CTR 4-7 Lesson #5 “I Can Make Right Choices”

by Sara K.S. Hanks

Link to Lesson

Purpose: To held each child understand that we can choose the right because Heavenly Father gave us agency.

Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ Want Us To Choose For Ourselves

The manual suggests starting out the lesson by having the children choose something, like a candy or a colored rock, from a bowl. This is something I’ll definitely be implementing in my CTR4 classroom. We have a tradition of snacking on Skittles in our primary class, and they end up being great tools for object lessons and positive reinforcement. My opinion is that unobtrusive, low-key treats like Skittles are appropriate for younger kids, though they may be distracting or ill-advised for older kids. My class always loves choosing the colors of Skittles that they like most, so I think this agency activity will be a good way for us to get going.

Sharing Time 2012-January Week 5 idea-The Plan of Salvation

by Jenni (with combined input from my mom and sister, who are both in primary presidencies also, and who taught the lessons first)

On the wall in the primary room for easy reference

 

Objective: to help the children understand the plan of salvation in a meaningful way

 

In an area training last year, Sister Jean Stevens counseled primary leaders in that region to focus on the plan of salvation. Cheryl’s ward did a 5th Sunday about the plan of salvation and put these large visual aids on the wall in their primary room, and now refer to them during most other sharing time lessons. They based their lesson on a simplified version the Plan of Salvation lesson from Preach my Gospel (leaving out references to paradise/spirit prison and judgment).  My sister recently taught a similar lesson in her ward.

Sharing Time 2012-January Week 1 & 2 “Agency is the gift to choose for ourselves”

guest post by Cheryl

Link to Sharing Time Outline

 

These were some of my thoughts and inspirations leading up to my sharing time presentations. This might actually be more important than the actual sharing time outlines which follow. My study of the scripture stories made me realize that those who grew closer to God were those who acted. Those who grew away from God were those who were acted upon.

Elder Bednar (from General Conference, April 2010)
In the grand division of all of God’s creations, there are “things to act and things to be acted upon” (2Nephi 2:14). As children of our Heavenly Father, we have been blessed with the gift of moral agency, the capacity and power of independent action. Endowed with agency, we are agents and we primarily are to act and not merely to be acted upon….
Giving a man a fish feeds him for one meal. Teaching a man to fish feeds him for a lifetime. As parents and gospel instructors, you and I are not in the business of distributing fish; rather, our work is to help our children learn “to fish” and to become spiritually steadfast. This vital objective is best accomplished as we encourage our children to act in accordance with correct principles—as we help them to learn by doing…. (John 7:17)
Are you and I helping our children become agents who act and seek learning by study and by faith, or have we trained our children to wait to be taught and acted upon? Are we as parents primarily giving our children the equivalent of spiritual fish to eat, or are we consistently helping them to act, to learn for themselves, and to stand steadfast and immovable? Are we helping our children become anxiously engaged in asking, seeking, and knocking?

Sharing Time 2012- January Week 3- In the Premortal Life, I Chose to Follow God’s Plan.

Jessica

Link to Sharing Time Outline

Comments:  I like to have the children teach whenever possible.  I think it works best where there is a lot of short concepts to teach in one lesson.  I call the parents ahead of time to discuss the lesson, and then I always call Saturday afternoon/evening as a reminder.  I encourage the children to use pictures or other materials to help them feel comfortable giving a lesson

Identify Doctrine:   Briefly have 6 children discuss the following principles of the gospel listed below.  Have each child emphases  how a person can use his/her agency in each stage of the plan of happiness.

Encourage Understanding: After every child teaches sing the corresponding songs with the children:

Before I came to earth I lived in heaven (“I Lived in Heaven” [CS, 4]).

I chose to come to earth and receive a body (“I Am a Child of God” [CS, 2–3];

I will be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (“When I Am Baptized” [CS, 103];

I can prepare to go to the temple (“I Love to See the Temple” [CS, 95];

“Families Can Be Together Forever” [CS, 188]).

I will be resurrected (“He Sent His Son” [CS, 34–35]).

Sharing Time 2012- January Week 4- Jesus Christ Created the Earth as a Place Where I Can Learn to Choose the Right

by Jessica

Link to Sharing Time Outline 

Ideas:

As I studied this lesson I was impressed by the importance in the act of creation.  Here is the Mormon Message  from Elder Uchtdorf, about the human desire and need to create.  I wanted to allow the children to have the opportunity to create something with their hands and have it be apart of a larger project to see that they can work together as a primary class to create something of importance.

Identify the Doctrine

Review the how important the gift of Agency is in our lives.  That it is an essential part of the plan of happiness.

As part of the plan of happiness we chose to use our agency by choosing to come to Earth and receive a body.  And that the earth is very special place because Jesus Christ made the Earth for us to live and to learn about the gospel.

Jesus Christ made wonderful and amazing things on the earth.  Ask the children for ideas of what parts of the earth Jesus made.  (Waterfalls, rivers, mountains, the ocean, etc.)

Ask them how they feel about the wonderful things that has been created? Or about spending time in nature.

Activity: Making a Clay Model of the Earth

Make dough or some already made.  I like salt dough (instructions at the end) because it is easy.  If possible make a few earth colors like blue, green, yellows, browns.  And a flat box or piece of cardboard, for the display.

If you worry about the possibility of things getting out of control with the younger children have them do it as a class.