Easter Hosanna

I use puppets to teach harmony.  Once they know the notes, then I teach the song in a sacred reverent manner without puppets.

For Easter Sunday, our primary will sing Easter Hosanna in sacrament meeting.  I am having two children sing the two verses as solos since they will soon be moving out of Primary.  The verses could be split up into two parts to allow for more solos or could be done in small groups.  Since its just the chorus being taught, I decided to teach them two-part harmony on the "Hosanna".  It turned out to be really fun and beautiful.

SIDE NOTE: When looking for ideas for singing time, I always turn to The Friend first.  This was advice given to me at a stake primary inservice meeting.  It has never failed me.  I love The Friend and the subject matter is always on theme with the song of the month. 

Easter Hosanna

*This was presented as two lessons by the way.  Harmony just on Hosanna one week, and "Blessed be the name of the Most High God" the next.*

PART I

Introduction: "What are some things you can follow?"  Jesus Christ, our Prophet, the music leader.  Give them clues to finally say chorister or music leader.  Then sing Do As I'm Doing as a warm up song or Follow the Prophet and have them go different speeds and volume as they follow you. 

"Great job following me!  I saw you watching me closely so you could know how I wanted you to sing.  There is something else that has to do with music that you can follow.  Does any one know what that is?  They are on pages of music...NOTES!  That's right!  And our piano player always has a bunch of notes, I need some helpers to go get them from Sis. Porter." *I've been making an extra effort to involve the pianist more in singing time so the children know how valuable she is and we couldn't do without her.  It's made a difference and has been so fun*

Have the children get the notes from the pianist and bring them to you.  I just cut them out on colored paper.  Four of each color for the top and bottom harmony and then placed them on a staff I drew on the board with chalk.  I taped them to paper so the children could look at them for the sacrament meeting singing.  

"These are notes!  Listen to the Pianist play the notes as I point to them.  They are going to tell us the tune to sing."  Point to the Red only.  "Can you ooh along as I point again?"  Have the children ooh 3 times.  Then start over again with the Purple notes.  "Listen to the pianist..."

"There is something else we can follow today, and that is our helpers!"  Pull out two puppets.  *I found these at D.I. or you could make some out of paper, stuffed animals, or borrow some* 

"These guys like to say one word: HOSANNA.  HO-SAN-NA.  When they follow the notes it sounds like this:" Sing Hosanna just with top notes (RED).  "Elmo likes the high notes because they are red like him and he has a high voice. Let's sing Hosanna with him!"  Sing it 3 times.  Repeat with the other puppet for the low notes. "When he follows the purple notes it sounds like ..." Sing it 3 times.  

"Now these helpers like to sing their notes at the same time.  So this side of the room, follow Elmo singing the RED notes and this side of the room follow Larry singing the PURPLE notes. Notice that you both start on the exact same note."  

Sing the harmony over and over, switching the helpers so both sides of the room get to sing both parts.  Make it interesting by saying only boys, girls, now teachers only, close your eyes, turn the lights off, stand up, turn around, etc.  

Bear your testimony about Following the Prophet.

PART II

Introduction: Review the notes and put them back on the board.  Sing "Hosanna" a few times to review. 

"Now we are going to learn a few more words to this song.  Listen as I sing them to you."  Sing "Hosanna, Blessed be the name of the Most High God."  

Sing it a few times with the children.  Switch with the harmony.  Singing just RED, then PURPLE.  When doing both together, it helps to pull out the helpers (puppets) one more time.  

"These are very important words.  One of our Apostles tells us this quoting scriptures."  This is from the March 2016 Friend

Briefly talk about the people said this to Jesus before Easter as he came into the city.

Talk about the Palm Leaves using this picture.

I have some palm leaves here today!  We are going to wave them as we sing this phrase "Hosanna, Blessed be the name of the Most High God."  Now we have to wave them reverently and happily as we sing."  Call up three at a time and sing the phrase over and over. 

