Review Time!

For reviewing purposes I will be using an idea from Camille's Primary Ideas found HERE

"What SHAPE Are Our SONGS In?"

September 2013 - Service

Sept. 2013 Music

I Will Serve God with All My Heart, Might, Mind, and Strength

Welcome: Hello Song (CS260)

Birthday: Have a Very Happy Birthday (CS284)

Baptism: When I Am Baptized (CS 103)

Article of Faith #10 (CS 128-29)

Fun: Follow the Prophet (CS 110), Do As I’m Doing (CS 276), Rain Is Falling All Around (CS 241)

8th/Week 1 - Jesus Christ taught us how to serve others

Reverence: The Chapel Doors (CS 156) + (if you feel inclined to learn it, review sign language to verse 1 of Families Can Be Together Forever (CS 188) as classes come in)

Opening: I’m Trying to Be like Jesus (CS 78)

Singing: Relearn Program Songs: My Heavenly Father Loves Me (CS 228-29), If the Savior Stood Beside Me (outline) *Please let me know any notes, like if these songs still need more work after that day

Closing: I Feel My Savior’s Love (CS 74-75)

15^th/Week 2 - Prophets and apostles show us how to serve (Ward Conference)

Reverence: + The Sacred Grove (CS 87)

Opening: Love One Another (CS 136)

Singing: We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet (Hymns no. 19), fun #1, When I Am Baptized (CS 103)

Closing: Teach Me to Walk in the Light (CS 177)

22nd/Week 3 - When I serve others, I serve God

Reverence: + When He Comes Again (CS 82) both verses

Opening: My Heavenly Father Loves Me (CS 228-29)

Singing: Choose ringers, Review Program Songs: I Am a Child of God (CS 2-3) – Verses 1-4 (add bells for descant verse 3, sing descant verse 4), Families Can Be Together Forever (CS 188) – sign language

Closing: If the Savior Stood Beside Me (outline)

29th/Week 4 - When I serve others, I serve God

Reverence: + When He Comes Again (CS 82) both verses (repeating a second week to learn it better)

Opening: I Am a Child of God (CS 2-3)

Singing: I’ll Walk with You (CS 140), Program Songs: Restoration Medley

Closing: A Child’s Prayer (CS 12-13)

Nursery:

Here We Are Together (names)

Rain is Falling

Give Said the Little Stream

Follow the Prophet

Do As I’m Doing

I’ll Walk with You - optional

I Am a Child of God

I’m Trying to Be like Jesus

August 2013 - Prayers

August 2013 Music

Heavenly Father Hears and Answers My Prayers

Welcome: Our Door is Always Open (CS 254)

Birthday: Happy, Happy Birthday (CS 284)

Baptism: When I Am Baptized (CS 103)

Article of Faith #9 (CS 128)

Program Song: A Child’s Prayer (CS 12-13)

Fun: Oh, What Do…Summertime? (CS 245), Wiseman/Foolish Man (CS 281), Do As I’m Doing (CS 276)

Date/Week 1 – The Scriptures teach me how to pray

Reverence: Families Can Be Together Forever (CS 188)

Opening: Seek the Lord Early (CS 108)

Singing: Verse 1 of A Child’s Prayer (CS 12-13)

Closing: Search, Ponder, and Pray (CS 109)

Date/Week 2 – Heavenly Father wants me to pray to Him often – anytime, anywhere

Reverence: Reverence Is Love (CS 31)

Opening: Where Love Is (CS 138-39) – short version (only to fine)

Singing: Verse 2 of A Child’s Prayer (CS 12-13) – outline suggestion #3

Closing: I Feel My Savior’s Love (CS 74-75)

Date/Week 3 – Answers to prayers come from Heavenly Father in many ways

Reverence: Reverently, Quietly (CS 26) + (every week, if you feel inclined to learn it, review sign language to verse 1 of Families Can Be Together Forever (CS 188) as classes come in)

Opening: I Know My Father Lives (CS 5)

Singing: Verse 3 of A Child’s Prayer (CS 12-13) (girls-1, boys-2) relearning verses 1 and 2 as needed, a favorite or fun song/activity of your choice

Closing: Children All Over the World (CS 16)

Date/Week 4 – Answers to prayers come from Heavenly Father in many ways

Reverence: We Bow Our Heads (CS 25) +

Opening: A Child’s Prayer (CS 12-13)

Singing: Review Program Songs: The Sacred Grove (CS 87), verse 1 of The Golden Plates (CS 86), The Priesthood Is Restored (CS 89), 3^rd chorus of On a Golden Springtime (CS 88)

Closing: Love Is Spoken Here (CS 190)

Nursery:

Hello Song

Do As I’m Doing

Wiseman/Foolish Man

Oh What Do You Do in the Summertime?

