Joseph

Art Workshop - Crayon Resist Journal Cover

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Student will create a crayon resist artwork on Notebook/Journal Cover to remind them that just like God had an invisible plan He was working out through all the difficulties in Joseph’s life, he has a plan for them.

(Editor's Note: If you don't do 'journaling' with your students, the book cover could become a hangable piece of artwork, a Bible cover, or fixed to a small notebook which the children make, and in which they write "Our Life Story TOGETHER so far" --a storybook they give to a sibling.)

Scripture References:

Genesis 39:3 ^"When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did"

39:21^"the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden."

41:38 “It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do."

48:39 "Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you."

Preparation and Supplies:

• Read the scripture ahead of time.
• Story Bible Book with the Story of Joseph
• Gather the materials.
• Make a sample project.
• Print out the four scriptures onto a large sheet of paper and tape to the wall.
• eyedroppers and/or Q-tips
• thick ended paint brushes for dabbing colours, a dabbing paintbrush for each color
• white crayons
• dilute tempera paint in red, yellow and blue or water colors
• glue
• sheets of white paper cut to notebook size
• clothesline or something to hang artwork until it dries
• Option: fan to increase drying time

Lesson

Opening

Greet the children and introduce yourself. Say today's lesson we are going to create a crayon resist artwork on our Notebook/Journal Cover to remind them that just like God had an invisible plan He was working out through all the difficulties in Joseph’s life, he has a plan for them.

Open with a prayer.

Scripture Reading:

Read the story of Joseph from your favorite bible storybook, condensing story to cover the main facts if there are time constraints.

Crayon Resist Project:

1. First have the children make a design on the white paper using the white crayon (their name should be on the reverse side in pencil). The design may incorporate their name, or a picture, or just be lines.
2. Explain that it’s OK that no one else can see the design; they will see it later (just like God had an invisible plan He was working out through all the difficulties in Joseph’s life.)
3. Then allow the children to drip the colors onto their papers using the eyedroppers or dab them with the Q-tips. In order for the invisible design to show, they will need to use thin temper or water color.
4. Using thick paintbrushes then dab each color, using a different brush per color. Add drops of color and dab for each color. When done, they should see a colorful pattern that reveals the design they made with the “invisible” white crayon.
5. The papers should be dried, and later glued to the front of each child’s notebook.

Editor Testers Review Notes:

Pictures included in this lesson are from our testing and how it turned out before we modified the above directions (which have now been updated above).  We didn't dab, but spread the color with the paintbrush and it just mixed the colours so it turned more brown. We also put too many dots of paint and ended up having to pat the paper with a paper towel to remove the excess paint.

In the next post we tried the dot and dab procedure, but on a canvas, and you'll see how much better the end result turned out, this same procedure will also work on this paper project.

Discussion questions: (You might be able to begin these while working on the project.)

1. Although Joseph was an obedient and loving son, his father also favored him, and so his brothers were jealous of him. How did God use the bad results of their jealousy to develop good character in Joseph? [ANS: God allowed Joseph to be sold as a slave in Egypt, and to be unjustly imprisoned for many years so that Joseph would learn humility, obedient faith in God, love and forgiveness.]
2. Have you had to deal with rivalry from brothers or sisters, favoritism, or some other problem? [ANS: Suggest only “yes” or “no” so that children do not share inappropriately.)]
   
3. How can God help you with these things? [ANS: Pray, ask God to help you find positive and appropriate solutions, ask God to help you to love and forgive, trust God to work out the situation for the best, other possible answers.]
   (Note to teacher: Unfortunately, some children are truly abused. If knowledge of an abusive situation comes to you, we are obligated to report it for the sake of the child.)
4. How do you know God was with Joseph in Potiphar’s house and in the prison?
   Go over the scripture verses you have posted on the wall.  [ANS: The Bible says God was with Joseph.]
5. Which of  Joseph’s actions also showed that God was with him.  [ANS: He kept his faith in God, even when he was thrown in prison for something he didn't do, he worked hard, didn't get angry, and helped people.]
6. How do you think Joseph found God to be “a refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” like Psalm 46:1 (God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.)
   ANS: Joseph must have remembered his father and mother’s teaching to him about God’s faithfulness, and he must have prayed. He did not hold on to his anger against his brothers; God must have helped him to love them instead.)

Closing:

End with a prayer and have the children assist with the cleanup.

Resources:

• Watercolor for Beginners: White Crayon Resist YouTube Video by A Lively Hope web.

A lesson written by rotation.org member Learner from: Silverdale UMC.
Silverdale, WA
A representative of Rotation.org added content and reformatted this post to improve readability.

Joseph

Art Workshop - Crayon Resist "Bookmark" or "Canvas"

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Learners will observe Egyptian Art (hieroglyphics) and then younger students will make their own Egyptian Art bookmarks depicting God’s help in difficult times. While older students will create their artwork on 2 canvases, one depicting God’s help in difficult times they may have face, and if time, a second canvas showing how God was with Joseph during his difficult times and his plan for Joseph's life.

Scripture:

Genesis 37 & 39; 40; 41-46  Slave in Charge to Family Reunion

Preparation and Supplies:

• Read the Bible story.
• *Make a sample bookmark of your own to show kids.
• **Older Students: 2-11"x14" or larger cardstock “canvases” for each youth.
• Bibles and Bible storybooks (we used The Children's Bible in 365 Stories, by Mary Batchelor)
• Hieroglyphics and Art:
  • Egyptian art books
  • Egyptian artwork to display
  • book on hieroglyphics
  • You may wish to check out the below-mentioned books/magazines (see Resources) from the public library and review them for a deeper understanding of Egyptian Art and hieroglyphics.
• Strips of cardstock cut into large bookmarks
• watercolors
• black crayons
• clothesline & clothespins
• chair
• contact paper
• Optional: fan to speed drying time of bookmarks and a way to hang the wet bookmarks.
• Optional Older Students: prepare sentence strips with journal prompt written on it.

