Unit 1: God’s Good Story: Be the Message (6 Lessons)

In the first weeks of Bible class, learners will review the restoration of all things–how God created the world and that it was good. They will learn how the relationship between God and God’s image bearers was broken and God made promises to restore all things. The theme of “Be the Message” will also be introduced, showing how God called the people of ancient Israel to be God’s representatives to the rest of the world. 

Unit 2: Seasons and Agriculture of the Bible (3 Lessons)

To fully grasp daily life in ancient Israel, learners will immerse themselves in the agricultural practices and calendar. Later in the semester, learners will build on this knowledge when they learn about and celebrate the festivals God gave God’s people to remember their time in the wilderness and their miraculous exodus from Egypt. 

Unit 3: Life in Ancient Egypt (3 Lessons)

God’s good story continues for second graders in Egypt. To grasp what it may have been like to be an Israelite in ancient Egypt, learners will experience Egypt through virtual reality. They will learn about important geographical features like the Nile, as well as cultural highlights like the pyramids. This is the context in which Moses was born. 

Unit 4: Joseph (3 Lessons)

Through the story of Joseph, learners will study God’s faithfulness through suffering, redemption, and the restoration of broken relationships. In hands-on activities such as brick making, learners will also experience what it might have been like to be enslaved in Egypt. 

Unit 5: Moses (6 Lessons)

God chose a partner to bring the Israelites out of Egypt and into the desert. His name was Moses. In this unit, learners will study Moses and why he was the right man for the job. Learners will also study the plagues and why they were so significant in the Egyptian context. 

Unit 6: The First Passover (6 Lessons)

In this unit, learners will study the first Passover, laying the foundation for the second semester when they will celebrate a Seder dinner, or the Last Supper. They will wonder what it would have been like for the Israelites preparing to leave their home and not knowing what lay ahead. Through this story, learners will reflect on God’s faithfulness and God’s kept promises to God’s people.

Unit 7: Desert Training (6 Lessons)

Through the study of God’s people in the desert, learners will come to understand the desert as a training ground. It is in the desert that our patient and faithful God shapes a people to be the message of good news to the world. 

Unit 8: The Mountain of God (6 Lessons)

Learners will journey to Mt. Sinai through the cultural lens of Jewish weddings, priestly practices, and the geography of the desert. This unit will culminate with a lesson on the 10 commandments. Learners will discover they are not just a list of instructions, but a way for a holy God to dwell with God’s people. Through this story, learners will reflect on God’s loving and compassionate nature. 

Unit 9: Party On, Moses! (3 Lessons)

In this unit, learners will have the opportunity to celebrate and experience the Jewish festivals, including Passover and Shavuot, in the way Moses and the Israelites did. They will encounter a God of the past, and of the future. The heart of festivals is to remember what God has done and what God continued to do in the lives of the ancient Israelites. 

Unit 10: Making Space For God (6 Lessons)

God didn’t just ask the Israelites to carve out time to honor God’s faithfulness, God also asked them to create a physical space so God could dwell with them. This place was called the Tabernacle and God had very specific instructions for how to build it. In this unit, learners will study the elements of the tabernacle and the importance of making space for God. 

Unit 11: Jesus As Teacher (3 Lessons)

In this unit, learners will be introduced to the teachings of Jesus and the ways He taught.  Jesus often taught His disciples while they were walking from one town to another. Jesus also taught in the synagogues and to crowds throughout the countryside. In future units, learners will explore some of Jesus’ most important teachings and lessons. 

Unit 12: Love God . . . (6 Lessons)

Through an in-depth study of the Shema, learners will explore what it means to love God with all their heart, soul and mind. They will also be challenged to love others, even their enemies. By looking at the parable of the Good Samaritan through the contextual lenses, learners will be challenged to expand their understanding of who God calls us to love. 

Unit 13: Blessed Are: Sermon on the Mount (9 Lessons)

Learners will study Jesus’ version of the good life by exploring the beatitudes. They  will explore The Lord’s Prayer and the pictures Jesus gives His followers through the Sermon on the Mount. As these pictures reference the Older Testament, learners will begin to grasp the interconnectedness between both Testaments. 

Unit 14: Forgive (3 Lessons)

Forgiveness is a thread that runs through much of Jesus’ teaching. In this unit, learners will pause to reflect on the importance of forgiveness in the teachings and parables of Jesus. Through these stories, learners will have the opportunity to reflect on the role of forgiveness in their own lives and wonder why this was so important to Jesus. 

Unit 15: Worship Only God (3 Lessons)

Learners will continue their study on the teachings of Jesus by investigating Matthew 6:19-24 and what it means to seek first God’s righteousness. They will consider the things that can get in the way of truly following God.

Unit 16: For God So Loved . . . (3 Lessons)

In this unit, learners will encounter a loving and compassionate God who sent Jesus to save the world and fix what was broken. This is a message of love and hope instead of shame. Learners will have the opportunity to reflect on the impact of this message on followers of Jesus. 

Unit 17: Jesus’ Passover (6 Lessons)

Building on the Passover unit from the fall, learners will prepare and reenact a Seder meal together. Students will have the opportunity to experience what the Last Supper might have been like and the rich symbolism present in the writings of the Gospels referencing the Seder practices. 

Unit 18: Spirit as Teacher (6 Lessons)

After the ascension, God sent the Holy Spirit to continue to teach the followers of Jesus. In this unit, learners will make connections between Pentecost and Shavuot. They will explore the similarities between God meeting God’s people at Mt. Sinai and the story of the coming of the Holy Spirit. 

Unit 19: Teachings of Paul (6 Lessons)

The Holy Spirit continued to speak and teach through Paul’s missionary journeys and his letters to ancient church communities. Learners will investigate and explore Paul’s most important teachings, their implications for the original audience, and how his teachings can impact our lives today. 

Unit 20: Fruit of the Spirit (12 Lessons)

In this unit, learners will pause to study the Fruit of the Spirit as described in Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia. After exploring each Fruit of the Spirit, learners will have the opportunity to experience Paul’s metaphor by working on a garden project. 

Christmas Unit: Making Space For Jesus (3 Lessons)

After experiencing what it was like for the wandering Israelites to make a physical space for God in the Tabernacle, learners will understand how to welcome Jesus and make space for Him in their own lives. Learners will ponder what it looks like for Jesus followers to prepare and make space for God in their own lives during the Advent season. 

Easter Unit: Teachings of the Cross (3 Lessons)

Through Jesus’ example and “upside-down kingdom,” learners will have the opportunity to experience the countercultural teachings of the cross and the sacrifice Jesus made. Learners will reflect on how it was not just countercultural to ancient readers, it is also countercultural for us today.