A Child’s Prayer

I Am a Child of God

Families Can Be Together Forever

"Oh, What Do You Do in the Summertime?"

This week I wanted to have some fun with the season and sing "Oh, What Do You Do in the Summertime?" (CS 245).

I figured some simple "role playing" maybe even with props would be fun. I found the following idea on SurgarDoodle.net:

A fun song we are doing next week is "Oh, What do you do in the summertime?"  I have done a little prop and role playing in the past, and it has worked great.  Choose different children to come up front for each verse. The children remaining can mimic the movements of those in front.  The props are easy to find and make, but the children remember them for a long time.  The props make the actions a lot more fun for even the oldest of Primary children.

Verse 1

"Do you fish...?" Child 1 holds a dowel with a string and a toy or paper fish attached to the end.

"or lazily dream..." Child 2 sits in a chair, with legs stretched out in front, hands behind head. Looks up slightly.

Child 3 Holds a cloud over the other's head. Cloud can be made with poster or stiff board, cut like a cloud and batting glued on.

Verse 2

"swim in a pool" child 1 (from next group) holds or wears swimming prop (tube, goggles, beach towel, or snorkel) and makes swimming gesture

"swing in a tree..." child 2 sits in chair and  pretends to swing with arms

child 3 holds a branch over the childs head.

Verse 3

"march in parades" child 1 (from third group) holds a flag or wears a festive hat and marches in place

"drink lemonades" child 2 pretends to drink or sip from a brightly colored plastic cup

"count all the stars..." child 3 sits in chair and points to ceiling and pretends to count stars

child 4 holds black paper or poster with star stickers all over it.


What I am going to do is pretty similar:

1. Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green? = I may or may not have someone stand up with “questioning” arms (you know, putting your elbows to your sides with your palms up) and another hold a green ball or something green…probably not though.
Do you fish in a stream, or lazily dream on the banks as the clouds go by? = Same as SugarDoodle (SD)
Is that what you do? So do I!

2. Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green?
Do you swim in a pool, = same as SD
 to keep yourself cool, =fan self with hands
 or swing in a tree up high? = sit in chair and pretend to swing
Is that what you do? So do I!

3. Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green?
Do you march in parades, or drink lemonades, or count all the stars in the sky? = same as SD minus black paper
Is that what you do? So do I!



Report: This ended up being really fun! Our senior primary ended up being on the smaller side that day, so I had them sit in a circle and had the "actors" do their thing in the middle as it got to their part. It was fun and kept everyone engaged :)

"Families Can Be Together Forever"

In July the program song our primary will be working on is Families Can Be Together Forever (CS 188).

Handbell music for this song!

SIDE THOUGHTS:
Lately I've been thinking about a few things (if you have any ideas please comment with your input!)
1) I don't know why, but some of the Children in my primary (particularly the Sr. Primary) make comments or sounds indicating that they dislike singing time. This is crazy to me because the little bit that I had the opportunity to go to primary as a child, singing time was my favorite part! I can't recall what I liked about it so much other than that I got to sing wonderful songs; I know there were some activities or visuals at times, but I don't remember details and wonder if it was those or just my love of singing that made it so amazing. I don't recall other children NOT having a good time, so I wonder if I'm just missing something as I teach?
2) Because of these negative reactions I have spent much of the first half of my first year in this calling trying to "entertain" the kids in hopes that if I can just get them to pay attention a little the music will have a better opportunity to touch their hearts and teach them something that will help build their testimonies. But it bothers me so much that I feel like I have to entertain them. I want them to grow a love for the songs and want them to really learn. Maybe I'm just being too hard on myself?