Lesson

Opening

Greet the children and introduce yourself. Remember that you are interacting with a different group of students each week--some may not know you. Wear your name tag and make sure that the children are wearing theirs.

Open with a prayer.

Scripture Reading:

Begin with the reading of the story. You may use the Bible for the older children and The Children's Bible in 365 Stories storybook for younger children (stories 35-43: Slave in Charge to Family Reunion). Encourage the children to listen for the way God helped in difficult situations.

Following the reading, discuss: What was difficult about the situation for Joseph? For the brothers? For Jacob (Joseph’s father)? For Benjamin? Then ask how God helped each one through these difficulties.

Life in Egypt:

Tell the children that to understand the Joseph story better it helps to see little bits of his culture – what Egypt was like.

Hold up examples of Egyptian art.

Using the books you checked out from the library tell the children a brief explanation of what things were like in Egypt when Joseph was there. (If nothing else you may want to hold up pictures of the pyramids and examples of the hieroglyphics, may want to tape to walls).

Tell the children that in early Egypt people communicated through pictures.

*Crayon Resist - Bookmarks

   (younger students)

Tell the children that today they will be making their own Egyptian art.

1. Hand each child a cardstock strip and a black crayon.
2. Tell them that on one side you would like them to tell the Joseph story through hieroglyphics, emphasizing God's help through the hard times. Tell them that on the other side you would like them to tell their own story through hieroglyphics, emphasizing God’s help through the hard times in their own life.
3. When they finish with the black crayon, give them watercolors to paint the rest of the bookmark. Let them know that the paint will not mess up their picture – the crayon will always show through.
4. Explain to them that this is just like the story for today. God will always be with them and help them, no matter how hard things get.
5. To paint the second side, you and the shepherd will have to help hold the bookmark up so it can be painted.
6. When finished, hang the bookmarks to dry on the clothesline. Tell the children that you will laminate them (using contact paper) when the bookmarks are dry.
7. Have the children share their hieroglyphics, telling the stories on their bookmarks.

**Crayon Resist - Canvas

   (for youth)

Tell the students that today they will be making their own Egyptian art.

1. Hand each student a canvas and crayons, paints and chalk.
2. Tell them that you would like them to tell the Joseph story through hieroglyphics, emphasizing God's help through the hard times.
3. When they finish with the black crayon and/or chalk, use the watercolors to paint the rest of the canvas. Let them know that the paint will not mess up their picture – the crayon/chalk will always show through.
4. Explain to them that this is just like the story for today. God will always be with them and help them, no matter how hard things get.
5. Have the students share their hieroglyphics, telling the stories they've created on their canvas'.
6. Optional: If extra time, on another canvas have them tell their own story through hieroglyphics, emphasizing God’s help through the hard times in their own life. The story can be fictional or real, but again should cover the whole canvas.

Editor's test notes: we used an 8" x 10" canvas with a 9 year old, with black crayon, then using the eye dropper and dabbing option noted in previous post.  Add paint drops, dab them all using one brush for each color, then add more drops in white spaces, dab again, etc. until whole canvas is filled. Photos below.

Closing:

Close in prayer with the following or a prayer in your own words:
Dear God, thank you for being with us in the good times in our lives, but we know there are bad times, too. We ask you to help us get through those times. Thank you for your love and care. Through Christ, Amen.

Resources:

• Pharaohs & Mummies (Explorer Plus, Ladybird) by Anita Ganeri, 1996, publisher‎ Dutton Juvenile.
• “The Power of Writing,” National Geographic, August 1999, volume 196, Number 2, Pages 110-13.
• The Prince of Egypt, Collector’s Edition Storybook.

Adaptations:

Journal Time:
Have the children respond to the following question, pre-printed on sentence strips:
The hardest time in my whole life was _______________________. I know God helped me because _______________________.

Joseph

Art Workshop ~ Pillow Case

Summary of Lesson Activities:
The children will learn the story of Joseph. They will then decorate pillow cases to remind them that God is with them always, they are special to him, and His love helps them through all situations and circumstances. 1st through 3rd grade will decorate their pillow cases using special fabric pens; 4th through 5th grade will expand upon some of the story using Sharpie™ pens and alcohol.

Scripture Reference:
Genesis 37:1-36; 39:1-6b

Memory Verse:
Romans 8:28a  “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (NLT)

Key Concepts and Life Application
The children will:

• Identify Genesis as the first book in the Old Testament; locating the story in Genesis.
• Retell the story in their own words – identifying story characters and their feelings.
• Explain how jealousy erupted in Joseph’s family. Learn how feelings can separate us from family and friends.
• Learn that each of us is a favorite in the eyes of God.
• Understand that God loves us and is never separated from us, no matter what happens.

Preparation and Supplies:

• Read the scripture ahead of time.
• View the videos at Steve Spangler Science: Making Science Fun, “Sharpie Pen Science,” https://stevespangler.com/expe...sharpie-pen-science/
• Gather the materials.
• Bibles – minimally one for every two children.
• Bible Story Strips, one set for every three children. Best to copy each set on different colored cardstock. Cut apart and mix up. Reuse each week
• Pillow case, one for each child
• Masking tape

1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade:

• Posterboard cut to fit pillow cases, one for each child, can be reused each week.
• Fabric markers

4th and 5th grade:

• Sharpie™ pens, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple
• Plastic cups, several per child, reusable
• Rubberbands big enough to go around mouth of cup
• Rubbing alcohol (70% from the drug store)
• Dropper bottles or medicine droppers
• Whiteboard marker and eraser

Advanced Preparation Requirements:

• Insert a piece of poster board into the pillow cases to prevent the pens from bleeding through. For 4th and 5th grade, they will remove the poster board after writing the verse on the pillow case.

