Start with the story. Then go through each chapter, one lesson at a time. Each lesson has three short checks. Each chapter ends with a review. The unit ends with a wrap-up.
Pencil drawing, not a photograph: a great old book lying open on a wooden lectern, with a rolled double scroll on one side and a clay oil lamp with a small flame on the other
1Unit
Beginnings
Genesis Stories
The Bible is a very big book. It is really many books inside one cover. The first book is called Genesis. It begins with stories about the start of the world.
In this unit you will hear two of those stories. One is about seven days and a garden. One is about a man, a boat, a flood and a rainbow. Jewish people and Christians both tell these stories.
You will learn what the stories say. You will learn the names in them. You will be able to tell the stories in order, in your own words.
When it happened
Day 1
The story says God made light.
Day 2
The story says God made the sky.
Day 3
The story says God made land, sea and plants.
Day 4
The story says God made the sun, moon and stars.
Day 5
The story says God made fish and birds.
Day 6
The story says God made animals and people.
Day 7
The story says God rested.
The garden
Adam and Eve live in Eden; a rule is broken; they leave.
The boat
Noah builds an ark; the animals go in two by two.
The rain
It rains forty days; a dove brings back an olive leaf.
The rainbow
The story says God makes a promise and sets a rainbow in the clouds.
The tower
At Babel, people begin to speak many languages.
1
Chapter
Seven Days and a Garden
Creation
Big questionWhat does the first story in the Bible say about how the world began?
The story
The Biggest Book in the House
Grandma opens a very big book to page one, and a story begins.
Mia's grandma keeps a very big book on the shelf. It is heavy. It has thin pages and a soft cover. On Sunday, Grandma lifts it down. She sets it on the table. She opens it to page one.
"This book is called the Bible," Grandma says. "It is really many books inside one cover. The first one is called Genesis. Genesis means beginning." Mia looks at the small words. There are so many.
Grandma reads slowly. The story says God made light. Then sky. Then land and sea. Mia listens. She likes the part about the fish and the birds. She likes the part about the animals even more.
"Jewish people and Christian people both tell this story," Grandma says. "Some people read it one way. Some read it another way. Tonight we will just listen to what it says." Mia nods. She wants to hear about the garden.
Talk about itWhat is the first thing you would want to hear about in a story about the beginning of the world?
Section 1
A Big Book of Books
1.1
One Cover, Many Books
Main ideaThe Bible is one big book made of many smaller books.
The looks like one book. But it is really many books. Each small book has its own name. They sit together inside one cover, like books on a shelf.
The small books have different kinds of writing. Some tell stories. Some are songs. Some are letters. Some are lists of rules. People have read them for a very long time.
Christians count 66 books in most of their Bibles. Jewish people read the first part and count it as 24 books. The words are the same. People just count them in different ways.
Words to know
Bible
a big book made of many smaller books, read by Jews and Christians
Check yourself
1. What is the Bible?
Why: The Bible is many small books kept together inside one cover.
2. What kinds of writing are inside the Bible?
Why: The small books hold many kinds of writing: stories, songs, letters and rules.
3. Who reads the Bible?
Why: Jews and Christians read the Bible. Many other people read it too.
1.2
The First Story
Main ideaGenesis is the first book, and it starts with a story about the beginning.
The first book in the Bible is called . Genesis means beginning. It starts with a story about how the world began. The story says God made everything.
In this class we say "the story says." We are learning what is in the book. Jewish people tell this story. Christian people tell it too. They read it in their own ways.
You can tell the story too. You do not have to believe it to learn it. You just need to listen and remember what it says.
Words to know
Genesis
the first book of the Bible; its name means beginning
story
a telling of what happened, in order, from start to end
Check yourself
1. What does the name Genesis mean?
Why: Genesis means beginning. It is the first book, and it tells about the start of the world.
2. Which book comes first in the Bible?
Why: Genesis is the very first book in the Bible.
3. In class, how do we talk about the story?
Why: In a public school we learn what the story says. We do not tell anyone what to believe.
Section 2
Seven Days
1.3
Light, Sky, Land and Sea
Main ideaThe story says God made light, sky, land and sea in the first three days.
