What Are Our Gifts?
Exploring the value of our talents
by Alexandra Palmer
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
Uses the film Encanto to consider that all of our gifts are valuable.
Preparation and materials
- Have available the following YouTube videos and the means to show them during the assembly:
- ‘Disney’s Encanto – Teaser Trailer’, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=togmdDHG3Pw (1.29 minutes long)
- ‘Disney’s Encanto – Official Trailer’, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaimKeDcudo# (2.07 minutes long) - You will need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (What Are Our Gifts?) and the means to display them.
- Optional: you may also wish to use the extension activity (What Are Our Gifts - Extension Activity) that accompanies this assembly.
Assembly
- Show Slide 1.
Ask the children, ‘What are our gifts?’
Listen to a range of responses. - Ask the children, ‘Who has watched the film Encanto?’
Either summarize the story or ask the children who have watched the film to explain it.
Encanto is an animated film about a magical family called the Madrigals. They live in a magical house called the Casita, which is hidden in the mountains of Colombia. When each family member turns five, they are given a magical power that they use to help the villagers. However, one of them, Mirabel, did not receive a magical power when it was her turn. - Explain that you are going to show a trailer for the film.
Show the YouTube video ‘Disney’s Encanto – Teaser Trailer’ (1.29 minutes long) - Show Slides 2 to 9.
Go through the slides, focusing on the four characters and their gifts. Encourage the children to guess each character’s gift from what they saw in the trailer.
- Mirabel’s elder sister, Luisa, has the gift of superhuman strength.
- Mirabel’s cousin, Camilo, can shapeshift, changing his appearance.
- Isabela, Mirabel’s eldest sister, has the gift of making flowers grow from nothing.
- Antonio, Mirabel’s youngest cousin, can talk to and understand animals. - Show Slide 10.
Ask the children, ‘Does Mirabel have any gifts?’
Ask the children to indicate their answer by putting their thumbs up or down. - Explain that you are going to show another trailer for Encanto. While they watch, the children should try to decide whether Mirabel has any gifts and how the other characters cope when they start to lose their gifts.
Show the YouTube video ‘Disney’s Encanto – Official Trailer’ (2.07 minutes long) - Show Slide 11.
Mirabel doesn’t have a magical gift, but when her family start losing theirs, her own gifts start to shine through. It turns out that Mirabel’s gifts are far more valuable than her family’s magical ones.
Ask the children, ‘What do you think Mirabel’s gifts are?’
If possible, pause to allow time for discussion in groups.
Listen to a range of responses.
Show Slide 12.
Mirabel’s gifts include:
- Supporting her family
- Solving problems
- Determination
- Friendliness
- Self-confidence
- An optimistic outlook
- Helping others
- Understanding and having empathy
- Saving the day!
Time for reflection
Ask the children, ‘Thinking back to the two trailers, how was Mirabel treated by her friends and family?’
Listen to a range of responses.
Answers should include that Mirabel’s friends and family pitied her, and sometimes, their comments and the way they treated her weren’t very kind.
Remind the children that we are all different and we all have different skills and gifts. For example, some of us are more determined whereas others prefer to go with the flow. Some of us are naturally shy whereas others find it easy to be more sociable. Jesus’ teaching encourages us always to treat others with kindness, no matter who they are and how they treat us. This is what Mirabel does too.
Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for films, and how they entertain and teach us different lessons.
Thank you for our different skills and gifts.
Thank you for the times when we’ve been treated with kindness.
Please help us always to treat others with kindness.
Please help us to use our gifts and skills in a good way.
Amen.
Song/music
‘All of you’ from the film Encanto, available at: https://youtu.be/hrMxx8EV4JU (4.32 minutes long)
‘Our God is a great big God’, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaXPXWBcE3I (3 minutes long)
Extension activities
- Give each child a copy of the sheet that accompanies this assembly (What Are Our Gifts - Extension Activity). Ask them to write or draw about times when they have been determined, been friendly, helped others and solved a problem.