So this month I want to find a way to teach the principles taught in this song without HAVING to entertain. Of course I will still have engaging activities/visuals because they are great aids to teaching, but I want the focus to be on the principles and bearing testimony through singing the song and less on the fun of the activity (although, it can still be fun. I'm just trying to put first things first).

Source

LESSON:
The first week we will focus on learning the music and words. Now how do I teach this in a way that accomplishes my goal? I have a feeling they already know this song so I don't think it will be too hard of a task to accomplish learning the words, it's just a matter of having it mean something to them. After I finish teaching I want to have some time for a Q&A/testimony session to help with this. How will I get the children to participate? Maybe a bean bag I toss when it's their turn to talk?

To create my lesson plan I ventured into a part of my wonderful book, A Children's Songbook Companion (by Graham, Gourley, Shipp, and Stewart), the beginning part that I have never taken the time to read, which has some great ideas to prepare lessons for ANY song! (Usually I just skipped to the page with the song I was preparing). I highly suggest you get this or a similar book. Find my notes on LESSON PLANNING here.

I will come back and add more as I decide what I will do for sure to teach the song and message, but for now I really like one activity idea from my book of putting key words from the song on puzzle pieces that get taped to the back of a picture of a family in front of the temple. So once the puzzle is done (the song is learned at this point as well) you reverse the puzzle to show the picture. *Side note: this makes me want to create a puzzle for my family out of a picture of us in front of the temple! Wouldn't that be great for FHE!?

Q&A: What are ways we can prepare to go to the temple? Mention how growing up I longed for the blessings of the temple (since I didn't have them from my parents) and how I worked hard to live right so I was worthy to receive the blessings when I became an adult. *Side note: it actually always made me sad to sing this song until I met my husband. I'm usually a very positive person so you would think that knowing how I would get there some day would make this song positive for me, but because I knew so strongly how the temple blessing of having an eternal family was important it always made me sad I couldn't change my "growing up family" to one that was able to partake of this blessing. I mention this in hopes that I can help make a difference to a child with similar feelings so that they can learn NOW to hold on to the hope and happiness of their having this blessing in store for their future more than dwelling on the negative of not having that blessing YET. It was totally worth the wait! :D

The second week I will teach them the sign language of the first verse (the link to the ASL can be found at the top link on the upper right hand side of the page...I will teach this mirror image to them - which will be easy for me to learn because I'll just mirror the video). I think this will help with focusing on each word/phrase, so hopefully they gain an even deeper understanding of the song as a whole. I will also intersperse this with "fun" songs to give a break and gather back attention as needed.

The third and fourth weeks I will just have us do a quick review with the sign language (and we'll review it every so often in future months) to make sure we have it down for the actual sacrament program as we do some other lessons with other songs as the focus.

Another cute temple + family picture

Families - July 2013

July 2013

"Families Are Part of Heavenly Father's Plan"

Welcome: Here We are Together (CS 261) - Choose names first!

Birthday: Your Happy Birthday (CS 283)

Baptism: When I Am Baptized (CS 103)

Article of Faith: #8 (CS 127)

Program: Families Can be Together Forever (CS 188)

Fun: The Church of Jesus Christ (CS 77), Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes (CS 275a), Smiles (CS 267a), Rain is Falling All Around (CS 241b)

7th/Week 1: Heavenly Father planned for me to come to a family

Reverence: Listen to songs or sing My Country (CS 224) and My Flag, My Flag (CS 225)

Opening: Book of Mormon Stories (CS 118) verses 1, 2, and maybe 8

Singing: Learn entire Program song + talk about meaning, mention how growing up I longed for the blessings of the temple (since I didn't have them from my parents) and how I worked hard to live right so I was worthy to receive the blessings when I became an adult

Closing: I Am a Child of God, first verse (CS 2)

14th/Week 2: Family prayer, family scripture study, and FHE can strengthen my family 

Reverence: Seek The Lord Early (CS 108)

Opening: Search, Ponder, and Pray (CS 109)

Singing: Learn sign language to first verse of Program song, fun songs for breaks

Closing: Love Is Spoken Here (CS 190)

21st/Week 3: The Priesthood can bless and strengthen my family + Sunday before Pioneer Day

Reverence: Listen to Whenever I Think about Pioneers (CS 222) as children come in, sing 

Westward Ho! (CS 217) - the kids just sing "westward ho!" and I do rest

Opening: The Handcart Song (CS 220)

