Format Of Our Cirriculum

What is the format of the 99 Adventures Curriculum?

Overall Approach

99 Adventures in the Bible’s Big Story is an attempt to explain the Bible to children from a Biblical theological perspective. This curriculum is designed with theology as a focus and children as the object. In these lesson plans, the teacher will get to know one hundred of those stories. Lesson plans for these stories have been prepared for children’s teachers and leaders. In these lesson plans, the teacher will find memory verses, the stories told in a variety of ways, activities, and a way for children to tell the story to their friends and family.

See the Big Picture

It is our desire that these stories from the Bible will be told to children around the world. We want to provide for children’s teachers around the world a plan to teach the one story of God. When children hear these stories, they will know the truths from the Word of God; specifically, the truth that God has one plan to redeem men and women, boys and girls to Himself. All 99 stories have redemptive value, that is, they point to the person and work of Jesus Christ. The Bible was written by about 40 authors over 2000 years. Yet, the central truth in the Scriptures points to a unified story of hope. 99 Adventures in the Bible’s Big Story focuses on telling the Bible stories chronologically. Chronological Bible teaching will help children put the one story of the Bible together. That one story is this: God wants to redeem men and women, boys and girls to Himself. Because there are so many stories in the Bible, kids (and adults!) sometimes get confused. They don’t understand how all the stories fit together into one big picture. You might think of it like a puzzle. The single puzzle that we must put together for the kids has many pieces, maybe 800 pieces. However, it is a puzzle that shows one picture. When assembled properly, you can see a beautiful picture. When not assembled properly, the puzzle pieces are very confusing and even frustrating when you try to put them together.

Teacher’s Guide

The teacher’s guide is divided into five key segments. Each part of the teaching process is important and all five should be followed for effective teaching. Chronological Bible teaching is a great way to evangelize and disciple children. As children come to know the stories of the Bible, they will understand the God of the Bible and how to respond to Him by faith. Each of the five steps to teaching these lessons is a vital part of the lesson. Preparation before the lesson is extremely important and takes place in the days leading up to class. Then when class time starts, introduce the lesson with ideas or methods that will encourage students to become involved in the learning process. Teaching the story will take on several forms: through telling, through singing, through Scripture memory, and through activity. Be sure to review the lesson as well as previous lessons. Last, and probably most important, give your class something to apply or live out as a result of the lesson.

1. Study the Lesson (before class). Several days before the class begins, pray and ask God for ability to communicate His truth. Then, study the lesson so you know what the Scriptures teach. The knowledge of the Scriptures must be gained by personal study before you enter the classroom. A student of the Scriptures will follow the example of Ezra. “For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel,” (Ezra 7:10, italics mine). Ezra did three main things: he studied the Scriptures, he obeyed the Scriptures that he studied, and then he taught. Let’s begin our teaching before we ever enter the classroom by studying the designated Scripture passage.
2. Begin the Lesson. At the beginning of each lesson, several review ideas are included. Reviewing previous lessons will help children remember the stories. Some children will not have been present for earlier lessons. Some will have forgotten. Some may not have been paying attention when you taught. A variety of methods for reviewing previous lessons is essential to retention and will encourage learning. After reviewing previous lessons, a good teacher will want to get the attention of his or her students with something that makes them eager to learn the lesson. This will help create an appetite in the students for what you are about to teach. This part of the lesson will introduce the theme or main idea of the lesson to your class. It will get them focused on what they are about to learn from God’s Word.
3. Teach the Lesson. “Teach the Lesson” is the part of the lesson that communicates the Bible to children although each part of the lesson communicates truths from God’s Word. Through telling the Bible story, Scripture memory, songs, and activities, children will learn the story. Storytelling is a great way for children to learn so learn the story well so that you can tell the story with enthusiasm to your class. The songs provided are based on the Bible story. Special activities are in the lesson so that each child can become more involved in the lesson. A coloring book picture of the story is provided for children to color, if time permits. A teacher should seek to discuss the picture with the children, not just to color the picture so that they have something pretty to take home to their mom and dad.
   “Teach the lesson” is where the majority of the Bible content is taught with variety. The teacher should learn the story well. Either have the story memorized or tell the story with a few notes. This will help the story come alive to the kids. The teacher should free to adjust the language of the story so that it meets the needs of the class. Also, practice telling the story three or four times will greatly enhance the storyteller’s ability to communicate the story.
4. Review the Lesson. Different methods will be used to review each lesson. Sometimes, it will be question and answer and other kinds of activities will be suggested. So, review of each lesson will happen at the end of that particular lesson and then for the next lessons.
   The “theme” of the lesson is given here. However, it is not meant to be used in the review part of the lesson. The theme is for each student to remember in one or two short sentences what the lesson is about. Children should not have to memorize the theme but they should be able to tell the teacher in a short and concise way what the lesson is about.
5. Apply the Lesson. Good teaching will seek to make each lesson personal to your students. The goal of “apply the lesson” is to hear AND do what the passage teaches. The wise man who built his house upon the rock (Matthew 7:24-28) is the person who heard the word of God and obeyed it. Obedience to God is how a child will apply the lesson and many times the teacher will need to teach the children how to obey God in specific ways.