Everywhere we go, there are rules that guide us to know what our actions should or shouldn’t be, and they help us choose behavior that is acceptable and appropriate to the time and place. We start learning rules from a very young age—like when our parents tell us no when we reach for something that can hurt us when we’re babies, to when we learn how we should act when we cross a street or sit in church. Many times, we don’t even think of the rules anymore. Once we’ve learned them, they’re just a part of our subconscious processing which guides us through our day. Let’s watch a short clip from the Minions that is about school classroom rules. Even though it’s meant to be silly, keep track of some of the rules covered, and watch for what happens when the rules are broken. We’ll talk about it after the clip.
Show this clip to your students [4:26]:
Classroom Rules
After watching the clip, use the whiteboard and write the students’ answers in two columns, the first column listing the rules and the second column listing the possible consequences.
- What are some of the classroom rules that were covered in the video? (Answers can include any of the rules. Examples include no chewing gum; listen to the teacher; no bullying; leave toys at home.)
- What are some other rules that you are taught that don’t have to do with school? (Possible answers might include: Don’t use drugs; eat plenty of vegetables; brush your teeth every day; don’t blast music in your earbuds.)
- For each of the rules we’ve listed, what could be the negative consequences when we ignore and break each rule? (Answers will vary, and can include the following for the rules listed from the film clip: Gum can drop on the floor and then someone might step on it tracking the sticky mess, it might ruin a textbook, or get stuck in someone’s hair or cause disruption; if you don’t listen you might miss important instructions; bullying can deeply hurt others; an expensive toy may be broken or distract other students from important school lessons.)
Rules are in place for important reasons. When we don’t follow them, there are consequences. We can get into trouble, for one. We may hurt ourselves or others, too. Not following established rules is a form of rebellion. We are rebelling against the authorities who have put them in place for everyone’s good. The Israelites rebelled against God, and it resulted in disaster. Today we’re going to learn more about what happened when they broke God’s rules.
