Bible

The 6th Grade Bible course is a survey course. The overall goal of the course is for students to gain a basic knowledge of the over-arching story of the Bible as well as an awareness of the inter-relatedness of the various parts of the Bible. (Half-year, 6th Grade)

Academic Goals:

1. Students will gain a basic understanding of the following Biblical themes:
   1. The Sovereign Power of God and His Will for Creation.
   2. The Love and Mercy of God.
   3. The Justice and Judgment of God.
   4. The Nature of Humanity: freedom and responsibility; sin and rebellion; repentance and forgiveness; consequences and punishments; rewards and blessings; and mission and service.
   5. The Salvation/Redemption of God.
   6. God's Mission for His People.
   7. God's World: Past, Present, and Future.
2. Students will gain a basic knowledge of selected stories from the following major content areas:
   1. Israel’s Primeval History: Creation to Abraham.
   2. Israel’s Patriarchal History: Abraham/Isaac/Jacob/Joseph Narratives.
   3. The Exodus Adventure: Israel’s Primary Identity-Shaping Story.
   4. The Wilderness Journey: God’s Provisions for Survival.
   5. The Giving of the Law: God’s Provision for Living.
   6. The Conquest of the Promised Land.
   7. From Tribal Confederacy to United Monarchy.
   8. From United Monarchy to the Destruction of Jerusalem.
   9. The Exile.
   10. The Restoration: Rebuilding Jerusalem, Rebuilding Faith.
   11. The Intertestamental Period.
   12. The Life and Ministry of Jesus of Nazareth.
   13. The Crucifixion and Resurrection: A New Exodus.
   14. Birth and Growth of the Christian Movement.
   15. The Ministry of Paul and the Challenges Facing the Early Church.
   16. The Future: What is the Basis of Christian Hope?.
3. Students will:
   1. Retain and recall basic information from the content areas of the course.
   2. Actively and respectfully listen to the teacher as well as to fellow students.
   3. Develop and improve note-taking ability.
   4. Recognize the various literary genre of the Bible.
   5. Routinely deal with the following questions: (1) What does the Biblical passage actually say? (2) What does the passage mean (in its original context)? (3) What does the passage mean today (applying it to contemporary life)?
   6. Read stories aloud, paying particular attention to volume, diction, and emotion.
   7. Work cooperatively and collaboratively on common tasks.
   8. Recognize thematic connections between the various Biblical stories.
   9. Write an expository paragraph/essay on a Biblical story or theme.
4. Students will:
   1. Exhibit a willingness to share their thoughts and ideas about Biblical stories/themes.
   2. Exhibit a willingness to listen to others as they share their thoughts and ideas.
   3. Avoid judgmental attitudes towards others, especially in times of disagreement.
   4. Appreciate the intelligence, creativity, successes, struggles, and failures of ancient peoples of Biblical times.
   5. Be sensitive to the struggle of all human beings with issues of God, self, good, evil, neighborliness, and our relationship to the created order.
   6. Develop an appreciation that a single individual can make a profound impact upon human history.
   7. Be motivated to make a positive difference in their spheres of influence.

Instructional Methods:

1. Students will participate in discussions of particular Biblical stories, highlighting pertinent details, characters, outcomes, and themes.
2. Students will be asked discussion questions which address issues of content, meaning, thematic connection, and contemporary application.
3. Students will examine various Biblical personalities. Of particular interest will be their strengths, weaknesses, challenges, resources (or lack thereof), faith (or lack thereof), and other character traits. A goal of this exercise is to provide examples of positive role models for students.
4. Use of board: Pertinent content information will be recorded on the board as an aid to note taking.
5. Out-of-class assignments: Periodic assignments will involve reading selected portions of the Biblical text.
6. Cooperative/collaborative exercises: Students will work together in small groups to determine responses to questions of meaning, thematic connections, and contemporary applications.

Evaluation:

1. Students will actively participate in class discussions. This involves both active listening as well as asking questions of the teacher and volunteering responses to questions posed by the teacher.
2. Students will present their class notebooks for periodic evaluation. Organizational and note-taking skills will be the focus of these evaluations.