This is my general lesson plan so far for August Week 4: Reading, watching, and listening to wholesome things keeps my mind clean.
Attention Activity + Review:
Last week, one of the things that Sister B talked about was the Word of Wisdom. Both are things that are good for our bodies. She said that the Lord made us promise, that if we eat things that are good for our body the Lord has promised us that we will walk and not be weary, run and not be faint. (D&C 89:20).
Q: Can anyone tell me what that means, that we will "walk and not be weary, run and not be faint?"
She also talked about how the food we eat makes our brains healthy, too. Today, I want to talk about something else that makes our minds strong.
It has to do with these three things: (make the motions suggested in the lesson for reading, watching, listening). Then, ask the children to raise their hand and identify the motions as I go through them again. Have them do them with me. (At least in Junior.)
1. Do one motion at a time, and then have them guess after each motion.
2. Have them copy you with the motions.
Okay, remember those four things I shared. And then I'm going to share this picture with you. Take a good look.
This is where I show them a picture of the Savior with children, as recommended in the lesson here:
"Show the children a picture of Jesus Christ with children, and ask them to look at it for a few seconds. Cover the picture and ask the children to tell you details they remember about it. Help the children understand that we remember the things we see. Explain that when we fill our minds with good things we also think of good things."
Our mind remembers things, so it's important to fill our minds with good things. Also
Doctrine:
Doctrine and Covenants 130:18
18 Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.
Q: Can anyone tell me what the scripture means?
When we fill our minds with good things, it helps us to remember the Savior here on earth, but it also prepares us to return to be with him.
If you think you can recite the Thirteen Article of Faith, raise your hand.
13 We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
Application:
Let me give you an example. One of the reasons we spend a lot of time every Sunday singing with Sister O. is that the music we sing fills our mind with wholesome things that teach us and help us remember Jesus Christ. Sister O. has been helping you practice the songs with this Olympics theme but do you know, it really is like the Olympics because you are strengthening your mind.
To show you how wholesome music helps you to learn and fill your mind with good things, I have a little game today. I have a bunch of questions here, but I also have a hint of how to get the answer. Just like in Heaven, everyone here is on the same team. We're just trying to get from here to here:
I'll draw a little board on the chalkboard with earth as the starting point and the clouds/Heaven as the destination. I'll use a magnet to move along the board, and let the children move the magnet to the next step.
I'm thinking of making these questions into nice game cards that the children can come to the front and choose. I have a fabric square with pockets in it, and might just put each question in each pocket so the kids can come up and choose the question from the pocket - or some other fun way to deliver the questions and answers.
Game card questions and answers:
Q: When Sister S. plays these notes, what words come to your mind? (Play the first four measures of page 26 of the Children's Songbook (which is "Reverently, Quietly")
A: "Reverently, quietly, lovingly we think of thee;"
Q: Name four things that the Holy Ghost does for us. Four of these things are listed in the third verse of "If I Listen with My Heart."
Hint: The song starts, "I feel the Holy Spirit as He ..."
A: "teaches truth and right. He comforts me in times of needs; He testifies of Christ."
Q: Your life is a gift. Your life has a plan. What was it? The answer is in "I Will Follow God's Plan.
Hint: "It starts with, "My choice was ..."
A: "to come to this lovely home on earth And seek for God's light to direct me from birth."
Q: Our prophet teaches us to be true. When he says to be true, he means, that at work or at play, in darkness or light, we should be true, be true, and what?
A: "Stand for the right."
Q: In which waters was Jesus baptized?
Hint: "It's the beginning of 'This is My Beloved Son," that starts "Jesus entered ..."
A: "Jordan's water"
Q: When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, God the Father spoke from heaven. What did he say?
Hint: It's the part of 'This is My Beloved Son," that says, "God the Father spoke from heaven; This is ...."
A: "My beloved son"
Q: The temple is a holy place. What is one special thing we can do in the temple because a family is forever?
Hint: "I Love to See the Temple" talks about this in verse 2, "For the temple is a holy place where we are ..."
A: "sealed together."
Q: When Sister S. plays these notes, what words come to your mind? (Play "Praise to the Man," on page 27. First four measures.)
A: "Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah!"
The things we listen to help us learn and remember. They are good for our minds. How many of you have heard a scary story, maybe at a sleepover, or saw something in a movie or on tv that bothered you and didn't make you feel good? Those things become a part of our mind, too.
Things that are good for our mind can help us in a lot of good ways. Can anyone share an example of something that they watched that was good for their mind? how about something they read? or listened to?
My back-up examples to help prod the kids:
> Watch - The Olympics - I mountain bike and when I watched the mountain bike race right before my next ride, it made me feel stronger, faster, and more inspired to push myself.
> Read - I love to read. e.g., of a good book that inspires and educates in some way, outside of a gospel book.
> Listen - I often listen to the scriptures while I'm driving to work. That helps me to focus.
