Palm Sunday: Jesus is the One!

Creative Writing (Sign Making) Workshop

Lesson Summary:

Students will creatively read and modify the passage, then write/create a collection of large "Jesus Rally" signs that express key ideas in the story and the meaning of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem for us today.  The signs can be part of a worship service experience or Palm Sunday display in the church hallway.

What is a "Creative Writing" workshop?

It's a lesson in which students express the scripture and their thoughts about it using written words. In this particular workshop, students will participate in two types of creative writing exercises: writing key word substitutions for the scripture reading and creating their own "Jesus Rally Signs"—the kind you might see at a parade, or protest, or rally.

Scripture:

Matthew 21:1-11, the story of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem

Key Verse:  "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!" Matthew 21:9 (NRSV)

Objectives for the Rotation

See the Bible Background at rotation.org for this set's complete list of objectives.

Preparation and Materials

• Read Bible background
• Print the Student & Teacher Handout
• Poster board of various colors and sizes
• 1x1 wood sticks, approximately 36" long to staple signs to
• Heavy Duty staple gun
• Palms
• Markers and items to decorate signs with

• Paper and pencil

Lesson Plan

Tip: Plan your lesson time so that it emphasizes creative thinking and writing over creative sign-decorating.

Open

Welcome your students and describe today's sign-making activity. Show them a couple of signs of your own (or from previous classes).

• The Thing is the King
• Rocks on a roll!
• Rock-sanna !
  
  

Ask them if they've ever been to a PEP rally. Explain that the story of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem turned into a sort of PEP rally for Jesus and his followers. Explain that some people, such as the Romans and Jerusalem authorities, didn't want the rally to take place because they thought the rally would turn into a protest or worse—a riot of people proclaiming Jesus as their King. Ask your students to tell you what they know about the Palm Sunday story, and what happened after the parade was over.

Dig in to the Word

Print the following Bible Study and instructions attached to this lesson at rotation.org. The handout includes a copy of the Matthew scripture passage with key words marked in it that the students will work on changing.

Why this "substitution" activity? Because reading through the story and then inserting their own "word substitutions" helps them better listen and understand the concepts. Working on the word/concept substitutions is also an excellent opportunity for the teacher to go deeper.

See the Study Questions in the Handout for deeper study with your students.

Key points:

• Jesus was acting in a way that only a king would act: riding into the gates on a donkey. (How was he acting?)
• Jesus' followers were acting with respect and joy (how do we do that?).
• Jesus' followers were announcing Jesus to the world (why and how do we do that?).
  
  

Share the Word!

Students will create a number of full size "parade" (rally or "protest") signs—stapling them to wood sticks as if they could be carried. (The sticks emphasize an important idea: that our words about Christ are meant to be carried so the world may see.)

First, have the students design/write their sign on a piece of paper, then have them share their sign idea with you and others. Then let them choose a poster board and help them lay-out their sign, write it out, then decorate it.

Finish the sign by stapling their sign to a piece of 1x1 wood stick as if it were to be carried.

Finish the lesson by having students share their signs and make appropriate teaching comments.

Tip: To display the signs on sticks, have several five gallon buckets ready with rocks/gravel/bricks in them to weight the bucket so that they won't tip over. Weighted buckets are also movable, allowing you to display the Jesus Rally Signs in a prominent church location.

Student Rally Sign Starters

You may write these on the board or print them out to stoke student sign creation:

Jesus is The One!  ___________ is in the Top Ten. And ___________ is way down the list!

The Rocks are Rockin: "____________"

Follow Jesus to _____________.

Having a Riot and Can't Be Quiet about ________________.

The King is _____________.

Jesus = _______________.

Stop _____________. Start __________.

Don't just stand there, follow and  ________________.

Corporate Slogans students can re-purpose:

Better ingredients, Better Pizza, Papa Johns (Better ____, Better ______, Jesus Christ)

Just do it  (Just ___ ____, Just do ____.)  

Ba-da, Ba, dah dah... I'm loving it (I'm loving _____.)

15 minutes a day (praying with Jesus) will save you ________

God's love is like the energizer bunny, ...it just keeps going and going and ______.

Can you hear me now? (Can you hear ______)

Got Milk?  (Got _______?)  

Love, it's what makes a Subaru take you to church!

Snap, Crackle, Pop --Make your life krispie by following Jesus

Whats in your wallet? (Whats in your ______?)

Tip: AS students work on their signs, have them explain their sign to you. Help them to improve it. As a take-home reminder, let students write down their favorite sign slogans on blank name tags and wear them.

Closing

At the end of the class, have students show off their sign and say something about what it means to them. Have the students help you make a display of them.

Adaptations

For Younger Children, have helpers help them come up with the numbered word substitutions in the Bible Study Handout.  Have a helper TRACE their slogan on the poster board which the non-readers can then color in and decorate.

For Worship: Have the processors stand in front with their signs so that everybody can see them all together.

invite adults to make a few of their own signs to hold up during the procession. Following that, the pastor (who has taken notes of what they've seen) can offer some remarks as they invite people/kids to hold their sign up again.

Written by the Rotation.org Writing Team

Copyright © 2016 by Rotation.org
Printed from https://www.rotation.org