Most of us can still remember a childhood story told by a good story-

teller. What makes a good storyteller so memorable? A good storyteller

draws l isteners into the story, helping them imagine the story them-

selves and thus making it their own. You may not feel l ike one of theworld's great storytellers, but fortunately, effective storytelling is a skillthat you can develop by fol lowing the suggestions in this curriculumand by practicing a few simple principles. Here are some ideas and t ips

to help you become more conftdent and memorable!

A 6ood Beginning and Ending;Yc A good beginning is

essential, because it is much easier to capture an audience than it is

to recaDture them after their attention has wandered.

Bible Story Introduction

To help you make the most of the opening minutes of the Bible story,

each story in Possport to Adventure begins with an introduction' In

the introduction, you wil l f ind a question or comment that connectsan element of the Bible story with a famil iar chi ldhood experience. ln

addit ion, to help you keep the interest of older chi ldren, a creative

Bible storytel l ing technique is suggested for each lesson. As children

are involved in interviews, role-playing, using storytel l ing props' etc.,they wil l be motivated to fol low along with the story acti0n.

Souvenir Option Activity

To enhance the theme-park setting of this course, each Bible story alsogives directions for an optional 5ouvenir Option activity that makes use

of a colorful gift bag. In the Bible story for younger children' the obiect(s)

in the gift bag is (are) used as the basis for an interactive way of telling

the Bible story.

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The Souvenir0ption activity forolder chi ldrenprovides one ormore items that

Suggested materlals tor YoungerEhlldren's Souvenlr OPilon

Lesson l: Three toy people,8 to 12 wooden blocks

Lesson 2. Four craft sticks or tongue depressors onwhich you have drawn faces of Bible story characters

Lesson 3: Plasttc or paper cups and thermos of water

Lesson 4: Two PaPer Plates on whichyou have drawn hapPy and sad faces

Lesson 5: Toy sword, toy bow and arrow,a belt and a vest to rePresent a robe

Lesson 6: Brown paper lunch sacks containing. bite-size oieces of Bible-times food (bread cubes,grapes, cheese squares, pitted dates, raisins, etc.)

Lesson 7. Several dozen wooden or cardboard blocks

Lesson 8: Toy or paper crowns and/or iewels

Lesson 9: Pictures from magazine or the Internetof oceans, rain, sun, grass, animals, birds

Lesson l0: Four paper plates on which you have drawnfacial expressions (happy surprised, afraid and excited)

Lesson 11. Six toy people, blue fabric or paper torepresent a river and a small branch or tOy tree

Lesson 12: Several toy people, several magazinepictures of food and clothing, several coins of

varying sizes and brown fabric to represent a field

Lesson 1J: Picture of Jesus

are removed from the gift bag at the end of the story and given to

children. These items wil l help chi ldren remember the choice beingdiscussed tn the lesson. These inexpensive items may be purchased

from craft stores, office supply stores, etc.

t . o a . 't a I l a '':igi.::: o 2008 6ospel Light. Permission to photocopy granted to original purchaser only. PoJsport t0 Adventure

Bible Story Conclusion

Each story also provides a conclusion-a brief summary of the basicfocus of the story and how the Bible truth presented in the storyconnects with everyday l i fe. This conclusion is cal led God's Word andMe. In the conclusion, one or more discussion questions are providedfor you to use in helping children express their understanding of thelesson's focus and the Bible verse. A concluding prayer is suggestedfor elementary-age children. l f the Bible story is told in a large groupof 12 to 16 children, form small groups for the discussion t ime.

Storwelltng Tips>Yr Practice telling the story aloud. Tell your story to yourself or

someone in your family. Make notes or briefly outline the story.

*k Have your open Bible at hand while you are tel l ing the story. Tellolder chi ldren in which book of the Bible the story may be found.lf appropriate, you may plan to read some of the story directlyfrom your Bible. Referring to the Bible reinforces the idea that theBible stories are true and are found in the Bible. With oreschool-ers, frequently repeat that the stories are true and are written inthe Bible for us to read.

>Y< While the Bible story is being told, other teachers and helpers sitseparately among the children. Encourage them to ful ly part ici-pate with chi ldren, reacting appropriately and having fun! Theirl istening presence wil l encourage children to l isten attentively aswell, and they can help redirect chi ldren's attention back to thestorytel ler i f needed.

