Learning
Tree Adventures
Lesson #2
Center
Lesson #2
Center
Preparing the Space



We wrote
the morning verse on the chalkboard, and had items pertinent to our class on
shelves, like our Preset Box, Learning Tree, Earth ball, beeswax, pencils with
a compass, Uno cards, Books, (especially about Sunlight and Commons by Molly
Bang), a circular Drum, round toys, a golden crown, an ox, our wise old owl,
and so on.
Gathering and Welcome
Song
We sang a song
about gathering together to learn and grow, while joining hands in a circle. At
the end, we hugged in close to the center and said, “Thank you!” to acknowledge
the gift of being able to meet in that space and enjoy these things together.
Affirmation: “I Listen
to My Heart,” and “I Am One With the Universe”
We said “I
listen to my heart”, going around in a circle. Towards the end of class, we also
talked about the universe, and we sent home the affirmation, “I am one with the
universe.”
Nature/Seasonal Verse:
Apple Tree
One child
was chosen to curl up like a tiny seed in the center of our circle, and grow as
the teacher read a verse about a tiny seed being watered by the rain and
nourished by the sun. The rest of the children pretended to rain and shine on the
seed as it grew into an apple tree.
The Present Box: Seeds
We looked
in our special “Present” box and found raisins inside. Each child took a raisin
and held it in their hand. They noticed what it looked like, felt like, then
how it felt in their mouths as they tasted and began to eat it. This was our
meditation/observation moment. Then, we discussed where raisins come from:
grapes, which grow on vines, which grow from seeds.
We
discussed how all life on earth begins, as a seed or egg, a tiny speck, that
grows and grows from that tiny thing, until it becomes like it’s parent. We
talked about when we were little tiny babies curled up inside our mother’s
round tummy. We were connected in our center to our moms by a special umbilical
cord. When we were ready to grow and move more on our own, and didn’t need the
chord anymore, it was cut, and turned into our belly buttons. We found our
belly buttons and pointed out they are circles. We said we will continue to
grow and grow until we grow up to be like our parents.
Next, we
pretended to be little babies again, and sang, “Once I was a baby,” to the tune
of “Once I Was a Snowman,” and pretended to grow up tall. text
Morning Verse:
Circling Around Centers
We pointed
out that all living things start as little seeds or eggs, and they are all made
out of what we call, the “dust of the earth”. The earth was made for us out of
love from our Heavenly Father and Savior. It is a space for us to live and grow
in.
We had a
globe nearby, and talked about the shape of the earth, that it is round, and
that it spins around in a circle (around it’s axis). Because it spins,
sometimes, we see the sun, and sometimes we see the moon. We turned on a lamp,
and turned in circles, pointing out when we saw the lamp on one side of the
room (like a sun), and a round, yellow, colander hanging on the wall on the
opposite side of the room (like a moon), and we sat back down. We pointed out
that the sun is a great big circle that rises in the sky at the beginning of
each day, and the moon is a circle that rises at the beginning of night.
The moon
also travels in a circle around the earth, with the earth as the center of it’s
circle. The earth also travels in a circle around the sun. Then, we put a
little sun in the center of the circle we were sitting in, and passed a little
ball that looks like the earth around our circle as we said our morning verse
(taken from a Waldorf resource):
One
is the sun that shines so bright,
One is the moon so high;
One is the day and one is the night,
One is the sheltering sky.
One is a head so still and tame,
Upon one body whole with health;
And I is the one and the special name
That only I can call myself!
One is the moon so high;
One is the day and one is the night,
One is the sheltering sky.
One is a head so still and tame,
Upon one body whole with health;
And I is the one and the special name
That only I can call myself!
Then
we pointed out that God created a lot of wonderful things for us in our
beautiful world, and we followed the teacher holding the “earth” as we stood up
and traveled in circles around the room while singing “How Beautiful the World Is” and ending up, sitting near the
couch for story time. A Wise Old Owl reminded us of the power of listening and
learning as we headed into our main lesson through the nursery rhyme:
A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard
Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard
Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?
Main Lesson: Divine
Worth and Potential - Beauty and the Beast Fairy Tale Review, and Sunlight book
by Molly Bang

We brought
out a gold, round, and shiny crown, which reminded us about the story we’d read
the last time about a Prince and a Princess, Beauty and the Beast. We reviewed
the story, using a picture of a circle-shaped face with a happy face on it that
we could turn upside down to show a frown, to point out the change of emotion
the story goes through. The Beast was a Prince, who was turned into a Beast
that was really grumpy, and didn’t seem like a Prince, but he really was deep down
inside. Love helped reveal and return him to his full Princely state.
We pulled
out a crown for each child, and pointed out how very special each one of them
is. We talked about how each of us is a Prince or a Princess from Heaven. And
no matter how beastly or grumpy any of us may seem, love will help us remember
how precious and important every one of us is.
