Rotation.org Writing Team

Jacob and Esau

Shadow Puppet Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activity 

Students will create a Shadowbox Puppet Stage and Shadow puppets and use it to tell Jacob's story. Groups of students will present different parts of the story.

Scripture 

See the list of episodes in Jacob's story at the end of this lesson plan.

Groups of students will be assigned different episodes in Jacob's story to read, prepare, and perform using the shadow puppets and stage. The list of episodes (seen at the end of this lesson plan) is based on the episodes found in the Writing Team's Bible Background doc.

Use Bible storybooks for both younger and older students. Collect several different kinds to be sure that most of Jacob's episodes can be found in illustrated form. These storybook Bibles usually have a paraphrased version of the story which is perfect for this shadow puppet "storytelling." In fact, the kids can read from the storybook as they manipulate the puppets if they wish.

Key/Memory Verse:

Genesis 28:16: “Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the LORD is in this place – and I did not know it!’” (NRSV)

This verse speaks to not only Jacob's surprise to have encountered God in his dream, but the feeling of surprise that many students will experience when they feel God close.  Our God is a surprising and faithful God.

Objectives for the Rotation 

See Bible Background.

Objectives for this Workshop 

The objective of this particular workshop is to introduce and reinforce the total arc of Jacob's story in Genesis, from sin, to encountering God, to reconciliation.

Preparation

• Read Bible Background, scripture, and lesson.
• Collect the shadow box and puppet materials, listed below. 
• Make shadow puppets (if not doing it as part of class activity) or cut out so they are ready for kids to mount on posterboard.  Do an internet search for images of Bible character and prop outlines (and/or look through coloring books).  You'll need Jacob, Esau, Isaac, Rebekah, God, Laban, Leah, Rachel, Angels, and a Ladder.  (Directions to make shadow puppets in lesson plan.
• Make a shadow box stage.

Making the Shadow Box Stage

There are several ways you can make your shadowbox stage. One of the easiest is to buy a 3-part display board made out of cardboard (the kind they sell for school presentations).  1) Cut-out a rectangle opening. 2) Cover the opening with white freezer paper on the inside of the stage and tape it on with masking tape. 3) Use tape to keep the side panels at a 90 degree angle to the stage so it will stand up. Use additional tape on the side to hold the stage to your classroom table so the kids don't knock it over. 4) Place the florescent fixture on the table pointing up to illuminate the back of the stage to create the "shadow."  

Other Shadow Box Options: A wood frame covered with opaque plastic (such as a thin plastic mattress cover), then use Clamp lamps clamped to top of the frame and pointing down at back of the stage. (As seen in the image at the top of this lesson.)

Shadow Box Puppet "how-to" found below.

 See more Shadow Puppet pictures, resources, and additional ideas at Rotation.org's Puppet/Shadow Puppets forum.

Materials List 

• Several different type of illustrated storybook Bibles — making sure they have different Jacob stories in them.
• Cardboard, masking tape, freezer paper to make the shadow puppet stage.
• Scissors that can cut cardboard (or have the teacher cut the rectangular stage opening in the cardboard ahead of time for your students using a razor knife.)
• A 12" fluorescent covered light fixture (to illuminate each student's stage during the lesson.)
• Extension cord for the light.
• Table for your stage to go on.
• Images of Bible character outlines (from an internet search or from coloring books).  To create your shadow puppets. already cut out and ready to mount on posterboard
• Posterboard to cut in the shape of the Bible characters.
• A pack of "bendy" straws, a pack, to attach to the puppets.
• Masking tape to fix the screen, anchor the stage, and attach the straws.
• Whiteboard (appropriate marker).

Lesson Plan 

Open 

1. Welcome your students and introduce the subject and steps of your lesson. 

2. Show them a list of the episodes in Jacob's story that you have written on the board and see how much they know about each. (The list is at the end of this lesson plan.)

3. Point out that Jacob's story begins with several sins. Write down the names of all the characters and ask the students to list the "sins" each committed:

Sins:

Esau's - disrespect for his birthright, thinking with his stomach. 

Jacob - taking advantage of his brother's stupidity.

Jacob - stealing the birthright from Esau.

Jacob - disrespecting his father by tricking him.

Rebekah - conspiring to commit sin

Jacob - for not making it right with Esau, saying he couldn't take it back!

Laban - cheating Jacob with Leah.

Jacob - trying to sneak away from Laban.

