Use this tool to solve common problems you'll find in your gospel classroom. Select from the options below to find teaching techniques that will help you solve some of the most common problems in LDS gospel classrooms:
Students pretend to be newscasters who tell a familiar gospel story.
EXAMPLE: I told my students that we were going to pretend to be newscasters describing the events of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Each zone received a section of Matthew 21 to give a news cast on. The parables were difficult, but the kids were able to cover them by doing those interview-style, like "You were present when Jesus spoke to the Pharisees. What did you see? What did he say? What did all that mean? What was the reaction of the people?"
I don't know if all classes love acting out, but my kids love, love, LOVE it. It's a fun way for them to practice reading text, finding what's important, and then explaining it to the group. It's triple repetition for them that helps with both learning and comprehension.
A narrator reads a passage of scripture while actors dramatize it. When the teacher yells "freeze", the actors freeze and an actor (or actors -- you choose) comes in from the sidelines. They tap an actor on the shoulder and take his or her place in the action. The teacher says "Action!" and the dramatization continues. Continue freezing the action until everyone has had a turn to act or until the passage is complete.
This is a really fun activity, especially if you have a group that enjoys acting, as I did.
When I present a lesson, I try to direct my lessons so that ANTICIPATED student questions drive the discussion. When I'm reading my lesson text or scripture block, I ask myself some of the following things:
- Does this passage have any unusual words or difficult phrasing?
- Do I understand the background of this passage? Who is speaking? Why?
- How can the footnotes help me understand the background or phrasing or doctrine?
- Is there a related Bible Dictionary entry?
- Did this remind me of a general conference quote/personal experience/etc?
- What questions did I have about this doctrine at my students' age?
- What questions do I have now about this doctrine?
I write down any questions that might come up in the place where they were triggered in my mind, and I try to be sure that I either know the answer (good) or know how to guide the kids how to find the answer themselves (better). I don't automatically answer these questions during my lecture, but I let the kids ask them. It teaches students to be curious and gets them in the habit of Asking questions to seek knowledge from gospel teachers and peers. If you use the opportunity to allow students to find the answer using their scriptures, they will learn a valuable skill.
It is very easy to get off track when trying to anticipate student questions! You'll find out so much interesting information! Be sure that you keep in mind the needs and knowledge of your students, not your own curiosity, and try not to get off track beyond what is necessary to answer any questions your students will ask during class.
For example, when we read some verses on giants in the Old Testament, I knew that my kids would laugh and wonder aloud if the giants were actually giant, or if they were ordinary sized people because the people back then were smaller. If not that, I knew they'd at least be curious about giants. So I planned time in my lesson to let them look up the Bible Dictionary entry and read the scripture references on giants. When we hit that verse, I let them chat amongst themselves about the giants for a little bit, until they were full of questions. Then I asked if they wanted to learn more. YES! How can we do that? .... oh, yeah -- Bible Dictionary. They scrambled to look up the passage and read it aloud, and we followed the scriptures. I pointed out that they have the tools to answer many of their own questions -- the Bible Dictionary is a major one.
As another example, during a lesson on Jonah a student asked the location of Ninevah. I let students hunt for a minute and flip through their scriptures until they/we came up with the Index of Place Names. I had them look up and locate maps with Ninevah on it. Then we looked up Tarshish. (I already knew it wasn't there from my lesson planning.) I asked them what we should do. We looked it up in the Bible Dictionary and found that Tarshish is believed to have been located in Spain.
Try to identify patterns in the scriptures that can help your students overcome challenges. Look for words that repeat, phrases that describe a behavior or character trait, or doctrine, principle.
EXAMPLE During our discussion of Matthew 4, I had my students explain Jesus' three temptations to the class. I listed them on the board. Then we wrote under each how Jesus rebuked Satan: "It is written...." The kids were able to tell that Jesus was quoting scripture, so I asked them if they could think of a temptation they might resist by remembering a passage of scripture, like Jesus did. There was a pause here, but after some discussion, I think the kids took it home that scripture knowledge can help us resist temptation.
Mosiah 26:1-4. Notice the verbs which describe what the rising generation would NOT do. First, they wouldn't believe. Next, they did not understand. And finally they were not baptized. This shows the importance of these three levels of faith. First, if we do not believe then we will surely not understand. And finally this will lead us not to take righteous action (baptized). Many people want to understand before they believe, but it does not work this way. And once we understand some principle of the gospel, we need to live it or take action in keeping it to fulfill a fullness of knowledge. As an example, no one would believe that a person who can explain how to juggle but cannot juggle themselves to truly 'know" how to juggle.
In John 13:34 -- John 15 Jesus gives his final instructions to his apostles in mortality. One pattern in these chapters is the repetition and teaching of the words "love," "know" and "abide." If you go through each chapter and mark these words (and any derivative) there are some neat teachings about these concepts, and we can see the emphasis the Lord gave to his disciples in his final instructions.
