Assembly Objective:

• Where does happiness come from? This assembly explores what the Bible teaches about the ultimate source of happiness and links the theme of Trolls to the story of Pentecost.

Film:

• Trolls (Walt Disney Studios, 2016) certificate U, click here to buy the DVD online.

Bible:

• Romans 15:13 (Contemporary English Version)

Supporting Values Education:

• Rule of Law. Trolls presents a world in which Trolls are traditionally kept captive and eaten by Bergens. By the end of the film, this injustice is challenged and the tradition abolished, resulting in Bergen and Trolls co-existing happily.

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OPENING ACTIVITY

Happy Talk / Sad Talk: (quiz)

Download the Where does happiness come from? PowerPoint for use with this talk.

• Using slides 3-22 from the PowerPoint, children have to sort the list of synonyms between those that mean ‘happy’ and those that mean ‘sad’. Children can indicate their choice by either making a sad or happy face or by putting their thumbs up or down.

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FILM CLIP 1

• Trolls (Dreamworks, 2016) certificate U
  • Start time: 00:00:14 (The beginning of the film.)
  • End time: 00:06:03 (King Peppy says, ‘But we’ll be a lot safer the further we get from Bergen Town’.)
  • Clip length: Five minutes and 49 seconds.
• If you cannot play this clip from the DVD, instead say, ‘Trolls are happy colourful little creatures who live in a tree and spend all day singing, dancing and hugging. However, they are discovered by Bergens, big, miserable creatures who find out that they can only be happy by eating Trolls. The Bergens put a cage around the Trolls’ tree and have a festival every year called Trolstice when they get to eat Trolls. This year is a special year for Prince Gristle as he is due to eat his first Troll and to experience happiness. But when they open the cage, the Bergens discover that the Trolls are escaping through a tunnel. It seems that some of the Trolls are going to get caught but Peppy, the Troll king, manages to rescue everyone’.

FILM CLIP 2

• Trolls (Dreamworks, 2016) certificate U
  • Start time: 01:17:52 (A Bergen asks, ‘Do you think that I can be happy?’)
  • End time: 01:21:45 (The film ends.)
  • Clip length: Three minutes and 53 seconds.
• If you cannot play this clip from the DVD, instead say, ‘Poppy tells the Bergens that it is possible to be happy without eating Trolls. The Bergens don’t believe that this can be true. Poppy explains that being happy comes from inside. Poppy and the other Trolls perform a song. The Bergens join in. Their singing and dancing transforms Bergen Town into a bright and colourful place where everyone is happy’.

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TALK

Scripted Talk

Download the Where does happiness come from? PowerPoint for use with this talk.

