Lesson Preparation
Noah
Expected Student Outcomes
3.0
MEMORY VERSE
Proverbs 3:5–6a
Know
God is faithful to deliver Noah and his family. Noah’s descendants rebel
against God and He confuses their language at the Tower of Babel.
Do
Students will:
• complete a cloze activity to review the Bible truth
• identify character qualities of Noah
• complete sentences to demonstrate understanding of the Bible truth
• identify ways to bring glory to God
• review a story about showing God’s love to others
APPLY
Students will conclude that sin has consequences and God keeps
His promises.
Lesson Outline
I. Noah obeys God (Gen 6:5–7:24)
A. God floods the earth
II. God’s promise (Gen 8:1–9:17)
A. Noah honors God
B. The rainbow
III. The Tower of Babel (Gen 10–11)
A. God gives directions
B. The people disobey God
C. Seeking to glorify God, not ourselves
IV. Accepting others
TEACHER’S HEART
Day 2:
• Globe
• BLM 3B Origami (Extension)
Day 3:
• Worksheet
• VA 3B The Tower of Babel
• Globe
• BLM 3C The Tower of Babel, card
stock, envelopes (Extension)
Day 4:
• Globe
• Russian pancakes (Extension)
Day 5:
• VA 3A Noah, VA 3B The Tower of
Babel
• BLM 3D Lesson 3 Test
SONGS
Noah Was a Faithful Man
Do you ever wonder how Noah stayed faithful in a violent and corrupt
world? He was 500 years old, and was surrounded by people who had
forgotten God, yet he was so faithful that he began building a boat for rain
he’d never witnessed. Then Noah faithfully kept building the ark before
God closed the door—confirmation that Noah’s trust in God was justified.
TEACHER RESOURCES
How did Noah maintain his faith? We know only that Noah was righteous,
blameless, and that he walked with God (Genesis 6:9). The task God gave
Noah did not make sense until almost 100 years after it was begun. Yet,
Noah walked with God by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Noah did
not need things to make sense in order to place his trust in God.
STUDENT RESOURCES
Are you struggling with a problem that doesn’t make sense? Are you
waiting for an answer to prayer that is long in coming? Are you having a
hard time staying faithful in the midst of your culture? Walk with God. Give
Him your time, read His Word, be in prayer, and allow God to renew your
mind. God’s will is perfect, even when it doesn’t make sense.
©
MATERIALS
Day 1:
• Umbrella
• VA 3A Noah
• PP-1 We Trust God (Extension)
• BLM 3A Ark, card stock
(Extension)
Bible Grade 1
Wiersbe, Warren W. Be Basic
(Genesis 1–11). David C. Cook,
1998.
Models of Noah’s ark. Kits can be
ordered online from various
websites.
Stewart, Dorothy M. It’s Hard to
Hurry When You’re a Snail. Lion
Children’s Books, 2009.
21
3.1
Noah
Focus: Noah Obeys God
MEMORY VERSE
Proverbs 3:5–6a
MEMORY WORK
• Explain that to trust God means
to count on God. People can
trust God because He has the
ability, strength, and power to
do all that He has promised.
To acknowledge God means
to agree that God is in control.
Divide the class into two groups.
Tell each group to jump as they
say one word from the Memory
Verse, alternating between
the groups. The group whose
turn it is to jump for the word
acknowledge should jump three
times, once for each syllable.
Have both groups say the
Scripture reference.
PREPARATION
Have an umbrella on hand.
(Introduction, Directed Instruction)
Select VA 3A Noah. (Directed
Instruction)
Select “Noah Was a Faithful Man”
from the music CDs. (Directed
Instruction)
EXTENSION
1A To review the Bible lesson and
to help students understand the
meaning of the Memory Verse,
show students PP-1 We Trust
God.
1B Make a copy of BLM 3A Ark
on card stock for each student.
Distribute the copies. Have
students write their name on
the back of the ark, color the ark,
and turn in their paper. Follow
the directions on the blackline
master. Distribute the prepared
arks. Invite students to use the
completed ark and animal strip
to retell the Bible truth.
