locations for broadcast of a special News Report:
  1. At Jacob’s tent.
  2. On the road from Dothan to Egypt.
• Costumes: robes, beards...for the brothers, News Reporter suites, toy microphone

Lesson Plan

Opening:

• Greet the children and introduce yourself. Wear name tag. Have the kids introduce themselves to each other, “What school do you go to?”...
• Explain the purpose of today’s scripture in one sentence: God’s grace and His plans for us can help us to forgive and love one another even when we have bad feelings for someone.

Scripture/Bible Story:

Joseph Story in a nutshell:

Genesis 37 begins Joseph’s story and ends in chapter 50.
He was Jacob’s (Israel’s) favorite son from a family of 12 sons and 1 daughter. Jacob gave Joseph a special robe as a sign of favoritism. Joseph’s brothers were envious of him and plotted a story to tell Jacob that Joseph had died. They returned the coat, bloodied to ‘prove it’. His brothers sold Joseph meanwhile, into slavery to Potiphar.
Despite all of these tragic events, God blessed Joseph. Joseph eventually found favor by Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh made Joseph a ruler.
After a terrible famine in Egypt, Joseph brothers came to Joseph for help. He forgave them and through God’s plan, Joseph’s family reconciled.

• Read the lessons from the age appropriate Bibles brought in by the kids. Have the older children take turns reading the verses.
• Have the students sit where you would like them to during the reading of the story from the Bible. Usually a circle on the floor works well.

Act It Out!

Perform a skit depicting a Bible time News Report about the strange disappearance of Joseph: (see News Report script below).

• Talk about the different characters needed for a play.
• Assign parts or have students choose which part they want to play.
• Do a run through of the news report and practice until you feel comfortable with the presentation.

Closing Prayer:

Provide a closing prayer. Encourage the children to come back next week for the next workshop, and to invite their friends.

Resources:

• Copyright © Kid's CREW, (News Report play) Steve and Brenda Klusmeyer, All rights reserved. Permission granted for non-commercial use.
• Biblical Chart of measurements https://www.webtruth.org/chart...eights-and-measures/.
  
  

Fillers:

Worksheet/activities: Look online for filler worksheets.

Discuss how much Joseph was sold for (shekels) and look at a money chart. Ask the children how much they would sell a sibling for today!

A lesson written by Cathy Weygandt for "The Disciple Builders" of Trinity Lutheran Church, Findlay, OH.
July 2003

News Report Script

( an easy to read PDF copy is attached)

Copyright © Kid's CREW, (News Report play) Steve and Brenda Klusmeyer, All rights reserved. Permission granted for non-commercial use.

Set detail:

Set up for two on-site locations for broadcast of a special News Report:
1. At Jacob’s tent.
2. On the road from Dothan to Egypt.

Supplies:

Costumes: robes, beards...for the brothers, News Reporter suits

News Report Script

(The number of Joseph's brothers will depend on the number of kids available for the skit.)

Announcer: This is Omar Adamson. I am on the site of a mysterious disappearance. Here at Jacob’s Tent, Jacob’s "favorite" son, Joseph, is missing, and has been presumed killed by viscous animals. Here with us today are Joseph’s older brothers, (put in names). Guys, can you tell us what has happened?

Brother # 1: Well, we were walking home from Dothan, where we had been tending Father’s sheep, when we found a bloody, torn coat alongside the road.

Brother # 2: We brought the coat home to Father and asked him if it looked like the one he had given to our brother Joseph. Father had sent Joseph out to check on us, but I guess he didn’t make it.

Brother #3: Father started crying and said that wild animals must have killed our brother. He put on sackcloth and ashes and went into mourning.

Omar: Tell me, how did you guys get along with Joseph?

Brother #__: I guess you could say he wasn’t our favorite as he was Father’s. He had a dream about all of us gathering stalks of wheat in the fields. He said that his stalk stood up while ours bowed down to his. And then he dreamed that the sun, moon and 11 stars bowed down to him! What a guy. Did he think we would all bow down to him? It made us plenty mad!

Brother #__: And then there was that fancy coat of many colors that Father gave him! A beautiful coat like that should have gone to the oldest brother as a sign that he was the father’s heir – not to the next to the youngest!

Brother #__: We won’t be missing him too much.

Omar: Thank you boys. Wait, I’m getting word that we there may be more to this story than we have heard. Now for and on the spot report, we go to Deborah Isaacs. Tell me, Deborah, do you have something to add to this story?

Reporter: Yes, Omar, I am speaking to Nathan Mizzah, here on the road from Dothan to Egypt. Nathan, can you tell us what you saw?

Nathan: I was traveling back home from a business trip when I came upon a caravan of merchants traveling to Egypt. In the distance, I saw 9 men lift one young man out of a pit and take what appeared to be silver coins in exchange for him. Later, one man came back to the pit, looked around, and ran away looking disturbed. When the caravan got closer to me, I saw a young man I am sure was Joseph Jacobson chained up and being led along with others I assumed to be slaves. I was unable to get close enough to the caravan to secure his release.

Reporter: What an interesting development! And now back to Omar at Jacob’s Tent.

Announcer: Brothers, you have heard what Mr. Mizzah had to say. Do you have anything to add to your stories?

Brother #__: (Backing away and looking guilty) No…. No….. I don’t think so……

Brother #__: No.. No.. I have no comment at this time!!! (The brothers leave hurriedly)

Announcer: Hmmmm. I wonder why they were in such a hurry? This has been Omar Isaacs, coming to you from Jacob’s Tent. We will continue to follow this story and will report again, as more details become available.

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At this point, reiterate to the children that the story of Joseph does not end here- but that he became a great leader and eventually reconciled with his brothers.