This melody map is for the bridge of "Witness of Christmas."  I love melody maps because they are a visual representation of songs.  They show the words, music, and–in this case–dynamics in ways children easily connect.  
 
How to use this map: 
 
1) PREP: Print the pages and affix them to the board in order.  If possible, arrange them in two rows of four. 
 
2) Ask the children: What do you see? What do you wonder? What is the same? What is different? 
 
3) Understanding: Challenge the children to figure out what the map has to do with the bridge of the song. Sing the song. Ask the children what they learned. If they are still figuring it out, sing the song again, tapping a few key notes on the board.  They should learn that the symbols represent certain words, and they go up and down depending on how high or low the note is.
 
4) Think Deeper: Challenge the children to figure out what each symbol represents. Sing the song again. Collect their answers and offer praise. Repeat until they have learned all of the symbols.  Ask questions like, "Why do you think we use a star when we sing, 'come?'  Who else came when they saw a star?" or "Why are there hearts on each page?"  "How many baby Jesus symbols are there?" "Why does the first set go down and the second set go up?"
 
6) Teach Dynamics: Ask the children which symbols are the biggest? How does that relate to the song?  (The bridge starts softly and has a huge crescendo that gets louder and louder until the end.)
 
7) Challenge the children to start the bridge quietly and get louder and louder until the end of the song.  Teach them that singing loudly does not equate to shouting.