Tag Archives: Jesus

Jan 6 2011

If I Listen With My Heart – Verse Two

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If I Listen With My Heart – Verse Two

Preparation

  • Items needed:  two hinged rings or two pieces of ribbon, a marker, strong magnet strips, a hole punch, and a lamp or lantern. You will also need the chorus cards, the black and white picture of the prophet, and the picture of Savior from the previous week’s lesson. Put the black and white picture of the prophet into a page protector, and slip the picture of the Savior behind it. Print the pictures and word cards onto cardstock. Cut out each picture around its subject’s outline. Attach a strong magnet to the back of each picture. Cut out the word bubbles. Glue the word bubbles that say Love & Serve to the picture of the prophet and to the picture of the Savior. Attach a magnet to the back of the rest of the word bubbles.
  • Cut the word cards in half on the dotted line. Stack the word cards in order, with the start of the song on top. Attach strong magnets between each card (on the top, middle of the cards) so the cards stick together.  Hole punch the bottom of each card on the corners, and connect the six cards together with the rings or ribbon. Put a long strip of a strong magnet onto the top back of the last card. 

 

Presentation

Tell the children they are now going to learn the second verse of the song “If I Listen With My Heart”.  Remind them that it is about the prophet’s words being a way we hear the Savior’s voice. Put the black and white picture of the prophet in front of the lantern, and turn on the lantern. Put the flip chart on the board with the first lines of the verse showing. Go through the words of the flip chart with the children, and put the following corresponding pictures on the board for each page.   

 I hear a living prophet speak – Put the picture of the prophet and the podium on the board. 

the things that Christ would say –  Put the picture of the Savior to the left of the picture of the prophet.

if He were here upon the earth - Put the picture of the Savior over the picture of the prophet.

to talk with me today – Put the picture of the children to the left of the podium.

Put the word bubbles on the board to the left of the the picture of Jesus, and ask the children what the Savior would tell them to do if he were here upon the earth today. Write a response with the marker in each word bubble.

The prophet teaches how to live – Take off the picture of the Savior so that the prophet is showing, and explain that the prophet tells us the same things, because he tells us the Savior’s words, the things the Savior wants us to know. 

in righteousness and peace - Explain that the Savior wants us to live in righteousness and peace, so the prophet teaches us the Savior’s words on how to do that. Point out the word peace, and remind the children that the word peace is in each verse of the song. This is to help remind us that if we listen to and obey the Savior’s words, we can have peace in our lives. (When singing the song, put the labeled word bubbles up during this line of the song.)

Put the chorus pages on the board, and remind the children that they sing the chorus at the end of each verse.

Note: You may wish to teach Junior Primary a couple of lines of the verse at a time, and then have them sing those lines before teaching the next two lines. 

Prepare to have the children sing the verse by resetting the flip chart and taking off the pictures.  Have a child helper put the pictures on the board at the appropriate times as you turn the pages of the flip chart. Go through the words and visuals again before singing the verse, to make sure the helper knows how they go. Have a different child help with the visuals each time you sing the verse.  

Tell the children they are now going to memorize the second verse. Review the words on the first flip chart card. Put it down so it isn’t showing, and have the children sing the song again. Do the same with the second card in the flip chart, then have them tell you what the first line is again. Then sing the song again without the first and second cards showing. Continue in this manner until they can sing the song without the flip chart.

Note: To help the children review lines, tell them the line, but stop at certain points and see if they can tell you the next word or words. 

Safety Reminder: Use only battery powered lanterns. If you use a lamp, put the paper on the lamp shade using a straight pin. Do not put the paper near the hot light bulb.

Dec 12 2010

The Shepherd’s Carol

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“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

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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.