Dec 12 2010

The Shepherd’s Carol

Posted on December 12, 2010 by Camilla

“The Shepherd’s Carol” Pg. 40 Children’s Songbook

This week I taught the children my favorite Christmas song from the Children’s Songbook, “The Shepherd’s Carol”. I use the Children’s Songbook music Cd’s for accompaniment when teaching this song because the introduction is beautiful (it’s bells or chimes). They also use different instruments for each part during the round, which makes it easier to hear the different parts.

Items Needed: Children’s Songbook music Cd’s, a Cd player, fabric items to make headdresses for Mary and Joseph (fabric, towels, scarves, etc.), a baby doll wrapped tightly in a blanket, a crown, a hymn book with the word praises on the cover, a gift package with hearts on the outside of it, a copy of the words for each child in Senior Primary, and a picture of Jesus in Gethsemane with the words “Our Savior” attached to it .

Senior Primary – I gave Senior Primary the words to the song to start them off, because I knew that once they sang the song a couple of times they would love it and be excited to learn it. We sang it through once without doing the rounds. Then I divided the children into four groups. I asked the pianist to lead one group, and I had a couple of other people lead the other parts (they were leaders or teachers who knew how to lead music). I gave them each a copy of the song so they would have the words and music.

We started the CD and sang the song from the beginning (singing through once and then singing the parts). It was beautiful. The kids loved it too. (I have had kids clap after they sing this song because it sounds so beautiful, and they are proud of their singing.) I let the children choose if they wanted to do it again. They wanted to do it again, and again, and again. We actually ran out of time before I could help them memorize it.

Junior and Senior Primary – (I started junior Primary as this point.) (Use the piano for this part.) I chose two children to dress up as Mary and Joseph, and I had Mary sit on a chair and hold the baby. Joseph stood behind her. I gave Joseph the crown to hold. I told Junior Primary the words of the first two lines, and then we sang that much. Then I added another child holding the picture and another holding the hymn book. I had those children stand to the right of Mary and Joseph. I told the children the chorus and we sang that much, and then we sang the whole first verse including chorus. Then I added another child who was holding the gift box. I had that child stand to the left of Mary and Joseph. We then learned the next two lines.

Do the following actions as the children sing the song to help them remember the words.

Mary, Mary hush see the child. (Point to Mary, then put one finger on your lips, then point to your eyes, and then point to the baby.)

Joseph, Joseph look see how mild. (Point to Joseph, then to your eyes, and then to the baby.)

This is Jesus; (Have Mary hold up the baby)

This is our King. (Have Joseph hold the crown over the baby’s head)

This is our Savior; (Have a child hold up the picture of Jesus in Gethsemane with the words “Our Savior” attached to it.)

His praises we sing. (Have the child that is holding the hymn book, hold it up and open it.)

All God’s children come to adore. (Have the child that is holding the hymn book and the child that is holding the picture, come close to Mary and Joseph and look at the baby and smile.)

Bringing gifts of love evermore. (Have the child who is holding the gift hold it out to the baby, or they can hold it up high for everyone to see.)

Repeat the chorus.

Have the children sing the song several times as the children that are holding props do their parts. Touch their heads when it is their turn to do their part. After Junior Primary learns the song, have all the people holding props sit down. Have the children sing the song again to see if they can still remember the words. If they can sing it, and you have time, you can try to do the rounds with them. (Or if you want to make sure and have time to do the rounds, give the words to the readers in Junior primary at the beginning, and have the non-readers acting out (or watching) the parts. When doing the rounds have the non-readers be part one. This makes things less confusing for them. You will need to direct the acting and singing of the non-readers.)

Note: The Children’s Songbook music Cd’s can be found in the meetinghouse library, or you can copy the song from the church website onto a Cd.

Aug 9 2010

Song: He is Risen

Posted on August 9, 2010 by Camilla

Easter Egg Punch Board Activity

In Primary I taught the hymn “He is Risen” during the month of August. I told the children that the song “He is Risen” celebrates Jesus’ resurrection, and we usually sing it in April. I asked what holiday we observe in April in celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. (Easter)

I asked the children if they knew why we use eggs in our Easter celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. (For many people, the living bird coming out of the egg was a reminder of the living Christ coming out of the tomb on the third day.)

I told the children I was going to use Easter eggs to help them learn the song, and I showed them the Easter egg punch board. Inside the eggs were words to the song. I told them they were going to play a matching game. I had pictures to the song on the board, and the children matched the words that were in the eggs with the pictures on the board. Some of the eggs contained a foam hand, and the children who found those got to be my helping hand and fix any matches that were wrong at the end of the activity.

To break open an egg, a child had to peck at it with their finger, like a baby bird would peck to break the shell of an egg.

I had the children who found the foam hands sit in seats at the front. When all the words had been placed under pictures, I had the helping hand children take turns fixing the word strips. I held up numbers telling them how many were wrong before each of their turns. When they got all the words in the right place, we sang the song. After that we talked about the words to the song.

