Final Project
Final Project: Four-Session Bible Study Guide & Teach-Back
Bring the course together by writing a four-session Bible study guide on a short book or passage and teaching one 20-minute session. Suggested choices: Ruth (four chapters), Philippians (four chapters), Psalm 23 (for example, verses 1–2, verse 3, verse 4, and verses 5–6), or James (grouped into four sessions). Another short passage may be used with your instructor's approval. Your guide should be something a new leader could pick up and use. Everything may be handwritten. Write all study content in your own words; quote Scripture from the KJV only, and do not copy published study guides. Use invented or composite examples only, label them as composite, and describe any real person only by role or first initial. Example of a composite illustration: Lena, a new believer, read Ruth 1:16 and said, I never knew loyalty could be that strong. (Lena is a composite example.)
Requirements
- Overview page: the book or passage, author (if known), first readers, kind of writing, place in the Bible's big story, a key verse (KJV), and the four session references
- Four session plans, each with: the passage reference; a one-sentence big idea; observation and interpretation notes (context, at least two cross-references, and any KJV word or custom explained); a discussion plan with one opener, three Look, three Learn, and two Live questions; a timed one-hour plan; a closing prayer
- Adaptations: at least two ways in each session to include different learners and reading levels (read-aloud, pairs, pictures, retelling, key-verse cards), with no one required to read aloud
- Leader and care notes: welcome and group covenant; the I don't know, let's find out plan; content notices for any painful parts; and get-help-now steps (staff or chaplain inside; 911 or 988 outside)
- Teach-back: teach one session for 20 minutes to classmates using teaching note cards, with at least two peer evaluation forms collected
- Self-evaluation and reflection (one page): what went well, what you would change, how you stayed faithful to the text and under authority, and how you might someday raise up a co-leader
Timeline
- Module 4: choose the passage, divide into four sessions, overview, and Session One observations
- Module 5: study notes, big ideas, and questions for Sessions One and Two
- Module 6: Sessions Three and Four, timed plans, and leader and care notes
- Module 7: adaptations, 20-minute teaching plan, note cards, and practice
- Module 8: teach-back, peer and self evaluation, reflection, and submission
Grading Rubrics
Grading Rubrics
Every rubric uses the same four levels. Your instructor will mark the level that best matches your work for each row and add a short comment.
Module Assignment Rubric
| Criterion | Excellent (4) | Proficient (3) | Developing (2) | Beginning (1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Completeness | Every required part is done | Most required parts are done | About half the parts are done | Little of the assignment is done |
| Accuracy & Skill | Skills applied correctly with no significant errors | Minor errors that do not affect the result | Several errors that affect the result | Major errors throughout |
| Professional Quality | Neat, clear, and ready for an employer to see | Clear with small issues | Hard to follow in places | Unclear or disorganized |
| Effort & Growth | Went beyond the minimum or clearly improved | Solid, consistent effort | Minimal effort | Little evidence of effort |
Total possible: 16 points.
Reflection Journal Rubric
Journals are graded on effort and reflection, never on spelling, grammar, or the details of a personal story.
| Criterion | Excellent (4) | Proficient (3) | Developing (2) | Beginning (1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Completion | Responds fully to every part of the prompt | Responds to most of the prompt | Responds to part of the prompt | Entry missing or one line |
| Connection to Lesson | Clearly applies the week's skill or idea | Mentions the lesson | Vague link to the lesson | No link to the lesson |
| Faith Reflection | Thoughtfully engages the Scripture or faith theme | Engages the faith theme | Brief mention of faith theme | Does not address the faith theme |
| Personal Application | Names a specific next step or change | Names a general next step | Next step is unclear | No next step |
Total possible: 16 points.
Participation Rubric
Scored at the end of each module. Average the eight scores for the Attendance & Participation grade.
| Criterion | Excellent (4) | Proficient (3) | Developing (2) | Beginning (1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance & Punctuality | Present and on time for the full session | Present; late or left early once | Missed part of the session more than once | Absent without make-up work |
| Preparation | Completed assignment and brought workbook every time | Usually prepared | Sometimes prepared | Rarely prepared |
| Engagement | Contributes thoughtfully and draws others in | Contributes regularly | Contributes when asked | Seldom contributes, even when invited |
| Respect & Covenant | Models the classroom covenant for others | Follows the covenant consistently | Needs occasional reminders | Needs frequent reminders |
Total possible: 16 points.
