School Bells – Current Affairs – Grade 1 – Week 9
I have just wrapped the cookies I baked yesterday to take to the first grade class with whom I meet once a week to discuss current affairs. My adopted niece Sam is also in this class and her brother, Paul, is in the 8th grade class with whom I also meet once a week to discuss current affairs. Initially the students shared their concerns. We have discussed many of those. Lately I have been assigning topics for them and their families to discuss – topics which are closely related to the concerns they have brought up. Last week the topic was friendship. We began, however, by discussing our concerns about those affected by Hurricane Matthew. Relatives of some of the students were directly affected. Fortunately everyone they or we knew were safe although some lost homes and all their possessions.
This week I had asked the students and their families to talk about what they think the story, “The Wizard of Oz” is about. I am eager to hear what they have to say.
Here they come now.
Me: Good morning class.
Class: Cookies, cookies, cookies! We want cookies.
Me: Apparently someone in this class has some organizational skills. Perhaps we have a future CEO or even a President in this class!
Class: Cookies! We need cookies!
Me: Okay! Sofia and Susie will you please pass out one cookie to each of your hungry classmates! You can have another cookie at the end of class.
Class: Yea!
Me: Okay, now that we have that out of the way does anyone have any special concerns.
No one raises their hands.
Me: I hope that we are still thinking about some ways to help those who lost everything in the hurricane.
Steve: Our family decided not to have desert for a month and donate fifty dollars to the families.
Tara: All the people in our block are having a giant yard sale and giving the money to a church who is buying things to take to people.
Sam: We are having a cookie sale after church next Sunday and donating the money to help. Uncle Jim we have to make a lot of cookies.
Me: Sam, we will make lots of cookies. Wow! I am so impressed that all of you have been so generous.
Okay, let’s talk about the Wizard of Oz. First, let write the characters on the white board. You shout out the characters and I will write them down.
Sue: Dorothy
Tommy: Toto the dog
Steve: Aunt Em and Uncle Henry
Susie: The mean neighbor Mrs. Gooch
Me: Mrs. Gulch.
Sue: The sheriff
Sam: Professor Mar…
Me: Marvel
Ahmes: The wicked witch of the East and the wicked witch of the West.
Tommy: Glinda, the good witch of the …
Me: The North I think.
Steve: The little people
Me: The Munchkins
Sam: The Scarecrow
Me: What does the Scarecrow want Sam?
Sam: A brain.
Tommy: The Tin Woodman or the Tin man.
Me: What does he want Tommy?
Tommy: A heart?
Me: Yes, he believes he does not have a heart.
Ahmes: The Cowardly Lion who wants courage Mr. Jim.
Me: Very good. Who else?
Sam: The Wizard who lives in Emerald City.
Sue: Can the yellow brick road be a character?
Me: Sure. Let’s write it on the board. So, who wants to tell the story.
Steve: Well, Toto bites the mean neighbor.
Tara: The mean neighbor calls the sheriff and wants Toto killed.
Sam: Dorothy runs away with Toto and then the professor tells her Aunt Em is sick and she has to return home and the storm comes and she hides from the storm in her bedroom when she gets home.
Sue; The tornado picks up the house and drops it on the wicked witch of the East.
Tommy: She is smashed. The wicked sister tries to take the ruby slippers but the good witch gives them to Dorothy instead.
Tara: The good witch, Gleen or ..
Me: Glinda
Tara: Oh yeah. Glinda tells them to follow the yellow brick road to the Wizard of Oz who might be able to help them get home.
Me: You students are doing really well. Did you read the story or watch the movie?
Steve: We watched the movie.
Sam: We had to read the story again and then we got to watch the movie which we got from the library.
Me: Does anyone remember who wrote the story?
No? The book was called The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum and was first published in 1900. The movie was not made until 1939.
Steve: Were you born yet in 1900 Mr. Jim?
Me: No, I was born in 1940.
Susie: You are really old Mr. Jim!
Me: Yes. I am 76.
Me: What happens when Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow, Lion, and Tin Woodman get to Emerald City?
Sam: The meet with the Wizard.
Me: What happens then?
Tommy: The Wizard gives them what they want?
Sue: I thought he told them that they had what they wanted.