22
Introduction
Open your umbrella as you tell students that you are preparing for rain
inside the classroom. Be dramatic while you convince them that it really
could rain inside. Look up to see if the rain is coming and put out your
hand as if to feel for drops of rain. Show surprise when students laugh or
try to tell you that you do not need the umbrella.
Directed Instruction
Set the umbrella near you and show students VA 3A Noah. Inform
students that today’s Bible truth is about Noah, a man the Bible says
walked with God. Read the Bible truth from the back of VA 3A.
Dramatically express your belief that it is going to rain inside today.
Mention that you see some students who look as if they doubt that it
will rain inside. Ask students why they do not believe your statement,
and choose a volunteer to explain why it probably will not rain in your
classroom. (Rain comes from rain clouds.)
Remind students that Noah trusted God and believed that what God
said would happen would really occur. Because of this trust, Noah worked
on the ark even though it took many, many years. Noah followed God’s
directions even though he might not have understood what a flood was.
Review for students that to trust God means to count on God. Ask students
to suggest many things that Noah counted on God to provide. (Possible
answers: direction, food for the animals and people, safety)
Put your umbrella away. Help students conclude that although God told
Noah about the rain, God did not tell you to expect rain in the classroom.
Make sure students understand that they must listen to God carefully. They
do not decide when miracles will happen; God does.
Sing “Noah Was a Faithful Man” from the music CDs. Practice the song
several times during the week. Consider breaking your class into groups
and having each group sing one stanza. Have the students join together to
sing the chorus.
Student Page 3.1
Read the directions and the text. Assist students in completing the page.
Allow them to color the animals in Exercises 2–5, as desired.
Review
• Why did God flood the earth? (The people stopped listening to God.
They were wicked and evil.)
• Why did God decide to save Noah and his family? (Noah was the only
person listening to God and doing the right thing.)
• How did Noah know what to do? (God told Noah exactly how to build
the ark. God told Noah the kind of wood to use, the size the ark was to
be, and how to keep it watertight.)
• How long did it take Noah to build the ark? (about 100 years) How long
did it rain? (40 days and 40 nights) How long was the earth covered with
water? (150 days)
Notes:
DAY
1
1. Use the Word Bank to complete the sentences.
trusted
big boat was the ark. Noah
boat
. The
and
flooded. God kept
rain
Noah
trusted
obeyed God. Noah worked on the ark for about 100
years! Then the
3.1
WORD BANK
boat
God told Noah to build a big
rain
fell. The earth was
Noah
and his family safe.
Color two animals in each row that tell about Noah.
2.
praise
worry
3.
trust
faith
4.
loving
5.
worship
©
©
Bible Grade 1
Bible Grade 1
godly
sob
• Why do you think the people
who lived before the Flood
disobeyed God over and over
again? (Answers will vary,
but should include that
the people did not pay
attention to God’s directions;
they neither trusted nor
acknowledged God.)
• Is it always easy to follow God’s
directions and make good
choices? (It is not easy, but
God will help us make good
choices when we come to Him
in prayer.)
• What can you do to stay close
to God? (I can pray, read the
Bible, listen to teaching,
worship Him, show love
for others.)
REINFORCEMENT
Name
Noah
APPLICATION
Ever since the Fall, all people
have been born with a sinful
nature. Because God cannot
tolerate sin, sinful people are
separated from Him. Human
beings can do nothing to bridge
the separation between God and
people. God, through His grace
and love, sent His Son to die for
all people and to pay the price
for sin and restore people to
fellowship with God.
First graders are concrete thinkers
and understand that when a rule
is broken, a consequence follows.
They are able to grasp that the
sins of the wicked people in
Noah’s day were met with the
consequence of destruction.
God saved Noah and his family
because Noah placed his faith
and trust in God. It is faith and
trust in Jesus’ redeeming work on
the cross that saves us as well.
pray
fear
angry
thank
9
23
3.2
Noah
Focus: God’s Promise
PREPARATION
Have a globe available. (Directed
Instruction)
EXTENSION
2A Print a copy of BLM 3B
Origami for you and each
student. Cut out the figure on
each paper as indicated. This
activity is designed to help
students understand how
difficult it was for Noah to build
the ark without knowing what
it would look like when it was
finished. Distribute the precut
figures to the students. Do not
tell the students what they
are making. Guide students to
make the origami dove as you
follow the directions on the
blackline master. When the dove
is completed, invite students to
color the beak and add a paper
olive branch. Explain that Noah
sent out a dove to see if the
floodwaters had receded. When
the dove brought back a freshly
plucked olive leaf, Noah knew
that it would soon be safe to
leave the ark.
