How does Adam and Eve’s story apply to everyday life? Can you explain Adam and Eve’s story to a child? Would the child be able to understand the story? Will the child be able to apply the story to his or her own life?
First read the story to the class. Hopefully, you have a children’s version of the story of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. After you read the story, you will need to explain the story on the children’s level so they can understand it. Depending on their age you may or may not want to include temptation.
You may want to simplify the story to Adam and Eve were told not to eat the apples. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they broke his rules and had to be punished. Their punishment was leaving the garden of Eden. Ask the children if they know what the moral or the lesson of the story is. Have them explain rules and consequences.
Adam and Eve is a great story for the beginning of school. The story of Adam and Eve helps demonstrate rules and consequences. Adam and Eve did something they were told not to do so they were punished for their actions. They were not allowed to live in the beautiful garden.
Ask the children if they have rules at home. Ask the children if they get in trouble for disobeying the rules. Tell the children there are rules everywhere – school, church, work, and even day to day life. Life’s rules are called laws. If you are teaching in the church, you can also add that God has rules and they are called commandments.
After explaining about rules, laws and commandments you should add you have classroom rules. Either let the students “help” you make the rules or read the rules to the students. Then, let the students know there are consequences for not following your rules. Talk about the consequences of breaking the law and breaking the rules at work or school.
Let the students make an apple tree to help them remember the rules. Make the tree out of construction paper. Have the students cut an apple and label it with a rule. Tape the apples onto the tree.
Make apples for the consequences of breaking the rules. Tape these apples around the bottom of the tree. You can use the apple tree as a reminder for the rules and consequences or use it as a disciplining device.
You can let the student pick his or her punishment. On a personal level, I do not believe punishment should be handed out in an embarrassing manner nor do I think punishment that a child chooses works. However, embarrassment is an effective tool to get some children to behave, other children thrive on the attention.
