"...by small and simple things are great things brought to pass..."

Alma 37:6

Monday, February 10, 2014

I Stand All Amazed - Sign Language

I STAND ALL AMAZED - hymn 193

Okay guys, I was brave and made a video of the simple sign I'm going to teach to my Primary to help them learn this hymn...

Disclaimer:  I am not fluent in ASL, but have learned a little bit along the way.  If you're better versed with sign language and notice something that needs fixing please let me know!


Notes and individual signs for each verse are below.


Note: 3rd Edition Video -- EXTENDED EXTENDED VERSION -- Includes ALL VERSES.  :)

The video is mirrored.


NOTE:  I've stumbled upon a few more signs which I now understand better to sign for this hymn, namely -- the sign SHOCK for "stand," the sign WOW for "oh," and I added ENOUGH in there.

Note: Here is my (1st) updated video with a more accurate representation of the signs and meanings.

The video is mirrored.


Each bolded word below are the ones I will teach a sign for to my Primary.  You can find all of these words in the references I listed below.

2nd Edition Video Notes:
FOR JUNIOR PRIMARY: I omitted the sign for STAND, FEEL (in FEEL-AMAZED in "tremble"), and ENOUGH (in the chorus).
VERSE 1:

I stand(SHOCK) all amazed(AWE/AMAZING) at the LOVE JESUS offers me(HE-GIVES-ME),
CONFUSED at the GRACE that so fully(THOROUGH or ALL)* HE proffers me(HE-GIVES-ME).
I tremble
(FEEL-AWE/AMAZED)** to KNOW that for ME HE was CRUCIFIED,
That for ME, a SINNER, HE SUFFERED, HE bled(BLOOD/BLEED) and DIED.

CHORUS:

Oh(WOW), it is WONDERFUL that HE should care(CARE-ABOUT/CHERISH) for ME
ENOUGH to DIE for ME!
Oh
(WOW), it is WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL to ME!

VERSE 2:

I marvel(AWE/AMAZE) that HE would DESCEND from HIS THRONE DIVINE
To RESCUE a SOUL so REBELLIOUS and PROUD as mine(ME),
That HE should extend(GIVEHIS great LOVE unto such as I,
Sufficient(ENOUGH) to OWN, to REDEEM, and to JUSTIFY.

VERSE 3:

I think(THINK-OVER) of HIS HANDS PIERCED and bleeding(BLOOD/BLEED) to pay(JUSTICE) the debt(SIN)!
Such MERCY, such LOVE and devotion(DEDICATION) can I FORGET?
NO, no, I will PRAISE and ADORE at the mercy seat(HIM),
Until at the glorified(GLORY) THRONE I KNEEL at his feet([to] HIM). [alternatively you could sign FEET if you'd like]


Notes:
* The word "fully" in this hymn doesn't mean full like I've eaten so much and now I'm full.  A synonym in this case would be "thoroughly" -- and that's the sign I used.  This sign is also used in the LDS.org ASL video of the hymn.
** "Tremble" in this case means more like in awe and amazement.  If you look up the sign for "tremble" in an ASL dictionary you will find the sign for AFRAID, which is not an accurate representation of the word in this hymn.
It's important to sign "He" in each instance it occurs so to sign a complete thought, that HE did these things for US. 
I wanted to emphasize to my Primary that this song is about what Jesus did for US.  So I am going to have them sign "me" every time me/I is sung.

References

Videos:
LDS.org (scroll down to I Stand All Amazed)

Dictionaries:
LDS ASL Dictionary


UPDATED NOTE:
This is how I began to teach sign language to this song.  I based my lesson plan on Pat Graham's lesson outline found in a previous post HERE, and used my own visuals (which are included in that post) which looked like this:


I wanted to appeal to more learning styles than just hearing, so seeing the lyrics for this difficultly worded hymn I thought would work well for thee Senior Primary.  However, since a lot of Junior Primary does not read (but some do), I added the colors to help also with signing.  Yellow is for "I/me," red is "Jesus/He," and I will be adding blue for each of the other words we will be signing.

For the first week I went over rhythms and created ways for them to hear the song multiple times, and in regards to sign language I taught them to sign "I/me," "He," and "wonderful" to get them started.  I will spend the next Singing Time teaching the rest of the signs in verse 1 and the chorus.


Happy signing!

