Seek Truth

Throughout the year, the sixth graders have been full of questions about the Bible.  I knew I couldn't just brush them aside - they were great questions worth answering!  But, with only a 30-minute class meeting 3 times a week, I knew that we didn't have time to engage in off-topic discussion every class period.  So, I decided to hang a poster in the classroom to record their questions.  Whenever one of these big ideas would arise, I'd respond, "Why don't you write that on our class poster?"  Soon, students weren't even asking their questions aloud!  They just quietly snuck over to the poster and added to our growing list.

While this was an effective classroom management tool, it couldn't end there.  Their questions were too important, too personal to let that happen.  After all, a quiet, uninvolved class was never the point.  I determined that this wouldn't be a poster where the questions would die, but rather one where new thoughts could be sparked and learning could continue!  I wanted each student to be able to dig deeper and really wrestle with one of the topics that had arisen.

So began the idea for the Investigative Research project.  Each student would come up with a question or select one from our poster to independently research.  Their questions were thoughtful and challenging…
- Did God feel Jesus' pain on the cross?
- If God knows past, present, and future, why does He make bad people and let bad things happen?
- Why did God create the world if He knew He was going to end it?
- What will heaven be like?
- Is there evidence about God/Jesus besides the Bible?

I knew I couldn't manage this kind of project alone, so I recruited the help of others from the community.  These six "coaches" brought their Bible commentaries, patient guidance, and genuine enthusiasm for knowing God's Word.  What a delight it was to listen to the conversations between these adults and their small groups of students during the research process!  (A big thank-you to Jonathan, Jordan, Emily, Jen, Mary Lou, and Barb!)

The sixth graders were given the opportunity to share their findings with the class after a week of gathering and processing information.  The presentation was not a requirement since some of their research was more personal.  I was impressed with the students' creativity in sharing their conclusions with paragraphs, posters, and PowerPoint!

While their classmates presented, the students recorded further questions that came to their minds based on these topics... leaving us with even more questions than we had started with!  I explained that this is a never-ending cycle.  We will never know everything this side of heaven, but we are called to keep seeking truth and pursuing Christ our whole lives long!  I was personally challenged by the words I heard coming out of my mouth.  I want my life to be marked by a deep commitment to knowing and loving Jesus.  And I pray the same will be true of each of these sixth graders as they leave my classroom in a few short weeks.