Table of Contents
MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSROOM MATERIALS
Art
• Sweet Potato Fun.............................................................................................................................................. 2
• Rosa Lives for Jesus........................................................................................................................................ 3
Language Arts
•
•
•
•
God’s Gift of Helpers...................................................................................................................................... 4
All Things Work Together for Good................................................................................................. 5
To Find the Way............................................................................................................................................... 7
Strong in Jesus Word Find........................................................................................................................ 8
Math
• Teaching About Jesus with Math...................................................................................................... 10
• Teaching with Math (Geometry)...................................................................................................... 12
Music
•
•
•
•
Give Me Jesus..................................................................................................................................................
Black Spirituals...............................................................................................................................................
My Hope is Built on Nothing Less..................................................................................................
Lift Every Voice and Sing.......................................................................................................................
13
15
17
19
Religion
• Head, Heart, Hands.................................................................................................................................... 21
• A Proper Response to God and His Word................................................................................ 23
• The First Rosa and Martin Luther.................................................................................................... 25
Science
• A Bug and a Blessing................................................................................................................................. 27
• It’s About Time............................................................................................................................................... 29
• God’s Gifts through Insects.................................................................................................................. 30
Social Studies
•
•
•
•
•
Connecting with the Past.......................................................................................................................
Southern Recipes..........................................................................................................................................
The Life and Times of Rosa J. Young.............................................................................................
The Spreading Word...................................................................................................................................
Rosa J. Young in Her Native Alabama..........................................................................................
THE LU THERAN CHURCH—MISSOURI SYNOD
32
33
34
36
38
Sweet Potato Fun
Comment that in Rosa’s time and even to this day in the
American South, the sweet potato is a popular food. Rosa
recalls that in poor families, parents often handed their
hungry children a baked sweet potato to eat for a snack or
even a meal.
For Classrooms of Students of Any Age
Each One Unique
Provide each student with a sweet potato. Invite students
to each study their sweet potato for several minutes.
Encourage students to note the portion and appearance
of their potato’s size, eyes, coloring and indentations.
Then collect all sweet potatoes and place them in a large
pile. After mixing the sweet potatoes, challenge students
with the task of locating, identifying and reclaiming their
original sweet potato.
Process the activity. Comment that regardless of our
size, shape, color and even in a world of approximately
seven billion people, God knows and loves each of us,
individually. He sent His only Son to die for us to reclaim
us as His own.
Watching a Sweet Potato
Observe sweet potato roots and sprouts. Use as an
illustration for how plants develop, reproduce and make
their own food with energy provided by the sun.
Sweet Potato Chips
Depending on the age of your students, you may or may
not choose to have them help in the preparation of this
treat.
1. Wash and dry an unpeeled sweet potato.
2. Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Line two baking pans
with parchment paper.
3. Slice potato as thinly as possible. If possible use a
vegetable slicer for this part of the preparation.
4. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
5. Cook for 50 minutes, turning chips as slices dehydrate
and shrink to achieve even heating.
6. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes more.
7. Remove from oven. Cool. Enjoy.
As a variation of the above, peel sweet potato before slicing,
toss slices in coconut oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then
bake in a 375 degree oven on parchment paper. Flip chips
after 10 minutes and bake for another 10 minutes. Then
bake for 10 minutes more or until chips are beginning to
turn brown.
Sweet Potato Pie
1. Insert three or four toothpicks into a sweet potato that
has a number of eyes toward one end.
Children of all ages will enjoy assembling the ingredients
for this delicious Southern treat.
2. Place the sweet potato into a glass of water, using the
toothpicks to support the sweet potato on the rim of
the glass so that about half of the sweet potato is under
water and about half is above the cup and out of the
water.
Ingredients:
3. Place the sweet potato in a sunny window location.
Check water regularly to make sure the water level in
the cup remains high. In approximately three weeks
roots and leaves will begin to appear. If you choose you
may plant the sweet potato in a pot containing potting
soil. An attractive trailing vine should reward your
labors.
Basic homemade or purchased pie crust
½ cup butter (room temperature)
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup mashed boiled sweet potatoes
3 eggs
1/3 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup milk
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cream together butter and
sugar and vanilla. Then add sweet potatoes and eggs.
Beat mixture. Add syrup, milk and salt. Mix well. Then
pour mixture into pastry lined pie pan. Bake for 10
minutes at 425 and then reduce heat to 325 and bake for
35 to 45 more minutes. Serve with whipped cream if you
choose.
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 2
Rosa Lives for Jesus
Student Handout
Name________________________________________
As God works in the lives of those who believe in Jesus,
they are moved to live lives of prayer, meditation and
trial. Label each of the following scenes from the life of
Rosa Young as showing prayer, meditation or trial in
her life.
Rosa’s people suffered from
the results of slavery. Rosa and her people were
poor in possessions and they
were poor in the things of God. Pupils at school made fun
of Rosa because she was
a country girl.
Rosa asked God to help her.
Rosa comes to know and
believe the pure Gospel.
Rosa is confirmed.
Rosa teaches the Good
News of Jesus.
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 3
God’s Gift of Helpers
Student Handout
Name________________________________________
Rosa Young devoted her life to teaching others. The
most important thing she taught was the Good News
that Jesus came to save all people. God blessed Rosa
with many people who encouraged her and helped her
in her work. Place their names in the crossword puzzle
below. Who has God placed into your life to help and
encourage you?
1
2
3
5
4
6
7
8
Across
1. Rosa’s father, _____________ Young, took Rosa to Selma and enrolled
her in the university there so she could become a teacher. Later, he met the
train bringing the missionary sent to Alabama by the Lutheran church. (See
Rosa Young, Hero of Faith, page 25.)
7. Sisters Mary and Sarah ___________ stayed with Rosa while going to
her school. Later, they worked to start a Sunday school in their hometown
of Vrendenburgh. (See Rosa Young, Hero of Faith, page 48).
8. After working at a local sawmill, Mr. Alex ______________ listened
outside the window of Rosa’s school. He asked Rosa to help him start a
Lutheran church and school in his hometown of Possum Bend. (See Rosa
Young, Hero of Faith, page 49.)
Down
2. Rosa’s mother, ______________ Young, listened to Rosa and
encouraged her in her dream to become a teacher. (See Rosa Young, Hero
of Faith, page 25.)
9
3. Lutheran missionary Nils J. __________ brought the pure Gospel
message to Rosa and other blacks in Alabama, confirming Rosa on Palm
Sunday, just four months after he arrived. (See Rosa Young, Hero of Faith,
page 42.)
4. Stopping to talk with Rosa as she worked in the field, white landowner,
Mr. __________, took note of Rosa’s talents and abilities. He told her she
should study to become a teacher. (See Rosa Young, Hero of Faith, page
24.)
5. Rosa wrote to Booker T. ____________ of Tuskegee Institute asking
for help. He wrote back suggesting that Rosa contact the Lutheran church.
(See Rosa Young, Hero of Faith, page 40.)
6. Although she could neither read nor write, Aunt Fanny ___________
helped Rosa start two Lutheran churches. (See Rosa Young, Hero of Faith,
page 52.)
9. Rev. C. F. ____________ of the Lutheran church in St. Louis answered
Rosa’s letter. He said her letter was like the call for the Gospel that Paul
received from Macedonia (referring to Acts 16:9-10). (See Rosa Young, Hero
of Faith, page 40.)
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 4
All Things Work Together for
Good
(Teacher Guide)
After reading Light in the Dark Belt or viewing the
movie, The First Rosa, distribute copies of the activity
sheet. Review Paul’s words in Rom. 8:28 with the class.
