Scripture: 1 Samuel 17
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn anything is possible if it is in God’s Plan.
- Students will learn God often uses people the world would consider unlikely to do special things for Him, perhaps to help us remember the power is God’s, not man’s.
- Students will learn it sometimes requires faith and bravery to do what God wants us to do.
- Students will learn how to read fluently and with expression.
Guiding Question: How can students learn to read fluently?
Materials: Bibles, short dramatic passages (enough for each student)
Procedure: Review the story of David and Goliath. Explain that in the story, David’s plan seemed impossible yet because it was part of God’s bigger plan, it was made possible. Nobody thought David would be able to handle Goliath but David did not give up. David had great faith in God that God would work in what He was being called to do. Emphasize how using a sling shot was a special talent that he would have developed protecting his sheep. God used this talent that He had developed in David to later defeat Goliath.
Introduce the activity. David and Goliath’s meeting is a great passage to illustrate to students between reading a passage monotone versus reading with expression. After demonstrating, give each student a short dramatic passage on their reading level from a Bible story. Have them practice and then read it to the class with expression.
Additional Support: How can students learn to provide feedback on fluency?Supplemental Activity: Have the students record themselves reading a passage for one minute. Have students get into partners, listen to each other’s recordings, and give each other feedback on their fluency.