Measuring Noah's Ark: A Hands-On Activity for Grades 4-8
How often do we see pictures of cute little boats with giraffes and elephants lazily peeking out the windows of Noah's Ark? While this portrayal is definitely cute in children's books, as your students get older, it's important to help them picture more closely what the Bible says about the Ark.
Depending on the age of your class, a discussion of cubits and the multiplication process to get to feet might go over their heads. So, suffice it to say, the Ark was approximately 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. If you have older students, I highly suggest taking them outside to a large parking lot or field to measure the length and width of Noah's Ark using 100-foot and 25-foot lengths of ribbon. This is an experience they will never forget!
The Ark was approximately 45 feet high—the height of a four-story building! If your building has two stories, take even your young ones outside, ask them to look up, and imagine two buildings stacked on each other. That was how tall the Ark was!
If you want to make your own smaller-sized Ark cut to scale, this piece of wood is two and a half inches wide, one and a half inches tall, and 15 inches in length. Glue a small wood strip at the top to represent the 18-inch window opening, and then paint it completely black for the pitch protecting the Ark. The black felt at the top serves as the roof.
Remind your students that this Ark was meant only to float; it didn't have to sail anywhere, but it was very seaworthy indeed!
This is Becky from Experience the Bible Creatively, reminding you that props are always better than paper!
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