I’ve got a simple singing time lesson plan for teaching I am a Child of God. It also incorporates handbells. I’ve got a variation to this lesson plan linked below that brings in The Plan of Salvation too that you might want to check out!
I’m going to first introduce the song by reading a little blip found in the
A Children’s Songbook Companion (see information on that book
HERE) about how the word “know” was eventually changed to the word “do” by President Kimball. The story can also be found
HERE. I think I’ll not tell them what song I’m talking about and see if they can guess it.
Then I’ll post the words to the words to
I Am a Child of God (see how I do that
HERE) starting with the chorus, then eventually the verses. Questions to the chorus and verses can be found at my Resource Library. Instructions for accessing my Resource Library are at the bottom of this post.
I’ll be posting those on the chalkboard (questions are also from A Children’s Songbook Companion).
UPDATE: I’ve created these same questions HERE that are in the form of the Plan of Salvation chart.
I’ll read the first question, then we’ll sing through the chorus and answer the question. I’ll repeat until we’ve asked, sung and answered the 3 questions on the “Chorus” page.
Then I’m going to do the obbligato portion with the bells.
Access my bell chart at my Resource Library. If you’ve never used the handbells before, see how I to use them in primary HERE. Also, check out this demonstration video I did using this chart:
I would love it if you would like the video and subscribe to my YouTube channel
HERE so I know you find it useful and want more like it.
Then as we pass the bells around the room, any time a child does not have a handbell, they will be answering the questions on the “Verse 1 – 4” pages on the document above. To help answer the questions, I’ll keep posting the words to each verse.
Have I lost you yet? So, for example, when we get to the “Verse 1” page, I’ll post the words on my music stand and the Verse 1 questions on the chalkboard, then read the first question. We’ll then sing verse one along with the chorus while the bell ringers play the obbligato with the bells.
All the non-bell ringers will be trying to answer the question. Once finished, we’ll pass the bells to the next kids, read the next question on the “Verse 1” page and repeat until we’ve completed all the verse question pages and everyone has had a chance to ring some bells.
If you don’t have handbells, no problem, this lesson plan works great without them – however, they are the fun part ;). I’m planning on taking 2 weeks on this lesson plan – hopefully getting through verses 1 and 2 the 1st week and 3 and 4 the next.
I am a Child of God Variation:
If it is easier for you to have the kids play the regular melody on the chorus, I created a bell chart for that as well. You can download that chart also at my Resource Library. But to reiterate, this is for the CHORUS MELODY ONLY NOT THE VERSES!
24 thoughts on “I Am a Child of God – Bells”
Totally using this tomorrow. Thanks for the awesome ideas, Camille!
I'm using a variation of this tomorrow. THANK YOU for the help!
Thanks! You always have such great ideas. On your wordsheets for I Am A Child of God, your chorus says "Teach me what I must do" but the words are "Teach me all that I must do." I thought maybe you would want to fix that.
AAAAHh. I see now that it is the descant version of the chorus that you have printed after each verse.
Oh dang it – thanks for catching that!!
Okay, I fixed it…thanks again!!
Camille – Thanks for sharing your ideas! I wanted to teach another song to go with the program, and I love the song One in a Million, what are your ideas on teaching it? I was thinking it would be cool to show the videos of the kids found on lds.org, but I can't see how I can download any of them. Love to hear your ideas!
Most wards have WiFi available now – you may want to check with your bishopric. I think we'll be introducing it using a few of the videos. I'm not quite there yet on the specifics of teaching the song but I'll get it up sometime (hopefully this week but we have Stake Conference so I may end up putting it off for a week ;).
I love the hand bell idea – I have an 8 note set – but I've never used them – can you give me some simple directions for how to use the hand bell chart? Should it sound like the song or does it just add to the piano music? thanx so much!
I have a post I've written called "Using handbells in Primary" that you may want to check out. But usually when I use the bells, I only do songs with the obbligato or descant (the optional music/singing) line written above the music. Or, once I did the guitar chords (see my post on Samuel Tells of the Baby Jesus).
I hope that helps out a little bit. I love the bells and the kids love them even more so definitely use them!!
Hi. I was wondering what ideas any of you have on a good way to teach the kids to sing the descant part? I am dividing Jr and Sr primary, and having the Jr sing the regular melody, and Sr sing the descant. We've worked on it for 2 weeks now, but it isn't coming along so well. I've tried having them just listen to it on the piano, clapping the rhythm with their hands, and just singing it. Any ideas??
When I've taught other parts that aren't the melody, I've photo copied the music and passed out a copy to the kids. I've then passed out a crayons (or hi-liters) and let them color in their part. Then maybe you can try to pitch lead with your hand while they look at the music. Get them familiar when the notes go up or down. You could also just have them try pitch leading (following you) as you sing it over and over. Pass out a popcycle stick to each child and have them follow your hand as you go up and down with the notes as you sing. Another fun pitch leading idea is to get a PVC pipe or other stick about 3 feet long. Have 2 kids come up and hold it pretending they are on a roller coaster that goes up when the notes go up and down when the notes go down. Let everyone have a "ride" and I'm sure you'll be able to bang out the descant quite a few times!! Good luck!
~Camille
Thanks Camille! I appreciate your suggestion. I'll give it a try and we'll see how they do this Sunday!
I am trying to figure out how to teach the descant to I am a Child of God and stumbled upon your blog. I taught One in a Million two years ago and have some great ideas. I showed them the book "What is a Million" and read a few parts out of it. I also have a flipchart. I was going to put it on Sugardoodle, but never got it to send right. Patty
Kari, thanks for this – do you know the author of the book? I'd love to look it up!
~Camille
Hello, thank you so much for sharing your plans! I realize you wrote this 5 years ago but hoping you still get this message. I’m looking into getting the children’s songbook companion you suggested using your link but I’m worried because it showed a picture of it being only 3in fitting in the palm of your hand. I’m worried I won’t be able to see the text because it will be too small being smaller than a cell phone. Is this the case?
Hi Lindsay Woolley,
I see what you are seeing about the product dimensions being small. I am almost certain this is an error as I've never seen the book that size. I've notified Amazon so hopefully it can be corrected. I think if you ordered it, it would be the regular size. If you are concerned, try searching for the book on Amazon sold by other sellers (new and used). I hope that helps – the book is definitely worth getting!
~Camille
Oh good! Thank you so much for getting back to me. I so appreciate it. Thanks again!
Do you have any of the PDFs in Spanish
(For example the lyrics of the songs you use in the flipchart notebook)
Hi mamaschramm,
I'm sorry, I don't…I don't know any Spanish.
~Camille
OK- just thought I would check before I begin doing the work!
Gracias! (haha- I'll bet you know that much Spanish 🙂
Thanks for this wonderful idea! I'd like to use the handbell chart that you posted to go along with the chorus only of "I am a Child of God." If I purchase the basic 8 note handbell set (that you linked to in your "How I Use the Handbells" post, does it include all the notes needed?
Thanks so much for your help.
Hi Nikole,
If you purchase the 8 note handbell set, you could use them to play this song as there are no sharps required. If any of the note charts have a sharp sign (#) next to the note, that would mean you'd need the next set which includes the sharps. I hope that clarifies.
~Camille
Thank you! Yes, that helps greatly!