41 comments:

  1. I appreciate you putting this up. As an interpreter and a mother of a deaf son, however, I would offer some feedback. Please take it in the spirit that it is offered as I know you worked hard on this and I don't want to appear like I am criticizing your efforts.
    The most important suggestion I would offer is you really need to add in the HE sign. I don't expect Primary children to sign all of the signs for the song and clearly how you simplified it would be good especially for Junior primary but by not signing the HE, you are missing the fact that HE was crucified, HE suffered, bled and died, etc.
    I know that when Primary children have signed songs like this without making the complete thought clear, my son and other deaf people are totally puzzled about what is trying to be said. You may not have any deaf people who will ever see it signed when your Primary sings and signs it, but out of respect for them and their language I think we at least need to express a clear and complete thought with the signs.

    Your first two lines are clear in that "He" is understood as you are bringing the signs down from heaven to yourself. However, at the ending, what your signs are saying is:

    I AFRAID ME KNOW CRUCIFY
    ME SINNER, SUFFER, BLEED, DIE
    (not shouting at you with all caps-just how signs are written)

    Without adding in HE to clarify who was crucified, bled, and died, etc., the meaning is lost and confusing.

    Also I would suggest to rewatch the woman who signs it in ASL at lds.org. Your sign for confused should go with your palm out and the back of your hand to your forehead while your index finger pulls back and in. What you are signing looks more like the ASL sign for "because" or "suspect."

    Last,the sign you used for tremble actually suggests fear whereas on LDS.org she uses a combination of I-FEEL-AMAZED which is much closer to what it means. I don't think we are really afraid to know that he was crucified for us, but rather amazed and in awe.

    Again, I appreciate your efforts and your willingness to share this with other choristers. With a couple of tweaks, it can be even better and show a clear message in sign.

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    1. Thank you so much Heidi! I hope the update is a better representation of the hymn through sign.

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  2. Thank you Kami!! And Thank you Heidi for the tips! This has been really helpful!

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  3. Thank you Kami. Sign language is such a beautiful language. And Heidi thank you for your input.

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    1. It really is Teresa! I hope you've seen my updated video which incorporates Heidi's advice. Thanks!

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  4. Kami, thanks so much for updating this! You rock!!

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    1. You are very welcome Ellie! I'm glad it is helpful to you!

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  5. Kami this is beautiful and so helpful. I have been searching everywhere for something just like this! Are you also going to be posting a video of the 2nd verse?
    Your efforts and talents are greatly appreciated :)

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    1. Thank you! I'm glad you and others have found it helpful. I would be happy to do the second verse for you! I'll work on it this week. :)

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    2. Verse 2 video is uploaded! :)

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    3. For some reason it ends abruptly in the middle of the 2nd verse. What happened?

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    4. Whoops! Thanks for the heads up. All fixed now. :)

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  6. Kami, I just got called as Primary chorister and this will be the first new song I've taught. I want to use sign, but how do you go about it? Would you use it on the very first week you introduce the song, or on the second or third? Do you just sing a cappella as you go through the signs?

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    1. Elizabeth, congratulations on one of the greatest callings in the Church! It is so fun and spiritual and can be hard but also rewarding. I added a note of how I introduced and started teaching this hymn in this post -- hopefully that might help you some.

      I started typing up a response to your questions and it was so long that I just made a whole new post about it! I hope it helps you get started and answers your questions. I'd be happy to answer any more you have! :)

      Here's the link to the post: http://kamisprimarymusicideas.blogspot.com/2014/02/teaching-with-sign-language.html

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  7. Kami, I can not thank you enough for putting this together! I was struggling with how I would teach such a sacred song in a way that would keep the children's attention and I feel the signs are the perfect way to go. I've watched the video several times and I have most of it down but I want to make sure I am doing the signs correctly. Could you possibly describe what you are doing with your hands on a few of the words? I'm having a little trouble catching exactly what to do with "stand" "confused" and "sinner." If you could it would be a big help and I would appreciate it so much! Thanks!!!!

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    1. Hi Carolyn! I am so glad you have found the video helpful! In response to your questions I actually added direct links to the signed words in ASL dictionaries online. This should help you and others determine better what is happening with each word/sign. :)

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    2. Perfect! Again, thank you so much!

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  8. Are you going to make vs 3?? I would love it if you can! :)

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    1. Alright Amy, I'll see what I can do! :)

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    2. Amy, I've finally got my notes together for verse 3 which are now included in this post. I'll be uploading a video of it tonight or tomorrow, so stay tuned!! :)

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    3. Thank you!! It's awesome! My kids love it!

