MAKE VISUAL AIDS

By George Card

Many items mentioned in the Bible are unavailable.  Neither can we go to the original places to see the events unfolding.  That is why sometimes we need some visual representation, to help us understand the Bible better. Some Christian bookstores sell excellent visual aids, and they are usually cheap to buy however many times you need a visual tailored to your own specific needs.  The following are some of the ways to make your own visual aids. Making your own visual aids is a way to study the Bible by doing an actual hands-on activity.

Collections: Many items mentioned in the Bible can still be found today.  Things like spices, flowers, musical instrument, etc.  Find items mentioned in a story or chapter and put them in a small plastic bag or put them together in a shoebox.

Models: Some items can be made from plaster, clay, or some other material. You can try to make a biblical item or you can be creative and reproduce whole villages with twigs, toothpicks or paper.

Diagrams: Are usually made for chronologies, relations, and comparisons. They are easy to make with a ruler and a blank piece of paper.  You might try copying formats found in Bible handbooks.

Charts: There are many bible charts already premade, for the most popular subjects, but the bible subjects are so many that you can create your own charts.

Flashcards: There are some bible flashcards in the market, but you can make you very own. If you have drawing ability great, otherwise use pictures or drawings that others have created.

Drawings: Can be used to give an idea of what an object or situation looked liked. If you are no artist you might try coping the items you need from other drawings, using skin onion paper or carbon paper, and then combine them. When you finish with the final draft make a Xerox copy.

Maps: Help us to understand the flow of events and history of the land.  It also helps us to track some character life.  You can make a copy from an atlas and then mark events and notes in it. You can even trace a map and make your own special map.

Photo Pictures: Can give us more accurate information than any drawing or description could.  Take pictures of items mentioned in the Bible, this could make your Bible study more interesting.  These pictures can be kept in a special photo album.

Collage: If you have old magazines or books with pictures, perhaps you can create a collage about a subject in the Bible.

Slides, Films strips, and Videos: There are few videos designed for personal Bible study, and their quality is usually poor.  However their number and quality are bound to increase in the coming years.  You could also make your own to teach others or to remind yourself of what you have learned. Making your own teaching video requires expensive equipment, but you might be able to borrow or rent a video camera.

Creating visual aids for studying the Bible is only limited by your imagination.