This is a class I taught for second graders to provoke them to ask questions regarding heaven. I followed it up with part two where I shared the answers with their help investigating the Bible.

1. HELPING CHILDREN UNDERSTAND HEAVEN
by
Lisa Anderson-Umana
B.S. Penn State University
Master’s in Educational Studies, Wheaton College Graduate School
FINAL ASSIGNMENT FOR
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN FOR CRITICAL THINKING
Submitted to the faculty
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
in Educational Studies
at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Deerfield, Illinois
October 2007

3. CONTENTS
TEACHING AGENDA: HELPING CHILDREN UNDERSTAND HEAVEN . . . . . . . . 1
EVALUATION OF CHILDREN’S CLASS ON HEAVEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
APPENDIX
1. COLLECTION OF PICTURE/SCRIPTURE CARDS USING DURING CLASS
TAUGHT ON HEAVEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2. TEACHING AGENDA WORKSHOP: PROMOTING A FULLER
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT YOU ARE TEACHING ON THE BASIS OF
LEARNING STYLES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
REFERNCE LIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
iii

4. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Figure Page
1. Card containing Picture and verse: 2 Peter 3:13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2. Card containing Picture and verse: Psalm 139:13-16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3. Card containing Picture and verse: Romans 10:9-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
4. Card containing Picture and verse: Hebrews 9:27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
5. Card containing Picture and verse: Matthew 15:31-41, 46 (only with children eleven
years and older) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
6. Card containing Picture and verse: 2 Corinthians 5:10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
7. Card containing question marks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
8. Popsicle stick entitled HEAVEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
9. Popsicle stick entitled HELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
iv

5. TEACHING AGENDA: HELPING CHILDREN UNDERSTAND HEAVEN
ES 9225 Instructional Design for Critical Thinking Assignment: “Inventing an Instructional Activity”
AGE RANGE OF STUDENTS: NUMBER OF CLASSTIME LEARNERS:
STUDENTS: Aprox. 45 min.
6-8 yrs. (second grade) For the majority Spanish is their mother tongue, and
20
English is something they speak only at school.
EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE: To begin to teach children about heaven. Bible class is one of the many classes they have in their
First class of what might be several more. weekly schedule and it’s taught by their grade teacher.
This is the first class of what may become several
LEARNING GOALS: (AS THE LORD BLESSES THIS CLASS, IN FAITH, I classes about heaven.
SEE THE CHILDREN…
When they were in Kindergarten, they received a class
Asking questions about heaven, demonstrating curiosity about
what heaven will be like. about heaven but most likely it’s not a subject
Wondering out loud to each other about heaven, to their teacher frequently discussed in their home.
and parents in the days following class. Many of the children are Catholic but their family has
Realizing that the choices they make today will impact their enrolled them in an Evangelical School due to the
eternity.
quality of the education and Christian values.
It’s uncertain as to how many of the children have
conscientiously made a personal commitment to Christ.
TEACHERS: DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUES: PHYSICAL
Special guest teacher SETTING
Seven-eight year olds are still at a concrete operations level of cognitive
who is a parent to one
thinking, so heaven is being explained with concrete objects in order to try and Classroom with
of the students.
bridge the gap between the abstract concept of heaven and the choices they tables and chairs,
make in their day to day living. an open hallway
and door.
Special attention will be made to explain the concepts for all three learning
styles: audio, visual and kinesthetic.
Time- Group
Duration / size Educational Activity Notes / Materials
Responsible
PROCESS
1. Reflection questions: If you could take a trip anywhere, where would you go? What would you do to prepare to go?
2. Lay out the strings to graphically show our life timeline.
3. Discuss how we get to heaven and what it will be like.
4. Allow time for wondering and questions.
1