Genesis begins in the dark. The story says God spoke. "Let there be light." And there was . That was day one.
On day two, the story says God made the sky. On day three, God made dry land and the sea. Then plants and trees grew on the land.
Each day in the story ends the same way. There was evening, and there was morning. Then a new day begins.
Words to know
light
what lets us see; the story says it came on the first day
Check yourself
1. What does the story say came on day one?
Why: Genesis 1 says light came first, on day one.
2. What does the story say God made on day three?
Why: Day three is land, sea and plants in the story.
3. How does the story say God made things?
Why: The story says God spoke, and things came to be.
1.4
Sun, Fish, Animals and Rest
Main ideaThe story says God made sun, moon, fish, birds, animals and people, then rested.
On day four, the story says God made the sun, the moon and the stars. On day five, God made fish for the sea and birds for the sky.
On day six, the story says God made the animals. Then God made , a man and a woman. The story says God looked at it all. It was very good.
On day seven, the story says God . Nothing new was made. Many Jewish people rest on Saturday because of this. Many Christians rest on Sunday.
Words to know
people
human beings; the story says they were made on day six
rested
stopped working; the story says God rested on day seven
Check yourself
1. What does the story say God made on day five?
Why: Day five is fish and birds in Genesis 1.
2. What does the story say happened on day seven?
Why: On the seventh day, the story says, God rested from all the work.
3. When were people made in the story?
Why: People come on day six, after the animals.
Section 3
The Garden
1.5
A Garden Called Eden
Main ideaThe story says God put the first people in a garden called Eden with one rule.
Genesis tells about a garden. Its name is . The story says God planted it. It had rivers and trees with good fruit.
The first man is called . The first woman is called . The story says they lived in the garden. They took care of it.
There was one rule. The story says they could eat from any tree but one. That tree was in the middle of the garden.
Words to know
Eden
the garden in the Genesis story where the first people lived
Adam
the first man in the Genesis story
Eve
the first woman in the Genesis story
Check yourself
1. What is the garden in the story called?
Why: The garden in Genesis 2 is called Eden.
2. Who lived in the garden in the story?
Why: Adam and Eve are the first people in the Genesis story.
3. What was the one rule in the story?
Why: The story says one tree in the middle was not for eating.
1.6
The Snake and the Fruit
Main ideaThe story says a snake talked, the rule was broken, and the people left the garden.
The story says a came to Eve. It could talk. It said the fruit was good to eat. Eve ate some. She gave some to Adam. He ate too.
Now the rule was broken. The story says Adam and Eve hid. God asked what they had done. Then they had to leave the garden.
Jewish people and Christians read this part in different ways. Many Christians call it "the fall." Many Jewish readers see a story about choosing. Both keep telling it.
Words to know
snake
the animal in the story that talks Eve into eating the fruit
rule
something you must do or must not do
Check yourself
1. Who talked to Eve about the fruit in the story?
Why: Genesis 3 says a snake spoke to Eve about the fruit.
2. What happened after the rule was broken?
Why: The story says Adam and Eve had to leave Eden.
3. How do Jews and Christians read this story?
Why: Both traditions tell the story. They read it in their own ways.
Chapter review
Seven Days and a Garden
0 / 6
1. The Bible is really what?
Why: The Bible is a set of many books kept together.
2. Which book is first?
Why: Genesis comes first, and its name means beginning.
3. What does the story say came on day one?
Why: Genesis 1 says God said, Let there be light, on day one.
4. What does the story say God did on day seven?
Why: The story says God rested on the seventh day.
5. Where did Adam and Eve live in the story?
Why: The story puts Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden.
6. Who tells the Genesis story?
Why: Both Jews and Christians tell the Genesis story, each in their own way.
Send it to your teacher
2
Chapter
Noah and the Rainbow
The Flood
Big questionWhat does the story of Noah say about a big flood and a promise?
The story
Rain on the Window
It rains all day, and a picture book shows a boat full of animals.
Rain taps on the window. Leo cannot go outside. He pulls a picture book off the shelf. On the cover is a big wooden boat. Animals look out of the windows. Two giraffes. Two lions. Two ducks.
"That is Noah's boat," says his dad. "The story is in Genesis, in the Bible. It says a flood was coming. So Noah built a very big boat. He put his family and the animals inside."
