From TeachingPrimaryMusic.com
Junior & Senior: Samuel Tells of Baby Jesus
Said Samuel “Within five years
a night will be as day
And Baby Jesus will be born (continue rocking your arms like holding a baby)
In a land far, far away.
I stop singing and ask, “Can you hands follow my hands?” I sing and do the actions again, having the children follow me. (Hint: I will stop and challenge the children if not all the children cover their eyes, or raise their hands up. “I love the way _____ threw his hands up just like Samuel!” “Was your covering of the eyes as dark as night?” etc. I’m letting them know by my comments that I would love them to engage, and I’m noticing.)
“Let’s do all of the actions as I sing.” I sing the song, and then continue on to the chorus with the these actions, still having the children follow me.
Hosanna! Hosanna!
Oh, let us gladly sing.
How blessed that our Lord was born;
Let earth proclaim her King!
When Joseph Went to Bethlehem: Scarves (from CamillesPrimaryIdeas.com)
- “When Joseph went to Bethlehem” (put scarf over head to represent period head covering for Joseph or Mary)
- “I think he took great care, to place his tools” (put scarf on lap and pretend to place tools on it then fold one side over)
- “and close his shop” (used hand motion like two doors coming together to close)
- “and leave no shavings there” (use the scarf as a dusting rag and pretend to dust off a work bench)
- “He urged the donkey forward” (put scarf tight between both hands and move them together in one direction, like a rope pulling a donkey)
- “then with Mary on its back” (put scarf on head to represent Mary now)
- “and carried bread and goat cheese in a little linen sack” (pull the four corners of the scarf together like it is holding something and hold the very top).
VERSE 2
- “I think there at the busy inn” (here you could act as though you are trying to see through a crowd looking from side to side as if to see around someone in front of you, then up on tippy toes)
- “that he was meek and mild” (put the scarf on head to represent Joseph again, then fold arms and bow head as if in prayer to show meekness)
- “and awed to be the guardian of Mary’s sacred child” (fold the blanket like you would if you were wrapping up a baby, and cradle the scarf bundle in the elbow of one arm kind of rocking)
- “perhaps all through the chilly hours” (wrap scarf like a shawl and act cold)
- “he soothed the swaddling bands” (wad the scarf back up and put it back in the bend of your elbow like a baby, and stroke it gently)
- “and Jesus felt the quiet strength” (leave the scarf baby on your left arm then put your finger over your lips for ‘quiet’ then make a muscle with your right arm for ‘strength’)
- “of Joseph’s gentle hands” (stroke the scarf baby again)
VERSE 3
- “and close beside the manger bed” (scarf baby still in arm)
- “he dimmed the lantern’s light” (scarf held up by two top corners in front of face like a curtain)
- “and held the little Jesus close upon that holy night” (scarf in a bundle like a baby cradled and rocked in the arm again)
Picture a Christmas
For Younger Children: I hung pictures all around the room. After singing a phrase, I'd ask a child to find the picture that best matched the phrase
For Older Children: idea from Teaching Primary Music (I had 1/4 paper and a crayon under each chair for a quick transition)
- Picture a stable in Judea.
- Picture a sacred,silent night
- And can you hear The angels near
- And see the star so bright?
- Picture the little baby Jesus
- Think of his life and words so dear.
- Sing praise to him; Remember him, As you picture Christmas this year.
(You can also add the second verse.)
8. Picture a kind and gentle Joseph
9. Picture the mother, Mary, fair
10. And can you see So reverently The shepherds kneeling there?
“Your teachers have pencils, crayons, and papers under their chair. As I sing the song three more times, draw your picture. If you finish the first picture quickly, I’d like you to try and draw two.”
I begin to sing the song as the children are gathering their paper and pencils. Many do not decide what to draw until you have sung the song at least two times. I walk among the children as they are drawing (many use their chairs as tables) and I sing the song over and over again. When I have finished singing the song three times, I ask the children to come and tape their picture in or around the frame where the picture goes. I sing the song again as they come up to put their drawings in or around the frames.
We look at the pictures to make sure they are in the right place, then we all sing the song together. The children have just heard the song 4 to 5 times in a row. They focused on one particular part of the song, yet heard the whole song. It is amazing what the brain can remember when it hears the whole, focuses on a part, then puts it back into the whole.
Result: this was a bit more chaotic with a larger senior primary. If I did it again, I would emphasize that I was going to sing the song 3 times. Some children didn't really grasp the idea of drawing a picture to represent that phrase. Again, I would find a way to clarify that in the future. Also, coming to the board was chaotic even though I emphasized to come up slowly and orderly. They did not at first. I was disappointed in them and will probably find a different way in the future. Perhaps call those who did each frame one group at a time.
