Exodus Lesson Instructor Manual and Outline
Description
This instructional unit is designed as a stand alone unit to be used with the Exodus
PowerPoint presentation. No other additional instructional materials will be needed. All
of the necessary teaching materials material are included in the outline, and can be
followed along with the lesson plans. A computer is needed to download the lesson plan,
preferably a personal computer compatible computer with a minimum of 512 K RAM, 60 GB
hard drive and a 64MHZ processor. If desired, the teacher can used a projector to present the
material to the entire class at once. A good projector to use is a Dell 2100Mp it can be set
up to run off any personal computer with an RS 232 cable attachment and can project over 20
feet.
Additional materials needed for the unit are the assessment tests, which are
included in the instructional package. The survey and questionnaire are also included and
used to help with improvements for future lessons if the teacher desires. The lesson plan
outline is what the students will be following as they go through each lesson plan. It has a
breakdown of each lesson and includes the main points of the topics discussed. It also
includes a series of questions that the students will answer as a class verbally to help in
retention of the material.
Description of learning events
Each lesson is free-standing and is to be used within a one hour to one hour fifteen
minute class period. A pretest will be given at the onset of the instructional unit to determine
how much the students know about the Exodus before the lesson begin. The instructor begins the
lesson by reading the outline along with the students. After the introduction the students will be
broken up into groups of three to four students depending on the class size. Each of these groups
will have a computer to view the PowerPoint presentation. As each group downloads the lesson
the teacher will be overseeing the groups and will answer any questions they may have. They
will function as facilitator and will allow the students to work through the lesson in their groups.
Each student will role-play along with the lesson. The part of each student will be
determined at the beginning of the lesson. The student may assume the role of an actual character
from the story, or they can make up a character that could be included in this section of the
lesson. The students can bring their own costume if cleared by the teacher the day before.
Another option is for the teacher to supply bed sheets, wigs and stuffed animals for the students
to use.
Once all the students have completed reading and role-playing along with the lesson, they
will read the questions listed at the end of the lesson out loud. These questions will be used as a
point of discussion for the class as a whole but the answers will not be graded. They will be used
to re-enforce the content of the story. When the fifth lesson has been completed the students will
be given a posttest identical to the pretest to determine how much they have learned from the
lesson plan. The final results for each student will be tabulated onto an Excel spreadsheet. The
pre and posttests are at the end of this instructor’s manual. An example of the Excel spreadsheet
is listed at the completion of the PowerPoint presentation.
Lesson information
The Exodus story is a familiar tale to almost all children. It is a pivotal point of
the Jewish People, one which shows their early struggles and their formation of identity
as a culture. In this PowerPoint presentation the students will embark on a journey that
guides them through the story in step by step chronological order from the actual
expulsion from Egypt to the arrival in the promised land. Using an animated PowerPoint
presentation, the students as fifth and sixth grade St. Anthony's Religious education students
will be able to identify main points of the Exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt and be
familiar with the main characters of the story.
Task for students
The assignment is for the students to imagine themselves as being one of the
travelers on this journey. They can pick a character right out of the Bible, such as Moses
or Aaron, or they can make up one. If imagination allows, they could be a small child,
or a full-grown adult. As fifth and sixth grade students, they have already been introduced to
the Exodus story and know the main points. This assignment will expand their knowledge
about each aspect of the story, and show how the different parts fit together.
Lesson Plans
The following is a listing of the lesson plans, beginning with lesson one the first
week and ending with lesson five:
Lesson one: The Jewish people leave Egypt
Length of Instruction: One hour
Learners: fifth and sixth grade Catholic religious education
Location: St. Anthony’s Catholic Church Upland California
Equipment used: Personal computer compatible computer with a minimum of 512 K RAM, 60
GB hard drive
Handouts: Pretest and student outline based on the lesson plan
Main topic: The events leading up to the Exodus.
Subtopic one: The Pharaoh Ramses’ son dies in “The Passover.”
Subtopic two: Ten times Moses pleads with Ramses to let his people go.
Subtopic three: Ten total plagues befall the land.
1. Main characters from the story
A.Moses- Leader of the people out of Egypt.
B. Ramses- Pharaoh of Egypt during this time.
2. Vocabulary word from content of story.
A. Yahweh- Hebrew name for God.
Lesson two: The Red Sea
Length of Instruction: One hour
Learners: fifth and sixth grade Catholic religious education
Location: St. Anthony’s Catholic Church Upland California
Equipment used: Personal computer compatible computer with a minimum of 512 K RAM, 60
GB hard drive
Handouts: Student outline based on the lesson plan
Main topic: The Exodus begins with the Jewish people leaving Egypt.
Subtopic one: The Jewish people are allowed to leave Egypt.
Subtopic two: They reach the Red Sea, God parts it for them.
Subtopic three: Ramses’ army follows and is destroyed.