Introduction
Ask students if they have ever seen a rainbow. (Answers will vary.) Invite a
few students to share where they saw the rainbow, its size, and all its colors.
Explain that they may see a rainbow whenever sunlight passes through
raindrops in the clouds at just the right angle. When the white light passes
through the droplets of water, the light is divided into the various colors of
the spectrum.
Directed Instruction
Remind students that after the Flood was over, Noah gave God a sacrificial
offering. God was pleased that Noah honored Him in this way. (Honor
means to show respect.) Even though God knew that people would continue
to sin, He was pleased with Noah’s offering and He promised never to
destroy the whole earth with a flood again. God placed a beautiful rainbow
in a cloud in the sky! The rainbow is the sign of God’s promise.
Ask students to recall how sin entered the world. Remind them that God
created a beautiful world and placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of
Eden. God gave His people a choice to obey Him, but they did not obey.
God allows everyone to choose whether or not they will yield to Him and
follow His directions. If people love Him, they will follow His directions
( John 14:15).
Select a volunteer to tell you what disobedience to God is called. (sin)
Recall that Adam and Eve decided not to follow God’s directions.
Remind students that God directed Cain to worship Him with a pure
heart, but that Cain chose anger and jealousy over love and trust for God.
Ask students to share why God was pleased with both Abel and Noah’s
offerings, but rejected Cain’s. (Both Abel and Noah had the right attitude;
Cain did not. Abel brought God one of his best animals for a sacrifice;
Noah brought a truly thankful heart for God’s deliverance from the
floodwaters; Cain brought his offering when he got around to it.)
Tell students that God gave Noah and his sons directions after the
Flood. His directions are written in the Bible in the book of Genesis,
the first book in the Bible. Read Genesis 9:1. Ask students to recall the
directions that God gave Noah and his sons. (Be fruitful and multiply;
fill the earth.) Explain that being fruitful means to have lots of children and
grandchildren. Show the globe as you explain that the ark may have landed
in what is modern-day Turkey. From there, God wanted lots of people to
spread out over the entire earth.
Student Page 3.2
Read the directions and the text. Assist students in completing the
exercises. Direct students to color the rainbow with the same colors God
used to create the first rainbow. Tell students to overlap the colors slightly.
Starting at the top, the colors are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and
purple. Write the names of the colors on the board for students to follow.
24
APPLICATION
Review
• When was it safe for Noah and his family to leave the ark? (when the
land was dry)
• What did Noah do when he left the ark? (He built an altar and made an
offering to God.) Was God pleased with Noah’s offering? (Yes.)
• What promise did God make to Noah? (God promised that He would
never destroy the earth again through a flood.)
• What sign reminds you of God’s promise? (the rainbow)
Notes:
DAY
2
3.2
• God gave Noah and his sons
very important directions. How
do you know God’s directions
for your life? (God has given
me directions in His Word, the
Bible.)
• How can you learn more about
God’s directions in the Bible?
(Answers will vary, but should
include listening to parents
and teachers, and reading the
Bible when I am able.)
• Each time you learn about
how God wants you to live,
how should you follow His
directions? (I should follow His
directions right away with a
good attitude.)
Noah
Draw a line to match the first part of each sentence to its ending.
1. Noah did what was •
• ark.
2. Noah trusted •
• right.
3. God kept Noah safe in the •
• promise.
4. The rainbow reminds us of God’s •
• God.
Color the rainbow.
Colors should go in order of the spectrum: red,
orange, yellow, green, blue, purple.
10
©
Bible Grade 1
©
Bible Grade 1
25
3.3
Noah
Focus: The Tower of Babel
PREPARATION
Cut several sheets of various
colors of paper into three or four
large pieces each. Angle the cuts
so that the original sheets of
paper can be reassembled like a
jigsaw puzzle. Prepare enough
pieces to give each student one
cut piece. (Introduction)
Set aside a worksheet that one
of your students has done, but
one on which the student has
forgotten to write his or her
name on the line at the top.
