Tag Archives: teaching idea

Jan 23 2012

Choose the Right: Song

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Choose the Right – Hymn #239

Preparation

  • Items needed:  2 poster boards, 5 sheets of paper that match the color of the poster boards, 1 small bag, 1 sheet of brightly colored heavy paper, removable double-sided tape, magnets.
  • Print and cut out the song pictures. Put the small pictures in the bag. Glue the picture of the girl and the picture of the boy onto a brightly colored heavy sheet of paper. Cut out to make a brightly colored border around each picture. Glue a strong magnet to the back of both those pictures.
  • Print the word strips onto the papers that are the same color as the poster boards. Cut out the word strips, and using the double-sided tape, place the first five word strips, evenly spaced, across the top of one of the poster boards. Center the matching pictures below each word strip, and glue them onto the poster board. Continue doing each row in this manner. When you come to the point where no more pictures or word strips will fit on one poster board, butt the next poster board against the last line and glue or tape the two poster boards together. (If the word strips and pictures have been butted up against each other from top to bottom, the rest of the pictures and word strips should fit perfectly on the next poster board.) Put the large picture on the last square. Note: Be careful to put the word strips in the correct order because they are not in the right order on the printed papers.

 

Presentation

Using strong magnets, attach the poster to the chalkboard. Explain to the children that the pictures on the poster will be used as visual aids for the song, and the poster will also be used as a game that will help them memorize the song.

In senior primary go through and explain the pictures and words of each verse. You may wish to have them sing each verse after discussing it.

In junior primary go through and explain the pictures and words of the first verse. Then have the children sing that verse, but have them pay attention to the order of the pictures and words as they sing. Explain that after they sing the verse you are going to have two or three of them come up and put the lines of that verse in order on the board. Use the pictures with the words (cut each page in half vertically) for this activity. Take the poster off the board before they do the activity.  Give the children magnets to attach the pages to the board.  Hold up the poster so only the children in their seats can see it, and have them sing the song while the three children are putting the verse in order. This helps the junior primary get familiar with the words before they play the game. Do the same activity with the chorus, the second verse, and the third verse.

Below are some suggested explanations of some of the pictures and words:

Verse One

“In its right the Holy Spirit guides. And its light is forever shining over you when in the right your heart confides.” – Ask the children if they know what this means. Explain that if they have a sincere desire to know what is right, and they are doing their best to do the right things, the Holy Ghost will guide them and help them, especially when they confide in heart-felt prayer the choices and things they need help with.

Chorus

“Let wisdom mark the way before.” – A picture of an owl is used to represent the word wisdom. Owls are symbols of wisdom because of their ability to see in the dark, which is symbolic of using wisdom to do the right things in a dark world full of difficulty and temptations.

Verse Two

“Let no spirit of digression overcome you in the evil hour.” – Digression means to veer off the path you are on. So the spirit of digression means to think about veering off the right path during a time of temptation. The evil hour is a time of temptation.

“Be safe through inspirations power.”-  If you follow the guidance of the Holy Ghost you will be safe from the harmful effects of wrong choices because you will be doing the right things and not the wrong.

Verse Three

“There is peace” – The picture shows a dove and an olive branch. One of the reasons the dove symbolizes peace is because the dove that Noah sent out of the ark came back with an olive branch, which meant that the world was at peace again, in many ways. Point out the picture of the world and ask, “If people around the world were choosing the right would their be any wars, anger, or hate?” Explain that they can find peace in their own lives as they choose the right – the peace of forgiveness, the peace from not feeling guilt, etc.

“There is safety for the soul.” When you are choosing the right you’re safe because your spirit isn’t being harmed by wrong and sinful choices. The boy in the picture represents being safe by obeying the laws and doing the right things.

Memorizing Activity Game

Once the words and pictures have been explained, and the children are familiar with the tune, play the following game to help them memorize the words. Show the children the pictures of the boy and the girl, and explain that they will use one or the other as the game piece that they will move across the board. Choose one of the pictures to use for the first time they play.

Show the children the bag and show some of the game pieces that are in the bag. Explain that there is a matching game piece in the bag for every picture on the game board (and a couple extra that are needed for certain pictures). Explain that the game starts at the top of the poster. A child will draw pictures from the bag until they find one that matches one of the pictures on the top row.  That person then puts the picture of the child onto that square. Another person (probably the next person in their class or row) draws pieces until they get one that matches a square next to the square the picture of the child is on. It can be to the right or left, or diagonally down to the right or left, or straight down.  They won’t want to go back up because the object of the game is to get to the square that says “Let God and heaven be your goal.” There is no game piece for the finishing square in the bag, so in order to move to that square they have to get a game piece that says CTR, because in order to return and live with God in heaven they have to choose the right while on earth.

All the children will be singing the song as the game is being played. They may have to sing the song several times before they get the picture of the child to the ending square, but as they get familiar with how the game is played you can have them try and get to the finishing square before they finish singing the song once.

Each time they sing the song take word strips off the game board. Start with taking all the  “choose the right” word strips off, then take off the word strips for “in its light”. Then work on each section of the song, such as taking off the word strips for the chorus, then the word strips for the first verse, then the second, and finish with the third.

Note: You may want the older children be the first ones to play the game, because it may take a few times before the younger ones understand how the game works.  You may also need to bring a stool so the younger children can reach the pictures at the top of the game board.

