Our Adventist Heritage

Who are we as Adventists? Where have we come from, as a church? We know that it is by looking back that we can see how God has lead.

There are incredible stories of faith and heroism demonstrated in the lives of our early Adventist pioneers. Many of our spiritual ancestors endured bitter cold, oppressive heat, rain, snow, poor-quality and scanty food, smoke-filled accommodations, and separation from family in order to take the gospel to far regions by boat, sleigh, train, buggy, and foot. How did a handful of mostly non-wealthy visionaries build churches and establish publishing houses, hospitals, and schools in the early days of our Adventist movement? The miracle stories of God’s intervention coupled with the faith and sacrifice of His people abound!

Many years ago, the Atlantic Union Conference Teacher Bulletin produced a resource unit for teachers on Adventist History. Those materials are reprinted here – as part of a compilation of stories, activities and resources about our Seventh-day Adventist pioneers.

Special thanks go to The White Estate, and Adventist Heritage Ministry for helping to update our information and for giving permission to integrate their materials.

Previous volumes of The Teacher Bulletin have additional units/resources.
• James White – Volume 1
• Pathways of the Pioneers a four part series
  Volumes 3, 4, 5, 6

 Astronomy: SMART Unit

Welcome to an amazing tour of the Big Universe! As you journey with me through this Astronomy Cross Curricular Unit, you’ll find materials that cater to K-8 teachers who are dedicated to helping their students make connections.

This unit was developed to support the Science Management and Resource Tool (SMART) which provides teachers with the opportunity to provide interactive instructions for specific science topics. An integrated / thematic approach to teaching science was used in the development of this unit. Have fun and feel free to adapt the materials to fit your needs.

 Classroom Management

The term classroom management refers to the procedures, strategies and instructional techniques that are used to manage student behavior and learning activities. Laying the foundation for positive behavior, preparedness and structure will create an atmosphere of mutual respect and enthusiasm for learning. A classroom that is chaotic as a result of poor management not only does not enhance learning, it might even inhibit it.

The creation of rules and procedures is an important aspect of classroom management. Rules identify general expectations or standards regarding student behavior and procedures communicate expectations for specific behaviors. Research has shown that the beginning of the school year is the most appropriate time to establish rules and procedures. What you do on the first days of school will determine your success or failure for the rest of the year.

 Cross Reference - A Biblical Study

The Bible studies in this unit address the fundamental beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in a cross-centered approach. In Gospel Workers, p. 315, Ellen White wrote that "The Sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light that streams from the cross of Calvary." All eighteen studies are introduced with readings from one or more of the gospels that either directly or indirectly serves as a launching pad or orientation from which the doctrines can be studied and appreciated.

 Writing Cross-Curricular Units

The genesis of this project came when Southern New England Conference academy principals were looking for an in-service activity that would be a practical, productive, and profitable use of their pre-school time. What evolved was both interesting and exciting for the planners and the participants. The actual project was spread out over two in-service days, but can easily be done in one concentrated 8-hour day if time is short.

Three groups from three different schools in the Southern New England (Browning Elementary, Greater Boston Academy, and South Lancaster Academy) met together initially for orientation and instruction, but quickly broke into the school groups that would eventually be working together to carry out the projects they were planning. At the end of the sessions, five cross-curricular units had been created, four for academy and one for grades 5-8.

What follows is the two-day schedule we followed collapsed into one (intensive) day in order to minimize planning time and maximize the energy that comes from collaborating within your school.

The sample lessons are presented here in power point so you can use them as presentations for a group of teachers or handouts for individual teachers.

 From Kites to Space

The United States Since 1945: Man’s first steps on the moon, discoveries of dazzling new galaxies, the invention of incredible technology, the Vietnam War, and the Civil Rights movement: greatly different topics, and all have taken place since 1945.

This multipart unit is designed to help you examine and teach the years of US History from 1945 to the present. It is based on the SoSmart materials, Year 4, Quarter 4.

 Heroes with a Mission

In this world, there are many individuals who are considered heroes. However, Christians should have a different understanding of what characteristics define a hero. Heroes, as recognized by a Christian worldview, should demonstrate Christ-like qualities, such as patience, unselfishness, and humility. The fruits of the spirit should be seen in these heroes’ lives.

