Directly Taught With Simple Cooperative Learning

Sample Lesson 2

Objectives:

• Dimensions of Learning: Students will apply the knowledge of making choices to their lives in a meaningful manner.
• Content:
1. Students will learn that there are always choices to make.
2. Students will become familiar with the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel and the issue of making spiritual choices.
• Social Skills:
1. Students will listen politely to each other.
2. Students will participate in whole class discussion.

Materials:

Warm-Up: Anecdote (personal experience)
I was given theater tickets for a famous play which related to school work. The play started one and a half hours before sunset on Friday. The dilemma — to go or not to go? I went and stayed past the setting of the sun. Feeling guilty, I went home and prayed never to put myself before doing what is right. Question to class: What would you have done?

Situation 2: You are undercharged for the flowers for the senior class farewell. Do you tell the clerk or do you think it is a blessing from God?

Presentation/Instruction: (Brainstorming)

• Randomly assign students to groups of four with flip chart, paper, and markers for each group.
• Each group should respond to the following question: What choices are we confronted with in our daily lives?
• Students record answers on the flip chart paper and post answers on the wall/blackboard.
• One person from each group reads responses to the entire class.

Guided Practice: (Read and Explain Pair)

I Kings 18: 16-46. Elijah on Mount Carmel. Pair students (high/low achievers). Each student will silently read the passage. Student A is initially the summarizer for verses 16-29 while Student B is the accuracy checker. Roles are switched for verses 30-46. Students are to summarize the content of the passage and the spiritual choices made on Mount Carmel by answering the following questions:

1. Who are the major players/characters?
2. Which characters have a choice to make?
3. What choices does she/he make?
4. What is the outcome of the choice?
5. Explain the relationship of the two/three major scenes with regard to making choices?
6. Upon what evidence do the characters base their choices?
7. Why don't the people say anything in response to Elijah (verse 21)?
8. What attitudes might account for their silence?
9. Are the people fickle following whomever performs the most magnificent miracle or are they sincere and eager to return to worshiping the true God?
10. Why do we make the choices we do?

Independent Practice: (Spiritual Application)

Write 2-3 paragraphs on a spiritual choice that you have had to make. Describe the situation/choice/dilemma and the outcome of your choice. (Extend into a homework assignment if not completed during class time.)

Closure: Why was Ahab willing to risk a confrontation on Mount Carmel?

Appraisal:

• How many listened politely/quietly today? (Stickers for those students)
• Who participated willingly in the question/answer period? (Stickers)
• How well did your pairs work? How do you know?

Evaluation: Grade homework informally.