This activity will take several weeks to complete. To put some more variety in the activity, you may want to print off an extra set of the big pictures and use them to test the children. Stop playing the game now and then and take the poster board off the board. Have a couple children put the pictures of one of the verses or chorus in order on the board. They will have to sing it in their head to remember the right order. Have the other children be the judges of whether it is correct or not. If that is too difficult, use the pictures with the words at first to test them.

Note: I used several of the fun visual aids that Carrie on Sugardoodle used in her flip chart, so I appreciated her sharing her ideas.

Oct 7 2010

Scripture Power

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“Scripture Power“ Song Teaching Idea

Preparation:


  • Print the Scripture Power pictures and wordstrips. Put the pictures into page protectors.  Obtain pictures of the following scripture stories from the meetinghouse library:  Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife, Noah Preaching to the People, Two Thousand Stripling Warriors, Enos, Daniel and his friends in the kings court, Alma at the Waters of Mormon, The Ten Lepers, Sermon on the Mount, Good Samaritan, David and Goliath, Prodigal Son. Put each scripture story picture into one of the page protectors that contain the song pictures. Put them facing out on the opposite side.


  • Cut the song word pages on the dotted lines, and cut apart the scripture story matching word strips on the dotted lines.


  •  Match each of the song words to their matching song picture. Turn over the song pictures one at a time and see what scripture story is on the back. Glue the scripture story’s matching word strip to the back of the song words that go with that song picture. The following are the matches for the scripture stories:

Joseph and Potiphar’s wife – Flee from temptation

Noah preaching to the people – Listen to the Prophet

Two Thousand Stripling Warriors – Listen to Your Parents

Enos- Pray Always

Daniel and his friends in the kings court – Word of Wisdom

Alma at the Waters of Mormon – Make Baptismal Covenants

The Ten Lepers – Be Grateful

Sermon on the Mount -Share the Gospel with Others

Good Samaritan – Help and Serve Others

David and Goliath – Have Faith in God

Prodigal Son – Repentance Brings Forgiveness

Presentation Instructions:

Post on the board the word strips of things we learn from the scriptures. Make sure the song words on the opposite side are in the correct order they will be sung when turned over.  Leave the word strips that say “Scripture Power” facing forward. Tell the children that “Scripture Power”  is the name of the song they are going to learn or review. (The words “scripture power” are a visual reminder of what they gain from the scripture stories.)

Also post the pictures of  the scripture stories on the board.

The object of the activity is for the children to match the scripture story picture with the word strip of what they learn from that story. When a child makes a match, that child gets to check that match by turning over the word strip and the picture. If the child thinks the song words match the picture, have the child put the picture by its words. If it doesn’t match, have the child try again. When all the matches had been made, have the children check to see if they think all the song matches are correct. Have them correct any they think are wrong. (You will have to read the word strips to junior Primary, and briefly describe what the scripture story pictures are about.)

Note:  To help prevent overwhelming Junior Primary, only post and do half the verse with them at a time. When they have mastered the first half, then post and do the rest. It may be a good idea to do the same thing with Senior Primary so they do not become restless.

After the activity, go over the words (and pictures) with the children and explain what they mean such as:

Because I want the power His words will give to me. – What is the power the scriptures give to us? Explain that it is the strength and power to do the right things, because the scriptures teach us and remind us what is right.

I’m changing how I live. I’m changing who I’ll be. –  We gain more strength and power as we do the right things.

Scripture Power is the power to win – Win what? Win power over temptation, which helps us win the test of life and gain eternal life.

Scripture power, every day I need.  – We all need the help the Lord provides through the scriptures. We would spiritually starve without the scriptures. As we read the scriptures we are spiritually strengthened.

 

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.

Jul 18 2010

Song: The Holy Ghost

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The Holy Ghost – Lifesaver Candy Activity

To teach the second verse of  The Holy Ghost, I used Bridgette’s flip charts to initially introduce the verse. I did change the picture on the page “by sacred priesthood power” to a picture of  the Melchizedek Priesthood being restored to give the visual aids in the first part of the verse more variety and more teaching moments.

When I teach a song I like to explain each line and visual aid. When I came to the part “and with his light I’ll do what’s right”, I showed the picture of the lighthouse and explained what lighthouses do; they guide ships away from danger. Then I explained that the Holy Ghost can light the way in our lives to guide us away from spiritual and physical danger.  

I told an abbreviated version of the story Turn Upside Down and Push, found in the July 2010 Friend. The story is about how the Holy Ghost helped a boy in a dangerous situation. I showed a picture of a life saver/preserver and talked about its purpose. Then I told the children they were going to do a choosing activity using lifesaver candies to help them remember that the Holy Ghost, like a life preserver, can help keep them safe from physical danger (and spiritual danger).

 I had put different colored backgrounds on each picture of the flip chart. I had a baggie with eight corresponding colors of lifesavers in it. I put a blindfold on a volunteer and had the volunteer tell what color the lifesaver was by tasting it. If the child got the color right, I only covered up the words on the matching picture. If they got it wrong, I took down the picture with its words. 

The children loved the activity and tried to guess the color correctly so they would at least have the picture to help remind them of the words. We sang the song each time after the words were removed. By the end they had it memorized.

I gave each of the children an individually wrapped lifesaver when we were done.

I got the candy choosing idea from the primarysingingtimeideas.blogspot.com/ skittles game idea. 

Many thanks to the blogs and websites that help inspire fun ways to teach!