If you choose to do so, share with the class about a time
when God worked His good will from a time of trial or
hardship in your life and you received personal growth
and greater blessings as a result. Then invite the class to
contribute stories or books they have read where this
same theme can be found.
Stress that God is always present, working to save and
bless people. We don’t always understand how or why
things happen as they do but we can trust that He is in
control. We know He loves and cares about us because
He gave His only Son to forgive and save us. Invite
students to share a time when God worked good in their
lives after a struggle or hardship.
As you work through the activity sheet with your class,
review how God remained at work in Rosa’s life to bless
and encourage her and others. Most likely answers
follow.
1. Spirituals – The theme of some spirituals focused on
freedom, such as the freedom God gave the people
of Israel from their bondage in Egypt. Rosa’s song,
“Give me Jesus,” reminds us of the ultimate freedom
He came to bring to us and to all people. Rosa’s prayer
when she sang “Give me Jesus” is the same as ours
when we pray those words; we ask Jesus to help us to
live our life in the freedom He provides as we live for
Him. Invite your class to explore the Trust section of
hymns (708–740) in Lutheran Service Book (LSB) to
identify hymns that contain a theme similar to that
of “Give Me Jesus.” Possibilities include “Lord, Thee
I Love with All My Heart” (708) and “What Is the
World to Me” (730).
2. Slaves – Talk with the class about the way the freedom
from sin, death and Satan’s power that Jesus came
to bring us can make a profound difference in our
life, in our calling, and in our relationships. Relate
to examples of themes involving freedom, new
beginnings or good from evil found in the literature
of the Bible. Possibilities include the Joseph stories
(Genesis 37–50) and Job (Book of Job).
us as He walks with us through our times of illness
and physical challenges. A blessing often realized
during times of sickness is that, like Rosa, we are led
to a greater trust in God. Explore the role of sickness
in works of literature. Possibilities include Heidi by
Johanna Spyri and Les Miserable by Victor Hugo.
4. Friend – Underscore that times of loneliness and
feelings of friendlessness are common to everyone
at one time or another. But such times remind us
that Jesus is our best and truest friend. He will never
abandon or desert us. He loves us with a greater love
than anyone else has for us. Lead students to learn
about friendships in works of literature for children.
Such friendships include that of Frodo and Sam in
Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, Charlotte and Wilbur in
Charlotte’s Web and Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry
Finn in the works of Mark Twain.
5. Strength – Stress that the strength God’s Spirit
provides during times of trial and disappointment is
a gift He provides to bring us closer to Him. Read and
discuss John Bunyan’s great work, Pilgrim’s Progress, a
metaphor of the Christian life, with your class.
6. Servant – Point out that even as our Savior serves by
removing the sins that trouble and weigh us down, He
gives us new lives to live for Him and others. Explore
God at work in the lives of His people by leading
your class in reading other biographies of heroes of
faith including, but not limited to, Johann Sebastian
Bach, Katharina von Bora, Dorothea Craemer, Martin
Luther, Dr. Bessie Rehwinkle and Dr. C. F. W. Walther.
7. Gospel – Stress that the pure Gospel is the Good News
that Jesus came to live, die and rise again for us and
that in Him we have forgiveness, salvation and a new
and eternal life to live in Him and for Him. We don’t
earn or come to Jesus by any effort or merit of our
own. Jesus does all the work for us. We only receive
His blessings in faith. Rosa found the pure Gospel in
the teachings of the Lutheran church. Invite students
to write a devotion of 700 words or less on the theme
of the power of the Gospel.
3. Rheumatism – Comment that Jesus the Great
Physician promises to encourage, sustain and heal
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 5
All Things Work Together for
Good
Rom. 8:28 reminds us, “And we know that for those who
love God all things work together for good, for those
who are called according to his purpose.” Use the words
from the word bank below to tell how this verse was
true in the life of Rosa Young. Then tell how God has
brought good from the bad things that have happened in
your life.
spirituals slaves rheumatism Gospel strength
servant friend
Name________________________________________
and all people, Rosa wanted to live her life for Him.
When she graduated from school, she gave a speech
about living for others based on Matt. 23:11. The
title of her speech was, “He who is the greatest is a
______________.”
7. After graduating, Rosa came back to her home
community to begin a school. But soon Rosa found
herself and her school in trouble. An insect called the
Mexican boll weevil devastated the cotton crop. Some
of the people had no money to give in support of the
school. Rosa prayed and then acted. She wrote letters
asking for help. Rosa wrote to the Lutheran church in
St. Louis. They sent Rosa help. They worked with Rosa
to start many schools and churches so more and more
people could hear the good news of Jesus, known as
the ____________.
1. Rosa and her family spent many hours working hard
in the cotton fields. To encourage themselves in their
work, they often sang songs that used to be sung by
slaves. These songs, known as ___________________,
were actually prayers. One of these was a song titled,
“Give Me Jesus.” God answered this prayer when His
Spirit moved Rosa to dedicate her life to Jesus.
2. Because Rosa’s parents had been born
_________________, Rosa especially valued the
freedom from sin, death and the devil that Jesus came
to bring us and all people.
Student Handout
3. Once, as a child, Rosa became very sick with
_________________. In her sickness, Rosa grew close
to God in prayer. She asked Him to help her to get
well. God gave Rosa the strength she needed to serve
Him in mighty ways; He helped her to rely on Him.
4. Wanting to learn so that she could eventually become
a teacher, Rosa entered Payne University in Selma. At
first, the other students made fun of her because she
was from the country. Rosa may have felt alone. But
she knew that Jesus was her ____________. He would
never make fun of her or leave her. In addition, in
time, He helped her make many other friends. Rosa
was elected president of her class.
5. Once, while a student, Rosa had a land lady who
stole her food and kerosene. Rosa was often cold
and hungry. She prayed to God, “Please give me the
____________ to hold on.” God not only helped Rosa
to hold on, He helped her to achieve. Rosa became the
top student in her graduating class.
6. Because she knew that Jesus had come to earth to
suffer pain, humiliation and finally death to save her
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 6
To Find the Way
By God’s grace, Rosa Young, grew from a girl interested
in serving and teaching others to a respected teacher and
worker in God’s kingdom. After viewing the film, The
First Rosa, consider each of the following and explain
the role it played in Rosa finding success as a teacher of
the faith.
•Even as a young girl Rosa recognized the needs of
those around her. As Rosa sought a direction for
her life, she assessed her gifts and considered where
they might best be used.
•Rosa taught her brothers and sisters and helped
them with their lessons. Rosa explored her interest
in teaching, working first with her brothers and
sisters and helping them to learn.
•Landowner, Mr. Harper, recognized Rosa’s abilities
and encouraged her to continue her education.
•Rosa gave a valedictory speech on the value of
serving others. Rosa explored God’s Word to learn
how to lead a meaningful, fulfilling life.
•Rosa’s father helped Rosa secure funding for her
school by taking her letter to Mr. Bonner and, later,
by meeting Pastor Bakke at the train depot. Both of
Rosa’s parents supported, encouraged and helped
her in the life and work she had chosen. Adult
mentors can make an important difference in the
young lives they touch in significant ways.
•Booker T. Washington suggested to Rosa that
she write to the Lutheran church asking for
help. Heroes inspire and offer direction as Dr.
Washington did for Rosa.
•Rev. Bakke worked with Rosa to open churches and
schools to provide a quality Christian education
where all subjects were taught in light of God’s
Word. Pastor Bakke was a spiritual father to Rosa,
teaching her the pure Gospel and working with her
to teach and share the Good News of Jesus.
