Friends Are Fun

I noticed the other day that school starts in about a month around here. So I decided to teach this song about being a good friend. At then end I shared some scriptures and stories about friends.

The presentation is kind of boring. I'd love to hear your ideas about how to make it more interesting for the children.

Friends Are Fun pg. 262

Ask, “Who has a friend raise your hand?” Recognize all the hands and instruct the primary to put their hands down.

Say, “I need three children to tell me what they like to do with their friends. What do you like to do with your friends?” Call on children and take answers.

Say, “Listen to my song for one of the things that is fun to do with a friend.” Sing the first two sentences.

Ask, “What is one of the things that is fun to do with a friend?” Take answers and invite the children to sing the first two sentences with you. Sing them a couple of times.

Ask, “When you make a friend, how long do you want to have that friend?”

Invite, “Listen to my song for how long is fun to make a friend.” Sing the next sentence.

Ask, “How long is it fun to make a friend?” Take answers and invite the children to sing with you.

Invite, “Listen to my song for what you must do if you want to make a friend for your whole life through.” Sing the last sentence.

Ask, “What must you do if you want to have a friend?” Take answers and invite the children to sing with you.

Review the whole verse.

Ask, “What are some things you do when you are being a friend?” Take a couple of answers.

Invite, “Listen to my song for some things you do to be a friend.” Sing the first two sentences of the second verse.

Ask, “What are some things you should do to be a friend?” Take answers and invite the children to sing with you.

Ask, “If you act friendly then how will others act toward you?” Take some answers. Respond positively then sing the third sentence. Invite the children to sing with you.

Invite, “Listen again for another thing you must to if you want a friend.” Sing the last sentence.

Ask, “What must you do if you want a friend?” Take answers and invite the children to sing with you. Review the second verse and then review the first two verses.

Say, “The scriptures tell stories about good friends.”

Share the stories of
• David and Jonathan: 1 Sam. 18:1-3, 1 Sam. 19:1-7, 1 Sam. 23:16-18
• Alma: Alma 15:18, Alma 17:1-2 and Ammon: Alma 27: 16-18
• Christ: John 15: 13-14. Before reading John 15:13 tell the children to listen for why Christ is a good friend. Before reading vs. 14 ask how we can be a good friend to Christ.

Tell Me the Stories of Jesus

"Tell Me the Stories of Jesus" CS, 57
Possible Gospel Principles:
August 2010 Week 1--Jesus Christ is a God of Miracles
August 2010 Week 4--Miracles come to those who have faith.

I haven't timed this one out. My primary presidency asked me to teach the song for June, July, and August during the first months of the year. I decided to teach "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus", my pick for August's song of the month, during February. I'll use this lesson plan and teach both the presidency member's and music leader's parts over multiple Sundays during singing time.

Presidency Member: Story time--you can invite the children to sit on a blanket you brought or on the ground.

Use pictures 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-19, 1-21, 1-23, 2-11, and 2-12 from Primary Visual Aids Cutouts Sets 1 & 2--People or use pictures that look like a primary teacher and her class.

Tell the story of a primary class that acted unusually rowdy one Sunday. In exasperation the teacher asked them if they would act that way if Jesus were there. One of the children remembered a lesson he/she especially liked about Jesus and begged the teacher to tell stories of Jesus. Use key words from the first verse of "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus" as you tell the story.

Music Leader: Teach the first verse of "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus". Ask

• What did the children want their teacher to tell them?
• What kinds of stories did they want to hear?
• Where did the stories take place?

Presidency Member: Continue the Story

Ask what story about Jesus they would ask their primary teacher to tell.

If you are teaching Week 1's gospel principle hold up GAK #210 and briefly tell the story of Jesus filling the nets with fish (Luke 5: 1-11). Invite the children to pretend to pull nets full of fish into a boat. Testify that Jesus has power over the earth.

One of the children in the story specifically requested the story of Jesus with children. Hold up Gospel Art Book #84 and GAK #216. Briefly tell one or both of the stories found in 3 Nephi 17: 11-24 and Mark 10:13-16 using key words from the second verse of "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus". If you are teaching Week 4's gospel principle emphasize the faith the parents had that Jesus could truly bless their children. Invite the children to close their eyes and imagine that Jesus is holding and blessing them.

Music Leader: Teach the second verse of "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus" and review the first verse. Ask

• Where did the children who came to Jesus stand?
• What did the primary children in the story imagine? Did you do that too?
• What kind of words did Jesus use?
• What kinds of deeds did Jesus perform?
• Point out in the picture the love light of Jesus' face.

Presidency Member: DVD "Finding Faith in Jesus Christ"

Before primary cue the DVD player to the story of Jesus calming the tempest at the beginning of the DVD.

Before you push play tell the children to watch for what is happening to the people who are in trouble.

Pause after the DVD shows the disciples' distress and ask what is happening to the people. Ask the children if they can guess who the people are--explain that Jesus and his disciples are in the boat.

Music Leader: Teach the first two lines of the third verse of "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus". Ask

• What was the sea doing? (two things--rolling and tossing)
• Explain that a tempest is a storm. Where was the tempest?

Presidency Member: Ask the children to listen when you play the movie for the name the disciples call Jesus.

Pause right after the disciple calls Jesus "Master" and ask what name the disciples called Jesus. Rewind just a little bit for those who didn't catch it and let the disciple continue so the children can hear what he asks.

Pause again to point out the faith the disciple had in Jesus. The disciple knew Jesus could keep them safe from the storm. Ask the children what they think Jesus will do next. Play the DVD to the end of the story to see if the children are right.

Music Leader: Teach the second half of the third verse of "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus" and review the whole song. Ask:

• What did the disciples call Jesus?
• What kind of master is Jesus?
• What did Jesus do to calm the tempest?

