Swap Shop is a place to exchange ideas for activities in Sunday school; share your success stories in teaching the Bible to children; and provide ways to foster a love for the Bible.

Swap Shop - Personal 23rd Psalm Books

The 23rd Psalm is a universal favorite. It gives comfort, encouragement, peace, and much more. Having it memorized since I was a little girl has given me comfort my whole life. I wanted my 4th and 5th graders to memorize it, too, so it would be close at hand whenever they needed it.

Even though a poster of the 23rd Psalm hangs in our classroom, memorizing it wasn’t immediate. Having learned it long ago, I had no idea how I did it. One day, as I thought about my Sunday school pupils, who love to draw, it became very clear to me what to do to help them commit it to memory. They each would design a book that illustrated the psalm.

Not only did they learn the 23rd Psalm through this process, they also shared healings they had as a result of using the 23rd Psalm in prayer, even after they’d completed the project. Click on the names to see the copies of the books that Tayza, Alison, and Aaron made.

Personal 23rd Psalm Books

Purpose:

• To have the children understand the meaning of and memorize the 23rd Psalm by drawing pictures of each and every idea in the Psalm, labeling each picture, and then “binding” it into a book.
• To use the children’s talents to enrich their understanding of God and Psalm 23

Time:

• This took us approximately 3 classes (and a little take-home time) to complete. Ages 7 and up.

Materials Needed:

• Colored Paper
• Scissors
• Hole Punch or stapler
• String, pipe-cleaners, or metal key rings
• Colored pencils, pens, or crayons
• Bible
• Poster-size Psalm 23 for children to see
• Tape (variation)

Procedures:

• Read aloud the 23rd Psalm from the Bible (taking turns).
• Place the poster-size Psalm where the children can see it easily so they can refer to it throughout the project.
• Have students choose their colored paper, fold it, and cut it into 3 x 4-inch squares. (9 squares per paper.) They may need help cutting.
• Let them choose how they want to create and organize their book -- if they want the pictures and labels on the same page, on opposite pages, on the reverse page, etc.
• Create a title page with “The 23rd Psalm” or “Psalm 23” and the child’s name on it.
• Read only the first idea, not the first sentence: “The Lord is my shepherd….”
• Discuss the meaning and imagery in the idea -- what a shepherd does, how the Lord is our shepherd, why David would have used a shepherd to describe our relationship with God, etc.
• Then, have them draw a picture that will remind them of the phrase, “The Lord is my shepherd….”
• Underneath, on the opposite page, or on the back, have them write out the entire phrase, or most of it, so they’ll have the words to go with the picture, which helps them memorize it.
  • My students all wanted to do it differently.
  • If it’s on the back, the page works as a flash card.
  • If it’s on the same page, it shows how it all fits together.
• Then go to the next idea: “I shall not want.”
• Continue the same process.
  • It’s important to separate out the ideas as much as possible.
  • Have one concept/one picture per page, if possible.
  • The more pictures and symbols they draw, the more specific they are, and the better they understand and remember the concepts.
  • However, some students do like combining images, which is the beauty of individuality.
• After they’ve finished drawing the entire Psalm, put the book together.
• You can punch a hole at the top left corner, or punch two holes on the left side.
• Then you can use string, the pipe-cleaner, or a round ring to “bind” the leaves of the book together.
• Have them take it home and read it, work with it, memorize it.
• Quiz them the next Sunday by having them flip though the pages of the book and recite the Psalm without looking at the words.
• The next step is to recite the Psalm without looking at the pictures.

Variations:

• You could have them draw all the pictures first and then go back and add in the text later.
• You can also do accordion books (which requires less cutting) where the book unfolds like an accordion. You’ll need to tape the folds together where necessary.

You could have them draw all the pictures first and then go back and add in the text later. · You can also do accordion books (which requires less cutting) where the book unfolds like an accordion. You’ll need to tape the folds together where necessary.

Suggested division of Pslam 23 into pages with complete ideas/images:

1. (Title Page)
2. The Lord is my shepherd;
3. I shall not want.
4. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
5. he leadeth me beside the still waters.
6. He restoreth my soul:
7. he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness / for his name's sake.*
8. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, / I will fear no evil:*
9. for thou art with me;
10. thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
11. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
12. thou anointest my head with oil;
13. my cup runneth over.
14. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
15. and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
16. End page

*You could separate these ideas at the / if it makes more sense for your students.