Student Handout
Name________________________________________
As you reflect on the grace of God in the life of Dr.
Young, think about His grace in your life.
•What needs do you recognize in the world around
you?
•What experiences have you had in using your
interests to meets the needs of others?
•Who has encouraged you in your education and studies?
•In what ways might God be leading you to serve
others? How could you share the Good News of
Jesus in this vocation?
•What adults, including parents and others, support
and encourage you as you look for a way to serve
God and others?
•Who are your heroes? In what way do they provide
direction for you?
•What aspects of Rosa’s life and experiences do
you find especially interesting? In what life’s work
might you find personal joy and fulfillment? Have
you considered the possibility of serving God as a
worker in His church?
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 7
Strong in Jesus Word Find
(Teacher Guide) Read aloud the book, Rosa Young: Hero of Faith and/
or show the film, The First Rosa. Distribute the activity
sheet. Review with students the vocabulary words listed
below as they identify the meaning of each from the
context in which the words appear in the paragraph.
Comment that these negative effects come into our lives
because of sin. Then allow time for students to circle
the words as they identify them in the word find. End
the activity emphasizing God’s promises to us through
Christ Jesus. Affirm that we can trust that these promises
are true also for us because God’s Word tells us so.
sickness
hunger
poverty
rejection
struggles
disillusion
persecution
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 8
Strong In Jesus Word Find
Rosa Young trusted in Jesus as her Savior. Still, life was
not always easy for Rosa. She suffered from sickness,
hunger and poverty. As a girl she knew the rejection
of classmates because she was a girl from the country.
Once, while going to school, she experienced great
misery at the hand of a mean-spirited landlady who stole
her food and kerosene. Starting her own school brought
many struggles, and Rosa felt disillusion when the coming
of the boll weevil threatened the very existence of her
school. When she became a member of the Lutheran
church, she felt the persecution of the people who had
been her friends.
Student Handout
Name________________________________________
Locate each of the italicized words in the paragraph
above on the following grid:
Through it all Rosa trusted in God and His Word and she prayed. In her prayers she asked Jesus to give her health,
direction and the resources she would need to continue serving Him. Jesus answered Rosa’s prayer. He helped Rosa to
find strength in Him. What struggles and challenges do you face? How do you know that God’s promises to Rosa are
also true for you?
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 9
Teaching about Jesus
with Math
(Teacher Guide)
Comment that Rosa used the following mathematical
expression in her teaching:
Life + Christ = Success
Point out that in Christ we have a type of success not
always effectively measured in material wealth or
according to human values. We find the most important
type of success in the life-changing gifts of forgiveness,
new direction and salvation Jesus came to provide.
Use the age-level appropriate activities sheets provided to
explore other ways that mathematical expressions can be
used to express Christian truths.
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 10
Teaching about Jesus
with Math
Student Handout
Name________________________________________
Rosa Young was a good teacher. Because she loved Jesus,
she used every opportunity to teach others about Him
and the forgiveness, new life, and eternal salvation He
came to bring. Sometimes she used math-style problems
to teach spiritual truths. Explain the meaning of these
problems that Rosa used.
Life + Christ = Success
A Life – Christ = Failure, no matter what you can do
Use your catechism and the following prompts to complete the following math-style problems that can be used to
explain the elements of Christian doctrine.
1._________________ + _________________ = The two teachings found in God’s Word between which we must
distinguish (see question six in the Catechism).
2.____________________ + ____________________ + _______________________ +
____________________ + ____________________ + _______________________ = The Six Chief Parts of Christian Doctrine (See question nine in the Catechism).
3. Review the Explanation to the First Article of the Apostles’ Creed to complete the following.
a. ___________ + ____________ + ____________ + ____________ + ____________ + ___________
+ ____________ + ____________ + ____________ + ____________ + ___________________________ = The things God gives me.
b. ____________ + _____________ + _____________ + ______________ = How God wants me to respond to His goodness to me.
4. Review the Explanation to the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed to complete the following.
a. ____________ me + _______________ and _____________ me from sin, death and the devil = Things Jesus has done for me.
b. That I may ____________________ + ________________________________ +
_______________________________________________ = Why Jesus redeemed, purchased and won me.
5. Review the Explanation to the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed to complete the following.
a. ______________ me by the Gospel + _______________ me with His gifts, + _______________ + ____________ me in the true faith = Things the Holy Spirit did for me.
b. ______________ + ________________ + _______________ + ______________ _______________ it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith = Things the Holy Spirit does for the whole Christian Church on earth.
c. Daily and richly ________________ all my sins and the sins of all believers + On the Last Day He will ___________________________ + give ____________________ to me and all believers in Christ = Other things the Holy Spirit does as He works in the Christian Church.
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 11
Teaching with Math
(Geometry)
Rosa Young was a good teacher. Because she loved Jesus,
she used every opportunity to teach others about Him
and the forgiveness, new life and eternal salvation He
came to bring. Sometimes she used math-style problems
to teach spiritual truths. Explain the meaning of these
problems that Rosa used.
A Life + Christ = Success
Student Handout
Name________________________________________
1. 1 John 5:14 ---->
2. 1 John 1:9 ---->
3. Ps. 91:9–10 ---->
A Life – Christ = Failure, no matter what you can do
4. John 8:32 ---->
5. John 8:36 ---->
In geometry, if/then statements are often used to show
relationships between an assumption and a conclusion,
which carries the features of a promise. This relationship
is expressed as follows: p ----> q.
Consider each of the following Bible verses. Then restate
each in the form of an if/then statement, using the
----> symbol to connect each. Then write a sentence
explaining what each of these statements means for a
person who trusts in Jesus as his or her Savior. The first
example is done for you.
6. Rom. 8:31---->
7. 1 Cor. 15:17 ---->
Ex. Rom. 6:8 If we have died with Christ ----> then we
will also live with Him.
Because Jesus has defeated death for us we now have a new
and eternal life to live in Him.
8. 2 Tim. 2:13 ---->
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 12
Give Me Jesus
Review the section from the movie where 12-year old
Rosa sings as she picks cotton (26:00-27:57).
1.Pray the words of this song of faith as you sing all
five verses together. Discuss with your students the
following:What exactly is a believer praying when he
or she asks God, “Give me Jesus”?
ith this prayer Christians ask God to help them
W
dedicate themselves to Jesus and to live their lives for
Jesus.
2.Compare the words of this song with the following
words of St. Paul: But whatever gain I had, I counted
as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count
everything as loss because of the surpassing worth
of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I
have suffered the loss of all things and count them as
rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found
in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that
comes from the law, but that which comes through
faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that
depends on faith (Phil. 3:7-9 ESV).
aving Christ and His free gifts that come to us by
H
faith is greater than having anything else.
3.How did God answer the prayer expressed in the
words of this song for Rosa in her life?
Rosa had little by way of worldly goods, honor or
recognition but she had Jesus and His blessings each
day in the life she lived for Him.
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 13
Give Me Jesus
1. In the morning when I rise, In the morning when I rise,
In the morning when I rise, Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus.
You may have all the rest, Give me Jesus.
2. Dark midnight was my cry, Dark midnight was my cry,
Dark midnight was my cry, Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus.
You may have all the rest, Give me Jesus.
3. Just about the break of day, Just about the break of day,
Just about the break of day, Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus.
You may have all the rest, Give me Jesus.
4. Oh, when I come to die, O when I come to die,
O when I come to die, Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus.
