Curriculum Materials for K-1 st Grades CREATE THE ENVIRONMENT: TREASURE HUNT This month we re not taking the kids on an ordinary Treasure Hunt. We are going on a geocaching adventure to discover wisdom. And what is geocaching, you might ask? Geocaching is a worldwide game of hiding and seeking treasure. A geocacher can place a geocache in the world, pinpoint its location using GPS technology, and then share the geocache s existence and location online. Anyone with a GPS unit can then try to locate the geocache. For more details on geocaching, check out geocaching.com. BEFORE KIDS LEAVE THE 5TH GRADE, WE WANT THEM TO UNDERSTAND 3 BASIC TRUTHS: I need to make the wise choice. FAITH I can trust God no matter what. FRIENDSHIP I should treat others the way I want to be treated. Chief Executive Officer Creative Team Contributing Writers Copy Editors Illustrations & Graphic Design Technical & Web Support Orange Specialists Reggie Joiner Kristen Ivy Cara Martens Elizabeth Hansen Brandon O Dell Greg Payne Phil Pierce Dan Scott Jon Williams Matt Bell Lori Chergosky Emily Meredith Lauren Terrell Julie Tiemann Jill Turner Dana Wilkerson Elloa Davis Jennifer Davis Dana Wilkerson Mike Davis Dan Scott Brian Bascle Joe Goode Hadley Brandt Amy Grisham Joy Bowen Abbey Carr Becky Kizer Misty Phillips Stephanie Porter Courtney Templeton User Agreement Orange gladly grants permission to churches, schools, and other licensees to tailor 252 Basics materials to fit their unique leadership requirements, locale and format preferences, and physical environment needs. However, if you wish to edit the content substantively, including Bible stories, learning activities, scripts, and any other content in which biblical principles and concepts are presented, you are obligated to do so within the doctrinal guidelines we ve expressed in our Statement of Faith. These resources are intended to be downloaded and printed for use by the subscribing entity only and may not be electronically transferred to or duplicated by other non-subscribing entities. Any unauthorized reproduction of this material or incorporation into a new work is a direct violation of US copyright laws. 2013 Orange. All rights reserved. 252 Basics and the 252 Basics logo are trademarks of Orange. 2013 Orange. All rights reserved. www.whatisorange.org/252basics
STATEMENT OF FAITH ABOUT GOD God is the one and only true God, yet He exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God is the Creator, so everything belongs to Him and is under His control. God is holy, so He is righteous, majestic, and loving. God is all knowing and purposeful, so He s at work to bring about His will. No person, thing, or idea compares to God. ABOUT PEOPLE People are made in God s image and for His pleasure. But everybody falls short of God s intention, or ideal, for people. In other words, everyone has sinned. As a result, we are all separated from Him, even though He wants an intimate relationship with each of us. 252 GOOD-TO-KNOW TERMS SMALL GROUP LEADER One consistent leader for the same 8-10 children all year We suggest you start and end in small group so kids connect relationally with one leader and other similar-aged peers. If you have multiple small groups meeting in one room, try using circle area rugs to give each group their own spot. Offer as many of the activities as your time, space, and resources allow. ABOUT THE BIBLE God reveals Himself to us through the Bible, and it is 100% accurate, reliable, and authoritative. ABOUT SALVATION That s why Jesus God s Son came and lived on this earth, died, and rose again. God offers His free gift of salvation to all who believe in Jesus and accept Him as Savior the only way to be forgiven and reconciled to God. Anyone who accepts this gift is adopted as a son or daughter into God s family and will live with Him forever in heaven. Scripture marked NIV is taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 198 Biblica. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of Biblica. Scripture marked NIrV is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader s Version, Copyright 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Scripture taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright 1993, 199, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
November Week 2013 Small Group K-1 FOR LEADERS ONLY GOD VIEW: THE CONNECTION BETWEEN AND GOD S CHARACTER, AS SHOWN THROUGH GOD S BIG STORY The Bible gives us one story from Jesus childhood, and in that story we find Him in the temple. Jesus spent several days sitting among the teachers listening and asking questions. Luke 2:7 tells us that everyone was amazed by His understanding. Jesus took time to understand God s plan for His life. He knew that God was source of all wisdom. Jesus made discovering God s wisdom a priority in His life. Wisdom is finding out what you should do When we seek wisdom and ask God for it, He will give it to us. He will help us figure out the wise choice when we need to make a decision. We can find God s wisdom by reading the Bible and asking trusted Christ-followers. When we don t put wisdom into practice, we make foolish choices that have unwanted consequences. We also demonstrate that we don t value God s Word, since the Bible is full of wisdom. Making unwise choices makes us look foolish to others around us. When we follow Jesus example, we will search for wisdom. We ll learn what we should do, make choices that help us grow better relationships, and learn more about God. Working to apply wisdom to our lives shows that we believe God s Word is true. This month, let s think about how: (1) Choosing wisdom is not always easy. God s Word is full of truth we can apply to our lives. (2) The Bible challenges us to respond to others with wisdom even when it costs us something. (3) Showing wisdom proves that God