We
mentioned that the bright, round, golden crowns on their heads, reminded us of
another bright, round, golden circle we see in the sky every day.
We then
read a story about Sunlight, by Molly Bang, which describes the role of the sun
as the source of life on earth, and the provider of life and energy to
everything our world. The book showed the process of the plants on earth
absorbing light from the sun, and using it to break apart water to collect and
store energy, and release Oxygen into the air. We breathe the oxygen, and get
energy for our bodies by eating the plants. The book goes on to show the cycles
of the flow of energy that comes to the earth from the sun, and emphasizes that
the sun is central to our existence, as a source to all life on the earth.
Language and Math:
Letter A, Number 1, Latin “un”
We talked,
again, about the crowns on our heads, that are gold and shiny like the sun. We
asked why we wear them on our heads, and what our heads do. We pointed out that
our heads take care of and unite the actions of our whole body, just like a
good king takes care of and unites His whole Kingdom. Our crowns remind us we
are children of a Heavenly King. Even though we don’t have always wear a shiny
golden crown every day, we pointed out that the round part of our head is
called our crown, and is always with us, no matter what we are wearing. We also
asked them how many heads they had, and pointed out that there is only one head
on their shoulders.
Next, we
asked if the children could remember the letter that the ancient Hebrews drew
in the shape of a head, and drew an Ox-head on the board. We asked them to make
an ox-head with their fingers, by making a V shape with two fingers, and
crossing those fingers with one from the other hand. Then, we had them turn the
ox-head upside down and tell us which English letter they saw (A). We wrote an
A on the board, and explained that the ox-head turned into our letter A in
English. Then, we drew a 1, and told them that the ancient Hebrews used the
ox-head for the number 1 as well.
Christ-like Attribute:
Unity & Obedience
We told
them that before people spoke English, as well as a bunch of other languages we
have on earth today, a lot of those, who lived in Europe, spoke a language
called, Latin. In the Latin language, they used the word, “un”, for the
number one (we wrote these on the board). The French still use “un” for
the number one, but the Spanish changed it to, “uno”. The kids were
excited to recognize that word from a card game many of them had played called,”Uno”.
We pointed out that in the game, they say, “uno”, when they have only one card
left.
We asked if
it was fun to play “Uno”, when everyone follows the instructions of the game
and keeps the rules, versus if someone cheats and doesn’t follow the rules. We
talked about how the instructions help everyone know how to play the same game.
Without certain ways to do it, there would be no game at all. Following the
instructions and the rules makes the game fun and nice for everyone. We
mentioned some of the instructions, commandments, and rules we also have in
life, which help make things nice and fun for everyone. They keep us safe and
happy when we follow them. We explained that when everyone is following the
same instructions and rules, and trying to do the same thing, we say they are united,
and pointed out the “un” in the word, by writing it beneath the other “un”,
and “uno”, we had written on the board, and underlining “un”, in all of
them.
Next, we
talked about how good rules, bless everyone, not just a few people. Good rules
always show and come from love. We discussed how love is like a great seed,
from which every good thing grows. We are like special seeds, made in love, by
God, who flows His love and power to us, because we are His children. He wants
us to grow and become like Him, just like a little seed, which leaves the tree
it grew on, and grows up to become a tree as well. We practiced acting out
being little seeds of love that grow up tall.
Music: I Have a Seed
of Greatness song
We passed
out a bowl of seeds of various shapes, sizes, and colors, and invited them to
pass it around, and even pick up a seed and look at or hold it during the
following song.
We then
sang them the song, “I Have a Seed of Greatness”. Next, we talked about the seeds and
asked whether each seed grew itself, all by itself. We talked about how the
seed was connected to a plant that flowed energy and nutrients to it so that it
could grow. We asked if we grew ourselves, all alone, by ourselves. Our lives
are gifts that we’ve received from our parents and our Father in Heaven. We
talked about how Heavenly Father helped us grow in heaven, until we were ready
to leave His presence, and grow on earth, just like a seed that falls from a
tree so that it can become a tree like it’s parent. Then, we had them pretend
to be a seed once more, and grow up tall, turning to face a nearby lamp as they
sat back down.
Note: We
meant to also learn about leadership, another principle of the number one, and
Hebrew letter, Aleph. We planned to have people practice being our music
leader, to coordinate the efforts of the whole group to make music. We also
planned to hit the center of a round drum to make our rhythms. We forgot to include
this in class, but will probably pull it into our next one.
Science: Electricity,
and the flow of Power
We turned a
lamp on and asked what had made the lamp start glowing. We asked whether the
lamp could glow all by itself, and pointed out that in order to give light, the
lamp had to be plugged in, and connected, to a power source. We pointed out the
blender and the toaster, and asked if they could make toast by themselves or
blend something without being connected to a source of power.
We passed
out a small piece of hard beeswax to each child, and told them to hold and play
with the wax, and let some of the warmth and energy from their body, connect
with the wax and warm it up so they could sculpt and shape it a little. As they
played with the beeswax, we read the following verse:
A toaster can’t make
toast alone, a blender cannot blend,
A T.V., to have something on, needs wires end to end.
