Jacob

Objectives:

Students should be able to identify and name “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”.
Students should be able to tell the stories of Jacob and Esau, Jacob’s ladder, and Jacob and Rachel.
Children should recognize “Israel” as the name God gave to Jacob, later to be the name of God’s chosen people.

Possible Lesson Plan:

Learning Game: Try “The Big Step” – Students begin along the back wall of the classroom. Each is in turn asked a question; if he can answer the question, he gets to take as large a step as he can. If not, he loses that turn. Some questions for this chapter might be:

Who was Isaac’s first-born son?

Who sold his birthright for a pot of stew?

Who received Isaac’s blessing?

How did Jacob deceive Isaac into giving him the blessing?

Who was Rebekah’s brother?

Where did Laban live?

What did Jacob see on the ladder?

Who was Jacob’s first wife?

Who was Jacob’s favorite wife?

Be sure to include Laban!

Discuss lying and cheating: Did Jacob lie to Isaac to cheat Esau from his inheritance? Was this right? Was Esau happy with Jacob or angry? What about Laban to Jacob about Leah? How did Jacob feel? Have you ever lied? What about “little white lies”; can you think of a situation where lying is the right thing to do? Why or why not? Has anyone ever lied to you or about you? How do you feel? Have you ever cheated? At school? What happened when Jacob returned to the land of Esau? Retell the story of the Prodigal Son: How is this like the return of Jacob to his homeland?

Make a “Macaroni Angel”: Take a rigatoni for the body. Glue on a doll head and glue tiny pasta on for hair. Elbow macaroni make the arms and a bow tie the wings. Add a circle of gold pipe cleaner for a halo and she’s done! The pipe cleaner can double as hanger.

Close with prayer. Pray for the strength to speak and act truthfully all week.