| |
Journeys with God Courses |
|
|
|
|
|
God indeed invites us to be fellow travelers as we journey through life. The Christian school has unique opportunity to walk with families and churches as they seek to nurture children’s faith development. Journeys with God grew out of an assessed need. Mennonite Elementary Education Council, respresenting numerous schools, felt that Christian educators needed a Bible curriculum that would: |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Promote positive attitudes toward Bible learning.
Exhibit sensitivity to the spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and physical needs of children at each grade level.
Encourage active learning with emphasis on discussion, creative and meaningful activities, Bible reference skills, and Bible study methods.
Connect with personal experiences of students.
Incorporate worship with biblical study.
Reflect Anabaptist theology and history at each grade level.
Provide teachers with biblical background to ensure in-depth study of content and confidence in teaching.
Provide specific ideas and lesson plans while remaining flexible enough for teachers to sculpt lessons to fit their unique situations. |
| |
|
|
Journeys with God has been developed with the above criteria in mind. The Education and Publishing Council, with representation from educators, principals, curriculum specialists, pastors, theologians, publishers, and teacher educators, provided overall vision and guidance. Classroom teachers worked as collaborators throughout the development stages. They worked with writers to brainstorm creative ways of teaching specific content. Teachers pilot-tested materials in their classrooms. |
|
|
|
|
|
Many people shared ideas and provided constructive criticism and guidance along the way. As a collaborative community, we have created materials that invite children to become part of the biblical story. Listening to and participating in the stories of God’s people helps children build a firm foundation for faithful living as they move from shared/experiential faith toward a more mature and owned faith. |
|
|
|
|
|
These courses are available for downloading by clicking the link for the course you want to use or explore. These curricular materials have been developed by the Mennonite Schools Council for use in Mennonite educational settings. Others are welcome to use them, in other schools or in the home school setting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Grades Seven and Eight originally included eight units because the curriculum was designed to cover one marking period each. Four units were taught in seventh grade and four units in eighth grade. Teachers found that some of the units took longer than one quarter to teach, and asked that the following units (The Master Potter) and (Will Somebody Please Turn the Lights On? Can’t You See It’s Dark in Here?) be combined. The new title of the combined unit is Images of God.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|