Get everyone moving and focusing on all the keywords in this fun We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet Cup Pattern lesson plan. This one focuses on just the first verse, but you could use our adaptations below to fit other verses!
I love how this activity focus on that key word “thank thee” it’s a great way to tie in a message of gratitude! It’s an important life lesson we all need to learn (and re-learn).
You can also use this activity to really help fix any singing errors on those split words. Sometimes we tend to sing them choppy and note-by-note and choppy instead of more flowy so you can help point them out, then use it as a teaching moment, then switch right back into fun mode while you practice that fix!
*See 25 Teaching Ideas in this We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet Singing Time Ideas Post*
We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet Cup Pattern
Sing through We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet (lyrics here) once before introducing this fun cup pattern.
Demonstrate the first action by holding two plastic cups in your hand, with the open side face down towards your lap. Every time you sing “thank thee” pat the cups on your lap once for each word. Thank Thee = Pat-Pat
Sing the first line of the song and show what the action looks like. Have the kids try it with their hands. Ask, how many times do we sing “Thank thee?” Let’s go through the song and count, and you follow along with your hands. Sing through the song again counting and patsching each time you sing “thank thee”.
How many times did you hear thank thee? (3). Do you think you can follow the action while using cups? Share any rules you have for getting to use the cups such as keep them to yourselves, don’t crush the cups, if you’re goofing around with them you’ll lose yours, etc.
Pass out the cups and sing through the song again and enunciate every time you sing “thank thee” while following the cup action! Exclaim how great the kids did at that!
Tell the kids, “I bet we can make it harder. Put your cups on the floor, and watch me closely to see what you notice.” Sing the first line of the song and add the second action.
Now, you’ll keep doing the lap pattern for “thank thee” but also clap the two open ends of the cups towards each other whenever a word is split across two notes. Proph-et = Clap-Clap.
Pause. Why do you think I picked that word? Was there anything different about the way I sang that note? (The word was sung across 2 different piano notes).
Clap along with me and see if we can find more words! Sing through the song and have the kids clap for the split words. Now, pick up the cups and have them practice just claps or both actions.
We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet Cup Pattern Actions:
- “Thank Thee” – Double Pat both cups on lap
- Split Words – Any of the words that carry across to more than one note will clap the cups together on each note. Words include: prophet, latter-days, sending, gospel, lighten, every blessing, bestowed, bounteous, pleasure, obey, command.
- Extra Words (Optional Challenge) –Tap just one finger on the top of one of a cup for all the additional words without an action.
Extension Activities:
- Give each child just one cup. Have them pat with one cup on their lap for the “Thank Thee” lines of the song. Then, have them clap their cup together with their neighbor on each of the split words!
- If your Primary is up for a challenge, have them tap along with each word on the top of the cup with a finger in between the 2 main actions! Can they keep up! You might have them practice just tapping out each word once before adding back in the original two actions.
- Let the kids come up front to show off how we’ll they’ve learned the pattern!
- Split the group into 2 sides of the room. One side holds their cups up high and sings as loud (but pretty) as they can for all the blue words, the other side for the orange words. Which side can sing it best? Loudest?
- Adaptation for Later Verse: Transition the pat words to the words in the same position – the 2nd and 3rd words of each line.
- For example in vs2: dark clouds / hope smiling / doubt not / wicked who
- Or, for vs3: sing of / praise him / bask in / on to / on to / they who
We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet
Cup Pattern Demo Video!
I created a really short demo video to show you what the pattern looks like, in case it’s helpful. You can watch the video above in post, or click here to see the video on my Primary Singing YouTube Playlist!
For another super fun Cup Pattern and more fun ideas and details on how to use a cup pattern in singing time, head over to this I Will Be Valiant Cup Pattern post!
Printable We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet Cup Pattern Lesson Plan
This helpful printable lesson plan for teaching We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet with a fun cup pattern includes a step-by-step guide for using this activity in singing time. Plus, fun extension activities to make it fit your time and your Primary size.
You’ll then find a variety of printable song helps and posters you may or may not choose to include. There is one with all the split keywords listed so the kiddos can better follow along with which words are a clap. Then, there are posters with the different actions to help you teach or remind the younger children what actions to do!
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Head over next to see this fun We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet Find His Words lesson plan for another unique way to teach this song in Primary!
What other fun ways could you expand this We Thank Thee O God for a Cup Pattern? Is there another challenge sequence you would add?
