The main purpose of this lesson is to provide a real picture of what it
was like for Mary and Joseph at the time Jesus was born. Many of the accounts of
his birth are distorted. Even some
nativity figurines can instill a fantasy-like image of a true occurrence in
history with child-like faces and figures, northern European features, and
sterile environments. This lesson
is intended to bring the story into real life terms that an older elementary
student can understand.
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It is most helpful to read a children’s book on Israel to familiarize your self with basic information. All libraries have short picture books, which give an overview of nearly every country. |
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Another helpful tool for your preparation is an Atlas. Use the skills you learned in elementary school to compare distances using the scale of miles, etc. Many atlases have other useful tables of information such as population, altitude, rainfall, vegetation, and climate. |
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Plan to use a “Socratic” type method of asking questions and having
the students answer and draw conclusions. Describe
what you’ve learned about Israel’s weather and then ask students to describe
Florida’s weather (or whatever state you live in) and to make comparisons
between the two. Do that with
geography, climate, and vegetation. |
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When covering distances, use an overhead of the two maps, comparing the
similar distances. The outline
gives some facts taken from Bible reference books.
Try to offer some comparisons based on what the children you are speaking
to are familiar with. Use
well-known landmarks to demonstrate distances.
This will require a little research of your local area in order to make
meaningful comparisons. (Distance from school to grocery store, etc) |
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More facts from history are offered about the possible circumstances of
Christ’s birth. You may want to
consult your own Bible dictionaries and handbooks to verify what the experts
suggest. Deal mainly with facts and
not theological conclusions. This
lesson is offered as history and geography, not theology. |
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When the geography and history portions are covered, read aloud from the
Luke account. The text will come
alive to the students after adding the important contextual information. |
1. West – plains, Mediterranean Sea
2. Central – mountains, hills
3. East – Jordan River valley
4. South – Negev desert
5. smaller than Florida
B. Climate
1. rains in winter 21”-40"
2. temperatures: Jan. 41-55F July 63-87F
3. limited water supply
4. much like California
5. unsure of what time of year Jesus was born; we celebrate Dec. 25
C. Plants
1. Dwarf oaks, date palms
2. Agriculture-citrus, grapes for wine, figs, olives, plums, almonds
D.
Distance
1. walking from Nazareth to Bethlehem
a. probably crossed over Jordan to the east
b. avoided racial tension with Samarians
c. less hilly
d. water available
e. roughly 65 miles due south, add 80 miles to cross river and back
f. walking 10 miles a day = take about two weeks
g. 1 ½ miles from Sunrise to Publix Super Markets
h. similar to Orlando, across the St. Johns, up the coast, and over to Gainesville
A. Required by law in order to be counted and taxed
1. the U.S. takes a census every 10 years
2. Caesar needed more revenue
B. Joseph’s ancestors were from that region
C. Arriving in Bethlehem, there were no rooms to rent
1. stayed in a stable, dusty, dirty, not a clean place for a baby to be born
2. probably in the hillside, made of stone, behind the innkeepers house
III.
The Shepherds
A. stayed out all night to watch the sheep
B. “Fear not”- the sudden appearance of angels would be startling
C. had specific instructions on where to find this baby; an unlikely place
Read aloud the Biblical account from Luke 2: 1-20
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SITC-1.0-ENG-0003 17-Jul-2002