(Some ideas from Panning for Gold: Various Methods to Understand and Apply the Scriptures to Ourselves by Eric Bacon, Northwest Area Seminaries)
A student suggested this method based on something they do in her drama class at school. A narrator reads a passage of scripture while students act out their roles. Someone (a teacher or another person) randomly chooses a character to "vote off the island". This selection can be done by tapping an actor on the shoulder or dubbing them with a foam sword or other item. Now, the remaining characters continue to act out their roles, but they must also stand in for the missing actor. Eventually only one actor is left and he or she must play all of the roles.
Here's an example with Adam and Eve and the snake and the tree. Actors fill all four roles while the narrator reads the story. One of the four is removed (say the snake). Now the three actors play the four roles. Another actor is removed. Now two actors play four roles. Eventually only one actor is left and he or she must play all four roles.
When using Scripture Survivor, be sure that the length of the passage corresponds with the number of actors. For example, a passage with many characters would need to be long for this to work best, and a short passage would need to have a fewer characters.
This could be used in a group of laid back adults as an attention-getter. If your class is uptight, skip this one.
If you're teaching youth, you know that on occasion, students will ask disruptive or off-topic questions. I am always trying to encourage my students to ask questions, and I am always worried that shooting down a question too hard will frighten off others who have questions. I have made the mistake before of shooting down a question that I felt was off topic only to realize later it was a genuine question. I felt horrible.
Now when I am asked a question that is a little off, I say, "Ok, let's talk about that. What do you all think?" and I redirect the question to the other students in the class. Suddenly, peers are put in the position of experts, and they respond accordingly. If the student was trying to throw me off, they don't get what they wanted (a flustered teacher), and suddenly their peers are telling them why their question was ill-formed, or they are answering the question like it is valuable. I have found that this peer redirection shuts most question-related problems down almost instantly. If it was actually a serious question, no one's feeling are hurt, because the question has been treated respectfully, and other students had the chance to respond.
I have found that responding to all questions as if they were fantastic, well-though out questions has really improved the culture of my classroom. It is more important to me that I create a classroom culture where all questions are safe to ask than risk alienating or hurting a student by mistaking a serious question for something intended to disrupt class.
Students open their notebooks and write two things: one question they had about the reading and one thing they learned anew or that they had forgotten. We spent probably 40 minutes covering the things they wrote. Great discussion and opportunity for sharing.
I learned this method at a Seminary regional training. It's a great method that requires little or no preparation. This works best with passages that include plenty of action.
Assign one student to be the narrator. The Narrator will read a passage of scripture with FEELING. He or she should do the voices and any sound effects needed for the roles. Other students are assigned to be the actors in the Kung Fu movie. These actors will dramatize and lip sync their roles, but they don't speak. The effect looks like bad dubbing in a kung fu movie. This is an easy way to engage students in the scriptures. Even those not acting or narrating are engaged because it's just so funny!
This one is fun for adult classes, too, as long as the group is laid back.
Since this is my first year teaching Seminary, I'm still learning and looking for ideas on how to teach students to use the Gospel Study Aids like the Bible dictionary, index, gazeteer, maps, footnotes, and other supplements during their scripture study. Here are a few of the things I've used with success, and I'll add more as I find them.
Please share your ideas, too, in the comments section. We're all learning together and can benefit from others' tips.
Seriously. The Bible Dictionary is awesome. I use it over and over during class -- at least once per week, and lately, during the History books of the Old Testament, I'm using it almost daily. Here are some examples of when you can use it:
- A student asks a question about giants or unicorns. (See BD, giants or BD, unicorn)
- A student mentions how the names in the Old Testament fits with their world history courses. (See BD, chronology)
- You're reading 2 Samuel 22:27 and come upon a weird word. (BD, Froward)
- You are introducing a new prophet or book in the Bible. (see the Bible dictionary entry for that prophet or book, Judges and Chronicles are especially helpful)
- Students are getting confused about the timing of Bible events (BD, chronology)
- You're curious about what the Temple of Solomon was like (BD, Temple of Solomon)
- You're reading the Psalms, and a student asks what the word "selah" means (BD, Selah)
- What exactly is Frankincense, anyway? (BD, Frankincense)
- A student asks a question asking for more data during class that you can't answer.
I really can't emphasize it enough: familiarize yourself with the contents of the Bible dictionary so that you can know when to call on it on the fly during class. The Bible dictionary has saved my bacon from being burnt on a difficult question on more than one occasion! It's awesome!
I used the maps when describing the Exodus, but since my scriptures have the old maps..... uh.... yeah it's pretty bad. Any ideas you have would be helpful! Please post them below!
