Lesson Plan- Daniel and the Lions (1st grade on up)

Daniel and the Lions


Objectives: The students will be able to
- retell the story Daniel and the Lions
- explain that Daniel was (a prophet in the Old Testament), that he prayed regularly and that he trusted God even when it was hard
- identify on a map where Jerusalem is
- explain that God is with us in good times and bad
- discuss that God listens to us when we pray



Review:
Prayer, questions and vocabulary words from last week’s lesson



Vocabulary Words: (Write the bold words on the board and discuss with class)

Jerusalem- the capital of Israel and holy city of the Jews (show students this on a map or have one of the students find it on a map).
Babylonians- somebody from Babylon (show students this on a map or have one of the students find it on a map).
Kingdom- a country rules by a king or queen
Ruler- a person who that controls others
Jealous- envious of someone else, his or her things, talents, etc.
Pray- to talk to God and asking Him to do something or thanking Him
Law- rules
Pit- a large deep hole in the ground
Respect- treat this person with honor
Lion’s Den- where lions live
Protected- to keep safe



Plan:

Read story: "Daniel and Lion’s Den" and ask questions.



Activities:

Introduce activities: Who would only pray to God and it was against the law? Is this a brave thing to do? What could happen to Daniel?

calvarycurriculum.com- Daniel in the Lion’s Den #160 lesson with memory verses, circle the correct words, true or false, fill in the blanks, puzzles, and color sheets.

dltk-bible.com- Daniel and the Lions lesson with memory verse, teacher's guide, puzzles, take home sheet, coloring pages, crafts and activities, etc.

childrensermons.com- Daniel in the Lions Den object lesson

kidssundayschool.com- Unseen Faith (object lesson)
This object talk demonstrates how faith in our Lord can help us from being crushed by fear.

ministrytoyouth.com- Youth Group Lesson on Faith

bible.org- Lesson 7: Daniel - Hebrews 11:32-33



So will faith save us? The Bible says we are saved by grace through faith. Daniel was one of the many great men of faith. Although he knew that disobeying a decree meant death, he would not give up his faith, even for his own life. We will never know if Daniel went into the lion's den believing he would survive. We do know that he prayed to God for help, but that could have been help to withstand the pain or to die quickly. In any case, we can know for sure because of his faith that he believed he was in God's care. Having faith in God means to allow Him to be in control of our lives. If we faithfully obey and give Him our praise, He will give us the courage to do whatever He wants us to do, or go wherever He wants us to go. But I hope it's not into a den of lions.



Movie:

Introduce movie: Who was thrown into the lion pit for praying to God?

Movie- Veggie Tales: Where's God When I'm S-Scared? Daniel and the Lion’s Den (14 min.) and ask questions:


Who told the King what his dreams meant? (Daniel)

The Wise Men got jealous of Daniel and what did they want to do? (Get rid of him.)

How did they do this? (They had a law passed that people could only pray to the King.)

Who would Daniel pray to? (Only to God.)

What happened to Daniel? (They threw him in the Lion’s den.)

Did the lions eat Daniel? (No)

Why didn’t the lion’s eat Daniel? (God protected him.)



Crafts

Introduce craft: What did not eat Daniel?


Lion Mask

Need: Paper plate, crayons/paint, stapler, paper grocery bag

Directions: Cut the center out of a paper plate and color/paint paper plate tan. (Note: Be sure to have students use old crayons and peel the paper off the crayons and rub the side of the crayon on the paper plate instead of coloring it. This will be a lot faster and easier for the students). Cut 2 ears (triangles 3 inches on all three sides) out of the paper bag. Staple ears to mask where ears should go on the back of the plate. Cut several rectangles for mane (rectangles 1 inch by 6 inches long) out of a paper bag. Staple mane rectangles on edge of mask on the back of the paper plate all the way around mask. Cut a strip (2 inches by 20 inches) out of the paper bag to make a band for the back of the mask. Staple on end of the strip to one side of the mask on the back. Fit the strip to the child’s head then staple the other end in place. Cut off excess band.


daniellesplace.com- Flat Cat

dltk-kids.com- Easy Lion Craft
Lion made out of a paper plate with templates provided.

daniellesplace.com- Roaring Lion Paper Plate and Bowl Craft

daniellesplace.com- Paper Plate and Bowl Lion Craft

akidsheart.com- Paper Plate Craft Lion’s Head (black and white version) and (color version)

dltk-teach.com- Paper Bag Lion Puppet

first-school.sw- Lion Paper Bag Puppet

abcteach.com- Lion Paper Bag Puppet



Games

Introduce games: When is God with us? Discuss.

