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Activity 1: Bible Word Search (10 minutes), Session 16: Resiliency (Hard Hat), in the Toolbox of Faith Program

Materials for Activity

• A variety of Bibles that include the first five books of Hebrew scripture: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy
• A copy of Leader Resource 1, Finding Miriam in Hebrew Scripture
Newsprint, markers, and tape
• Copies of Handout 1, Miriam Word Search Puzzle, for all participants
• Pencils for all participants

Preparation for Activity

• Print out and photocopy the word search handout for all participants.
• If you have not already done so for the Welcoming and Entering activity, use Leader Resource 1, Finding Miriam in Hebrew Scripture, to write the list of Bible chapter and verse references to Miriam on newsprint and post.
• Gather a variety of Bibles, such as the King James Version, the New Revised Standard Version, the Picture Bible (comic book version). You may wish to include some illustrated Bible stories about Miriam; find some suggestions in the Resources section. Set out the Bibles on a worktable.

Description of Activity

Participants will become familiar with Miriam, sister of Moses, in preparation for hearing a story focused on Miriam's resiliency. At the same time, the children will explore the structure of biblical text and discover variety among the translations as they search for specific passages in a variety of versions.

Distribute pencils and copies of Handout 1, Miriam Word Search Puzzle. Invite participants to try to complete the puzzle.

Indicate the bible passages you have listed on the newsprint. Ask participants to use the Bibles you have provided to find and read the references to Miriam.

Encourage participants to "prowl" through the Bibles, compare versions of Miriam's story, and see what they notice about the structure and language of the books. You will probably need to show children how to locate text by chapter and verse. After you have shown a few children, they can help one another.

During this activity, you can add a word search handout to the Toolbox of Our Faith poster, to represent resiliency. Or, wait and add a tambourine once the crafts are done.

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Last updated on Wednesday, October 26, 2011.

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