Leo turns the pages. Rain falls on the boat for forty days. Then a bird flies out. It comes back with a green leaf. Leo points at the last page. A rainbow stretches over the boat.
"The story says the rainbow was a promise," his dad says. Leo looks out the window. The rain is stopping. He waits to see if a rainbow will come.
Talk about itWhat is a promise someone made to you? How did you know they would keep it?
Section 1
A Very Big Boat
2.1
Noah Builds a Boat
Main ideaThe story says God told Noah to build a big boat because a flood was coming.
Genesis tells about a man named . The story says people had become very unkind. God was sad about it. God told Noah a was coming.
God told Noah to build a boat. It was very big. It had three floors and one door. The story says Noah did just what he was told.
The boat in the story is called an . Noah built it out of wood. He covered it inside and out so water could not get in.
Words to know
Noah
the man in the Genesis story who builds the big boat
flood
a lot of water that covers the land
ark
the very big boat in the story of Noah
Check yourself
1. Who built the boat in the story?
Why: Genesis 6 says Noah built the ark.
2. Why did Noah build the boat in the story?
Why: The story says God told Noah a flood was coming.
3. What is the big boat called?
Why: The boat in the Noah story is called an ark.
2.2
Two of Each Animal
Main ideaThe story says animals came two by two, and then it rained for forty days.
The story says the animals came to the boat. Two of each kind. A boy animal and a girl animal. Birds too. They all went in through the door.
Noah’s family went in too. His wife, his three sons and their wives. Then the story says the door was shut.
Then the rain came. It rained for days and forty nights. Water covered the land. The boat floated on top.
Words to know
forty
the number 40; the story says it rained for forty days
Check yourself
1. How many of each kind of animal went in the boat?
Why: The story says the animals came two by two.
2. How long did it rain in the story?
Why: Genesis 7 says the rain fell forty days and forty nights.
3. Who went in the boat with the animals?
Why: The story says Noah, his wife, his sons and their wives went in.
Section 2
Birds and a Leaf
2.3
The Raven and the Dove
Main ideaThe story says Noah sent out birds to find out if the water was gone.
The rain stopped. The boat came to rest on a mountain. But water was still everywhere. Noah wanted to know if the land was dry.
The story says Noah sent out a . It flew back and forth. Then Noah sent out a . The dove found no place to land. It came back.
Noah waited seven days. He sent the dove again. This time it came back with an in its beak. Now Noah knew the water was going down.
Words to know
raven
a big black bird; the first bird Noah sent out in the story
dove
a small gray or white bird; it brought back a leaf in the story
olive leaf
a small green leaf from an olive tree; a sign that land was dry
Check yourself
1. Which bird did Noah send out first in the story?
Why: Genesis 8 says Noah sent out a raven first.
2. What did the dove bring back?
Why: The story says the dove came back with an olive leaf.
3. What did the leaf tell Noah?
Why: A leaf meant a tree was above the water, so the land was drying.
2.4
The Rainbow Promise
Main ideaThe story says the rainbow is a sign of a promise never to flood the whole earth again.
At last the land was dry. The story says everyone came out of the boat. The animals ran off. Noah’s family stepped onto the ground.
Then the story says God made a . Never again would a flood cover the whole earth. God put a in the clouds as a sign.
A promise is something you say you will do. Then you do it. In the story, the rainbow helps everyone remember the promise.
Words to know
promise
words that say you will do something, and then you do it
rainbow
a bow of colors in the sky after rain; a sign of the promise in the story
Check yourself
1. What was the rainbow a sign of in the story?
Why: Genesis 9 says the rainbow is the sign of God's promise.
2. What was the promise in the story?
Why: The story says God promised never to flood the whole earth again.
3. What is a promise?
Why: A promise is saying you will do something and then doing it.
Section 3
More Stories After the Flood
2.5
The Tall Tower
Main ideaThe story of Babel says people built a tall tower and then began to speak many languages.
Genesis has one more story after the flood. It says all people spoke one . They said the same words. They understood each other.
The people wanted to build a up to the sky. The story says God saw the tower. God mixed up their words. Now they could not understand each other.
