Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Hello, everyone! Can you imagine living in a boat with hundreds of animals for about a year? Well, in the Bible, Noah and his family did! Now, let’s begin our video and see what Chris, Joy and Gizmo are up to in today’s Superbook adventure called “Noah and the Ark.”

Play Video 2: Chris and Joy’s Dilemma (4 minutes)

Chris and Joy are excited about skipping school and hanging out with a gang of tough skateboarders who don’t follow the rules.

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

Why do you think Chris and Joy are so impressed with Pearce?

Why won’t they listen to Gizmo’s concerns?

Our SuperTruth today says: “By faith, I will obey God.” Whatever God says, we need to obey. This isn’t always easy, especially when we don’t fully understand why He is asking us to do something or how we are to do it. God told Noah that a flood was coming—something that had never been seen before. Even though many years would pass before the flood took place, Noah believed every word God spoke and obeyed God by faith. Let’s say our SuperTruth together again. “By faith, I will obey God.”

Let’s finish our video and find out what happens!

Play Video 3: Bible Story and Resolution (20 minutes)

Superbook takes Chris, Joy and Gizmo back in time to meet Noah—the only righteous person in an evil world. He obeys God by building a huge boat on dry land, even though there is no sign of rain. Noah, his family, and Earth’s animals are all saved from the worldwide flood. The children learn that in troubled times, God will care for those who trust Him.

Play video 10A: SuperVerse Graphic 1

Graphic loops 3 minutes without audio; turn off or freeze video after children repeat verse.

SuperVerse Discussion (1 minute)

Let’s say our SuperVerse together. Hebrews 11:7a:

It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before.

God warned Noah of a coming event many years before it happened. The only way Noah could have believed this is by faith in God. He knew that when God spoke, he should believe it and act on it!

Children will have more time to learn the SuperVerse in Small Group.

Prayer and Send-Off (1 minute)

Before we move to our Small Groups, let’s pray. God, we thank You that there is one thing we can always trust to be true: Your Word. Strengthen our faith to believe Your Word, so that we can do the things that You would have us do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.  

Let’s go to our Small Group where you will play a game and help Noah take the pairs of animals into the ark.

Teachers take children to Small Group classes for Grades 1–3 and 4–6. If the combined group is small, all children may stay together for Small Group time.

Game

Read Genesis 6:19–20:

“Bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and a female—into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive.”        

This is what our game is about today. We are going to help Noah bring the animal pairs to the ark. The box represents the ark.

Divide the class into two teams. Have each team line up by twos behind a mark. If there is an uneven number of children, have a sixth-grade helper or a volunteer play the game. Pick two children from one team to demonstrate. Have them hold a yardstick between them, and give them two cups to balance on the yardstick. The cups represent a pair of animals. The two children carefully walk to the ark, then together tip their yardstick so the cups fall into the box. The children continue to hold the yardstick between them and walk back to their team. Explain that if a cup or cups fall off on their journey to the ark, the children must stop and place them back on the yardstick before continuing. As the two cups are successfully placed in the ark, the team will shout out the score for their team: 2, 4, 6, 8, etc. The first team to get all of their animals into the ark wins.

Begin the game. A pair of children from each team goes at the same time. As soon as one pair returns to their team, the next pair takes a turn. Make sure everyone gets a turn. The first team to finish bringing their animals to the ark wins!

Optional: if you use only four cups, assign two sixth grade helpers or other volunteers to continually run the cups back to each team after they are placed in the ark.

Optional: if you have extra time, you may divide the children into teams and pairs before the game, then give each child a disposable cup and washable marker. Have the pairs decide what type of animal they would like to carry to the ark, then each pair should draw the same type of animal on their cups.

After the game say: Great job everyone! What do you think Noah’s family thought as they watched all of those animals coming toward the ark, just like God said they would?

Read Genesis 6:20:

“Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive.” 

Did Noah have to go out and find all of those animals?  

God told Noah that the animals would come to him! Yes, God did what He said He would do and brought the animals to Noah so he could take them into the ark.

