Leader-Follower Relationship

Memory verse:

"Happiness is to find someone who you want to give to and give still more, whom you want to help and help still more, and whom you want to make happy and make happy still more."  SSM

* Please highlight the words of the verse and make many copies of them (for 2 to 4 teams). You can paste them in Word doc. in larger font size. Cut every section on separate piece of index card, mix them up and give a set to each team. Have a race to see which group can arrange the cards into the correct order first. After, have the whole class read the memory verse together.

Lesson:

Introduce the lesson by asking the children: "What is happiness? How do we find happiness or become happy? (Remember, as you ask the questions, make sure you give the children enough time to come up with their own answer! Write their answers on a chalkboard.) Show the memory verse, and have them read it aloud together. Then, remove the memory verse from their sight and divide the class in groups. Give each group one copy of the memory verse cards mixed up. Have a race to see which group can arrange the cards into the correct order first.

Today we are going to learn about what we need to do in order to find happiness. First of all, what do you think today's memory verse is telling us? According to Father, how do we find happiness?

After having given sufficient time to discuss te meaning of the memory verse ask: " Why do you think Heavenly Father created the world?" (Lead the children until they can say that Heavely Father wanted children. He wanted to love and be loved). Summarize by saying: "Everyone, including Heavenly Father, needs someone else; someone whom they can love and be loved by."

As the children: "Have you ever been in a situation where you didn't know anyone? How did you feel? " Explain to children that we all need to have friends in order to be happy. However, it's also important to know how to be a friend.

Ask: "What kind of friend should we be? What is a good friend like? What is a bad friend like? " Explain to children that it is important to be a good friend. A good friend doesn't do bad things with his/her friend just because they are doing it. (Two wrongs don't make a right!)

Explain: " We must learn how to be good friends to one another. We need to have good give and take with our friends." (explain "give and take" really means "give and receive". Doing good things together.)

Explain: "Sometimes we are "leaders"; sometimes we are "followers"; we must be good at being both." Ask children: "What are some examples of when you are leaders? followers?

Ask: "What do you think makes someone a good leader? A good follower? " After giving enough time for children's responses, explain; "A good leader shows others how to do good things. A good follower heps a good leader to do good things. Good things are things are things done unselfishly to help others."

Ask: "What are some ways that we can be good leaders or followers?" End the discussion by saying: "Let's try to be good leaders and followers this week.

Conclusion:  On two sheets of paper (One is labeled "Leader", and one is labeled "Follower". You need to draw pictures showing how you were a good leader and a good follower during the week."

Activities;

"Simon says" game : Allow several children to take turns being "Simon".

"Who's the leader?" game : One child ("It") leave the room (or face away from the group). Then, choose one person to be "The leader". Have the child that left the room return. (Don't tell him/her who the leader is!) Together, everyone should start clapping in rhythm. Without saying anything, the leader will start doing another action. The rest of the class needs to quickly change to what the leader is doing. This continues until the person who is "It" discovers who the leader is. The leader then becomes "It" and the game continues.

 For good discussion on topic "Being a good friend" (link to a character education lesson)