Lesson

Opening

Greet the children and introduce yourself.  Distribute Bibles to each child or every two children.
Say:  We are learning about Joseph and his coat of many colors today and then will decorate a pillow case to remind them that God is with them always, they are special to him, and His love helps them through all situations and circumstances.

Open with a prayer.

Scripture and Story Reading:

Ask:
Where in the Bible would we find this story? (Old Testament, Genesis)
Have the students find the book of Genesis, chapter 37, verse 1, in their Bibles. Make sure it is noted that Genesis is the first book in the Old Testament.

Say:
I bet you already know something about this story. On these strips of paper are events in our story. Working in groups of three, see if you can put these strips or events, in the correct order.

Pass out sets of story sequence strips – one set for every 3 students.
Allow a few minutes for this exercise. It is ok if they peek in their Bibles!

Say:
Let’s check how you did with the story in the Bible.
Read them the story using the following paraphrase.

Story Paraphrase – Genesis 37:1-35 (PDF Version Attached)
Jacob (who was also called Israel) lived in the land of Canaan. Jacob had many sons (12 in all) but he liked Joseph the best. Because Jacob loved Joseph so much, Jacob made Joseph a coat with many beautiful colors. The coat made Joseph proud. He felt special! But it made his brothers…mad! They hated Joseph. They couldn’t speak one kind word to him.

One night Joseph had a dream. When he told his brothers about it, they hated him even more. “Listen to my dream,” said Joseph. “We were out in the field, tying our bundles of wheat together, when suddenly my bundle rose and stood upright. All of your bundles gathered around mine and bowed down to it.” His brothers said, “do you plan to be king over us?” They didn’t like what Joseph had to say.

Then Joseph had another dream. He told his brothers. “In this dream the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” Joseph's brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept wondering about the dream. What could it mean?

One day when Joseph's brothers had taken the sheep to a pasture near Shechem, Jacob asked Joseph to go check on them. So, Joseph went to find his brothers. His brothers saw him coming—it must have been because of the colorful coat. “Here comes that dreamer,” said his brothers. “Let’s kill him! Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams!” “No, don’t kill him,” Reuben said. “Let’s only throw him into a pit. There’s one over there.” Reuben was thinking that at night he would secretly rescue Joseph.

Joseph came up to his brothers. Before he could even say hello, they grabbed him. They took his multicolored coat and threw him into a pit. Then his brothers sat down to eat their dinner.

As they were eating Judah said, “Look, here come some men on their way to Egypt – Ishmaelite traders. Let’s sell Joseph, then we won’t have to kill him. After all, he is our brother.” So when the traders came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the pit. They sold him for twenty pieces of silver.

Joseph's brothers killed a goat and dipped Joseph's fancy coat in its blood. They took the coat to their father and said, "We found this!” Jacob recognized it. “Joseph must have been killed by a wild animal!” Jacob mourned for Joseph a long time.

Paraphrased from CEV and NIrV Bibles.

Discussion:
Ask:

• Why did Jacob give Joseph a special coat? to show his love for Joseph
• What do you think Joseph’s brothers thought when Joseph received his special coat? Why didn’t I get one too? Dad likes Joseph best; jealous feelings.

Say:
When Jacob gave this special gift to Joseph got and no one else, it was like Jacob saying, “Joseph is special!”
Ask:

• Did Joseph act like he was a special person?
• How did that contribute to the feelings of rivalry in his family?
• Do you know anyone who brags about the things they own?
• How does this make you feel?

If we are angry or jealous of someone, does that make us feel close to that person, or separated from that person? Separated

Say:
Feelings of anger or jealousy separate us from family or friends. The good news is that God is never separated from us! God is always close to us. One way we can feel closer to God is through prayer.

Ask:
This might seem like an obvious question, but why is it important to pray when we’re feeling separated from family and friends? God already knows we need his help; prayer is a way we show our trust in God.

Ask for any prayer requests. Ask if anyone would like to lead the group in prayer. Be prepared to say a prayer yourself, working in prayer requests. A suggestion: “Dear God. Thank you for being with us in every situation. Help us not to get jealous or angry when others have things we don’t have. Help us remember your love is always with us. Amen.”

Say:
Joseph and his family didn’t deal with their problems, so they became even bigger problems.

Ask:
Are there ways to keep feelings like jealousy under control so it doesn’t cause trouble? talk to an adult about the hard feelings; tell a friend how you are feeling without getting angry; pray for God’s strength to get you through a hard time; read the Bible for reassurance of God’ love for us in all circumstances

Say:
God loves you. Let’s make a special colorful pillowcase. When you go to bed every night, you’ll be reminded that God’s love is with you everywhere you go, through all situations and circumstances.

1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grade: Decorating Pillowcases

Give each child a pillow case with a large piece of poster board in it. Put out lots of colors of markers.

Directions:

1. Using the markers, decorate your pillow case to remind you that God and His love are with you wherever you go.
2. Suggest that they put the memory verse on it; you might want to write it on the board so they can see it easily.
3. At about 10:40, ask the children to help clean up the materials.

Wrap-up:
Your pillowcases can go home with you today. I hope you’ll enjoy using them.
Sometimes, when I go to bed, I think over the things that happened to me that day. I bet Joseph did that too. Sometimes, it’s so easy to go to sleep because it was a good day. But, on those days when some bad things happen, I sometimes start worrying.
God doesn’t want us to worry. He wants us to pray and give him our worries. He wants us to trust Him, just like Joseph did. So the next time you have trouble sleeping, think about your pillow case and give your worries to God.

4th and 5th Grade: Decorating Pillowcases

Give each child a pillow case and several plastic cups and rubber bands.

