Leader s Guide for Episode 11

Leader s Guide for Episode 11

Leader s Guide to accompany the DVD Jovis Bon-Hovis and the Creation Crew: Episode 11 Leader s guide for Jovis Bon-Hovis and the Creation Crew Welcome to the fun-filled world of Jovis Bon-Hovis and the Creation Crew! We are so happy you have decided to share the good times with us! We created this DVD and teaching series to plant and nurture the seeds of a relationship with God that children can relate to, using fun, comedy, drama, songs, and arts and crafts to reveal God s truth and goodness to kids in relevant scenarios they can make sense of. Within these programs you will find a treasure trove of helpful teaching, especially created to enable children to connect with the Christian faith and understand it in the context of their everyday lives. Inside this guide you will find a range of fun and helpful activities, engaging questions, and leader s notes to help you and your kids get the most out of the time you spend with Jovis Bon-Hovis and the Creation Crew! These resources are geared for children 3-7 years old, but you may feel they are suitable for older children, too. Fun and Faith, Hand in Hand! SHORTER OR LONGER SESSIONS: We ve created these lessons to be flexible and easy to use, with minimal preparation required. Just check the Preparation section in advance, and you ll find delivering these sessions straightforward and enjoyable, with all the hard work done for you! Each guide will contain various elements which will amount to well over 90 minutes worth of material, allowing you to select and tailor your sessions to fit your time slot, teaching preferences, and group requirements. Apart from the DVD, which will take up about half an hour of group time, all of the elements of this study guide can be expanded and contracted, and used or discarded as required. Episode 11: Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire! 2

Leader s Guide to accompany the DVD Jovis Bon-Hovis and the Creation Crew: Episode 11 Episode 11: Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire! THEME: Mr. Bon-Hovis is not being completely honest about himself with the Creation Crew! LEARNING OUTCOMES: Honesty is the best policy! God hates lies; Jesus actually calls himself The Truth. God loves us just the way we are. We don t have to deceive him or anyone else about who we really are. There are consequences to being a deceitful person; inevitably lies profoundly weaken our relationships with people and God. People lie for lots of different reasons, and falsehood will always catch up with you in the end. PREPARATION: To make the Truthometer you will need pens, paper glue or tape, sticky tack and thick paper or thin card. *TOP TIP* The Truthometer is so easy to scale up. If you have a bit more time, why not make jumbo truthometers! For the Web of Deceit activity you will need a few balls of colorful yarn and some scissors which will cut through it easily. For the Tower of Strength game you will need a large drinking glass with even sloping sides, a coin clean and large enough for a child to have in his mouth, means to clean the coin between goes, and enough flour to fully fill the glass with some left over. You will also need a table knife or plastic knife, safe for children to use. SECTIONS/ELEMENTS FOR THIS EPISODE: DVD VIEWING GUIDED DISCUSSION QUESTIONS OPEN DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ARTY CRAFTY TIME ACTIVITY SONG TIME WITH DANCE ACTIVITY SCRIPTURE TIME SHARED STUDY COLORING FROM STORY TIME BONUS ACTIVITY: WEB OF DECEIT GAME-TIME ACTIVITY *TOP TIP* If you make the larger size Truthometer, color the pictures from story time, cut them out, and glue them on for a funky decoupage decoration! Episode 11: Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire! 3

