A Preschool Christian Lesson Plan: Learning About Noah's Ark
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Introduction

In this preschool Christian lesson, children will learn about the story of Noah and his Ark. After the lesson, students will have learned about different animals, worked on phonics, and worked on logically matching pairs. This lesson can be used in bible school or as a church lesson for students.

Materials:

  • Colorful Construction Paper
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Markers, Crayons, or Paint
  • Glitter
  • Bowl
  • White Paper

Prior Knowledge:

Before starting the lesson, ask children if they know who Noah is and what he did.

Read the children the story of Noah’s Ark. A wonderfully illustrated version is “Noah’s Ark” by Peter Spier. While reading the book, ask children if they recognize any of the animals on Noah’s Ark. Ask them questions to get them thinking such as :

  • I see a lot of colors on that Ark, which animals are grey?
  • How many of these animals have we seen at the zoo or on television?
  • Do we see any animals which we may have in our house? (dogs, cats)
  • How many animals of each are on the boat?(The answer here of course is two)
  • Ask students what letter Noah starts with. Ask if they can think of any other words which start with the letter “N”.
  • Ask students what letter Ark starts with. Ask if they can think of any other words which start with the letter “A”.

Teach:

Explain that Noah had taken two of each animal (one female and one male) on his ark so that when the flood was over the animal pairs could start their own new families. So we see here that all the animals are in pairs of two. Ask students what else comes in pairs? Some answers can be socks, mittens, and even ears or eyes!

Procedure:

Write names of animals on a piece of paper and place in bowl. Ensure that you have at least two of each animal in the bowl and enough for each student. If you have an odd amount of students include yourself in this project so that no student is left without his partner. Tell students not to tell anyone which animal they have…or it will ruin the fun surprise at the end. The students will now be given construction paper and art materials to draw their very own picture of an animal they choose from the bowl. After completing their animal the teacher can help the children write the name of the animal on the paper. You can do this by writing out the names on a board of going to each student and helping them individually. After students are done, have them tape their picture to their shirts. Now they have to go and pair themselves with their partner. Students will have fun looking around the room at the pictures and trying to match their animal with their partner’s animal.

Assess:

By allowing the students to find their own partner you are allowing the students to recognize words and letters of the alphabet. Now that the students are standing with partners have them count 1-2, 1-2, 1-2, 1-2 and so on. Count to see how many animals you have in all. Ask questions like what color are the elephants or how many legs do cats have? They are not only using what they have learned but also logical reasoning of what they may have known already.

Extend:

Pop in the CD “Rise and Shine” by Wiener Julian and play “Rise and Shine”, a song about Noah and his Ark. Teach the children the lyrics and have them sing along. For an even more fun event, practice the song and have parents come in during an open school day to have students perform the song.

References:

Author’s own experience

“Rise and Shine” CD by Wiener Julian