Read through the "What Am I" poem. Click the arrow to find the answer. See if you can find it hiding in the classroom!
Discuss and answer:
What uses do you have for this mystery object?
What might make it useless?
(Hint, there is a song about what might make it useless and you can look at it at this Youtube site if you have time!)
Look at the book we found inside this object.
Read through the words below. Choose one or your teacher may give you one to hold and think about, while you listen to your teacher read the story found inside our mystery object.
After reading the book "Have You Filled a Bucket Today?", discuss the following:
Being a bucket filler is like sharing blessings. We can bless others with kind words and actions in lots of ways.
Because we are Jesus' friends, we want to copy what He does and bless others by filling up their buckets.
Discuss the thoughts expressed on the inside cover of the book.
Why do you think the story is not about everyone carrying a spoon or a cup?
Why do you think the author chose a bucket by comparison?
As we compare the spoon, cup and bucket, what word about God comes to mind? (Hint, it's a word starting with G, and it means to be a cheerful giver)!
God is loving and generous.
A bucket is much more generous than a spoon or cup!
Brainstorm a short list of words that come to mind when you think of the word generosity.
Write a definition for generosity using at least two of these words.
God gives us the gift of generosity. He is like the jug. It all flows from the jug.
Move outside for this game. The teacher will give you a mini bucket. You aim is to pour out all the water from your team's container and deposit it in the central water container. How quickly can you generously give it away?
At the end of the game, reflect on ways we've seen God and Jesus' generosity through the stories we learned this year.
The teacher will then put your name onto your bucket. These will be kept in the classroom and your challenge is to fill other's buckets each day with a small generous message.
When we are friends of Jesus, He helps us change to be like Him. We grow to have the qualities that He has. Since He is generous, He can help us be generous too. Watch the videos below to find out about some of God's friends who were generous.
Start watching this video at 0.29.
Watch this video for another story from the Bible where generosity is shown.
And then watch this third story.
This is another version of the story:
Now brainstorm a list of at least six words to describe each story (like we did for the Bucket story).
The Widow's Offering (Luke 21:1-4, Mark 12:41, 42)
King David and Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9:1-13)
The Woman of Shunem (2kings 4:8-17)
Have a look at this image. What do you think the word 'motivation' means?
Think about what might have MOTIVATED each character in the three Bible stories.
Read through the Generosity Scenario cards on the right (or these cards can be scattered around the classroom for students to walk and read, then discuss):
Did the action of each scenario come from a:
selfish motive (small heart)
OR
selfless motive (large, generous heart)?
What do you notice about each of the examples shown?
Teaching Point: Generosity isn't asked for. In each situation, it came from the mind of a giving person without any prompting.
Generosity uses initiative.
Do you know what initiative is? It comes from the big heart of the person giving the love.
What does the word initiative mean? It means to see a need and choose to meet it (to notice an empty bucket and fill it without being asked or wanting a reward).
Your teacher will split the class into groups and assign you to one of the following images. Your group will need to look at the photograph and think about what may have happened just prior to this situation. You will need to predict what may be the consequence if generous kindness or love is shown compared with it not being shown. You will then need to act out these before and after generosity scenarios to the class.
Being generous can completely change the ending of the story.
Being generous with our actions starts with generous thoughts.
How we feel inside leads us to act in certain ways.
Our feelings can allow us to be happy for others and to want good things for them, and to find pleasure in giving to others.
Click through the pictures below and think about what a generous person would have been thinking when they came to this situation. Complete a thinking bubble for each picture. What feelings might they have had about the situation?
This Treasure Verse should say "Therefore encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing."
Can you make up actions to help you memorise this verse?
Add this card to your ring.
Share some of the kind and generous words found in the mini-buckets with the class.
You will now encourage each other by creating rainbow adjectives to describe another student in the classroom:
Read, write and add the Bible verse 1 John 3:18 to our treasure verse ring.
Do a Graffiti Carousel* response to this question.
What does generosity do?
To do this, place a large piece of craft paper on each desk cluster (one page per desk). At the top of each page, write one area of life in which we can show generosity (e.g., generosity at school, generosity at home, generosity on my sports team, generosity at the park, etc.).
Students will roam freely and write specific ideas (through words, pictures, phrases, or symbols) on each paper using coloured textas to illustrate their answers to this question: “What does generosity do in this situation?”
On the teacher’s signal, students will move to a new piece of paper. Sample ideas: generosity smiles, generosity speaks kind words, generosity opens the door for others, generosity happily congratulates the winners, etc.
At the end of the writing time, students can stay at the final desk, and as a group, summarise the ideas noted there, and then report the list to the class.
Teaching Point: Generosity shows up as a lot of other loving actions, like kindness, respect, compassion, consideration, helpfulness, etc. The Holy Spirit is the One who puts into our hearts the desire to do generous actions. Reflect back on Treasure Verse A, Romans 5:5.
Read John 13:34 “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” (NLT)
Have a look at the picture below and think about how it relates to the bucket story and generosity. What questions come to mind when you look at this picture?
Have a look at this picture and think about how it relates to the bucket story and generosity. What questions come to mind when you look at this picture?
Discuss with a partner.
Now, I was having a bit of fun with you when I said that I loved corners, however the idea that when we generously give kindness away, we end up with greater happiness, is very true.
Try to make a list of Bible stories where Jesus was generous with His thoughts, His words, or His actions.
How does this relate to generosity being something that uses initiative (to choose to do something independently before anyone else)?
How large is my heart? How large is your heart?
You will receive a voting number line.
Draw a small heart above the 1 and a large heart above the 10.
When your teacher asks the next question, privately and honestly put an X where you think your generosity belongs - closer to 1 means not much, closer to 10 means a lot.
Here is the question:
Think about this question in other ways, such as how well known are you :
for saying generous words?
giving to others without being asked?
being thoughtful with actions?
Another way to be generous is to pray for others.
Your teacher will give you the name of someone else from the class and a water droplet outline. Please write down the person's name and then write down something you would like to pray for them. Some ideas include:
good health
to understand lessons in class
to have good friendships at school
to be helpful at home
After you have written the prayer, then spend time praying for that person. When you have finished praying, put the water droplet into their bucket.
To finish, look up and read Colossians 3:23 and 24 in your Bible. If you are waiting for others to finish, you may either write these verses in your Bible books or illustrate what the verses are talking about.
You will then need to break into groups of three with others who have the same card type as you do. Discuss (according to your card type) either:
A time when you have observed (seen) someone being really generous. Tell about this time. What happened and what was the result?
A time when you have been a participant (the one doing the generous act). What happened and what was the result?
A time when you received an act of generosity from someone else. What happened and how did you feel?
Please note: For the act to be truly generous, it must have been an action of initiative, rather than having been asked to do it.
Review the bucket story.
Another way people talk about buckets is to have a bucket list - a list of things they really want to do during their lifetime. Watch this video of some people completing their bucket list.
Now it is your turn. Create a bucket list of blessings that you want to pour into the lives of others as they live their lives.
Please note: You may want to use the Graffiti Carousel List to help generate this. In how any ways will you be generous?