Others who have submitted their ideas for this week's lesson plans:
Janetta Graham and Angie Christensen - THANKS!
 

 Start with a prayer.
 Recite the Pledge of Allegiance and/or family motto.
 Song, "Keep the Commandments"
 Scripture - Recite and Memorize "Mosiah 2:22"
 

Choose a simple game familiar to all of your children, such as tic-tac-toe or maybe hide and go seek. Have the children tell you the rules of the game and discuss what would happen if you tried to play the game without obeying the rules. Help them see that rules are necessary for games to be successful and fun to play.

• • What other kinds of rules are there besides game rules?

• • What are some rules in your home?

Have each child tell a rule his or her family follows, such as “Put the toys away when you are finished playing.” As each child mentions a rule, ask:

• • How does this rule help you?

When each child has told a family rule, point out that we have rules in other places besides our homes.

• • What are some of the rules at school? in Primary?

• • How do these rules help you?

Have your children list different circumstances where there might be rules. (i.e. home/family, school, church, community, work, country, etc.)  Well, Heavenly Father and Jesus have given us rules too, to help us make right choices.  In the third article of faith, Joseph Smith wrote about how important it is to obey the laws, or rules, of the gospel. These rules are called commandments.

(You can use these flannel board figures to retell the story of Moses)  Use your own words to tell the story.  It is much more effective.

Science - [Idea taken from this page]  You will need eggs (2 to 3 eggs), printed directions (see below), 1 bowl, wet rag for easy clean up.

Print the following directions on a small piece of paper for each child.  Put the directions at each child's place (or have one of your children do the activity for all of your children) along with an un-cracked egg and a bowl.

Print the following directions for each child:

1.  Gently tap your egg on the side of the bowl.
2.  When a crack appears, place your thumbs on both hands inside the crack and open it wider.
3.  Do not let the egg fall into the bowl.
4.  As you pull the shell apart, let the yellow yolk fall into the half shell in your right hand.
5.  Now pour the yellow yolk into the half shell in your left hand.
6.  Continue pouring the yolk back and forth until the clear liquid has all run into the bowl and only the yellow yolk is left.
7.  Pick out any leftover pieces of shell that may have fallen into the bowl.
8.  Throw the yolk and egg shells away.

The object of the following activity is to teach your children to follow directions as closely as possible in order to obtain a desired outcome.  (In this case, separating yolks and whites) The children may read the directions themselves and move at their own pace, or listen as you read them aloud.  Before you begin, tell the children you will not be helping them.  They are to read the directions or listen as you read, and follow them as best they can.  Undoubtedly most of the children will not be able to complete this activity.  Give them a second and third egg to try.  Give a little more assistance each time.  Follow up this activity with the following discussion questions:

1.  Do you think this was a hard activity?  Why?
2.  Why did I include directions for you to follow?  (To help them; to make it easier)
3.  Did you feel frustrated at any time?  Were you glad when I offered to help?

This activity reminds me of Heavenly Father's rules, or the ten commandments.  Heavenly Father gave them to us to help us.  He knew it would make life easier for us if we follow them.  He also knows we need help to follow them.  He's always happy to give us that help.  Sometimes we break His rules on purpose.  Sometimes we do it by accident.  Just like I gave you another egg to try again, Jesus gives you other opportunities to follow his directions even when you've messed up.  He gave us His rules so that we can be happy.

Game - Commandment Cones File Folder Game.  Instructions: Make two copies of the page with the ice cream cones.  Write one commandment inside of each cone.  Mount the two pages on the inside of a manila file folder.  Color and laminate if desired.  Have the child match the commandment with the number.

Coloring - There are a whole bunch of different coloring sheets to choose from.



 Start with a prayer.
 Recite the Pledge of Allegiance and/or family motto.
 Song, "Keep the Commandments"
 Scripture - Recite and Memorize "Mosiah 2:22"

Discuss - Give each child some play dough and have them shape a farm animal.  Display all the animals somewhere everyone can see. Explain that farmers must take very good care of their animals and give them food, water, and protection. If the animals wander away, they might get lost or injured.

