10th Article of Faith Song

This is one of the more difficult songs.  So we are going to make it a lot of fun!  Don't forget to help them understand what the words mean.

We know that movement makes it a lot more fun and helps to learn the words.  Isn't it funny that you give them MORE to learn, and it makes it EASIER!

I would start by teaching first the two most difficult parts.

1.  Start with the duet where one group sings "That Zion" and holds that last note while the other group sings "the New Jerusalem".  Then the same with "will be built upon" which is held while the second group sings "the American continent".  Make a game of it.  Change parts.  Let the first group freeze while they sing their long notes while group two dances or claps while they sing theirs.

2.  Then teach the final phrase:  "its paradisiacal glory".  Teach them what the word means and then chant it.  Clap it.  Stamp it with your feet.  Repeat the word paradisiacal over and over until there is no question but what they get it!

Now you are ready to teach the song with the movement.  This song needs to move.  It is in cut time but needs to be felt as if there were two beats per measure.

SENIOR PRIMARY:  For these kids the song will be done with partners - standing in a circle. The partners are facing each other one facing inward and the other outward.

The movement has four actions.  1.  Clap legs 2.  Clap your own hands  3.  Clap partners two hands  4.  Clap your own hands.  I would cue it as Down Clap Partner Clap.

Using this action sing the whole song.  Practice until the children can sing and clap the pattern without thinking.

Now change the Zion section to this:  The partner on the outside raises hands high above head and freezes as they sing "That Zion" while the inside person claps the rhythm of the words and sings "the New Jerusalem".  Then outside person brings hands down and pushed them right back up on "will be built upon" while the inside person claps the rhythm of the words and sings  "the American continent".

Then the original pattern resumes on the word "Christ" and continues to the end of the song.  They will end with "Down Clap" on the final word "glory".  It would be fun to make that last clap loud!

Now the inside circle moves one person to their right and everyone has a new partner.

JUNIOR PRIMARY:  The older class in Junior Primary may be able to do the same movement as Senior Primary but your little guys won't be able to do that.  So I would just use this pattern for the whole Jr. Primary:  Clap their own hands twice.  Clap their partner's hands twice. I would then do this pattern with a song they children know very well.  This would work well with the song "Fun to Do".  Teach this while the children are in their seats looking at you so you are actually clapping your own hands twice and then touching the air twice "pretending to be touching your hands" :)

The first week I would make a game of this.  Get the kids in a circle with the partners facing each other and sing "Fun to Do" while doing this action.  "Clapping our hands is fun to do, fun to do, to do, to do.  Clapping our hands is fun to do. To do, to do, to do."  Now the inside circle moves one person to their right and everyone has a new partner.  Begin again.  Make sure you are doing this with a nice fast tempo and you can even speed up if they are getting it and challenge them more.

Week two teach get into the circle formation and repeat what you learned last week.  Now tell the kids they are going to do the same thing with their hands while you sing them the new article of Faith song.  Then ask everyone to sing also with you as they clap their hands.  This is a time when the teachers and leaders can really be a help to you.

Week three review the clapping with the article of faith song and then teach them to do the Zion section the same as you did with senior Primary.