A T.V., to have something on, needs wires end to end.
There’s a source of all
their power, and a flow of energy.
And there’s a flow of life, that comes from God to me.
And there’s a flow of life, that comes from God to me.
Next, we
showed them a toy hammer, and asked if a hammer could build a house by itself.
We set it on the floor, and asked it to build us a house and waited, but
nothing happened. We explained that we could use the hammer as a tool to build
a house, but we’d have to connect with it, and put energy into it for it to
work for us. Then we read the next part of the verse:
A hammer doesn’t wield
itself, or build a house alone.
And all that’s good in my own life, flows from my Heavenly home.
And all that’s good in my own life, flows from my Heavenly home.
In truth, the power,
strength and gifts that come to me each day,
Flow down to me as I connect to God in loving ways.
Flow down to me as I connect to God in loving ways.
There’s a source of all
my power, and a flow of energy.
And there’s a flow of life, that comes from God to me.
And there’s a flow of life, that comes from God to me.
We talked
about how God flows power to us, and we can choose to put some of it into a
hammer, to build something like a house.
Character Trait &
Habit: Orderliness
Next, we
talked about how special our houses are, as a center for our lives and our
families. We wake up there each morning, and go to bed there at night. In our
houses, it’s nice to have some rules and instructions that keep things in order
and make things nice for everyone, like not hurting each other, and cleaning up
our toys.
We asked if
they had ever had so many toys out in a kind of a mess, that it was hard to
find what they wanted, and mentioned how frustrating that can be, compared to
when everything is kept in order and we know right where things are. Everything
wants to have a home, and needs a space to be. Our shoes need a home. Our books
and toys, and all we have, love to have a home to go to when they are ready to
rest. It’s okay for them to leave their home, and it’s okay for us to get
things out and create things that may make a bit of a mess, but when we’re
done, everything wants to go back home where it can rest.
In order
for everything to have a home, we need to make sure we have a space for all of
it to be. If we have too many things, it’s hard to find a home for all of it.
We also need to make sure that we especially have space for the most important
things. We asked what it would be like if they had so many toys, there was no
room in their house for food, or so many clothes everywhere, there was nowhere
to put a bed. We pointed out that it’s important to create and keep space for
the most important things first. We can do that with our time, our thoughts,
and our energy too. We want to make time and space for the things that matter
most, and take care of things that are central to our happiness and growth. We
want to focus on things that will grow the kind of love that all good things
come from, and make sure the point of what we do and build, is always centered
in love.
Finding Examples:
Discovering Our Centers
Next, we did
the following finger-play, while finding different centers on our bodies.
Where is the center of
my face, and what do I find there?
A nose that helps me smell and breathe the precious gift of air.
A nose that helps me smell and breathe the precious gift of air.
Where is the center of
my ears that hang out by my hair?
They help me hear and stay upright as I move from here to there.
(We then talked a little bit about how our inner ears help us keep our balance).
They help me hear and stay upright as I move from here to there.
(We then talked a little bit about how our inner ears help us keep our balance).
Where is the center of
my mouth, and center of my eye,
That help me take in yummy food, and gaze up at the sky.
That help me take in yummy food, and gaze up at the sky.
What is the center of my
arm and center of my leg?
My joints help me to move and play, jump and run and bend
My joints help me to move and play, jump and run and bend
Where is the center of
my life? What’s the point of all I do?
Well, of course, it’s love for God above, and love for me and you!
Well, of course, it’s love for God above, and love for me and you!
Movement: Using our
core and the centers of our body
We found
the center of our body again, and practiced filling our bellies with air. Then
we collapsed and bent over, and filled up our bellies again. We talked about
dance and emphasized that the movement of our body when we dance, comes from
our core. We also learned to pivot in a circle, by pretending one foot was
stuck in glue, while we turned in a circle. We also pretended to draw circles
by holding an arm out and using our body as the center of our circle as we spun
around.
Next, we
had the children find a partner, and choose which one of them would be the
center first. We had them hold hands, and one of them stood in one place, while
the other one walked in a circle around them, creating a circle with a sort of
human compass.
Then we
turned on the song, “I Feel Happy”, from the movie, Despicable Me, and danced,
using different centers of our bodies to create circles. We made circles with
our elbows, our knees, our heads, our bellies, and so on. We also passed out
scarves and had them spin in a circle, holding the scarf out, to create circles
with them at the center.
Food: Carrots, Apples,
and Oranges
We had the
children prepare the snacks themselves, washing, slicing, and serving carrots,
apples, and oranges. They put them in round bowls and placed them in the center
of the table. We pointed out the core of the carrots, the seeds in the center
of the apple, the orange segments surrounding the center, and so on. We also
pointed out how tiny the apple seeds are, compared to the big trees they grow
into.
