Ethos Education

Frozen II: How can we cope with change?

by Leave a comment

Assembly Objective:

  • How can we cope with change? This assembly explores different responses to change and offers the biblical view of God as unchanging and as a faithful guide.

Film:

  • Frozen II (Disney, 2020) certificate U, click here to buy the DVD online.

Bible:

Supporting Values Education:

  • Individual Liberty: Each of us is free to pursue our ambitions whilst respecting the rights of others.

Supporting Health and Relationships Education:

  • Pupils should know that families are important for children growing up because they can give love, security and stability.

OPENING ACTIVITY

Now and Then: (Quiz)

  • The children have to answer the questions correctly from slides 4-17 from the Frozen II PowerPoint.

FILM CLIP 1

  • From Frozen II (Disney, 2020) certificate U.
    • Start time: 00:08:13 (A leaf blows past the palace.)
    • End time: 00:12:42 (Anna sings, ‘And I’m holding on tight to you’.)
    • Clip length: 4 minutes and 29 seconds.
    • If you cannot play this clip from the DVD, instead say: ‘Olaf is growing up and is worried about the fact that everything changes. Anna sings a song to convince him that, whilst life brings with it a lot of change, their friendship will never change. Kristoff then sings a verse of the song in which he declares that his love for Anna will not change. In her verse, Elsa sings that her fear of change will not stop her from taking action. Finally, the citizens of Arendelle sing that they will always live in a land of plenty where justice will always reign.

FILM CLIP 2

  • From Frozen II (Disney, 2020) certificate U.
    • Start time: 01:13:46 (Anna is crying.)
    • End time: 01:17:26 (Anna turns away from the dam.)
    • Clip length: 3 minutes 20 seconds
    • If you cannot play this clip from the DVD, instead say: ‘Anna and Olaf are lost in a cave trying to find Elsa. The magic that brought Olaf to life begins to fade, due to Elsa’s disappearance, and, soon, Olaf too is gone. Anna is very upset. She sings a song that begins in total despair but her mood changes when she reminds herself of the small voice inside that is telling her to persevere. It advises her to do ‘the next right thing’, one step at a time. She emerges from the cave and sees the dam. She knows the next right thing to do and sets off to wake up the Earth giants.

TALK

Scripted Talk

Download the Frozen II PowerPoint for use with this talk.

  • [PowerPoint slide 1]
    • Welcome everyone to our assembly this morning. It is based on the film, Frozen II.
  • [PowerPoint slide 2]
    • This film is, of course, a sequel to the film, Frozen, that was released in 2013. How has the world changed between 2013 and now (2020)?
  • [PowerPoint slide 3]
    • Let’s play a quiz to find out. The quiz is called Now and Then. (Explain to the children that you are going to show them a series of slides and they have to give you the answer for the current year and for 2013.)
  • [PowerPoint slides 4 – 17]
    • Now (2020) and Then (2013).
  • [PowerPoint slide 18]
    • (Ask the children to consider how they have changed since 2013. Invite individuals to share their responses with the whole group.) Looking back, which of these changes have been good and which have been difficult? How have you coped during any difficult changes? Who helped you? How did they help?
  • [PowerPoint slide 19]
    • Change is a major theme in the film Frozen II. At the end of the first film, everything seemed settled. Elsa and Anna were reunited. The villain Hans was banished from Arendelle. Elsa returned to being Queen. But, in life, change is something that happens all the time and, at the start of Frozen II, this thought is on the mind of one of the main characters, Olaf. Let’s watch our first clip from the film.
    • Play the first clip from Frozen II (Disney, 2020) certificate U.
      • Start time: 00:08:13 (A leaf blows past the palace.)
      • End time: 00:12:42 (Anna sings, ‘And I’m holding on tight to you’.)
      • Clip length: 4 minutes and 29 seconds.
    • If you cannot play this clip from the DVD, instead say: ‘Olaf is growing up and is worried about the fact that everything changes. Anna sings a song to convince him that, whilst life brings with it a lot of change, their friendship will never change. Kristoff then sings a verse of the song in which he declares that his love for Anna will not change. In her verse, Elsa sings that her fear of change will not stop her from taking action. Finally, the citizens of Arendelle sing that they will always live in a land of plenty where justice will always reign.
  • [PowerPoint slide 20]
    • (Ask the children to consider the claim made in the song ‘Some Things Never Change’). Do you think it’s true that some things never change? What things might these be? (Allow children time to discuss.) For Christians, there is only one thing that does not change and that’s God. The Bible has many verses that make such a claim. Let’s consider one of them. They are taken from a book of poems in the Bible that are about or addressed to God.
  • [PowerPoint slide 21]
    • (Share the Bible verses with the children. What do they make of this claim?) Many Christians take great comfort from the belief that God does not change. They believe that God will always be there to help them.
  • [PowerPoint slide 22]
    • Despite the claim made in the song that some things never change, everything changes in Frozen II. The citizens of Arendelle have to abandon their city, Elsa gives up her throne and (plot spoiler) Olaf turns back to snow. Of all the changes that people have to cope with in life, the death of a loved one is the hardest. (If appropriate, allow children time to talk about their own experiences of bereavement).
  • [PowerPoint slide 23]
    • When Olaf dies, Anna finds herself lost and alone in a dark cave. She also believes her sister Elsa is dead. She is in despair and doesn’t know what to do. She sings a beautiful song that expresses her feelings and helps her to find a way out of her despair.
    • Play the second clip from Frozen II (Disney, 2020) certificate U.
      • Start time: 01:13:46 (Anna is crying.)
      • End time: 01:17:26 (Anna turns away from the dam.)
      • Clip length: 3 minutes 20 seconds
    • If you cannot play this clip from the DVD, instead say: ‘Anna and Olaf are lost in a cave trying to find Elsa. The magic that brought Olaf to life begins to fade, due to Elsa’s disappearance, and, soon, Olaf too is gone. Anna is very upset. She sings a song that begins in total despair but her mood changes when she reminds herself of the small voice inside that is telling her to persevere. It advises her to do ‘the next right thing’, one step at a time. She emerges from the cave and sees the dam. She knows the next right thing to do and sets off to wake up the Earth giants.
  • [PowerPoint slide 24]
    • (Discuss how Anna manages to rediscover hope in a very desperate situation. What do the children think about the idea of ‘a tiny voice’ in Anna’s mind telling her that she must go on? Have the children ever experienced anything like that themselves?) Many Christians would say that the tiny voice that Anna hears is the voice of God. They believe that this is one of the ways in which He encourages and guides them. As God never changes, His encouragement and guidance will never fail.
  • [PowerPoint slide 25]
    • Let’s finish today’s assembly by playing another round of Now and Then. But in this round, we’re going to be thinking about the future. How do you think you and your life will have changed in 2027? (Allow some time for discussion. What changes are the children looking forward to? What changes do they fear?) Over the next seven years, you may face some difficult times. I would encourage you not to despair. Instead listen out for that tiny voice and, like Anna, do the next right thing.