Directions:

1. Write your name inside your pillowcase on the piece of tape.
2. Optional: Write the verse on the outside of your pillow case as a reminder that God is always with you.
3. Place the plastic cup inside the middle of the pillow case.
4. Position the opening of the cup directly under the section of the pillowcase that you want to decorate.
5. Stretch the rubber band over the pillowcase and the cup to secure the pillowcase in place.
6. Repeat this with a few more cups.
7. Place about 6 dots of ink from one marker in a circle pattern about the size of a quarter in the center of one of stretched out fabric circles.
8. If you like, use another color marker to fill in spaces between the first dots. There should be a quarter size circle of dots in the middle of the plastic cup opening when you are finished.
9. Don’t let the ink dry!
10. Slowly squeeze approximately 20 drops of rubbing alcohol into the center of the circle of dots. DO NOT flood the design area with rubbing alcohol. The key is to drip the rubbing alcohol slowly in the center of the design and allow the molecules of ink to spread outward from the center. As the rubbing alcohol absorbs into the fabric, the ink spreads in a circular pattern. The result is a beautiful flower-like pattern. (Students often remark that the design looks like the colorful surface of a compact disc).
11. Apply as much or as little rubbing alcohol as desired, but do not let the pattern spread beyond the edges of the cup. Allow the developed design to dry for 3 to 5 minutes before moving the cup on to a new area of the shirt.
12. It is important to heat set the colors by placing the shirt in the dryer for approximately 15 minutes. Be sure to give students the “care instructions.”
13. At about 10:40, ask the children to help clean up the materials. Since their pillowcases are wet, lay them out to dry. They can either pick them up after worship or get them next week.

How It Works:
This is really a lesson in the concepts of solubility, color mixing, and the movement of molecules. The Sharpie markers contain permanent ink, which will not wash away with water. Permanent ink is hydrophobic, meaning it is not soluble in water. However, the molecules of ink are soluble in another solvent called rubbing alcohol. This solvent carries the different colors of ink with it as it spreads in a circular pattern from the center of the shirt.

Comparison to Life:
This is similar to life. Along the way, good things happen to us. For example, Joseph was given the coat of many colors. But, bad things happen too. For Joseph, it was his brothers selling him as a slave.
When we have God with us, the bad things are easier to get through. Think about it, the Sharpie marker put dots of color on your pillow case. When you added the rubbing alcohol, the dark colors became lighter and brighter. If you got Sharpie on your skin, the rubbing alcohol will take it out. God is like the rubbing alcohol. He makes the dark times lighter and sometimes takes them away completely.

Filler Time (Use only if you need it)

If you have time, use the following to help the children learn the Bible verse. Write the memory verse on the white board and cover the verse on bulletin board. Give students about one minute to read it and try to memorize as much as they can. You might want to read it together a few times.
Then, have children close their eyes and erase a word or two. See who can say the verse with the missing words.
Continue until the whole Bible verse is erased. You may be surprised to see how many students can already say it from memory.

Reflection:

Prayer:
Suggestions for the closing prayer: ask children to reflect on what the Bible verse means to them.

Tidy and Dismissal:
Ask children to help tidy up. Close the door and turn off the lights. Store your materials back in the cabinet.

References

The “Overview,” “Paraphrase,” and “Discussion” portion of this lesson were obtained from:

• Hulbert, Carol. "Joseph’s Coat: Art Workshop." Nov. 2003. < Copyright 2003, 2010, First United Methodist Church, Ann Arbor, MI.

Information on using Sharpies™ and rubbing alcohol were obtained from:

• Steve Spangler Science: Making Science Fun, “Sharpie Pen Science,” https://stevespangler.com/expe...sharpie-pen-science/

Story Strips
Jacob (also called Israel) had lots of sons, but liked Joseph best.
Jacob gives Joseph a coat of many colors.
Joseph’s brothers are jealous of his beautiful coat.
Joseph has dreams about his brothers bowing down to him.
Joseph’s brothers took the flock to Shechem.
Joseph’s brothers plot to kill Joseph.
The brothers throw Joseph into an empty well.
Joseph’s brothers sell Joseph into slavery.
The brothers tell Jacob that a wild animal killed Joseph.

A lesson written by Ann Wright from: St. Andrews Presbyterian Church.
Raleigh, NC

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

Joseph as a Ruler in Egypt

Art Workshop ~ Joseph's Timeline / My Timeline

Summary of Lesson Activities:
Students will make a timeline of Joseph's life.

Scripture Reference:
Genesis 41.

Memory Verses: (NIV)

Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Preparation and Supplies:

• Read the scripture ahead of time.
• Gather the materials.
• Make a sample timeline.
• Black crayons
• light colored watercolor paints
• white or vanilla construction paper (large)
• samples of symbolic pictographs to copy

Lesson

Opening:

Welcome the students to the workshop and tell them what they will be learning today.  Say today we are learning the story of Joseph and then we will be making a timeline of his story. Open with a prayer.

Bible Story/Scripture

Post the two Bible memory verses, (Ephesians 4:32 and Romans 8:28); the children should already have their own copies. Repeat these two verses with the class before beginning to teach the lesson.

Teacher notes. If this is the first Sunday of the rotation, most children will either not be at all familiar with the story of Joseph, or will remember parts of it. Children in grades 3 – 6 should be encouraged to open their Bibles to Genesis 41 as you start the lesson. You will need to be prepared, however, to summarize key parts of this long lesson you have prepared before this class session, and to use them appropriately for the grade level of the children. Some children will be able to read along in the Bible. You might even ask some volunteers to read key sections of the story. If it is past the first Sunday of the rotation, you should first ask the children to tell what they already know of the story, so you will know where they need more teaching or clarification.

Art Project: Joseph's Timeline/ My Timeline.

Materials: Black crayons, light colored watercolor paints, white or vanilla construction paper (large), samples of symbolic pictographs to copy.

