Scripture: Genesis 31-33
Learning Objectives:
- Students will review Jacob and Esau’s reconciliation after their sibling rivalry.
- Students will learn how interesting stories usually have a problem and solution.
- Students will participate in an activity in which they correspond feelings to how problems and solutions happen in a story.
Guiding Questions:
How do your feelings change during a story?
How do you feel during a story’s problem and solution?
Materials: construction paper, makers, scissors, craft sticks/popsicle sticks
Procedure: Review the story of Jacob and Esau emphasizing Jacobs’ gifts that preceded his reunion with his brother and Esau’s forgiveness. Review the previous problems that took place between the brothers when Jacob took his birthright and blessing. Have students identify the problems that the characters in the story faced and how the problems were solved when the brothers were reunited.
Explain that stories often make us feel emotions. Ask students what different emotions they feel and examples of what makes them feel that way. Then have them make masks of a yellow happy face and a blue sad face and/or a red angry face.
Read/retell a summarized version of the story aloud for students. During the story, have students use their emotions masks to show how they are feeling. Tell students that when they use the sad and/or angry face, that shows that there is a problem. Happy faces indicate a solution. Write an outline of this as you read on a board in front of the students. You may want to use a graphic organizer.
Students can draw a picture story using 3-5 images. You may want to provide a graphic organizer with the squares for students to draw in. Students can then tell their story to each other and the listeners can use their masks to show how they are feeling during the problems and solutions.
Additional Questions:
- What is the problem and solution in your favorite story?
Supplemental Activity: Students can draw a picture story using 3-5 images. You may want to provide a graphic organizer with the squares for students to draw in. Students can then tell their story to each other and the listeners can use their masks to show how they are feeling during the problems and solutions.
Written by: Savannah Negas