General Conference Mini Coloring Book - If I Listen With My Heart

Since I focused on Easter this month and since the Primary is singing in sacrament meeting, I'm having this week's lesson focus more on General Conference.

**PLEASE NOTE: The original mini coloring book that I got the idea from is here.  

Lesson:  Use the mini coloring book to review If I Listen With My Heart.  Emphasize, for those who can't read, that they know all the words in this book.  Talk about how we need to listen with our hearts during General Conference so we can feel the Spirit.  Maybe compare just listening with our ears and listening with our hearts.  With our ears, we can hear.  With our hearts, we can feel. Share experiences and ask for theirs.  Sing a few times with the book so they can "read" it to someone in their family.



All images were found on Coloring Pages at LDS.org. The lyrics to the song were copied and pasted from LDS.org as well.

OPTION: I printed the mini coloring book on one side of the sheet of paper, then copied another General Conference activity on the back for the children to open up and do during Conference.  I did a Bingo card for the Junior Primary and a Note-Taking sheet for Senior Primary.  Both emphasize LISTENing.

Front/Back Junior Primary

Front/Back Senior Primary

How to Make the General Conference Mini Coloring Book - If I Listen With My Heart 

1. Print PDF

2. Print Optional Worksheet and Copy to the back of the PDF

Junior Primary    Senior Primary

3. Fold and Cut

Youtube video or follow my picture instructions below. 

Use a popsicle stick to get a strong crease

There'll be be a slight slit in the worksheet, but totally functional.  Enjoy General Conference!

I bought these pens at Zurchers at 12 for $8

After note:  The lesson went well.  I think will help the needed review for the 2nd and 3rd verse especially.  We gave them a click-pen for Easter to go with their little book and to mark their scriptures. 

If I Listen with My Heart pt3

Date:  January 24, 2016

Opening Song: The Iron Rod p.274 HYMNS (also have this for Ooh and Aah prelude)

Talk, Scripture, Theme, etc.

Visitor Song: Hello Song p.260 CS

Birthday Song: Your Happy Birthday p.283 CS

This idea was adapted from the lesson found in the July 1997 Friend

Singing Time

Materials:
*Ooh and Aah sign (for prelude)
*Four brown paper lunch bags
*Four black and white pictures copied onto a transparency.  You can also draw them on regular paper with black marker and then cut them out.  I Googled 'LDS clipart','children praying silhouette', 'Jesus Christ black and white clipart' to find these images.  However the bag with TRUTH AND LIGHT was a word document.

-TAPE the overheads inside the brown paper bags-
*One very bright/strong flashlight

**Possible Handout:  I would love to give every child a tea light with it labeled the Holy Spirit and a little brown paper bag with a picture on the inside that would light up when they put their candle in it. I am going to do the paper bag for sure, but the tea lights only if I can find them cheap.
 
Introduction:  "Today we are learning the last verse of If I Listen with My Heart.  The first verse was about when Jesus was on the earth, the second was about our prophet, and lets see if you can guess what this one is about.  Let’s open the Book of Mormon to get some clues.”  Open the Giant Book of Mormon and read the passages of scripture about the Holy Ghost, but dont' read the words "Holy Ghost"
1 Nephi 10:17, 1 Nephi 11:27, 2 Nephi 26:13, Moroni 8:26

“Right! We will be singing about the Holy Ghost today.”  Show a battery tea light.  Explain how my hand would feel warm next to the fire.  Then show a flashlight simply saying I just need a brighter flame today. “We are going to pretend this light is the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost.  It feels us with warmth and we can really feel it.    

Teaching Steps:

Ist Line:  “I feel the Holy Spirit as He teaches truth and right.”  Sing the line and then have the children repeat.  Shine the light into the first paper bag.  Sing the line again and talk about examples of truth and right. Share experience of truth and right.  

2nd Line: “He comforts me in times of need…”  Sing the line and then have the children repeat.  Shine the light into the second bag.  Sing both lines and move the light to the corresponding bag.  Share experiences of comfort.

3rd Line: “He testifies of Christ.”  Sing the line then have the children repeat.  Shine the light into the third bag.  Sing all three lines.  Share experiences of gaining a testimony of Christ.

4th Line: “He speaks to me in quiet ways that fill my soul with peace”  First, talk about how a lot of times the Holy Ghost speaks to us when we pray to our Heavenly Father.  And when we say prayers, we are generally in a quiet place by our bed or by ourselves or family.  Sing the line and have the children repeat.  Shine the light in the last bag.  Share experiences of praying and feeling peace.  Sing the entire verse.  They should know the last line (And if I listen with my heart I hear the Savior’s voice) from the other verses.  

