How could I make the Bible exiting?

[LaBelleDameSansPatience]

On World Book Day I have y5/6 and should be teaching RE. I can either do Christianity or Buddhism. I would love to do something which either makes the Bible interesting and fun rather than dreary (nothing as dreary as our old, dog-eared, black and white school set of Bibles) or find a really good Buddhist story that we could investigate. Any ideas? I will have them for four hours.

[printmeanicephoto]

Loads of fun stories in the Bible - I like Jonah - what would it have been like for Jonah inside whale's stomach for days - Jonah's prayer - can really feel Jonah's desperation. Have they ever felt desperate? When?

I also like Daniel in the lions den, Jesus turning water into wine, casting nets miracle when Jesus said cast your nets on the other side, Zaccheaus....etc or parables - Lost sheep - Good Samaritan (do we ever walk past on the other side sometimes?) Samson and Deliah good one too.

Loads of great stories that can be bought alive for kids using props etc.

Am not a teacher but am involved with teaching kids Bible stories.

Good luck!

[mrz]

The Bible is full of exciting stories especially the old testament

[Oblomov]

What about involving food. Loads if lovely stories. Bring in bread.

[Sleepyhead33]

There are loads of exciting bible stories-it is positively full of adventures.
David and Goliath, the parables as mentioned above-prodigal son etc, Cain and Abel, Isaac and Esau. Loads...
there are many animated versions on youtube and the children could hot seat characters and dramatise them-create alternative endings. Do fact files of the Old Testament characters-Abraham, Noah, David. Film their own versions of stories and play on whiteboard..blah blah blah I am sure you have loads of your own ideas.
I can't believe you thinking is a dreary book!

[Sleepyhead33]

oops-Think it is

[LaBelleDameSansPatience]

I am not saying that the Bible as such is dreary - I love teaching RE and know it is full of great stories. I literally meant that the copies we have in school are. I know that the class is going to want to do Harry Potter or something fun and whizzy and I am looking for some really good ideas to 'sell' the Bible to them. I like the filming idea ... and of course youtube is my friend ... Maybe I need to borrow as many brightly coloured and exciting-looking Bibles as I can from my local library.

CraftyBuddhist, I am totally new to teaching Buddhism - it is not usually taught at KS2 - have you any suggestions? We are very much at the beginning ... I have been spending every night researching on the internet trying to a) understand what Buddhists believe and b) make it comprehensible to y5. And memorable. And fun.

[mrz]

Why not go for Moses and the ten plagues of Egypt

not sure what the power point is like

biblestudy.pppst.com/exodus/plaguesofegypt.html

[WingDefence]

Could you read the story of Joseph and his coat and then either watch a bit of the musical on DVD or even learn one of the songs together?

Messy Church has lots of fun ideas (craft etc) for churches, usually around themes eg creation or Christmas or Noah. You could see if they have any ideas on their website or maybe a church near you does Messy Church events and could give you some ideas?

[SolidGoldBrass]

Why not get some colanders and teach the kids all about Pastafarianism? They're about old enough to understand satire and some of the political elements of it.

[MummyJ1977]

The bible in lego

[curlew]

Bible stories are only exciting if they are fleshed out and retold, adding in lots of stuff that's not actually in the bible!

[sunnybobs]

Bible Book Bop?! YouTube it by group called Go Fish I think. I use this as a starter to lesson on Bible actually being a library of lots of books etc and they usually live to get up and dance to start the lesson

[DoctorTwo]

Read them something by Hitchens? Maybe his piece about Mother Teresa. "She was no friend of the poor. She was a friend of poverty"

And " She spent her life opposing the only known cure for poverty, which is the empowerment of women and the emancipation of them from a livestock version of compulsory reproduction"

Hitch: still the hardest working alcoholic in the world.

[Tiggles]

With my Sunday School one day we acted out as many stories as we could in the time slot - basically telling the story of Jesus. So we started in the Church telling the story of how Jesus was taken to the Temple at age 12 then I took them out to walk through the church yard, after about 10mins we 'realised' a child was missing. Set them off searching around the yard looking for them. Eventually found child in church (obviously had been left with responsible adult not actually on their own). Or we were sat outside after telling more stories and I asked if they were hungry - obviously they were. I asked if anyone had any food. No, then one child found the (planted) lunch box under his bench with 5 rolls and 2 sardines in which we all shared. etc etc

[joanofarchitrave]

Genesis chapter 5? Comedy gem.

[DeWe]

Well, depends on how bloodthirsty they are. Lots of that sort of story in the old testament. What about Deborah hammering the tent peg through whatsit's head? Or Jezabel being thrown down from the window and the dogs licking up the blood? very horrible histories. Definitely some you could put into the "stupid deaths" set.

If they're a more sensitive lot (as I was) then story of Esther becoming Queen will appeal to them, probably don't go too much into the way the Queen was picked (Biblical ways of choosing a wife!) though.

If you want to do something simple, you can demonstrate turning water into wine (very small amount of red food dye at the bottom of the glass, when you pour the water in it turns red.)

[preswim]

OP, get them to watch , and have their own debate along the same lines.

[LaBelleDameSansPatience]

Some great ideas ... making notes as I read ... keep them coming, lovely and wise people . And thank you!!