JONAH

Developing Reading Skills

Student’s Workbook

Lynn Stapleton

1
 Introduction
Reading is not a passive experience. It is important to read actively in order to read well. We must
continually be asking questions of the author, the passage, and ourselves. Before we begin, we should ask
questions such as, “What do I already know about the topic? What questions do I have for the author?
What do I predict the passage will be about?”
While we read, we need to interact with the passage by asking questions such as, “What is the
main idea? Why did that character act like that?” The questioning does not stop when we finish reading
the passage; rather, our understanding will become clearer as we continue to ask questions. This
workbook will guide you by suggesting questions for you to think about as you read, by helping you
interpret what you read, and by encouraging you to apply the passage in a personal and meaningful way.
This strategy is based on the observation–interpretation–application approach to reading and this
curriculum is an introduction to this process in a workbook format based on the biblical book of Jonah.
Observation is one of the most basic and useful skills we can acquire. It is the ability to “see”. We
think we “see” as we walk down the street. But if we ask ourselves some questions, we discover that we
did not “see” as much as we may think we did. How many people did I pass as I walked down the street?
What was the weather like? What noises did I hear? Did I smell anything delicious or unpleasant?
In order to remember, integrate, and apply lessons, we must develop the practice of “seeing”,
observing, and digging deeper. If we stay on the surface of life, we miss the deeper truths. The same is
true of reading. We must practice and develop the art of “seeing” while we read. A quick look at the
newspaper headlines does not provide us with details and analysis of the event. Neither does a brief
reading of the Bible provide us with spiritual food that can transform our lives and deepen our
relationship with Christ.
So how do we “see”? The first step is to observe the passage. This can be done by asking
questions of the passage, paying attention to details, watching the progression of action, noting changes in
characters. At times this may require rereading the passage several times, but if we develop the skills of
observation, we will begin to see more clearly and more deeply right away. When we practice these skills
and allow them to become a habit, we become better readers.
Observation is the most time consuming and important of the three skills. It is the foundation on
which the building is constructed. It must be strong and true, or the building will collapse. But the
building blocks are important too. These are the skills of interpretation. How do we begin to interpret? By
asking questions, questions, and more questions. The context of the passage encourages us to ask about its
place in history, geography, culture, and literature. The vocabulary directs us to lexicons, translations, and
thesauri. Theological questions arise, research is required, comparison of authors is needed, and the list
goes on. Interpretation builds on the foundation of observation by asking the question, “What does the
passage mean?”
After the building is constructed, the application process can begin. We can now ask the question,
“What does the passage mean to me?” Only after we have done thorough observation and accurate
interpretation can we reflect on the passage, apply it to specific situations, integrate it into our lives, and
share it with others.

The appendix of this workbook includes the biblical account of Jonah in the New International
Version. The questions in the workbook are based on this version.

Copyright © 2009 by Lynn Stapleton

Cannot be reproduced for profit
All rights reserved

2
 Table of Contents

Lesson One, Chapter 1:1-9 ……………………………………………….... 4

Lesson Two, Chapter 1:10-17 …………………………………………..…. 9

Lesson Three, Chapter 2 ……………………………………………….…... 12

Lesson Four, Chapter 3 ……………………………………………….….... 16

Lesson Five, Chapter 4 ……………………………………………….……. 19

Lesson Six, Post-reading the book …………………………………….…... 22

Appendix: Jonah, New International Version ……………………….…… 23

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LESSON ONE

Before you read

Activate prior knowledge – What do I already know?
You have probably heard of the story of Jonah before.
List 3 things you already know about Jonah.

Anticipate – What do I want to learn?

It is good to think ahead about why you are reading a passage or book.
List 3 things you want to learn about Jonah.

While you read Chapter 1:1

1:1-
:1-9
Observation: What does the passage say?
Key words
What are some of the repeated words or phrases in this passage?

What are some of the pronouns of these key words that are used in this passage?

Synonyms are words that have similar meaning.

What are synonyms for the following words in this passage?
storm:
run away:
calamity:

Why does an author use synonyms?

How can identifying synonyms help you in your reading?

