Day 4- Sun, Moon, Stars
LESSON PURPOSE: Discover That god made the sun, moon & Stars on the 4th day.
EDUCATIONAL FRAMEWORK: Heart for Creation
SONG IDEAS:
Mr. Sun, Mr. Golden Sun by Super Simple Songs - Kids Songs
Creation Song by Saddleback Kids (emphasis on Day 3)
PICTURE BOOKS:
“Our Stars” by Anne Rockwell
“The Sun, Our Nearest Star” by Franklyn M. Branley
SCRIPTURE:
“And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.” -Genesis 1:14-19
“...with the sun out and smiling back at you all the time. Young people have enthusiasm and hopeful vision, and would like to become as the sun beaming on all the world...The sun shining in the blue and endless sky symbolizes hope, giving out warmth and light.” -Sun Myung Moon
AS CHILDREN ARRIVE: Choose 1:
Play Doh: You will need a black plastic tablecover and yellow or white play doh. Allow children to shape the play doh into stars, suns, and moons.
Geoboard Constellations by School Time Snippets: You will need geoboards (DIY geoboard here), loom bands (or small rubber bands) and constellation cards (here). Using the loom bands, children must replicate the pattern on the constellation cards.
INTRODUCE the Lesson (Engage)
WELCOME: SONG, PRAYER, TP Greeting
REVIEW & TRANSITION:
Let’s review what we know about the days of creation. On Day 1 of Creation, God created night and day. On Day 2 of Creation, God created water and sky. On Day 3 of Creation, God created land, plants, and trees. I noticed that the leaves on the trees were changing color and that I don’t see many flowers anymore. What did you notice about the land, plants, and trees this week?
ATTENTION GRABBER:
*Pre-lesson prep: Stick some glow-in-the-dark stars and moons on the walls.
Have you ever looked up into the sky and been amazed by the world God created? During the day, we see the sun shining bright and keeping everything warm. At night (switch off the lights), we see the moon and the stars.
INTRO: God made the sun, moon and stars on Day 4 of Creation. All three of these things work together to make our planet the only one that can sustain life. How amazing!
ACTIVITY: choose 1 or more:
VIDEO:
Creation Day 4 by Andy Karuchit
Mr. Sun, Mr. Golden Sun by Super Simple Songs - Kids Songs
The Sun, Earth and Moon by Smile and Learn
READ ALOUD STORY
See picture books listed above.
TEACH the Lesson (Explain/Explore)
*TEACHING POINT 1: GOD MADE THE SUN, MOON & STARS
INTERACTIVE LESSON: Use this POWER POINT
Part of today’s Bible verse says, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night.” If you remember, God created light on Day 1 of Creation. But today, we will learn that God made three other sources of light… the sun, moon, and stars!
SUN- During the day, we see the sun. It is the strongest source of light during the day. Did you know the sun is SO large that about 1 million Earths could fit inside of it? The sun plays a very important role in the creation of God’s world. First, it warms the planet. What do you think it would be like without the sun? (Allow for responses.) Second, plants also need the sun to survive. As we learned last week, plants need soil, water, and sunlight to grow. If even one of these things is missing, plants would die. Finally, the sun is the center of our solar system. All of the planets circle the sun, and Earth is special because it has just the right amount of sun to sustain life!
MOON & STARS- What is the main source of light at night? The moon and stars! He made the bigger light, the sun, for the daytime and smaller lights, the moon and stars, for the night. Did you know that there are over 9,000 stars in the sky? And it takes 27.3 days exactly for the moon to orbit around the Earth? That’s why we see different moon phases at different times! God made it lighter in the day and darker at night on purpose. Why do you think He did that? (Allow for responses.) As we learned about Day 1 of Creation, we need nighttime to rest our minds and bodies. Do you think we can fully rest if there’s light out all the time? (No!) I think God put many little lights in the night sky because it’s better than one really big light in the darkness.
DISCUSSION:
What did God create on Day 4 of Creation?
Why do we need the sun?
Why do we need the moon and stars?
*TEACHING POINT 2: THE CONCEPT OF TIME
INTERACTIVE LESSON:
*For this section, you may use an inflatable globe (here) as a visual. You may demonstrate the earth rotating and revolving around the sun by asking for 2 volunteers, one to be the “sun” and one to hold the globe.
The Bible says, “And let [the lights] serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” When God made the sun, moon, and stars on the fourth day, time really began as we know it. Even though we can’t feel it, the earth is constantly spinning. When the earth spins one time it is a 24 hour “day”. When the earth goes around the sun one time that makes one “year”.
Did you know that seasons also began when God created the sun? We know that it takes one full year, or 365 days, for the earth to revolve around the sun. As it goes around the sun, the parts of the earth’s surface that are exposed to direct sunlight is constantly changing. This is what causes seasons. (Use this image as a reference.) In the United States, we have 4 seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall. Which season is your favorite? Why? (Allow for responses.) Each season is an expression of God’s creativity!
Some people say that the sun, moon, stars, and even our earth happened by accident. They do not believe that God created our world. Sometimes people try to guess how the world was made. When they think that it may have happened a certain way they call it a theory. One theory is that the earth began because of a big explosion. Others say that God did not make the earth, things just slowly changed on their own by accident.
As we are learning in Sunday School, the world is a gift from God. God is a great and loving creator. He is the parent of all people and all things in the world. He created the world out of love. We can see the detail and thought God put into Creation. This perfect sequence and design was not an accident. God has the amazing power and wisdom to create something out of nothing. As His children, we know that God created the sun, moon, stars, and everything in the universe!
DISCUSSION:
What would life be like without time?
What is your favorite season? There are 4 seasons. Do you know how many months there are in a year? How many weeks in a year? How many days in a week? How many hours in a day?
APPLY the Lesson Evaluate
ACTIVITIES: Choose 1:
Snack Recipe by Preschool Plan It Cook together!
Space Place by NASA- Online Educational Game Website for Kids
CRAFTS:
Watercolor Moon by 3 Dinosaurs: You will need black construction paper, watercolor paper with a circle drawn on it, watercolor paint, paintbrushes, water, oil pastels, glue and scissors. Click the link for craft instructions.
Star and Moon Mobile by Coloring Pages Download: You will need the mobile template, a hole puncher, string or yarn, glue, and a branch. Color each element of the mobile. Cut out and glue each piece to its matching size. Punch a hole at the top, loop the string through it, and tie it to a tree branch.
SNACK IDEA:
Marshmallows
Yellow fruit (banana, golden kiwi, pineapple, mango, starfruit)
Sugar cookie shaped like stars
CONCLUDE the Lesson
CONCLUSION:
On Day 4 of Creation, God created the sun, moon, and stars. Without these sources of light, our world would be dark and cold. The sun, moon, and stars also gave us a sense of time.
PRAYER:
Dear Heavenly Parent, thank you for the sun, moon and stars. The sun lights up our day and keeps the earth warm. The moon and stars light up our night sky. You continue to amaze us every day. This week, we want to feel your love when we notice the sun, moon, and stars. Amen. Aju.
