Teaching Collection.com

Teaching the Ten Commandments Revised

We started our co-op a few weeks ago and one of the things they taught the kids was the Ten Commandments. My son’s class used a very inexpensive, bilingual and effective curriculum that you can download instantly for only $4.99.

It quickly got the kids to remember the general gist of what each commandment said and what number it belongs to. What I liked about this curriculum was that the kids could remember commandments out of order because of the hand motions.

The wording is overly simplified for my taste but a good introduction for very young kids. However, the hand movements can still be useful with older kids.  Just have them memorize the exact wording.

A similar curriculum is available in a book called Hand Commands: The Ten Commandments for Little Ones.

As we begin to memorize the 10 Commandments, I thought I’d show them this beautiful painting by Baroque painter Phillippe de Champaigne called Moses with the Ten Commandments. Click on the picture if you want to see a larger picture.

You could add various other works of art through the ages by artists depicting Moses with the Ten Commandments to explore art.

Want to add current events to your study? Students might want to look at pictures of Moses in the United States Supreme Court Building and then read bible passages that explain why it was so important for the founding fathers of the United States to publicly display this image.

You may want to read the 2003 legal case of former Chief Justice Roy Moore and why he was removed from the highest court office for defending our rights to publicly display the Ten Commandments and acknowledge God and his ongoing battle.  Judge Moore now writes a weekly column called Our Moral Foundation for WorldNetDaily.com.

Want to add citizenship studies while giving your students hands on opportunities to get involved? You may be interested in getting involved with the Wear 10 on 10 movement. This movement allows anyone to promote the Ten Commandments by wearing a T-Shirt listing the ten laws on the 10^th of every month. In addition, students can sign a petition (from the American Family Association) to have the Ten Commandments made legal in all public places. More resources are available through Save America.

In the evening, we will probably get some popcorn and sit down to the Cecil B. DeMille classic The Ten Commandments. This is, in my opinion, the best movie out there depicting these events. Awesome movie! Well worth keeping in your home library.

You can watch it for free here but if you want to guarantee you always have it.  I’d buy it.

Lastly, here’s a few more freebies.  Enjoy!

• Free magnet- Students between 4 -14 and adults can receive these for  memorizing their Ten Commandments.
• Free poster – You can this one mailed to you or you can download their
• Free printable copy of the Ten Commandments.
• Free music downloads with lyrics and sheet music.
• A wonderful explanation of the hidden meaning behind the Christmas Carol.
• A free 12-lesson course on biblical nutrition.
• Free ebook – A 115 page book written in 1866 called Divine and Moral Songs for Children by Isaac Watts giving the historical basis for teaching morality to children. It can be read online or downloaded by clicking on their “overview” link.
• Free curriculum for teaching the Ten Commandments. Similar to the flash cards mentioned at the beginning of this blog article.
• Free song contest for choirs from all over the world. All choirs will be featured in their “Listen” section of the website.
• Free music for memorization help.