Just traced my kids' hands on green poster board (50 cents) and stapled to cardboard

Inspiration from the March 2016 Friend

*The hands that make the Palm leaf can be a guide to learning the words if needed:

Blessed: hands are used to bless people

be the name: our finger prints are special to our name

of the Most High: hold hand up high

God: the ASL sign for God is your hand up by your head*

Handout for them to practice at home.  It says, "I can sing, "HOSANNA! Blessed be the name of the Most High God!"

Bear testimony about Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. 

Other Ideas for this lesson:

Use the Giant Book of Mormon and talk about how the people and angels said the same thing to Jesus when he came to the Americas after Easter. 

Stand for the Right

Stand for the Right

Introduction:  "In the Book of Mormon, there's a prophet called Abinadi.  This song tells his story."

Quick teach: Book of Mormon Stories, Abinadi verse.  I used this picture and it took just 5 minutes to learn and sing through twice.  

Don't forget Abinadi, who stood before the king.

All chained up from head to toe, the gospel he did bring.

If he would deny it, then the king would set him free.

He was true, and he died righteously.

"Even though, he died he is at peace.  He is happy and with Jesus Christ.  It is so important to be TRUE."

"I have a letter for you.  Open envelope.  Ask them who this is?  Yes, Thomas S. Monson, OUR PROPHET today!  He has SOME WORDS FOR YOU."

Sing first line: "Our prophet has some words for you..."

Open the card and show the primary while say/singing: "And these are the words BE TRUE BE TRUE."

Open and close the card two times while saying BE TRUE BE TRUE.

The next part of the song talks about where we need to be true.  I used the Jan.2016 The Friend: Following in the Savior's Footsteps by President Thomas S. Monson for examples on how to be true.

Sing: "At work, or at play"
Do simple case studies for Junior Primary so as to keep singing as much as possible and not to turn singing time into sharing time: "Your work is school.  So what if at school your friend takes the Lord's name in vain, how can you be true?" "What if when you are playing at home on the computer and there's a bad picture/or music, how can you be true?"
For Senior primary you can ask, "How can you be true at work?  At play?"

Sing, "In Darkness or Light" And turn the lights on and off.

Sing,"Be true, be true, and Stand for the Right."  Open and close the BE TRUE card and then have everyone stand up for the last line.

Handout: so they can sing at home and teach their family the song. (I will get a PDF soon!) I just found a picture of our prophet on one side (had to crop it), then the song Stand for the Right , then downloaded a free pop-up font for the words BE TRUE.  They will have to cut in out at home with their parents help. It took 10 minutes to cut mine out so I couldn't do it for everyone in primary, but I highlighted the part to cut in green and to fold in blue. I added a blue strip of cardstock to better see the words. I told them if they bring it back cut out I would give them a blue strip.

Front/Back

Bear Testimony about being true. That even though we aren't standing in front of a King like Abinadi was, we are still in front of our Heavenly King.

I Will Follow God's Plan for Me - LIFE GAME

I Will Follow God’s Plan for Me - LIFE GAME for Singing Time

This Singing Time Lesson uses the Game of Life App found HERE . Disclaimer: I bought it a few years ago, so sorry for any differences in images or order of the game.  

Lesson Outline - One line at a time…

My life is a gift;

Write on the board: “My Life is a “. Wrap up the real boxed version of the Game of Life. Call on a child to open it. Take the bow from the wrapping and put it on the board at the end of the sentence.  SIng the first line.

My life has a plan.

Write on the board: “My Life has a “. Have a different child look through the box to find the instructions.  Open it up to reveal the Plan of Salvation. (I used the article found in the August 2010 Friend. It has pictures and definitions.) Place the instruction manual on the board with a magnet.  Talk about the Plan of Happiness. (Read the definitions to the different parts of the plan and have the children place the pictures in the correct spots.)  SIng the first two lines.

My life has a purpose;

Write on the board, "My Life has a Purpose." Ask the children,"Now that you know the Plan of Salvation, why are we here?" This should be a review of what you just went over. Ask, "Did you know it that our purpose began in heaven?" leading into the next line. Sing first 3 lines.

in heav’n it began. My choice was to come to this loving home on earth And seek for God’s light to direct me from birth.

