Rotation.org Writing Team

Daniel  6 ~ Daniel and the Lions' Den

A Video Workshop Lesson

Summary of Activities

Students will watch the story of Daniel and the Lions' Den using the free video from Superbook, Season 1, Episode 7, and then discuss the video. They will play a beach ball game about its meaning and life application.

Scripture

Daniel 6, The Story of the Daniel and the Lions' Den
The video in this lesson follows the scriptural story and functions as the scripture reading. See the "adaptations" section of this lesson plan for incorporating a reading into the lesson.

Memory Verse: "God has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions." (Daniel 6:27, NIV)

Lesson Objectives

See the Daniel Bible Background at Rotation.org for insights into this story and this set's complete list of objectives.

Preparation and Materials

• Read the Bible Background and scripture.
• Preview the Superbook Daniel and the Lions' Den video (Season 1, Episode 7, aka Episode "107").
• Make preparations to show it in your classroom room. See "how to" notes at the end of this lesson.
• Bring some popcorn and drinks to share during the movie. Darken the room to improve concentration.
• If using the Workshop Rotation Model, host this lesson in your "Video Workshop's" comfy seating.
• A beach ball (or box) for the reflection activity
• Print out or write on the board the 12 Beach Ball Questions below
• Write numbers on the beach ball with a permanent marker, as described in the reflection activity
  
  Below is a preview of the full version of the Superbook's Daniel and the Lions' Den video that Superbook has posted on YouTube. Use this direct link in your classroom: https://youtu.be/5UNBtaVsWm4?si=RrjCxrVS2GpD7Kdi  You can also register and view the video at Superbook's "kids" site:  https://us-en.superbook.cbn.com/episode_player?v=3769066394001 ( After you sign in or register at the Superbook site, paste that link into your browser's search field to go directly to the episode). The video is 27 minutes long, shorter if you skip the end song.
  
  

• We chose this video because it faithfully retells the story and quotes scripture.
• The modern kids and robot who time travel to the story provide life application and reinforce key points. Chris learns from Daniel's story to stand up to Barry the bully in the skateboard park.
• It takes the story seriously, putting faith and God front and center.
• The video works for a broad age-range.

Lesson Plan

Opening

Welcome your students and explain what they'll be doing and learning about today.

Jump right into introducing and watching the video. You'll play a reflection game after a brief post-viewing discussion.

Watch the Daniel and the Lion's Den Video (26 minutes)

Introduce the Daniel and the Lions' Den video and distribute the popcorn
Say: In today's video, we're going to see and hear a Bible story from the Book of Daniel about Daniel, a faithful and honest man who refuses to worship and pray to anyone but the one true God. In this retelling, you'll see some kids who get transported into the story to learn its important lesson. After the video, be prepared to tell me what you learned, and then we'll play a game about the meaning of the story.

Set the story's context
The Book of Daniel is found in the Old Testament. Its stories took place about 500 years before the birth of Jesus. Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, has been conquered by the Babylonian Empire and Daniel has been taken to Babylon to serve the King. But then the Babylonians are conquered themselves by the Persian Empire and King Darius. ( At this point, ask your students if they know this story and let them offer a few details.)

Daniel becomes a trusted advisor to Darius, and that makes the other advisors very jealous. So they hatch a plan to have Daniel arrested by making a law that everyone can only worship the king, and if they don't they will be executed by being thrown into a den of hungry lions. Let's see how the story turns out and what it has to teach us!

Watch the Video

Questions for Discussion:

1. How many choices do you think you make every day?  Experts say we make about 35,000 a day!  Some of the choices don’t matter that much -- like what you ate for breakfast, or which hand you used to open this door.
2. What are some of the MOST IMPORTANT CHOICES a person can make in their life? (choice of friends, choice to lie or tell the truth, choice to believe in God, come worship, be kind, etc.)  How did you choose to become a good person, believe in God, come to church today?
3. What choice did Chris face at the skateboard park?
   What was he tempted to do at first?
4. What important choice did Daniel have to make?
5. What helped Daniel and Chris make the choices they did? (prayer, scripture, beliefs, talking to friends, what else?)
6. Chris' friends and his faith encouraged him to stand up to the bully. How could his friends have DONE MORE to help Chris?
7. What are some of the "lions" you are facing? (problems, difficult people, personal issues, health issues)

Beach Ball Reflection Game

This Beach Ball reflection game moves the lesson towards "who and where to get help."