4
Ws&H – Who, What, Where, When, Why, How
WHO is the main character in this story?
How do you know this?

Who are the other characters in the story?

WHAT two things does God tell Jonah to do?

WHERE does the main action take place?

What other places are named?

WHE# do these events take place?

When does God send Jonah to Nineveh? (Look for a cause or event, not a date)

When does the storm take place?

WHY does God want Jonah to go to Nineveh?

HOW does Jonah respond to God’s command?

Discuss the Ws&H from the point of view of the sailors:

Who are the sailors?

What happens to the sailors?

What do the sailors do?

Why?

Where?

When?

How do the sailors feel?

So What? What is the result?

5
 Contrasting words and ideas
A contrast shows how two things are different. We often learn more about an idea when it is
contrasted with its opposite.
What are the clue words that show contrast in this passage?

What are some contrasting words and ideas in this passage?

Cause and Effect

Identifying words and phrases that show the causes and their results helps us to follow the
progression of the passage.
What are the clue words that show cause and effect in this passage?

What are some cause and effect ideas in this passage?

Paraphrase
Paraphrasing is retelling the story in your own words.
Your version may be longer or shorter than the original passage.
You cannot change the main ideas, but you can change the words.

*Paraphrase these 9 verses. (Use another sheet of paper)

Summary
Summarizing is briefly stating the main idea.
What is the main idea in these 9 verses?

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After you read
Interpretation: What does the passage mean?
Going Deeper
Always be asking questions of the passage.
Sometimes the answers are found within the text that you are reading.
At other times you must look outside the text for the answers.

Write 3 questions that you would like to explore, but are not answered in this text
Remember the grammar rules in forming questions correctly!

Describe in your own words

*Write one sentence describing each of the characters in this chapter.
Jonah:

God:

Captain:

Sailors:

Application: What does the passage mean to me?

Discussion Think about these questions and then discuss them in small groups.
What have you learned about God in this passage?

What have you learned about Jonah?

Compare v.3 and v.9 What do these verses tell you about the character of Jonah?

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*Mini-Research
#ineveh
What do you know about Nineveh from these 9 verses?

What else would you like to know? Create 3 questions.

Where would you find the answers to your questions?

Casting lots
What do you know about casting lots from these 9 verses?

What else would you like to know? Create 3 questions

Where would you find the answers to your questions?

Choose one of these topics to research. Use 2 different sources; one can be the internet, or you can use
two books as sources. The Bible cannot be one of the resources.

Write a paragraph about your topic based on your research.

You may not use any quotes. Paraphrase and summarize the information.

Cite the sources – include author, title, publisher, date, and page numbers.
For the internet source, write out the website, author, and date, if possible.

Be prepared to share your information with the class next week.

* Out of class assignment

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LESSON TWO
Before you read
Activate prior knowledge – What do I already know?
Review 1:1-9 by focused freewriting.
Write for 4 minutes about what you remember from Jonah 1:1-9.

Anticipate – What do I want to learn?

Write 2 questions that you would like answered in the second part of chapter 1.

As you read, look for the answers to your questions. If the passage does not answer your
questions, ask the follow up question: Why not? Sometimes we learn from the omission of
information as well as from the facts that are written.

While you read Chapter 1:10-

1:10-17
Observation: What does the passage say?
As you read the passage and answer these observation questions, be thinking about the
significance of each observation. Ask yourself, so what? So what that ‘sea’ is one of the key
words? Why does ‘sea’ play an important role in this passage?

Identify key words

Cause and effect

Ask yourself about the importance of the causes and their results. What is it significant about
throwing Jonah into the sea (the cause) that will result in calmness (the effect)?

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Contrasts
What is the significance of the author contrasting Jonah’s suggestion with the
sailors’ suggestion?

Time phrases
Why is a time phrase significant? What do you learn from this?

Ws&H
WHO are the main characters?

WHAT is happening?

WHERE does it all take place?

WHE# does it happen?

WHY does it happen?

HOW, in what manner, in what way does the main event take place?

SO WHAT? What is the result?

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 Summary
Summarize the passage in one sentence.