)lK Use dramatic facial expressions and vary your tone of voiceaccording to the story action.

Suggested naterlats tor OlderChlldren's Soayenrr Optlon

Lesson 1: Salvation booklets

Lesson 2: Pens or pencils and index cards

Lesson 3: 5mall water bottles

Lesson 4: Post-it Note pads or other notepads

Lesson 5: Colored rubber wristbands

Lesson 6: Bookmarks

Lesson 7: Announcements about one 0r moreitems (school supplies, canned food, soap,

toothbrushes, crayons, etc.) that children andtheir familie.s may collect to give to a charitable

organization in your community

Lesson 8: Glow-in-the-dark stars

Lesson 9: Medium-sized rocks and markers

Lesson 10: Praise music CDs

Lesson 11: Invitations to Possport to Adventure or toanother children's or family event at your church.

Lesson l2: 5mall bags of trail mix

Lesson 13: ltem (wristband, bookmark, sticker,door hanger, pencil, etc.) that shows the

name of Jesus

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,lK lf students indicate a familiarity with the story, ask volunteers to tell some ofthe story action. Be sure to clarify and supplement information as needed.

>[r Keep your story brief. A good rule of thumb for a beginning teacher is tol imit your story to one minute for each year of the children's age. l f youhave more than one age level in your group, target for the middle ofthe group, but be ready to shorten the story if the younger ones arerestless.

>lK Work at maintaining eye contact with your children throughout the story.Know your story well enough that you can glance at your Bible and your notesand then look uo.

x Occasionally watch children's movies or TV shows to help you be aware of current

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Art Centsr Ttps

The Art Center is a place where children can become absorbed in a creative activity as a way of expressing their understanding

of how the lesson's focus relates to their l ives. Each art activity incorporates discussion of ways children can show their love

and obedience for God by the choices they make in everyday l i fe. In each art activity, the questions you ask and the commentsyou mal<e wil l encourage students to apply Bible truth to everyday l i fe. When students' hands are busy, they often talk freely!

Ehoose the Appropriate Activity >Y< In each session, an art activity is provided for older children (elementary

age)and for younger chi ldren (preschool age). Provide two centers, one for each age level. l f you cann0t provide two cen-

ters, choose the activity for which you have the most chi ldren. Each activt-ty also includes a way t0 modify the activity (using the same or similarmater ia ls) for e i ther younger or o lder ch i ldren.

Betore You Begin )K Preparation is the key to making an artexperience a ioyful, creative one. No one enioys a long stretch of wait ingfor a stapler or scissors. 5o make sure y0u have the fol lowing supplies onhand: newspaper (to protect surfaces), functional scissors, usable glue bot-t les and sticks, working markers, usable crayons and chalk, an adequatesupply of tape, pa int smocks (or men's o ld sh i r ts)and butcher paper ornewsprint end rol ls (ask at your local newspaper off ice).

Before EverY ActivitY >Yr Before students arrive at your center,cover the work tab le(s)wi th newspaper or p last ic tab le cover , secur ing i twith masking tape, i f needed. Set out materials in an orderly fashion, mak-ing sure you have enough mater ia ls for the number of ch i ldren who wi l lvisit the Art Center. l f table space is l imited, set 0ut materials on a nearbyshelf or supply table. Al low students to get and return materials to theappropriate places. l f most of your students are y0unger, use older stu-dents as helpers ( for d is t r ibut ing suppl ies, s tap l ing, e tc . )dur ing the Ar tCenter t ime.

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AS Children Create >Y< While children are working on their art creations,look for natural opportunit ies to ask the questions l isted at the bottom of eachArt Center page t0 help chi ldren relate the lesson focus to their dai ly l ives. Aschi ldren create, they are re laxed and eager to ta lk . Guided d iscuss ion wi l l takethe activitv beyond art t0 discovery of Bible truth.

Avoid making value ludgments as children create ("That's nice." 0r "How pretty!").