6. 2
PRE-SESSION PREPARATIONS
Lisa
Move the desks to one side of the room so that there’s as much space as possible to lay out the
“timeline” (strings).
Questions previously written on the board or Flipchart #1: If you could take a trip anywhere, where
would you go? What would you do to prepare to go?
Ask teacher for kids to wear nametags during class so I can call on them by name.
Tape my strings on the board just like their strings will be laid on their desk or a sample on the floor.
Prepare one bag for each student and teacher with one short string three inches long, two five foot
long strings, six cards with verses and pictures. See Appendix 1 for photocopy ready illustrations for
all the needed materials.
Have on hand the reference books, Randy Alcorn and Bruce Wilkinson.
. ARRIVAL AT CLASS
Wait until the teacher gives me the word and introduces me to the class.
Smile and make the children feel safe with you.
Introduction
LEARNING GOAL
The children will see the connection between preparing for a trip and preparing for
heaven.
During the Session
10 min. Large If you could take a trip anywhere, where would you go? (Disneyland, Introduction taken
group China, Japan, Roatan Islands, etc.) Point to that question on the board. from Heaven for kids
What would you do to prepare to go? (you might read about those places, (2006, 3).
look them up on the internet to see pictures of them, your parents would
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plan where you will stay, what you’ll do, etc.). Finding out in advance
about Disneyland or Roatan helps us get excited and look forward to going
there. Visual aid: Scripture
Someone may have said: Heaven, which is your opportunity to introduce on card with picture
the theme. If not, you talk about your own anticipation of going to heaven. of sky
You will have some props or toys in hand to help you understand what
heaven will be like. Hand out the sandwich bags with the props. Point to the chair
Have the children pull out the card with the picture/verse about heaven. you’ve set up as a
Read together: The Bible says, “We are looking forward to the new timeout chair.
heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s
righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). But we won’t look forward to that place Props: one section of
unless we know something about its attractions before we get there. string six inches long,
I’m going to tell you a true story. You will need to brush off the wings of with a knot on each
your imagination that the Lord gave you. I want you to listen and end, two sections of
participate. But you will have to pay close attention and immediately obey string five feet long
all my instructions. If you decide not to follow my instructions, we have a each,, six cards with
place for you to sit and watch us until you decide you are ready to play verses and pictures.
with us.
Can someone repeat for me the instructions so far?
Pull out the short string from your bag. We’re going to pretend that this is
your life. It has a beginning and an end, just like your life.
You can have the children lay or tape the strings to their desk so they are in
a controlled area and space or you can ask some volunteers to help you
tape one set of strings to the classroom floor as you describe the following
journey.

7. 3
Our journey starts with our birth
LEARNING GOAL
The children “scratch the surface” of conceiving of their life like a timeline.
During the session
20 min. Large We are going to pretend that this is your life on earth. It has a beginning Picture cards:
group (look at the knot at one end). God brings you into this world; you are born.
But then your body gets old and dies. (Look at the knot on the other end.) Ps. 139 and Baby.jpg
Do you know some people think that’s it? That is all there is to life. That is
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a lie from the devil. God says in his word that we will live forever.
What happens when we die?
Your physical body gets old and dies and gets buried in the ground. But
your Spirit lives forever. God gives you a new body. We don’t need to be Hebrews 9:27 and
afraid of dying. Dying is like passing through a door. One moment we are Casket.jpg
on this side of the door and the next moment we are on the other side of the
door. Let’s try it (depending on your classroom setup you can take the kids
outside the door and have them walk into together and then back to their
seats. Now let’s go through the door onto the other side. We will close the
door and now will pretend the classroom is eternity.
You have in your bag a short string, around six inches long like this. How
does your life start? Let’s read the card with the baby picture on it. Place
the figure of the baby at one end of the string and extend your string across
your desk.
Then, let’s read the next card together, the one with the casket. Place that Visual aid: My strings
at the other end of the string. Next to that goes the door. Remember, what are taped on the board
does that door mean? just like their strings
What happens after we die?
Only one of two things can happen now. Pull out your remaining two will be laid on the
strings that are wrapped around the popsicle sticks. Watch me as I extend floor.
them all the way across the desk and they drape down on the other side.
Pretend they’ll go on forever and ever, infinity. One popsicle stick reads
heaven and the other one reads hell (point to visual aid on board).
How do you know which way you will go? Which string will you follow?
It all depends on what you believed when you were living on earth. Verse on card: Rom
Remember that short string that represents your life on earth. 10:9-10 and Bible.jpg
Let’s read the card with the Bible on it and verse. Romans 10:9-10 ”That if
you confess with your mouth, quot;Jesus is Lord,quot; and believe in your heart
that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your Hell.jpg (I don’t know
heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you if it would be too
confess and are saved.” strong to show an
Everything you believe and do today matters forever. image to young
If during your life on earth, meaning now, you confessed with your mouth
that Jesus is Lord and believed in your heart the God raised him from the children, but for
dead, you are saved and will spend eternity in heaven. young people I
If, when you were on earth, you did not believe in your heart that Jesus is would)
Lord and God raised him from the dead, then sadly, you will live forever in
a place where there is nothing good, only bad, it’s called Hell and it’s a
very real place.
Where will you spend your eternity?
As the children sit at their desks, looking at their strings. Let them think
about that question. Let them share their answers.
How can you know where you will spend eternity?