A. The Exodus begins with the Jewish people leaving Egypt.
1. Subtopic one: The Jewish people are allowed to leave Egypt.
2. Subtopic two: They reach the Red Sea, God parts it for them.
3. Subtopic three: Ramses’ army follows and is destroyed.
1. Main characters from the story
A.Moses- Leader of the people out of Egypt.
B. Ramses- Pharaoh of Egypt during this time.
2. Vocabulary word from content of story
A.Covenant-agreement between God and His people.
Lesson three: The Ten Commandments
Length of Instruction: One hour
Learners: fifth and sixth grade Catholic religious education
Location: St. Anthony’s Catholic Church Upland California
Equipment used: Personal computer compatible computer with a minimum of 512 K RAM, 60
GB hard drive
Handouts: Student outline based on the lesson plan
Main topic: Moses receives the Ten Commandments from God.
Subtopic one: Moses goes to Mt. Sinai and receives the Ten Commandments.
Subtopic two: The people lose faith and build a Golden Calf to worship.
Subtopic three: Moses brings the Ten Commandments to the people and chastises
them for losing faith.
A. Moses goes to Mt. Sinai and receives the Ten Commandments.
1. Subtopic one: Moses goes to Mt. Sinai and receives the Ten Commandments.
2. Subtopic two: The people lose faith and build a Golden Calf to worship.
3. Subtopic three: Moses brings the Ten Commandments to the people and
chastises them for losing faith.
1. Main topics from the story- characters same as lesson#2.
A. The Ten Commandments
B. The Golden Calf
2. Vocabulary word from content of story
A. Tabernacle- portable temple the Jewish people took with them from Sinai.
Lesson four: The wandering in the desert.
Length of Instruction: One hour
Learners: fifth and sixth grade Catholic religious education
Location: St. Anthony’s Catholic Church Upland California
Equipment used: Personal computer compatible computer with a minimum of 512 K RAM, 60
GB hard drive
Handouts: Student outline based on the lesson plan
Main topic: The Jewish people are forced to wander for forty years in the desert.
Subtopic one: The people grumble and are forced to wander.
Subtopic two: They are given manna to eat for sustenance.
Subtopic three: Moses holds up a staff with a serpent symbol to stop a plague
of snakes.
A. The Jewish people are forced to wander for forty years in the desert.
Subtopic 1: The people grumble and are forced to wander.
Subtopic 2: They are given manna to eat for sustenance.
Subtopic 3: Moses holds up a staff with a serpent symbol to stop a plague
of snakes.
1. Main character and item from the story
A. Moses- Leader of the Jewish people during the wandering.
B. The serpent staff.
2. Vocabulary word from content of story.
A. Manna- food that God gave to the Jewish people to sustain them.
Lesson five: The promised land.
Length of Instruction: One hour
Learners: fifth and sixth grade Catholic religious education
Location: St. Anthony’s Catholic Church Upland California
Equipment used: Personal computer compatible computer with a minimum of 512 K RAM, 60
GB hard drive
Handouts: Posttest, student outline, and Excel spreadsheet.
Main topic: The Jewish people reach the “land of milk and honey”.
Subtopic one: Moses dies before reaching the promised land.
Subtopic two: Aaron takes over as leader.
Subtopic three: The Jewish people begin work on their permanent temple.
A. The Jewish people reach the promised land.
Subtopic 1: Moses dies before reaching the promised land.
Subtopic 2: Aaron takes over as leader.
Subtopic 3: The Jewish people begin work on their permanent temple.
1. Main character and item from the story
A. Aaron-the new leader of the Jewish people.
B. The temple-permanent dwelling place for the Jewish God Yahweh.
2. Vocabulary word from content of story.
A. Jerusalem- the promised land given to the Jewish people by God.
Pre and posttest
1. On this spreadsheet, please numerically place the five events of the Exodus in
chronological order.
2. Please match the name and describe three of the main characters of the Exodus
story.
1. Moses- A. Pharaoh of Egypt during this time
2. Ramses- B. Leader of the people out of Egypt.
3. Aaron- C. Son of the Pharaoh
D. Leader in the promised land.
3. Please correctly spell the five vocabulary words learned from the lessons (post test).
4. Please give the correct response to the following:
1.Yahweh
A. Hebrew name for God.
B. The ark of the covenant.
C. A song.
D. A book of the Bible.
2. Jerusalem
A. A robe worn by Moses.
B. The promised land.
C. A book of the Bible.
D. Where the Pharaoh lived.
3. Manna
A. A town in the Arabian desert.
B. One of Moses’ brothers.
C. Food God gave to the Jewish people.
D. What you say when you are upset.
4. Tabernacle
A. Portable temple.
B. A book of the Bible.
C. A song.
D. Hebrew name for God.
5. Covenant
A. Food God gave to the Jewish people.
B. The promised land
C. Agreement between God and His people.
D. A town in the Arabian desert.
5. Please list and describe the five main components of the Biblical Exodus story. You
will write a short essay (four to five sentences) pertaining to each component. You will
work in groups of three to four students.