Conclusion:
Sing the entire song, all three verses.  Practice holding out the notes on the very last line.

Bear Testimony of the Power of the Holy Ghost 

Closing Song: The Holy Ghost p.105 CS

If I Listen with My Heart

Date:  January 3, 2016

Opening Song:  I Will Follow God's Plan p.164 CS

Talk, Scripture, Theme, etc.

Visitor Song: Do As I'm Doing p.276 CS
(Have the visitor(s) stand at the front and lead the group.)

Birthday Song: You've Had a Birthday p.285 CS

Singing Time

Materials:
*Signs that say OOH and AHH  

*Giant Pop-up Book of Mormon (This is the prop that I chose to make the story of 'Jesus visiting the   Nephites' (3 Nephi 17) come to life.  Other ideas would be to show a picture of the story or puppets. I did spend about $4 and 10 hours making this, and normally I wouldn't put all the effort and time into a prop, but I plan on using this all year so I decided it was a worthy investment. I got the foam board and tape from the dollar store, watercolored the scenery and cut up an old Gospel Art Book from the thrift store.)

*Dress up clothes for a child from Jesus' time (My kids loved them ...haha :) I just cut up old shirts and got a foam ring from the dollar store.

*Paper hearts with a picture of Jesus on the back for every child (put underneath the stepping stones)

*Stepping stones (tape these to the floor before primary starts)

*Index card with 3 Nephi 17:21 written on it (hide in Book of Mormon)


Introduction:  "Today we are learning a new song.  I have two signs here.  One says OOH and the other says AHH.  Let's practice!  When I hold up OOH, you guys sing OOH.  When I hold up AHH, you guys sing AHH.  Easy right?  Now lets listen really close to the piano, and OOH and AHH the tune of this new song.  But make sure you watch closely, because I might switch the signs and try to trick you!"
 "Awesome!  Now let's learn the words to this song."

Teaching Steps (One line of the Song at a time):
   
      1.  "If I had been a little child when Jesus lived on earth.."
First, invite one child to come up and pretend to be a child when Jesus was on the earth.  Make      sure they know they will be dressing up.  After helping the child with the costume, ask the children, "Can you pretend to be a child in Jesus' time too?  Let's all pretend to dress up like (name of child)."  Pretend to put on clothes.  Sing the first line and have them repeat.  Sing the line 2 times.
      2.  "...I would have liked to walk with Him and Listen to His Words."
"When I say go, walk up quietly and stand on a quiet stepping stone."  When the children are on a stone (I will arrange them into two circles), sing the next line and have them repeat.  Sing the whole song to this point while the children walk in a circle.  You can switch directions each time.
      3.  "But as I search the scriptures I can hear His words of peace,.."
Have the children gather in front of the Giant book or other prop.  Ask,"What does 'search' mean? Right! To look hard for something.  I am going to search these scriptures."  Pull out the index card with 3 Nephi 17:21 from the giant pop up book.  Have a child or teacher read the scripture.  Talk about how when Christ came to visit the Nephites he blessed the little children one by one.
Explain how he didn't just say "I love you all" but said "I love you, Kye." Etc. How would that make you feel inside? PEACEFUL.  Sing the line and have them repeat it twice.  Sing the song up to this point.
      4.    "And if I listen with my heart I hear the Savior's voice."
"When I say go, I want you to search under one stepping stone.  When you find one heart, I want you to take it back to your seat and hold it by your heart.  When everyone is holding it, I'll know you're ready to learn the last line of the song. Ready go."
Have the children hold their heart to their ear when singing the last line.  Sing and repeat 2 times.

Conclusion:
Sing the whole song.
Bear Testimony

Closing Song: Stand for Right p.159

Senior Singing Time Adaptations:

1.  Give the music to a child ahead of time and have them sing it for the class when they dress up like a child from Jesus' time. We have a few children in our ward that love to sing solos whenever they get the chance!

2.  Have them share experiences with reading the scriptures and how it made them feel.  Share personal experience of the scriptures bringing you peace.

3.  Start learning the 2nd verse and bring a picture of President Monson and his recent General Conference talk of how he "teaches how to lie in righteousness and peace."
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/be-an-example-and-a-light?lang=eng