Ruth

Our lesson today is Ruth. There is a science board visual that you can download. It can be used for a bulletin board, magnetic board, etc. Also, a chart for the students to use with the visual is available. I made a cute basket with knowledge cards. You can make them for the students or make one to use for review. The grains on the tops of the cards are directional to help with matching left and right.

Our lesson today is found in the Old Testament. It is in the book of Ruth (author unknown). The lesson starts with a family that lived in Bethlehem and moved to Moab because of a famine. The father’s name was Elimelech, and the mother’s name was Naomi. They had two sons. Elimelech died and both sons married women named Orpah and Ruth. (Remove Elimelech from the board) They lived in Moab for about 10 years. Then, both of the sons died. (Remove the sons from the board)

Naomi decided to leave Moab. She went to tell Orpah and Ruth that she was leaving and that they should go back to their parent’s homes. Naomi told them to find new husbands and they cried. Orpah and Ruth said, “We will go with you.” But Naomi talked Orpah into going back home, even though she cried as she left. (Remove Orpah from the board)

Ruth replied to Naomi, “Please do not make me leave you. ‘For wherever you go, I will go and wherever you lodge, I will lodge.” Naomi saw that Ruth wasn’t going to change her mind, so she quit trying.

Naomi and Ruth left Moab and traveled to Bethlehem. It would have taken them about two days to travel. It was also the beginning of the barley harvest in Bethlehem.

There was a very rich man who was a relative of Naomi’s husband and his name was Boaz. Ruth went to the fields to gather grain for bread. It was a custom for the wealthy landowners to leave some extra on the fields for the poor people to gather.

I laid out this sandy colored felt on the floor and asked church members if they had some grain I could have for class. I threw out the grain and let the kids pick it up like Ruth. I used the basket and the grain you see for my visual. I carried the basket and picked up the grain as I talked. I purchased the grain at Michaels during the Fall.

Ruth worked hard, all through the day and didn’t stop to rest very much. Boaz saw her in his field and asked the servants who she was. The servant told Boaz that she is the woman that came back with Naomi.

Boaz went to Ruth and told her to stay in his fields to pick up grain and to stay close to his workers. Boaz explained to Ruth that he told his men to stay away from her and that she could drink from his water. Ruth asked Boaz why he was being so nice to her, and Boaz told her that people had told him about all the things she has done to take care of Naomi.

Boaz asked her to eat a meal with him and when they were full, Ruth went back to the fields. Boaz told his servants to leave extra grain in the field on purpose for Ruth to pick up. She worked until evening collecting the grain.

Naomi asked Ruth where she worked that day and Ruth told her about Boaz. Naomi told Ruth that Boaz was a relative and it was a blessing that he noticed her and was protecting her. Ruth kept going every day to the barley fields until the end of the harvest.

Boaz was at the city gate and bought the land that Naomi’s husband had sold when they left. He also talked to the elders and his relative about marrying Ruth. This was the custom in Israel during that time 'concerning redeeming and exchanging, to confirm anything: one man took off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was a confirmation in Israel.' They were witnesses to Boaz wanting to marry Ruth. (Add Boaz to the board)

Boaz married Ruth and they had a son they named Obed. He would be the father of Jesse and Jesse would have David. Through them, Jesus would be born. (Review the genealogy on the board and mention that we will be talking about David starting next week with Samuel)

I used this science board for this lesson on Ruth. Everything you need to make this visual is in the download. You can use the printables as I did, for a science board, or you can make a bulletin board or magnetic board. As a visual board, I used sticky Velcro to attach the pieces so I could remove and add the people. You will see in parentheses what I did during the lesson. You can print it here.

There is a basket for the Fruit of the Spirit lesson, and it was on Pinterest. Someone had left a comment that it would be nice for Ruth. I commented back that I would try to make one. I actually remembered as I was working on the projects for this lesson.  You can print the basket to use (you print two and it makes one basket), or you can use a disposable bowl, or a basket, a baggie, whatever you like. I made the cards to use as a review. The kids will read the left statement and match the correct answer on the right. You can tell by the direction of the grain if it a left or right card. Click here to print it.



I created this chart for the students to use while I am using the science board visual. There are two choices, and they are in black & white (my kids like to color). They should all look like the finished picture above. The first one is the original I created and is intended for the students. They will cut each person out and glue it on the correct space. This could easily be a file folder game. Add a cover and pocket, and use Velcro instead of glue! Print it here.

This is the choice that I used. It is the same as the above, but I added the names in the spaces for each person. For various reasons, I feel this will work best for my class. They will know exactly where to put each person. You can print it here.

The next choice is intended for the teacher, but if you do not want to spend time cutting and gluing, this would be your choice. Everything is in the correct space, you just have to add Boaz with glue on the tab.  Print this one here.

Click here to download the worksheet.

Click here to see the worksheets for this quarter.

Click here to download the updated visuals.

All are not shown.

Click here to download the pictures to color.
(These are the same as the visuals but are black & white.)

 

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

Used by permission.