8. 4
What will heaven be like?
LEARNING GOAL
The children will begin to wonder out loud what heaven will be like. They will display
curiosity and ask questions regarding what heaven will be like.
During the session
15 min. Large What will heaven be like?
group What questions do you have about heaven?
Wonder out loud with me.
The purpose of this moment is not so much to answer all their questions,
Lisa
but to get them to ask the questions, to wonder about heaven, to think
about it, since heaven plays such an important role in the Scriptures as does Taken from
having it become part of your daily thinking and perspective. Wilkinson, Bruce.
Do you know that one of the very important things that will happen in 2002. A life God
heaven is that there will be an awards ceremony?
Have you ever seen the Olympics when they give the athlete their awards? rewards.
(Wilkinson, 2002) Have any of you ever received an award? Picture and Verse on
Let us look at the card with the Bible verse of 2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we card: 2 Cor 5:10
must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may
receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether
good or bad.”
Remember how I said: Everything you believe and do today matters
forever. Well, “we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. . . .
Each of us shall give account of himself” Romans 14:10, 12.
What that means is that our good works on earth matter! For those good
things that we have done for God and for others will earn us a reward in
heaven, a prize. But, on the other hand, those wrong things that we have
done and not confessed that are mean, hateful and hurtful will cause us to
lose our rewards.
Remember, you get to heaven by what you believe and you are rewarded
according to what you do.
What kind of questions does this make you ask?
The last card you have has a question mark on it. Your teacher will write
down your questions and in the next class on heaven we will help you to
find out the answers to those questions.

9. EVALUATION OF CHILDREN’S CLASS ON HEAVEN
Oh, the questions children ask… .
Will people sin in heaven? Will there be T.V.?
Will there be war in heaven? Will the streets really be made of gold?
Will we bleed in heaven if we cut ourselves? Where will the animals live? Will animals talk
What will our body be like? there?
What is heaven made of? Will we sleep in heaven?
Will we be kids when we are in heaven? Are we going to wear clothes in heaven?
Can we go to the moon from heaven? Will people from the Bible be in heaven?
Are we going to celebrate birthdays in heaven? Will my pet be in heaven?
Will we cry? Will there be church in heaven?
Will we eat in heaven? What will we eat? Will there be games in heaven?
Will there be cars in heaven? What will my house be like in heaven?
This is just a sample of the questions asked by the more than sixty second grade students
I taught this class to. In order for the children to have the courage and curiosity to ask questions about
heaven, I taught them about heaven attending to the three dominant learning styles: audio, visual and
kinesthetic. This hands-on activity plus telling the story about our God-given wings of imagination my
mother used to use to preface all her creative drama classes created a stimulating environment within
which to ask questions.
5

10. 6
The first time I taught this class I made the mistake of inviting all the children to stretch
out their long strings representing heaven and hell across the floor. This led to confusion and some
bickering as they argued over whose string was whose. Thus my decision to use shorter strings and have
the students just lay them across their own desk as we discussed the meaning of each picture card/verse.
Then, the students placed the cards on the appropriate string. I have taught this class three times, each
time improving the mechanics but never ceasing to marvel at how wonderful God’s plan for heaven is
and how children love to wonder about it.
I will do a follow up class designed to prompt and guide the children to answer their own
questions. I plan on combining all three sections, sixty children total, and assigning the three classrooms
teachers a role in guiding the children to seek God’s Word for the answers. Randy Alcorn’s book (2006)
will provide vital guidance.
Heaven is a very abstract concept, but through this class, I perceive that children are
beginning to grasp what heaven is about and will therefore give themselves permission to talk and
anticipate heaven as they discuss their discoveries with their friends and family members.
Not one to waste a good class, I used this class on teaching children about heaven to
illustrate how to attend to each learning style. I taught this workshop during the Association of Christian
School International’s Convention in Tegucigalpa, Honduras Sept. 29, 2007. Over twenty English-
speaking teachers attended this workshop. I have taken the liberty to include my teaching agenda for this
class in Appendix 2.
6