Procedure:

1. Tell the children they will make a timeline of Joseph’s life on one side of the paper, and timeline of their own life on the other side of the paper.
2. They will use black crayon to draw a small picture symbol of each event inside a 2” X 2” square. This way it will be possible for them to have two or more vertical columns on each side of the paper.
3. Explain that the Egyptians wrote using pictographs called “hieroglyphics”. The children may invent their own picture symbols, or you may suggest some on a poster.
4. You should have posted the following events for Joseph’s timeline:
   
   • Birth, ~ 1745 BC
   • colorful coat
   • tells two dreams
   • thrown into a pit; sold to Egypt
   • slave in Potiphar’ house
   • put in prison
   • tells meanings of baker’s and cupbearer’s dreams
   • forgotten for 2 more years
   • tells meaning of Pharaoh’s 2 dreams
   • promoted to governor of Egypt, ~1715 BC
   • famine begins, ~1708 BC
   • 10 brothers arrive in Egypt
   • Simeon in prison
   • luncheon banquet with 11 brothers
   • silver cup in Benjamin’s sack
   • Judah offers to take Benjamin’s place and stay with Joseph
   • Joseph forgives his brothers and tells his identity
   • Jacob comes to Egypt with the whole family (~1706 BC)
   • Joseph dies, ~1635 BC
   • Joseph’s bones carried back to Canaan (~1235 BC?)
5. There are twenty events on this timeline. Some children won’t be able to fit all twenty on their paper, even in two or more columns, but using picture symbols should be much easier than using words.
6. On the reverse side of the paper, have the children list some major life events of their own lives up to the present time, such as being born, birthdays, friendships, moves, getting or losing a particular pet, etc.
   • Older children may have more events to list.
7. Point out that just as God was working for good through all the events of Joseph’s life, God is also working for good through the events of each child’s life, and has loved each person since before that person was born!
   
   • Some children may have “forgiveness” events. Ask if anybody wishes to share about Jesus forgiving their sins, which is their “spiritual birthday”.
   • Some will have very uneventful, peaceful timelines; it’s OK.
   • Others may have experienced significant losses; make some discussion boundaries so that nothing extremely personal is shared to anyone’s detriment.
8. Last of all, the children can do a watercolor wash over their timelines in a light color that beautifies it but doesn’t hide it. Talk about how God wants to use our lives to glorify Him in every way.
9. When the papers are dry, they can be rolled up like scrolls. Be sure each child’s name is on their paper somewhere so they can be returned.

Discussion questions while they work:

1. How do you think Joseph knew God wanted him to forgive his brothers for sending him to Egypt? (ANS: Maybe Joseph had learned the principle of forgiveness from his father, Jacob, and his mother, Rachel. Maybe as he prayed during his time of being a slave in Potiphar’s house and in prison, God led him to understand forgiveness. There was no written Bible at that time for anyone to read, however. Joseph must have been close to God.)
2. How did Joseph know that God used his troubles for good? (ANS: He interpreted Pharaoh’s dream, it all happened, and he saw that his brothers’ and father’s lives were saved by the way God had made him governor of Egypt so that he could provide them with food.)

Closing:

Close with a circle of prayer. As you go around the circle, allow anyone who wants to pray to do so. Encourage thanksgiving or forgiveness.
Remind the children to return next week for their next workshop, and to bring a friend and their Bible.

Extra Activities:

Journal question:

How has God brought good out of a difficulty in your life? ALTERNATIVE (grades 1-2): Draw the looks on the brothers’ faces when Joseph told them who he really was.

A lesson written by Gail Smith from: Silverdale UMC.

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

Joseph and His Brothers

Art Workshop ~ Polymer Clay Coat Magnet

Summary of Lesson Activities:
The children will create Joseph’s coat out of polymer clay. The “coats” will be used to decorate a memory verse refrigerator magnet to remind them that God is their faithful friend and he is always with them. Some of the magnets will be given away as a way of showing our love for others, as God commanded.

Scripture Reference:
Genesis 37, 39

Memory Verse (NIV):
Deuteronomy 7:9  Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

LessonObjectives:
At the end of the session, the students will

• have thought about ways they obey God’s command to love one another.

Bible Background is found here.

Preparation and Supplies:

• Read the scripture passages and lesson plan.
• Prepare a closing prayer.
• Learn the memory verse.
• Practice telling the Bible story as you make the origami coat so you are able to tell the story without looking at the book.
• Prepare two wax paper templates for every class member.
• Prepare index cards and the whiteboard for Bible memory verse activity. Instructions included in memory verse activity description.
• Make arrangements to give away the magnets --maybe to a Meals On Wheels program or a senior center.
• Gather the materials.
• Polymer clay in a variety of colors (such as Sculpy)
• Wax paper
• Toaster Oven
• Glass dish that fits in the toaster oven
• Bible verse printed on card stock (two for each child)
• Magnet Tape
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Bible Folding Stories: Old Testament Stories and Paperfolding Together as One (check online for used copies)
  
  • Origami paper or copy paper cut into squares (only if you have the above book)
• Whiteboard or flipchart and appropriate markers
• Index cards
• Memento: colorful stickers
• Extra Time: Memory verse preprinted on page

Lesson

Opening:

Greet the children and introduce yourself.

We had an opening prayer during the gathering time, but you may open with prayer if you feel led to do so.

Explain the purpose of this workshop, Say: Today we are going to create a beautiful coat out of polymer clay and use the “coat” to decorate a refrigerator magnet with the memory verse on it. We also will make one to give away to someone at ____.

Scripture/Bible Story:

Instruct the children to open their Bibles to Genesis 37 and tell them that this is where the Bible story is located. As the children begin to look up the passage, tell them that the Bible is divided into two parts, the Old and New Testaments. Also tell them that Genesis is the first book of the Bible and the first book of the Old Testament. [We restate information about Bible organization in each workshop to be sensitive to visitors and new children in the class who may not have any knowledge of the Bible. We never want a child to feel like they do not belong because they do not know this information before they come to class.] After locating the passage, have the children close their Bibles and put them away.

