Happily Ever After

David C Cook COVID-19 Response

Upper Elementary

Lesson 8
Spring 2019
By: Anne Love
May 05, 2019

Lesson Focus:

Do what you can to make peace with others.

Bible Basis:

Genesis 32:1-33:17

Materials Needed:

Step 1:

Internet access
“Happily Ever After?” worksheet (1 per student; template here)
Pens/pencils
Option: Whiteboard and marker; 1 worksheet for entire class

Step 4:

Internet access
White paper (8 ½-inch squares; several per student)

Summary & Links:

Students will identify conflicts in popular fairy tales and brainstorm possible solutions to conflict resolution.

Memory Verse:

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
—Romans 12:18

Students will identify conflicts in popular fairy tales and brainstorm possible solutions to conflict resolution.

Materials Needed:

Internet access
“Happily Ever After?” worksheet (1 per student; template here)
Pens/pencils
Option: Whiteboard and marker; 1 worksheet for entire class

Before class, print out enough Happily Ever After Worksheets so that each of your students has a copy (template here). Alternate option: If time is limited, display the Happily Ever After worksheet on the whiteboard, choose a fairy tale, and work together as a class to complete the worksheet. Write ideas on the whiteboard as they are shared. Only one copy of the worksheet is needed in this method.

At this point in your life, you’ve most likely learned a lot about getting along with others. Your parents remind you to be kind to your brothers and sisters, your teachers expect you to be kind and considerate toward your classmates, and your coaches have taught you about teamwork and cooperation. You’ve learned how to be a good friend and how to put others before yourself.

But you’ve probably experienced moments and situations when something happened, and those people you worked so hard to love and care for started to drive you crazy! Something happens, and instead of kindness, you feel frustration. Suddenly, you have conflict.

Share the following video with your students [2:06]:
Sesame Street: Robin Williams: Conflict

Conflicts can be found in real life, but they also are part of many of the books, TV shows, movies, and music that we enjoy.

Distribute the Happily Ever After worksheets and pens/pencils. Allow students to work individually, with partners, or with a small group. Students should choose a fairy tale story and use the actions and choices of the characters in the story to complete the worksheet. Creativity, especially in the last part of the worksheet, should be encouraged!

Ideas for fairy tales:
Little Red Riding Hood
Cinderella
Beauty and the Beast
Hansel and Gretel
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Jack and the Beanstalk
Sleeping Beauty
Rapunzel
Goldilocks and the Three Bears

When finished, allow students/groups to share their ideas about their fairy tale’s conflicts and possible solutions.

Alternate option: If time is limited, display the Happily Ever After worksheet on the whiteboard, choose a fairy tale, and work together as a class to complete the worksheet. Write ideas on the whiteboard as they are shared.

Think about a conflict you’ve experienced recently. What made that conflict difficult? How did you work to find a solution to the conflict? (Allow students to share from their own experiences.)

Today we’re going to look at a big conflict and how two brothers tried to resolve it.

Looking for Steps 2 & 3?

You can find Steps 2 and 3 in your teacher’s guide. To purchase a teacher’s guide, please visit: Bible-in-Life or Echoes.

Materials Needed:

Internet access
White paper (8 ½-inch squares; several per student)

Prior to the lesson, you’ll want to watch the “Origami Peace Dove” video and become familiar with the steps to create the origami dove (link below). The video can be played while students create their doves, stopping after each instruction so that no one gets left behind, but some students will benefit from seeing the steps in person.

Origami tutorial [3:31]:
Origami Peace Dove

Today, we saw two brothers work very hard to find peace after a conflict that affected their relationship for years. During the time that Jacob and Esau were apart, God worked in their hearts to help them see what they had done wrong and how their actions had hurt each other. In the same way that Jacob wrestled with God, we sometimes find ourselves wrestling with the reality of conflict and the effect it can have on our relationships with others.

Conflicts happen because we are sinful people who sometimes make choices that impact others in a hurtful way. Regardless of whether we are the cause of the conflict, or simply the person who is affected by someone else’s actions, conflict is tough. Thankfully, we can follow the example of Jacob and Esau in working together to resolve our problems and find ways to heal relationships.

Resolving conflicts requires an effort to both make peace and then keep peace—we saw both of those ideas in our story today. After being apart for so many years, Jacob found a way to make peace with his brother; Esau responded by showing Jacob that he was more than willing to accept and keep peace. They were both finally at a place where they could acknowledge what they had done wrong, recognize the hurt they had caused each other, and find peace in rebuilding their relationship as brothers.

One of the most popular symbols of peace is the white dove. Noah sent a dove out to see if the waters of the great flood had receded—and the dove returned with a leafy twig in its mouth to show Noah that the chaos of the flood had passed and that peace had returned to the world.

Distribute paper squares. Using the steps from the video, walk the students through the process of creating an origami dove [3:31]:
Origami peace dove

Encourage students to find a place for their dove where it can be a reminder of peace, especially when they are faced with a conflict.

Close in prayer.

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David C Cook COVID-19 Response

Upper Elementary