Hope, Freedom, and Resolution in Ivan
Identify the theme of hope in 'The One and Only Ivan'
Understand how biblical hope differs from worldly hope
Recognize how hope can help us through difficult circumstances
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
— Romans 15:13 (WEB)Demonstrates how God provides hope even in challenging situations
Gather students and discuss what hope means. Ask students to share a time when they felt hopeful during a difficult moment.
Explore how Ivan maintains hope in the mall and zoo, despite difficult circumstances. Compare his hope to God's promise of hope in difficult times.
Students create a visual hope tracker from Ivan's story, highlighting moments of hope
Simpler: Teacher helps fill out tracker
Challenge: Add biblical references to hope sections
Recap how hope can change difficult situations
Dear God, thank you for giving us hope even when things seem hard. Help us trust in Your love and plan.
Coming up: Tomorrow we'll explore freedom in Ivan's story
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
— Romans 15:13 (WEB)🎯 Activity: Hope Chain: Write parts of the verse on paper links, connect them into a chain
Discussing hope through a narrative helps children understand complex emotional concepts
Children might find it challenging to articulate abstract concepts of hope
Ability to connect story events to emotional understanding