📖

Meeting Jess Aarons

Bridge to Terabithia - Friendship and Imagination

Day 36of 180
Week 8of 36
35Minutes
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🖨️ Download Worksheet (PDF)
🎯 What You'll Learn

Learning Objectives

1

Analyze Jess Aarons' character and family dynamics

2

Make inferences about character motivations

3

Understand themes of feeling like an outsider

📖 Scripture Connection

1 Samuel 16:7

“But Yahweh said to Samuel, 'Don't look on his face, or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for Yahweh sees not as man sees. Man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart.'”

— 1 Samuel 16:7 (WEB)

Just as God sees beyond outward appearances, we learn to understand characters by looking deeper than surface impressions

📦 Materials Needed

  • Bridge to Terabithia book
  • Reading journal
  • Colored pencils
  • Character map worksheet
📚 Step-by-Step

Lesson Plan

1Opening (5 min)

Begin with prayer, asking God to help students understand characters and their feelings. Introduce the book Bridge to Terabithia and discuss what it means to feel different.

💭 Review Question: Have you ever felt like you didn't fit in?
2Teaching (15 min)

Read Chapters 1-2 together, pausing to discuss Jess's family situation, his love of drawing, and his desire to be the fastest runner.

📌 Key Talking Points:
  • Jess feels different from his family
  • Drawing is his secret passion
  • He wants to prove himself through running
💬 Discussion Questions:
  • Why does Jess feel like an outsider in his family?
  • What makes drawing important to Jess?
  • How do Jess's feelings relate to how God sees us?
3Activity: Character Heart Map (10 min)
hands-on

Students create a visual representation of Jess's inner thoughts, feelings, and dreams

📝 Instructions:
  1. Draw a heart-shaped outline
  2. Inside the heart, draw or write about Jess's hidden feelings
  3. Use different colors to represent different emotions
🔄 Variations:

Simpler: Use pre-drawn heart template

Challenge: Add specific quotes from text to support insights

4Closing (5 min)

Share heart maps and reflect on understanding characters beyond surface appearances

📝 Review Questions:
  • What did you learn about Jess today?
  • How might God see Jess differently than others do?
🙏 Prayer:

Dear God, help us to see people the way You see them - with love and understanding.

Coming up: Tomorrow we'll meet Leslie and see how friendships can change us

💎 Memory Verse

Proverbs 18:24

“A man of many companions may be ruined, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

— Proverbs 18:24 (WEB)

🎯 Activity: Friend Chain: Students link paper friendship chains while reciting verse

👨‍👩‍👧 For Parents

Teaching Notes

📚 Background:

Discussing feelings of being an outsider can be sensitive for children

💡 Teaching Tips:
  • Encourage empathy
  • Validate different feelings
  • Connect character experiences to real life
🤔 Common Struggles:

Children might feel self-conscious about being different

👀 Signs of Understanding:

Compassionate understanding of characters' emotions

🚀 Want More?

Extension Activities

  • Draw a portrait of Jess showing his inner feelings
  • Write a journal entry from Jess's perspective
  • Research different artistic techniques for drawing

Ready for Tomorrow?

Great job completing today's lesson!

Continue to Day 37 →Back to Literature