[Teachldsseminary] Gen 11 -- Tower of Babel Our Straw Towers

[Esemmom at aol.com]

I used the straw tower building activity idea found in Victor W. Harris'  
book Creative Ways to Teach the Old Testament, Genesis - Deuteronomy.  Each  
group of students is given 50 drinking straws and some masking  tape. 
 
The students are divided up equally, given two to three minutes to plan  
together how they are going to build their tower, and then 6-7 minutes to  
construct it, with 1 minute to return all the unused drinking straws and have  
everyone in their seats at the end of the ten minutes so as not to be  disqualified.
 
They can only tape their base to the floor, and the base needs to be a  
triangle or pyramid shape.  All other straws are to be attached to each  other, 
gain the greatest height, and be free standing.
 
After the towers were built, I asked each group what they thought they did  
well, and then what they didn't do well.  Good communication, team work,  each 
helping the other, were just some the great thoughts they shared.  We  then 
turned it to the discussion Jared and his brother and their family and  friends, 
and how the Lord chose communication as the way to stop the tower from  being 
finished, and that they were to have obeyed the Lord in dispersing  
themselves across the land.
 
It was really fun and they learned a lot about each other and listening to  
instructions.
 
Sister Brown
EMS in Boise, Idaho



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