We also talked
about how our thoughts, and what we plant in our minds by what we look at,
focus on, notice and pay attention to, are like seeds that grow bigger and
bigger, the more we pay attention to them. Our thoughts grow into the things we
say, do and become. We want to make sure the seeds we plant are seeds of love,
so we will grow good things that will make it nice for us and everyone. The
thought seeds that will bring us the very best fruit, are the kinds that build
our love and relationships. When we flow life and energy to others, we are
being like God, and expanding where our life is flowing, and the good it can
do.
Observations From
Nature:
We went
outside, and encouraged the children to find seeds and centers in nature. They
found centers in flowers and tree trunks, and seeds they collected and played
with.
Art: Compass Drawing –
making circles from a point/center


We gave the
children sidewalk chalk, with a short string of yarn attached to it, and showed
them how to put their finger on the string, and hold the string straight while
drawing a circle with sidewalk chalk. We showed them how to make various sized
circles, by changing the length of the string. The children drew many circles,
and we pointed out that the driveway now looked like it was filled with
galaxies, and looked like a universe. We then pointed out that “universe”,
starts with un, just like the other words we’d written on the board. We
went inside, and wrote “universe” on the board beneath the words we’d already
discussed.
Next, we
showed them a pencil, and emphasized that we draw with the point in the center
of the pencil. We used a pencil within a compass, to draw a perfect circle, by
putting the point in the center of where we wanted our circle to be, and then
spinning the compass around. The children wondered why it was called a compass,
and one of them found a toy compass that he had, that showed the four cardinal
points. We pointed out the similarities. His compass was a circle, with a
center, and something that spun around on a central pivot. We could have also
pointed out similar features on the face of a clock, which give something fun
to think about. The lines, spinning around on a central pivot, create circles
that help us measure both see and choose direction, as well as “Father Time”.
We then gave each child a pencil, and had the draw some circles in a notebook.
We told a
story of a famous artist, Giotto? Who was chosen to be commissioned by the Pope
for His art, for simply drawing such a perfect circle freehand, without the use
of a compass, which can be very challenging.
Gathering and Closing
Song:
We gathered
in a circle again, and held hands while we sang our closing song about how much we’d gathered and
learned, that we can love and share and know. We came into a close hug in the
center of our circle at the end, and said “Thank you!” again and closed our
class.
We invited
those who wanted to stay a little longer to listen to a story called, “The
Dot”, about a girl who discovered her love for art through a dot.
Some additional activities:
·
Practice
“hitting the nail on the head” with a hammer, and talk about why you need to
hit the nail in the center. Point out the flow of energy going from them,
through the hammer, to the nail and wood.
·
Build
a little birdhouse with Dad, using hammer and nails, and put birdseed inside.
·
Find
a merry-go-round on a playground somewhere, if possible, or other spinning
toys. Have them feel, if possible, the difference of force, pressure,
stability, and so on, from sitting in the center vs. the outer edge.
·
Hold
their hands, have them run, and spin them around you. Point out you are the
center of the circle they are making around your body.
·
Make
a spinning top with cardboard and pencils, or fold a cube of paper, and write
goals that are central to our happiness on each side. You could also use this
to play the game of dreidel, enjoyed during Hanukah by many Jewish children.
·
Observe
the water flowing and draining through circles in the center of your sink.
·
Have
a campfire, and point out that you are gathered in a circle around a fire.
·
Give
each other hugs, and talk about the circles we make when we hug and connect
with one another with our arms.
·
If
you’re able to witness a baby blessing or baptism, point out that baby
blessings and confirmations are done with the child in the center of a circle
of Priesthood holders.
·
During
a family dinner, point out how to pass food from the center of the table,
around to each person in the circle, so that everyone can have a turn to get
what they need.
·
Point
out circles all around you in your daily life: plates, cups & bowls, sewer
covers, bottles and jars, rings, hats, etc… just notice where they are around
you. If you want, look up why the circle is so often chosen for things like
pizzas and man-hole covers in the book, The Beginner’s Guide to Constructing
the Universe.
·
Observe
in nature: throw rocks in a pond and observe the ripples flowing out from a
central source.
Scriptures and Talks to Ponder:
Discovering the Divinity Within,
Oct. 2015 Gen. Conference Talk
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/discovering-the-divinity-within?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/discovering-the-divinity-within?lang=eng
The Joy of Living a Christ-Centered
Life, Oct. 2015 Gen. Conference Talk
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/the-joy-of-living-a-christ-centered-life?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/the-joy-of-living-a-christ-centered-life?lang=eng
D&C 88:13
The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things.
The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things.
John
1: 1-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Mosiah 5: 8
And under this head ye are made afree, and there is bno other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other cname given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.
And under this head ye are made afree, and there is bno other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other cname given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.
Moroni 7: 13
But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.
But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.