You may have all the rest, Give me Jesus.
5. And when I want to sing, And when I want to sing,
And when I want to sing, Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus.
You may have all the rest, Give me Jesus.
Text and tune: Public domain
Lutheran Service Book 979 (found in Lutheran Service Builder
and Accompaniment for Hymns)
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 14
Black Spirituals
Go Tell It on the Mountain and Were You There? are two
well-known and greatly-loved hymns with roots in the
black tradition. Go Tell It on the Mountain focused on
the Savior’s birth and is popular around Christmastime.
Were You There? centers on Christ’s suffering, death
and resurrection and is usually sung during Holy Week.
As you sing these two spiritual songs imagine you are
experiencing these great events yourself as if you were
one of the shepherds that came to see the newborn
Savior or one of Jesus’ followers who witnessed His
crucifixion, death and burial.
Discuss with your students the following:
1. What facts does Go Tell It on the Mountain recall about
the birth of Christ?
The light of the angels in their glory appear to
shepherds watching sheep; the fear of the shepherds at
the appearance of the angels; the angels’ announcement
of the Savior’s birth; the visit of the angels to see the
baby sent by God as the Savior of the world.
2. What facts does Were You There? recall?
Jesus was crucified, nailed to a tree (the cross), laid in
a tomb and raised by God from the dead.
3. How does the statement “Go Tell It on the Mountain”
connect today’s believers with the shepherds in the
Christmas story? See Luke 2:17–20.
Believers living today have the same Good News of the
Savior to tell and the same reason to glorify and praise
God.
4. What human reaction to things heavenly is found in
both spirituals?
Even as the shepherds trembled at the announcement
of the Savior’s birth, believers tremble at the realization
of all Jesus did in our place to earn salvation for us.
5. What phrases from the Apostle’s Creed do these two
spirituals call to mind?
Born of the Virgin Mary … was crucified, died and was
buried … The third day He rose again from the dead.
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 15
Go Tell It on the Mountain
Go tell it on the mountain, Over the hills and ev’rywhere;
Go tell it on the mountain That Jesus Christ is born! (Refrain)
1. While shepherds kept their watching O’re silent flocks by night,
Behold throughout the heavens There shone a holy light. (Refrain)
2.The shepherds feared and trembled When lo, above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus That hailed our Savior’s birth. (Refrain)
3.Down in a lowly manger The humble Christ was born;
And God sent us salvation That blessed Christmas morn. (Refrain)
Text and tune: Public domain
Lutheran Service Book 388
Were You There?
1.Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh … Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
2.Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Oh … Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
3.Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Oh … Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
4.Were you there when God raised Him from the tomb?
Were you there when God raised Him from the tomb?
Oh … Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when God raised Him from the tomb?
Text and tune: Public domain
Lutheran Service Book 456
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 16
My Hope Is Built on
Nothing Less
After Pastor Bakke came to Alabama to join Rosa in
her work, he emphasized Christ Jesus as the foundation
upon which forgiveness, new life and eternal salvation
rest. He taught the pure Gospel and in so doing led the
people in learning to sing Christ-centered hymns such as
this one. Review the portion of the movie where Pastor
Bakke and Rosa lead a group of children in singing “My
Hope is Built on Nothing Less.” You will find it at 26:00–
27:57. If you choose to do so, play it again and sing the
first verse together with the soundtrack and then listen to
Rosa sing the last verse as a solo.
Discuss with your students the following:
1.What does it mean to build our hope on “Jesus’ blood
and righteousness”? In what way or under what
circumstances may we be tempted to claim “merit of
[our] own”?
God’s Word teaches salvation found only in Christ
Jesus (Acts 4:11–12). He saved us by dying to take the
punishment we deserved because of our sins (the
Catechism refers to this as His passive obedience)
and by a life of righteousness in our place (the
Catechism refers to this as His active obedience).
When we are tempted to think we somehow deserve
the blessings Jesus gives to us through faith by
virtue of our goodness or worth outside of Jesus’
blood and righteousness we are tempted to a wrong
understanding or belief and fail to recognize the
magnitude of what God in Christ has done for — and
offers to — us.
2.Explain the comparison of standing on the solid rock
of Jesus’ name in contrast to all other ground, which
is sinking sand.
Seeking salvation or identity in anything the world
has to offer, including wealth, fame, fun and friends,
is “sinking sand.” Ultimately it will fail us. Only
the hope we find in Christ is solid, dependable and
enduring.
3.Describe the Christian hope, as by God’s grace we
experience it now (see stanza 2) and into eternity
(stanza 3)?
When our problems and trouble take us away from
seeing Christ’s lovely face and the storms of life
threaten to carry us away, we can rest secure. We have
been baptized into Jesus and His anchor will hold us
fast. When the Last Day comes and the final trumpet
sounds, we will realize the salvation Jesus came to
give us. Clothed in the righteousness He came to
provide us — and only in that redemptive gift — we
will live forever before His throne.
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 17
My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less
1.My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
No merit of my own I claim But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ the solid rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
2.When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every dark and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ the solid rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
3.His oath, His covenant and blood Support me in the raging flood;
When ev’ry earthly prop gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.
On Christ the solid rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
4.When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh, may I then in Him be found,
Clothed in His righteousness alone, Redeemed to stand before His throne!
On Christ the solid rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
Text and tune: Public domain
Lutheran Service Book 576
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 18
Lift Every Voice and Sing
(Black National Anthem)
The Rosa Young movie tells Rosa’s life framed with the
words of Martin Luther that for those looking to know
and live by the Bible (become a practicing theologian)
there exists a three-prong pattern: prayer, meditation and
trial (in Latin: oratio, meditatio, tentatio).
Listen to a YouTube recording of the anthem. Here are
some suggested sites:
youtube.com/watch?v=MyS3HPInHtI (Note: please
preview before showing; some images may not be
suitable for your class.)
youtube.com/watch?v=ngFDy52eCZY (Comment on the
close harmonies heard here in this typically-American
barbershop style, which underscores the solidarity of
those united in the black movement.)
Sing together the Black National Anthem, Lift Every
Voice and Sing. Then reflect upon the words of the
anthem.
1. An anthem or hymn unites those singing or reflecting
on the words in a common voice. What words or
images in stanza one suggest this type of unity?
Answers may vary somewhat but may include the
following: ev’ry voice, harmonies, our rejoicing, dark
past has taught us, hope that the present has brought
us, our new day begun, let us march on.
c.What do the words of stanza three ask of our God?
Keep us forever in the path, we pray
d.What reminders of potential struggles and
challenges to remain faithful to God are found in
the words of this stanza?
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where
we met Thee; Lest, our hearts drunk with wine of
the world, we forget Thee
e.What words end the hymn with a vision for a
hoped-for future?
Shadowed beneath Thy hand, May we forever
stand, True to our God, true to our native land
4. What significance do these words have for you as you
reflect what you know of the black experience?
Answers will vary
5. What significance do these words have for you as you
apply them in your life?
Answers will vary
2. Review stanza two. Which words in this stanza are
used to describe the black struggle? Which words
direct the singers to look forward with optimism?
Words describing the struggle may vary somewhat
but are likely to include: Stony the road we trod, Bitter
the chast’ning rod, hope unborn had died, weary feet,
parents sighed, blood of the slaughtered, gloomy past.
The phrase “Where the white gleam of our bright star
is cast” directs us forward with a note of optimism.
3. Consider the words of stanza three with a focus on the
three parts of Luther’s theme of prayer, meditation and
trial.
a.Which words of stanza three suggest the challenges
and struggles of the black people?