(Directed Instruction)
Select VA 3B The Tower of Babel.
(Directed Instruction)
Have a globe available. (Directed
Instruction)
EXTENSION
3A Print one copy of BLM 3C
The Tower of Babel on card
stock for each student. Distribute
the copies. Instruct students to
color the tower and cut out the
puzzle pieces. Provide envelopes
for students to use to take their
puzzle home. Review ways for
students to show their family the
puzzle and tell family members
about the Bible truth.
Introduction
When God mixed up the languages at the Tower of Babel, everyone had to
search to find other people whose language they could understand. To help
students understand the concept of finding similarities, give each student
one piece of the colored paper that you cut in advance. Students need to
quickly find the others with the same color and reassemble the pieces like
a puzzle.
Gather the pieces, mix them up, and pass them out again. Tell students that
this time they must put the puzzles together without talking.
Help students reflect on the methods they used to quickly find each other.
Ask students to share how the activity was different when they could not
talk. Explain that in today’s lesson students will be learning about a group
of people who could not understand one another’s words.
Directed Instruction
Hold up the worksheet that has no student’s name on it. Using a
dramatic voice, shake your head and explain to students that you do not
know who did the worksheet. Tell students that a key direction in first
grade is for all students to write their name at the top of each paper.
Following directions is very important to keep the class running smoothly.
Remind students that God gave people the Bible. It tells about God and
includes directions on how to live. Ask students to recall what happened
to Adam and Eve when they did not follow God’s directions. (Sin entered
the world. Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden of Eden.)
Display VA 3B The Tower of Babel. Before reading the text, challenge
students to listen to God’s directions. Read the back of VA 3B. Ask how
the people responded to God’s directions. (The people disobeyed God by
staying in one place.) What did God do because the people disobeyed?
(He confused their language so that they would have no choice but to
spread throughout the earth.)
Remind students that the people did not follow God’s directions because
they were more concerned about making themselves famous and bringing
glory to themselves. Their attitude was wrong, and that bad attitude was the
biggest part of the problem. Similarly, Cain had the wrong attitude when
he brought his offering to the Lord. He was not willing to do things God's
way. When people fail to turn their hearts to God, they fall into sin.
Show the globe. Point to Iraq, the approximate modern-day location of
the Tower of Babel, then point out each continent on which people now
live. Briefly mention some of the languages spoken on each continent.
(Examples: Africa: Bantu, Lingala, Portuguese, French, English; Asia:
Mandarin, Cantonese, Hindi; North America: English, French; South
America: Spanish, Portuguese)
26
Student Page 3.3
Read both of the scenarios aloud, encouraging students to follow along.
Afterward, tell them to answer the questions. Discuss the ways that each
child pictured is bringing glory to God. Then, discuss various situations
that your students may wish to pray about. Encourage students to share
ways that God has answered their prayers.
Review
• What did God tell the people to do? (to keep having children and
spread throughout the whole earth)
• What did the people do instead of listening to God? (They built a city so
they could stay together.)
• Why did the people start building a tower? (They wanted to bring glory
to themselves, not to God.)
• How tall had the people planned to build the tower? (all the way up
to heaven)
• How did God make sure that the people followed His directions? (He
confused their language so that they could not understand each other.)
DAY
3
Name
Noah
3.3
Listen to each story. Write yes or no to answer each question.
1. Amina did not like to paint
pictures. She did not think that her
pictures were as pretty as the other
children’s pictures. One day her
teacher asked her to paint a picture
of a flower. Amina didn’t want to
paint, so she prayed. “God,” she
said, “Help me to paint a flower.”
Then Amina painted a beautiful
flower! She told her teacher how God had helped her to paint well.
yes
Did Amina bring glory to God?
2. Keon liked to help his dad. On Saturday,
Keon’s dad asked Keon to help rake the
leaves and put the leaves in trash bags.
Keon thought that the leaves would be
too heavy. Keon prayed, “Dear God,
help me to lift the heavy bags of leaves
to please You and to help my dad.” God
helped Keon! Keon lifted all the heavy
bags. He told his dad how God had
helped him.