• • What could we do to keep these animals from wandering away? (Build a fence.)

Roll a piece of dough between the palms of your hands and the table to form a long rope. Encircle the animals with it to form a fence. Explain that fences are good because they help keep animals safe.
 

Explain that we have things that keep us safe too. These things are called laws and rules. Laws and rules are like fences because they stop us from doing things that are dangerous or that might make us or other people unhappy. When we obey laws and rules, they help keep us safe and happy.

Music - Teach your children the song “Follow the Prophet” (Children’s Songbook, p. 110). Read each verse out loud and then discuss how each prophet kept a commandment. Older children could look up the corresponding scripture references to help them teach the other children.  When you've gone through each prophet, sing all the versus.

Free Play and Art - Make card board box cars.  Find boxes big enough for the children to sit in.  Cut the bottoms outs and the flaps.  The flaps can be used to make rearview mirrors (cover with aluminum foil) or license plates.  Paper plates can be used for the wheels.  Make personalized license plates with their names.  You could make a driving range for the kids to drive their cars on, different traffic signs and maybe have one child be a police man. 

Parking Garage - You'll need masking tape. Place on floor place like a parking spaces, numbers or letters written in each space ( you can use pieces of paper with the number written on them).  Children take turns driving their car to the correct number parking space that you assign them.

Stop Sign - Make an octagon out of red construction paper.   Using black licorice, cut into half inch pieces.  If your child is younger, write the word STOP on the paper and have them place the pieces of licorice on top of the letters.  If they are older, have them spell STOP all by themselves (have them sound it out if they need to). 

Movie - Have everyone watch a movie that pertains to this lesson plan in their card board cars.  Give everyone a small bag of popcorn.




 Start with a prayer.
 Recite the Pledge of Allegiance and/or family motto.
 Song, "Keep the Commandments"
 Scripture - Recite and Memorize "Mosiah 2:22"

Adoption - Baby Moses was not raised by his parents.  Discuss what adoption is and how we can be understanding to this process.  Tell the story of Baby Moses in your own words:
 

The Israelites lived in Egypt, and they were sad. Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, did not like them. He did not want more of them in his country, so he decided that they shouldn’t have more babies. He said, “All Israelite baby boys must be thrown in the river and drowned.”

Jochebed, an Israelite mother, had a baby boy. She did not want him to die. She hid him for three months, but he was growing bigger and bigger. She couldn’t hide him much longer.

She was wise, and she had faith. She wove a basket and spread tar on it so that no water would get inside it. Then she placed her baby in the basket, carried it to the river, and put it among the reeds. Jochebed told the baby’s older sister, Miriam, “Watch it carefully.”

One day, Pharaoh’s daughter walked along the river. She saw the basket. “Bring it to me,” she told her maid.
 

When Pharaoh’s daughter saw the baby, she wanted to keep him, even though she knew that he was an Israelite baby boy. She said, “I will care for him as if he was my own child, and I will call him Moses.”
 

Miriam bravely went to her and said, “I know someone who can help you take care of Moses.”

“Good! Go get her,” Pharaoh’s daughter said.
 

Miriam ran home as fast as she could to get Jochebed. Moses was safe, and his own mother was to help care for him. When he grew up, Moses became the ruler of the Israelite people and led them away from wicked Pharaoh.
 

1. What did Moses’ mother make to hold him?

• A stroller

• A basket woven of bulrushes

• A swing

2. Where did Moses’ mother put him?

• In reeds along a river

• In a cave

• In a tree house

3. Who watched over Moses?

• A dog

• An old woman

• His older sister, Miriam

4. Who found Moses?

• A doctor

• Pharaoh’s daughter

• A shepherd

Moses Leads the Children of Israel - Moses grew up to be a great prophet. He led the children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. To find out what Moses did when the children of Israel were trapped between the Red Sea and the Egyptian Army, ask someone to read Exodus 14:13–16, 21–22 [Ex. 14:13–16, 21–22] aloud. To demonstrate this great event, remove this page from the magazine and glue it to heavy paper. Fold Lines A and B to meet at Line C. Then open the page to see Moses leading his people to safety on dry ground.
 