Weary years, silent tears
b.Which words of stanza three meditate on God’s
grace and goodness throughout life’s challenges and
struggles?
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way; Thou
who hast by Thy might led us into the light
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 19
Lift Every Voice and Sing
(Black National Anthem)
6.Lift ev’ry voice and sing Till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of liberty.
Let our rejoicing rise High as the list’ning skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us;
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun Of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.
7. Stony the road we trod, Bitter the chast’ning rod
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat, Have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our parents sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered;
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
Out of the gloomy past, Till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
8. God of our weary years, God of our silent tears,
Though who has brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who hast by Thy might Led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee;
Lest, our hearts drunk with wine of the world, we forget Thee;
Shadowed beneath Thy hand, May we forever stand,
True to our God, true to our native land.
Text and music: Public domain
Lutheran Service Book 964
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 20
Head, Heart, Hands
(Teacher Guide)
Comment that Rosa Young believed that God and
the teachings of the Bible were the foundation for all
learning and understanding in the life of anyone who
trusts in Jesus as Savior. Any quality education, at home,
church or Christian school builds on the three aspects of
head, heart and hands.
Use the activity sheet to guide your discussion about
the role of these three types of learning in the life of a
believer. In descending order, most likely responses are
as follows:
head, hands, heart, heart, head, head, head, heart, hands.
Conclude your discussion by affirming and exploring
student examples.
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 21
Student Handout
Name________________________________________
Head, Heart, Hands
Rosa Young believed that a good education involves engaging the head, heart
and hands. A Christ-centered education sets out to teach the whole person
using each of these ways. When teaching and learning rests on the foundation
of God and His Word, students come to know God the creator of the world in
all natural laws, objects and forms of life that He has created and still preserves,
including all people — the height of His creative expression. Students come to
see themselves as loved and valued because they are forgiven and saved by the
Son of God and given a new life to live in Him. They come to recognize the need
to rely on the Holy Spirit for the motivation and power to serve God and others
as the body of Christ.
Write head, heart or hands before each of the following to indicate the type of
learning to which it most closely relates. Then give examples of your own for each.
__________Memorizing the books of the Bible
__________Collecting school supplies to give to needy students
__________Praying to thank God for His many blessings
__________Worshipping God with a hymn of praise
__________Discovering the diversity of life forms God has made
__________Exploring the laws of physics
__________Learning to write a chemical equation
__________Forgiving others from the heart as God in Christ has forgiven us
__________Picking up trash on the school grounds as part of an in-school service project
Head—
Heart—
Hands—
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 22
A Proper Response to God
and His Word
(Teacher Guide)
Distribute the discussion sheet. Use the matching
activity to engage the students in a discussion of both
inappropriate and appropriate responses to God and
His love and grace for all people through Christ Jesus.
Correct responses are 1—f, 2—a, 3—c, 4—g, 5—b, 6—d,
7—e.
As you review and discuss each item, invite students
to suggest other examples from their experience or of
which they are aware that are similar in the way we
offend against God and the teachings of His Holy Word.
Stress that God’s grace is a free gift to us through Christ
Jesus. We don’t qualify for His blessings; neither can we
move God to act on our behalf by our actions. We can,
however, commit ourselves to Him and call upon Him
in the name of Jesus, bringing our desire and requests to
Him, trusting that He will hear and answer our prayers
according to His gracious will.
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 23
A Proper Response to God
and His Word
In her autobiography, Light in the Dark Belt, Rosa Young
describes several types of spiritual practices common
among those living in her time. Match each with the type
of error that might be found around us in today’s world
(see lettered items). Then explain what God’s Word
teaches about how God comes to us, changes us through
the power of the Gospel and moves us to live in Him as
you reflect on each error.
_____ 1. “Mourners” attempted to find God by avoiding
eating and drinking, bathing and changing clothes. They
sat on a mourner’s bench in church or lay on the church
floor, bearing a sad and lonely countenance while the
service went on around them. If they suddenly felt they
had found God, mourners would shout for joy and be
welcomed into the church. Somewhat similarly, people
would “pray” using loud and often profane language in
an attempt to get God to hear them, calling upon God as
if He were dead or asleep.
______ 2. People might go alone into a cemetery at night
looking for God and, after remaining for a time among
the graves, return shouting, “I found Jesus! I found
Jesus!” Likewise, people would tell of dreams in which
God appeared to them or of signs that came to them in
the woods or along the road. Upon the basis of these
things they were regarded as coming to faith.
______ 3. So called “preachers” would excommunicate
or deny their preaching and sacraments to those who
refused or were not able to pay an assessment levied
upon them.
______ 4. Preachers would proclaim all manner of
opinion and teachings under the guise of a Scriptural
basis.
______ 5. Preachers would preach a whole sermon
without once mentioning Jesus.
Student Handout
Name________________________________________
a. People become fascinated with death and look to death
as a link with the afterlife and things spiritual. Some
look for God to reveal Himself to them in dreams and
signs, thinking, for example, if God wants me to go
to this party I will pull a piece of paper marked “Yes”
out of a hat into which I have dropped papers marked
“Yes” and “No.”
b. A pastor preaches a whole sermon about the Ten
Commandments, going through each one, without
talking about the forgiveness Jesus came to bring or
the fact that Jesus came to keep each Commandment
in our place, without sin.
c. Characteristic of religious cults, followers fall under
the domination of a charismatic leader who exercises
control over every aspect of their lives.
d. S ome people carry a lucky coin in their pocket,
trusting in it to make good things happen for them.
e. F
amilies develop a culture without a spiritual
dimension that includes no prayers, church
attendance, reading of God’s Word, mention of Jesus as
Savior or discussion of spiritual things.
f. Some seek to find God in various “religious” practices,
trying out various forms of piety and supposedly
religious activities associated with repentance until
they feel they have found a connection with God.
Using loud, shrill and fevered speech, some attempt
to communicate with God by working themselves and
others into a state of emotional ecstasy.
g. Unconcerned about teaching the pure Word of God, a
pastor reads Luke 2, the account of the Savior’s birth,
and preaches a sermon about the proper care and
nurture of animals.
______ 6. Superstitious people believed cutting children’s
fingernails would make them disobedient children who
would grow up to become scoundrels. Parents bought
“charms” from conjurers to help their children master
their lessons and behave well in school.
______ 7. People did not know Jesus as their Savior.
They were not taught the Bible, Christ-centered hymns
or prayers.
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 24
The First Rosa and
Martin Luther
(Teacher Guide)
Distribute The First Rosa handouts, one to every student.
Review with the class the three dimensions of God at
work in the life of a believer as Martin Luther identified
them. These include prayer (oratio), meditation
(meditatio) and trial (tentatio). Show the movie, The First
Rosa. If you choose to do so, show the movie or sections
of the movie more than once, pausing periodically for
students to write. Then allow students to work in groups
to share responses with one another to further complete
their charts. Review responses with the whole class.
Conclude with a discussion of how believers’ students, or
the students themselves, experience prayer, meditation
and trial. Possible responses follow.
Martin Luther once identified three ways to recognize God’s Word active and living in the life of a believer.
As you view the film, The First Rosa, look for supporting details for each of the following dimensions of Rosa’s life
as a follower of Jesus.
Aspects characteristic of Rosa’s life
Details (Answers may include the following)
Rosa’s life was a life of PRAYER (Oratio)
Rosa prayed that if God would provide her with a
higher education she would serve Him with it.
As Rosa worked in the cotton field she sang the prayer,
“Give Me Jesus.”