Final Project Rubric: Four-Session Bible Study Guide & Teach-Back
| Criterion | Excellent (4) | Proficient (3) | Developing (2) | Beginning (1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faithful Study | Accurate observations and interpretations in context; cross-references used well; KJV quoted accurately; no added or twisted meanings | Mostly accurate with minor gaps | Some out-of-context or unsupported interpretations | Little study evident, or meaning seriously misrepresented |
| Discussion Questions | All four sessions have open, clear, text-based, safe Look, Learn, and Live questions in the required numbers | Minor gaps in number or quality | Many yes-or-no, unclear, or prying questions | Missing |
| Inclusion & Care | Thoughtful adaptations each session; no forced reading; content notices and get-help-now steps correct | Adequate adaptations and care notes | Adaptations or care notes thin or unclear | Missing, or plan shames learners or misses safety steps |
| Teach-Back | Warm welcome, clear reading and big idea, good questions, includes every learner, faithful to the passage, about 20 minutes | Solid session with minor issues | Unclear, rushed, or off the passage in places | Did not teach |
| Evaluation & Reflection | Peer evaluations collected; honest self-evaluation; reflection addresses faithfulness, authority, and raising up others | Complete with some general statements | Brief or missing parts | Missing |
Total possible: 20 points.
Quick Guide
Bible Study Leader's Quick Guide
Keep this guide with your important papers after release.
Get Help Now
If anyone talks about suicide or self-harm, threatens harm, describes abuse, or has a medical emergency: Inside: tell staff or the chaplain immediately. Outside: call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, U.S.), or call 911 for immediate danger. Stay with the person if it is safe. Never promise to keep danger a secret. A Bible study leader is not a counselor; get her to the right help.
Observe, Interpret, Apply
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Observe | What does it say? Who, what, when, where, why, how. Repeated words, commands, promises, therefore. |
| Interpret | What does it mean? Context, kind of writing, cross-references, plain meaning, humility. |
| Apply | How should I live it? A truth to believe, a promise to trust, a command to obey, a prayer to pray. Specific, faithful, gentle. |
Look, Learn, Live Questions
- ☐ Look: What does verse 8 say Naomi told them to do?
- ☐ Learn: Why do you think Ruth chose to stay?
- ☐ Live: How could we show loyal love this week?
- ☐ Open, clear, tied to the text, not a guessing game
- ☐ Safe: never require personal stories
KJV Glossary
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| thee, thou, thy, thine | you, your (one person) |
| ye | you (more than one) |
| -eth / -est | he loveth = he loves; thou knowest = you know |
| hath, doth, saith | has, does, says |
| charity | love |
| conversation | conduct, way of life |
| suffer | allow, permit |
| prevent | go before |
| quick | living, alive |
| divers | various |
| verily / behold | truly / look |
| italic words | added by translators for smooth English |
One-Hour Study Plan
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| 0:00–0:05 | Welcome and opening prayer |
| 0:05–0:10 | Opener question |
| 0:10–0:15 | Read the passage aloud (leader or volunteers) |
| 0:15–0:45 | Look, Learn, and Live questions |
| 0:45–0:55 | Big idea and one application |
| 0:55–1:00 | Prayer and preview |
Short Devotional
- ☐ Read It: read a short passage aloud
- ☐ Say It: the big idea in one sentence
- ☐ Show It: one picture or example
- ☐ Live It: one gentle application
- ☐ Pray It: a short prayer from the passage
Hard Moments
- ☐ Can't answer? “I don't know. Let's find out.”
- ☐ Off topic? Put it in the parking lot
- ☐ Disagreement? Return to the text; essentials vs. disputable matters
- ☐ Painful passage? Give notice; anyone may pass or step out
- ☐ Disclosure of danger? Stop gently and get help now
Every Learner Welcome
- ☐ Never call on anyone to read aloud without asking
- ☐ Leader reads; volunteers welcome
- ☐ Pairs, pictures, retelling, key-verse cards
- ☐ Large print when available
- ☐ Praise insight, not speed
My Contacts
Chaplain: ____________________ Pastor or church contact: ____________________
Inside contact for emergencies (role): ____________________
Approved study location and time: ____________________
My co-leader (first initial): ________ Next passage to study: ____________________
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.— Philippians 1:6 (KJV)
Final Exam
- 1.
Second Timothy 3:16 says all scripture is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and:
- 2.
Psalm 119:105 calls God's Word:
- 3.
In Luke 24:27, Jesus expounded in all the scriptures:
- 4.
The Old Testament has how many books?
- 5.
Which kind of writing is the book of Psalms?
- 6.
In the KJV, *thou* and *thee* mean:
- 7.
In the KJV, *charity* usually means:
- 8.
The three steps of inductive Bible study are:
- 9.
The best first tool for understanding a verse is:
- 10.
A concordance helps you:
- 11.
Which is the best discussion question?
- 12.
When asked a question she cannot answer, a leader should say:
- 13.
Before reading a passage that describes violence or abuse, a leader should:
- 14.
Mark 4:33 says Jesus spoke the word to people:
- 15.
If someone outside a facility tells you she has a plan to end her life, you should:
- 16.
A Bible study leader should never force anyone to read aloud.
- 17.
Study notes and commentaries carry the same authority as Scripture.
- 18.
Bible study leaders serve under the authority of Scripture and the guidance of the local church or chaplain.
- 19.
Name the five steps of a short devotional used in this course and explain one of them.
- 20.
How does 2 Timothy 2:2 shape the way a Bible study leader thinks about her group?