F i rs t , any ch i ld who then doesn' t hear such a posi t ive iudgment wi l l be crushed.Second and most important, focusing on the visual appeal of the artwork wil l nothelp chi ldren better understand the lesson. How a child's work looks is far lessimportant than the child's process of creating that work and how the child can betterunderstand the lesson. [omment on colors, l ines and ideas you see represented. Jenna, I see you used lots of colors on your

prolect. Tell me about your work. As you invite chi ldren to tel l you about their work, many opportunit ies wil l arise for you

to ask the discussion questions printed in bold type at the bottom of the page or to make comments that wil l help chi l-

,*.! , dren understand the lesson focus.ia

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Eame Eenter Tips

The Game Center can be the perfect place for your students to let off steam, work out the wiggles and be open to guideddiscussion that relates the lesson focus to students' l ives.

Ehoose the Appropriate Eame >yr In each session,a game is prov ided for o lder ch i ldren (e lementary age)and fory0unger chi ldren (preschool age). Provide two centers, one foreach age level. l f you cannot provide two centers, choose thegame for which you have the most ch i ldren. Each game a lso in-c ludes a suggested modi f icat ion (us ing the same or s imi lar ma-ter ia ls) for e i ther younger or o lder ch i ldren.

Creating a PIaY Area >Yr Before leading a game, give your-self ample t ime to set up the play area. You may have l i t t le space inyour classroom for a play area, so consider alternatives: outdoors, agymnasium or a vacant area of the church from which sound wil lnot carry to disturb other programs.

Once you have chosen the area, plan what you wil l need.

)Ak Wil lyou need to move furniture?

*F Wil l you need to mark boundaries? Use chalk or rope outdoors;yarn or masking tape works indoors. (Remove masking tape fromcarpets after each session.)

) lK How much space wil l you need? Careful ly review the game procedures to plan what amount and shape of space wil lbe needed.

From time to t ime, take stock of your classroom area. ls i t t ime to remove that large table or unused bookshelf? Should thechairs be rearranged or the rug put in a different place? 5mall changes in arrangement can result in more usable space!

Forming Eroups or Teams >lK To keep students' interest high and to keep cliques from forming, use a variety ofways to determine teams or groups.

>Ys Group teams by clothing color or other clothing features (wearing a sweater, wearing tennis shoes, etc.).

( X / lace equal numbers of two colors of paper squares in a bag. Students shake the bag and draw out a square to deter-Vmine teams.

f ;F /Group teamsbyb i r thdaymon th ( fo r two teams ,January th roughJuneand ju l y th roughDecember ) ;ad jus tasneeded\/to make numbers even.

)k Group teams by the alphabetical order of their f irst or last names.

( X)Group teams by telling them to stand on one foot: Those standing on a right foot form one team; those standing onVh tett foot form the other team.

After playing a round or two of a game, announce that the person on each team who is wearing the most (red) shouldro ta te toano the r team.Thenp lay thegameaga in .Asyourepea t th i s ro ta t i onp rocess ,va ry themethodo f ro ta t i on ^ * ' . r o - " ' 'so that students play with several dif ferent students each t ime.

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e&"rffi Leadlng tne Eame >[r Explain rules clearly and simply. lt's helpful to write out the rules to the game. Make

4W:' sure you explain rules step-by-step..,ffi#,&# Offer a practice round. When playing a game for the first time with your group, play it a few times iust for practice.

4W Students will learn the game's structure and rules best by actually playing the game."&&',ffiFt EuIdIng Conversatlon )rk Using guided conversation turns a game activity into discovery learning! Make use*& of the discussion questions provided in the curriculum throughout the game time. You might ask a game's winners tozffi answer questions or to consult with each other and answer as a group. You might discuss three questions between the''ff*^", rounds of a game or ask a question at the beginning of the round, inviting answers when the round is over.'sffi::''w#qra@ryrr.ry#e''.&w,'&M&&&w#&a6,-##w'#&:e&,#w,iffi"#eqg'"deffd&@*egr&&&&#sryryk"qpful,€4w'*{%'-Ffw"ffiqs*' :d

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Colortng/Puzzle Eenter fips

The Bible story or verse coloring and puzzle pages provided for each lesson inPossport to Adventure provide an activity that you can use in several ways.These pages may be used as the basis of a separate activity center in whichthe youngest chi ldren (preschoolers and early elementary age) complete thecoloring page and the older chi ldren (older elementary age) work on the puz-zle. The coloring and puzzle pages often directly connect with a lesson's Biblestory or verse, or sometimes provide addit ional Bible information.

