Family Unit Teacher Guide

This unit is about family. Families are different. Step families, adoption, single parent — these create unique dynamics for each of us. Family can be messy! One thing is for certain though, God wants us all in his family. This unit is lined up so that if you choose, you can cover Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. If you are not using these for holidays, you could switch lesson 6 to follow lesson 1 so that mother and father were consecutive.

Week 1

Jesus Session: Week 1 can line up with Mother’s Day. We talk about Hannah praying for child. You have probably figured out your class by now enough to be sensitive to all the different families. You can add in grandmothers, aunts, etc., if you feel it would benefit your class.

Art Session: Make cards for mom. Use whatever fun supplies you have.

Music Session: Introduce Special Family.

Week 2

Jesus Session: Brother don’t always get along. God loves us all equally.

Art Session: Shape Houses are a great way to think about shapes. Make certain you have lots of options, different, sizes, colors, shapes.

Music Session: Learning the melody and the lyrics separately can be a great help, but ultimately memorization will come when they go together.

Week 3

Jesus Session: Sisters are unique. A lot of people consider one sister bad and one good in this story. For this session, I’m going with different. They responded differently to a situation. I think we often respond in unique ways depending on our personality, our gifts, etc..

Art Session: Know your class. Have paint that works as their skin tone. We are all unique in color and personality.

TIP: Paint their thumbs rather than dipping their thumbs gets a better print.

Music Session: Work on memorization.

Week 4

Jesus Session: Adoption. This is close to my heart. No adoption has ever happened without there being trauma involved. It hurts to be left, abandoned, rejected. Even by death. So adoption is not bright and shiny. But it can be good because God can work all things for good.

TIP: Click here for more info on answering questions about adoption. This is a parent guide but it's good to know what kinds of things are being asked. never make assumptions about adoption situations and never tell someone else's adoption story without permission.

Art Session: This is a fun way to introduce origami.

TUTORIAL: Here is a tutorial on the origami house.

Music Session: Allow the kids to practice standing like they would on stage. Get them used to the idea of singing in front of other people.

Week 5

Jesus Session: Step families. maybe you have a class with lots of step families or maybe you have none. learning about them either way teaches kids to have compassion for other situations.

Art Session: Drawing names might be way too difficult for many in your class so you can write for them, have them draw, use stickers, or just leave them blank.

Music Session: Keep parents informed with this reminder.

Week 6

Jesus Session: We concentrate on how Noah listened to God in order to be a good leader for his family.

Art Session: Make cards for dads, or grandpas, steps, uncles, friends.

Music Session: Have fun singing!