Pull out two pictures from the Plan of Salvation under Pre-mortal Life. Tell the story of the War in Heaven, and how we all made the right choice to follow Christ. Place the pictures on the board next to or under the word "purpose". Sing to them the words of this line and then all 4 lines together.

"Now that we have the instructions to LIFE, who wants to play the game?!"
[How to hook up your iPad to computer] 

(Then bring computer to church and hook up on a tv monitor. Maybe if you have an Apple TV this would be easier?? Or just bring the iPad to church?)
As you play the game, present a LIFE tile for certain situations.  The song lines will unfold themselves throughout the game.  Be sure to play the game a few times to be ready for any surprises. Explain to the children, that throughout the game they will be making a lot of different choices. 

Opening screen on iPad 

Tap on Start Pass 'n' Play Game

Tap on 2 players

Call on a BOY to come up and CHOOSE a car.

Ask a BOY to come and choose a BOY because he is a BOY
and God made him a BOY on purpose. 

Type in Boys for the boy team.

Ask a GIRL to come up and CHOOSE a car.

Ask a different GIRL to come up and choose a GIRL because
she is a GIRL and God made her a GIRL on purpose.

Type in Girls for the girl team.

Pause the game (you don't literally have to). Have a child come up and draw a LIFE tile. (Have them in a pile in the correct order of the song.)

Front/Back

Very briefly explain that we are boys and girls for a reason and God has a plan for us. I loved this article about gender in The Friend this month. Sing this line:"I will follow God's plan for me,"

Spin to see who goes first.  Just keep calling up children to let as many possible have a turn. 

Let a child pick 3 cards.  These will help them in this game.  Not really a big deal.  Each team will get to draw them.

Pause the game. Have a child come draw the next LIFE tile.

Explain that some decisions will be harder than others and all with difference consequences, but if we always read our scriptures we will know that God always loves us; through good times and bad. Sing, "Holding fast to his word and his love."

Make sure you notice the PayDays.  You don't have to land on a PayDay, just make sure you Pause to go over PayDays before a team gets married.  This is why it's important to play a few times before hand. 

Pause the game. Pull out the big dollar from the LIFE game box. 

Ask, "How do we get money?" Work! We have to work to get a PayDay. Work brings happiness. Attach the LIFE tile to the back of the money. Sing the lines including, "I will work."

There might be a few turns each before reaching the Marriage space, but it comes soon after college graduation.  So be sure to do the PayDay before.  Also, there's an ELOPE space that might sneak up on you.  IF this happens just wait for the next player to get married to bring up this next line.

Pause the game.  Whoever spun the wheel to land on Marriage, playfully ask him or her,"Did you pray to know if this is the right person you should marry?"  We will need to pray to our Heavenly Father throughout our life for help and guidance.  Have another child come draw the next LIFE tile. Sing, "I will pray," along with the previous lines. 

Play until you reach the chance to buy a house.

Pause the game.  Talk about how we all come from different walks of life, but we all are children of God.  Remember the song, I'll Walk With You?   If there's time, you can sing the song.  Have a child draw a LIFE tile and Sing, "I will always walk in his way."

The last line to the song: "Then I will be happy on earth And in my home above." can be brought up at any point according to time.  There are more Gospel subjects (choices and consequences, children/having families, etc.) that can be brought up during the game, so if there's time you can keep it going for awhile.  After the child draws the last LIFE tile, talk about how even though this game ends, our real life never ends.  We get to live forever and forever with our families if we follow God's plan. 

Sing the whole song :-) 

Overall, it seems like a super long lesson but it actually can move pretty fast. The LIFE tiles can be used in a review lesson the next week (putting them in order or placing them all on the board and removing them one at a time until it's memorize).  This could be split into two lessons or combined with Sharing time.  Have fun playing the game of LIFE - I Will Follow God's Plan version.