Day 3- Land, Plants & Trees

LESSON PURPOSE:  Learn about the third day of creation.

EDUCATIONAL FRAMEWORK:      Heart for Creation                                                                                            

SONG IDEAS:  

  • This Land is Your Land

  • All the Lands That I Love                

  • Creation Song by Saddleback Kids (emphasis on Day 3)                                                                                                     

PICTURE BOOKS:   

  • A Tree is a Plant by Clyde Robert Buila

  • The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle                                                                                                                        

SCRIPTURE: 

“And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place,and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day. -Genesis 1:9-13

“The taller a tree grows, the deeper its roots become.” - Sun Myung Moon

AS CHILDREN ARRIVE: Choose 1:   

  • Painted Tree Branch: You will need one tree branch, washable paint in assorted colors, paint bushes, and a tablecloth. Cover your table with the tablecloth and set the branch in the middle of the table. Put the paint in cups with a paintbrush. Allow children to paint the branch. Teachers can assist if the branch needs to be moved.

  • Seasonal Sensory Bin: You will need a large bin, a magnifying glass, and various items collected from outside. (Examples: pine cones, rocks, leaves, twigs, feathers, flowers, etc.) Allow children to explore the items in the bin.

  • Paint Leaves on a Tree: You will need fall-colored paint and paintbrushes. Print out this tree trunk on paper. Leave out yellow, orange, red, and green paint. Children can paint the leaves on the tree.

INTRODUCE the Lesson (Engage)

WELCOME: SONG, PRAYER, TP Greeting

REVIEW & TRANSITION:

In Sunday School, we are learning about the Days of Creation. What did God create on Day 1 of Creation? (night and day) What did God create on Day 2 of Creation? (water and sky) What are some ways you used water this week? (drank water, took a bath, washed my face) What did you notice about the sky this week? (clouds, sunset, wind is getting cold)

ATTENTION GRABBER:

(Bring a collection of rocks, leaves, twigs, pine cones, etc. If you implemented the Seasonal Sensory Bin, you can use that.) Ask the children what all of these items have in common. Allow for responses, but in the end, make the point that all of these items were created by God on Day 3 of Creation!

INTRO: At this point in Creation, there was only day, night, water and sky. On the third day of Creation, God made land, plants, and trees.

ACTIVITY: choose 1 or more: 

TEACH the Lesson (Explain/Explore)

*TEACHING POINT 1: GOD MADE THE LAND

INTERACTIVE LESSON: Use this POWER POINT

God knew that all living things couldn’t survive with just water and air. He knew they also needed land, or soil. So God created mountains, hills, valleys, and some flat areas. Some of the ground was rocky, some sandy. 

Watch: Types of Landforms by Educational Kidz

What kind of landforms do you see in our town/state? Is it flat, mountainous, sandy, etc? Do we have any places where water meets land? (Beach, river, lake, stream, waterfall, etc)

*For this section, you will need a rectangular bowl or pan, dirt or soil, water, and a spoon.

Fill the bottom of the rectangular pan with the soil and add water so it just covers the height of the soil. Using the spoon, move the soil to the center of the pan, piling it high to replicate a hill or mountain. This demonstrates how God created land.

DISCUSSION:

  • Why did God make land?

  • Why do you think land is important?

  • What would life be like without land?

  • What is your favorite type of landform? Which one would you like to see one day?

*TEACHING POINT 2: GOD MADE PLANTS & TREES

INTERACTIVE LESSON:

Plants are an important part of the world and they are a gift from God! They give us oxygen so we can breathe. They give us shade when it is hot outside. Some plants are edible or produce fruit so we can eat!

Plants could not survive without 3 things: sunlight, water, and soil. Wait a minute…. When did God make light? (Day 1 of Creation) When did God make water? (Day 2 of Creation) When did God make soil? (Day 3 of Creation)

*For this section, you will need an apple seed, a picture of an apple tree, and an apple.

All plants start out as a seed. Some seeds are small, and some are big. This is an apple seed. Have you seen one before? What happens if you put the apple seed on your dinner table and leave it there for a few days? (Nothing.) What happens if you put the apple seed in the refrigerator? (Nothing.) All seeds need sunlight, water, and soil in order to become a tree and create more fruit. So, if I were to plant this in the ground, make sure it’s in a sunny spot and water it every day, eventually, it will become a beautiful tree with yummy apples.

God created so many different kinds of plants in the world. If we look outside, what kind of plants do we see? (Trees, grass, flowers, bushes, etc.) When God created plants, He wanted to decorate the world with color. I think He did a great job! Don’t you?

DISCUSSION:

  • Why are plants important?

  • What is your favorite plant?

  • What do plants need to grow?

  • What would it be like to live without all the beautiful plants?

APPLY the Lesson Evaluate

GROUP ACTIVITIES: Choose 1:

  • Colored Flowers Experiment: You will need 2 vases, 2 white carnations, food coloring, and water. Put the water in the vases and add in a few drops of food coloring. Cut the stems of carnations and place them in the vases. The flower petals should change to the color of the food coloring in the water. It may take several hours to see results.

  • Seeds Experiment: You will need fast-sprouting seeds (radish, basil, sweet alyssum, celosia, or sunflower), clear plastic cups, spoons, seed starter soil, and water. Assist the children in planting the seeds in their cups. They may take them home at the end of class.

CRAFTS:

SNACK IDEA:

  • Veggies (carrots, celery, grape tomatoes, broccoli)

  • Fruits with visible seeds (apples, strawberries, kiwi, watermelon)

  • Fruit juice

CONCLUDE the Lesson 

CONCLUSION:

On Day 3 of Creation, God created mountains, hills, and valleys. On the land, all kinds of plants were able to grow. Plants provide us air to breathe and food to eat.

PRAYER:

Dear Heavenly Parent, thank you for creating land, plants, and trees. These are things we see every day but many times forget about. Today, we want to look outside and feel grateful for the fresh air and delicious fruit plants provide. Amen. Aju.               

Leena Vincenz-Gavin