Shaping Hearts for God
New Bible Class Curriculum for Students through 5th Grade
What is the difference between a series and a level?
“Series” describes a 13 week course of study. Shaping Hearts for God curriculum contains 12 series, each having a title that expresses the primary theme, such as All Things Made New or The Gospel Is for All. Student workbooks are available for four levels in each series. The vocabulary, Bible readings, memory work, and Bible Knowledge Expectations in the student workbooks are graduated according to difficulty.
Is there a Teacher’s Guide for each level?
Each series has one Teacher’s Lesson Guide which applies to all levels. The Guide provides several ideas and suggestions for illustrating, applying, and reinforcing each lesson. The teacher can choose to use any or all of these ideas, modifying them according to his or her students’ ages and according to time or space restrictions for that particular class.
Why does the Teacher’s Guide not include the lesson content to be taught?
Each teacher should have both a student workbook and a Teacher’s Lesson Guide. The student workbook for each level presents the Bible readings, memory work, lesson content, and Bible Knowledge Expectations for each lesson. The Teacher’s Lesson Guide presents ideas and suggestions for illustrating, reinforcing, and applying each lesson.
Should students be allowed to take their workbooks home?
Yes. The curriculum is designed for each student to have a workbook and to take the workbook home in order to prepare for class. The workbooks are not intended to be used for reading through the lesson or going through the questions during class time, but students are encouraged to bring their books to class each time so that they may refer to the lesson content or to the maps for various class activities. Lessons are written at different levels so that students may be able to complete their own lessons, ideally with some discussion and input from parents. Younger students will, of course, need help in reading the daily Bible readings, the lesson, and the questions. A Parents’ Page for each lesson in Levels 1, 2, and 3 provides theme, objectives, memory work, and daily Bible readings for that week. Families are encouraged to read the Bible readings and discuss the lessons and memory work together.
Why are the Level 4 Teaching Objectives included in some Teacher’s Lesson Guides?
Level 4 student workbooks do not have Parents’ Pages. For this reason, the Level 4 objectives were included in the Teacher’s Guide for teachers’ use. This has proven to be confusing, so the objectives are being removed from the Teacher’s Guide and are now being included in revisions of the Level 4 student workbooks.
Why is the format of Teacher’s Lesson Guides different in some books?
Shaping Hearts for God curriculum is designed for each lesson to be taught on both Sunday and Wednesday. Generally, the Sunday morning teacher should cover the lesson content, while the Wednesday night teacher illustrates, reinforces, and works on applications of the lesson. The first edition of the Teacher’s Lesson Guide assumed this process but did not specifically designate which activities would be most appropriate for Sunday or for Wednesday. The revised and updated editions of the Teacher’s Lesson Guides include Lesson Plans for both Sunday and Wednesday and designate activities accordingly. Over time, all teacher’s Lesson Guides will be revised and follow the newer format.
Are worksheets and other supplemental materials available?
Some worksheets and other supplemental materials are included in the Teacher’s Lesson Guides as suggestions. Separate books of teaching aids and reproducible worksheets are planned and being developed for each series.
How do the Bible Knowledge Expectations (BKE) coordinate with the curriculum?
The Bible Knowledge Expectations contain general Bible facts that children (and adults) should know as a foundation for studying God’s Word. Each lesson in the curriculum contains three BKE to be reviewed and reinforced, both at home and during each class period. These have been carefully and systematically distributed throughout the curriculum. The BKE may not directly coordinate with the content of the lesson in which they appear, but they supplement all lessons.
Why do the Bible Readings for each lesson begin on Thursday?
Each lesson is designed to be taught on both Sunday and Wednesday, as detailed in a previous FAQ. Since a lesson will be completed with the Wednesday night class period, a student may begin studying a new lesson Thursday.
Are there plans for another Class in a Box?
Yes. Class in a Box 2 is in production and is available for purchase and use. Class in a Box 1 is now being used effectively by many churches. The basic box contents are designed to be used in every class period with 2’s & 3’s and to be supplemented with 2’s & 3’s Teaching Sheets and take Home Cards.