📖

Missing Mama: Understanding Loss and God's Comfort

Beginning Sarah, Plain and Tall

Day 59of 180
Week 12of 36
30Minutes
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🖨️ Download Worksheet (PDF)
🎯 What You'll Learn

Learning Objectives

1

Understand how characters process grief in Sarah, Plain and Tall

2

Explore biblical perspectives on comfort during loss

3

Develop empathy for characters experiencing emotional challenges

📖 Scripture Connection

Psalm 34:18

“Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.”

— Psalm 34:18 (WEB)

Demonstrates God's compassion for those experiencing emotional pain

📦 Materials Needed

  • Sarah, Plain and Tall book
  • Character emotion mapping worksheet
  • Colored pencils
  • Bible
📚 Step-by-Step

Lesson Plan

1Opening (5 min)

Read aloud recent chapters of Sarah, Plain and Tall. Ask students to share how they think Anna and Caleb feel about losing their mama.

💭 Review Question: What do you remember about the Witting family's feelings?
2Teaching (10 min)

Discuss how losing a loved one creates deep emotions. Explore how characters in the story miss and remember their mama.

📌 Key Talking Points:
  • Different ways people experience grief
  • Importance of remembering loved ones
  • God's comfort during difficult times
💬 Discussion Questions:
  • How do Anna and Caleb show they miss their mama?
  • What helps people feel better when they're sad?
  • How can we show love to someone who is missing someone?
3Activity: Emotion Mapping (10 min)
hands-on

Create a character emotion map showing feelings of Witting family members

📝 Instructions:
  1. Draw an outline of a heart
  2. Inside heart, write or draw emotions characters are experiencing
  3. Use different colors to represent different feelings
  4. Share maps with classmates
🔄 Variations:

Simpler: Use pre-drawn heart template

Challenge: Add Bible verses about comfort to emotion map

4Closing (5 min)

Review key learnings about characters' emotions and God's comfort

📝 Review Questions:
  • What did we learn about handling sadness?
  • How does God help us when we're feeling sad?
🙏 Prayer:

Dear God, thank you for being near to those who are hurting. Help us show love and comfort to others, just as you comfort us.

Coming up: Tomorrow we'll learn more about Sarah and her letters!

💎 Memory Verse

Psalm 34:18

“Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.”

— Psalm 34:18 (WEB)

🎯 Activity: Comfort Heart Puzzle - Write words of verse on heart-shaped puzzle pieces

👨‍👩‍👧 For Parents

Teaching Notes

📚 Background:

Lesson focuses on emotional processing and biblical comfort

💡 Teaching Tips:
  • Be sensitive to children who may have experienced loss
  • Validate all emotions as important
  • Emphasize God's continuous love
🤔 Common Struggles:

Some children might find discussing loss challenging

👀 Signs of Understanding:

Empathetic responses, willingness to share feelings

🚀 Want More?

Extension Activities

  • Create a memory book about loved ones
  • Write a letter of comfort to a character
  • Draw a picture showing how God comforts people

Ready for Tomorrow?

Great job completing today's lesson!

Continue to Day 60 →Back to Literature