Alternatively, these pages can be used to supplement an existing center. Forexample, a Bible story coloring page can be provided for younger children toextend their interest in the Bible story. 0r children who complete an art activitybefore others can be challenged to complete the coloring or puzzle page. Col-oring and puzzle pages can also be kept for use when an activity runs short.

The coloring and puzzle pages may also be sent home with chi ldren on aweekly basis as a way of extending their Bible learning into the home. Inaddit ion, the coloring pages can be copied onto transparencies, proiectedand traced onto butcher paper and used for wall murals or bullet in boards.

Preparation#r l t 's easiest to copy at one t ime al l the pages needed rather than photocopying on a weekly basis. Store the pages in

marked folders for easy use.

>,Yr lf you plan to use markers for the coloring pages, photocopy those pages onto heavier stock to avoid marker bleed-through.

>Yr Provide a variety of art materials for coloring; in addit ion to crayons and markers, colored pencils and watercolorsadd interest.

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Y< Have the puzzle answer sheets (pp. 242-245) available for children whoare working on the Bible puzzle pages.

Discussion Opportanit ies )k While students are coloring orworking on the puzzles, ask the questions suggested on the coloring or puz-zle pages. Using these questions will help you connect the coloring or puzzleactivity to the lesson focus. Encourage student part icipati0n by introducingeach question with a statement such as I'm looking for four students wear-ing red to answer this question. Another way to attract the interest of stu-dents is to say, Someone whose name begins with the letter J can answerthis question.

Consider storing each child's coloring andlor puzzle pages in a folder or in abinder. As t ime permits, refer to these pages as a way of reviewing past les-sons. At the end of Possport to Adventure, give pages to children to take

..":::::dlO 2008 Gospel Light. Permissi0n to photocopy granted to oriqinal purchaser only. Possport to Adventure

The Worship Center is a large-group gathering t ime for preschool- and elementary-age children that is best scheduled at

the beginning or the end of each session. The goal is to help chi ldren part icipate in meaningful worship and build enthusi-

asm for discovering more about what i t means to make decisions that show love and obedience for God every day. Fungames, lesson-related music, saying or reading God's Word and prayer are al l provided in the Worship Center.

Plan to have an enthusiastic youth-group-type leader guide the Worship Center activit ies. Ask him or her to dress in theme-related clothing-perhaps with a unique hat or vest, tourist clothing, etc. to help establish his or her character. Considergiving a name to the leader (Rockin' Robert, Tubular Tracy, etc.) to catch kids' attention.

Playing either "Choose Jesus" or "The Ride of Your Life" as chi ldren gatherforthe Worship Centerwil l help catch children's

interest for Possport to Adventure.

6ames *K Each week a wacky game is suggested that wil l catch everyone's attention and involve children in team-

building camaraderie. Often the game requires representatrves from two or more teams. The number of chi ldren on a

team may vary, depending on group size. Although not al l chi ldren (especial ly preschoolers) wil l feel comfortable get-

t ing up in front to lead or part icipate in a game, they wil l enioy being part of a team and cheering for their teammates.

Worship Times aK Adults sometimes see children's worship time as occupying kids with frenzied repetitions of

"Father Abraham" or as simply teaching children to worship in the same way as adults. But chi ldren need informal

worship opportunit ies at their own level of understanding. Worship experiences designed to meet chi ldren's needs

help them respond in love and praise to their heavenly Father.

Worship is indeed a t ime to show reverence and respect for God, but i t doesn't mean always sitt ing st i l l and being quiet.

The activit ies offered in the Worship Center involve children and help them interact with each other and with teachers in

singing praise to God and hearing His Word.

A Place of Worshrp >'fr Worship is also enhanced by setting apart a place especially for praising Him. To cre-

ate a space in your classroom for the Worship Center, prayerful ly consider the ages and abil i t ies of the children inyour group, the kind of worship experience appropriate forthem and the t ime and space available.

Consider ideas such as displaying a contemporary picture of Jesus, spreading a rug on the f loor upon which children sit, andplaying a theme-related song as a signal to begin worship.

l f taking an offering, singing a part icular response or placing candles on an altarpiece are part of your church's adult wor-

ship, occasionally add those elements to the Worship Center as well. Give a simple explanation to help chi ldren understand

why each of these acts is part of worship.

