April 21, 2013

Opening Song: I am a Child of God (p2)

Closing Song: My Heavenly Father Loves Me (p228)

Program Song: The Sacred Grove (p87)
Other Songs: The Priesthood is Restored (p89)
Wiggle Song: Hinges (p277)

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Identify the doctrine: After Jesus Christ and the Apostles died, Gospel truths were lost. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith in latter-days to bring back the lost truths.

Help the children understand it: (use for both Jr and Sr): 
(2 minutes)

(Review from last week) Hold up a picture of Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith had an important question he wanted to ask Heavenly Father. He wanted to know which of all the churches was the right one. He decided to go to a special place, away from his home, to say his important prayer. It is called the Sacred Grove. 

Raise your hand if you know what "sacred" means. Call on children to answer. Be sure they understand it means special and holy; if we are in a sacred place we should be quiet, reverent, and respectful (just like we are in the Chapel or in the temple).

Today we are going to practice the song "the Sacred Grove" we started learning last week.

Listening and Singing Experiences:

Junior Primary/Senior Primary (see notes in red for Sr. Primary) 

The Sacred Grove (p87)
(10 minutes total)

Materials:

• Flipchart Pictures to tell the story (velcro on back) - pictures found using LDS Media Library and Divine Secrets of a Primary Chorister
• Posterboard with velcro spots
• Keywords Strips (velcro on back)

1. Ask the pianist to play through the song one phrase at a time as you review the poster pics...
2. Ask the children to tell me what the song taught about each picture after you sing it. (Sr. Primary focused, still use if combined): Listen for keywords as they answer and add strips to poster under the corresponding picture. (Have keywords visible on board/extra poster board). Be sure they know what the "message" was that "answered all his fears and made his heart rejoice" (none of the churches were true, but they would restore the true church through Joseph)
3. Verse 1:
• “The Sacred Grove was green and fresh,”/ picture of the Sacred Grove
• “The morning sun shone bright around,”/ picture of the sun
• “As Joseph knelt in fervent prayer,” (sing twice) / picture of Joseph praying in the Sacred Grove
• “Upon that sacred ground.”/ picture of the ground or of the Sacred Grove and point to the ground
  
  Verse 2 : 
• “The Father and the Son appeared,”/ picture of the First Vision
• “They spoke to him as with one voice,”/ picture of Father and Son and the number 1, word "voice"
• “Their message answered all his fears,” (sing twice)/picture of church building
• “And made his heart rejoice.”/picture of a heart

More review with piano:

1. Invite the children to sing WITH me as I point to the pictures, singing as much as they can. 
2. If you listen to the music, you'll hear that it has a lot of ups and downs. Let's hum the melody, and I'll show you the pitch leading (go SLOW), repeat each phrase twice before moving on.
3. Sing the song a couple times through using pitch leading.

Invite children to return to their seats for the Wiggle Song: Hinges (p277)

The Priesthood is Restored (p89)

(5 minutes total) - Review from last week...

With piano:

1. Tell the children that it was through Joseph Smith that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ restored, or brought back, the Priesthood to the earth. We're going to learn a song about it! 
2. First, let me show you something important about leading music. When I turn my palm facing up, it means we are going to hold that note (sing an example), and when I close my hand, it means we stop singing (sing an example). 
3. Our new song has 3 long "holds". Sing the song TO the children using leading techniques. Invite them to lead along with me.
4. Let's find out how long we held each of those long notes! Tell children to keep the beat on their knees.  Sing SLOWLY, and when you come to the "hold", ask the children to count how many beats they did on their knees (6). Repeat with the rest of the song. The last note is tricky, it's not 6, but 12! (Forget the fermata for now).

Nursery (following Jr. singing time, go into Nursery and sing the following songs with them)

1. Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
2. Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam
3. Book of Mormon Stories
4. Popcorn Popping
5. Wise Man and the Foolish Man
6. Families Can Be Together Forever
7. I Am a Child of God

April 14, 2013

Opening Song: I Will Follow God's Plan (p164)
Closing Song: I Know My Father Lives (p5)

Program Song: The Sacred Grove (p87)
Other Songs: The Priesthood is Restored (89)
Wiggle Song: Popcorn Popping (242) 

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Identify the doctrine: After Jesus Christ and the Apostles died, Gospel truths were lost. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith in latter-days to bring back the lost truths.

