Powerfully Teaching Your Children Gospel Principles Lesson Plan: The Joy of Honest Labor Objectives: Reinforces Principle of: Emphasize Marie Curie s example of honest labor to Work perform good works to make the world a better place. Talk about how we can work hard to make our home and the world better places. Each lesson contains 5 timed activities: (Choose the activities that fit your family s schedule. Additional resources are provided as extra time may be available.) Reverence Time: Song, prayer, scripture and video clip Lesson Time: Lesson summary and points to ponder Story Time: Story Activity Time: Object lesson or activity Treat Time: Prayer & theme related recipe
Approximate Time: 5 minutes Sing Together: Hymn #252 Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel verse 1. If you wish to have an online music file to accompany you visit: http://www.lds.org/cm (Note: Navigate to the Interactive Church Music Player where you can listen to and print Church hymns and children s songs.) Prayer: Scripture Time: Moroni 7: 5 5. For I remember the word of God which saith by their works ye shall know them; for if their works be good, then they are good also. Video Clip: Watch chapter 9 from the animated Complete Learning System, Marie Curie DVD. (Video clip is also provided for viewing online.)
Lesson Summary: (For younger children, it may be helpful to summarize the following ideas): Hard work and perseverance. Approximate Time: 30 minutes An outstanding example of perseverance is Madame Marie Curie, who worked together with her French physicist husband, Pierre Curie, in an old abandoned leaky shed without funds and without outside encouragement or help, trying to isolate radium from a low-grade uranium ore called pitchblende. And after their 487th experiment had failed, Pierre threw up his hands in despair and said, It will never be done. Maybe in a hundred years, but never in my day. Marie confronted him with a resolute face and said, If it takes a hundred years, it will be a pity, but I will not cease to work for it as long as I live. She was eventually successful, and cancer patients have benefited greatly... James E. Faust, Liahona, May 2001 2007 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Did the world benefit from Marie Curie s perseverance and hard work? (Yes.) Being an example of good works can bring joy. Therefore, my sons, I would that ye should do that which is good, that it may be said of you, and also written, even as it has been said and written of them (Helaman 5:6 7). When Helaman spoke these words, 500 years had passed away and they were still remembering Lehi and Nephi of old and what examples they were as the first prophets in the Book of Mormon; they were still naming their children after them because of their good example and their good works. Mervyn B. Arnold, New Era, Jun 2007 2007 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Do you think Marie Curie was an example of good works? (Yes.) Marie Curie s parents taught her the importance of hard work. Working hard to do good made Marie Curie an example that all of us can follow. Although most of us will never make a discovery that will change the world like Marie did, we can all still work hard to bring forth good works. Elder Bednar said this about learning hard work from his parents, As a boy I always looked forward to canning season. I did not like scrubbing the canning jars or working in our hot kitchen. But I did like working with my mom and dad...the basic lessons I learned about temporal self-reliance and provident living while picking and canning produce have blessed me throughout my life. David A. Bednar, April 2007 General Conference 2007 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Can being an example by working hard bring joy? (Yes.) When we work with a heart full of song (good attitude), the job goes faster and when it s done you will feel great joy from doing something good. (Praise each family member for a job that they have worked hard at to be an example of good works and then ask how they felt afterward.)
Points to Ponder: Why do you think it is important to work hard, like Marie Curie? Hard work is a blessing of God. It involves going after it with all your heart, might, mind and strength. (D&C 4:2.) That alone is the difference between the average and the excellent. F. David Stanley, Ensign, May 1993 Who will help you through bad times, if you continue to labor to do good works? (The Lord.) When you continue to serve and do good the Lord will give you...new strength to carry your burdens and new confidence that when your burdens become too heavy, the Lord, whom you have served, will carry what you cannot...he suffered your infirmities and your sorrows when He was in the flesh so that He would know how to succor you...by choosing to serve Him this day, you will feel His love and grow to love Him more. Elder Henry B. Eyring, 2007 General Conference 2007 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. After Pierre died did the Lord help Marie Curie find the strength to continue to do good works? (Yes.) Quote: Teaching children the joy of honest labor is one of the greatest of all gifts you can bestow upon them. L. Tom Perry, Ensign, Nov 1986 2007 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Approximate Time: 3 minutes I m sorry, Julie, but you can t play until your work is done, Mother said. I don t like working. Work, work, work. That s all I do! Julie pouted. Well, work can bring you joy, or it can make you miserable. It s up to you! Mother stated. But it has to be done! Julie stomped into the family room where Becca was busy picking up the toys that were strewn across the floor. Becca frowned when she saw the scowl on Julie s face. Trying to change her sister s sour mood, Becca began singing, When we re helping, we re happy, and we sing as we go; And we like to help mother, for we all love her so. Julie glared at her sister. Maybe, you re happy, but I m not! It won t take long Julie if we work together and then we can go outside and play with Megan! It s not fair. Megan never has to work and I m just a slave! Julie whined. Don t be so dramatic, Julie. You re not a slave. Everyone in our family does their fair share of work, Becca declared. Besides, Mom said that when we re grown up, we ll be glad that we know how to keep house. Not me. When I grow up, I m having a maid, just like Megan s mom! Julie stated. Mother came into the room just in time to overhear the girls conversation. You re not getting much done in here, except talking! she announced. And I m sorry you feel like I expect too much from you, Julie. But if you think Sister Nance doesn t work hard, you re wrong. Well if she does, she needs a new maid, Julie snickered. Her, so-called, maid is her sister, Mother explained. When Brother Nance passed away, Sister Nance had to go back to work to support the family. Her sister has been helping out in order to make a hard situation a little easier.