Headings and bullets

  • [PowerPoint slide 1]
    • Welcome.
  • [PowerPoint slide 2]
    • Frozen (2013).
  • [PowerPoint slide 3]
    • Now and Then.
  • [PowerPoint slide 4]
    • The President of the United States of America.
  • [PowerPoint slide 5]
    • Donald Trump and Barack Obama.
  • [PowerPoint slide 6]
    • The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
  • [PowerPoint slide 7]
    • Boris Johnson and David Cameron.
  • [PowerPoint slide 8]
    • Premier League Winners?
  • [PowerPoint slide 9]
    • Liverpool and Manchester City (at the time of writing, due to the coronavirus although Liverpool are top of the league table, because matches have been suspended they still haven’t been officially awarded the title).
  • [PowerPoint slide 10]
    • Doctor Who?
  • [PowerPoint slide 11]
    • Jody Whittaker and Matt Smith.
  • [PowerPoint slide 12]
    • Most watched animated film in the cinema?
  • [PowerPoint slide 13]
    • Sonic the Hedgehog and Despicable Me 2.
  • [PowerPoint slide 14]
    • Most popular name for baby girls in the UK?
  • [PowerPoint slide 15]
    • Luna and Amelia.
  • [PowerPoint slide 16]
    • Most popular name for baby boys in the UK?
  • [PowerPoint slide 17]
    • Asher and Oliver.
  • [PowerPoint slide 18]
    • You.
  • [PowerPoint slide 19]
    • Change.
    • Play clip 1.
  • [PowerPoint slide 20]
    • ‘Some things never change.’
  • [PowerPoint slide 21]
    • Psalm 102: 25-27.
  • [PowerPoint slide 22]
    • Everything changes.
  • [PowerPoint slide 23]
    • Anna.
    • Play clip 2.
  • [PowerPoint slide 24]
    • A tiny voice.
  • [PowerPoint slide 25]
    • You: 2020 and 2027.

Photo copyright for Frozen II PowerPoint: Slide 1 and 19 Disney / Slide 2 Disney / Slide 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 Pixabay.com and Pixabay.com / Slide 5 Trump Pixabay.com Obama Pixabay.com / Slide 7 Johnson Pixabay.com Cameron Public domain / Slide 9 Liverpool Rodhullandemu Manchester City Pixabay.com / Slide 11 Whittaker Gage Skidmore Smith Flickr / Slide 13 Sonic the Hedgehog Paramount Despicable Me 2 Universal Pictures / Slide 15 Pixabay.com and Pixabay.com / Slide 17 Pixabay.com and Pixabay.com / Slide 20 and 22 Disney / Slide 21 Pixabay.com / Slide 23 Disney / Slide 24 Disney

RESPOND

Reflection

  • What has changed about you or your life since 2013?
  • Which changes were good and which were difficult?
  • Who or what helped you cope with the difficult changes in life?
  • Is there anything in life that never changes?
  • What do you think of the Christian claim that God never changes?
  • Have you ever felt the way Anna felt in the cave? What happened? What helped you to cope with such a change?
  • Have you ever heard a tiny voice inside your mind? Many Christians believe the tiny voice that encourages and guides people to be the voice of God. What do you think about this belief?
  • How do you think you and your life will have changed in 2027?
  • What do you think about Anna’s advice to do ‘the next right thing’ in difficult situations?

Prayer

  • Dear God, we thank you that, in a world where everything changes, you never change. At difficult times in our lives, help us to remember that you are always there to help and guide us. May we always listen out for the tiny voice that gives us hope and, in difficult times, help us to do the next right thing. Amen.

YOU WILL NEED:

Leave a Comment

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s