I’m Trying to be Like Jesus pg 78  

VERSE ONE

Activity Description: Each class chooses a picture that best depicts an assigned line from the song. The classes then take turns posing like the people in their picture, and the other children guess which picture they chose.

Preparation

• Items needed: nine file folders and sticky tack.
• Print two copies of the song lines. Cut out the song lines and glue one set onto the file folders (one song line on each folder).
• Print the picture pages. Put each of the picture pages in their correct file. The pages are numbered to help you know which file to put them in.
• Obtain matching copies of all the pictures from the library. The pictures are from the Gospel Art Kit, the Primary 2, 4, and 7 manual picture packets, and the Gospel Art Book. (If you can’t find a certain picture just cross it off in the file.)
• Using sticky tack, hang the pictures from the library on the walls around the primary room before primary starts.

Presentation

Most of the older children already know this song. This activity will help them think more about what it means.

Put the second set of song lines on the board, horizontally, in the correct order.

Show the children the file folders. Explain that each folder has a line from the first verse on it, and each folder has some pictures in it. Point out the pictures that are displayed around the room of scenes from when Jesus was on the earth, and explain that the pictures in the files each match one of the pictures on the wall.

Explain that you are going to give each class (or group of kids) a file. Each class needs to pick one of the pictures in the folder that best goes with the line that is on their folder. Tell them not to let anyone else see or know which picture they picked.

Explain to the children that each class will try to pose like the people in the picture, and everyone else will try to guess which picture they chose. (Note: The handbook says the Savior should not be portrayed by children in dramatizations. I had the children pose like all the people in the picture except for Jesus, but you may feel this doesn’t qualify as a dramatization. If you do have children pose as Jesus, remind them to portray Jesus with reverence and dignity.)

Send the first class out into the hall to prepare their pose. Explain that the other children are going to sing the verse one time while they prepare. Once the children are done singing, invite the class back in to the front of the room to do their pose. Have a child, who thinks they know which picture the class is doing, go and point at the picture. The class tells if it is the correct picture or not. Choose another child to guess if it is not correct. Continue in this manner until someone guesses the correct picture.

Discuss the picture that was chosen. (Review the stories ahead of time so you are familiar with them.) Ask the children what they can learn concerning how to be like Jesus from the picture. (Such as, Jesus raised the dead – we can’t raise the dead, but we can comfort those who experience the loss of a loved one. Or, Jesus loved us and sacrificed his life for us  – we can show our love for others by sacrificing our time in service to them.)

Explain why the picture goes with the song line, and then take the song line off the board and put the picture in its place. Remind little ones what the words are and have them repeat them. Hopefully this will help those who aren’t familiar with the song to memorize it.

Send the class with line number two out into the hall to prepare their pose. Continue the activity as explained above until all the lines have been replaced with pictures on the board.

Note: Some of the pictures are in more than one file. If the children see a class doing the picture they chose they need to choose another picture.

VERSE TWO

Preparation – Print and cut out the second verse lines.

Explain to the children that they will be doing another activity where they mimic the actions of someone else. This is to help remind them to try and be like Jesus.

• Why should we try to be like Jesus? Because he showed us the type of person we should be in order to gain eternal life; his life was full of love and service for other. We need to follow his example and fill our lives full of love and service for others. Point out that the second verse starts off with that theme. (Put the first line on the board.)

Activity:

Have the children put their seats in a circle or stand in a circle. Explain that you are going to choose someone to do some actions for the words in the line. Everyone else will  follow and do the actions that person is doing while they sing the line slowly three times. Explain that you are also going to choose someone else to try and figure out who is leading the actions. Send that person out in the hall while you choose the leader. Tell the chosen leader some actions they can do for the line. They will have to do a couple different types of actions so the children are following them and not just repeating. Tell the other children to do their best to follow the actions without looking directly at the leader. After the child comes back into the room, have the leader stand up if the child can’t guess who it is after the line has been sung three times.

Repeat and do the same activity above with each line of the verse.

Take off the lines from the board and have the children sing that part after every couple of lines are learned. Also remind the children now and then that they are following the actions of the activity leader, but in real life they should be trying to be like who?… (Jesus)

Action Suggestions:

I’m trying to love my neighbor – Hands form a heart, or put hands over heart for love. Put an arm around a child, or point to child next to you for neighbor.

I’m learning to serve my friends – Point to head for learning. Service actions – raking leaves, washing dishes, etc – helping them with chores

I watch for the day of gladness – A hand curved above eyes, or hands formed into goggles for watching. Point to smiling face for gladness.

when Jesus will come again – Point to a picture of Jesus and then to the earth, or have hands facing each other and coming down from heaven.

I try to remember the lessons he taught – Point to side of forehead for remember, or put both hands on sides of head. Palms like an open book for lessons taught, or one hand open in front of you as if explaining something.

Then the Holy Spirit enters into my thoughts, saying – One hand on top of the other as if giving a blessing for Holy Spirit. Hands on top of head for enters into my thoughts, or point to side of head.