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    4. Sorry that was from Amy:)

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  9. i am in tears. thank you! the kids love to sign with the songs and this is a beautiful way to remember the words to a beautiful song.

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    1. Thank you Jennifer! I hope this will help you and your Primary feel the meaning of this wonderful hymn.

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  10. JUST what I was looking for! Thank you so so much!

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  11. This is sooooo great! We do sign language for the new songs we learn each month, so I hope to maybe see more videos from you :)

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    1. Thanks Beverly! If I don't find a video for a song someone else has made that I like or understand I can look into making it, especially if there is interest. :)

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  12. Thanks for posting this and for doing a simplified version. Can I make a request? Instead of a video of you silently doing the signs while the song plays, I would love to hear you say the words to the song and explain what you're doing. For example, "the first sign is I so you take you left hand and point to your chest." Or whatever it may be. I love that you've done this but don't feel confident enough with my ability to interpret the signs to use them in primary. They just go to fast for me to be 100% confident in the action. I hope that makes sense.

    My introduction to this song in Jr Primary last week did not go as well as I hoped for. I'm hoping sign language is the answer to helping them learn this song.

    Thank you for your hard work.

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    1. Michele, I feel the same way in that I do not feel comfortable teaching sign language to a song for which I do not 100% understand the signs. I have listed each sign I do in the video in this post below the videos and also linked each to an online ASL dictionary of the single sign. Looking over those links should clear up most, if not all, the signs for you. If there are specific signs you are having trouble catching please let me know and I will do my best to explain them for you. But check out the links, it should be very helpful! :)

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  13. This is so 'wonderful!' I am terrible at mirroring so I want to clarify before I go any further. I know you say the video is mirrored- does that mean that I am supposed to follow what you are doing exactly (so I'd be using my right hand dominantly) so the kids use their left dominantly? This is opposite from the woman on LDS.org--does it make a difference?? Thanks in advance!

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    1. I think I can answer your question, although I know Kami can too. Her video is mirrored- so that you are seeing what YOU should be doing. When you sign, you use your dominant (usually right) hand for the signs. So you always start with that hand and use it the majority of the time. You can choose how you teach it to your primary, but you would have to teach it backwards for them to learn it with their dominant hand.

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    2. Good question! The answer depends on what you want your Primary to learn, as Beth mentioned. I have mirrored the videos so you may learn with your right (for most people that is dominant) hand. It is perfectly fine to do the sign language with your Primary using your own right or dominant hand, as long as you don't mind if they match each other, like you would probably want if they were to be using the sign language in a Sacrament meeting or another formal presentation of the song. In that case it would be best for you to mirror the signs for them, which means doing the opposite of me in my videos, so they will end up doing them with their right hands. But if it's just to help them learn the words, just do whatever is comfortable to you.

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  14. Can I just say that I have watched and studied the LDS.org signing video a bazillion times and I can't figure it out. Yours is SO much easier to understand. The lds.org video does not do the signs in the same rhythm that the words are sung so I can't tell which sign means what. Super confusing. I need subtitles on her signing! And then she makes it very pretty and graceful which just confuses me more because the movement is not very precise but very flowey...can't tell where one word stops and another ends. Thank you for your videos!!!

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    1. Thanks Leah, you're welcome! Yes, the video on LDS.org is tricky for someone who doesn't know ASL to understand because it is full and real ASL, so naturally the signs aren't necessarily done at the same time as the corresponding word is sung. I'm glad my videos have been useful!

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  15. Thank you so much! I have taught the first two verses to my primary and we love how it really brings the Spirit and makes the song and the words even more meaninful. Any chance you will be posting the 3rd verse? I really like your style and would love to have the last verse!

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    1. Alright Kim, your comment put me over the fence! I've made my notes (and included them in this post) for the 3rd verse and will be posting a video tonight or tomorrow. :) Check back soon! Thanks for visiting!

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    2. Wow, thanks so much! I can't wait to learn the third verse! :)

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  16. Hi - thank you for doing this! I don't know if you will know this but a girl in Primary asked... the sign for 'fully' is one hand passing over the fist, but the sign for 'enough' is one hand passing TWO times over the fist. Do you know why it's the same sign just one verses two passes? (I hope that makes sense). Thanks!

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    1. I'm sorry, I don't! The words are similar in meaning but are still two different words.

      This link has a little explanation of both signs...
      http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/e/enough.htm

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    2. Thank you for your help. So from the link it shows 'full' is a single motion toward self and 'enough' is a double motion toward other person. I will have to see how that fits in the song. Appreciate you doing all of this!

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