📖

Stella's Wisdom and Sacrificial Love

Relationships and Change in Ivan

Day 103of 180
Week 21of 36
30Minutes
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🖨️ Download Worksheet (PDF)
🎯 What You'll Learn

Learning Objectives

1

Analyze Stella's character motivation

2

Understand the concept of sacrificial love

3

Identify how characters grow through difficult experiences

📖 Scripture Connection

John 15:13

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

— John 15:13 (WEB)

Stella's sacrifice for Ruby mirrors Jesus' ultimate sacrifice of love

📦 Materials Needed

  • The One and Only Ivan book
  • Character web worksheet
  • Colored pencils
  • Bible
📚 Step-by-Step

Lesson Plan

1Opening (5 min)

Gather students in a circle. Review previous day's reading about Ruby and Stella. Ask students to share what they remember about Stella's character.

💭 Review Question: What makes someone a true friend?
2Teaching (10 min)

Today we'll explore how Stella shows extraordinary love by caring for Ruby and wanting her to have a better life. We'll connect this to God's sacrificial love.

📌 Key Talking Points:
  • Stella is sick but still thinks about Ruby's future
  • True love means wanting the best for others
  • Sacrificial love is putting someone else's needs first
💬 Discussion Questions:
  • How does Stella show love to Ruby?
  • Why is Stella's wish for Ruby to be free important?
  • How might Ivan help make Stella's wish come true?
3Activity: Sacrificial Love Character Web (10 min)
hands-on

Students create a character web showing Stella's relationships and her loving actions

📝 Instructions:
  1. Draw Stella in the center of the paper
  2. Draw lines connecting her to other characters
  3. Write how she shows love to each character
  4. Use different colors to represent different types of love
🔄 Variations:

Simpler: Pre-draw connection lines for students

Challenge: Add specific quotes that demonstrate Stella's love

4Closing (5 min)

Reflect on how we can show sacrificial love like Stella and Jesus

📝 Review Questions:
  • What did you learn about love today?
  • How can you show love to someone this week?
🙏 Prayer:

Dear God, help us learn to love others the way You love us, putting their needs before our own.

Coming up: Tomorrow we'll discuss Ivan's promise to Stella

💎 Memory Verse

John 15:13

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

— John 15:13 (WEB)

🎯 Activity: Heart-Shape Memory Verse Puzzle

👨‍👩‍👧 For Parents

Teaching Notes

📚 Background:

The lesson explores sacrificial love through Stella's character in The One and Only Ivan

💡 Teaching Tips:
  • Discuss real-life examples of sacrificial love
  • Encourage empathy and compassion
🤔 Common Struggles:

Children might find it hard to understand complex emotional concepts

👀 Signs of Understanding:

Evidence of understanding sacrificial love

🚀 Want More?

Extension Activities

  • Write a letter from Stella to Ruby
  • Draw a picture of what freedom might look like for Ruby
  • Create a short skit showing sacrificial love

Ready for Tomorrow?

Great job completing today's lesson!

Continue to Day 104 →Back to Literature