Leader s Guide to accompany the DVD Jovis Bon-Hovis and the Creation Crew: Episode 11 DVD VIEWING Introduction to today s show: Tell the children there s some real funny business going on in the house today! Mr. Bon-Hovis is up to no good again, but it might not be immediately obvious what the problem is this time. Tell the children to keep a close eye out, to see if they can spot what Jovis is up to. Tell them you will be pausing the DVD just before the story to have a chat about what you ve just seen. Play the DVD until 8:19, just as the Story Time stars appear on the screen. GUIDED DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Get the children chatting about what they ve just watched on screen, the situation and what took place. Don t push them to figure everything out at this point, there s plenty of time for the core lesson. What did Mr. Bon-Hovis have on the table? What was written on the boxes? What was he trying to do? What does teleport mean? Do you think it was a real university that he went to? What were the Creation Crew Kids doing? Why were they cleaning their bikes? Couldn t they just throw them away when they got dirty? Why not? What was happening back inside the house? Why do you think it was all going wrong? What happened in the end? What did he say to Woody Louse? What did he try to do to Woody Louse? Why? Please note, these questions are only suggestions, feel free to explore the show in your own way and with your own style. *TOP TIP* Try slipping some ridiculous, bizarre boasts into your conversations today, and at the end of the session see if the kids spotted them all. (Make sure you reveal all, or you may have some confused children!) Play the DVD until 18:31, when the song finishes. Episode 11: Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire! 4

Leader s Guide to accompany the DVD Jovis Bon-Hovis and the Creation Crew: Episode 11 Story Time: Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire! Teacher s notes: This story introduces the concept of detaching ourselves from valuable relationships through the lies that we tell. In a very evident way, Ears McGee was using lies to push people away. When we lie, that s exactly what happens far more than we might intend. The story also reveals another motive for lying. Ears McGee is lying to avoid a difficult situation; he s afraid of conflict and explaining that he doesn t want to see anybody might be a challenging conversation. He s just too lazy to go through the hassle of treating his friends with the respect they deserve. On the other hand, Mr. Bon-Hovis seemed to want people to think he was clever; perhaps he wasn t feeling very good about himself or thought his friends wouldn t really like him if they knew the truth. Try to get the children thinking about WHY we lie, rather than simply that we shouldn t do it. GUIDED DISCUSSION QUESTIONS What did Ears McGee the fox want to do all day? What did he tell Stripes Medoobry the woodpecker? What did he tell his Mom? What did he say to Edward Rotundra? What happened when he finally went outside? Why do you think he was lying? What had Booky Worm been doing while Jovis was reading the story? What did the teleportation device turn out to be? Was Mr. Bon-Hovis as clever as he had said he was after all? Why do you think Mr. Bon-Hovis was lying? What did Dora Mouse say to Mr. Bon-Hovis? What was the song about? Play the DVD until the end. OPEN DISCUSSION QUESTIONS This open discussion at the end of the show is a good time to explore more general themes surrounding the show, and to think about how they relate to us outside of the Creation Crew house. Try to get the children thinking about honesty and truth, instead of simply the lies told on screen. Consider some of the following questions with your group: What is a lie? What does being honest mean? Why would lying make friendships difficult? What is trust? What are white lies? Are they OK? Episode 11: Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire! 5

Leader s Guide to accompany the DVD Jovis Bon-Hovis and the Creation Crew: Episode 11 Why is trust important? Why do people lie? Think of some examples... o To get what they want o To make people do something they want o Because they are worried the truth will get them into trouble o It s easier to lie sometimes o Because they are scared of somebody Can we lie to God? How? What will happen to our friendship with God if we lie? Is it possible to fix things if we make a mistake? How? *TOP TIP* Make sure the children never feel as if they are having a finger pointed at them. Why not open your heart and confess a time when you weren t completely honest, and what you did about it? (Perhaps when you were a child, so as not to undermine your authority.) ARTY CRAFTY TIME ACTIVITY *TOP TIP* If you are making the Jumbo Truthometer, you ll need to do the coloring activity first! This is a fairly straightforward Arty Crafty Time activity, but you may find it helpful to rewind the DVD and work alongside Jovis Bon-Hovis, especially for the little ones. Repetition can be very helpful and enjoyable. Use this activity time as an opportunity to share freely about the topic you looked at today. Is it going to be easy to be honest about being honest? Is it harder to be honest with yourself? Using the Truthometer properly should be challenging and fun, and it s a great pleasure to know in your heart that you are an honest person who loves the truth, even if you don t get it right all the time! SONG TIME WITH DANCE ACTIVITY Select the song from the DVD menu and play. Following the leader (you!) as they do the actions is great fun for the kids. Just play the song and read along below, doing the actions as they are written. Ask the kids to copy you! Don t worry about looking silly! Kids just love to dance and move about. They will just think it s great fun and will respond much better if you lead with energy. Why not consider practicing the song over a few sessions and doing a performance at the front of your church? Younger children can follow the dancing; older children may enjoy following the words on-screen and singing along. Episode 11: Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire! 6