Conclusion:
Filling our mind with good things helps us think of good things.
Attention Activity + Review:
Last week, one of the things that Sister B talked about was the Word of Wisdom. Both are things that are good for our bodies. She said that the Lord made us promise, that if we eat things that are good for our body the Lord has promised us that we will walk and not be weary, run and not be faint. (D&C 89:20).
Q: Can anyone tell me what that means, that we will "walk and not be weary, run and not be faint?"
She also talked about how the food we eat makes our brains healthy, too. Today, I want to talk about something else that makes our minds strong.
It has to do with these three things: (make the motions suggested in the lesson for reading, watching, listening). Then, ask the children to raise their hand and identify the motions as I go through them again. Have them do them with me. (At least in Junior.)
1. Do one motion at a time, and then have them guess after each motion.
2. Have them copy you with the motions.
Okay, remember those four things I shared. And then I'm going to share this picture with you. Take a good look.
This is where I show them a picture of the Savior with children, as recommended in the lesson here:
"Show the children a picture of Jesus Christ with children, and ask them to look at it for a few seconds. Cover the picture and ask the children to tell you details they remember about it. Help the children understand that we remember the things we see. Explain that when we fill our minds with good things we also think of good things."
Our mind remembers things, so it's important to fill our minds with good things. Also
Doctrine:
Doctrine and Covenants 130:18
18 Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.
Q: Can anyone tell me what the scripture means?
When we fill our minds with good things, it helps us to remember the Savior here on earth, but it also prepares us to return to be with him.
If you think you can recite the Thirteen Article of Faith, raise your hand.
13 We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
Application:
Let me give you an example. One of the reasons we spend a lot of time every Sunday singing with Sister O. is that the music we sing fills our mind with wholesome things that teach us and help us remember Jesus Christ. Sister O. has been helping you practice the songs with this Olympics theme but do you know, it really is like the Olympics because you are strengthening your mind.
To show you how wholesome music helps you to learn and fill your mind with good things, I have a little game today. I have a bunch of questions here, but I also have a hint of how to get the answer. Just like in Heaven, everyone here is on the same team. We're just trying to get from here to here:
I'll draw a little board on the chalkboard with earth as the starting point and the clouds/Heaven as the destination. I'll use a magnet to move along the board, and let the children move the magnet to the next step.
I'm thinking of making these questions into nice game cards that the children can come to the front and choose. I have a fabric square with pockets in it, and might just put each question in each pocket so the kids can come up and choose the question from the pocket - or some other fun way to deliver the questions and answers.
Game card questions and answers:
Q: When Sister S. plays these notes, what words come to your mind? (Play the first four measures of page 26 of the Children's Songbook (which is "Reverently, Quietly")
A: "Reverently, quietly, lovingly we think of thee;"
Q: Name four things that the Holy Ghost does for us. Four of these things are listed in the third verse of "If I Listen with My Heart."
Hint: The song starts, "I feel the Holy Spirit as He ..."
A: "teaches truth and right. He comforts me in times of needs; He testifies of Christ."
Q: Your life is a gift. Your life has a plan. What was it? The answer is in "I Will Follow God's Plan.
Hint: "It starts with, "My choice was ..."
A: "to come to this lovely home on earth And seek for God's light to direct me from birth."
Q: Our prophet teaches us to be true. When he says to be true, he means, that at work or at play, in darkness or light, we should be true, be true, and what?
A: "Stand for the right."
Q: In which waters was Jesus baptized?
Hint: "It's the beginning of 'This is My Beloved Son," that starts "Jesus entered ..."
A: "Jordan's water"
Q: When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, God the Father spoke from heaven. What did he say?
Hint: It's the part of 'This is My Beloved Son," that says, "God the Father spoke from heaven; This is ...."
A: "My beloved son"
Q: The temple is a holy place. What is one special thing we can do in the temple because a family is forever?
Hint: "I Love to See the Temple" talks about this in verse 2, "For the temple is a holy place where we are ..."
A: "sealed together."
Q: When Sister S. plays these notes, what words come to your mind? (Play "Praise to the Man," on page 27. First four measures.)
A: "Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah!"
The things we listen to help us learn and remember. They are good for our minds. How many of you have heard a scary story, maybe at a sleepover, or saw something in a movie or on tv that bothered you and didn't make you feel good? Those things become a part of our mind, too.
Things that are good for our mind can help us in a lot of good ways. Can anyone share an example of something that they watched that was good for their mind? how about something they read? or listened to?
My back-up examples to help prod the kids:
> Watch - The Olympics - I mountain bike and when I watched the mountain bike race right before my next ride, it made me feel stronger, faster, and more inspired to push myself.
> Read - I love to read. e.g., of a good book that inspires and educates in some way, outside of a gospel book.
> Listen - I often listen to the scriptures while I'm driving to work. That helps me to focus.
Conclusion:
Filling our mind with good things helps us think of good things.