The people stopped building. They spread out over the earth. The place is called . The story says this is why people speak many languages.
Words to know
language
the words a group of people use to talk, like English or Spanish
tower
a very tall building
Babel
the place in the story where the tall tower was built
Check yourself
1. What did the people build in the story?
Why: Genesis 11 says the people built a tower at Babel.
2. What happened to their words in the story?
Why: The story says God mixed up their language so they could not understand each other.
3. What does the story say this explains?
Why: The Babel story tells why people speak many languages.
2.6
Noah in Other Books
Main ideaJews, Christians and Muslims all tell a story of Noah, each in their own book.
Jewish people read the story of Noah in the Torah. Christians read the same story in the Bible. It is the same book of Genesis.
Muslims tell a story of Noah too. In their holy book, the Qur'an, he is called . The Qur’an says Nuh warned people and built a boat.
The stories are alike in many ways. They are different in some ways too. Three groups of people tell about one man and one boat.
Words to know
Qur'an
the holy book of Muslims
Nuh
the name for Noah in the Qur'an
Check yourself
1. What is Noah called in the Qur'an?
Why: In the Qur'an, Noah is called Nuh.
2. Who tells a story of Noah?
Why: All three groups tell a story about Noah and a boat.
3. Which book do Muslims read?
Why: The Qur'an is the holy book of Muslims.
Chapter review
Noah and the Rainbow
0 / 6
1. Why did Noah build the ark in the story?
Why: The story says God told Noah a flood was coming.
2. How many of each animal went in the boat?
Why: The story says the animals came two by two.
3. Which bird brought back an olive leaf?
Why: Genesis 8 says the dove came back with an olive leaf.
4. What was the rainbow in the story?
Why: The story says the rainbow was the sign of God's promise.
5. What happened at the tower of Babel?
Why: The Babel story says people's words got mixed up into many languages.
6. Where do Muslims read about Nuh?
Why: The Qur'an tells the story of Nuh, the name it gives Noah.
Send it to your teacher
★
Unit wrap-up
Beginnings
Twelve words, twelve meanings
0 / 8
Tap a word, then tap its meaning. A right pair locks in green.
Words
Meanings
Unit test
Fifteen questions across the unit
0 / 10
1. What is the Bible?
Why: The Bible is a set of many books kept together.
2. What does Genesis mean?
Why: Genesis means beginning. It is the first book.
3. What does the story say came on day one?
Why: Genesis 1 says God said, Let there be light, on day one.
4. What does the story say God did on day seven?
Why: The story says God rested on the seventh day.
5. Who lived in the garden of Eden in the story?
Why: Adam and Eve are the first people in the Genesis story.
6. Which animal talked to Eve in the story?
Why: Genesis 3 says a snake talked to Eve.
7. Why did Noah build a boat in the story?
Why: The story says God told Noah a flood was coming.
8. What did the dove bring back to Noah?
Why: Genesis 8 says the dove came back with an olive leaf.
9. What was the rainbow in the story?
Why: The story says the rainbow was the sign of God's promise.
10. Who tells a story of Noah?
Why: All three groups tell a story of Noah; the Qur'an calls him Nuh.
Send it to your teacher
Write it
Pick one story: the seven days, the garden, or Noah. Tell it in order. Say what happens first, next and last. Say "the story says." Name the book it comes from: Genesis.
Start with "The story says."
Say the names: Adam, Eve, Noah, Eden or Babel.
Tell it in order: first, next, last.
Say who tells the story: Jewish people and Christians.
0 wordsSaved on this device as you type.
Practice rooms
Rooms already on the site that belong to this unit — cards, quizzes, a lab.
Every lesson keeps its own three checks; a lesson is ticked when all three are right. Chapter reviews, the unit test and its spiral review (five questions from earlier units in this band) score on the page. When the site is connected to your sheet, or the link carries ?dest=, each one also has a Send box: the first-try score, the standards, the supports used, the attempt number and the minutes go to your sheet as an IEP data point.
Print this page for a paper copy of the readings, the sources, the words and the questions; the answers print as dashed boxes under each question.
Fact-check notes for this course live in the handoff: quotes marked (paraphrased) were set that way on purpose.