Keep in mind that the Worship Center is not just a place for entertainment or observation, your goal is to see every chi ldpart icipate in a posit ive way that is in keeping with his or her development.

"i:6i:: O 2008 Gospel Liqht. Permission to photocopy granted to original purchaser only. Possport to Adventure

tlusic lust for You! >Yr Consider making copies of the Theme Music CD to help your students become familiarwith the songs used during Possport to Adventure. A variety of musical styles are represented, making it easy for youto customize your worship t ime to include your students' favorites.

Leadlng Songs

Each of the upbeat songs on the Theme Music CD is designed to help chi ldren be aware of the opportunit ies they haveevery day to make right choices as God's fol lowers.

Children may part icipate by singing, clapping, playing rhythm instruments, holding up word charts, operating the overheadproiector or adiusting the CD player. Help chi ldren understand that al l these activit ies have one goal: to honor and praiseGod. Your example of sincere worship sets the tone-it is the strongest teaching about worship the children wil l receive.

Learning new songs can be diff icult for some teachers. Listen to the song on the Theme Music CD. Then play the song againand sing along. Practice i t several t imes (l isten to i t while driving in the car, while you cook, etc.). You may want to choosethree or four favorite songs from the Theme Music CD and repeat them at each session, rather than teaching a variety ofnew songs. The younger the children are, the more repetit ion should be provided.

To teach a new song to chi ldren, print the words on a large chart or use the song charts in this book (pp.246-254)to makea transparency to project on an overhead proiector or to make PowerPoint slides. Proiect the words on a place where theymay be seen easily by al l the children.

As you play the song, sing along with the song, invit ing children to loin in with you. l t is usually a good idea to sing onlyone stanza and/or chorus the f irst t ime through. l f you are using an overhead, cover the entire transparency with a blanksheet of paper. As you sing, move the paper to reveal words one l ine at a t ime. Creating motions for some of the words orphrases in the songs wil l also help chi ldren learn the songs.

Ehoosing Addltional Songsl f your church chooses to lead students in addit ionalworship songs, select songs with the same prayer and sensit ivity withwhich you'd plan adult worship. Uti l izing simple worship choruses and hymns from among your own church's favorites wil lprepare children for the transit ion to adult- level worship in a gradual, age-appropriate manner. In this way, chi ldren wil lbecome famil iar with a body of songs used in adult worship.

Whatever songs you use, be sure to explain any words or concepts that are unfamil iar to chi ldren. l f unfamil iar words areused, take the t ime to give a brief definit ion of the word. Use a children's Bible dict ionary i f needed. For example, The word"holy" means to be chosen or set apart. When we sing that God is holy, it means that He is pertect and without sin. lf youcannot put the words or concepts of a song in terms a child can truly understand, recognize that the song is probablyappropriate only for adult worship.

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BIbIe Yerse *r The simple verse activity provided encouragesstudents to hear and/or say the Scripture in a creative way thatinvites their participation. While children may often memo-rize the verse as part of this activity, Bible memory is notthe primary goal. Instead, the goal is simply the interac-tive reading or hearing of God's Word.

lf the reading abilities of children and the number of teach-ers permit, children may find and read the verse in Bibles aspart of this activity.

Consider printing out each week's verse on a computer bannerfor easy reading. lf possible, use PowerPoint slides to display theverse. Copy stores can make posters on poster board for you.

Prayer flme * Prayer is an integral part of worship. Don't deny children this privilege because they seem unableto hold sti l l with folded hands and bowed heads for long periods of t ime. Instead, involve children in prayer in waysthat wil l help them understand that prayer is something they can do. Don't insist that students pray in a particularposture; keep prayer times short and make them times of high involvement. Remember that your prayers give thestudents in your class a model for prayer that they wil l follow. Keep your prayers brief and use simple words. Longsentences and long prayers make prayer seem boring and not something for a child.

Each Worship Center provides prayer activity ideas for a large-group prayer at the end of the Worship time. In addition tothese ideas, you may also invite students to say sentence prayers, record requests and answers in a prayer iournal, listprayer requests on a large sheet of paper, and allow children to pray with eyes open so that they are able to read and re-call requests.

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@ 2008 Gospel Liqht. Permission to photocopy granted to original purchaser only. Possport to Adventure