Let It Go!
Dealing with anger
by Janice Ross
Suitable for Key Stage 2
Aims
To consider where anger might come from and explore a possible way to handle it.
Preparation and materials
- Have available the YouTube video ‘Frozen - Let It Go sing-along’ and the means to show it during the assembly. It is 4.02 minutes long and is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0MK7qz13bU
Assembly
- Explain to the children that you would like them to listen to a well-known song – they can join in if they wish!
Emphasize that you want them to listen to the words carefully. The person singing the song is angry. Ask the children to listen for words that describe her anger.
Show the YouTube video ‘Frozen - Let It Go sing-along’. - Discuss what we can learn from this song and the character who sings it.
- Ask for the words in the song that describe Elsa’s anger. (Answers may include ‘storm inside’, ‘rage’, ‘slam the door’, ‘storm rage on’, ‘I don’t care’ and ‘never bothered me’.)
Ask the children whether this describes how they feel when they are angry.
- Ask the children why Elsa was so angry. (Answer: because of her magical powers, which could cause evil as well as good to others, Elsa had to hide herself away.)
- Ask the children what this meant for Elsa. (Answer: it meant that she had lost her relationship with her sister and she had to stay locked away from people. She probably felt full of fear and panic.) - Share with the children that sometimes, the things that happen to us in life and the circumstances of our lives make us angry because we wouldn’t have chosen them. They are not our fault.
For example, Elsa hadn’t asked to be born with magical powers. - Suggest that people can become angry for many reasons.
- They might think that they would like to be physically different. Perhaps they would like to be taller or have different-coloured hair.
- Perhaps they have to wear glasses . . . or maybe they wish they had to.
- Maybe their parents can’t afford to give them everything that they want.
- Perhaps they are often ill and have to miss school or parties.
- They might be sick of Covid getting in the way of normal life.
None of these circumstances are our choice.
Ask the children for their own suggestions and then share your own experience. Perhaps a teacher sometimes feels cross because their marking stops them from spending as much time as they would like with their family. - Explain that although we may not be able to change any of these circumstances, we do have a choice as to how we react to our feelings of frustration or anger.
For a long time, Elsa had kept her angry feelings inside and her rage had started to build up. That is what this song is about. Eventually, she exploded! She had had enough. She left the palace and decided to make a life for herself somewhere far away from people. She chose an icy mountain top, let down her hair and let out her feelings. It’s a wonder she didn’t start an avalanche!
‘Let it go!’ she shouted to the mountains.
Ask the children what they think Elsa meant by this.
Listen to a range of responses. - Ask the children whether they know the end of the story. Did Elsa’s decision on the mountain top to run away and hide work for her? What might have been a better course of action?
Discuss whether it might have helped to talk about the problem with someone else, someone who could help.
Time for reflection
Remind the children that although Elsa could see no way out, talking to a trusted adult is always a helpful option for us. Talking to our friends can be helpful too.
However, there may be times when what we need to do with our anger is ‘let it go’! Sometimes, our anger, frustration and rage take more energy to hold on to than if we let them go.
Jesus talked a lot about letting go of our worries, our anger, our ‘it’s not fairs’ and our difficulties with forgiveness.
Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you that you are always with us.
Please help us to be willing to let go of our gripes, groans and rages.
Please help us to speak to someone when we need help with managing our anger and frustrations.
Please help us to find peace inside.
Amen.
Song/music
‘Let it go’ from the film Frozen, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0MK7qz13bU (4.02 minutes long)
