"Come Follow Me" August: Why is family important?

This printable goes with the "Come Follow Me" August Theme: Marriage & Family 

Question: Why is family important?

First, I was going to ask some YW to bring a picture of their family and tell the class why their family is important.  We then will answer the first question on the worksheet: Why is YOUR family important?

Then, you can do the suggested introduction activity:

• Write on the board “The _________ is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal _______ of His ________.” Invite the young women to read the first paragraph of “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” and complete the sentence. Discuss as a class why this statement is true.

You can download this page HERE or in Dropbox HERE

Then, the Circle Map {form of a thinking map used in school} can be completed a variety of ways.

You put ideas in the big circle and outside the circle in the "box of reference" you write the reference pieces that helped you come up with the ideas.  So, you can do scriptures on the family.  You write the ideas on family in the circle and the scriptures used outside the circle in the reference box.  Or you can read a talk on family.  You write the ideas on the family from the talk in the circle and the name of the talk and speaker in the reference box.  Or you can use "The Family: A Proclamation to the World".  Write the ideas.  Etc...

I did all of the above when I was studying for this topic.  I color coded it with highlighters.  I highlighted the idea with the reference piece so I know what idea came from where. :)

I would have the girls use the Family Proclamation from their Personal Progress book or make a copy of it to glue in their INB so they can highlight or underline how they want.

So, for example you can:

• Invite the young women to read the last eight paragraphs of Elder L. Tom Perry’s talk “Becoming Goodly Parents,” looking for answers to the question “Why are families important?” Invite them to share what they find. What can the young women do to show that they understand how important families are? How will their understanding of the importance of families affect the way they treat their family members?

You can write what they find in the circle and put the reference "Becoming Goodly Parent's" outside the circle in the reference box.  

Or you can: 

• Assign each young woman one of the scriptures in this outline. Ask the class to search “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” and look for a passage that relates to their scripture. Invite each young woman to share her scripture and the part of the proclamation it relates to. Ask them to share any experiences they have had that illustrate the importance of families.

You can write what they find in the Proclamation in the circle and put "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" in the reference box.

You really can adjust the Circle Map to be used with any of the suggested "Learn Together" activities.

In case you have time.....

You can download these pages HERE or in Dropbox HERE

Filmstrip printable is on p.1 and the flow chart is on p.2 of the download

The filmstrip printable is for this: 

• As a class, read the story about Elder Mason visiting with Elder Spencer W. Kimball (in Elder Neil L. Andersen’s talk “Children”) or show the video “Having Children in Faith.” What does the world teach about families? What does the Lord teach? What priorities do some people place above raising a family? What blessings will the young women receive for making family a high priority in their lives?

 And the flow chart on the opposite page is for this:

• Draw a circle on the board. Invite a young woman to draw a family inside the circle. Around the circle, write premortal life, mortal life, and postmortal life. Ask a young woman to read the third paragraph of “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” and look for ways the family fits into each of these parts of the plan of salvation. Invite the young women to share their feelings for their families and why they want to be united with them after this life.

Teaching Positive and Negative Integers

Teaching how to find the sum of positive and negative integers can be a tough concept for students to understand.  So, here is a method I used when teaching Jr. High Math that worked. This was a great visual to set the foundation of the rules of adding & subtracting integers.  Most teachers will just have their students memorize the rules, but this method allows students to see WHY the answer is positive or negative.

Some phrases I use all the time when teaching this is:

"If the signs are DIFFERENT, find the DIFFERENCE!.... taking the sign of the bigger number"

"If the signs are the SAME, you find out how many negative/positives you have ALL TOGETHER by adding them"

Here is a game that can be used to review/teach integers:

Materials Needed:

Different colored dice

Optional Double-Sided Counters

Cards labeled with numbers -5 through 5.

Copy of "Lucky Numbers" page. 

(click to enlarge)

From The Teacher's Mailbox book "Sensational Centers"

This game is originally to roll the dice and practice adding numbers.  I changed it to be used for both positive and negative integers.

You can make your own easily or just have them use a piece of paper.

and small whiteboards.

HOW TO PLAY:

Put these cards face down in a pile.  Each player takes a turn drawing three cards from the pile and writes them in the lucky numbers boxes on the top of their paper.  These are their lucky numbers.

Then, each player get a set of dice: one red, one white.

The red die represents negative numbers

The white die represents positive numbers

The players can write their numbers on a whiteboard

Next, using the counters you can make a model to represent the problem.

One red counter under the negative one.  Five white counters under the positive 5.

Then, you match up the positive and negative counters to see what's left.

"Opposites attract right?" :)

Then, after you match them up you see what's left.  Four positives!  That's your answer.

If the kids are seeing that as a plus five instead of a positive five, have them put a circle around the negative one and another circle around the positive five to establish that they are two separate integers: -1 and +5.

Kids then record this on their paper.  Is +4 one of their lucky three cards they drew earlier?  You write YES or NO in the box. 

 Now for another example

You rolled a -6 and +2.

Put your counters.

Match up the positive and negatives.

What's left?

4 negatives.

Answer is -4.

 Don't have double sided counters?  No problem.

Just do this instead:

My students loved  playing this game and using this visual method to help form a foundation of understanding   how to find the difference between positive and negative integers.