is at work within us. This week, we re discovering: In this week s Bible story, King Josiah was very young when he started ruling (2 Kings 22-23). He could have followed in the footsteps of the kings before him and disobeyed God s law. But when he heard God s words read from the scrolls, he realized this was not wise. He decided to tear down the temples and idols to other gods and refocus Judah on God s law. Our Bottom Line is: If you want to be wise, look before you leap. Proverbs 22:3 says, Wise people see danger and go to a safe place. But childish people keep going and suffer for it. This verse encourages us to stop and think before we follow what others are doing. Just like Josiah taught us, even if others are doing something, that doesn t mean it s something we should do. We need to look carefully and make sure we re making a wise choice. The monthly memory verse is: Choose my teaching instead of silver. Choose knowledge rather than fine gold. Proverbs 8:10, NIrV Nothing we want not riches or popularity compares with the value of living wisely. Following God s wisdom is worth any sacrifice we might have to make. 3
Curriculum Materials for K-5th Grades NOV SMALL GROUP K-1 HERE S A SNEAK PEEK OF WHAT YOU LL BE DOING IN KINDERGARTEN AND 1ST GRADE THIS : SMALL GROUP ACTIVITIES TO FOCUS THE ENERGY Ideas for Early Arrivers Looking Glasses INTERACTIVE LARGE GROUP EXPERIENCE TO ENGAGE THE HEART Opener Worship Bible story Prayer Closer SMALL GROUP ACTIVITIES TO MAKE THE CONNECTION (CHOOSE TWO OR MORE OF THESE ACTIVITIES) Leapfrog Are You as Wise as a King? Verse Hunt DISMISSAL Prayer, share and reflect on today s lesson before leaving Finding out what you should do and doing it. BIBLE STORY Danger Zone (cautious people see danger; Josiah chooses to follow God) Proverbs 22:3; 2 Kings 22 23 BOTTOM LINE If you want to be wise, look before you leap. MEMORY VERSE Choose my teaching instead of silver. Choose knowledge rather than fine gold. Proverbs 8:10, NIrV
GETTING READY : FOCUS THE ENERGY (Choose one or both of these activities.) Early Arriver An offering container Looking Glasses Pipe cleaners; two per kid Scissors : MAKE THE CONNECTION (Choose as many of these activities as you like.) * If you don t have time to do all these activities, be sure to do activity #2. Activity #1 is particularly good for children who need to move in order to stay engaged. Leapfrog (application activity / great for active learners) A few pieces of paper Are You as Wise as a King? (application activity / review the Bible story) Questions (Activity Page) Half sheets of paper Crayons Verse Hunt (memory verse activity) Memory Verse Phrases (Activity Pages) Large envelope; mix phrases up and put them into the envelope Hunt instructions (optional: see note below) Note: For this activity, we suggest doing a geocache-type adventure where you hide the envelope somewhere on the church grounds and send kids on a hunt to find it. Since some of your kids will likely not be able to read, use as many symbols as possible. For instance, the instructions might read something like: Go two doors [picture of door] down and turn right -->. Take 10 steps [picture of feet] and go through the door [picture of door] on the left <--. You can make the instructions as easy or hard as you think your kids can handle. If you choose to do this option, coordinate with other Small Groups so you re not all doing this activity at the same time. If you choose not to do this option, see the activity instructions for an alternative. 5
Prayer No supplies needed Additional Resources: Make copies on cardstock of this week s GodTime and Parent Cue cards. Give or tell parents about our additional family resources: Studio252.tv, CUE Box, and the Parent Cue app. To find out more about these great resources, go to http://www.studio252.tv/leaders. 6
BIBLE STORY: DANGER ZONE Proverbs 22:3; 2 Kings 22 23 BOTTOM LINE: If you want to be wise, look before you leap. : FOCUS THE ENERGY Focus the energy on today s Bible story in a Small Group setting with an engaging discussion question and an interactive opening activity. Before kids arrive, pray for each regular attendee by name. Pray for those who might visit your group for the first time. Pray the kids will take the time to think before they act, so that they will make wise choices. Ask God to help them know the best choices and have the courage to act, even if they feel like the only one acting wisely. MEMORY VERSE: Choose my teaching instead of silver. Choose knowledge rather than fine gold. Proverbs 8:10, NIrV BASIC TRUTH: I need to make the wise choice. 1. EARLY ARRIVER IDEA What You Need: An offering container Collect kids offerings as they arrive. What did you learn this week that you didn t know before? What have you learned this year that you didn t know last year? What do you know now that you didn t know when you were a baby? 2. LOOKING GLASSES What You Need: Pipe cleaners, scissors Apply go and do Impress impress this upon their minds Personalize a personal story from the heart Recycle important things to say over and over Transition making a transition from one leader to another Instruct kids to each choose two pipe cleaners. Cut one of each kid s pipe cleaners in half. Tell them to take the long pipe cleaner and twirl both ends around into circles. This will make the front of their glasses. Help them twist the ends around to hold, and make sure there s a small space between the circles for the bridge of the glasses that will rest on the nose. Then guide kids to attach the short pipe cleaners to the sides to make the earpieces. Finally, tell kids to put on their glasses. 7