Rosa pursued the idea of starting her own school,
praying to God at night by the fire and later prayed
herself to sleep talking to God about the possibilities.
Rosa prayed before writing to Booker T. Washington;
after mailing the letter she prayed again.
Rosa prayed seeking God’s direction regarding the
opportunity of serving at the Lutheran Academy at
Selma.
Rosa meditated on God’s grace (Meditatio)
Rosa learned the pure Gospel from the Christ-centered
preaching, teaching and hymns brought by Rev. Bakke.
Rosa helped Pastor Bakke begin congregations, schools,
and Sunday schools based on the teaching of the pure
Gospel.
Rosa experienced trials (Tentatio)
Rosa experienced the trials brought on by the economic
devastation resulting from the Boll Weevil invasion.
Rosa struggles to keep her school open.
Rosa suffered when friends deserted her, people turned
against her, and pastors of other churches preached
against and told lies about Rosa, all because she became
a Lutheran.
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 25
The First Rosa and
Martin Luther
Student Handout
Name________________________________________
Martin Luther once identified three ways to recognize God’s Word active and living in the life of a believer. As you
view the film, The First Rosa, look for supporting details for each of the following dimensions of Rosa’s life as a
follower of Jesus.
Aspects characteristic of Rosa’s life
Details
Rosa’s life was a life of PRAYER (Oratio)
Rosa meditated on God’s grace (Meditatio)
Rosa experienced trials (Tentatio)
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 26
A Bug and a Blessing
(Teacher Guide)
Comment that we may think of insects as pests. Indeed,
often they create quite a bit of trouble for us, as was the
case with the coming of the boll weevil into Alabama and
the destruction it brought to cotton production there.
But insects are part of God’s creation, and God also gives
us many good things because of insects. Indirectly, the
coming of the boll weevil led to the coming of the pure
Gospel to the people of Alabama. (See Rosa Young: Hero
of Faith and The First Rosa.)
Teach students the four stages of the life cycle of an
insect from egg to larva to pupa to adult.
Tell the students that God made insects in a very
interesting way. Insects, such as boll weevils, are very
different in each stage of their life.
The egg stage is when the new insect comes into being.
When the egg hatches, a worm-like larva appears.
The larva eats to provide the energy needed to carry the
insect through the other stages of its life, when it does
not eat. When the larva is mature it enters the pupa
stage.
During the pupa stage of life, the insect undergoes an
amazing change, from the inside out. It changes from a
worm-like larva to an adult.
An adult insect’s main role is to mate and reproduce,
which results in the laying of eggs. From here, the cycle
repeats itself.
These stages are pictured on the worksheet already in
order — egg, larva, pupa and adult.
Point out to students that the changes occurring in the
life cycle of an insect are referred to as a metamorphosis,
a complete change. Relate with the change that God
works when a person is baptized or comes to faith.
When a person comes to faith in Jesus, God changes that
person from unsaved to saved, with a new and eternal
life to live for Him.
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 27
Student Handout
Name________________________________________
A Bug and a Blessing
God made everything. He made big animals such as elephants and giraffes. God also made small
animals such as ants, grasshoppers, bees and boll weevils. Though insects can give us trouble,
they also help us in many ways. For example, insects are very good at recycling; they eat decaying
plant and animal matter.
Insects have:
• A life lived in stages – egg, larva, pupa, adult
• A body that has three parts – head, thorax and abdomen
• Six legs in their adult stage
• Feelers (antennae) that they use to find food
• Outside shell-like “skeletons”
• Wings, either two or four
• Small holes that take in and give off air (no lungs)
• The ability to lay an amazing number of eggs
The boll weevil is an example of a harmful insect.
It bored into cotton plants and destroyed cotton production
in the South during the early days of the 20th century. Here are
the four stages in the life of the boll weevil. Can you write each
of the following labels under the correct stage? Adult, Larva, Pupa, Egg
The boll weevil brought great hardship to the people of the South when it destroyed the
cotton crops there. But God worked good out of this bad situation. Because of the failure of
the cotton crop, teacher Rosa J. Young found it difficult to continue operating her school.
She asked for help from the Lutheran church. They gave Rosa the help she needed. By God’s
grace, the people in Alabama were soon learning the Good News of Jesus in 30 schools, 35
congregations and one college.
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 28
It’s About Time!
When Rosa Young grew up, most of her people had no
watches or clocks; they were too poor for these things.
Instead they told time the way Jesus and His disciples
did and the way people have throughout most of human
history: by observing the sun. As you do the following
activities with your students, remind them that whether
we mark time by observing our shadow according to the
location of the sun or by our most accurate atomic clocks
and cell phones, the days and hours of our life remain in
God’s control. He who sent His Son to forgive, redeem
and save us helps us to use the days and hours of our life
living for Him. With the psalmist we declare to God, “My
times are in your hand,” (Ps. 31:15, ESV).
Finding Directions and Telling Time,
Naturally
Take students outside on the morning of a sunny day.
Invite them to work in pairs. Ask pairs to spread out so
as to allow for plenty of room, ensuring that each pair
stands in an area receiving plenty of sun throughout the
day. Have them stand with their right hand pointing in
the direction from which the sun rose. Comment that
this direction should be east. If they extend their left hand
parallel with the line they have drawn their hand should
be pointing west. In front of them should be north and
behind them should be south. This is the method escaped
slaves would have used during the day to be sure they
were moving in a northerly direction during the days
of the Underground Railroad. At night they would have
determined north by looking in the sky for the North Star.
Telling Time with Shadows
Each pair of students will need a stick or yardstick, a
compass and access to the internet. Direct students to
Google the latitude of their current location (city and
state). Then invite students to, using their compass,
place their stick or yardstick into the ground at the same
angle as their latitude, taking care to ensure that the
stick is slanting to the north (if possible use a compass
setting to determine north). Comment that, if positioned
correctly, the stick will align with the earth’s axis. Begin
in the morning and continue throughout the day and
into the afternoon and mark the extremity of the shadow
at the top of each hour. If done correctly only a minimal
shadow should be observable at noon when the sun
is directly overhead. (Be sure to consider and explain
daylight savings time if it is in effect when you are doing
this activity.) Students will be able to observe shadows
getting shorter, shortest at noon, and then longer again.
Comment that, throughout history, people without the
aid of mechanical or electronic timekeeping devices
would designate time by making references to the
position of the sun such as, “Let’s meet either midmorning or mid-afternoon or at sundown.”
Explain that God designed this pattern to lighten our
world so that plants can receive the sun’s energy and
make the food that is the basis for every food chain.
Comment that what actually happens is not that the sun
rises and moves across the face of the earth, although
such is what appears to be happening. What actually
occurs is that the earth makes one complete turn each
day giving us each day and night even as the earth moves
or orbits around the sun giving us our seasons. These are
the designs of God, which He placed into motion at the
creation of the world. See Gen. 1:3–5.
At the Time of Slavery in America
Now ask students to draw a line tracing from the top-most
point of each of the shadows they drew. Ask them to stand
along this line. Now have them stand with their right
hand pointing to the location of the sun when they made
their first morning drawing. Comment that this direction
should be east. If they extend their left hand parallel with
the line they have drawn their hand should be pointing
west. In front of them should be north and behind them
should be south. This is the method escaped slaves would
have used during the day to be sure they were moving in
a northerly direction during the days of the Underground
Railroad. At night they would have determined north by
looking in the sky for the North Star.
Invite students to go outside this evening to locate the
North Star, also called Polaris. The North Star can be
found by first locating the Big Dipper, or Ursa Major.