Help the children understand it: (use for both Jr and Sr): 
(2 minutes)

Often times when we have questions we want to ask Heavenly Father, we go to a quiet place. In my home, I go in my room, shut the door, and kneel by my bed. But sometimes, if I need to make sure I am not disturbed or interrupted by Olivia or my husband, I take a drive to the ocean and find a quiet spot where there is no one else around to say my prayer. 

Think in your minds where you go to say your prayers. If you would like to share, raise your hand. 

Hold up a picture of Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith had an important question he wanted to ask Heavenly Father. He wanted to know which of all the churches was the right one. He decided to go to a special place, away from his home, to say his important prayer. It is called the Sacred Grove. 

Raise your hand if you know what "sacred" means. Call on children to answer. Be sure they understand it means special and holy; if we are in a sacred place we should be quiet, reverent, and respectful (just like we are in the Chapel or in the temple).

Today we are going to learn a song about the Sacred Grove and what happened there.

Listening and Singing Experiences:

Junior Primary/Senior Primary (see notes in red for Sr. Primary) 

The Sacred Grove (p87)
(10 minutes total)

Materials:

• Flipchart Pictures to tell the story (velcro on back) - pictures found using LDS Media Library and Divine Secrets of a Primary Chorister
• Posterboard with velcro spots
• Keywords Strips (velcro on back)

1. Invite children to sit at the front of the room. 
2. Ask the children to listen for what the song teaches about each picture. Play "the Sacred Grove" on the CD player. As it plays, add the appropriate flipchart picture (one for each phrase).
3. Ask the children to tell me what the song taught about each picture. With the Senior Primary only, listen for keywords as they answer and add strips to poster under the corresponding picture. (Have keywords visible on board/extra poster board). Be sure they know what the "message" was that "answered all his fears and made his heart rejoice" (none of the churches were true, but they would restore the true church through Joseph)
             Verse 1:
• “The Sacred Grove was green and fresh,”/ picture of the Sacred Grove
• “The morning sun shone bright around,”/ picture of the sun
• “As Joseph knelt in fervent prayer,” (sing twice) / picture of Joseph praying in the Sacred Grove
• “Upon that sacred ground.”/ picture of the ground or of the Sacred Grove and point to the ground
  
  Verse 2 : (Senior Primary Only)
• “The Father and the Son appeared,”/ picture of the First Vision
• “They spoke to him as with one voice,”/ picture of Father and Son and the number 1, word "voice"
• “Their message answered all his fears,” (sing twice)/picture of church building
• “And made his heart rejoice.”/picture of a heart

With piano:

1. Sing the song TO the children, pointing to the pictures.
2. Invite the children to sing WITH me as I point to the pictures, singing as much as they can. 
3. If you listen to the music, you'll hear that it has a lot of ups and downs. Let's hum the melody, and I'll show you the pitch leading (go SLOW), repeat each phrase twice before moving on.
4. Sing the song once through using pitch leading.

Invite children to return to their seats for the Wiggle Song: Popcorn Popping (p242)

The Priesthood is Restored (p89)

(5 minutes total) - just introducing, will work on it throughout year

With piano:

1. Tell the children that it was through Joseph Smith that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ restored, or brought back, the Priesthood to the earth. We're going to learn a song about it! 
2. First, let me show you something important about leading music. When I turn my palm facing up, it means we are going to hold that note (sing an example), and when I close my hand, it means we stop singing (sing an example). 
3. Our new song has 3 long "holds". Sing the song TO the children using leading techniques. Invite them to lead along with me.
4. Let's find out how long we held each of those long notes! Tell children to keep the beat on their knees.  Sing SLOWLY, and when you come to the "hold", ask the children to count how many beats they did on their knees (6). Repeat with the rest of the song. The last note is tricky, it's not 6, but 12! (Forget the fermata for now).

Nursery (following Jr. singing time, go into Nursery and sing the following songs with them)

1. Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
2. Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam
3. Book of Mormon Stories
4. Popcorn Popping
5. Wise Man and the Foolish Man
6. Families Can Be Together Forever
7. I Am a Child of God