Daniel and the Lions Game- A simple and fun board game for younger children that reviews the story of Daniel in the Lions Den. (Super Bible Game Book by Linda Standke, page 58 & 59 for game board and page 55 for directions).

Lion. Lion. Shut Your Mouth!- This game will help students review the story of Daniel in the lion’s den and it’s lesson of courage in standing up for one’s convictions. (The Encyclopedia of Bible Games for Children’s Ministry by Group Publishing, page 64).

sermons4kids.com- God's Prayer Warrior: Daniel (games)

youth-group-games.com- Youth Group Game on Faith

oureverydaylife.com- Free Youth Activities on Faith



The Really Big Book of Bible Games by Gospel Light (several games below to pick from)

Balloon Challenge (page 158)- Daniel had formed a habit of praying three times each day. When we form habits of faithfulness to God, it is easier to do what is right when trouble comes. We form habits when we practice doing something again and again until we can do it without even thinking about it. Let’s practice this fun activity and see how good we can get at it.

Faithfulness Toss (page 212)- Daniel showed his love for God by refusing to pray to anyone other than God. Acting in ways that show belief in God demonstrates our faithfulness and love for God. Let’s play a game to name some ways to show belief in God.

Practice Practice (page 194)- Daniel prayed to God three times a day. Talking to God is so important that He wants us to pray every day so that praying becomes a habit. The more we pray, the more we get to know God and the ways in which we can love and obey Him. Let’s practice doing some thing several times to see if we get better at it.



Introduce game: Daniel chose the right thing and to not give into pressures around him. Can you choose the right thing to do and not give into pressures around you?

WWJD File Folder Game


Introduce game: Why do problems come into our life? People face problems every day. Some are harder than others. There are many choices that the person can have to solve his/her problem, but which one is the best? What would Jesus want us to do?

Moral Dilemmas Card Game- (Scroll down for this.)



Snacks:

Introduce snack: What didn’t eat Daniel? Lions

bakerella.com- Royally Cute Lion Cupcake
Have the students decorate their cupcake and eat it.

christiancrafters.com- Lion Bites



Puzzles, Mazes, Worksheets:

biblewise.com- Lion Maze

dltk-bible.com- Daniel and the Lions puzzle (anagrams, crosswords, cryptogram, mazes, word-mining sheets, word searches, etc.)

More 365 Activities for Kids (do any of the Daniel puzzles, mazes, dot-to-dot, spot the difference, etc. from July 8 – 14).

Shut My Mouth! (hidden pictures)- Hidden Pictures Explore Hidden Treasures in God’s Word: Grades 1-3 by Linda Standke, page 14.

biblewise.com- Daniel (word search)

gardenofpraise.com- Daniel (word search)

kirkofkildaire.org- Daniel in the Lion’s Den (word search and hidden verse for grades 1 - 2)

biblepathwayadventures.com- Daniel and the Lions (crossword)

templerogers.org- In The Lion’s Den (crossword), page 6

kirkofkildaire.org- Daniel in the Lion’s Den (multiple choice, word search, and hidden verse for grades 3 – 5)

bibleactivities.com- Daniel in the Lions Den (fill out the sheet using the code provided)

kidssundayschool.com- The Prophet Daniel
Find the square on the grid above by using the reference points to locate the first letter of each name shown below.

gardenofpraise.com- Daniel (fill in the blanks with word bank provided)

christiansunite.com- Daniel in the Lion’s Den (multiple choice)

funtrivia.com- Daniel: Beyond the Lion’s Den (quiz)

ubdavid.org- Daniel in the Lions' Den Test (you can cut and paste on MS Word to make into a worksheet

thatquiz.org- Daniel in the Lions' Den Quiz (you can cut and paste on MS Word to make into a worksheet)