Follow the Prophet Review Activity--Inside Camera

I love the many verses of "Follow the Prophet."  Last week I used a review activity that can be used for as few or as many of the verses as you choose.  I call it Inside Camera.  I first learned about this activity from Sharla Dance, over at TeachingPrimaryMusic.com.  The presentation is simple, the prep is virtually nil, and the children ask to keep doing it over and over. A picture for each verse First, choose a picture which corresponds to each verse you'd like to review.  I use pictures from the Gospel Art Picture kit, but the Church has an online Media Library that you could use, as well.  In the photo on the left, I have pictures for Abraham, Enoch, President Monson, Moses, Adam, Noah, and Daniel. In Primary, tell the children you're going to show them a picture, and you want them to take a picture of it with their inside camera, the camera inside their mind, in order to memorize the details.  They can look at the picture while you're singing the song, but when the verse is done, you'll hide the picture and ask questions to see how much they memorized. Show this picture and sing, "Adam was a prophet..." Immediately show one of the pictures, and sing the verse that matches it.  Turn the picture around to hide it from the children while you ask your questions, and then let the children see the picture again to confirm each answer.  For example, last Sunday I showed the picture you see on the right while I sang the verse about Adam.  Here are some of the questions I asked: "How many people are in this picture?" "What are their names?" "Are they outside or inside?" "Are they by a forest, an ocean, or a desert?" "Name one animal you saw in this picture." I ask 3-5 questions per picture, typically, and then I go straight into the next verse with the next picture.  The children, both junior and senior, enjoy having a challenge to go with their pictures.

Happy singing!

3 Ways to Practice Solos in Primary (Without Boring Everyone Else)

I know some Primaries have already had their sacrament meeting programs, but a lot of us are still gearing up for it!  One challenge of preparing is figuring out how to practice solos and small group numbers, since the Outline for Sharing Time cautions leaders, "Practices should not take time away from classes or families unnecessarily."  As much as possible, then, practices should take place during Primary.  Here are 3 methods that I've used this year. 1.  Practice During Prelude Our ward has six soloists singing verses of "Follow the Prophet" (p.110).  The soloists need a chance to learn their verses, and prelude seemed like the perfect time to me.  For the past couple weeks I've been bringing soloists over by the piano with me to practice.  We kneel down behind the piano, so that no one thinks we're performing, and we quietly sing the solo together, as many times as we need, while we're waiting for opening exercises to start.  2.  Flashlight Spotlight  Once your soloists have a basic familiarity with their parts, you'll want the rest of the Primary to hear them, so they'll know what to expect during the presentation of the song.  This is an activity I highlighted in my post a couple weeks ago, here.  Turn off the lights and turn on a flashlight. Only the group of children where you're shining the light should sing. Try moving the light slowly around the room, quickly switching between halves, or trading off between you and all the children.  I have soloists singing the questions in "He Sent His Son" (p.34), so after one sing-through I alter the activity to spotlight the soloists for their assigned lines. 3.  A Chorus of Hand Rhythms This is a great activity when the full Primary will be singing the chorus of a song. Have the soloist or small group sing at the microphone, reminding the other children to show their friends respect by listening quietly. When the soloist finishes the verse, signal the rest of the children to immediately go into the chorus, and encourage them to follow your hand rhythms. Be sure to keep the pattern simple, since they'll only have a short time to figure it out. These are some activities I've found helpful. I'd love to hear which ideas have worked for you, too!

Happy singing,