Me: Yes, you are right, Sue. Dorothy had the power to get back to Kansas. The Scarecrow already has a brain. The Tin Woodman has a heart and the lion already has courage.
Steve: The slippers were magical!
Me: Yes. When Dorothy clicked her heels while holding Toto she was soon back in Kansas.
Steve: Just like Star Wars Mr. Jim.
Me: Yes, it was. What can we learn from the movie?
Ahmes: My dad and mother said that when we wanted to leave Egypt and come to the United States we did not think we could do that, but when we started thinking we could we found a way.
Tommy: I used to think I could not do well in school but now I am doing well. I am like the Scarecrow. I do have a brain but I did not think I did.
Sam: But we cannot do anything we want. I cannot click my heels and visit Mamma and Pop Pop in Florida.
Me: That is true but if you and your family save money by not buying all the things you want then can you drive or even fly to see them Sam.
Sam: That is what Paul said. Will I ever be as smart as Paul?
Me: You already are but Paul has had longer to study than you Sam.
Me: Do we all have courage even though we get scared?
Sue: I was scared to come to school because I was afraid everyone would make fun of me because I am in a wheelchair but my parents made me come. That is what they said. They said I had the courage and they were proud of me.
Steve: Not everyone can do everything Mr. Jim.
Me: No, I will never be a professional basketball player, opera singer or lots of things but it is not because I am dumb or am lacking in courage. I am short. I am not a good singer and I am too old to do some things, but there are a lot of things I can do. The Scarecrow was not asking to be a lion.
Tara: The Tim Woodman could not become a scarecrow either.
Me: Very good. We are still going to be us but we are all smart in some ways, can have a good heart and can have courage. We do not have to look elsewhere for it.
Sam: You always make up feel good about ourselves Uncle Jim.
Me: And you students make me feel good about me.
Sam and Tara will you hand out another cookie?
The hand out the cookies which are quickly consumed.
Me: Here are the slips for next week. Susie and Steve please hand them out. Between now and next week I want you talk with your families about why we make fun of each other and why some people bully others.
Susie and Steve hand them out.
Ring! Ring! Ring
Have a very good week.
Written October 11, 2016
I have just wrapped the cookies I baked yesterday to take to the first grade class with whom I meet once a week to discuss current affairs. My adopted niece Sam is also in this class and her brother, Paul, is in the 8th grade class with whom I also meet once a week to discuss current affairs. Initially the students shared their concerns. We have discussed many of those. Lately I have been assigning topics for them and their families to discuss – topics which are closely related to the concerns they have brought up. Last week the topic was friendship. We began, however, by discussing our concerns about those affected by Hurricane Matthew. Relatives of some of the students were directly affected. Fortunately everyone they or we knew were safe although some lost homes and all their possessions.
This week I had asked the students and their families to talk about what they think the story, “The Wizard of Oz” is about. I am eager to hear what they have to say.
Here they come now.
Me: Good morning class.
Class: Cookies, cookies, cookies! We want cookies.
Me: Apparently someone in this class has some organizational skills. Perhaps we have a future CEO or even a President in this class!
Class: Cookies! We need cookies!
Me: Okay! Sofia and Susie will you please pass out one cookie to each of your hungry classmates! You can have another cookie at the end of class.
Class: Yea!
Me: Okay, now that we have that out of the way does anyone have any special concerns.
No one raises their hands.
Me: I hope that we are still thinking about some ways to help those who lost everything in the hurricane.
Steve: Our family decided not to have desert for a month and donate fifty dollars to the families.
Tara: All the people in our block are having a giant yard sale and giving the money to a church who is buying things to take to people.
Sam: We are having a cookie sale after church next Sunday and donating the money to help. Uncle Jim we have to make a lot of cookies.
Me: Sam, we will make lots of cookies. Wow! I am so impressed that all of you have been so generous.
Okay, let’s talk about the Wizard of Oz. First, let write the characters on the white board. You shout out the characters and I will write them down.
Sue: Dorothy
Tommy: Toto the dog
Steve: Aunt Em and Uncle Henry
Susie: The mean neighbor Mrs. Gooch
Me: Mrs. Gulch.
Sue: The sheriff
Sam: Professor Mar…
Me: Marvel
Ahmes: The wicked witch of the East and the wicked witch of the West.
