Teaching: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

The song "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" AKA "I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" is such a fun song to sing. I still remember singing it often back when I was in Primary. I have wanted to make teaching this song different and fun. 
While listening to Elder Uchtdorf's talk, I got inspired (I don't remember what he said or why it inspired me, maybe it was just the Spirit). Also another blogger pointed out that this song emphasizes the action words "believe", "know", "follow", "do" and so on. The combination of Elder Uchtdorf and this sister's blog gave me an idea. Instead of making signs to hold I'm going to have the children 'dress' as the word.
For example these are the words:
"Belong"-- Sports team member- have the child ware a jersey, and/or hold a ball, glove, bat.

"Know"-- Graduate- Graduation hat. I made mine out of construction paper, but you could use an old actual one too, mine is at my parents house.

"Follow"-- Crossing guard- Give the child a crossing guard sign to hold up, maybe a whistle (I wouldn't recommend it unless the whistle is broken). I'm going to try to find a crossing guard reflective vest, but I don't know where to find one. We tried as missionaries to give to our greenie to ware while backing us up and never did, so that part might be a no go. But I made the crossing guard sign out of construction paper and laminated (highly recommend getting one if you can afford to, mine was my Christmas present).

"Believe"-- _____- this one was the hardest for me. Here are some suggestions, I'm not sure what I am going to do for sure yet. 1- Santa hat, 'Do you Believe in Santa?' this one could be dangerous. Some parents loath Santa, having something to do with it in Singing Time might not be a good idea. Not to mention you couldn't make the comparison that we only believe in Santa because he isn't real verse we believe and have Faith in Christ since He is Real. That might get tricky since many little children still believe. 2- I own costume fairy wings. I thought of asking 'Do you believe in fairies?' to start instead. Either of these to complete them have the child hold a picture of Christ and the word FAITH. 3-The safest if you are looking for safe, have a costume ancient robe, and have the child hold a picture of Christ, they are to represent Christ.

"Honor"-- Scout- Bring a scout (cubs or boys) hat and have a child ware it for this line. The other suggestion given by my husband was a solider's outfit or hat. But I figure more children (since most have siblings or are themselves in some level of Scouts) will relate more.

"Do"-- Construction Worker"- have a child ware a hard hat. The idea was a hat associated with work. Another suggestion is -- a Cleaning worker- apron and rubber gloves.

"Proclaim"-- Missionary, I made an Elder and Sister name tags (enlarged) to have a child ware. I plan on having one boy and a girl come up for this one and one hold a picture of Christ and the other a picture of President Monson.
Along with this you could have the children hold up the "keyword" of what they are or the phrase of the song.


Hope ya'll have fun with this song. I can't wait.

Preparing for the Program

In preparing for a sub (especially a sub who might not know all the songs we’re learning this year), I went back to the idea I had for “I Lived in Heaven” and a suggestion that another chorister on a blog had- to make a binder with all the songs for the year in it. I figure if I use the same pictures that I used to teach them with that when it comes time to review they will be quicker to their memories. Last year I was so stressed with re-teaching songs because it was as though they had forgotten all the songs they learned at the beginning of the year (I was put in this calling in Aug). This way I can pull it out throughout the year and remind them, and then use it to quickly re-teach when it comes time to review. I hope that having a game plan will make it less stressful. So while preparing for a sub while I’m out for maternity reasons, I’ve also been spending a great deal of time recollecting and printing all the pictures I have used to teach songs to put into this binder. I still have to not completed “My Eternal Family”, but I’ve put together my pages for April’s song- “My Redeemer Lives”. For “How Firm a Foundations” I gave up trying to find my own pictures since I hardly had any pictures anyway, but instead printed another chorister’s flip chart from her blog. So far the pages look really good. I kept this in mind also while I was making the pages for May’s song “Baptism”. I foresee this book being really handy to hand a sub, and throughout the year for relearning when needed. Also I copied/printed all the songs for the year out and placed in sleeves, into the front of the binder. I use them rather them rather than the primary book to learn the songs myself while preparing, and for leading the music in front of the children.

4th Sunday Activity: Game for Song Review

For the Free week I created a game for just the three songs that we have already learned. Since the youngest children are still having struggling with the first two songs we've learned. I wanted to find a way to focus on just the songs we've learned so far. Keep the songs fresh in their mind.

Preparation:

1. Make a sign for each song: 'I Lived in Heaven', 'How Firm a Foundation', and 'My Eternal Family'
2. Print out random the lines from the 3 songs, I did about 7 from each song and focused mostly on non 1st verses
3. paste lines onto construction paper

How to play the game:

1. Place the songs up on the board (up high), and the lines somewhere visible but not right under the the song titles.
2. Sing through all three sings, all verses.
   