But Megan said... Megan s having a really hard time adjusting to having her father gone and also having her mother gone back to work. Mother continued, I think she might be fantasizing a little in order to cope with all the changes. Julie hung her head. I m sorry, Mommy! I ll try harder to be happy when I do my work. Thank you, Julie, Mother said, after giving her a big hug, Now, let s get this room done, so you can go play with Megan and make her day a little happier. I love you, Mommy! Julie said. I love you too! Julie and Becca sang as they cleaned the room. When they were done, Julie looked around the room and smiled. Helping Mother did make her happy. by Margie Nauta Lee 2007 Living Scriptures, Inc.
What you need: Preparation Activity: A copy of the Work Experiment activity (artwork included with this lesson), scissors, card stock, glue and tape. 1. Print out the artwork and glue to card stock. 2. Fold red lines inward. 3. Cut along dotted lines. 4. Gently roll pieces and match up letters, tape together to form cauldron and rod. 5. Glue or tape part (E) in place to form the bottom of the cauldron. 1. Read the scripture found on the puzzle frame. Ask, Did Marie Curie s parents teach her to Never be weary of good works? (Yes.) 2. Explain that Marie Curie worked hard, experimenting, to perform good works and discover radium. She placed water, acid, and ore into a giant cauldron: Place green ore puzzle pieces into the cauldron. 3. She then stirred the concoction with a heavy steel rod: Have each family member take a turn stirring the ore puzzle pieces. 4. Marie Curie s discovery has made the world a better place. Like Marie Curie, each of us need to work hard to make the world a better place. We can start by making our home a better place: Have each family member, draw out the puzzle pieces until gone. 5. Ask, What good works (chores/service) have you been taught to do to help make our home/world a better place? Write the answer on the back off their puzzle pieces. Being taught to work is like the ore unless you work to complete the task it isn t worth much. Place the puzzle pieces back into the cauldron. 6. Stir the pieces again. Then draw out the puzzle pieces one at a time. Read the chore on the back. Ask the family member whose puzzle piece you ve drawn, If I give you a great gift, will you honestly labor to make this task good works? If the person answers yes let them tape the puzzle piece to its correct position on the board. If they answer no set the piece aside. 7. If the puzzle is not complete after all pieces have been drawn out of the cauldron, explain that our experiment (puzzle) cannot be completed if we all don t do our part. Encourage them to accept their task to complete the puzzle). 8. Place the symbolic bow and gift tag on the puzzle. Read the quote. Discuss the joy that comes from this gift of honest labor and how your home will be a better place.
Prep Time: 15 minutes Bake Time: 55 minutes Cool Time: 30 minutes Cake Ingredients 2 cups sugar 3/4 cup vegetable oil 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 cup buttermilk 2 cups grated carrots 1 (15 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 cup raisins Approximate Time: 1 hour 40 minutes Gift of Honest Labor Cake Treat Time: Tell your children that you have a wonderful gift for them: the gift of learning honest labor. Then have children perform honest labor, according to their abilities, by helping make the cake by grating carrots, greasing the pan, opening the pineapple, measuring ingredients, etc. Even a very young child, with assistance, can help by pouring ingredients into the bowl. When the cake is done and you are enjoying the fruits of your labor, discuss the joy that comes from the gift of honest labor. Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk. Stir in carrots, vanilla, and pineapple. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix on medium for two minutes. Stir in raisins. Pour batter into a prepared 9x13 pan. Bake for 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool. While cake bakes, combine margarine, cream cheese, vanilla, food coloring and powdered sugar. Blend until creamy. Frost cake while still in the pan. Cut into square size pieces. Top each square with a Pull-N-Peel Twizzler bow. Closing Prayer and blessing on the food. Decorating Ingredients 1/2 cup margarine 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 cups powdered sugar Cherry Pull-N-Peel Twizzlers 9 drops green food coloring (green is to remind us of Marie Curie s gift in sacrificing her own health to benefit others by her studies with radioactivity.)