Many Bible characters exemplify Christ-like standards, but Christians today can also find inspiration by learning about the heroic lives of historic and modern missionaries. These heroes have a purpose and a mission in life to spread the gospel and help those around them. Missionaries don’t have to live in exotic locations in order to witness, though; we can be missionaries in our own towns simply by being active examples for Christ. No matter where a missionary is found, it is important for him or her to understand the people to whom they will minister, identify the needs of these people, acclimate themselves to their chosen mission area, and have an active prayer life. All of these tools will enable a missionary to be a heroic servant for Christ in a world of darkness.

 Make it Count

The North American Division Integrated Units of Study is an instructional model which integrates several curriculum subject areas around a central theme. Each unit in the program incorporates weekly topics, daily components, key points, inquiries, and social action. Rather than each subject being taught in a separate period, the content material correlates to the unit theme and is interwoven into each subject area. Make it Count is the first unit - and has been modified for the Teacher Bulletin.

NOTE: Teacher Bulletin has been granted permission by the North American Division to include these valuable units in Volume 9 so the hours of labor and dedication of the writers might be shared with educators around the world.

Curriculum and Essential Learnings
Each unit integrates instruction in Directed Reading, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies. Students also incorporate social skills development, character building, and service experiences throughout the unit. The North American Division Curriculum Guides provides the basis for instruction in these subjects. The essential learnings for grades 5-8 provide the instructional goals and objectives. Teachers should assess the prior knowledge of students and the skill level of the activity. Monitoring should continue throughout the year to assess the need for additional skill and/or content lessons. The essential learnings from the NAD Curriculum Guides are outlined at the beginning of each unit.

Role of Textbooks and Other Sources
The material presented in each unit forms the core of the Integrated Units Curriculum. North American Division adopted textbooks provide valuable resources and should be provided in the classroom. In addition, teachers are strongly encouraged to provide a variety of other source materials such as the Internet, email, CD-ROMS, literature trade books, and newspapers.

 Math for Science

This unit lays the foundation for solving mathematical problems that occur in science courses. The goals are that students will learn how to:
• Maneuver with the metric system.
• Solve for any component of a formula/equation.
• Set up basic linear equations to convert units.
• Negotiate from one temperature scale to another.
• Identify the correct number of significant digits.
• Use and understand numbers in either decimal or scientific notation formats.

This unit is intended for junior high or high school students taking any science course. The unit can be used as an introduction to any of the laboratory sciences like chemistry, biology, physical science, or physics because it deals with significant digits, scientific notation, density, metric system, and unit conversions. This material, because it is math focused, can also be used for students taking pre-algebra, algebra, or geometry. It covers math topics such as: scientific notation, unit conversions/dimensional analysis, metric conversions, and manipulation of formulas/equations.

Each lesson folder contains:
• Lesson Plan
• Presentation Outline Notes
• Power Point Presentation Notes
• Student Presentation Notes
• Worksheet(s)
• Handout(s)
• PRS Quiz
• Quiz
• Answer Keys with Grading Rubrics
• Video Presentation

 Monthly Magazines

These monthly magazines have been specifically designed for teachers in a Christian setting. Each magazine is full of material focused on a theme for the month. Complete with holiday fun, you will find yourself looking forward to using the themed activities each month.

 Sin and Judgement in Puritan America

“Sin and Judgment in Puritan America” is a comprehensive unit about sin and separation (from God and fellow man), law and justice, the good news of the gospel which offers forgiveness and salvation from guilt and broken relationships.

This unit has been planned for an eleventh grade American Literature class. The unit may run thirty-eight days — if the teacher chooses to utilize all activities.

 Techie Math

Although no one knows exactly on which day God created Math, it’s been around a long time. Of course the formal subjects of Algebra, Pre-Calculus, and Trigonometry aren’t quite as old. But even 15 years ago, neither teachers nor students were performing calculations using technology that’s available today.

It’s still important for students to understand the concepts behind the math in these subjects, before diving into the technology. Perhaps the math ideas in these areas can be reinforced, emphasized, enhanced, or further explored using one of today’s technology – a TI-83/84 graphing calculator.

Put the graph paper down. Toss the straight edge aside. Return the free calculator you get from the bank when you open a savings account. Then witness the power and fun of a graphing calculator!

 The Teacher Bulletin Vol 9 Team