After you read

Interpretation: What does the passage mean?

Going Deeper
Always be asking questions of the passage.
Sometimes the answers are found within the text that you are reading.
Write 3 questions that are answered within the passage.
Exchange papers and answer the questions prepared by your partner.
.

At other times the answers are not found in the passage, and you must look outside the text for the
answers.
*Write 3 questions that you would like to explore, but are not answered in this text

*Choose one to research and write a paragraph discussing what you learned.
Do not use the Bible or quotes. Cite the resource appropriately.

Application: What does the passage mean to me?

*Reflection paragraph
Write about a time when you cried to God and He helped you.

* Out of class assignment

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LESSON THREE
Before you read
Activate prior knowledge – What do I already know?
Where is Jonah at the end of chapter 1?

Why is he there?

Anticipate - What do I want to learn?

Write 2 questions that you would like answered in chapter 2.

As you read, look for Jonah’s emotional response to his situation.

While
While you read Chapter 2
Contextual definitions
As you read, circle the vocabulary words that are hard for you to understand.

Using a dictionary can slow down your reading and distract from the flow of the passage.
Understanding the meaning from the context and using contextual clues can be helpful tools.
Look at possible synonyms, similar parts of speech, prefixes and suffixes, and grammatical usage
to guess the meaning of the words.

With a partner, compare your lists of vocabulary words and discuss possible meanings of the
words using clues from the context. What are the clues you used?

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 Observation: What does the passage say?
Another observation skill is listing.
Make a list of all that Jonah does and a list of all that God does.
JONAH GOD

Discussion
Compare these two lists. Do you see any connection, any insights, or any implications?
Discuss your insights with a partner.

Summarizing
Write a 1-2 sentence summary of Jonah’s prayer.

Write a 1-2 sentence summary of this chapter.

Are these two summaries the same?

After you read

Interpretation: What does the passage mean?
Going Deeper
Write 3 questions that you would like to explore, but are not answered in this text.

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 Context
Context is the setting in which something is told or found.
For instance, where would you find a bed in your house? A bedroom is the context for a bed.
In Bible study we need to think about the verses surrounding the passage we are studying and how
the passage fits in the big picture of the whole Bible.
Context includes:
• The place where something happens
• The time an event occurs
• The customs of the group of people involved
• The time in history an event occurred

Sometimes you discover all these things from just the verses you are studying. Other times you
have to study other passages of Scripture or consult outside resources. It’s always important to
examine the context because it helps you discover what the Bible is saying.

Discussion
Discuss the context of this prayer with a partner.
What might Jonah be smelling?
How much room does he have to stretch out?
What might be available for Jonah to eat?
How much light gets in?
How could Jonah tell how long he was in there?

Add some of your own questions about the context or situation Jonah was in.

How would you feel in the situation you just described?

This prayer is awesome when you realize the context (the stomach of a fish) in which it was prayed!
- Kay Arthur, “Wrong Way, Jonah”, p. 45-46.

*Analysis
Compare chapter 1:1-5 with chapter 2: 1-4.
What are the similarities and differences between these two passages?
Similarities:

Differences:

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Application: What does the passage mean to me?
Discuss the following questions in small groups.
What is Jonah’s attitude in this prayer?

What do you learn about Jonah from his prayer?

Would you respond in a similar way? Why, or why not?

*Writing
Jonah’s prayer is a very typical Hebrew prayer. It contains many of the elements common to Jewish
prayer. Four of those elements are:
Adoration – praising God for who He is
Confession – admitting sin in your life
Thanksgiving – telling God you are grateful for the things He has done for you
Supplication – asking God to help you or to help someone else
- Kay Arthur, “Wrong Way, Jonah”, p. 43.

Find examples of these elements in Jonah’s prayer.

Find a Psalm or a praise song (any Christian music) that also has all or some of these elements in it.

Using Jonah’s prayer as a model, write a prayer of your own using these four elements.

* Out of class assignment

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LESSON FOUR
Before you read
Activate prior knowledge – What do I already know?
Freewriting: Spend 5 minutes writing about what you remember from the book of Jonah.