Tommy: Glinda, the good witch of the …
Me: The North I think.
Steve: The little people
Me: The Munchkins
Sam: The Scarecrow
Me: What does the Scarecrow want Sam?
Sam: A brain.
Tommy: The Tin Woodman or the Tin man.
Me: What does he want Tommy?
Tommy: A heart?
Me: Yes, he believes he does not have a heart.
Ahmes: The Cowardly Lion who wants courage Mr. Jim.
Me: Very good. Who else?
Sam: The Wizard who lives in Emerald City.
Sue: Can the yellow brick road be a character?
Me: Sure. Let’s write it on the board. So, who wants to tell the story.
Steve: Well, Toto bites the mean neighbor.
Tara: The mean neighbor calls the sheriff and wants Toto killed.
Sam: Dorothy runs away with Toto and then the professor tells her Aunt Em is sick and she has to return home and the storm comes and she hides from the storm in her bedroom when she gets home.
Sue; The tornado picks up the house and drops it on the wicked witch of the East.
Tommy: She is smashed. The wicked sister tries to take the ruby slippers but the good witch gives them to Dorothy instead.
Tara: The good witch, Gleen or ..
Me: Glinda
Tara: Oh yeah. Glinda tells them to follow the yellow brick road to the Wizard of Oz who might be able to help them get home.
Me: You students are doing really well. Did you read the story or watch the movie?
Steve: We watched the movie.
Sam: We had to read the story again and then we got to watch the movie which we got from the library.
Me: Does anyone remember who wrote the story?
No? The book was called The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum and was first published in 1900. The movie was not made until 1939.
Steve: Were you born yet in 1900 Mr. Jim?
Me: No, I was born in 1940.
Susie: You are really old Mr. Jim!
Me: Yes. I am 76.
Me: What happens when Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow, Lion, and Tin Woodman get to Emerald City?
Sam: The meet with the Wizard.
Me: What happens then?
Tommy: The Wizard gives them what they want?
Sue: I thought he told them that they had what they wanted.
Me: Yes, you are right, Sue. Dorothy had the power to get back to Kansas. The Scarecrow already has a brain. The Tin Woodman has a heart and the lion already has courage.
Steve: The slippers were magical!
Me: Yes. When Dorothy clicked her heels while holding Toto she was soon back in Kansas.
Steve: Just like Star Wars Mr. Jim.
Me: Yes, it was. What can we learn from the movie?
Ahmes: My dad and mother said that when we wanted to leave Egypt and come to the United States we did not think we could do that, but when we started thinking we could we found a way.
Tommy: I used to think I could not do well in school but now I am doing well. I am like the Scarecrow. I do have a brain but I did not think I did.
Sam: But we cannot do anything we want. I cannot click my heels and visit Mamma and Pop Pop in Florida.
Me: That is true but if you and your family save money by not buying all the things you want then can you drive or even fly to see them Sam.
Sam: That is what Paul said. Will I ever be as smart as Paul?
Me: You already are but Paul has had longer to study than you Sam.
Me: Do we all have courage even though we get scared?
Sue: I was scared to come to school because I was afraid everyone would make fun of me because I am in a wheelchair but my parents made me come. That is what they said. They said I had the courage and they were proud of me.
Steve: Not everyone can do everything Mr. Jim.
Me: No, I will never be a professional basketball player, opera singer or lots of things but it is not because I am dumb or am lacking in courage. I am short. I am not a good singer and I am too old to do some things, but there are a lot of things I can do. The Scarecrow was not asking to be a lion.
Tara: The Tim Woodman could not become a scarecrow either.
Me: Very good. We are still going to be us but we are all smart in some ways, can have a good heart and can have courage. We do not have to look elsewhere for it.
Sam: You always make up feel good about ourselves Uncle Jim.
Me: And you students make me feel good about me.
Sam and Tara will you hand out another cookie?
The hand out the cookies which are quickly consumed.
Me: Here are the slips for next week. Susie and Steve please hand them out. Between now and next week I want you talk with your families about why we make fun of each other and why some people bully others.
Susie and Steve hand them out.
Ring! Ring! Ring
Have a very good week.
Written October 11, 2016
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