During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide, Student Page, Family Connection Card, and other resources can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
Before class, prepare to sing or play 3 different songs. Each song should express a different emotion, such as happy, sad, or hopeful. They need to be short songs. Choose songs that you and most of the children are familiar with. You can play the songs in whatever way you have available: instruments, CDs, phone, your voice, etc. If any of the songs are not Christian songs, be sure they do not contain any themes or words that are inappropriate for your students.
Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught.
Psalm 55:1–2
Let families know that their children are starting a 4-week unit about music. This week the children can share how music helps them express their feelings.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Welcome the children to class as they enter. Ask the children to stand in a big circle.
For the next few weeks we will learn about something fun that is part of our everyday lives—music! Many of us listen to music, play an instrument, sing, dance, hum, or whistle during
our days.
Allow 2–3 children to share their answers to these questions.
You all have good ideas and thoughts about music! Music helps us express our feelings and thoughts. Let’s play a music listening game to help us think about different emotions we can express through music.
We will listen to 3 songs. Each song expresses a different emotion and causes the listener to feel emotions such as happy, sad, angry, or hopeful. This is called mood. As we listen to each song, think about the song’s mood. Make a facial expression that matches the emotion the song makes you feel. We will discuss each song before listening to the next one.
Sing or play the first song, or part of it if it is long. As children listen, they should make facial expressions that match the emotions the song makes them feel. After the song, talk about each of the following questions. Repeat the same steps for all 3 songs.
Repeat the same steps for all 3 songs before moving on in the lesson.
Good answers! The Bible tells us that all good gifts come from God, so we know that God created music. There are songs about many different emotions: happiness, joy, praise, sadness, anger, and more! In fact, the longest book of the Bible, Psalms, is actually a songbook. Today we will take a close look at one of the songs in Psalms.
Listen to this song from Psalms:
If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.
God, listen to my prayer. Pay attention to my cry for help. Hear me and answer me. My thoughts upset me. I’m very troubled.
Psalm 55:1–2, NIrV
What do these verses say in your own words?
What emotions do you think the writer was feeling when he wrote this?
The writer of this psalm was expressing a lot of difficult emotions because of what he was experiencing. Many of us have experienced difficult situations too. God cares about us! He cares about our emotions. When we feel happy, God wants us to share our happiness with Him! When we feel sad and burdened, He invites us to give our sadness to Him. This psalm shows us that it is okay to express all our emotions to God, even our difficult ones.
Answer quietly to yourself: have you ever felt some of the emotions this psalm expresses?
When you feel emotions such as sadness, anger, and fear, music can help you remember that you are not alone! The writer of this psalm and the writers of many other songs have experienced the same emotions as you. It is okay to feel negative emotions sometimes. Remember that emotions are not right or wrong. How you act on those emotions can be wrong, but the feelings themselves are not wrong. It is important to express emotions in healthy ways, such as through music!
Words are not the only part of songs that express emotion. A song’s melody, or the music itself, can also express different emotions. Slow songs may express sadness, regret, or contentment.
Drum a slow, mellow beat on a table or your leg.
Fast, upbeat songs may express happiness or excitement or even anger.
Drum a fast, energetic beat on a table or your leg.
Listen as I read some other psalms that express other emotions:
I have told the whole community of those who worship you. I have told them what you have done to save me. Lord, you know that I haven’t kept quiet. I haven’t kept to myself that what you did for me was right. I have spoken about how faithful you were when you saved me. I haven’t hidden your love and your faithfulness from the whole community.
Psalm 40:9–10, NIrV
What emotion do you think this song is expressing? Why do you think that?
Use your imaginations. What do you think this psalm sounds like? Do you think it is fast or slow? Loud or soft?
Pick 2 children to hum or sing simple melodies that they think fit these verses.
The Lord is a God who punishes. Since you are the one who punishes, come and show your anger. Judge of the earth, rise up. Pay back proud people for what they have done.
Psalm 94:1–2, NIrV
What emotion do you think this song is expressing? Why do you think that?
Use your imaginations. What do you think this psalm sounds like? Do you think it is fast or slow? Loud or soft?
Pick 2 different children to hum or sing simple melodies that they think fit these verses.
But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.
Psalm 131:2
What emotion do you think this song is expressing? Why do you think that?
Use your imaginations. What do you think this psalm sounds like?
Pick 2 different children to hum or sing simple melodies that they think fit these verses.
Lord, have mercy on me. I’m in deep trouble. I’m so sad I can hardly see. My whole body grows weak with sadness.
Psalm 31:9, NIrV
What emotion do you think this song is expressing? Why do you think that?
Use your imaginations. What do you think this psalm sounds like?
Pick 2 different children to hum or sing simple melodies that they think fit these verses.
Have the class quickly get into groups of 4 children. Groups should spread out and wait quietly for your instructions.
I will give each group an emotion. Each group will create its own 2–4-line song that expresses that emotion through its words, beat, and melody. Your songs can be fun or silly as long as they express your assigned emotion in an appropriate way.
Give each group an emotion word. They should not share their emotion word with any other groups. Choose from this list of emotion words or add your own: joyful, frustrated, sad, excited, angry, lonely, anxious, angry, embarrassed, scared, thankful, amused.
Give groups 3–4 minutes to create their songs. Then have each group sing their song for the class. After each song, let the class guess what emotion it expressed.
God created music! We see in the Bible and in our community that music helps us in many ways. The Bible shows us that we can express any feeling to God through song. It shows us that we are not alone—even the people in the Bible felt the things that we feel!
Optional: If you are using the Student Pages, there is space for children to write songs that express how they feel.
You can talk to God using words, and you can talk to Him using music. Either way, God hears you. When you are sad or angry or excited, you do not have to keep it to yourself. Tell God and other people through music! We will now offer to God our emotions by using music.
Let’s tell God how we feel by humming.
Show the children what their humming song might be like by humming a happy sound and then a sad one.
Everyone spread out and think of an emotion you have felt this past week: sadness, anger, fear, happiness, or something else. We will spend just a minute expressing that emotion to God through humming.
Tell the children to begin their humming songs. Be sure you also do this! Then close class by speaking this blessing from Psalm 62:8 over the children.
Blessing: When you are sad or happy or angry or excited, sing about it! God cares for you. He wants you to tell Him everything you feel. He is your safe place to express your emotions.
Lead the children in singing this quarter’s song, if possible.
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.
