The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd is an excellent story that demonstrates kindness. Jesus looks after his sheep just as he looks after us. 

Objectives: 

The children will be able to:

- retell the story of The Good Shepherd

- identify who is the Good Shepherd

- explain what to do if they lost something

- identify who they are supposed to follow 
  and do what he says

- discuss when kids their age might do to get “lost” and not follow Jesus 

Vocabulary Words: good, shepherd, Jesus, lost, found, sheep, kind

Good Shepherd Word Wall - hang words on the wall to aid children when they are learning or using new vocabulary words.

Introduction to story: Here are questions to open with. Since they might all want to answer at the same time, use a talking stick or a stuffed lamb to pass around to take turns for talking.

Some Questions To Consider:

Think of something you have lost.

Have you ever lost something?

Was it worth very much?

Did you look very hard for it?

Did you ever find it?

What did you do when you found it? 

If you didn’t find it, what did you do?

More Questions To Consider:

Have you ever been lost? How did you feel? How did you get back? How did you feel when you were found?

Have you ever helped someone look for something they lost?

Have you ever found something someone else lost?

What did you do with the item you found?

Follow Up:

Read the story "The Good Shepherd". 

Ask questions such as the following . . .

If a shepherd has lost one of his sheep, what should he/she do? 

Who is the Good Shepherd?

Crafts:

Young children can make a handprint of a lamb.

Another good extension to this lesson is Sheep Decoration 
These are very easy crafts that the youngest child can do and makes a beautiful keepsake.

Sheep Decoration

Christmas, Sheep Decoration

Christmas, Sheep Decoration

Tree Ornaments

Suitable for Kindergarten to Third Grade

- ornaments that can be on a 

  Christmas tree or used as a decoration

- can also be made when reading or 

  discussing 
  The Good Shepherd (Language, Christian activity)

Materials

- black felt, white felt or a wool type of material
- googly eyes
- ribbon or yarn
- good quality scissors for older children
- white glue
- optional - twine or chenille stem if desired

Construction
- materials should be prepared ahead of time
- cut felt or material into sections if the children are able to 
  cut their own shapes
- it is recommended that they cut their parts in shapes (almost anything can be created 
  using shapes - circular shape for the body, oval for the head, triangular shapes for the 
  ears, thin rectangles for the legs)
- these shapes can be cut ahead of time for young children and for any children with 
  difficulty using scissors
- distribute all the necessary materials
- assemble the shapes to make the sheep
- a shepherd's hook made out of twine or a chenille stem may be included if desired
- attach a loop made out of ribbon or yarn to the back of the sheep

Easter Art

Easter Art

Easter Art

Suitable for Kindergarten to Third Grade

- this art can be varied to suit the age/needs of
  the children
- vary the expectations depending on the
  age/ability of the children
- the rays of sunshine can be used by older
  children and younger children can leave them
  off
- let them decide if they want them on or off
- encourage them to make their own decisions
  regarding the placement and size of the hills
  and crosses
- if using a paper foreground, older

  children may be able to cut out their own
  pieces while young children may need the
  some of the shapes supplied to them (strips of yellow
  for the rays and a variety of black strips to
  make the crosses) and it can be divided into random parts)

Materials
- white art paper or card stock
- watercolor paint - soft colors are very effective - a variety of colors may be used or one color with
  a variety of shades to create the sky, sunrise, sunset
- green watercolor paint
- black watercolor paint
- wide and thin paintbrushes
- optional - green, black, yellow construction paper
- newsprint or some other material to protect the work surface
- alternative materials - cardboard in desired shapes, plasticine, instruments to provide texture to the
  plasticine (toothpicks, combs etc.)

Construction
- begin by protecting the work surface with newsprint or plastic cloths
- distribute the art paper or card stock and the paint (a variety of colors may be used or one color
  with a variety of shades to create the sky, sunrise, sunset)
- use horizontal brush strokes (making each stroke go past the entire paper onto the protective
  surface) to paint the background
- set the paper aside to dry
- after the background has dried, the foreground may be painted or be made out of construction paper
- an alternative for the grassy hills is to use small bits of green paper or fringed paper to create a
  grassy effect
- this scene is also very effective using a cardboard background covered with plasticine - fine
  instruments are perfect to create texture

Birth Of Jesus Silhouette

Birth Of Jesus Silhouette

Birth Of Jesus Silhouette

Suitable for Kindergarten to Third Grade

- this art can be modified to suit the 
  age/needs of the children

- the shapes for the silhouettes can be 
  drawn and cut out by older children
- the shapes can be cut out and supplied 
  to younger children
- the color of the shapes can be chosen 
  by the children and placed against a 
  background of contrasting color