Moses and the Plagues - When Moses asked the pharaoh of Egypt to let the children of Israel go into the wilderness, Pharaoh refused. The Lord sent plagues (many really bad things) to help Pharaoh change his mind. One of these was a plague of frogs. The frogs were everywhere, and the people hated them.
 

Make your own plague of frogs by gathering several 3″ x 5″ index cards and frog-color crayons and/or markers, then following these steps (see illustrations for each step):
 

1. Decorate the blank side of the card with lines, dots, and squiggles.

2. Fold the card in half the long way with the design on the outside. Then open it back up.

3. With the blank side facing you, fold the right top corner down to the left edge to make a triangle, then open the card back up.

4. Do the same on the left top corner to the right edge, then open the card back up.
 

5. Turn the card over to the frog-colored side. You will find a folded X on the card. Fold the top half of the card down so that the X is folded in half.

6. Open the card back up and turn it over to the blank side. Push the sides in and down along the fold lines at the top. Push the top down to form a triangle.

7. Fold the right flap of the triangle to the center. Do the same with the left flap. This will form a diamond shape.

8. Fold the right and left flaps to the bottom edges of the diamond. This makes the front legs of the frog.

9. To start making the back legs, fold the bottom part of the card inward from both sides so that two sides meet in the center.
 

10. Fold down the top of the frog just below the diamond shape.

11. Turn the frog over and fold the bottom part of the frog in half toward you. This gives the frog “knees.”

12. Turn the finished frog over and make eyes. To make the frog jump, push its back down and quickly let it go. Have your family help you make a plague-sized batch of frogs. Then use them in a family home evening lesson about Moses and the children of Israel. Afterward, your frogs can plague your desk or bookcase. You can also have frog races or jumping contests.



 Start with a prayer.
 Recite the Pledge of Allegiance and/or family motto.
 Song, "Keep the Commandments"
 Scripture - Recite and Memorize "Mosiah 2:22"

Memorize and Discuss - Help the children memorize the twelfth article of faith: “We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.” Explain any words unfamiliar to the children. Younger children can memorize “We believe in obeying the law.”  You may want to sing “The Twelfth Article of Faith” (Children’s Songbook, p. 131) to help the children memorize this article of faith.

Puzzle - Cross Connections for the 12th Article of Faith

Math - Discuss what the B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini) on the time line stand for.  Discuss this concept.  Compare this to a math number line (number line has a 0 in the middle with numbers on either side, timeline has a zero in the middle with dates on either side).  Make a simple time line on paper.  Give your child certain dates and have them mark them accordingly on their paper.  If your children are younger, have the time line filled out with the numbers.  Ask them to find "10" B.C.  Only have three or four answers for them to look through.

Finger play - Do the following finger play with your children:

I stop (hold both hands up, palms forward as if to stop something),
I look (put hand over eyes as if to shade them),
I listen (cup hand behind ear),
And then I’m sure to know (wave finger back and forth)
That I (point to self) am acting safely,
No matter where I go (spread arms outward to indicate space).
I only cross at crossings (cross arms across chest),
Not halfway up the street (shake head);
I look ahead (put hand over eyes as if to shade them),
I think ahead (tap side of head),
And then I use my feet (walk in place).



 Start with a prayer.
 Recite the Pledge of Allegiance and/or family motto.
 Song, "Keep the Commandments"
 Scripture - Recite and Memorize "Mosiah 2:22"

Memorize - Use this web page to help your children remember the ten commandments.  Once your kiddos have it down, print this Word document.  Glue each commandment to a 3 X 5 card.  Have the child circle the Roman number it corresponds to.  Have the children place the cards in order on a clothes line attaching with clothes pins.

Scripture Story Clue Maze - Begin with number 1, and follow the story about Moses’ birth by giving the right answer to each clue question.

Game - On a sheet of paper, list some situations involving laws and rules that your children are familiar with.  Use can either use the situations below or create others more appropriate for your children:

• • You are almost late for school. If you cross the street in the middle of the block instead of at the crosswalk, you will get there sooner. What will you do if you obey the law?

