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Parent Guide

Why is this study so important?

The Bible descirbes the Great Flood that took place in the days of Noah when all the animals and most of the plants were destroyed by this judgment of God. The tragedy of this story is explained by this little aardvark who led the animal procession into the ark.

It is hard for us to imagine what took place when the flood waters rose up and covered the earth with water and mud. Only those animals on the ark survived to replenish the earth. It must have been a frightening experience for them and yet we know that God took care of all their needs.

Today, all of the animals we see are descendents of the creatures that were aboard the ark of Noah. God's provision aboard the ark of safety provides us with the opportunity to see and enjoy all of the marvelous animals that abide in our world today. Even our precious pets that we love are here because Noah built the ark just as God commanded him to do.

How to use this study

As you read this Story to or with your children, point to the pictures that illustrate the story so your children begin to associate the words with the actions.

By reviewing the Video with your child and by asking questions and reinforcing the truths and values in the film as detailed in this guide, you will be placing these concepts into your child's mind so that they are reinforced each and every time your child watches and enjoys this film.

The Audio can be copied to your computer where you can then transfer it to a CD or a portable media device such as an MP3 player. Then you can take the story with you. Remember to make this learning experience fun for you and your child.

The Coloring Book and the activities in the Student Guide are also designed to teach and reinforce those same Biblical truths.

The Quiz will allow you the opportunity to see what your child has learned from experience, so that you will be able to apply these truths to your child's daily walk with God. These questions can be asked in a conversational manner rather then like a test if you so desire.

Talk with your child about this Biblical story and what it means to them in order to reinforce these truths. This will lead to a proper understaning and application of this story to your children's daily walk with the Lord.

What are we learning?

As we learn about the Flood we also learn the importance of living our lives in faithfulness to God as Noah did. God sent the Flood as pnishment upon sinful man. Judgment will come again upon all men and we must be prepared to stand before God.

Because of God's judgment in the flood, conditions on the earth drastically changed and the lifespan of man was shortened, which would also affect the growth of large reptiles. Man also became a hunter and ate meat for the first time after the flood. This event known as the flood, led to the demise of the great reptiles. Once again, the sinfulness of man had a great effect on nature and the whole earth as well. Sinful man was destroyed in this devastating judgment of God. The results of this judgment can be seen in the fossil remains of dead animals and plants all over the earth. The dinosaur is no more, only their small cousins remain. One day man will live no more on this earth as a result of the final judgement of God upon mankind. Will you be ready?

As God tells us to live for Him and to obey Him, we need to do it. As man disobeyed God, the whole world changed and mankind was judged for their sin. Sin can only be conquered through God's Son, Jesus Christ, who had to die on the cross in our place, so that through faith in Him we have eternal life.

When we obey God's command, we are doing God's will, which is the only wise way to go if we are to grow in the Lord. After all, true wisdom comes from God and is gained by following Him each day, being faithful to His Holy Word. And we need to apply this truth daily.

Learning Objective

Sin has consequences. The consequences for those living in Noah's day was death by a flood. Although God has said He won't destroy the earth by flood again, sinners won't escape judgment. In fact, they will one day face eternal punishment and torment when they are thrown into the fires of Hell. Noah lived in direct contrast to those people around him. He was spared the consequences of the flood because he believed and obeyed God. In the same way Noah was spared, people today who believe and obey God will also be spared.

Scripture Reference

Genesis 6-9

The Application

The faithfulness of Noah is in sharp contrast to many other men and women in the Bible. Because Noah did what God asked him to do, we have the opportunity and the priviledge of enjoying today the wonderful animals that God created in the begining.

Man's sin and disobedience was so great, that God sent this great flood to wash them all away. Noah and his family were apared as were thouse creatures that Noah took with him on the ark. Again, we can see the high price of sin and the judgment of God upon the wickedness of man. But we also see God's love and provision for the future by providing an ark of safety to preserve life upon this earth. Because Noah obeyed God and built the ark, we can enjoy even the aardvarks until this very day. And, of course, we need to follow Noah's example and do what God asks us to do and live for him, each and every day as well.

Performance Objective

To see this truth live in our children, we must teach by both word and example. We need to remind them of the dinosaurs and what happened to them and to us as a result of man's wickedness and what happens in our own lives when we sin. To see a true change in our children's actions we must make the story real. We must also keep the application alive by constantly reinforcing this concept whenever and wherever the opportunity arises so that we will achieve our goal of a life-changing attitude geared toward Eternal Values for wich we will all be held accountable when we stand before God.

Spiritual Application

Our purpose of making the Scriptures come alive can only be accomplished if the application is kept simple and these truths are understood. Thus we accomplish our spiritual objective by explaining the eternal consequences of our daily actions.

The story of Noah is sometimes discussed as an isolated event of the past, but it has far reaching results. We must teach the consequences of sin and understand the result in our own lives, so that our children will comprehend the importance of obeying God and the dangers of sin in their lives.

By watching this film and by using the Student Guide, children will learn by repetition and reinforcement. You will have the opportunity to explain, discuss and apply these spiritual truths in a real and meaningful manner that will truly have an eternal effect on your child's life. Then and only then can we instill in our children the importance of faithfully living for God each day as did Noah.

Vocabulary Words

As an added learning objective, a vocabulary test or quiz can be created from the story. Such a test could be difficult using words like "faithful" and "grace" or very simple using words like "rain" and "ark", depending on your child's age. The "words to live by" section of the Student Guide provides an excellent beginning point for a vocabulary test as well as a way to test your child's comprehension of the subject at hand.

Spelling Words

A similar test or quiz could be given on the vocabulary words mentioned above or on different words to challenge your child's spelling ability and to enhance the learning process. The level of difficulty and the number of words selected is up to you, but the more you utilize the tools provided in this series and reinforce these truths, the more you can expect living results in your child's actions and attitudes.

It is not necessary to force these activities on your child as tests in the formal sense, but you can make a game of it as somthing new to learn or a special fun time. These tests on vocabulary words or spelling do not need to be given at the same time or all at once. A few words each day while riding in the car or even while waiting in a line at some event, not only provides your child with an additional learning experience, but also opens the door to further discussion and allows you to emphasize again the important Biblical truths related to us by the story "The Aardvark in the Ark".

Some things to remember

The following questions are given to help your children understand the truths that are presented in "The Aardvark in the Ark" and why it is important that we remember these truths and obey God each day.

Discuss these questions with your children and have them write down their answers on a separate piece of paper or talk about them with you. Be sure that they understand how to apply these main truths.

How does God view sin?

What was the result of man's sin in these days before the flood?

How does this sin affect you in modern times?

How was Noah different than other people of his day?

What did Noah do for us by building the Ark?

Noah and his family were saved because they were in the Ark. How does this relate to salvation in the Lord?

How should you live your life each day?

What did you learn from "The Aardvark in the Ark" that will help you to be faithful.

How will this help you each day as you obey God and live for Him?