February 26, 2012

Opening Song: Reverence Is Love (p31)
Closing Song: Nephi's Courage (p120)

Wiggle Songs: The Wise Man and the Foolish Man (p281), If You're Happy (p266)

Program Song: Choose the Right (Hymn #239)
Review Song: As a Child of God (outline)
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Identify the doctrine: When we choose the right, Heavenly Father will bless us. We should follow the prophet and the scriptures to receive wisdom. We should listen to the Holy Ghost.

Help the children understand it:

1. Sing Wiggle Songs (I usually sing them twice through, varying how they sing it - for example: fast vs. slow, whisper vs. normal voice, standing up vs. sitting down, marching in place vs. marching around room, etc.) For If You're Happy, ask a couple of the kids to choose and lead what action to do.
2. Attention Getter: 
• Introduce yourself! (Ashley) Maybe tell them a funny story or some of your favorite things.
3. Listening and Singing Experiences:
   
   Junior Primary
• Put the pictures on the board for verse 1 of Choose the Right, or you can choose to hold them.
• Hand out CTR picture sticks to each child. Set the expectation that they are to hold them in their laps until we sing "Choose the right", then they are to lift their stick high in the air. Tell them that if they play with the stick, you'll take it away. Tell them that you are going to watch for kids that are singing reverently and lifting their stick at the right times to come up in front and help you lead! 
• Sing through verse 1 and the chorus while pointing to or flipping through pictures, with the kids lifting their sticks high in the air. Choose a few kids to come up in front to sing with you and lift their sticks in the air. Repeat, giving the other kids an opportunity to come up in front. (I try to give everyone an opportunity, usually there aren't that many kids, so it's not a problem).
• Collect picture sticks.
• Show the kids how to keep the beat while tapping their knees while you sing the chorus. Have them join in with you. Sing only the chorus while keeping the beat (remembering the verse and tapping the beat might be a bit much). You can switch it up by tapping the beat on different body parts, the chair, etc. 
• Introduce the Sing 'o' Meter. The kids haven't seen this before. Explain to them that you will ask one of their teachers to judge how they sing Choose the Right. Ask the teachers (so everyone can hear) to take into consideration something the kids need to work on: standing together (if you choose to have them stand), watching you, quiet at the end of the song, knowing the words, etc.
• Choose a teacher to come up and judge. Sing through the song 2-3 times.
• If there is time, review the song As a Child of God. The pictures are smaller because I used them in a poster, but the kids are familiar with them. Sing one verse at a time, going over the words before you sing it.

          Nursery (if you choose to go)

• Sing "The More We Get  Together" to invite the children into a circle.
• Tell them that this week they are going to learn a new song called Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam. Show the kids how to do a LITTLE jump in their seats every time you "sunBEAM". Invite the leaders to sing it with you to the kids. Sing through a couple times. You can invite the older kids to count how many times you sing "sunbeam".
• Sing "Do As I'm Doing", asking different kids to help choose the action.
• Sing "I Am a Child of God" with them. I have had them keep the beat on their knees and other body parts. 

          Senior Primary

• Sing through verse 1 and the chorus. We worked hard on this last week (Vincent, Isabella, Alexis, Jake, and Cameron). Emma knows this song really well. They can use the pictures you have on the board or that you flip through to help them.
• Tell them that now that they know verse 1 and the chorus, you're going to show them something awesome called a  Melody Map. Put up the Melody Maps under the corresponding picture on the board. Explain to them that the smaller circles are 1 beat, the larger circles 2 beats. Clap through the rhythm of one of the cards so they get the idea. Teach them that a Melody Map shows us when the notes go up and down or stay the same.
• Sing through Verse 1 and the chorus with them while pointing to the Melody Map cards. Repeat.
• Now hand out one card to each child there, leaving the other cards on the board. Sing through the song again, and when the kids sing the melody on their card, they are to bring it up to the front. Repeat, mixing up the cards you hand out.
• Keep all the cards/pictures on the board for the kids to refer to, and introduce the Sing 'o' Meter, just as you did for the Junior Primary.
• Choose a teacher to come up and judge. Sing through the song 2-3 times.
• If there is time, review the song As a Child of God. The pictures are smaller because I used them in a poster, but the kids are familiar with them. Sing one verse at a time, going over the words before you sing it.

Help them apply it in their lives: Invite them to continue choosing the right, bear testimony.

Songs of the Heart (if time left over)