D&C 88: 119? Establish a House of Order scripture
D&C88: 67
D&C
50: Therefore if thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light –
layers line upon line #3


We wrote
the morning verse on the chalkboard, and had items pertinent to our class on
shelves, like our Preset Box, Learning Tree, Earth ball, beeswax, pencils with
a compass, Uno cards, Books, (especially about Sunlight and Commons by Molly
Bang), a circular Drum, round toys, a golden crown, an ox, our wise old owl,
and so on.
Gathering and Welcome
Song
We sang a song
about gathering together to learn and grow, while joining hands in a circle. At
the end, we hugged in close to the center and said, “Thank you!” to acknowledge
the gift of being able to meet in that space and enjoy these things together.
Affirmation: “I Listen
to My Heart,” and “I Am One With the Universe”
We said “I
listen to my heart”, going around in a circle. Towards the end of class, we also
talked about the universe, and we sent home the affirmation, “I am one with the
universe.”
Nature/Seasonal Verse:
Apple Tree
One child
was chosen to curl up like a tiny seed in the center of our circle, and grow as
the teacher read a verse about a tiny seed being watered by the rain and
nourished by the sun. The rest of the children pretended to rain and shine on the
seed as it grew into an apple tree.
The Present Box: Seeds
We looked
in our special “Present” box and found raisins inside. Each child took a raisin
and held it in their hand. They noticed what it looked like, felt like, then
how it felt in their mouths as they tasted and began to eat it. This was our
meditation/observation moment. Then, we discussed where raisins come from:
grapes, which grow on vines, which grow from seeds.
We
discussed how all life on earth begins, as a seed or egg, a tiny speck, that
grows and grows from that tiny thing, until it becomes like it’s parent. We
talked about when we were little tiny babies curled up inside our mother’s
round tummy. We were connected in our center to our moms by a special umbilical
cord. When we were ready to grow and move more on our own, and didn’t need the
chord anymore, it was cut, and turned into our belly buttons. We found our
belly buttons and pointed out they are circles. We said we will continue to
grow and grow until we grow up to be like our parents.
Next, we
pretended to be little babies again, and sang, “Once I was a baby,” to the tune
of “Once I Was a Snowman,” and pretended to grow up tall. text
Morning Verse:
Circling Around Centers
We pointed
out that all living things start as little seeds or eggs, and they are all made
out of what we call, the “dust of the earth”. The earth was made for us out of
love from our Heavenly Father and Savior. It is a space for us to live and grow
in.
We had a
globe nearby, and talked about the shape of the earth, that it is round, and
that it spins around in a circle (around it’s axis). Because it spins,
sometimes, we see the sun, and sometimes we see the moon. We turned on a lamp,
and turned in circles, pointing out when we saw the lamp on one side of the
room (like a sun), and a round, yellow, colander hanging on the wall on the
opposite side of the room (like a moon), and we sat back down. We pointed out
that the sun is a great big circle that rises in the sky at the beginning of
each day, and the moon is a circle that rises at the beginning of night.
The moon
also travels in a circle around the earth, with the earth as the center of it’s
circle. The earth also travels in a circle around the sun. Then, we put a
little sun in the center of the circle we were sitting in, and passed a little
ball that looks like the earth around our circle as we said our morning verse
(taken from a Waldorf resource):
One
is the sun that shines so bright,
One is the moon so high;
One is the day and one is the night,
One is the sheltering sky.
One is a head so still and tame,
Upon one body whole with health;
And I is the one and the special name
That only I can call myself!
One is the moon so high;
One is the day and one is the night,
One is the sheltering sky.
One is a head so still and tame,
Upon one body whole with health;
And I is the one and the special name
That only I can call myself!
Then
we pointed out that God created a lot of wonderful things for us in our
beautiful world, and we followed the teacher holding the “earth” as we stood up
and traveled in circles around the room while singing “How Beautiful the World Is” and ending up, sitting near the
couch for story time. A Wise Old Owl reminded us of the power of listening and
learning as we headed into our main lesson through the nursery rhyme:
A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard
Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard
Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?
Main Lesson: Divine
Worth and Potential - Beauty and the Beast Fairy Tale Review, and Sunlight book
by Molly Bang

We brought
out a gold, round, and shiny crown, which reminded us about the story we’d read
the last time about a Prince and a Princess, Beauty and the Beast. We reviewed
the story, using a picture of a circle-shaped face with a happy face on it that
we could turn upside down to show a frown, to point out the change of emotion
the story goes through. The Beast was a Prince, who was turned into a Beast
that was really grumpy, and didn’t seem like a Prince, but he really was deep down
inside. Love helped reveal and return him to his full Princely state.
We pulled
out a crown for each child, and pointed out how very special each one of them
is. We talked about how each of us is a Prince or a Princess from Heaven. And
no matter how beastly or grumpy any of us may seem, love will help us remember
how precious and important every one of us is.
We
mentioned that the bright, round, golden crowns on their heads, reminded us of
another bright, round, golden circle we see in the sky every day.