11. APPENDIX 1
COLLECTION OF PICTURE/SCRIPTURE CARDS USING
DURING CLASS TAUGHT ON HEAVEN
The following nine pages are designed to be photocopied in such a way that each student
will have a small bag containing one of each of these nine items.
1. Card containing Picture and verse: 2 Peter 3:13
2. Card containing Picture and verse: Psalm 139:13-16
3. Card containing Picture and verse: Romans 10:9-10
4. Card containing Picture and verse: Hebrews 9:27
5. Card containing Picture and verse: Matthew 15:31-41, 46 (only with children eleven years and
older)
6. Card containing Picture and verse: 2 Corinthians 5:10
7. Card containing question marks
8. Popsicle stick entitled HEAVEN
9. Popsicle stick entitled HELL
7

12. 8
Figure 1 Card containing Picture and verse: 2 Peter 3:13
8

13. 9
Figure 2 Card containing Picture and verse: Psalm 139:13-16
9

14. 10
Figure 3 Card containing Picture and verse: Romans 10:9-10
10

15. Figure 4 Card containing Picture and verse: Hebrews 9:27
11
11

16. 12
Figure 5 Card containing Picture and verse: Matthew 15:31-41, 46 (only with children eleven years and older)
12

17. Figure 6 Card containing Picture and verse: 2 Corinthians 5:10
13
13

18. 14
Figure 7 Card containing question marks
14

19. 15
Figure 8 Popsicle stick entitled HEAVEN
15

20. 16
Figure 9 Popsicle stick entitled HELL
16

21. APPENDIX 2
TEACHING AGENDAWORKSHOP: PROMOTING A FULLER UNDERSTANDING OF
WHAT YOU ARE TEACHING ON THE BASIS OF LEARNING STYLES
Honduran Convention of the Association of Christian Schools International Sept. 28-29, 2007
AGE RANGE OF STUDENTS: NUMBER OF CLASSTIME LEARNERS:
STUDENTS: Aprox. 50 min.
Teachers Adult teachers engaged full time in teaching
20-50
at private Christian schools.
EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE: To teach teachers to attend to all three learning styles,
audio, visual and kinesthetic learners.
LEARNING GOALS: (AS THE LORD BLESSES THIS CLASS, IN FAITH, I SEE THE
TEACHERS…
Appreciating God’s diversity in having created three main types of learning
styles.
Struggling with how to teach their subject matter so as to explain it for
auditive, visual and kinesthetic learners.
Realizing the inadequacy of teaching only for one or two styles, usually their
own.
TEACHER: DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUES: PHYSICAL
Workshop teacher SETTING
Seven-eight year olds are still at a concrete operations level of cognitive
thinking, so heaven is being explained with concrete objects in order to try and Classroom with
bridge the gap between the abstract concept of heaven and the choices they tables and chairs.
make in their day to day living.
Special attention will be made to explain the concepts for all three learning
styles: audio, visual and kinesthetic.
Time- Group
Duration / size Educational Activity Notes / Materials
Responsible
PROCESS
1. Opening reflection questions
2. Demonstration and timing of teaching a brief portion of the children’s class on heaven only for auditive learners.
3. Demonstration and timing of teaching a brief portion of the children’s class on heaven only for audio and visual learners.
4. Demonstration and timing of teaching a brief portion of the children’s class on heaven for all three learning styles.
5. Brief attempts at teaching to meet the needs of all three learning styles
6. Conclusions
17

