Biblical Basics

Wouldn’t it be great to take a full month off of lesson planning??? Well, you can do that this year (and every school year moving forward!) when you download this unit. Woohoo!!!

This highly engaging, totally unique, and incredibly easy-to-teach unit covers approximately a million and one things about the Bible. 😁 Tons of top-notch resources coupled with meticulously detailed teacher instructions will make teaching this unit a breeze for you and a joy for your students!

DOWNLOAD THE ENTIRE UNIT FOR THE FULL BIBLICAL PUNCH!
(lessons can also be downloaded separately – see below)

“Fabulous unit! I’m in the last week of it with my 7th grade students. I really can’t say enough about how great the unit is on so many levels – rigor, depth, interest level for students, relevance, ease of use, background/notes for teacher, etc. Thanks, Greg, for taking the time to share your expertise with us. I look forward to more of your units! I will buy them immediately!”

– Erica S.

Watch a video tour of this resource!
*CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE OR DOWNLOAD THIS UNIT!*

Unit Outline:

Introduction

Biblical Basics – Introduction is the introductory lesson of a highly engaging, easy-to-teach, broad sweeping unit about the Bible. Use this resource to assess your students’ prior knowledge and get them thinking about some of the main topics covered in this unit.

Included in the download:

  • Biblical Basics – Introduction Lesson Plan (detailed, step-by-step notes on exactly what to do and say) 
  • Editable Biblical Basics Pretest

*Click here to download the Introduction

Part 1

Topics covered in Biblical Basics – Part 1:

  1. What the word “Bible” means
  2. What the Bible is
  3. Who wrote the Bible
  4. How to identify 5 of the most popular authors of the Bible in Christian art (with numerous examples included)
  5. When the Bible was written
  6. Where the Bible was written
  7. What languages the Bible was originally written in
  8. Who was responsible for translating the Bible into the Latin edition which would be used by the Church for over 1,000 years
  9. Some of the benefits of knowing the original languages of the Bible
  10. The main structure of the Bible (# of books, Old/New Testaments, 4 main Old Testament sections, 5 main New Testament sections)

Included in the download:

  • Biblical Basics – Part 1 Full Lesson Plan (extremely detailed, step-by-step notes on exactly what to do and say) 
  • Visually stunning and highly engaging Biblical Basics – Part 1 presentation (provided in both Keynote [Mac] and Powerpoint [PC] formats). Presentation is complete with smooth transitions and builds so all you have to do is click and speak.
  • Biblical Basics – Part 1 Student Note Guide

*Click here to download Part 1

Part 2

Topics covered in Biblical Basics – Part 2:

  1. Finding and writing Bible verses
  2. Where and when the Bible was given chapters and verses
  3. How to use footnotes to understand confusing passages
  4. Examples of different versions/translations of the Bible
  5. Answers to why there are so many different versions/translations of the Bible
  6. The 3 main ways a text can be translated
  7. The best Bible to read

Included in the download:

  • Biblical Basics – Part 2 Full Lesson Plan (extremely detailed, step-by-step notes on exactly what to do and say) 
  • Visually stunning and highly engaging Biblical Basics – Part 2 presentation (provided in both Keynote [Mac] and Powerpoint [PC] formats). Presentation is complete with smooth transitions and builds so all you have to do is click and speak.
  • Biblical Basics – Part 2 Student Note Guide

*Click here to download Part 2

Part 3

Topics covered in Biblical Basics – Part 3:

  1. The history of the Bible (how to Old Testament came to be written and put together and when, how the New Testament came to be written and put together and when, what councils officially defined the canon of the Bible and when, and when Martin Luther removed 7 books from the Bible and why)
  2. The Gnostic Gospels (What are they? Who wrote them? What do they say? Is what they say true? How and why so many TV channels, magazines, websites, etc. use the Gnostic Gospels to create controversy every Christmas and Easter)
  3. Why Catholic Bibles have 7 more books than Protestant ones (Martin Luther’s influence, the names given to this collection of 7 extra books, list of 7 books missing from Protestant Bibles)

Included in the download:

  • Biblical Basics – Part 3 Full Lesson Plan (extremely detailed, step-by-step notes on exactly what to do and say)
  • Visually stunning and highly engaging Biblical Basics – Part 3 presentation (provided in both Keynote [Mac] and Powerpoint [PC] formats). Presentation is complete with smooth transitions and builds so all you have to do is click and speak.
  • Biblical Basics – Part 3 Student Note Guide
  • Did You Know – Gnostic Gospels video (walkthrough video explanation of how to make part of this lesson really engaging and memorable for your students)
  • Deuterocanonicals-Apocrypha Song video (video demonstration of a song that I use to help students memorize the terms Deuterocanonicals and Apocrypha)
  • Deuterocanonicals-Apocrypha Fun Student Song (video of students showing a fun way to memorize the 7 books missing from Protestant Bibles)