• [PowerPoint slide 1]
  • Welcome, everyone. Our assembly this morning is based around the film Trolls and explores the question, ‘Where does happiness come from?’
• [PowerPoint slide 2]
  • For those who haven’t seen the film, Trolls are brightly-coloured, cute, little creatures who are happy all of the time.
  • As well as Trolls, the film also features Bergens. They are the total opposite of Trolls. Bergens are big and ugly creatures who are sad all of the time.
• [PowerPoint slide 3]
  • Before we watch a clip from the film about how Trolls and Bergens get along, let’s play a quiz called Happy Talk / Sad Talk. In English, there are lots and lots of different words meaning happy and sad. I’m going to show you ten different words and you have to decide whether each of them is another word for ‘happy’ or ‘sad’. You can show me what you think by making either a sad or happy face (or by putting your thumbs up or your thumbs down).
• [PowerPoint slide 4]
  • Our first word is miserable. What do you think? Is the word ‘miserable’ another word for ‘happy’ or ‘sad’? Show me.
• [Powerpoint slides 5 – 22]
  • [Questions and answers. The quiz can be differentiated according to the age of the children.]
• [Powerpoint slide 23]
  • We are now going to watch how such different creatures as the Trolls and the Bergens manage (or don’t manage) to get along.
    • Play clip 1 from Trolls (Dreamworks, 2016) certificate U
      • Start time: 00:00:14 (The beginning of the film.)
      • End time: 00:06:03 (King Peppy says, ‘But we’ll be a lot safer the further we get from Bergen Town’.)
      • Clip length: Five minutes and 49 seconds.
  • If you cannot play this clip from the DVD, instead say, ‘Trolls are happy colourful little creatures who live in a tree and spend all day singing, dancing and hugging. However, they are discovered by Bergens, big, miserable creatures who find out that they can only be happy by eating trolls. The Bergens put a cage around the Trolls’ tree and have a festival every year called Trolstice when they get to eat Trolls. This year is a special year for Prince Gristle as he is due to eat his first Troll and to experience happiness. But when they open the cage, the Bergens discover that the Trolls are escaping through a tunnel. It seems that some of the Trolls are going to get caught but Peppy, the Troll king, manages to rescue everyone’.
• [PowerPoint slide 24]
  • We need to remind ourselves of today’s assembly question – ‘Where does happiness come from?’ How might the Bergens answer that question? In the film, the Bergens believe that the only way to make themselves happy is by eating Trolls.
• [PowerPoint slide 25]
  • What foods make you happy? [Invite suggestions.] Eating food only makes people happy for a short time. Might there be some way of being happy all the time?
• [PowerPoint slide 26]
  • At the end of the film, Princess Poppy, who is the happiest of all the Trolls, gives a different answer to the question, ‘Where does happiness come from?’ Poppy is now twenty years older. The Trolls have been captured again by the Bergens but have escaped with the help of a Bergen called Bridget. Poppy has taught her that there are other ways to be happy. Poppy now wants to save Bridget and teach all the Bergens that lesson.
    • Play clip 2 from Trolls (Dreamworks, 2016) certificate U
      • Start time: 01:17:52 (A Bergen asks, ‘Do you think that I can be happy?’)
      • End time: 01:21:45 (The film ends.)
      • Clip length: Three minutes and 53 seconds.
    • If you cannot play this clip from the DVD, instead say, ‘Poppy tells the Bergens that it is possible to be happy without eating Trolls. The Bergens don’t believe that this can be true. Poppy explains that being happy comes from inside. Poppy and the other Trolls perform a song. The Bergens join in. Their singing and dancing transforms Bergen Town into a bright and colourful place where everyone is happy’.
• [PowerPoint slide 27]
  • [Do the children agree or disagree with Poppy?]
• [PowerPoint slide 28]
  • Romans 15:13 (CEV) For Christians, happiness comes from loving and being loved by God. They believe that God fills them up with joy and hope. That’s what Saint Paul wrote in a letter to a group of Christians many, many years ago.
• [PowerPoint slide 29]
  • In the Bible, there is a story in which the first followers of Jesus were filled with a spirit of happiness and peace. Jesus had left them for the last time and told them to wait for something to happen. They were all together in one room when there was a strong wind and something like flames fell out of the sky onto their heads.
• [PowerPoint slide 30]
  • Even though they had been very frightened before, they burst out of the room and went into the street, dancing and telling everybody about Jesus. This day is remembered every year in the Christian festival of Pentecost. In many churches, it is a very happy celebration, even happier than a Troll party!

Headings and bullets

• [PowerPoint slide 1]
  • Welcome.
• [PowerPoint slide 2]
  • Introduce Trolls.
  • Introduce Bergens.
• [PowerPoint slide 3]
  • Introduce Quiz. Happy Talk / Sad Talk.
• [PowerPoint slide 4]
  • First word: miserable.
• [PowerPoint slides 5-22]
  • Words and answers.
• [PowerPoint slide 23]
  • Trolls and Bergens.
  • Play clip 1.
• [PowerPoint slide 24]
  • Where does happiness come from?
• [PowerPoint slide 25]
  • What foods make you happy?
• [PowerPoint slide 26]
  • Princess Poppy.
• [PowerPoint slide 27]
  • Princess Poppy on happiness.
• [PowerPoint slide 28]
  • Romans 15:13 (CEV)
• [PowerPoint slide 29]
  • Pentecost: The Disciples are together.
• [PowerPoint slide 30]
  • The Disciples are filled with happiness.

Photo Copyright for Where does happiness come from? PowerPoint: Slide 1 and 24 Dreamworks / Slide 2 Dreamworks / Slides 3-22 Pixabay.com (happy face) Pixabay.com (sad face) / Slide 23 Dreamworks / Slide 25 Pixabay / Slides 26-27 Dreamworks / Slide 28 Pixabay.com / Slide 29 Pixabay.com / Slide 30 Freeimages.com

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RESPOND

Reflection

• Where do you believe that happiness comes from?
• Are you more like a Bergen or a Troll? What about the adults that you know?
• What have been the happiest /saddest moments in your life so far?
• Who is the happiest person you know? What makes him or her so happy?
• How happy are you at this very moment? Rate your happiness on a scale from 0 (unhappy) to 10 (overjoyed).

Prayer

• Dear God, thank you for all the things that make us happy. Help us to remember that happiness does not come from the things that we eat or own but from loving and being loved by other people and You. May you fill us up with happiness and peace so that we can share these gifts with others. Amen.

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YOU WILL NEED:

• Trolls (Dreamworks, certificate U), click here to buy the DVD online.
• Where does happiness come from? PowerPoint.