22. 18
PRE-SESSION PREPARATIONS
Lisa
Questions previously written on the board or Flipchart #1: How do people learn?
Flipchart #2: What did you observe in my teaching? How did it make you feel?
Flipchart #3: What did you observe in my teaching? What felt different in my teaching this time?
Flipchart #4: What did you observe in my teaching? What difference did it make for me to get
you physically engaged? How did your own understanding of heaven vary after each
demonstration?
Flipchart #5: What’s the hardest part of teaching this way? What would be the fruit of your
efforts if you taught this way?
Flipchart #6: In light of this class, what will you do differently the next time you teach?
Stopwatch
Whiteboard markers and eraser
Bag of props: Each object will be in its own paper bag: One tennis ball, a jump rope, wooden
letters, wooden numbers, flash cards, a Bible verse on a 4x6 card (Mark 9:41)
Introduction to the class
LEARNING GOAL
To awaken in the teachers a desire to address the needs of each learning style as they teach.
During the Session
5 min. Large Opening reflection question: How do people learn?
group Give folks the opportunity to answer. Observe who answers and try to gauge
Lisa their depth of understanding on this subject.
There is a large body of research that has been done on the learning cycle,
both for children and adults. What we are going to explore today is a very
small piece of the pie, there’s an entire bakery available, which to me as a
teacher who loves to teach is like eating your favorite pastry! The backdrop
of what we’re going to explore together today comes from a David Kolb’s
(1985) research on Experiential Learning.
The concepts of the three major learning styles (audio, visual and
kinesthetic) form a part of how we learn. To show you what I mean by these
three learning styles, I’m going to do three demonstrations of teaching a
portion of a class I taught to children on heaven. I would like you to observe
the differences between them.
Demonstration of teaching just for auditive learners
LEARNING GOAL
The teachers will experience for themselves the inadequacy of teaching just to one style of learner.
During the Session
5 min. Large Teach a portion of the children’s class on heaven just speaking. Read the
group scriptures from the Bible.
Give someone in the class a stopwatch to time you. Ask him or her to make
note on a piece of paper how long each demonstration took. After all three
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demonstrations, you’ll write the times on the board.
Reflection questions:
What did you observe in my teaching?
What did you feel?
Demonstration of teaching just for auditive and visual learners

23. 19
LEARNING GOAL
The teachers will question the adequacy of teaching to just two styles of learners.
During the Session
5 min. Large Teach the same portion of the children’s class on heaven but Visual aid: Draw the timeline on
group this time both speaking and visualizing. the board.
Lisa Draw on the board the timeline.
Give them the scripture on handouts and read them together.
Give someone in the class a stopwatch to time you. When you
are done, ask the person to go to the board and write the time
down.
Reflection questions:
What did you observe in my teaching?
What felt different in my teaching this time?
Demonstration of teaching just for auditive and visual and kinesthetic learners
LEARNING GOAL
The teachers will experience for themselves a greater level of comprehension of the
subject matter because all three learning styles were attended to.
During the Session
Large Teach the same portion of the children’s class on heaven both Visual aid:
group speaking and visualizing and engaging them in the activity
15 min. with props. Tape the strings on the board to
Do a portion of the class on heaven like you did it with the serve as a visual reference to
children. what they’re doing.
Lisa Hand each student a bag of props and exit the classroom.
Give them the scripture on handouts and read them together.
Give someone in the class a stopwatch to time you.
Write the times of each demonstration on the board.
Reflection questions:
What did you observe in my teaching?
What difference did it make for me to get you physically
engaged?
How did your own understanding of heaven vary after each
demonstration?
Attempts at teaching for all three learning styles
LEARNING GOAL
The teachers will try their hand at briefly teaching so as to meet the needs of all three
learning styles.
During the Session
Individual Try it! I need several volunteers who are willing to give this a Prop bag
practices try (choose three).
15 min. Put your hand into the prop bag and pull out an object. Each object will be in its own
You have sixty seconds to prepare a three minute class based paper bag: One tennis ball, a
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on the object you’ve chosen. Remember: Explain it to us so jump rope, wooden letters,
all three types of learners understands. wooden numbers, flash cards, a
Use a stopwatch to give each of them equally three minutes. Bible verse on a 4x6 card (Mark
Reflection questions: 9:41)
What’s the hardest part of teaching this way?

24. 20
What would be the fruit of your efforts if you taught this
way?
Reflection time on how to teach your subject mattes for all three learning styles
LEARNING GOAL
The teachers will struggle with how to teach their own subject matter to meet the needs of
all three learning styles, which will in turn deepen their comprehension of the content.
During the Session
5 min. Individual Individual learning task: Visual aid:
writing and In light of this class, what will you do differently the next
conclusion time you teach? Write the learning task on the
Write down one thing that you as a teacher can do differently board for each individual to
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in order to meet the needs of all three learning styles and work on.
deepen your students’ grasp of your subject matter.
Provide paper in the handouts
I don’t know if that question is worth it: Reflection question: I for people to journal their
n light of this class, what insights have you gained as to how answers.
people learn?

25. REFERENCES
Alcorn, Randy. 2006. Heaven for kids. Carol Stream, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.
Kolb, David. 1984. Experiential Learning: Experience as the source of learning and development.
Englewoods Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall.
Wilkinson, Bruce. 2002. A life God rewards: Why everything you do today matters forever. Sisters,
Oreg.: Multnomah Publishers, Inc.