• • You are shopping with your father and ask for a candy bar. Your father says no, but while he is busy paying for the groceries, you see that you could slip the candy into your pocket without anyone noticing. What will you do if you obey the law?

• • You are taking your dog for a walk on a leash. You come to a park and want to stop and play, but there is a sign saying “No Dogs Allowed.” You don’t see any grown-ups around, and you could tie the dog’s leash to a tree while you play. What will you do if you obey the law?

• • You are crossing the street at a corner that has a traffic light. No cars are coming, and no one is around. But your light says to wait. What will you do if you obey the law?

• • You are at the library and have found a book you want to check out, but you left your library card at home. The librarian is not at the front desk and would not see you leave with the book. What will you do if you obey the law?

Place the situations in a bowl. Tell the children that they can now play the “Obeying the Law” game. Then sit back and wait a moment or two. If no one responds, ask:

• • Why isn’t anyone playing the game? (No one knows the rules.)

Point out that rules and laws help guide us and give us direction. Explain the rules of the game:

• 1. Pick a paper from the bowl.

• 2. Stand during your turn.

• 3. Give me your paper and I'll help you read the question and then you'll answer the question all by yourself.

• 4. Sit quietly in your chair before and after your turn.

Play the game, letting each child pick a paper from the bowl.  Read each child's situation (or they can read it themselves if they are old enough).  Discuss each question.  When finished with all the questions, commend each child for following the rules.

Optional Field Trip Idea - Go to the park and design a simple treasure hunt that allows the children to follow clues, signs, or small pieces of paper that point the way to a treasure. The treasure might be a copy of the Book of Mormon, a picture, or a CTR ring.  If you give them a ring, show the children the CTR shield. Remind them that their CTR ring can help them remember to choose the right.

Ideas shared by Janetta Graham - THANK YOU!!!

• Create your own 10 commandments by cutting out two tablets from construction paper.  Write the ten commandments on strips of paper and glue each commandment to the tablet as you talk about them.

• Write your family rules on poster board and hang it up somewhere in the house where everyone will see it and refer to it.

• Rephrase or simplify the commandments for younger children

• Using clay, divide the clay to show how the water parted and the Moses and the people were able to cross

• Draw a picture of what it must have looked like walking on dry ground with the waters parted on each side of you (did they see any animals in the ocean?)

• Laundry talk.  Talk about how we clean our clothes.  We add water and soap to cleanse the clothing (in the washing machine) and we dry the clothes with heat (in the dryer or hang it out to dry).  You can also take this time to teach how to sort clothing by color, size, or how to fold different types of laundry.

• Make blue Jell-O with gummy sea creatures/animals in the "ocean". 

• What is a liquid? solid?  What substance(s) can be a liquid and then a solid or vice versa? (water/ice). 

• Cornstarch.  Mix cornstarch with water and hold it in your hand.  The heat from your hand turns it into a liquid but if you keep it in motion it will become a solid again.  Which is it...a liquid or solid?

• Make homemade butter. If you shake it enough it turns from a liquid to a solid. 

• Fill an empty milk carton with water and add small objects or toys inside.  Let the water freeze.  On a hot day take the ice block outside and watch it melt.  It's fun to anticipate when certain objects or toys will be free from the ice. 

• What is faith?  Would it take a lot of faith to part the waters as Moses did?  How can faith help us in our lives?  (Think about faith being like a seed)

• "Paint" the sidewalk with a wet sponge. 

• Paint with water colors.

• Honor your mother and father.  Draw a picture or make a card telling your parents how much you appreciate them. 

• Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy.  Brainstorm a list of things you or your family would like to do on Sunday.  Write these down on slips of paper and put them in a jar.  When you are looking for something to do...pull one out and do it!

Helps from the Friend:

• Ten Commandments (a finger play) by Carol McAdoo Rehme Friend May 1998 p. 21

• Keep the Commandments: In This There is Safety and Peace Friend April 1994 p. 12-13

• Baby-Moses Action Rhyme by M. W. Verbica Friend January 1997 p. 28