We then
read a story about Sunlight, by Molly Bang, which describes the role of the sun
as the source of life on earth, and the provider of life and energy to
everything our world. The book showed the process of the plants on earth
absorbing light from the sun, and using it to break apart water to collect and
store energy, and release Oxygen into the air. We breathe the oxygen, and get
energy for our bodies by eating the plants. The book goes on to show the cycles
of the flow of energy that comes to the earth from the sun, and emphasizes that
the sun is central to our existence, as a source to all life on the earth.
Language and Math:
Letter A, Number 1, Latin “un”
We talked,
again, about the crowns on our heads, that are gold and shiny like the sun. We
asked why we wear them on our heads, and what our heads do. We pointed out that
our heads take care of and unite the actions of our whole body, just like a
good king takes care of and unites His whole Kingdom. Our crowns remind us we
are children of a Heavenly King. Even though we don’t have always wear a shiny
golden crown every day, we pointed out that the round part of our head is
called our crown, and is always with us, no matter what we are wearing. We also
asked them how many heads they had, and pointed out that there is only one head
on their shoulders.
Next, we
asked if the children could remember the letter that the ancient Hebrews drew
in the shape of a head, and drew an Ox-head on the board. We asked them to make
an ox-head with their fingers, by making a V shape with two fingers, and
crossing those fingers with one from the other hand. Then, we had them turn the
ox-head upside down and tell us which English letter they saw (A). We wrote an
A on the board, and explained that the ox-head turned into our letter A in
English. Then, we drew a 1, and told them that the ancient Hebrews used the
ox-head for the number 1 as well.
Christ-like Attribute:
Unity & Obedience
We told
them that before people spoke English, as well as a bunch of other languages we
have on earth today, a lot of those, who lived in Europe, spoke a language
called, Latin. In the Latin language, they used the word, “un”, for the
number one (we wrote these on the board). The French still use “un” for
the number one, but the Spanish changed it to, “uno”. The kids were
excited to recognize that word from a card game many of them had played called,”Uno”.
We pointed out that in the game, they say, “uno”, when they have only one card
left.
We asked if
it was fun to play “Uno”, when everyone follows the instructions of the game
and keeps the rules, versus if someone cheats and doesn’t follow the rules. We
talked about how the instructions help everyone know how to play the same game.
Without certain ways to do it, there would be no game at all. Following the
instructions and the rules makes the game fun and nice for everyone. We
mentioned some of the instructions, commandments, and rules we also have in
life, which help make things nice and fun for everyone. They keep us safe and
happy when we follow them. We explained that when everyone is following the
same instructions and rules, and trying to do the same thing, we say they are united,
and pointed out the “un” in the word, by writing it beneath the other “un”,
and “uno”, we had written on the board, and underlining “un”, in all of
them.
Next, we
talked about how good rules, bless everyone, not just a few people. Good rules
always show and come from love. We discussed how love is like a great seed,
from which every good thing grows. We are like special seeds, made in love, by
God, who flows His love and power to us, because we are His children. He wants
us to grow and become like Him, just like a little seed, which leaves the tree
it grew on, and grows up to become a tree as well. We practiced acting out
being little seeds of love that grow up tall.
Music: I Have a Seed
of Greatness song
We passed
out a bowl of seeds of various shapes, sizes, and colors, and invited them to
pass it around, and even pick up a seed and look at or hold it during the
following song.
We then
sang them the song, “I Have a Seed of Greatness”. Next, we talked about the seeds and
asked whether each seed grew itself, all by itself. We talked about how the
seed was connected to a plant that flowed energy and nutrients to it so that it
could grow. We asked if we grew ourselves, all alone, by ourselves. Our lives
are gifts that we’ve received from our parents and our Father in Heaven. We
talked about how Heavenly Father helped us grow in heaven, until we were ready
to leave His presence, and grow on earth, just like a seed that falls from a
tree so that it can become a tree like it’s parent. Then, we had them pretend
to be a seed once more, and grow up tall, turning to face a nearby lamp as they
sat back down.
Note: We
meant to also learn about leadership, another principle of the number one, and
Hebrew letter, Aleph. We planned to have people practice being our music
leader, to coordinate the efforts of the whole group to make music. We also
planned to hit the center of a round drum to make our rhythms. We forgot to include
this in class, but will probably pull it into our next one.
Science: Electricity,
and the flow of Power
We turned a
lamp on and asked what had made the lamp start glowing. We asked whether the
lamp could glow all by itself, and pointed out that in order to give light, the
lamp had to be plugged in, and connected, to a power source. We pointed out the
blender and the toaster, and asked if they could make toast by themselves or
blend something without being connected to a source of power.
We passed
out a small piece of hard beeswax to each child, and told them to hold and play
with the wax, and let some of the warmth and energy from their body, connect
with the wax and warm it up so they could sculpt and shape it a little. As they
played with the beeswax, we read the following verse:
A toaster can’t make
toast alone, a blender cannot blend,
A T.V., to have something on, needs wires end to end.