4. Ask:  To receive God's blessing, does a person have to be sinless?  (obviously not)
    Ask: Why would God bless sinful people like Jacob and us? (God is gracious)

Make Assignments, Read the Scriptures, Make the Puppets, Practice

Assign the episodes of Jacob's story to three different groups of students. Write their names next to the episode on the list, which you previously put on the board. If your class size is small, you or a helper can present or help with some of the episodes.   

Point out which shadow puppets each group will need to make. They'll all need their own Jacob puppet (or can share one). See the Group assignments at the end of this lesson plan for the list of puppets and props. 

Hand out storybook Bibles that contains the group's assigned story. Tell them to read the story and then practice how to move their shadow puppets to dramatize their particular story. They can do this away from the stage.

Option: You may choose to make a copy of the pages from the illustrated Bible storybook to give to your students so that they can write presentation notes on it and make it a sort of "script."  

After they read their story, let them work on making their shadow puppets and props, and then have them practice their story away from the stage.

How to make shadow puppets and shadow props:

Shadow puppets are flat pieces of poster board cut in the shape of the character or prop, with flexible straws or short dowels taped to them so the students can move them. For some props, simply draw on a sheet of white paper which can be taped behind the screen.  

Depending on the age of your students and length of class time, you can have the puppets ready ahead of time, or have images of Bible character outlines already cut out and ready to mount on posterboard. Glue the cut image to the posterboard and cut around the image, than tape the shorter section of the flexible straw to the puppet using masking tape. "Props" can be simple black drawings on paper attached to a straw.  Search google images of "Bible story clipart" to find images.

Link: See Rotation.org's Shadow Puppet resource page for images and instructions.

Perform the Story of Jacob with Shadow Puppets

Darken the room and turn on the backlight for the Shadow Puppet stage. Call the Group One forward and give them some quick guidance. Tell the narrator to read slowly and watch for the puppet movements. 

If the group messes up, and they likely will, let them do it again.

Ask questions in-between each episode (see list below for the questions.) 

Reflect

Use the "Final Question" listed in the episodes listing below to reflect on the meaning of this story.

To close:

Approach each of your students one by one and attach a flexible straw to their heart. Suggest to them that God wants to move our hearts just like we moved the puppets. He doesn't want to make every decision or literally make us walk. Instead, God wants us to invite him to be moved by his words and spirit. He wants to move our arms to embrace rather than fight (attach a straw to someone's arm.)  He wants to move our mouths to say kind helpful things, instead of mean things (attach a straw to someone's face!)  And he wants us to move our feet in the direction of helping others (tape a straw to someone's leg.) Close with that prayer.

Option: As you say each of these 'straw' ideas, have students attach straws to each other in the corresponding location. 

Option: Invite students to suggest other ways God wants to move us, such as, "how does he want to move our ears?" (to be a good listener), and "how does God want to move our minds? eyes?

Additional Suggestions 

Younger student adaptation - Make the shadow puppets ahead of time. They will need more time to learn the story and perform it correctly.

Videotape the performance and watch it at the end of class.  Use a video camera that is good in low light.

Episode, Puppet Assignments, and Discussion Questions

For the purposes of this puppet lesson, the stories have been split between three groups.  Group One will do the opening and closing scenes. Group Two will do both stories of Jacob's encounter with God. And Group Three will do the story of Jacob and his wives with Laban.

• Genesis 25:24-28   The Birth of Esau and Jacob.
• Genesis 25:29-34   Esau trades away his birthright to Jacob for stew.
• Genesis 27:1-35     Jacob pretends to be Esau to receive Isaac's blessing.
• Genesis 27:41-44   Jacob escapes Esau's fury by fleeing to Uncle Laban.

• What is wrong with Jacob?
• Have you ever taken something that was not yours and tried to runaway from being caught? (describe a time, or person you know who has done this)  
• What could Esau have said or done to help Jacob recover from his sin?

• Genesis 28:10-19   Jacob dreams of the staircase to heaven at Bethel.

• Genesis 29:15-30   Jacob marries Rachel, but gets Leah instead.
• Genesis 31:1-3      Jacob decides to stop working for Laban and go home.
• Genesis 32:3-7a    Jacob begins the journey home to see Esau.
  
  

Puppets Needed: Jacob, Laban, Leah, Rachel

If you have a small class, you might have them all help you with this episode, or prepare and perform it yourself.

• Genesis 32:22-30  Jacob wrestles with God at night and gets named "Israel."
  
  

Puppets Needed:  Jacob, God

• Genesis 33:1-10   Jacob and Esau reconcile.

• Do you think Jacob's whole heart was in this reconciliation? Or was he holding back?
• How hard is it to say "I'm sorry?"  What things could happen when you expose your feelings like that?