The Golden Plates

I am sort of behind because April was a weird month for me with General Conference and Stake Conference, giving me only two weeks to teach songs.  Those two weeks were dedicated to learning mothers day songs.  So I am playing catch up.

Last month's choose your own song for us was the GOLDEN PLATES.  I have seen on blogs that a lot of people are using this song for Aprils Choice.  It's so cute and short...it honestly reminds me of when I was in primary.  It's an oldie but goodie. I knew my primary kids would pick it up easily.  But I did a few props to help them learn it just the same. 

I printed out pictures that went with the lyrics of the song and taped them around the room.  We sang each stanza slowly, stopping at the end of each line and review, and depending on what they sang, they had to find the picture that coordinated.

The golden plates lay hidden (picture of the golden plates)
Deep in the mountain side (picture of the mountain pointing inside)
Until God found one faithful in whom he could confide (picture of Joseph Smith)
A record made by Nephi (picture of Nephi)
Written in days of Old (I didn't have a picture for this but you could find something maybe)
Now in the Book of Mormon, the story is retold (picture of Book of Mormon)

Now as they collected these pictures, they had to assemble them in order on the chalk board.  Once we slowly sang through the song once, stopping and collecting the pictures for each stanza, we sang it all the way through with no stops. 

Then I revealed the GOLDEN PLATES I made, which are pretty homely but I did my best.  I have seen blogs where they are much prettier than mine, but sometimes imperfect is okay. I made these by cutting up foam board, and attaching metal rings to it.  Then I just painted the whole thing gold with spray paint.  It was easy and cheap!

So when I brought out the gold plates, I asked how many of them had their own gold plates, and they all raised their scriptures, which is what I wanted them to do.  Then it was time to bear testimony of Joseph Smith and how indebted to him for finding the plates, translating them, and restoring the gospel.  Now with the plates, we hid them and as we sung the song playing the HOT AND COLD game, we practiced the song while the plates were hidden and found about 5 times...and in doing so, we pretty much memorized it on Sunday.  It was a fun Sunday. 

After church yesterday, I heard my kiddos upstairs singing that song to themselves subconsciously.  It's times like this that I know that as spastic and crazed as I feel on Sundays, they are getting it.