The Index and the Topical Guide are slightly different. While the Topical Guide has information on general topics and covers all 4 standard works, the Index covers only the material in the Triple. The Index also includes a great index of references to the names of individuals found in the Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrine and Covenants. You might ask your students questions and have them find the answers to questions like the following:
- You are trying to find a scripture you heard that contains the word "dance". You know it's in the Old Testament but can't remember exactly where. (Topical guide)
- What would you use to find out more information about a person mentioned in the D&C? (Index)
- Where can you look to find out that scripture about the Waters of Mormon? (Index)
- You are giving a talk on obedience. Where might you start? (Topical Guide)
- Where can you look to determine how many Nephis there are in the Book of Mormon? (Index)
If they're getting really good at these, you might ask them some more advanced questions that include the Bible Dictionary:
- You're wondering about the Passover. (BD, Passover / BD, Feasts)
- You know that the parables are recorded in several places in the Bible. How can you find them quickly (BD, Gospels, Harmony of)
- You want to know where Lazarus was raised from the dead (BD, Gospels, Harmony of)
- You're wondering where the Bible came from (BD, Bible; BD, Bible, English; BD, canon)
- You're friend mentioned the Lord's Prayer. What is that, and where can you find it? (BD, Lord's Prayer -- why? because the words "Lord's Prayer" don't appear in the text, it's not going to be found in the Topical Guide)
You have decided to supplement your study of the D&C with the Church History Institute manual to improve your understanding of how events unfolded in the D&C. You notice the revelations are not in chronological order. How can you study the D&C in time/chronological order? (See Chronological Order of Contents in the D&C. It's just after the testimony of the Twelve Witnesses)
Your little sister is bored in church. All you have is your scriptures to entertain her (Show her the Maps, illustrations in the Pearl of Great Price, Maps at the end of the D&C, charts in the Bible Dictionary, get her to read all the verses about unicorns in the scriptures)
You can't remember where Hosea is ... (Title Page, Bible)
Is Titus in the Old or New Testament? (Title Page, Bible)
Is there a map that shows Bethel? (Gazeteer)
You're teaching Sunday School about Abraham and Mount Moriah. Your students like visual aids. Where can you look? (Gazeteer)
This is an activity I use when I see that section from the reading has lots of great things to underline. Write the verse numbers you'd like the students to read on the board. Use something soft, like a beanbag or silicone toy (we call ours Samson), to toss between students.
After introducing your material, explain that you are about to play a game called "What did you underline?". Each student will read a scripture passage aloud and then tell the class what he or she would underline. (You may also ask them to share why they chose that particular section.) After the class discusses the verse, the teacher will call out the next verse, and the student tosses the beanbag to another classmate, who then reads the next verse. You may want to establish a few rules, like no overhand tosses, no aiming above the neck, or everyone gets a turn.
This is a fun activity, that most students really enjoy.
When planning a lesson I estimate about 3 minutes per passage for reading, discussing, and tossing.
Many teachers use a Scripture Journal to help students retain information they are being taught or to help themselves with personal study. Here are some ideas for using a scripture journal that will give you lots of ideas.
My friend DeAnn purchase a composition notebook for each student for use as a scripture journal. Into this book they paste quotes and are assigned to write FITs (Feelings, Impressions, & Thoughts) based on the quote. Sometimes she might ask them to write about a particular passage, especially a scripture mastery. They might write how they can apply that scripture in their lives or describe a time when a passage helped them. This book is private, and the information is rarely, if ever, shared with the class.
Tell the students to open their scriptures to the passages you will be covering during today's lesson (it might corresponds with last night's reading). Explain their writing prompt (they might summarize the material, describe the feelings of a person in the verse, make a list about something in the passage, liken the scripture to their past, present, or future lives, or something else, write how they will teach this topic to their children, prepare a 2 minute talk based on the passage, etc.). Set a timer to a few minutes minutes (5-7) for them to write.
While the timer is going walk around the class and look at the work students are doing. Offer words of encouragement. Remind them when they have 60 seconds left.
After time is up, invite a few students to share what they wrote to the class. This can serve as a devotional or attention-getter. It's also a useful tool to prepare students for material that will come up during the lesson.
You could also use the timer approach at the end of class to keep a lesson from going over.
Here's what the Seminary manual says:
Some people keep a journal in which they write the main idea of what they read, how they feel about what they read, or how they think what they read applies to their life. If you are using this manual for home-study seminary, you are required to keep a notebook to receive credit. This notebook will be like a scripture journal.
It is also good to talk with others about what you read. Writing down some notes so that you remember what you want to talk about and discussing what you learned will help you understand and remember more of what you read.
The Redheaded Hostess has scripture journaling down to a fine art. She suggests that instead of writing in your scripture journal by passage you write in your journal by TOPIC. Using her method, you might record impressions, but the emphasis will be on writing doctrine you learn from the scriptures.
You can choose several topics you'd like to study and then study those one at a time, or you could start reading a book of scripture and add topics to your journal as you come across them. Here's where RHH describes her journal set up.
You could apply this method of journaling to a multi-year seminary program very easily using a 3-ring binder. Students can add pages and quotes into their journals as they are taught, alphabetically by topic. At the end of Seminary, students would have a fantastic resource chock-full of information for preparing lessons, talks, and for enhancing their own study later. RHH is using hers as heirloom gifts for her children. Beautiful idea.
Here are some more links to her great information
http://www.theredheadedhostess.com/category/scripture-study-2/scripture-... - Quotes from her journals
http://www.theredheadedhostess.com/category/scripture-study-2/scripture-... - Journal tips