He Sent His Son

I've talked with my ward's Primary Presidency and I think I understand what they want my roll in Primary to be. Fortunately for me, they want to write their own Sharing Time lesson plans and sometimes they'll choose to integrate the song I plan to teach.

For February I'm working with Sis. Taylor who wrote up a great lesson plan based on the idea from February's Week 1 in the Outline. Sis. Taylor requested I teach part of the song after she reads a scripture and the children stand and face a picture that goes with the scripture. With her permission I'm sharing part of her plan with you. She didn't tell me what pictures she will use so I wrote some suggestions down in what follows. Here's VERY briefly Sis Taylor's plan:


First...

Scripture: Luke 2:12

Picture: GAK 200 (Maybe you could use picture #32 in the Gospel Art Book and read a scripture about Simeon prophesying about Jesus Christ's mission--Luke 2:25-33)

Song Section: "How could the Father tell the world of love and tenderness? He sent his Son, a newborn babe, with peace and holiness."


Second...

Scriptures: Luke 22:13, 14 and John 15:12,13

Picture: GAK #225, 226 or Gospel Art Book #54, 55

Song Section: "How could the Father show the world the pathway we should go? He sent his Son to walk with men on earth that we may know."


Third...

Scripture: Luke 22:39-44

Picture:GAK #230

Scripture: Luke 23:33, 34, 46

Picture:GAK #234

Song Section: "How could the Father tell the world of sacrifice, of death? He sent his Son to die for us and rise with living breath."


Fourth...

Sis. Taylor chose to let me teach this last part without her. I think I'll share the story of Nephi, Lehi, and Aminidab in Helaman 5 or the story of Alma teaching the poor Zoramites (especially Alma 32: 21) or King Benjamin's council in Mosiah 2:22 or Jesus Christ's counsel in 3 Nephi 18:12, 24. I haven't decided yet.

Song Section: "What does the Father ask of us? What do the scriptures say? Have faith, have hope, live like his Son, help others on their way. What does he ask? Live like his son."

Update: I'm using Moroni 7: 33, 40-42, 47, 48 to teach that last part. Faith, hope, and charity go well with the words at the end.

I'm Back! Some Ideas for "I Know That My Savior Loves Me"

Hi Primary Presidency Members and fellow Music Leaders!

I accepted a call to be the Primary Music Leader in my new ward. However, I am not sure if I'll continue to add to this blog. If I do I should have something posted for February in the next couple of weeks. If not I'll keep this blog so you can use it as a resource.

Yesterday (10 January 2010), the Presidency Member and I used the lesson plan for teaching "This Is My Beloved Son" from this site. Did any of you use it too? The song went well with the ideas presented in the Outline for January's Week 2.

Since I'm still figuring out how things work in this new ward I haven't taught "I Know That My Savior Loves Me" yet. I'll teach it on Week 4. I'm thinking I'll do something like this:

• Use 3 Nephi 17:11-24 and a picture to tell the story of the Savior blessing the Nephite children.
• Teach the first the last half of the first verse up to "Each saw the tears on His face."
• This is a perfect spot for the presidency member to show the children their pictures of how they know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love them that they will draw this Sunday (Week 3) using a roller box (or computer projection if possible) while I sing "I Know That My Savior Loves Me" or the computer plays the song off of the church music website.
• Teach the second half of the first verse.
• Teach the children simple actions to use when they sing the chorus as follows: stand, raise hand, hold hand to heart then out in front as if offering something, and cross arms over chest (ASL sign for love).
• Use Mosiah 18:30 to explain that anywhere can be a beautiful place to those who learn about Jesus Christ and the gospel in that place. Compare the scripture to the song. For example: (beautiful place) place of Mormon=this beautiful place and Alma=parents and teachers.
• Teach the first half of the second verse.
• Use John 14:26 to talk about the name Comforter used for the Holy Ghost. Somehow relate that to the comfort of arms wrapped around in a hug.
• Teach the last half of the second verse.

Hopefully this helps you if you are also a little behind and haven't taught this beautiful new song.

Sorry Everybody

Sorry Everybody, a lesson plan for August is just not going to happen here. We're back from vacation but things are just too intensely busy for me to write up a lesson plan. Please check out the other amazing Internet resources some of which are listed to the right. Good luck and may God be with you.

July and August

Thanks to those of you who left comments on my last post. Thanks for all the nice things you said.

Okay, so, I'm leaving this next week and will be out of town until just before the first Sunday in July. Since the primary kids in our ward already know "I Lived in Heaven" (we often sang it for the opening song in January, February, and March) I'm just planning on reteaching and reviewing so I won't have a lesson plan made for July.

From those comments on the last post it looks like some of you use this blog as a reference and some of you actually use the lesson plans I write up. So, I might go ahead and write something up for August when I get back from vacation in July. I'll have to see how I feel and how moving plans are coming. In the mean time, feel free to use my post How I Do It and write up a lesson plan for August yourself.

I noticed that the first verse of the song "Families Can Be Together Forever" would naturally go great with the third gospel objective listed in the Outline for August (My family can be together forever through the ordinances of the temple) and the second verse would go great with the second gospel principle listed for August (I will prepare now to go to the temple). So, the song could easily be split between the two weeks.

Good Luck and have a happy Fourth of July.

I'm Moving

I'm moving. We close in July so I won't be Primary Chorister in August. I'm not obligated to make up a lesson plan for August and there is a small possibility I won't be teaching the song in July either.

Yet, I enjoy making up these lesson plans. I might be able to squeeze six hours in somewhere to make up lesson plans for July and August and post them here before we move.

However, I only want to sacrifice the time and effort to do so if you will use it. Please leave a comment. Thanks.