A T.V., to have something on, needs wires end to end.
There’s a source of all
their power, and a flow of energy.
And there’s a flow of life, that comes from God to me.
And there’s a flow of life, that comes from God to me.
Next, we
showed them a toy hammer, and asked if a hammer could build a house by itself.
We set it on the floor, and asked it to build us a house and waited, but
nothing happened. We explained that we could use the hammer as a tool to build
a house, but we’d have to connect with it, and put energy into it for it to
work for us. Then we read the next part of the verse:
A hammer doesn’t wield
itself, or build a house alone.
And all that’s good in my own life, flows from my Heavenly home.
And all that’s good in my own life, flows from my Heavenly home.
In truth, the power,
strength and gifts that come to me each day,
Flow down to me as I connect to God in loving ways.
Flow down to me as I connect to God in loving ways.
There’s a source of all
my power, and a flow of energy.
And there’s a flow of life, that comes from God to me.
And there’s a flow of life, that comes from God to me.
We talked
about how God flows power to us, and we can choose to put some of it into a
hammer, to build something like a house.
Character Trait &
Habit: Orderliness
Next, we
talked about how special our houses are, as a center for our lives and our
families. We wake up there each morning, and go to bed there at night. In our
houses, it’s nice to have some rules and instructions that keep things in order
and make things nice for everyone, like not hurting each other, and cleaning up
our toys.
We asked if
they had ever had so many toys out in a kind of a mess, that it was hard to
find what they wanted, and mentioned how frustrating that can be, compared to
when everything is kept in order and we know right where things are. Everything
wants to have a home, and needs a space to be. Our shoes need a home. Our books
and toys, and all we have, love to have a home to go to when they are ready to
rest. It’s okay for them to leave their home, and it’s okay for us to get
things out and create things that may make a bit of a mess, but when we’re
done, everything wants to go back home where it can rest.
In order
for everything to have a home, we need to make sure we have a space for all of
it to be. If we have too many things, it’s hard to find a home for all of it.
We also need to make sure that we especially have space for the most important
things. We asked what it would be like if they had so many toys, there was no
room in their house for food, or so many clothes everywhere, there was nowhere
to put a bed. We pointed out that it’s important to create and keep space for
the most important things first. We can do that with our time, our thoughts,
and our energy too. We want to make time and space for the things that matter
most, and take care of things that are central to our happiness and growth. We
want to focus on things that will grow the kind of love that all good things
come from, and make sure the point of what we do and build, is always centered
in love.
Finding Examples:
Discovering Our Centers
Next, we did
the following finger-play, while finding different centers on our bodies.
Where is the center of
my face, and what do I find there?
A nose that helps me smell and breathe the precious gift of air.
A nose that helps me smell and breathe the precious gift of air.
Where is the center of
my ears that hang out by my hair?
They help me hear and stay upright as I move from here to there.
(We then talked a little bit about how our inner ears help us keep our balance).
They help me hear and stay upright as I move from here to there.
(We then talked a little bit about how our inner ears help us keep our balance).
Where is the center of
my mouth, and center of my eye,
That help me take in yummy food, and gaze up at the sky.
That help me take in yummy food, and gaze up at the sky.
What is the center of my
arm and center of my leg?
My joints help me to move and play, jump and run and bend
My joints help me to move and play, jump and run and bend
Where is the center of
my life? What’s the point of all I do?
Well, of course, it’s love for God above, and love for me and you!
Well, of course, it’s love for God above, and love for me and you!
Movement: Using our
core and the centers of our body
We found
the center of our body again, and practiced filling our bellies with air. Then
we collapsed and bent over, and filled up our bellies again. We talked about
dance and emphasized that the movement of our body when we dance, comes from
our core. We also learned to pivot in a circle, by pretending one foot was
stuck in glue, while we turned in a circle. We also pretended to draw circles
by holding an arm out and using our body as the center of our circle as we spun
around.
Next, we
had the children find a partner, and choose which one of them would be the
center first. We had them hold hands, and one of them stood in one place, while
the other one walked in a circle around them, creating a circle with a sort of
human compass.
Then we
turned on the song, “I Feel Happy”, from the movie, Despicable Me, and danced,
using different centers of our bodies to create circles. We made circles with
our elbows, our knees, our heads, our bellies, and so on. We also passed out
scarves and had them spin in a circle, holding the scarf out, to create circles
with them at the center.
Food: Carrots, Apples,
and Oranges
We had the
children prepare the snacks themselves, washing, slicing, and serving carrots,
apples, and oranges. They put them in round bowls and placed them in the center
of the table. We pointed out the core of the carrots, the seeds in the center
of the apple, the orange segments surrounding the center, and so on. We also
pointed out how tiny the apple seeds are, compared to the big trees they grow
into.
