Anchor Charts/Group, Introductory Lesson

Anchors of Truth/Anchor Charts

Open with Prayer:

Opening Story:             

              Teaching vocabulary and root words has always been a favorite part of being in the classroom. Diagrams, charts, and other graphics lined my classroom walls. If it wasn’t a positive message of encouragement, it was a core concept that needed to be remembered.

              I’ll never forget the day we were learning about homophones. For those out there who teach other grade levels, homophones are words that sound the same but are spelled differently. We made lists on the board as a class. Words like: board, bored; they’re, their, there; ate, eight; break, brake were all added to the list. Someone mentioned or. I wrote that word on the board and another kid told me to add oar, like the boat paddle.

Elated they were grasping the concept, I spoke. “Okay class, this is a tricky one, but there is another word that sounds like oar. Does anyone know what it is?”

This wiry girl jumped to her feet, brimming with excitement. “Oooo ooooo, I know.” She stuck her arms straight out, perpendicular with her body and stiffly clapped her hands together like a seal. “OR, OR, OR, OR.”

I doubled over laughing, and I lost all control of the class. There was no way to keep any semblance of order as my entire class turned into a room filled with seals, or-ing all over the place. Once I captured the class again, we added more words to our board, even or, the sound of the seal.

Part of their project after that introductory lesson was to create posters we could use as anchor charts for each set of words. They drew pictures, wrote words and definitions, and we hung them around the room for reference. So often, I saw students looking at the posters to remember how to spell a word or to recall a definition. The students knew they could find the truth they were looking for on the anchor charts.

Anchor charts have been used in classrooms for decades. For every subject, there are foundational facts that need to be referenced. In science it might be a life cycle, math could be the steps to solve an equation, and reading might be root words or prefixes; but no matter the subject, there are solid facts we must remember and regularly revisit.

We also have anchors of truth that we hold onto spiritually; truths from God’s word that we stand on as fact and regularly revisit. We can get wrapped up in our emotions or spend too much time in the world, and unless we anchor ourselves on what is true about God, we will be tossed about in the sea of confusion.

For our scripture reading today, take a look at some of the truths our faith should be anchored on and the passages that back them up. We will talk about more of these truths all week.

Scripture

1.      God is our refuge: The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—from violent people you save me. 2 Samuel 22:3 (NIV)

2.      God does not change: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

3.      God does not lie: God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19 (NIV)

4.      God is faithful: If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself. 2 Timothy 2:13 (NIV)

5.      God is love: And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 1 John 4:16 (NIV)

Discussion

1.      What anchor charts do you have hanging in your classroom and why?

2.      What anchors of truth do you stand on when the waves start rocking your boat?

3.      What lies still win out in your brain instead of God’s truth? Why?

4.      What truth about God is hardest for you to believe? Why?

Homework

              Read the book of 1 John and reflect on the difference between darkness and light, lies and truth.

Personal Reflection

              Do you have anchor charts of truth hanging on the walls of your mind?  Heart? How about your bathroom? Office? House? We can never be reminded too much about God’s truths, especially when the enemy so wants to deceive us. Screen savers, phone wallpaper, sticky notes, artwork: all these can remind us of God’s true heart throughout our days.