I pointed out that the words “He is risen” is repeated two times with joyful emphasis. When we got to the part that says “He has burst his three day prison”, I asked what prison it was talking about? (Death) On the part where it says “Let the whole wide world rejoice” I asked, “Why does the whole world rejoice about Jesus’ resurrection? (Because of Jesus’ resurrection we will also be resurrected and live again.) Christ won the victory over death. We honor Jesus, and show how grateful we are to him for what he has done for us, by singing this song with joy in our hearts.

The second week I hid Easter eggs around the room. In each Easter egg was a line from the song. I had a child look for an Easter egg while everyone sang the song. We took the words off the board that was in the Easter egg the child found. Then we sang the song again while another child looked for an egg. This helped them memorize the song with fun repetition.

Punch board assembly instructions:

Items needed: one foam board 20″x30.5″, a knife, white lunch bags, a multi-color pack of gift tissue paper, double -sided permanent tape, four objects such as stickers or cut outs, and the He is Risen word strips and pictures.

I cut out twelve 3 3/4 inch round holes on the foam board with a knife. The holes were about 3 1/8 inches apart side to side, and 2 1/8 inches apart top to bottom.

I cut about 2 1/2 inches off the top of each lunch bag. I cut a slit 1 1/2 inches deep on each of the top four corners of the bags. I folded back the four edges. I put an open bag over a hole on the foam board and taped the folded back edges to the foam board. Note: I used lunch bags because they could be folded up for easy storage of the punch board.

I cut out and rolled up each of the word strips. I put a paper clip on each one to hold it in place. I put each word strip into one of the paper bag openings on the board. I put a foam hand (any kind of item could be used for this) in the remaining four holes.

I cut out 12 egg shapes from the tissue paper. The eggs were each 4 1/2 inches wide and 5 3/4 inches tall. I placed pieces of double sided tape around the outsides edges of the holes and placed a tissue egg over each hole.

I cut out 12 more eggs shapes from the tissue to replace everything for Junior Primary. The best way to use this activity with Junior Primary is to only use half the eggs at a time. Put the first part of the song in half the eggs, and the second part of the song in the other half of the eggs. It is easier for Junior Primary to learn the song when they only have to focus on half of it at a time.

Jul 20 2010

Song: Come Follow Me

Posted on July 20, 2010 by Camilla

Friend October 2020 “I Can Play It: Come Follow Me” Also includes a Sing-Along video.

Teaching Idea: Walking in His Footsteps Activity

To introduce the song “Come Follow Me”, I did the song “Do As I’m Doing” with the children. We did cleaning (washing windows and dishes), and we did praying (folding arms, bowing head, closing eyes). We also did jumping jacks, but singing the song three times was a little much.

I had the children guess what action we were doing. After they guessed, I asked if it was important that we do that thing and why? After the song, I pointed out that they had followed my actions during the song, doing important things we should do every day. Then I explained that following Jesus’ example (July’s theme) means doing the same things Jesus did. I asked the children, “What things did Jesus do when he was on the earth?”.

I had made copies of the footprints found on page fifteen of the 2010 Outline for Sharing Time (click on blue words under the footprints). On the blank side, I had put one of the following labels on each footprint: forgave, prayed, loved, was baptized, taught, obedient, served, humble. We talked about the ways Jesus did each one of these things.

I used the flip chart from Primary Singing Ideas to introduce the words to the song. We talked about how “following in Jesus’ footsteps” meant to follow him and to do the same things he did.

We also discussed the part where it talks about being one with the Savior. I explained that being one with the Savior means having the same purposes, desires,and goals he has. I asked the children what his main goal is. They responded that it was to help people return to Heavenly Father’s kingdom. I expained that as we do the same things Jesus did, our hearts gain that same goal, and that it was the only way (for thus alone) to become one with the Savior.

Activity After we were done reviewing the words to the song, we sang the song once, and then we did the activity that would help them learn the song. I put the footprints on the floor in a circle, with the words of the song facing down and the labels of things Jesus did facing up. I picked four volunteers. I had them walk around the footprints while everyone sang the song. The pianist stopped playing half way through, and the kids stopped walking. I had folded papers in a small bowl with the same labels that were on the footprints. I picked one out and whoever was standing on that footprint picked it up. That child then told how they could follow Jesus by doing the thing that was on the footprint. Sometimes they had a hard time thinking of things, so I told them they could call on someone else to answer.

The child then showed the words that were on the bottom of the footprint, and we took those words off the flip chart. (In order to make the words removable, I had cut the words off the flip chart pages and had put the pictures into page protectors. I taped the words to the outside of the page protectors so they could be removed.)

After we took those words off, I had that child stay and pick the next word from the bowl when we stopped singing again. When there were four footprints left, I had another four children come up. This group could only walk on one foot print at a time.

The activity was an effective way to teach the meaning of the song and have repetition so they could learn the song.

Note: The children do have a hard time singing at first when they are watching the other children walk around the footsteps. Tell the children you are watching for good singers to be the helpers in doing the footstep activity. This well help them sing.