Note: The following book is out of print, so if unavailable tell the story using your favorite bible storybook.
Tell the Bible story using the instructions in the book Bible Folding Stories: Old Testament Stories and Paperfolding Together as One. This version of the story concentrates on Joseph before he was sold into slavery. A small portion of this version relates what happened to Joseph after he arrived in Egypt. Read over the story and instructions before class and prepare to finish the story with Joseph being put into prison by Potiphar.

Polymer Clay "Coats" Project:

The children will be creating very small coats like Jacob gave Joseph out of polymer clay. They will make two “coats”---one to keep and one to give away. The clay “coats” will be hot glued to a piece of card stock with the memory verse written on it. The card stock will have magnet tape on the back so it can be displayed on a refrigerator or other metal object at home.

1. Give each child a piece of wax paper with the outline of a simple coat drawn on it and five “pea-sized” balls of polymer clay.
2. Write each child’s name on their piece of wax paper with Sharpie marker.
3. Tell them to use the clay to create what they imagine Joseph’s coat may have looked like.
   • There are three basic shapes the children can work with as the design. They are balls, logs or ropes, and flat sheets.
   • Demonstrate how to make these shapes and then let the children create.
   • They should stay inside the lines of the template and make the clay have a even thickness.
4. When the children are finished, collect their creations, leaving them on the wax paper.

An adult volunteer will take them home and bake them and return the completed magnets next week.

NOTE: If there is a visitor in the class, use the toaster oven to bake their first “coat.” After the coat cools hot glue it to the Bible verse card. Place a magnet strip on the back of the card and allow the visitor to take one magnet home. [Let the children know that we are not baking all of the coats today because there is not enough time or toaster ovens.]

While the children are working ask:

• I wonder how Joseph felt when his father gave him the beautiful coat?
• Have you ever received something really special like the coat Jacob gave to Joseph?
• Do you think Jacob was wrong to show Joseph his love with an extravagant gift?

Tell the children where the extra coat magnets are going. [You should have a destination in mind by the time this rotation starts.]

Ask them: Why we giving the extra coat magnets to _______? [Because God commands us to love one another and to tell others about God. Then read the memory verse together--Deuteronomy 7:9.]

If the children finish before 11:40, give them the instructions for folding the origami coat used while telling the story and let them try to fold the coat.

Closing:

Prayer:
Thank God that we are all his “favorite children” and for faithfully loving us. Ask God to help us to obey his command to love others the way he loves us.

Extra Time Ideas:

Review the memory verse.

Deuteronomy 7 ⁹ Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. NIV

For older children: On the white board draw one blank for each word of the memory verse. Print each word of the verse on separate index cards or pieces of construction paper. Spread the mixed up words face-up on a table. Ask a child to find the first word of the verse and place it in position on the white board, using sticky tack to stick the card to the board in the correct blank. Have a second child find the next word, and so on. Continue until all the scattered words are placed in order on the white board. If this is the first week of the rotation, you may want to place some of the words on the white board the first time you do this activity.

For younger children: Write the Bible verse on the white board leaving blanks for the simple words (such as Lord, God, his, loves, and) that the younger children will be able to read. Write the words that belong in the blanks on index cards and spread them out on the table. Start the activity by reviewing the verse as you point to the word or appropriate blank that you are saying. After you have reviewed the verse several times ask a child to find the word that belongs in the first blank on the board. Continue as with the older children until the verse completed on the white board.

Journaling Time:

Talk about what the memory verse means, making sure that the children understand the meaning of the words faithful, covenant, generations, constantly, and commands.

For younger children: On paper with the memory verse preprinted on it, have the children draw a picture of a way that God shows his love for them and/or a way they can follow God’s command and show love to others.

For older children: On paper with the memory verse preprinted on it, have the children list ways God shows His love for them and ways they can follow God’s command and show love to others.

Resources

• Kallevig, Christine Petrell. Bible Folding Stories: Old Testament Stories and Paperfolding Together As One. Broadview Heights, Ohio: Storytime Ink International, 1993. (ISBN 0-9628769-4-1)
• Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved

A lesson written by Jamie Senyard for River Community Church.
Prairieville, Louisiana.

Copyright 2003 Jamie Senyard. Permission granted to freely distribute and use, provided the copyright message is included.

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

Joseph in Egypt

Art Workshop ~ Timeline Scrolls

Summary of Lesson Activities:
The children will make scrolls that depict events in the life of Joseph that helped Joseph grow in his faith and brought him to an understanding that allowed him to forgive his brothers.

Scripture Reference:
Genesis 40:1 - 47:12

Memory Verse:
Romans 8:28  “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (NLT)

Lesson Objectives:
At the end of the session, the students will

• begin to understand how the events in Joseph’s life brought him to an understanding that allowed him to forgive his brothers.

Bible Background is found here.

Preparation and Supplies:

• Read the scripture passages and lesson plan.
• Check the Internet, library or an encyclopedia for some background information on hieroglyphics and for some samples to show to the class.
• Prepare a closing prayer.
• Learn the memory verse.
• List the events of Joseph’s life on an index card to use during the Bible story time.
• Look through examples of hieroglyphics and design one on your own so you can help the children go through the process in class.
• Paper that looks like parchment or papyrus, 2-3 pieces per child
• Cardboard paper towel rolls or ½ inch wooden dowel rods cut in 10 inch lengths
• Markers, crayon, and colored pencils
• Pictures of Egyptian hieroglyphics (library books or Internet)
• Tape for attaching paper to the cardboard rolls or dowel rods
• God’s Story by Karyn Henley
• White board or flip chart with appropriate markers and eraser
• Memento: Egyptian stickers
• Shepherd Time: blank plain or lined paper

Lesson

Opening

Greet the children and introduce yourself.

