Scripture: 1 Samuel 20
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn it is important to pick godly and loyal friends.
- Students will learn Jonathan was willing to do what God wanted Him to do, even though it meant keeping his father from executing his plans.
- Students will learn David later kept his promise to Jonathan, because loyal friends keep their promises.
- Students will learn how to convert measurements.
Guiding Question: Why does God want us to choose godly friends?
Materials: Paper, pencils, rulers
Procedure: Review the story of David and Jonathon from the scriptures above. Explain that David and Jonathan were great friends and shared a love for God. Have the students share the qualities they think a good friend should have. Share examples of what godly friends have done for you in your life and why God wants us to have godly and loyal friends. Explain that those types of friends are there for us when we are struggling and will always bring us back to God. They will give godly encouragement and wisdom to help us with tough situations.
Introduce the activity. Remind students that something David and Jonathan did was shoot arrows. Tell the students that instead of shooting arrows, they are going to make paper planes and see whose can go the farthest. They will also compare the distances that their peer’s planes travel. Have the students make paper airplanes and have a paper airplane throwing contest. Have each student measure how far their plane went in inches and record. Once all have thrown and recorded, have the students compare the distances between their peers. Next, have the students convert their plane’s distance from inches to centimeters and inches to feet. Students can then convert the measurements of three friends’ plane distances.
Additional Questions: How can students apply measurement to themselves and their peers?
Supplemental Activity: Have students measure each other’s height in inches and record each student’s height. Have students compare heights after all are recorded.