We also talked
about how our thoughts, and what we plant in our minds by what we look at,
focus on, notice and pay attention to, are like seeds that grow bigger and
bigger, the more we pay attention to them. Our thoughts grow into the things we
say, do and become. We want to make sure the seeds we plant are seeds of love,
so we will grow good things that will make it nice for us and everyone. The
thought seeds that will bring us the very best fruit, are the kinds that build
our love and relationships. When we flow life and energy to others, we are
being like God, and expanding where our life is flowing, and the good it can
do.
Observations From
Nature:
We went
outside, and encouraged the children to find seeds and centers in nature. They
found centers in flowers and tree trunks, and seeds they collected and played
with.
Art: Compass Drawing –
making circles from a point/center


We gave the
children sidewalk chalk, with a short string of yarn attached to it, and showed
them how to put their finger on the string, and hold the string straight while
drawing a circle with sidewalk chalk. We showed them how to make various sized
circles, by changing the length of the string. The children drew many circles,
and we pointed out that the driveway now looked like it was filled with
galaxies, and looked like a universe. We then pointed out that “universe”,
starts with un, just like the other words we’d written on the board. We
went inside, and wrote “universe” on the board beneath the words we’d already
discussed.
Next, we
showed them a pencil, and emphasized that we draw with the point in the center
of the pencil. We used a pencil within a compass, to draw a perfect circle, by
putting the point in the center of where we wanted our circle to be, and then
spinning the compass around. The children wondered why it was called a compass,
and one of them found a toy compass that he had, that showed the four cardinal
points. We pointed out the similarities. His compass was a circle, with a
center, and something that spun around on a central pivot. We could have also
pointed out similar features on the face of a clock, which give something fun
to think about. The lines, spinning around on a central pivot, create circles
that help us measure both see and choose direction, as well as “Father Time”.
We then gave each child a pencil, and had the draw some circles in a notebook.
We told a
story of a famous artist, Giotto? Who was chosen to be commissioned by the Pope
for His art, for simply drawing such a perfect circle freehand, without the use
of a compass, which can be very challenging.
Gathering and Closing
Song:
We gathered
in a circle again, and held hands while we sang our closing song about how much we’d gathered and
learned, that we can love and share and know. We came into a close hug in the
center of our circle at the end, and said “Thank you!” again and closed our
class.
We invited
those who wanted to stay a little longer to listen to a story called, “The
Dot”, about a girl who discovered her love for art through a dot.
Some additional activities:
·
Practice
“hitting the nail on the head” with a hammer, and talk about why you need to
hit the nail in the center. Point out the flow of energy going from them,
through the hammer, to the nail and wood.
·
Build
a little birdhouse with Dad, using hammer and nails, and put birdseed inside.
·
Find
a merry-go-round on a playground somewhere, if possible, or other spinning
toys. Have them feel, if possible, the difference of force, pressure,
stability, and so on, from sitting in the center vs. the outer edge.
·
Hold
their hands, have them run, and spin them around you. Point out you are the
center of the circle they are making around your body.
·
Make
a spinning top with cardboard and pencils, or fold a cube of paper, and write
goals that are central to our happiness on each side. You could also use this
to play the game of dreidel, enjoyed during Hanukah by many Jewish children.
·
Observe
the water flowing and draining through circles in the center of your sink.
·
Have
a campfire, and point out that you are gathered in a circle around a fire.
·
Give
each other hugs, and talk about the circles we make when we hug and connect
with one another with our arms.
·
If
you’re able to witness a baby blessing or baptism, point out that baby
blessings and confirmations are done with the child in the center of a circle
of Priesthood holders.
·
During
a family dinner, point out how to pass food from the center of the table,
around to each person in the circle, so that everyone can have a turn to get
what they need.
·
Point
out circles all around you in your daily life: plates, cups & bowls, sewer
covers, bottles and jars, rings, hats, etc… just notice where they are around
you. If you want, look up why the circle is so often chosen for things like
pizzas and man-hole covers in the book, The Beginner’s Guide to Constructing
the Universe.
·
Observe
in nature: throw rocks in a pond and observe the ripples flowing out from a
central source.
Scriptures and Talks to Ponder:
Discovering the Divinity Within,
Oct. 2015 Gen. Conference Talk
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/discovering-the-divinity-within?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/discovering-the-divinity-within?lang=eng
The Joy of Living a Christ-Centered
Life, Oct. 2015 Gen. Conference Talk
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/the-joy-of-living-a-christ-centered-life?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/the-joy-of-living-a-christ-centered-life?lang=eng
D&C 88:13
The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things.
The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things.
John
1: 1-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Mosiah 5: 8
And under this head ye are made afree, and there is bno other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other cname given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.
And under this head ye are made afree, and there is bno other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other cname given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.
Moroni 7: 13
But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.
But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.
D&C 88: 119? Establish a House of Order scripture
D&C88: 67
D&C
50: Therefore if thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light –
layers line upon line #3
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