Singing: Quick review of Program sign language, Review Restoration Medley

Closing: Pioneer Children Sang as they Walked (CS 214)

28th/Week 4: Heavenly Father wants me to marry in the temple and have an eternal family 

Reverence: Truth from Elijah (CS 90)

Opening: Families Can be Together Forever, both verses

Singing: Learn Oh, What Do You Do in the Summer Time? (CS 245), Review third + forth verses of I Am a Child of God, if time permits review other program songs

Closing: I Love to see the Temple (CS 95)

"Daddy's Homecoming"

"Daddy's Homecoming" primary music

Actions are always fun

Handbell music

Picture to color for a break after singing in sacrament for Father's Day

"When I Am Baptized"

I'm taking two weeks to review "When I Am Baptized" (most of my primary already knows it from last year's program) - one verse each week.

Week 1/Verse 1: 
First, I put my ideas together with help from Camille's Primary Blog (some of the wording came from here) and In the Leafy Treetops... 
Second, since we are learning the first part on Father's day I wanted to keep it simple and fun as a reward the first week. We will be focusing on the message the second week, but you could combine these to do them in one week.
 

ASK: “Have you ever seen a rainbow?” –share experience, talk about how they only come after storms, etc.

  

      1. Make a rain storm (snap, rub hands, clap, blow): have the whole primary do these actions to create a "storm" from the sounds. You can have everyone do the same thing and then have some add other parts as directed.

2.  Make a rainbow (water + light): do a search online for "How to make a rainbow" and use the best method that works for you. I wanted water and light to be a part of mine because of water being involved for a baptism and the light being needed, lol. You could also just post a picture of a rainbow, do a rainbow with the words of the song in rainbow colors, use ribbon wands, or anything else you can think of for a rainbow visual.

Sing the song through 3 times and each time you sing it through, focus on the 3 different areas which are:

1. This song TALKS about rainbows and rain (each time rainbows/rain is sung do the actions - arms make rainbow, hands flick or clap for rain).

2. This song SOUNDS like rainbows and rain; Legato (the verses) and Staccato (chorus). The verses are smooth and connected like rainbows. The chorus is more choppy and disconnected like rain. Sing the verses legato and move your hands back and forth without breaking. Then during the chorus, flick fingers for each note as you sing it staccato or choppy. Make sure to over exaggerate so they can tell the difference (have the pianist do it too)! You can also make a "thunderstorm" by making large movements and singing loudly and a "light rain shower" by making small movements and singing softly.

3. This song MOVES like rainbows and rain. The song (its pitch) moves like a rainbow and raindrops. Notice each line in the verses' pitch start low and gradually go higher then go back to low - just like a rainbow. Then for the chorus, the pitch is disconnected, up and down, all over, just like raindrops.

Before singing the song, draw a "rainbow" with chalk making horizontal lines going up as the notes go up and going down as the notes go down. During the song, follow the lines with your hand showing how the pitch of the notes represent rainbows and raindrops (example picture for raindrops found HERE) again following them by moving your hand up or down as the notes go up and down.

Week 2/Verse 2:
Sing through the whole song

After you have sung through it, ask why this song is about rainbows and rain. Discuss how they are like being baptized and repenting.

Activity: Use a laminated poster and wet-erase markers (dry erase on a white board could be substituted) to write the words of the song that can then be erased with water to represent repenting and becoming clean again (*activity example found below). 

Bear testimony of the blessing of baptism and how we are made clean. If we make mistakes, we can be clean again by taking the Sacrament and repenting.

*We did a fun activity yesterday to learn the 2nd verse of "When I am Baptized".  I wrote the words to the verse on the blank side of a laminated poster with wet-erase markers (I'm sure dry-erase would work as well). After we spent a little time learning the verse (copy cat), I told them that now we were going to 'wash away' the words. I had a child come up and choose a word from the song out of a bag. The child would then get to use a spray bottle of water to spray the poster every time they heard the rest of us sing that word. Really simple, but they loved it! We sang the song tons of times without anyone complaining and some of them even asked to come in after Primary was over so they could finish spraying off the rest of the words. (Idea shared by Alberta on Primary Music Yahoo Group...and found at SugarDoodle)