How2: Adapt Curriculum for your Context

COMPLETE: Adapting What Someone Else Wrote

Here’s the thing, published curriculum and lessons are generalized and not for specific groups. Even if you like to use what someone else has done, you always need to rework it to fit your particular context.

1. Pick a lesson or curriculum that someone else has written that you think your youth need to hear.
2. Read through everything.
3. Highlight the important elements.
4. Draw a line through whatever you believe is not needed.
5. Add notes, questions, or statements that you believe are relevant.
6. Are there additional scripture texts that you believe are relevant?
7. Is there a tie-in between the lesson and your particular group, like a story?
8. Is there an activity, game, or video that would introduce the lesson?
9. Do you want this to be for the whole group or small groups? Depending on how you want to teach this lesson will depend on how you break everything down. If you are doing small groups it can be helpful to provide the small group leaders with necessary notes about the biblical text.
10. Rewrite everything.
11. Take this new lesson to your coach to get their feedback. It also might be good to show the lesson to an adult who knows the youth well and get their feedback as well.
12. Create a handout for your youth to go with the lesson.
13. Create a “Talk About” Sheet for the parents so that they know what was discussed. This can be as simple as an email, a postcard, etc.
14. Teach the lesson.
15. Remember to watch for verbal and nonverbal clues from your youth about whether or not they are confused or still listening/involved.
16. Get feedback from a couple of youth or adults about the lesson.