Hosanna

I made a poster with the words of the song.

I underlined the rhyming words: ring, king, sing, bring.

We talked about how voices usually sing, but in this song, they RING.  What usually rings?  A bell. Think of the bell at school.  Is it loud?  Does everyone in the whole school hear that bell?  So we want our voices to be as loud and clear as a bell so that everyone can hear us say Hosanna and praise Jesus.  That's what the word Hosanna means: praise and love to the person you are saying it to.

I outlined the word "life" and asked the kids why they thought I did it.  We talked about how Jesus is "triumphant" because He triumphs over death and brings LIFE to us all.

Then we sang through the verse several times.

For the chorus, I passed out fake fern leaves to each child, and told them the story of the triumphal entry and waving the palm leaves. Each time we sang Hosanna, we waved our leaves over our heads (as if you are fanning someone)  When we sang "All hail triumphant king" we waved our leaf downward and got on one knee, because that is what you do when the king is walking past you. So we practiced singing the last line as we bowed to our King.

Then we talked about echoes.  How echoes are much softer than the originals.  How if you try to yell something long, the echo will start before you are done yelling.  Then we learned the descant (just the echo part on the chorus), with one side singing the first part loudly and the other side singing the echo softly.

(This was a very fun activity the kids begged to do again.)

Tell Me the Stories of Jesus

Thumbs up or thumbs down: Do you like to hear stories? Do you ever ask your mom or dad to tell you a story?  I love stories too!

Today we're going to learn a song about telling stories, but these aren't pretend stories.  These are real stories about Jesus.

Sing the first line: "Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear"

Can you think of some of your favorite stories of Jesus? (If you want, you can post pics of different stories on the board to help them remember: nativity, baptism, raising Jairus's daughter, with the children, etc.)

This time sing it with me, then I will point to someone (or call on someone raising their hand) to tell a story of Jesus. (The telling is short: just one sentence.) Then we will sing the line again, and someone else can tell a different story. (Repeat as often as you like, perhaps 4 times per line.)

Sing the next line and explain what it means.  "If Jesus were here right now, what question would you like to ask Him?  What story would you ask Him to tell?" Sing the line, have someone share their question, sing the line again, have someone else share, etc.

The next line tells about two places where Jesus spent lots of time: the wayside and the sea.  What is the wayside? (Show a picture of the sermon on the mount to give them a clue.)  In this picture, is Jesus in a city?  The wayside is someplace out of the way of the city; the countryside.  Sing the line, then show a picture of a "tale of the sea" and have a child tell what is happening in the picture.  Sing the line again, and show a different "sea" picture, etc.  (Examples of tales of the sea could include calming the storm, walking on water, fishing on the other side of the boat, etc.)

Sing the last line and have children share more stories of Jesus. Repeat as desired.

Sing the whole song together.

**The secret to making this work is to keep it fast paced, so the repetition of each line is only interrupted by a small amount of talking.  The purpose is not to tell any of the stories in detail; just to remind them of the story with a few words.

Article of Faith #3

Actions while you sing the song:

We believe (hands on heart)

That through the atonement of Christ (ASL for Jesus: point to nail prints in hands)

All mankind may be saved (sweep your hands out wide, suggesting "all")

By obedience (ASL for obey: one hand on head, the other hand on heart, give them away)

To the laws (make the letter L with you fingers)

And ordinances (make the letter O with your other hand)

Of the gospel (gospel means good news, so place your hands on either side of your mouth as if you are shouting out the good news of the gospel)

Article of Faith #1

These are the actions we do while singing the song:

We believe (hands over heart, since we believe things in our hearts)

In God, the eternal Father (slowly raise your arm at a diagonal up to heaven, where God lives)

And in His Son, Jesus Christ (slowly raise your other arm up to heaven; your arms make a " y")

And in the Holy Ghost (arms move out and around, landing back to your heart; this is because the Holy Ghost can be everywhere, but you feel Him in your heart)

Sing a Story -- The Life of Christ

This can be used in Primary or FHE.  Gather the following pictures and mix them out of order.  Ask the children which picture comes first?  Then sing the song that goes with the picture.  Continue putting the pictures in order and singing the corresponding songs.

Picture of premortal council -- Sing "I Lived in Heaven"
Picture of the nativity -- Sing "He Sent His Son" OR any Christmas song
Picture of Jesus as a child -- Sing "Jesus Once was a Little Child"
Picture of Jesus being baptized -- Sing "Baptism" OR 1st verse of "This is My Beloved Son"
Picture of calling the fishermen -- Sing "Come Follow Me"
Picture of Sermon on the Mount -- Sing "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus" 1st verse
Picture of Jesus with the children -- Sing "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus" 2nd verse OR
                                                                  "I think when I read that Sweet Story"
Picture of Triumphal Entry -- Sing "Hosanna" (esp. chorus)
Picture of Last Supper -- Sing "The Sacrament"
Picture of Gethsemane -- Sing "I Stand All Amazed"
Picture of crucifixion -- Sing "To Think About Jesus"
Picture of resurrected Jesus with Mary -- Sing "Did Jesus Really Live Again" verse 1
Picture of resurrected Jesus with disciples -- Sing "Did Jesus Really Live Again" verse 2
Picture of Christ visiting the Americas -- Sing "Easter Hosanna" OR 2nd verse of "This is My
                                                                Beloved Son" OR "I Know that My Savior Loves Me"
Picture of the Second Coming of Christ -- Sing "I Wonder When He Comes Again"