APPLICATION
• Why do you think God chose
not to punish the people
for building the tower, but
instead chose to scatter them
throughout the earth? (Answers
will vary, but should include
that He loved them and
wanted to give them another
chance to do His will. God had
also promised not to destroy
the earth through a flood
ever again.)
• Have you ever done something
wrong, but not received the
punishment you deserved?
How did that feel? (Possible
answers: glad, thankful)
• Even though all people have
sinned, how did God make a
way for people to be free from
the punishment they deserve?
(Jesus died on the cross to
pay for our sins. Anyone who
believes in Jesus, repents of
his or her sin, and trusts in
Jesus will be forgiven.)
REINFORCEMENT
There are over 6,000 languages
spoken in the world today. That
number seems even larger
considering the fact that the
entire Bible has been translated
into only about 400 of those
languages. Altogether, only
about one-third of the world’s
spoken languages have any
translated Scripture at all.
Organizations, such as Wycliffe
Bible Translators and New Tribes
Mission, are working to bring the
Scriptures to the approximately
350 million people in the world
who do not have the Bible in
their own language.
Did Keon bring glory to God?
yes
©
©
Bible Grade 1
Bible Grade 1
11
27
3.4
Noah
Focus: Accepting Others
PREPARATION
Have a globe available. (Directed
Instruction)
EXTENSION
4A Invite someone who speaks
another language to visit your
classroom. Ask your guest to read
a familiar story or sing a familiar
song in his or her language, but
do not tell the students that
your guest will speak a different
language. Allow the students
to be surprised by hearing
something that sounds familiar,
but different, from what they
are used to. If your guest is from
another country, tell students
where the country is located. Ask
your guest to teach the class a
few words such as good morning,
hello, good-bye, or Jesus.
4B Blini, russian pancakes, are a
traditional Russian food. They can
be made with different types of
flour and in different thicknesses.
Keeping student food allergies in
mind, ask a parent to make blini
for the class. Several recipes are
available on the Internet. Serve
the blini with jam or powdered
sugar for a fun enhancement to
today’s story.
Introduction
Begin class today by saying, “Dobroye utro” ('d*·br& '%·trä). Explain that
this means good morning in Russian. Tell students that today they will be
learning about a girl from Russia.
Directed Instruction
Read the following story, and instruct students to listen for the things that
Sveta, the girl in the story, brought to share with her classmates:
Bethany loved being in first grade! She loved drawing pictures, learning
to read the Bible, and listening to her teacher, Mrs. Howes. More than
anything else, Bethany loved being with her best friend, Kim. The two
girls sat right next to each other in class. They were so much alike that
Mrs. Howes teased that they could be twins.
Bethany walked into class one day and noticed a new little girl in Kim’s
seat. Right away, Bethany knew there must be some mistake. Kim was
supposed to sit there! Bethany went to the little girl and told her that
she was in the wrong seat. But the little girl didn’t move or even say
anything! Bethany couldn’t understand why the girl was silent.
Then Mrs. Howes introduced the new girl to the class. Her name
was Sveta. Sveta was a girl from Russia who had been adopted by an
American family. Sveta was just starting to learn English. Mrs. Howes
asked Bethany to befriend Sveta and to help Sveta learn.
Bethany did her best to show Sveta what to do. She showed her how
to take out her reading book, but Sveta couldn’t read English. Bethany
gave Sveta a new pencil to write letters in her handwriting book, but
Sveta wrote her letters in the Russian alphabet.
Later in the day, Mrs. Walters, Sveta’s adoptive mother, came to visit.
Mrs. Walters hugged Sveta. Mrs. Walters had a box full of Russian
things for Sveta to show the class.
Sveta showed the class pictures from a Russian city called Moscow. The
buildings were so colorful; they had round tops with stripes, bright
colors, and even gold! Next, Sveta showed an interesting stringed
instrument called a balalaika. It looked a little like a guitar. Bethany
wondered if Sveta would play a song for the class.
Then Sveta opened a colorful, wooden doll. Inside was a smaller, twin
doll. She opened the smaller doll and inside was an even smaller doll.
She kept going until there were nine matching dolls in a long row. The
littlest doll was really tiny! The pretty dolls were Bethany’s favorite.
Mrs. Walters saved the best for last, though. She had a plate filled with
very thin Russian pancakes called blini. Sveta showed the class how to
spread jam on a blin, roll it up, and eat it. Mmmmmm … delicious!