We had an opening prayer during the gathering time, but open with prayer if you feel led to do so.

Explain the purpose of this workshop, Say: Today we are going to make scrolls that show some of the events in the life of Joseph that helped Joseph grow in his faith and brought him to an understanding that allowed him to forgive his brothers.

Scripture/Bible Story:

Instruct the children to open their Bibles to Genesis 40 and tell them that this is where the Bible story begins and it continues to the end of the book of Genesis. As the children begin to look up the passage, tell them that the Bible is divided into two parts, the Old and New Testaments. Also tell them that Genesis is the first book of the Bible and the first book of the Old Testament.

Tell them that because the Bible passage is such a long passage for this lesson you will be reading a version of the Bible story from a Bible story book. Have them close their Bibles and put them away while you read the story.

Read the story from God’s Story, by Karyn Henley.

Joseph had some hard things happen in his life. Let’s make a list of those hard things. Think about what happened in the story I read today and also anything you may remember from the last rotation’s Bible story. [As the children name the events in Joseph’s life, write them on the white board. Have a list of these events handy on an index card so you can “jog” the children’s memory if necessary.]

Tell the children that all of these events helped Joseph to grow, not just in terms of getting older, but also growing in his trust in God. Hearing and understanding Bible stories can help all of us to grow in our trust in God. The same God who was with Joseph is with us and can help us trust God more.

Say: This Bible story takes place in Egypt about 3800 years ago. Do you know how people wrote stories during this time in history? [hieroglyphics]

Say: People wrote using symbols or pictures to denote objects or concepts and this written language is called Hieroglyphics. (There are also hieroglyphics that denote letter sounds, but we are not looking at these today.) We are focusing on hieroglyphics that convey ideas. These are called pictographs, or ideograms. These characters are literal representations of ideas.

Show some examples of hieroglyphics and share other information as appropriate that you found doing your research.

Say: You are going to make a scroll that depicts events in the Joseph story to help you remember the events that helped Joseph grow in his faith and brought him to an understanding that allowed him to forgive his brothers.

Brainstorm with the students ideas about what symbols/pictographs of their own design could be used to depict parts of the story. Tell the children they may show whatever portion of the Joseph story they would like to depict. Pass out paper and markers, coloring pencils or crayons. Encourage students in their creativity to make their own hieroglyphics.

If they work quickly encourage them to pick another event in Joseph’s life and make another picture or series of pictures.

For younger students: Pick one of the events in Joseph’s life and design the hieroglyphic together and write it on the board. Allow the children to copy this design if they do not want to design one on their own.

As they work ask the following questions:

• I wonder how Joseph felt when the cup bearer/waiter did not remember Joseph after he got out of jail?
• I wonder what Joseph was thinking when he was summoned to Pharaoh to interpret his dream?
• I wonder what Joseph thought when he was made second in command of all Egypt? What would you be thinking if it were you?
• I wonder how Joseph felt when he first saw his brothers after all those years?
• I wonder what the brothers thought Joseph would do to them when Joseph told his brothers who he was?
• I wonder what the brothers expected Joseph to do?
• I wonder if it was hard for Joseph to forgive his brothers?

Closing:

Thank God for written language that has allowed us to hear the story of how He provided for Joseph and his family. Ask God to help us remember to call on Him when we are in hard situations and are tempted to be discouraged. Ask God to help you and the children say “I’m sorry” and “I forgive you” when necessary.

Adaptations:

Younger Children:
For classes composed primarily of pre-readers, show the children how to find the passage in the Bible (for example, “To find the Gospels, open the Bible in the middle and then open the second half in the middle - you should end up in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Our passage is in Mark and then have them do it. After everyone has found the passage, have them close their Bibles and listen while you read.

Extra Time Activities:

1. Review the memory verse:
   MEMORY VERSE REBUS: a rebus is a sort of hieroglyphic. Pictures and symbols are used to replace some words. Together we are going to make a memory verse rebus.
   Write the memory verse on the board. Ask the children they can think of symbols to replace some of the words in the Bible verse. As they suggest symbols, erase the word or part of the word that the symbol replaces and draw the symbol in place of the word.
   Example:
   “And we know that God cause everything to work 2 + gether 4 the good of t + (picture of a water hose) who (picture of a heart) God and are called a + (picture of a cord) + ing 2 his purpose 4 them.”
   Each time a word or part of a word is replaced, have the children say the verse together.

2. Journaling:
   Close your eyes for a minute and think about this past week. Was there a time where you did not get along with a member of your family? Why didn’t you get along with them? What happened? How did you feel? When you weren’t getting along, how did you know your family/family member still loved you? How would you feel to have to leave home or be sent away because you did not get along?
   Let’s think now about Joseph and his brothers. They certainly did not get along in the beginning, did they? The older brothers were jealous of Joseph, and Joseph was a tattletale. Did anyone ever say “I’m sorry” in this story? Did anyone ask for forgiveness? Did Joseph forgive his brothers? Why?
   Think about your family again. How do you show you are sorry when you do something wrong? How do you ask someone to forgive you? [Hand each child a piece of paper.]
   Older Children: On this piece of paper, write about a time you were sorry and asked someone to forgive you. Or write about a time when you forgave someone. What words did you use? How did you feel before and after? How do you think the other person felt?
   Younger Children: On this piece of paper, draw a picture of a time you were sorry and asked someone to forgive you. Or write about a time when you forgave someone or were forgiven. (If you don’t write well or need help spelling, just ask me or the Workshop Leader for help.) What words did you use? - you can write them in balloons on the picture.
   Or: How did you feel before and after saying “I’m sorry”? How do you think the other person felt? Draw a picture that shows your feelings or the other person’s feelings.
   
