1. Briefly and as clearly as possible define parable. You may consult a dictionary (be sure to cite sources).
2. Elaborate on your definition of parable by explaining it in your own words, at greater length and detail.
3. Provide an example of a parable. Students will choose one parable from the list provided below and prepare a modern day parable based on the selected text. In other words, rewrite the parable using modern language and modern life for a contemporary audience.
The Soil and Sower
EXAMPLE
Luke 12:54-56 The Parable of the Weather Signs
Sample Rewrite-While waiting on the rain to stop, several carpenters and plumbing contractors were gathered in the local hardware store discussing how their projects were going. One of the carpenters, Ima Clueless, said that several of his co-workers had not been behaving the same. They stopped showing up to work late and started putting in a full day. Several of the other contractors gathered around the cash register had similar experiences. They expressed their concerns over recent events because they had no explanations for sudden change in behavior among their co-workers.
As rain stopped, the subject turned to golf. Ima Clueless said that due to recent rains the course would not be dry enough to play on until the middle of the week. A new contractor at the hardware store, Really Perceptive, interrupted asking, "How can you know the condition of the golf course and not know how to understand your employees? You should put as much or more effort into your work as you put into your golf game.
Provide an illustration - a picture, chart, graph, etc. - of your parable rewrite. The purpose of the illustration is to clarify your rewrite by giving the reader something he or she can picture in his or her mind.