Anticipate – What do I want to learn?

You are now familiar with Jonah and with the city of Nineveh.
What are some possible problems that Jonah may have?

What could happen to Jonah when he arrives in Nineveh?

While you read chapter 3

Observation: What does the passage say?
As you read and answer these observation questions, be thinking about the significance of each
observation. Ask yourself, so what? So what that the words ‘proclaim’ and ‘proclamation’ are
repeated several times?

Key words

Cause and effect

Ask yourself about the importance of each cause and effect. What is important about the
actions of the king after he heard the message?

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 Contrasts
Continuing with the question of significance, ask yourself what is contrasted with the king’s
royal robes and why is this important? What does it add to the overall picture of the passage?

Time phrases
There are many time phrases in this passage. Why? What is significant about each one? What
do these time phrases add to the description and story?

Ws&H

Lists

Summarize
Summarize chapter 3 in one sentence.

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After you read
Interpretation: What does the passage mean?

Going Deeper
Write 3 questions that you would like to explore, but are not answered in this text.

Where would you find the answers?

Interview the King of Nineveh

Create 5 questions that you would ask the king during an interview.
Ex. ‘I notice, O King, that you are dressed differently today. Why is that?
What did you do when you heard Jonah’s message?’
-Kay Arthur, “Wrong Way, Jonah”, p.58.

Exchange papers with a partner and answer the questions appropriately.

(Respond using correct verb tenses!)

Application: What does the passage mean to me?

*Even though the word, ‘repent’ is not used in chapter 3, this chapter is generally understood as a
description of the repentance of Nineveh.
Using only what you have observed in chapter 3, explain the meaning of ‘repent’.
(Begin with the Ws&H, then write up your observation in a paragraph.

Reflection Paper
*Write a personal reflection paper on any topic from this chapter. The first paragraph should
introduce the topic you choose, and explain or describe the topic to the reader. The second and
third paragraph should be personal reflection, application, or interaction on the topic.

* Out of class assignment

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LESSON FIVE

Before you read

Activate prior knowledge – What do I already know?
What has Jonah accomplished?

How have the people of Nineveh responded to his message?

Anticipate – Why am I reading this? What do I want to know? What questions do I have?
This is the last chapter of the book of Jonah.
What do you predict will happen in this chapter?

If you were Jonah, and an entire city responded to the gospel by turning from their
wickedness, how would you feel? As you read, look for Jonah’s response and feelings.

While you read chapter 4

Observation: What does the passage say?
Who are the two characters in this chapter?

What causes the emotional responses of the characters?

(You will have to look back at chapter 3 in order to begin answering this question.)

There are many contrasts between Jonah and God in this chapter.
Make a list of the differences that you find.

Summarizing
Write a summary sentence for chapter 4.

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After you read
Interpretation: What does the passage mean?
Discussion
Take some time to think about and answer these questions.
Then in small groups or in pairs, discuss your thoughts.
What are Jonah’s feelings?

If you were Jonah, how would you feel about God’s compassion?

What is the repeated phrase that God asks Jonah?

Why does God ask Jonah this question?

Why does God send the vine, only to cause it to wither and die the next day?

Do you think Jonah is justified, or right, in being angry? Why, or why not?

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 Interview
Create 4 questions that you would like to ask Jonah as you sit with him in his shelter.
Exchange papers with a partner and answer the questions appropriately.

Application: What does the passage mean to me?

*Write a one page reflection paper addressing these two questions:
What lessons is God teaching Jonah?
What lessons is God teaching you through this book?

*Through this chapter we are able to see some aspects of the character of God in his relationship to Jonah.
What can we learn about God’s character here? Think of 2 lessons. Write each one in a paragraph
using a good topic sentence to introduce the lesson you wish to discuss.

* Rewrite verses 10-11 in your own words. What does God want Jonah to see?

