Palm Sunday Lesson Plan

A Sunday School Lesson for Palm Sunday.

Palm Sunday Lesson
Materials required for the lesson. (see also caveat at the bottom of the page)

Palm Sunday Diorama

Introduction: Begin by reading the story of Palm Sunday to the children. Pay particular attention to the fact that Jesus knew why he had to go to Jerusalem (that he was going to die and that it was according to God’s plan for him). Also pay attention to the special carpet laid down before Jesus and the donkey as they entered the city.

Discussion: when do we use special carpets? Eg for Royalty, actors at the Oscars, special hotel guests. Why did the people create a carpet not only of palm leaves but also of their own clothes? Tell children how in previous centuries gentlemen supposedly removed their cloaks and spread them across muddy patches on the ground rather than let a woman (and especially a queen) walk through the mud.

Make: a diorama (3D model in a box) of the entry into Jerusalem.

Materials:

Large box (or a designated area on a table, covered in paper or etc)

Thin cardboard tubes, empty toilet roll tubes etc

Green paper (for palm leaves)

String

Photocopies of black line masters

Coloured pencils etc

Glue

Cellotape

Plasticine

Building blocks etc if desired

Method: (delegate these various jobs to children according to their abilities)

Draw the path for the donkey to take.
Colour and cut out the figure of Jesus on the donkey. Give Jesus some reins made from string. Tape a cardboard tube or stick to the back and use plasticine to position Jesus on the road.
Make palm trees by cutting leaves to the approximate shape of the black line template and attaching to cardboard tubes. Position completed trees along the roadside.
Colour and cut out figures of people, tape a tube or stick to the back and use plasticine to position them along the road.
Cut out lots of palm leaves (as for the trees, above) and glue them on the road in front of Jesus. Children might also like to cut out jackets etc out of coloured paper to add to the leaves.
Building blocks can be used to build an archway, showing the entry gate into Jerusalem.
Make a banner to go at the back of the diorama that says, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” or “Hosanna”.

When the diorama is complete, ask the children to imagine the sounds they might have heard had they been there that day. These could include: the donkey braying, the sound of the donkey’s hooves on the ground, people shouting “Hosanna”, or “Praise Him”, or “Welcome Jesus!” etc. Ask the children to recreate these sounds as they look at the diorama.

Extra activities:

Make finger puppets to act out the role of the crowd welcoming Jesus.
Act the story with one student being Jesus (leading the donkey) and the others shouting praises etc
Sing praise songs containing the word “Hosanna”

Give students the maze to try at home.

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Materials for Lesson.
Please find below the graphics required to complete this lesson.

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