Have the children sit with their teams for the next part of the lesson. 

Teaching

Have the children sit with their teams from the game. Explain that one is Team One and the other Team Two, and that when their number is called, everyone on that team will stand up and shout the SuperTruth together as loud as possible. If any children with special needs cannot stand, they may shout the SuperTruth while sitting.

In our video today, why do you think Chris and Joy were willing to take chances and do what they knew was wrong?

Have you ever been tempted to do something just to fit in or be accepted?

Is it okay to disobey the rules if you only do it once in a while and you don’t think anyone will get hurt? Why or why not?  

Read Genesis 1:31a:

Then God looked over all He had made, and He saw that it was very good!

Hold the container of water up so children can see it. This container represents a world that is pure and good. What happened to this world?

Read Genesis 6:5–7:

The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and He saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry He had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke His heart. And the Lord said, “I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing—all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.”

That’s really sad isn’t it? God was heartbroken that the people He had created were so wicked.

Begin to slowly pour the container of soil into the water as you talk. Yes, sin entered the world, and what was once very good and pure was now soiled and evil! Stir the soil in the water to mix it up and darken the water. 

Have you ever created something, such as a special painting or an art project? Imagine that you did your best and were very proud of what you had created; but then one day, it was ruined! How would you feel?

Yes, I believe God was heartbroken when sin made a mess of His beautiful, perfect creation! Was there anyone who lived a life pleasing to God? Noah.

Read Genesis 6:8:

Noah found favor with the Lord. 

Team One, stand and shout the SuperTruth! “By faith, I will obey God.”

God commanded Noah to build an ark that would save not only Noah and his family, but all the types of animals on Earth. Think of how Noah must have felt when God told him to build a huge boat on dry land! Here is what God told Noah.

Optional: read Genesis 6:14–21: 

“Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Leave an 18-inch opening below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat—lower, middle, and upper. Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. But I will confirm My covenant with you. So enter the boat—you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and a female—into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive. And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals.”

The boat had to carry Noah’s family, all different kinds of animals, plus food and supplies needed not just for the 40 days of the rain, but for about a year, while the floodwaters drained away! This wasn’t a job that Noah could do in his spare time. The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly how long it took to build the ark but it took many, many years to complete. So, what was Noah’s response to God? 

Read Genesis 6:22:

So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.

Team Two, stand and shout the SuperTruth! “By faith, I will obey God.”

The Bible tells us three times that Noah did exactly what God told him to do—Genesis 6:22, 7:5, and 7:9. Even when it was difficult, even when Noah couldn’t have fully understood God’s plan—by faith, Noah obeyed God! How about us? How will we respond if we are asked to do a difficult or unusual thing by God? What will we do when others question why we are doing what God has asked us to do? Will we obey even if no one else supports us?

This time, on the count of two, I want all of you to stand and shout the SuperTruth together! One, Two! “By faith, I will obey God.”           

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Now it is time for our Discipleship Challenge and craft!

Hand out scissors and a Rainbow Promises Pattern to each child. Have them cut out the two parts. Assist children in punching a hole in both parts. Children will then connect the two parts together using the instructions provided. Display the model you made before class for them to see, and assist the children as necessary to complete their craft. Explain that they should memorize the first promise before the next meeting.

SuperVerse

Our SuperVerse is Hebrews 11:7a:

It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. 

At first, Noah was probably surprised and overwhelmed by what God asked him to do. It was a huge task to prepare for something that the world had never experienced before: rain would come down from the sky and water would come up from under the ground, causing a flood that would cover the entire world. Have you ever been asked to perform a task that was so big, you weren’t sure if you could do it? How did you feel?

Noah’s response was to have faith and obey God completely even though the task was huge!

Noah’s neighbors probably shook their heads in disbelief as he worked for so many years to build an ark. The people in the world did not fear God as Noah did. They believed they could do whatever they wanted, and there would be no consequences. But did Noah let that stop him?