Prepare the game ball by evenly distributing the written numbers 1 through 12 on a beach ball with a permanent marker. (Alternatively, decorate a square box and number its sides. Roll the box like a dice. You may also write the questions directly on the ball or dice.)  Draw some "angels" on it to go with our theme of "who helps/rescues you?"

Display all the numbered questions on the board or on a printed page in front of the students.

To play: As the ball is tossed to a student, that student must shout either "left" or "right" to designate which question that hand lands on is the one they must answer when they catch the ball. (Shouting "left/right" adds a bit of drama and keeps kids from deciding which question they want to answer after they catch the ball.) The teacher should help them think about an answer, and then tell them to throw the ball back to the teacher -- who then throws it to the next student. The answers should come a little more quickly as more students answer them. You can create a rule that the answer must be unique and can't copy someone else's answer. If needed, give everyone one "pass" that allows them to toss the ball to another player who must answer that question before tossing it back to the teacher.

Say: God sent an angel to shut the lions' mouths and rescue Daniel. "Angels" in the Bible are protectors, comforters, and messengers. Today, God moves PEOPLE to be his angels to others. (Explain the rules of the game.)

1. Who protects your feelings and defends your reputation?
2. Who in your life can you trust to tell you the truth  --even when you don't want to hear it?
3. What person can you always turn to for help with a difficult problem?
4. What can you say to someone who is trying to make you do something wrong?
5. Who comforts you when problems, mean people, and hurt feelings feel like hungry lions about to eat you?
6. What can you say in your prayers to ask God for strength?
7. How often do you use mean words that bite and scratch other people's feelings?
8. Who are you more like: Daniel who refused to do bad things, or the Angel who steps in to help people in need?
9. Name something young people feel pressured to do that God doesn't want them to do.
10. Name something that interferes with or distracts you from regularly praying to God.
11. Describe a reason or excuse you sometimes use to not worship God.
12. Name a place or a person who can help you make good choices.

Closing

Close with prayer by passing the Beach Ball one more time to each student. As the ball is passed to a student they repeat these lines of prayer:

Pass 1: Thank you, God, for Daniel; help my faith be as strong as his.
Pass 2: Thank you, God, for promising us angels when we need your help.
Pass 3: Lord, remind me to pray to you every day, just like Daniel did.
Pass 4: Amen!

Adaptations

For Younger Students:

Simplify the discussion after the video by focusing on the things and people that can help a person make good choices.

For Older Students and/or Those With More Class Time:

• Play a quick game of "how fast can you find the Book of Daniel in your Bible." Find and read the memory verse.
• Use a map of the Middle East to review where Israel, Babylon, and Persia are.
• Invite students to list as many Daniel stories as they can remember. Fill in a few that they may have forgotten or do not know about.
• Ask students what it means to "live in Exile" and describe the forced relocation that happened to many Jewish families when the Babylonians conquered Judah.

For a Shorter/Simpler lesson plan:

Shave the last three minutes from the end of the video (the song), and shorten your debriefing. Eliminate the Beach Ball game if necessary

"How to" show the video

Here are three options for viewing the Superbook Daniel Video in your classroom:

1. Show the YouTube version of the video posted by Superbook. It's free. To view the YouTube video, you will need either an internet-connected device with a large screen (such as a smart tv or computer with a large monitor), or an internet-connected device connected to a large screen (such as a cellphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer connected by HDMI cable to a large monitor, large screen tv, or LCD projector).  Note: Unless you have a paid YouTube account, you may see ads during the playback.

2. View the Superbook video at the Superbook website (you'll need to register). When you sign-in or register, it will then take you to a confusing menu. To get directly to the episode, paste the video's link into your browser (after you've signed in). Otherwise, navigate to the "full episodes menu" and scroll down to season 2.

3. Purchase the Episode on DVD from the Superbook website or an online retailer.

If viewing the video online, it's important to test your equipment and internet connection in the classroom where you plan to show it.   Even if your classroom doesn't have an internet connection, you may be able to access the online video using a cellphone, tablet, or laptop's internet connection, if the signal is strong enough.

If you are outside the U.S.A. our links may not work and you may need to search for episode 107 on the Superbook website or YouTube.  Also, take note of the language options at the top of their website.

Written by Neil MacQueen and the Rotation.org Writing Team
Copyright Rotation.org Inc.