The Tower of Babel
THE TOWER OF BABEL
Objectives:
- Children should be able to identify the Tower of Babel and tell its story.
- Children should identify the source of the many languages we have today.
Possible Lesson Plan:
- Open with prayer.
- Scripture Reference: Genesis 11:1-8. This one would probably be easy to have each student read a verse going around the circle – short and sweet. Why did the people build the tower? Why did God confuse their languages?
- Learning Game: Language Bingo – Make bingo cards for each student with 5 languages across the top (English, Spanish, French, German, and Russian – or whatever you speak) and numbers between one and ten in the spaces; each card can be different. Now call the names of the numbers in the appropriate language and see if the students have any idea which space to mark!
For reference:
Spanish: uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez
French: un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix
German: eins, zwei, drei, vier, funf, sechs, sieben, acht, neun, zehn
Russian: adeen,dvah,tree,chetiree,pyaht,shest,syem, vosyem, dyevyet, dyesyet
Use the cards below unless you want to substitute the languages common to your own parish:
- Discussion: Do you speak another language? Many of the children have no idea what it is like to not understand what someone is saying; indeed, travel to a foreign country is one of the only ways to bring this lesson home. But, give it a try. Begin the lesson in another language, or give the instruction for the crafts in another language. Watch the blank stares and discuss their reactions.
- Make a craft-stick tower:
Begin with 2 sticks. Put glue on
the ends of each, and add 2 more
perpendicularly across. Then put
glue on the ends of these and add
2 more just over the 1st 2. Keep
adding until tower is tall enough.
glue on paper windows, door, etc.
You can even make a flag for the
top saying “Tower of Babel”.
Close with prayer.