Their opinions did not affect Noah. His reverence and respect for God was too great. Noah knew that God was in control of heaven and Earth, and by faith he remained obedient to God.  

Let’s say our SuperVerse together. Hebrews 11:7a:

It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before.

Divide the children into groups of four. If your class is small, you may have children work in groups of two or three. Give a set of SuperVerse Cards to each group. Don’t let them open the envelope until you say “Go,” then have them race to see which group can arrange their cards in the correct order first.    

Noah, by faith, obeyed what God told him, even though many years went by before the rain began to fall. Noah and his family were spared God’s judgment because Noah obeyed and feared God.

Prayer

Can anyone say our SuperTruth with their eyes closed?

Very good! “By faith, I will obey God.” God is the Creator of heaven and Earth, He is the one true God! When we read the Bible and see how God is always faithful to do what He says He will do, our faith is strengthened. By faith we can be like Noah and accomplish big things with God’s help. Try to put yourself in Noah’s place. What are some things that people may have said to Noah while he was building the ark?

Yet Noah had faith to believe that what God promised would really happen, and Noah did everything that God told Him to do—exactly the way God told him to do it! Now, think about this—Noah did not have the Bible to read about God to build his faith! That makes his obedience even more amazing! God surely strengthened him and encouraged him through the many years he worked on the ark!   

Read Hebrews 11:6:

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.

God wants us to believe that He exists and He is pleased when we believe in Him. God is so pleased with our faith that He will bless our lives because of it! Because of his faith, Noah’s family was saved from the flood. By our faith, we are saved from our sins when we believe in God’s Son, Jesus. Faith is the key to pleasing God and living a life blessed by God!  

Let’s take some time to pray silently and thank God for giving us the Bible so we can strengthen our faith as we learn more about Him. Ask the children to consider if God has been asking them to obey Him in some area of their life and they have resisted.

Is there something that God wants you to do? Ask the children to obey God by faith and act on what He might be speaking to their heart.

Give the children some time to pray and then close in prayer: Dear God, thank You for sending us Your Word, the Bible, so we can read about who You are and all You have done on Earth! By doing this, our faith will grow and help us to obey You in all things. Noah obeyed You completely for many years building the ark, even though he did not fully understand. Help us have that kind of unwavering faith to trust You and do what You ask. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Mural

Note: this activity can be done during all three lessons of this course. The result will be timeline murals of Noah and the ark. For each lesson, different events are assigned to be drawn on the murals. If possible, tape the murals on the wall so murals from Lessons 2 and 3 can be placed beside them.    

Divide the class into groups of three or four children. Give each group a Bible, markers or crayons, poster board, or a piece of butcher paper, which can be taped to a table. Have the groups open their Bibles to Genesis 6:13–22 and follow along as you read it aloud—or you may read it to them as they draw.

Read Genesis 6:13–22: 

So God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth! Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Leave an 18-inch opening below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat—lower, middle, and upper. Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. But I will confirm My covenant with you. So enter the boat—you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and a female—into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive. And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals.” So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.

Have all the groups draw two scenes on each of their murals:

1. God speaks to Noah about building the ark. Add elements from the story about the world Noah lives in at the time.

2. Noah and his family begin construction of the ark. Animals and people may be included outside the construction area observing the activity.

Instruct children that before they begin sketching, they should discuss their mural as a group to form an overall plan. Encourage them to reference their Bibles as needed for specific details related to their scene. When the mural time is complete, allow the groups to share their murals with the other groups. Discuss the details and congratulate them on their jobs well done!

Close by saying the SuperVerse together. Hebrews 11:7a: 

It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before.

True or False Game

Today, we are going to play a true/false game to review the Bible story. I will read a statement, and you must decide whether it is true or false. Hold up a crumpled paper ball. If you choose correctly, you will be given a chance to try to throw some “food” into the feed box for the animals. 

Divide the children into two teams. Have them make two separate lines behind the marked line. Place the bucket or bag with the “food” by the line. Teams alternate turns. Read a True/False question, and allow only the player whose turn it is to answer the question. You may wish to choose easier questions for younger children or those with special needs. Keep track of each team’s points. 