*Click here to download Part 3

Part 4

Topics covered in Biblical Basics – Part 4:

  1. What kind of writing is in the Bible (10 main literary styles/genres) and how the Bible is, therefore, kind of like a mini library.
  2. The one big literary genre one should NOT try to find in the Bible (science) and why looking for specifically scientific answers in the Bible will create all kinds of problems. Time also dedicated to dispelling the commonly held myth that Catholics don’t believe in science and/or that faith and science supposedly can’t go together.
  3. Recognizing the hugely important difference between reading something literally vs. metaphorically, followed by 4 examples from the Bible.
  4. 10 big-time Bible reading tips, including: Lectio Divina, the Ignatian Method of reading the Bible, reading in context, searching for Biblical typology and Messianic prophecies, etc.

Included in the download:

  • Biblical Basics – Part 4 Full Lesson Plan (extremely detailed, step-by-step notes on exactly what to do and say) 
  • Visually stunning and highly engaging Biblical Basics – Part 4 presentation (provided in both Keynote [Mac] and Powerpoint [PC] formats). Presentation is complete with smooth transitions and builds so all you have to do is click and speak.
  • Biblical Basics – Part 4 Student Note Guide
  • Vladimir, Etc. video (walkthrough video explanation of how to really sell a main message from this lesson via the help of a fake foreign exchange student coming to your school)
  • Harold Camping video (walkthrough video explanation of a funny, yet sad, story of what can happen when the Bible is read the wrong way)

*Click here to download Part 4

Part 5

Biblical Basics – Part 5 focuses on giving students a big picture summary of the entire Bible. This is done through activating student prior knowledge via a friendly dose of team competition, which is then followed up with guided student notes and a stellar presentation full of cool and informative antidotes (provided in a 10-page, meticulously detailed lesson plan).  

Topics covered in Biblical Basics – Part 5:

  1. Creation
  2. The Fall
  3. Abraham
  4. Moses
  5. The temple
  6. The 12 Tribes of Israel
  7. Kings and prophets
  8. The Roman occupation
  9. Waiting for the Messiah
  10. The birth of Jesus
  11. Jesus’ baptism
  12. Jesus’ 3-year ministry
  13. The apostles
  14. Jesus’ death and resurrection
  15. The Ascension
  16. Pentecost
  17. The early Church
  18. The Age of Martyrs 
  19. The spread of Christianity
  20. The 2nd coming and eternal life in Heaven

In addition to a ton of visuals related to the 20 topics listed above are a number of pictures from a pilgrimage I was blessed to take to the Holy Land. Without having to spend thousands of dollars to fly to Israel and hire a tour guide YOU (through detailed explanations provided) will be able help your students experience some of the most important places where Jesus walked on earth 2,000 years ago.

Included in the download:

  • Biblical Basics – Part 5 Full Lesson Plan (extremely detailed, step-by-step notes on exactly what to do and say) 
  • Visually stunning and highly engaging Biblical Basics – Part 5 presentation (provided in both Keynote [Mac] and Powerpoint [PC] formats). Presentation is complete with smooth transitions and builds so all you have to do is click and speak.
  • Biblical Basics – Part 5 Student Note Guide
  • 2 sets of instructions for a friendly prior knowledge class competition that your students will enjoy and get them to really think through the story of the Bible all on their own. One set includes an “Easy” word back (all word provided), the other a “Hard” word bank (30 words removed that more advanced learners should be able to figure out on their own).

*Click here to download Part 5

Conclusion

Put a bow on the Biblical Basics unit (Introduction, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5) with these resources! Download includes:

  1. Bible Bookmark Project (full instructions, grading rubric, peer review sheets, and numerous student examples) + fun classroom sharing activity (“Museum Tour”)
  2. Biblical Basics crossword puzzle (for review of entire Biblical Basics unit)
  3. Biblical Basics Create-a-Test idea (to use if you choose to play the Kings & Queens review game)
  4. Biblical Basics Test Study Guide (overview of what students should expect for the test, spot for parents to sign)
  5. Biblical Basics Test (true/false, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, matching, and essay question) + student copies of excellent essay question responses which you can share with your students when going over the test 
  6. Biblical Basics Test Cover Sheet (standards-based grading rubric)
  7. Post-Test Reflection Sheet (to be filled-out by students after getting results from test, then signed by parents)
  8. Fun Bible-related activities (comics, jumbles, connect-the-dots, mazes, hidden messages, puzzles)
  9. Teacher notes (suggested plan for implementing all of the above resources)

***Answer keys are provided for everything (test, crossword puzzle, fun activities, etc.)
***Bookmark project, study guide, test, test cover sheet, and post-test reflection sheet all editable to your liking

*Click here to download the Conclusion