3. Have a child come up and pick a line.
   
4. Then have the children decide what song does that line belong to.
   
5. If its not apparent for the children, have the piano play the line, and then all sing with the piano.
6. Once the line has been identified, then sing the verse that the line belongs to. (Depending on the time you have)

Update: Tested Game

• In Primary today we did this game. I had no idea how well it would go but I figured that JR primary would have a hard time with the concept but still have fun playing and that SR primary would thing it was all way too easy and go through them super fast.
• JR-- They did really well. Most of the time they had to think about it, and I had the pianist play the line. They'd figure it out. We numbered the songs on the board. I found this helped because the really little children wouldn't say the name of the song out loud for me, but they would say a number or raise their fingers, and that was with very little coaching. I think they enjoyed the game a lot. In fact more so than the SR. We were able to complete about half of the lines I had prepared.
• SR-- We ended up with extra time, so not only did we go through them faster than with JR primary, the extra time aloud us to complete all the lines prepared. But it was just about perfect. There were even some of the lines the threw them a little.
• What was different than planned?? -- Well instead of singing the whole verse we just sang the line on the paper plus the next line. I think that worked out well. Overall I think it helped the children recognize which song was which much more. They did great.
  

Activity: I Lived in Heaven

I had planned on taking the words to the songs and having some words missing, then having the children fill in the blanks of the song. As I drove back home from spending the weekend in Phoenix, I had a lot of time to think (my husband was not feeling well and spent 2 of the 3 hour drive asleep). I then came up with a different idea for this week's activity.
To start this is my plan for Singing time each month: (See Previous Post)
Week 1- Learn the Song
Week 2- Continue to Learn the Song and start to fix it in their minds
Week 3- An activity focused around Making the Learning solid
Week 4- Free Activity

So this "Focused Activity":
For Senior Primary- I first reviewed all the verses. I took my book (the one I made for the song) and we sang the song, with the words showing, then once with only the pictures and then once with no helps. Then we re-sang where ever they were struggling. After that I gave each class an envelope that contained 2 of the lines from the song. Their job was to first put the line in order, and then to figure out where in the song the line belonged.
These lines I just printed out on the computer. I printed it out on landscape page format so the lines could be long, "Andy" font, and font size 120. I wanted them big enough to see from once we placed the lines on the board. The printing took all of 5 minutes to retype up the words, select all the settings, and print. I then cut the phrases out during sacrament meeting (not entirely recommended, unless it is the only time you have).
In each envelope, were two lines. There were next to each other in the song so as to not confuse the younger of the children. So each verse had two envelopes. They were to tape the lines together. That made 6 envelopes. Since we only had 5 classes with teachers today, I split the oldest boys’ class into two groups and their teacher oversaw both. I gave them a few minutes to put the lines in order, while my pianist played the song in the background.
Once all the groups were done, we were all say the next line and that group would come forward and put their line on the board. With each completed verse we'd sing the whole verse. All the children seemed to really enjoy the activity. I could hear each of the groups singing the song while working, and they all took it as a challenge.
For Junior Primary- we only did the above activity with the last verse. They hadn’t learned the last verse yet. Since they have been having so much of a harder time, I went much slower with them. Today while learning the 3rd verse we first said and repeated the lines a few times and them sang each line a few times. Since one of the suggested reasons why the very little children are having a hard time is the key of the song, I thought I would try just saying the line so the music didn’t get in the way of learning the words. I think I will try this technique while learning ‘How Firm a Foundation’ since it too is not going to be an easy one for the young children. Back to the activity part, I split the third verse into the 4 lines and then the children into 4 groups. They put the lines together with the help of their teachers. I was fearful that all words with no pictures would trip up those children that can’t read yet, but with the help of the teachers, no of them seemed intimidated at all. In fact, they seemed to really enjoy the challenge. I took the pictures that went with the lines out of the book and had two children from each group come up for each line (one to hold the line the other to hold the picture), and we sang the verse, then the whole song. I think it really helped the children become familiar with the words, the last verse I had more children singing then on any of the other verses.

Alternative Focused Activities (could be applied to many songs):
-Use the words of the book idea, but have the children make the pictures. Assign each class to draw a picture for a page in the book. Then sing the song with their pictures instead of whatever you made.
-Have the lines on the board. Either have them mixed up or cover some the words.
-Assign each class to learn a line. Then as the song is sung have that class stand and perform their line.
-Have colors on a sticks, or just large circles to hold up. As we sing hold up a color, the children who have the color on, then get to stand and sing while that color is being held up.
-Put the a picture (preferably the one you may have used to teach the song) on the board and also the printed line that goes with that picture. Have the children match the line of the song with the picture and sing the line once matched.

Update On 'I Lived in Heaven'

Update On ‘I Lived in Heaven’
Sr primary has already learned the whole song. JR primary has only got through the first 2 verses. I don't know what it is about this song, but for the little children it seems much harder. It has been suggested that the minor key and the lack of a chorus could be reasons. I figured that since I have their attention, I would keep on teaching, and after a while I am hoping the repetition will start to sink in.

