“Don’t Laugh at Me”

By: Steven Seskin
Activities submitted by Megan Coburn
Concordia University Wisconsin

A: Anticipation
In the students’ journal, have them write about a time when they were teased about something. Some examples might be:

• Sibling making fun of your drawing
• Friend making fun of how slow you ran during recess.
• Someone called you “four eyes” because of your glasses.

Have the students write about their story. Next, have the students write some feelings and emotions that they felt when this happened. Maybe they were sad, felt alone, angry, wanted to punch someone, etc. Then as a whole class share these emotions. The students do not have to share their story but instead, how this made them feel.
Write these feelings on the board. Continue on with a classroom discussion about how we all share in the same feelings and we have all been hurt by someone! So you are not alone!
For those of you who have maybe done the hurting! Think about how your actions affect that person you are hurting!

B: Building Knowledge
Read: Genesis 1: 26 – 27, 31a
26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
31a God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
So from what God tells us, we are all created in his image and everything that he made “was very good.” Ask questions such as,

• Does this mean we are all going to look the same?
• Does this mean God loves those without glasses more than those with glasses?
• Does this mean it is okay to hurt those who are different than you?

No, Jesus created each and every one of us to be special and have our own special talents, gifts and abilities.

C: Consolidation
Show the video clip “Dick and Rick Hoyt” 6 minutes 40 seconds
What are your thoughts and feelings after watching the clip?
How was Rick able to overcome his differences?
Do you think people made fun of him as he was growing up?
Did this make him give up? Should you give up on something just because someone made fun of you?
Remember that we are all created in God’s image! No matter if you have arms, legs, glasses, and braces anything we are all given God’s love and we should all share God’s love with everyone!
Take pride in who you are! You are God’s own child!