**Side note:  If you use this method and you have two negative integers, for example: a -5 and -4.  You would have all red counters or negatives drawn.  There aren't any positive or white counters to match them to.  So you combine all the red counters (or negatives) to find out how many you have all together. So you have 9 negatives so the answer is -9.**

Money! Money! Money!

Money!  Money!  Money!

Whenever I get ready to teach a lesson on money I always think of Dr. Jean's Preschool Song: "I like money, to buy things at the store.  Money, Money, Money, I always want more.  A penny's worth one cent, a nickel's worth...."  If you haven't heard this song.  Look it up. :)  It will get stuck in your head.

I started teaching math prep/tutoring classes this summer.  This two week session I had 8th grade, 3rd grade, and 7th graders.  Here are some activities I have done with my 3rd grade class this session:

Drawing out word problems

 High, Low, Three Game:

Kids pick three cards off the top of the deck.  Put them in the hundreds, tens, and ones place on their place value mats.  They then need to move the numbers to make the highest number possible and lowest number possible.  They can do this as individual work.  Or you can have them play each other.  Whoever can make the highest number gets a point.  Then, the next round, whoever can make the lowest number gets a point. etc...

I'll try to scan this worksheet in for you.

 Money, Money, Money!

I made this worksheet with a shopping cart on it and space to glue the coins.

You can print the coins sheet here.

I just cut out items from the weekly ads.

They drew 4 of them out of a bag.  Glued them in their carts and had to glue the money they would use.

Kids had fun with it.

Then, I pulled stuff out of my pantry and put price tags on them.  Really... I have healthier food then this.  I just knew the kids would like this stuff. :)  They came to check out with me as the cashier at a toy register.  I had them add up the totals with me.   Then, we checked out and they gave me the "money" from their bag.

Kids love this.  Never gets old. :)

The Mirrors & Chair!

Here are the finished mirrors and chair!

Yay!

It makes me think WHY didn't I do this sooner!

Still have to do the coffee table....

My projects this weekend....

I needed to get stuff done this weekend.  I was tired of looking at these pieces in my garage/house thinking "One day..."  Well, I decided that Saturday was the day. 

Stayed tuned for the finished pictures!

Our family is planning a February Disneyland trip with family friends.  This project from eighteen25 was a must!

What did you do this weekend?

Ordinances & Covenants Lesson Printable

This lesson goes with these two questions from the July outline:

Why are ordinances important in my life?

Why are covenants important in my life?

You can download the booklet in Dropbox HERE

First we went over the difference btwn Ordinances and Covenants. 

All of the Ordinance page came from Handbook 2.  I forgot to say that about the bottom part.

Then, I put them into groups.  I put these pics face down and had a member of the group pick the picture. 

Then, they answered the questions on their page for their ordinance.

{make sure you read the suggested lesson material so you are prepared to help with the answers! :)}

Then, each group got up to share their answers.  They put the pic on the chalkboard when they presented.  Each girl in the group was able to give an answer and explain a couple questions.  We would discuss as we go.  Other groups fill in the answers as the other groups present/give answers.  Keeps the girls engaged in the lesson and listening for the answers.

I also had these ordinances on the chalkboard too.  But, didn't include them in the booklet since it's another lesson in itself. :)

Then, after we filled out the booklet with the groups presenting.

I did this point from the lesson as my closing activity:

• Show a picture of the people of Ammon burying their weapons. Ask a young woman to briefly tell the story of the people of Ammon and the covenant they made (see Alma 53:10–18; 56:5–8). Why did the people choose to keep their covenants despite the danger they faced? How did their example influence their enemies? How did it influence their children? Invite each young woman to write on the board the name of a person who has taught her through example about keeping covenants. Ask her to share with the class what she learned from that person.

After some girls shared their person.  I challenged them to be that person to someone else.  Be the person they look up to for keeping their baptismal covenants by always having Christ's spirit to be with them.

"What are the keys to the priesthood?" Lesson Help

So, I loove this toy.  My kids love it too.  It keeps my kids entertained.  You put animals on the top and shapes in the door.  You use your "zoo key" to get them out.  

So, when I was reading the outline for the lesson on Priesthood keys, I knew using this as an object lesson was a must.  Inside each door I put a different person that is given keys (actually it was the 6 in the bottom row in the pic with the yellow cards)  So, six girls came up and opened a door with a key.  Pulled out the card and we taped it to the chalkboard. 

Then, I asked the girls who was missing in these six.  They knew one was the prophet.  I said, "Well, where is his key?"  They were also by this time DYING to know what the white key went to (see below pic).  I explained that the white key is the "Master Key".  Funny enough that the word Master is used to describe the key that opens up to all the keys the other 6 have.  I explained how our Master, Jesus Christ, has the Master Key.  But, he has given that key to the Prophet and the Apostles.  However, the Prophet is the only one authorized to exercise all the keys.  The girls were so curious with this lesson.  They wanted to know who gives the keys to the prophet.  How they never leave the earth.  What the keys are. Etc...

There is a great clip by L. Tom Perry about Priesthood Keys.  I shared that video in my lesson.

Then, we played a Jeopardy type game with these as the categories.  I got my questions from here.