Leader s Guide to accompany the DVD Jovis Bon-Hovis and the Creation Crew: Episode 11 *TOP TIP* This makes a great sing-along song, the children will love the crazy lyrics and they should be quite memorable! Here are the lyrics with actions and performance suggestions so that you can face the group: I m not a purple monster with bananas on my hat, (growl and prowl like a monster) I haven t got a lion or a little fluffy cat, (shake your head, stroke your little cat) There s not a herd of elephants parading round my flat, (make your arm into an elephant s trunk) And I don t go to my Grandma s with a melon on my back! (place a big melon on your back, shake your head) Well it might seem a little bit crazy, (go cross eyed and flap your arms, spin around) And it might seem a little bit strange, (make binoculars with your hands, look around suspiciously) But there s one thing about me that s the same as you (hands to chest then point to others) And that s that Jesus loves me true. (point up and make a heart with your hands) He loves me true, (point up and make a heart with your hands) Yes Jesus loves me true like you! (blow kisses to everyone) Me, me, I m happy to be me, (hands it pockets and strut confidently) My name s not Bob and it s not Tracey, (shake your head and wag your finger) My name s not Shark Boy and I don t live in the sea, (swim left and right) I don t own a bat, and that s fine by me! (flap like a bat, shrug with big smile) Left, left, left right left! (march around the room during the instrumental) Come along boys and girls, 1-2 - 3-4, Jesus loves me true! Jesus loves me true! Keep up, monkey! Well it might seem a little bit crazy, (go cross eyed and flap your arms, spin around) And it might seem a little bit strange, (look around suspiciously) But there s one thing about me that s the same as you (hands to chest then point to others) And that s that Jesus loves me true. (point up and make a heart with your hands) Well it might seem a little bit crazy, (go cross eyed and flap your arms, spin around) And it might seem a little bit strange, (look around suspiciously) But there s one thing about me that s the same as you (hands to chest then point to others) And that s that Jesus loves me true. (point up and make a heart with your hands) He loves me true! (reach to heaven, hands to chest) Jesus loves me true, LIKE YOU! (reach to heaven, hands to chest, point out to others) Episode 11: Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire! 7

Leader s Guide to accompany the DVD Jovis Bon-Hovis and the Creation Crew: Episode 11 SCRIPTURE TIME SHARED STUDY Explain to the children that Mr. Bon-Hovis always does something rather clever; if he thinks he s figured something out he always makes sure by checking if the word of God confirms what he thinks. It s the best way to be confident about the choices we make. *TOP TIP* Are any of your older children good readers? It s always nice to let the children read from the Word of God. Encourage them to feel that it s special and a pleasure. Proverbs 12:22 (The Message) God can t stomach liars; he loves the company of those who keep their word. EXTRA REFERENCES FOR LONGER STUDY: 2 Corinthians 8:21 For we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord's sight but also in the sight of man. Explanation for little ones: The way we should be with people and God is the same: Honest and truthful and good. Colossians 3:9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices. Explanation for little ones: Telling lies and being dishonest is for people who don t know any better. As we get to know God more and more, we change into people who are better at choosing to do what s right for God. Scripture Time Questions for discussion: When we are honest people, who is it for? Is it OK to lie to people as long as we re honest with God? Can we suddenly be perfect straight away? Why not? Will we make mistakes? Is that OK? What should we do when we make mistakes? How can we say sorry to God? Will God ever stop being our friend, even if we ve been really naughty? Isn t it harder to be honest sometimes? Why? So does being honest make us weak or strong? What do you think pure and holy means? What makes a good friendship? What kind of things can really hurt a friendship? Episode 11: Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire! 8