For classes with 20 or fewer children: if a child answers correctly, he or she gets to try to throw the “food” paper ball into the feed box to earn one point for the team. For classes with more than 20 children: One child answers the question; if it is correct, another child on that team tries to throw the “food” into the feed box. Then both children go to the end of their team’s line.

Questions

1. God thought Noah was one of many righteous people in the world—F
2. God told Noah He would destroy the world with a flood—T
3. God told Noah that he could build the ark any size that Noah chose—F 
4. The ark was built out of gophers—F
5. God told Noah to bring his family into the ark with him—T
6. The ark came to rest on Mt. Ararat exactly five months after the flood began—T
7. By faith, Noah believed God’s word was true—T
8. Noah had five sons and four daughters—F
9. God told Noah to bring pairs of animals into the ark—T
10. Noah had to stop building the ark for a while because of all the rain in the area—F
11. God was the one who closed the door of the ark—T
12. Noah was to bring seven pairs of certain animals into the ark so they could be sacrificed later—T
13. God said to bring either two males or two females of each type of animal into the ark—F
14. It rained for 40 days and 50 nights while Noah was on the ark—F
15. Eight people entered the ark and survived the flood—T
16. The flood was 10 miles wide—F
17. Noah sent a seagull out of the ark to find dry land—F
18. Noah built an altar and made sacrifices to God after he left the ark—T
19. The ark had three levels or floors—T
20. The ark was waterproofed with pitch or tar—T

You did a good job putting food in the feed box! Can you imagine how much food was needed to feed all of the animals on the ark for about a year? God thought of everything and instructed Noah to gather enough food for his family and every animal. 

Optional: read Genesis 6:21–22: 

“And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals.” So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.

Noah had faith in what God told him to do and followed His instructions completely!

Craft/Teaching

How many of you have ever seen a rainbow in the sky? 

What was the weather like at the time? 

Yes, rainbows most often appear when there is a combination of rain and sun, like at the end of a storm when there are still some clouds and rain but the sun is beginning to appear.   

Show the rainbow image. Have the children look up the scripture and follow along as you read it aloud.

Optional: hand out copies of the rainbow poster and have the children color it as you read Genesis 9:12–17:

Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of My covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. I have placed My rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of My covenant with you and with all the earth. When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, and I will remember My covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will the floodwaters destroy all life. When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.” Then God said to Noah, “Yes, this rainbow is the sign of the covenant I am confirming with all the creatures on earth.”

This is the true meaning and purpose of God creating the rainbow. It was a symbol and reminder of the covenant or promise that God made to Noah and all of creation. Does this promise apply only to the people in Noah’s time? Look at verse 12 if you need help to answer. God said it was a covenant with Noah and all future generations on Earth.

Yes, the promise is still in effect today and will be until the world ends. The rainbow also represents God’s mercy and love for His creation. When we see a rainbow in the sky we know that we are covered by God’s mercy and love and that His covenant is still true.

Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “By faith, I will obey God.”

This is what our Discipleship Challenge is about for these three lessons. We will be learning and applying some of God’s promises to our lives and sharing them with others. 

Bible Race

Divide the class into teams of 2–4. Each child will need a Bible. Hand out a Fact Pairing Page and a pencil to each group.    

The Bible tells us that Noah took pairs of animals on the ark—one male and one female of each type of animal. We are going to do an activity about pairing—but not animals! You are going to pair up eight Bible facts about the story of Noah with the correct Bible reference. Can anyone guess why there are eight facts?

Because eight people entered the ark! This means you will have to look up the verses and read them to make the correct match and find the missing word/s for the blank. When you find a pair, draw a line from the fact to the reference on your sheet and fill in the blank/s with the correct word/s. Let’s see who can finish first with all of the correct pairings! We will discuss your answers when all the groups are done.          

When the groups have completed their sheets, go through each one of the eight pairs and briefly talk about the significance of each fact.