I had thought of two different activities to do after we had learned the entire song.
JR- for JR primary I was planning on taking the pictures that go with each line, mix them up and randomly put them on the board. Then I was going to have 4 children at a time come up and find the four pictures that go with each verse. From there the other children help them put their pictures in order. Then we’d all sing that verse while the 4 children held up the pictures.
SR- for SR primary I was planning a little more complicated of an activity. I was going to put the words on a page on one side of the chalkboard and the pictures on the other. So not only would the children have to find the line that goes with the picture but then find the sets that go to the verse and then put them in order.
Last Sunday, in SR primary we had some time leftover after we learned the whole song. But not enough to do the game I had planned. So I played the game I had plan for the JR primary. It worked really well. But now I have to decide on another activity for this Sunday. I think I might make the a fill in the blank board.

I Lived in Heaven-3rd Verse and 2009 Program thoughts

Third verse of “I Lived in Heaven a Long Time Ago”

This verse was the hardest for me to decide on what pictures to use. If I had been doing copied pictures I think they would have been easier. But I finally decided and figured out how to make them. Of all the pictures I made this section I am especially proud of because they turned out so cool (specifically the 2^nd coming picture and the Mesa Arizona Temple). I was disappointed in my bride and groom and how plain my returning home to God picture came out.

This year’s schedule:

In discussion about this year’s program (2009), I was asked to decide on which songs would be used each month.

Jan- I Lived In Heaven A Long Time Ago

Feb- How Firm A Foundation

Mar- My Eternal Family

April- My Redeemer Lives (Hymn #135)

May- Baptism or I Want To Be Baptized , I haven’t decided which yet. I will be having my baby this month (near the beginning), so I will be picking whichever will be easiest for a sub to teach.

June- See the Lord Early

July- Jesus Said Love Everyone, I was surprised when I learned that none of the children knew this song. As I was looking through the songs and the lesson, I noticed that the lesson focus on having us learn to love others as he loves them. I felt this song was perfect. In addition, there are always so many children out on vacation and all I thought this song would make it easier for those out to learn later.

We are also considering using ‘Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam’ for the Sunbeams to sing and perform as their part of the program. It also goes with this month’s theme.

Aug- Families Can Be Together Forever

PS the alternative song options are being considered for special music numbers

Singing Time: I Lived in Heaven

I know that most of you who actually want ideas on how to teach this month’s song already had to come up with an idea. I really liked my idea but I did it a little too complicated and it wasn’t ready to post in time to give you ideas but I thought I was really good.

This month’s song is: I Lived In Heaven.

Since the song sings like a story I thought I would teach the song like a story. I created the pages to read like a book, and the pictures to look like a photo album. I did everything out of construction paper. That many pictures cutting out the small pieces of construction paper takes a lot of time. If I had wanted I could have used a simpler form of art work- ie images off the internet, one of the fancy gospel centered art idea books, stickers, pictures out of the Friend ect. But I have a talent for construction paper artwork, so that is what I think of first. I still haven’t finished the third verse’s pictures yet so I will have to post those when I am done. When a page was open the left side had the words.

The font I used is the basic Comic Sans font done in “outline” so I could color in the words. That was something else that took so long. It was a lot of coloring. One of the teachers asked why I don’t just print it in color. Maybe I should of, it would have saved me a ton of time. However, I want to save my color ink for when I print a picture since I can get a set of markers for a dollar. I colored each verse the same color, the first verse was colored purple, second was green, and the third was blue. The right side is where I tried to make the page look like a scrapbook. I’m not a scrapbooking person, so this was hard to think through for me, I am also not a girly frilly girls so the harder I tried they just looked girly and silly to me. Oh well. I then put all the pictures in the sheet cover sleeves, and then into a three-ring binder.

As we sang the song I flipped the pages. In the future I will take some of the pages out of the binder and have children hold them for me. I like when I find ways to involve children. They behave better then.

I only taught the children the first verse in Junior primary, I may have been able to do the second verse, but I didn’t want to push my time. But we easily did both 1^st and 2^nd with the Senior Primary. We could have even had the time to do the third verse, but since it wasn’t finished I didn’t want to, so we sang through the first two verse a couple more times and then I just gave Sharing time an extra 2 minutes. For future lessons with this song I plan on putting all four pages of words on the board, and then all for pages of pictures. I will have the children match the pages and after they are matched we’ll sing that one line, then once we get all of the lines matched with the pictures we’ll sing the whole verse.

My husband has the idea of teaching each class one line of the song. I could have their teacher help the class learn that one line (after introducing the song to everyone) then we’d focus on getting the song all together by having that class sing louder on their line. I think this concept could work really well with the Senior Primary, I’m just a little skeptical how well with Junior Primary.

I am looking forward to this New Year. Since we now have church in the morning, I have the goal to focus on my next week’s lesson after church. Then maybe I will be better at sharing my ideas than in the pre-sense than I have been.

Happy New Year!!