Leader s Guide to accompany the DVD Jovis Bon-Hovis and the Creation Crew: Episode 11 COLORING FROM STORY TIME Spend some time coloring the illustrations from the Story Time (found at the back of this guide) and reminding the children what happened in the part they have chosen. Before you move on, cut out your favorite parts if you plan on producing the Jumbo Truthometer! BONUS ACTIVITY: WEB OF DECEIT! Explain to the children that when we tell lies we are putting ourselves into something like a trap, as we often have to tell more lies to support the first one, and the second one, and the third one. Before we know it, we re all tangled up! Have a share time with the children about how one lie might lead to another lie. For example, if you said the dog ate your homework, perhaps the teacher knew you were at Jennifer s house last night? Maybe you would then explain that you took your doggie to Jennifer s house (lie No.2!) where you did homework together. But the teacher knows Jennifer is allergic, so you have to say she had some special tablets (lie No.3!) and so it goes on... Explain that it can be very difficult to keep up that kind of lying, and it s just like being tangled up in words! Use the yarn to show this. Weave the yarn all around the room, between tables, under chair legs, loosely around children s waists, and show them what a mess it all gets in very quickly if we aren t honest! Let the children weave some yarn around too! When the room is a complete tangle, give the children some scissors and tell them that Jesus said the truth will set you free. Let them go around the room, freeing up the web of deceit with the scissors and putting all the lies in the trash where they belong! *TOP TIP* the children really love tangling the wool around the room. Watch how far the first ball of wool goes, so you can see how far afield to allow the children to weave, so everyone will get a go! Episode 11: Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire! 9

Leader s Guide to accompany the DVD Jovis Bon-Hovis and the Creation Crew: Episode 11 GAME-TIME ACTIVITY: TOWER OF STRENGTH This game illustrates how lies and deception eat away at our strength of character, eventually making us very weak and vulnerable. Placing the clean coin at the bottom of the glass, fill the glass with flour and press down tight. Using a plate or card, turn the glass over and carefully empty the solid tower of flour as you would a sand castle at the beach. If it doesn t work the first time, try again. You ll see that the coin is sitting nicely on the top. Explain to the children that this flour tower is all of your goodness and strengths, your kindness and honesty, the things that support you and give you good character, represented by the coin being held up. The game involves taking in turns to shave away at the edge of the flour, until your character crumbles and the coin falls. Whoever made the coin fall must pick it up with their lips or teeth, and rebuild the tower. *TOP TIP* Older children may be able to name a character flaw to represent their attack on the character before they take their turn. For example, the child says taking something that isn t yours or saying you did something you didn t do and then shaving the edge off the tower! In conclusion: Sometimes lying or tricking somebody can seem like the easiest and best thing to do. But in the end, the damage is far worse than the truth could ever be! Pray together to finish: Dear Lord, we want to thank you today that you have given us your Holy Spirit inside us to guide us and show us how to be honest and truthful people. We want to ask you, Lord, to teach us how to pray, to teach us how to listen, and to teach us how to understand you when you speak to us so that we can always make the best and most godly choices. In Jesus name, amen. We would really enjoy seeing your photos and videos of your groups at work. Why not follow Jovis Bon-Hovis on Facebook? You ll find lots more regular games and activities to share with your kids, and it s a great place to join together with other Christian teachers, caretakers, parents, and leaders who are raising children in the Christian faith. http://www.facebook.com/jovis.bonhovis or search Facebook for Jovis Bon-Hovis. Episode 11: Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire! 10