I love your glasses! You can t see any better with these glasses than without them, but let s pretend they help us see. When we go to Large Group, I want you to look for today s Bottom Line. It has the word look in it, so you should be able to find it! Note: If you think your kids can handle wearing the glasses to Large Group without them being a big distraction, let the kids keep their glasses on. If not, tell them they can wear them when Small Group is over. Lead your group to the Large Group area. 8
BIBLE STORY: DANGER ZONE Proverbs 22:3; 2 Kings 22 23 BOTTOM LINE: If you want to be wise, look before you leap. MEMORY VERSE: Choose my teaching instead of silver. Choose knowledge rather than fine gold. Proverbs 8:10, NIrV BASIC TRUTH: I need to make the wise choice. Apply go and do Impress impress this upon their minds Personalize a personal story from the heart Recycle important things to say over and over Transition making a transition from one leader to another : MAKE THE CONNECTION Make the connection of how today s Bible story applies to real life experiences through interactive activities and discussion questions. 1. LEAPFROG (application activity / great for active learners) What You Need: Paper Guide kids to line up on their hands and knees so they can play leapfrog. (You might need to show them how!) Tell kids that it s important to look at where they re going and what they re doing so they don t step on anyone, knock them in the head, or get hurt themselves. Explain that every once in a while, you ll put a piece of paper or two in front of the first person. The frog needs to look carefully and make sure to jump over the paper. Play the game until all kids have been the frog. If you had been wondering what it means to look before you leap, now you know! It means you re supposed to be aware of what s going on so you can make wise choices. You don t just close your eyes and guess; you see what s happening and make a good decision. If you want to be wise, look before you leap! When we look before we leap, we make choices that will help us and help others instead of hurting ourselves or someone else. We ll be able to see what the options are and choose the best one for ourselves and for others. * 2. ARE YOU AS WISE AS A KING? (application activity / review the Bible story) What You Need: Questions (Activity Page), half sheets of paper, crayons Divide kids into two or three teams. Give each team four pieces of paper and some crayons. Instruct them to write A, B, C, and D on the papers one letter per piece. Then explain that you re going to play a game called Are You as Wise as a King? Ask multiple-choice questions (from the Activity Page), and give teams time to discuss each answer amongst themselves. Explain that more 9
than one answer might be right. Make sure to repeat the choices several times. Instruct someone from each team to hold up the letter(s) of the answer(s) they choose. When revealing the correct answer(s), don t point out the teams that got it wrong just focus on the correct answer(s). It sounds like you all are becoming wise, just like King Josiah and King Solomon were! Great job! We re learning that if you want to be wise, look before you leap. The questions in our game show us that we should think before we react. And the last question shows us that just because others are doing something doesn t mean you should do it, too. was doing.) (Tell kids an age-appropriate story about a time you made a choice to not do what everyone else 3. VERSE HUNT (memory verse activity) What You Need: Envelope with Memory Verse Phrases (Activity Page), hunt instructions If you are doing the geocache hunt, tell kids that you re sending them on an adventure to find the memory verse. Give them the instructions and read through them to make sure they understand. Then go with the kids as they hunt. Once they have found the envelope, head back to your space and guide kids to put the phrases in order. Say the verse together several times. If you choose not to leave your space, have the kids sit in a circle. Hand the envelope to the kid on your left. Tell him to reach in and pull out a phrase. (Note: You may need to help kids read the phrases. Try to give them hints to help instead of immediately reading it for them.) If it s the first phrase, he keeps it. If not, he hands the phrase to you and passes the envelope on. Continue until somebody finds the first phrase. Then put any of the wrong phrases back into the envelope. Continue with the rest of the phrases, and then ask kids to stand in order with their phrases. Say the verse together several times. That was so much fun! You all were wise and followed the instructions very well. I can see how you re growing in wisdom, just like Jesus did when He was a kid. Even though this is our last week to talk about wisdom, let s not forget to keep looking for ways to be wise and asking God to give us wisdom. It s something that will help us every day not just this month! Everybody say this week s Bottom Line with me again: if you want to be wise, look before you leap! 10
PRAY AND DISMISS What You Need: No supplies Review the four Bottom Lines for this month: God wants to give you wisdom. If you want to be wise, think before you speak. If you want to be wise, hang out with wise people. If you want to be wise, look before you leap. Then instruct kids to choose one of those Bottom Lines and ask God to help them with it. Give them each a turn to pray aloud. Encourage the group to have at least a couple volunteers who pray aloud, but be careful not to force anyone to do it if they re very resistant. Dear God, please give us wisdom, help us think before we speak, provide wise people to hang out with, and help us remember to look before we leap. We love You, God! Amen. Since we know God wants to give us wisdom, it s important that we ask Him for it! Let s pray every day that God will give us wisdom to do all the things we ve talked about this month and more! Give each child a GodTime card. Pass out Parent CUE cards as adults arrive for pick-up. 11