* Out of class assignment

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LESSON SIX
Post-
Post-reading the book of Jonah
Jonah’s message to the people of Nineveh was met with complete acceptance. An entire city,
capital of the most powerful nation at that time, responded with repentance and worship to God’s
warning. In many ways Jonah became the most successful missionary in history. But in the book of
Jonah, Nineveh’s response to God’s message seems to be a secondary theme. In fact the book ends in a
most unusual and unexpected way considering the success of Jonah’s ministry. Let’s take some time in
this lesson to look at Jonah as a missionary and consider possible ‘endings’ to the story.

Discussion
In small groups or pairs discuss the following questions.
Take notes and be prepared to share your thoughts with the whole class.
What mistakes did Jonah make?
What lessons did he learn?
How might he have done the task differently?
How do you think he would teach other missionaries?
What would he share from his experience with other missionaries?
What thoughts and advice would he give perspective missionaries?

Discussion
In groups, create a missionary training institute based on Jonah the missionary.
What principles, strategies, manuals, etc. would you create?

*Speaking
Your church has been supporting Jonah and his ministry for several years. Jonah has now returned
to your church to report and update you on his ministry.
Taking the role of either the pastor or missionary committee representative, you are to introduce
Jonah, the missionary, to your church.
This will be a speaking presentation to the class. This should be a 3 minute introduction.
You may use notes, but you may not read your presentation.

*Writing
Acting as Jonah, write a missionary newsletter or prayer letter to your supporters.
Include an introduction of yourself, a brief description of your ministry, and a conclusion.
Be creative! Make sure that you are not just paraphrasing the book of Jonah.
This letter should be one page in length.

*Chapter 5
Write chapter 5 for the book of Jonah.
End the book on a note of satisfaction – upbeat and successful.
Answer God’s final question as Jonah might have after he took time to reflect and process
what happened in Nineveh. You know a lot about Jonah’s character and personality by
now. Use that information when writing this chapter. Remember Jonah’s experience with
God’s protection and his prayer of praise for God’s character.

* Out of class assignment

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 APPENDIX

Jonah 1:1-9 (#ew International Version)

1
The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach
against it, because its wickedness has come up before me."
3
But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found
a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the
LORD.
4
Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to
break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the
sea to lighten the ship.
But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 6 The captain went to
him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we
will not perish."
7
Then the sailors said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this
calamity." They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.
8
So they asked him, "Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do?
Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?"
9
He answered, "I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the
land."

Jonah 1:10-17
10
This terrified them and they asked, "What have you done?" (They knew he was running away from the
LORD, because he had already told them so.)
11
The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, "What should we do to you to make the
sea calm down for us?"
12
"Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied, "and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault
that this great storm has come upon you."
13
Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder
than before. 14 Then they cried to the LORD, "O LORD, please do not let us die for taking this man's life.
Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased." 15
Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly
feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.
17
But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and
three nights.

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Jonah 2
1
From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. 2 He said:
"In my distress I called to the LORD,
and he answered me.
From the depths of the grave I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.
3
You hurled me into the deep,
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
swept over me.
4
I said, 'I have been banished
from your sight;
yet I will look again
toward your holy temple.'
5
The engulfing waters threatened me,
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6
To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you brought my life up from the pit,
O LORD my God.
7
"When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered you, LORD,
and my prayer rose to you,
to your holy temple.
8
"Those who cling to worthless idols
forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
9
But I, with a song of thanksgiving,
will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
Salvation comes from the LORD."
10
And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

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Jonah 3
1
Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: 2 "Go to the great city of Nineveh and
proclaim to it the message I give you."
3
Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city—a
visit required three days. 4 On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "Forty more days
and Nineveh will be overturned." 5 The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them,
from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
6
When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered
himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh:
"By the decree of the king and his nobles:
Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let man
and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways
and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so
that we will not perish."
10
When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did
not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

Jonah 4
1
But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. 2 He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not
what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a
gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending
calamity. 3 Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live."
4
But the LORD replied, "Have you any right to be angry?"
5
Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade
and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow
up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine.
7
But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. 8 When the
sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint.
He wanted to die, and said, "It would be better for me to die than to live."
9
But God said to Jonah, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?"
"I do," he said. "I am angry enough to die."
10
But the LORD said, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it
grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty
thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be
concerned about that great city?"

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