28
The students smiled at Sveta and thanked her for teaching them about
the country of Russia. Bethany and Kim decided right then to be
Sveta’s new friends and to do everything they could to help Sveta learn
English. Maybe they could even be triplets!
Review
• Why do the people in Russia and other countries speak different
languages? (God mixed up the languages at the Tower of Babel.)
• Why was Sveta so quiet in class? (She didn’t speak English.)
• Why did Sveta show her classmates Russian things? (to teach students
about Russia)
• How will Bethany and Kim show God’s love to Sveta? (They plan to help
her to learn English.)
Student Page 3.4
Show students your country and Russia on a globe. Read the directions
and assist students in completing the page.
DAY
4
3.4
APPLICATION
• How do you think Sveta felt
when she could not understand
the other children? (Possible
answers: sad, lonely, afraid,
confused)
• How would you give directions
to someone who does not speak
English? (Answers will vary.)
• Why do Christians reach out
to people around the world?
(Jesus told us to take the
gospel into the whole world
(Matthew 28:19).)
• How does the Lord want you
to behave toward people from
other countries or cultures? (We
should accept others because
God has accepted us (1 John
4:11).)
REINFORCEMENT
Noah
1. Circle the pictures of things that Sveta showed her class.
Nesting Dolls
Buildings
in Moscow
Samovar
Throughout the year, tell
students about your own travels
or invite guests from other
cultures to your classroom.
Look for opportunities to help
students compare and contrast
cultures different from their
own. Your students will learn to
respect and care for people who
are different from themselves.
This background will help you to
explain the work of missionaries
who go abroad. However, it is
important to keep in mind that
every Christian is called to share
the gospel, no matter where he
or she lives.
Blini
Balalaika
Иисус любит меня!
Jesus Loves Me!
Trace the gray words.
2. We love others because
12
©
Bible Grade 1
God loves us
©
.
Bible Grade 1
29
3.5
Noah
Focus: Review and Assessment
PREPARATION
Select “Noah Was a Faithful Man”
from the music CDs. (Lesson
Review)
Select VA 3A Noah and VA 3B
The Tower of Babel. (Lesson
Review)
Duplicate one copy of BLM 3D
Lesson 3 Test for each student.
(Directed Instruction)
Lesson Review
Use “Noah Was a Faithful Man” from the music CDs to lead a short time
of worship.
Use VA 3A Noah and VA 3B The Tower of Babel to review the Bible
truths. Cover the following concepts:
• The people who lived after Adam and Eve became wicked and evil. They
were living for themselves instead of living for God.
• Because of the people’s great wickedness, God decided to send a flood to
destroy the earth.
• God saw that Noah loved and followed Him. God chose to save Noah
and Noah’s family along with many, many animals.
• God asked Noah to build a big boat called an ark. Noah trusted God and
obeyed. It took him about 100 years to build the ark. Then God sent the
animals, two of each kind, but seven of each kind of animal that could be
used for food or as a sacrifice. Noah, his family, and the animals got on
board the ark, and God closed the door.
• Rain fell for 40 days and 40 nights. Underground water burst up to flood
the ground. Every land animal and person who was not on the ark died.
• After the Flood, Noah gave a sacrificial offering of thanksgiving to honor
God. God was pleased with Noah’s offering.
• God promised not to flood the earth ever again. God put a rainbow in a
cloud in the sky as a sign of His promise.
• After the Flood, God told Noah and his family to have many children
and to move all over the earth, but instead they stayed together.
• The people built a great city, and tried to build a tower all the way to
heaven. The people wanted to be more famous than God and bring glory
to themselves.
• God promised not to destroy the earth by a flood again, so He mixed up
the languages of the people. That way they could not understand each
other or work together. God’s will was finally done as the people found
others who spoke the same language, moved away from Babel, spread out,
and filled the earth.
• Now there are people who live everywhere on the earth, speak many
different languages, and live in many different ways.
Directed Instruction
Distribute a copy of BLM 3D Lesson 3 Test to each student. Read the
directions and the text. Allow students to complete the test independently.
Review the answers in class and collect the test papers for assessment.
Notes:
30