The North Star is found by drawing an imaginary line
through the two outer stars of the bowl. This line will
always point to the North Star. The North Star is not the
brightest star in the sky, but it is the most consistently
fixed, easily observable star in the northern sky.
Comment that, to slaves who moved mainly by night as
they escaped from slavery in the south to the freedom of
the north, the North Star provided the path to freedom.
Comment that telling time or marking directions
according to the position of the sun and the stars is
dependent upon being able to observe them.
Time Designations Used by Jesus and His
First Disciples
Note that, by the time of Jesus’ life and ministry, the idea
of dividing the day into twelve hours (6:00 AM to 6:00
PM) had become common with the nighttime divided
into four “watches” (first — 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, second
— 9:00 PM to 12:00 midnight, third — midnight to
3:00 AM, fourth — 3:00 AM to 6:00 AM). Explore the
significance of these designations for day and night in
the following Bible narratives (Note: the first hour would
have been 6:00 AM):
The Parable of the Laborers (Matt. 20:1–16, especially
verse 9)
Jesus and the Woman at the Well (John 4:1–26, especially
verse 6)
Jesus Walks on Water (Matt. 14:22–33, especially verse 25)
Jesus’ Crucifixion (Mark 15:21–41, especially verses 25
and 33)
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 29
God’s Gifts through Insects
(Teacher Guide)
Use the following activity sheet with your class to facilitate
the blessings God has provided and continues to provide
to people today through insects. Correct matchings are
1—a, 2—d, 3—a, 4—d, 5—e, 6—b, 7—c, 8—e, 9—a,
10—a.
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 30
Student Handout
Name________________________________________
God’s Gifts through Insects
We often think of insects solely as pests. Even the way we use the term ‘bug’ to describe situations or
influences that annoy or aggravate us suggests we think of bugs in a negative light. Still, God created
insects and He uses them as part of His creative plan to sustain and bless us. Here are some of the
ways God has blessed and/or continues to bless people through insects.
a.God provides food through insects.
b.God uses insects to recycle organic waste.
c.God heals us with insects.
d.God provides us with useful non-edible products through insects.
e.God gives people the desire and ability to advance science and learning in response to the
devastation resulting from insect invasions.
Each of the following is an example of one of the types of blessings listed above and identified by a
letter, a through e. Place a letter in each of the following blanks to correctly identify each example
with a corresponding type of blessing. You will use some letters more than once.
_____1. John the Baptist ate locusts and wild honey.
_____2. From the silk of silkworms we get a unique type of cloth.
_____3. Insects assist worldwide in the pollination of fruit-bearing plants.
_____4. An insect called the cochineal provides a red dye used in paints.
_____5. G
eorge Washington Carver’s work with peanuts and sweet potatoes saved the economy
of the South after the boll weevil decimated cotton production.
_____ 6. I nsects eat decaying plant and animal waste material and thereby help to clean up the
environment.
_____7. D
octors sometimes use the maggots of blowflies in the treatment of infected wounds.
_____8. A
fter the boll weevil caused the economy in the South to fail, Rosa Young reached out
for help and, with the assistance she received, started many churches and schools to
bring people the Good News of Jesus’ forgiving love, new life and salvation.
_____9. I nsects provide a vital link in the food chain; in some parts of the world people also
enjoy eating certain insects.
_____10. Honey remains a valued natural sweetener, just as it has been throughout history.
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 31
Connecting with the Past
Use this discussion guide with your class to help them
understand the place of Rosa Young in history. Possible
student responses are set in red type.
Rosa Young’s parents had been slaves. Rosa’s father,
Grant Young, had scars on his back to remind him of a
whipping he received as a slave. Although slavery ended
decades before she was born, Rosa lived in a world where
blacks were still treated much as they were in the days
before the end of the Civil War.
5.Review with students the events on the timeline
found in the back of Rosa Young: Hero of Faith.
Encourage students to ask their grandparents how
many of these events from the 1950s and 1960s they
remember from the news or their studies. Ask them
to reflect on how, by God’s grace, the place of blacks
in society has improved during their lifetime. Invite
students to share their findings in class.
1.Read Chapter 1 of Rosa Young: Hero of Faith to the
class. Ask students to recall what life was like for
blacks living in slavery. The discussion may include
some or all of the following mentioned in Chapter 1.
• Slaves were the property of their white owners.
•Slaves could be sold at the will of master; people
were separated from their family.
• Slaves had to work hard.
•Slaves could be whipped by their master for even
the simplest of reasons.
• Slaves were not allowed to learn to read.
2.In what ways was life among Rosa’s people when she
was growing up similar to the lives of black people
during the days of slavery? Answers may vary but
are likely to include the following: Rosa and her
family worked hard; they still did not have all the
rights afforded their white neighbors. Many were still
unable to read or write well or at all.
3.Rosa Young trusted in God and in His grace. How
did God use Rosa to improve the lives of her people?
God brought Pastor Bakke and the support of the
Lutheran church to Rosa and the people of her
community. Most important, God brought the Good
News of Jesus and the forgiveness, life and salvation
that is His gift to all people. By God’s grace, Rosa and
Pastor Bakke began more than 35 congregations,
30 Christian schools, and an institution of higher
learning, which is now Concordia College Alabama.
4.Talk with students about the 1896 Supreme Court
decision Plessy v. Ferguson (which ruled against
integration of races in schools in favor of a “separate
but equal” rule of thumb that ended up being
separate but far from equal) and the overturning
of “separate but equal” in the 1954 ruling of Brown
v. Topeka Board of Education that provided for
integration. If possible, show pictures or video clips
to underscore the impact of these important court
decisions.
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 32
Southern Recipes
Among the foods Rosa Young and her family and friends would have eaten often are corn bread and collard greens. If
you choose to do so, make some to share with your students and/or share the following recipes with them.
Cornbread
Collard Greens
1½cups milk
2 cup cornmeal
1½tablespoons butter
2 eggs, beaten
1½teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2large bunches of collard greens, with spine removed
and then chopped.
2pounds smoked meat (ham hocks, smoked turkey
legs, wings or smoked neck bone pieces)
Water to cover plus an inch
2 large pinches of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning
1 cup of chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Couple dashes of hot sauce
3 cups of chicken broth
1-2tablespoons of sugar
1 tablespoon bacon drippings or oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon of butter
Instructions
Heat milk and pour over cornmeal and butter mixture.
Cool and then add eggs, baking powder, salt and sugar.
Mix well. Pour into a greased 8 inch baking pan and
bake in a 400 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until
a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Instructions
Place meat in a large pot and cover with water, plus about
an inch. Add the salt, Cajun seasoning, onion, garlic and
hot sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for an
hour.
While the meat is simmering, strip, wash, drain and chop
the collards; set aside.
Add the greens, chicken broth, sugar, bacon fat or oil,
vinegar, soy sauce and butter. Cook the greens down,
cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes to
1-1/2 to 2 hours, depending on the texture you prefer.
Add more chicken broth if liquid cooks down too low.
Taste, season with additional salt and pepper as needed;
sprinkle with dried pepper flakes, if desired.
Serve with cornbread.
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 33
The Life and Times of Rosa J. Young
(Teacher Guide)
After students have read Rosa Young: Hero of Faith, distribute the
following timeline activity sheet to the students.
Talk about the events that occurred during Rosa Young’s lifetime. Rosa
lived at a time of great social change in America.
Then, using information provided on pages 57 through 60 of Rosa
Young: Hero of Faith, instruct students to supply the year in which each
of the following events occurred. Correct responses follow.
