AS A CHILD OF GOD: Intro

I know most have already introduced the song, but since I'm just getting started on this blogging thing, I thought I would just start from the beginning and try to catch up, but perhaps you could use an idea or two from here to review or practice the song.  Here is a flip chart I made. Be patient since it might take a little bit to download since it does have a lot of high res graphics.  I could have fitted more words per page reducing the number of pages but I did it this way so that I could review as a challenge later by having children match up the phrases while we sing. I usually put my FC in page protectors in a binder.  When I'm teaching a new song, I don't put them in a binder but post them on the magnetic chalkboard as I go.  

Here is my lesson plan on how I introduced and taught the song using directed listening.             

THE GIFT OF THE POWER TO CHOOSE

VERSE 1

EXPLAIN: (Show the gift with the "Power to Choose" flip chart (FC) in it.)  Heavenly Father has given us a gift.  It is an important part of Heavenly Father’s plan for us.  It is a gift of a special power.  Listen as I sing to see if you can figure out what this special gift of power is.

• SING the 1^st verse and receive answers then open gift.  (Will probably need to repeat at least the first phrase depending on how familiar your kids are with pulling answers from the song.) [Power to choose]
• DO SING AND REPEAT (you sing a phrase then they repeat singing it after you).
• COMBINED REPEAT SINGING both phrases together.

Continue to sing and repeat and combined singing after each question then sing the whole first verse through.

• Good choices bring blessings.  LISTEN for the answer to whom the good choices bless.  There are 2 answers.  [Me & my family]
• Sing first verse (not chorus).

You know, Heavenly Father gave us another gift to help us use this gift of power to choose correctly. 

• LISTEN to see if you know what this gift is. (Sing chorus and turn on the light box when you sing “light”.) Receive answers. [Holy Ghost]
• Take turns with some children to turn on the light when we sing “light” using the remote control.
• I have this light box that is used for tracing that I put the picture of the boy praying and the words behind the boy so that the words popped when the light came on.  Here are the two light box pics.  I have a remote control adapter that I plug in the wall then plug the device into it so I can use the remote control to switch it on and off.  Got it at Home Depot and use it for a lamp at home.  
• If you don't have a light box, you could use a flashlight for them to turn on and point at that part of the FC.
• Another activity option would be to take turns having a child point the flashlight on the part of the FC you sing (FC posted on board.)

VERSE 2
There are other blessings we receive from choosing the right.  

• LISTEN and see how good choices can make you feel. [Safe & happy]
• Where do the feelings of peace come from? [Family love]

VERSE 3

• LISTEN and see what I will do in my own home. [Happily serve]
• Who does the good works help to strengthen? [My family]

For JR I sometimes hold up two or more of the FC for the phrase(s) in the wrong order and had them tell me which order they should go in after they listened to me sing the phrase.


For SR I used the crossword puzzle asking the question(s) for them to discover while I sang each phrase then had the child that answered correctly come up and fill in the answer on the crossword puzzle.  They got to choose what color of marker they wanted to write with.

Here is the link to the crossword puzzle.  I have a large primary, so I made it big.  I just cut off a little from the left and a little more off the top of the papers so that they would match up better and then taped them together.  The puzzle is 3 pages down by 4 pages across and the pdf will print them 3 pages down then he next 3 pages down moving from left to right.   Hope that makes sense.  Do not tape the Question and Key sheet and blank sheets to the puzzle.  

CHOOSE WHAT’S MISSING GAME

To repeat singing this song we played this game.  (Only had time left to play this a couple of times.  Kids loved it, so I brought it back the following week and did it a few more times.)

• SHOW the children the objects that represent the song for the first verse.
• After showing the children the items holding each one up as you go through the song (helps to reinforce the song again) hide the objects on the table from the children's view by holding up a blanket or using a 3-sided presentation board (like you use for science projects).
• I made my own that is not as tall as the presentation boards by taping three pieces of sturdy cardboard together so it could stand up on the table hiding the objects.  I made sure there was about 1/8"-1/4" space between the boards before taping them together like hinges so I could fold it flat.  I've used this for some other things like when I have to set something up ahead of time but don't want the kids to see what it is yet.  
• Choose a Super Singer child to come up to select an object and have the child hide it in a bag and then behind their back while we are singing a verse of the song.
• After the song, remove the tri-fold board and have the children guess what is missing that the child chose.
• To select the children who will take turns to hide an object, give a teacher a "choosing stick" to hold (this was a glitter wand I had, but anything will do) to then give to a child that was singing well after the song. That child gets the next turn after the children guess what is missing from the child that just took a turn at choosing something to hide.
• Repeat singing the next verse as time permits rotating the choosing stick among the teachers.
• Add more items for each of the verses as you sing that verse to make it harder. (SR: use the items all at once.)

ITEMS FOR GAME

These are the items I used to represent the song. I'm sure you could come up with other items, but these are what I have on hand.  They are listed in the order of the song.

VERSE 1 & CHORUS:  Small Globe, CTR Shield or Ring, Finger Pointer (choices), Small picture of ME as a child, Small Picture of family, Flashlight, Dove Figurine

VERSE 2:  Lock, Smiley Face, Wooden Peace Sign, Heart

VERSE 3: House Statue,  Sponge or Scrubber,  Little Barbell, Little People figures


Here is a link to the  sheet music for the song.