- more detail can be added depending on 
  the age and ability of the child (example; 
  a star, sheep, the outline of the stable)

Materials
- construction paper for the shapes
- construction paper for the background
- optional - tracers of the desired shapes
- scissors
- glue

Construction
- shapes for the silhouettes to be distributed or created (tracers could also be beneficial)
- once the shapes are ready, glue onto a paper of a contrasting color
- this could also be created as a Christmas card on card stock 

Collage Cross

Collage Cross

Collage Cross

Suitable for Kindergarten to Third Grade

- this art can be varied to suit the age/needs of the children

- vary the expectations depending on the age/ability of the
  children
- these crosses look very attractive no matter what material
  are used to create the collage

Materials
- construction paper (black or white is affective)
- white glue or glue sticks, depending on the material used to
  create the collage
- materials to make the collage (example; sequins of assorted
  shapes or of similar shapes, buttons, crumpled up tissue
  paper squares, things found in nature such as tiny pebbles or
  pieces of bark, paper shapes such as small squares or
  triangles - use your imagination)

Construction
- older children can cut out their own crosses (two rectangles can be used by gluing the shorter one
  across the longer one) or crosses can be cut out ahead of time and distributed
- use glue to stick the collage materials, beginning at the top of the cross
- a small space should be left between each item being glued on
- display these beautiful and unique crosses 

"Stained Glass" Cross

"Stained Glass" Cross

"Stained Glass" Cross

Suitable for Kindergarten to Third Grade

- this art can be varied to suit the age/needs of the children

- vary the expectations depending on the age/ability of the
  children
- these crosses look very attractive in windows, allowing the
  light to bring out the beautiful colors
- this compliments Paper "Stained Glass" Art (Christian activity)

Materials
- tissue paper that can be cut into shapes of various sizes or
  torn into small pieces (make a variety of colors available)
- waxed paper
- watered down glue
- brushes for gluing
- thick permanent black magic markers or thin strips of black
  construction paper
- paper or a cloth to protect the work surface

Construction
- prepare small containers of the glue mixture (approximately1:1 ratio of white glue and water)
- distribute the waxed paper (in the shape of crosses) to be used as the surface for the tissue paper to
  be glued to
- if paper/cloth is being used to protect the tables/desks, be sure to remove the art immediately
  upon completion to avoid the art being permanently stuck to the paper/cloth
- use the brush to put the water/glue mixture on the waxed paper, beginning at the top of the cross
- place a piece of tissue paper at the top of the cross and use the brush to gently brush on a light coat
  of the glue mixture
- continue to put one piece of tissue paper at a time overlapping the pieces slightly each time and
  remembering to brush with the mixture each time
- after the cross is completely dry, the excess tissue paper poking out past the edges of the cross
  needs to be trimmed
- place tissue paper side up and use a thick, permanent black magic marker to make the black lines
- another way to create the black lines is to use precut thin black paper
- put a layer of the watery glue mixture over the completed cross and place the thin black strips
  randomly on top of the cross to make a "stained glass" effect
- hang in a window and enjoy the beautiful cross

Holy Week Art

Holy Week Art

Holy Week Art

Suitable for Kindergarten to Third Grade

- this art can be varied to suit the age/needs of
  the children
- vary the expectations depending on the
  age/ability of the children
- the rays of sunshine can be used by older
  children and younger children can leave them
  off
- let them decide if they want them on or off
- encourage them to make their own decisions
  regarding the placement and size of the hills
  and crosses
- if using a paper foreground, older

  children may be able to cut out their own
  pieces while young children may need the
  some of the shapes supplied to them (strips of yellow
  for the rays and a variety of black strips to
  make the crosses) and it can be divided into random parts)

Materials
- white art paper or card stock
- watercolor paint - colors can be chosen by the students
- black construction paper
- glue
- paintbrushes
- newsprint or some other material to protect the work surface

Construction
- begin by protecting the work surface with newsprint or plastic cloths
- distribute the art paper or card stock and the paint (colors they have chosen)
-paint can be watered down a little so it can run together to create an effective background
- an array of brush strokes can be made to create the desired effect (making sure that the color
  reaches and can go past the edge of the paper just to be sure of complete coverage)
- have the children cut out their crosses ( a simple way is to cut out a thin rectangle and cut it part
  way down so that one part is shorter than the other)
- emphasize that the part that is goes horizontally should be glued on higher than the middle (you can
  demonstrate this by having them stand up with their arms stretched out to each side. They will see
  that their arm are raised up higher than their waists or the middle part of their bodies)
- after the background has dried, the foreground of construction paper crosses will be glued on
- if desired, black construction paper can also be glued along the bottom of the picture