__1890__ Rosa Young is born on May 14 in Rosebud, Alabama.
__1896__ The U.S. Supreme Court legalizes segregation in the Plessy v. Ferguson case.
__1903__ Wilbur and Orville Wright fly the first airplane.
__1912__ Rosa Young opens a school in her hometown of Rosebud, Alabama.
__1914__ World War I begins.
__1914__ The boll weevil reaches Alabama, destroying cotton production.
__1915__ Rosa Young writes the Lutheran church; Pastor Nils Bakke comes to Alabama.
__1918__ World War I ends.
__1920__ The Nineteenth Amendment is passed, giving women the right to vote.
__1922__ Rosa Young helps found Alabama Lutheran Academy in Selma, Alabama.
__1929__ The stock market crashes, ushering in the Great Depression.
__1939__ World War II begins.
__1945__World War II ends.
__1954__ The Supreme Court overturns Plessy v. Ferguson with Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.
__1955__ Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on the bus and a bus boycott begins.
__1961__ Rosa Young receives an honorary doctorate from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Ind.
__1964__ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. receives the Nobel Peace Prize.
__1971__ Rosa Young dies on June 30.
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 34
Student Handout
Name________________________________________
The Life and Times of Rosa J. Young
Rosa Young served Jesus during times of great social change in America. Finding her strength in Jesus, she
dedicated her life to Him and faithful teaching of the Good News of Jesus’ love and forgiveness.
Using information provided on pages 57 through 60 of Rosa Young: Hero of Faith, supply the year in which each
of the following events occurred.
________ Rosa Young is born on May 14 in Rosebud, Alabama.
________ The U.S. Supreme Court legalizes segregation in the Plessy v. Ferguson case.
________ Wilbur and Orville Wright fly the first airplane.
________ Rosa Young opens a school in her hometown of Rosebud, Alabama.
________ World War I begins.
________ The boll weevil reaches Alabama, destroying cotton production.
________ Rosa Young writes the Lutheran church; Pastor Nils Bakke comes to Alabama.
________ World War I ends.
________ The Nineteenth Amendment is passed, giving women the right to vote.
________ Rosa Young helps found Alabama Lutheran Academy in Selma, Alabama.
________ The stock market crashes, ushering in the Great Depression.
________ World War II begins.
________ World War II ends.
________ The Supreme Court overturns Plessy v. Ferguson with Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.
________ Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on the bus and a bus boycott begins.
________ Rosa Young receives an honorary doctorate from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Ind.
________ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. receives the Nobel Peace Prize.
________ Rosa Young dies on June 30.
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 35
The Spreading Word
Review Acts 1:8 with the class. Talk about how God’s Word reached more and more
people and extended further and further throughout the region as churches, schools
and Sunday schools were founded. Talk about how God’s Word continues to spread
throughout the world today as God’s people teach and share the Good News.
Correct map plotting point are as follows.
Ackerville 5k
Hamburg 4i
Mobile 3o
Arlington 4j
Holy Ark 6i
Montrose 4o
Atmore 4n
Joffre 5i
Pensacola 5p
Bashi 3k
Lamison 4j
Pine Hill 4k
Birmingham 5f
Longmile 4k
Rockwest 4k
Camden 4k
Maplesville 5g
Selma 5j
Catherine 4j
Maysville 6a
Vineland 4k
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 36
Student Handout
Name________________________________________
The Spreading Word
After Pastor Bakke left the Alabama mission field, the Gospel continued to work amazing results. Congregations
began and grew throughout the state and region. Using the map above, give the number of the vertical coordinate to
identify the location of each of these congregations, which are also mentioned in the film, The First Rosa.
Ackerville _______________
Atmore
_______________
Birmingham_______________
Arlington_______________
Bashi _______________
Camden
_______________
Catherine _______________
Longmile _______________
Pensacola_______________
Hamburg _______________
Maplesville _______________
Pine Hill _______________
Holy Ark _______________
Maysville _______________
Rockwest
_______________
Joffre
_______________
Mobile _______________
Selma
_______________
Laimison
_______________
Montrose _______________
Vineland
_______________
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 37
Rosa J. Young in Her Native
Alabama
In the King James Version of the Bible that Rosa Young
knew and loved, Acts 1:8 reads as follows: “But ye
shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come
upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto
the uttermost part of the earth.” As a child of God
through faith in Christ Jesus, Rosa boldly professed
her Savior in her immediate neighborhood of Wilcox
County, Alabama, extending further into Alabama,
and through her influence and the students whose lives
she touched with the power of the Gospel, “unto the
uttermost part of the earth.” Use this worksheet and the
accompanying map to record basic geographic facts
about Alabama and the places that were important to
Rosa in her life and teaching.
A.Alabama is found in the heart of the American South.
At Rosa’s time many of the blacks living in Alabama
were born as slaves, who although now freed from
slavery continued in bondage to limited opportunity,
poverty and ignorance. Google a map of Alabama.
1.On the sheet containing an outline map of
Alabama, write:
a.the names of the four states bordering Alabama.
b.the name of the ocean that meets the Alabama
shoreline at the southwest corner.
c.the name of the river extending northeast from
the southwest corner of Alabama.
B.Write the name of Alabama’s state capital near the
number 1.
C.Rosa Young was born in Rosebud, Ala. Find number
2 on the map and label it Rosebud.
D.After finishing her elementary education, Rosa
traveled to Selma where she attended Payne
University. Graduating valedictorian, she began her
career as an educator, teaching in various Alabama
schools but dreaming of starting a school of her own.
Find number 3 on the map and label it Selma.
Student Handout
Name________________________________________
F.Black men in Rosa’s community who owned wagons
traveled to the lumber yard at Pine Apple after
working all day to haul lumber back to Rosebud
where it would be used to build Rosa’s school. Find
number 6 on the map and label it Pine Apple.
G.When the economy of the region, which was based
on cotton, failed due to the arrival of the Mexican
boll weevil, Rosa had to reach out beyond her
community in an effort to secure the funds she would
need to keep her school going. She wrote to Booker
T. Washington at the Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee,
Ala., asking for his help. Find number 7 on the map
and label it Tuskegee.
H.Booker T. Washington wrote back to Rosa. He was
not able to help her but suggested she write to the
Lutherans in St. Louis. Rosa did and they agreed to
help her. They sent Rev. Nils Baake. Pastor Bakke
came to Alabama late in 1915, arriving by train in
Neenah. Find number 8 on the map and label it
Neenah.
I.Rosa worked with Pastor Bakke and other pastors
who would come after him to start churches and
schools. One day a workman who had come to the
sawmill in Rosebud asked Rosa if there could be a
church and school in his community. Pastor Bakke
visited his community of Possum Bend and started a
church and school there. Find number 9 on the map
and label it Possum Bend.
By God’s grace, eventually 30 Lutheran schools, 35
congregations, and a Lutheran College, (Concordia
Alabama located in Selma) were begun to share the
Gospel. Many of those who learned of Jesus at these
places would follow Rosa’s example and carry the
Good News even further into the world in Gospelcentered teaching that continues to this day!
E.With the goal of building a school for her people in
her native Rosebud, Rosa asked people for funds,
traveling to places such as the county seat at Camden,
and also to the local village of Oak Hill, asking for
funds from those living there. Find number 4 on the
map and label it Oak Hill. Find number 5 on the map
and label it Camden.
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 38
(Teacher Guide)
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 39
Student Handout
Name________________________________________
Rosa Young Middle School Classroom Materials | 40