Moses Lesson Plans

One of the most important figures in the Old Testament is, of course, Moses. Moses was called by God to lead the people of Israel out of captivity in Egypt and into the freedom of the Promised Land of Israel. Most of his life story appears in the Book of Exodus, but also in Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Numbers.

At the bottom of this post, you can find links to other Moses lesson plans. There are so many important parts of his life and these lessons focus on various aspects of his life from a Christian perspective. First, though, here is a short lesson plan that asks students to make connections between the lives of Moses and Jesus.

Baby Moses and Baby Jesus Lesson Objectives

• SWBAT summarize the story of Moses’ survival as a baby and child.
• SWBAT summarize the story of Jesus birth and survival as a child.
• SWBAT make connections between the birth narratives of Moses (Ex 1:8–2:1-10) and Jesus (Mt 2:13-23).

(Read more about crafting lesson objectives here.)

Baby Moses and Baby Jesus Learning Activities

1. Bell Work: Have students complete the “K” column of a KWL chart to get a sense for what they already know about Moses. Take some time in class to review some of the things they already know and clarify some of these concepts visually on the board.

2. Reading Assignment: Divide the class in half. Assign one half of the class to read Ex 1:8–2:1-10 and the other half of the class to read Matthew 2:13-23. While they are reading, have students answer these questions:

• Who ordered the children to be killed? (Ex 1:15-16, Mt 2:16)
• Why did they make this order? (Ex 1:9-10, Mt 2:16)
• How did the child survive? (Ex 2:5-10, Mt 2:13-15)

If they have trouble, try using some of these reading strategies.

3. Group Discussion: Within each group of students have them join into pairs to compare their answers and clarify the comprehension of the reading. Then, have each pair join another pair from the other group. Now you will have groups of four–two Exodus readers and two Matthew readers. Have the students compare their answers and list the similarities between the two stories.

You may invite them to use a Venn Diagram to help sort out their ideas.

4. Class Discussion: Have groups share the similarities they found and write them on the board. Provide the necessary background information about the Pharaoh and King Herod. When discussing the “why” question, turn it back to them. Get to the root of the question. Why did Herod and Pharaoh order the death of these sons? They were afraid of losing their power. They did not turn to God in gratitude for their position of power and did not trust in him.

Assessment

Have students take a sheet of paper and divide it into half (long-way, hot-dog style). Have them title the left side “Moses” and the right side “Jesus.” On each side have them summarize in a few sentences the stories they read and discussed today. Then, have them underline the parts of their summaries that are similar.

Other Moses Lesson Plans

The Story of Moses Bible Lessons (Ministry to Children)

Moses as a Baby Lesson (Kids Sunday School Place)

God Saves His People Exodus Lesson Plan (DLTK)

A Study of the Life of Moses Lessons (Bible.org)

A to Z Bible Story Lesson (M is for Moses) (The Catholic Toolbox)

Pre-K to K Moses Lesson Plan (The Catholic Toolbox)

Moses in the Bulrushes Lesson Plan (1st Grade and up) (The Catholic Toolbox)

Moses and the Ten Commandments Lesson Plan (The Catholic Toolbox)

Moses and the Plagues Lesson Plan (The Catholic Toolbox)

Getting Ready for Moses Lesson (Catechist’s Journey)

Word on Fire’s Exodus Lesson Plan (The Religion Teacher)

Ten Commandments Activity (The Religion Teacher)

(photo credit: madcitycat)

GET THE EXODUS WORKSHEET COLLECTION

The Religion Teacher’s Exodus Worksheet Collection will help students read and reflect on the most important stories from the Book of Exodus and the life of Moses.

Learn more >