   

Resources

• Cripe, Douglas D., editor. Bible Quest Leader’s Guide, Grades K-1, Fall 2001. Louisville, Kentucky: Bible Quest Publishers, 2001. (Lesson 9, “Jacob and Esau” - source for Shepherd Time discussion and questions on forgiveness.)
• First United Methodist, Ann Arbor, Michigan. “Joseph in Egypt” Lesson set at rotation.org. https://www.rotation.org/topic...om-fumc-ann-arbor-mi
• Henley, Karyn. God’s Story: The Bible Told As One Story. Wheaton, Illiniois: Tyndale House Publishers, 1998.
• Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

This lesson was written by Jamie Senyard for River Community Church in
Prairieville, Louisiana.

Copyright 2003 Jamie Senyard. Permission granted to freely distribute and use, provided the copyright message is included.

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

Sharpie Tye-Dye Tile

Really digging this SHARPIE TYE-DYE TILE project over at Sharpie.com's Project Blog

You color the tile with sharpies, then drip very small drops of rubbing alcohol onto the marker and it dissolves the marker to give it a tye-dye look.

Here's the tile before dripping the rubbing alcohol.

White tiles with felt taped underneath make great "reminder" drink coaster for a kids' bedroom, or a talk-piece in the kitchen.

Sharpie.com says that it takes 30 minutes for the tile to dry, which is plenty of time to do the Bible study and another activity. The 'finish' coat they recommend could be a single spray of polyurethane or acrylic spray to "FIX" the marker to the tile. Dries to the touch in 10 minutes and cure on the way home. Send it home in a small cardboard tray/box.  Experiment before using so you know "how much is too much."

In the version above, I colored the "coat" graphic, but afterwards realized I could have also decided to just use the coat graphic to 'block out' the white tile underneath it -and only color AROUND the graphic. The wording did not have rubbing alcohol applied to it as it made it unreadable.

https://www.sharpie.com/blog?cid=diy-watercolor

Bleeding Crepe Paper Art Idea

I saw a colorful creative process on a YouTube video, unfortunately members only, that could become part of  a Joseph Coat of Many Colors project. I found the process description here, with pictures, at the Arty Crafty Kids website:  Bleeding Crepe Paper Art

Shaving Cream Marbling Art Idea

Posted by Krista Lovell

Want art to be "the process" instead of the result?
For the story of Joseph we did marbelizing. Mixing the colors and watching the swirls change was a great way to illustrate all the changes in Joseph's life! We swirled for most of the lesson time, then made our prints. Again, the lesson was in the process - not the "finished product".

The process of using shaving cream is described at https://abeautifulmess.com/201...g-cream-and-ink.html.

Here's another good site https://artfulparent.com/shavi...-liquid-watercolors/

and from it I quote:

• You can do shaving cream marbling with just about any paints, not just liquid watercolors. We’ve done this with tempera paints, BioColors, food coloring, and acrylics. BioColors and liquid watercolors work especially well, though.
• Scraping the shaving cream off the paper right away is important. You don’t want to let the shaving cream soak into the paper. It’ll get gunky and stain the paper.

Joseph as a "ruler" in Egypt

Generally, I don't like simple craft projects for 2nd grade on up -- unless they become an object lesson (prop) in a discussion and are ALSO a good visual reminder of THE POINT (rather than only being a simple activity 'after' the Bible study to kill time).  I also love the play on words in "Joseph as a ruler" because it is so memorable.

Whose "rule" did Joseph choose for his life? How did Joseph "measure up" to following God's rules in his life?

What was it about Joseph that made him a good ruler in Egypt (authority, leader)?

How did the brothers "measure up" to God's rules?

What rules do you think God would say are the most important to follow? (some of these rules can be learned from the Joseph story itself).

How are you "measuring up" to listening to God, obeying God's rules, being a ruler (guide/mentor) in your life??

Where can you get help to "measuring up" to God's expectations?  What kinds of help are available to you?

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Balanced Mobiles Idea

posted by a retired member (moved from resources to Art to consolidate topic)

We made mobiles to tell Joseph's story during our rotation focusing on Joseph forgiving his brothers.

We began by talking about how our lives can get unbalanced when we are mad at others and only by fixing the relationships can we re-balance our lives. (This is a restorative justice concept if you wanted to go into that with the older children).

Each child had a hanger and they hung different objects from it to represent the different parts of the story. Then they had to make their mobile balance at the end. I also printed out the memory verse and they put that on their project as well.

I tried to find two different things for each part of the story so that each mobile would end up different. I searched all the local craft stores for items that would weigh different amounts.

Joseph ART lessons/ideas found in Complete Lesson Sets here in the Joseph forum.

COMPLETE LESSON SET: Joseph's Coat of Many Colors, from FUMC, Ann Arbor, MI

• (Woodworking): Create “peace houses” lesson. Talk about what makes for peace in families and among friends link.
  
  
• Tie-dyed t-shirts lesson for 3rd grade and up - link.
• Tie-dyed t-shirts lesson for 1st and 2nd grade - link.

COMPLETE LESSON SET: Joseph in Egypt from FUMC, Ann Arbor, MI.

• Narrative picture scrolls lesson for older students for grades 3 and up - link
  
  
  

PRESCHOOL Lesson Activities for Joseph by Amy Crane here.

Colorful Coat Activity (Day 1)
Using a coffee filter, markers, spray bottle with water, craft sticks. Have the child color the filter with washable markers, making the coffee filter as colorful as possible. Write child’s name with Sharpie.....

Coat of Colors String Art  (Day 1)

Using variegated color yarns: tie the yarn to one nail and weave the yarn around the outside pattern of the coat, then zig-zag to their hearts content around the nails. up, down, sideways...whatever....



Decorate Crowns  (Day 2)

Grain and Bean Collages: (Day 2)

Blessing Box Craft (Day 5)

To receive a blessing means to receive something good, so to give a blessing, or to be a blessing to someone else, means to give good things. Receiving a blessing feels good and giving a blessing feels really great, too. Giving blessings is powerful stuff!