by Elaine Gallagher    

            The simple answer: NO!  

            As common as they are, in various countries, (low-performers on the PISA) multiple-choice exams are good for only one thing: THEY ARE EASY TO CORRECT.

            Do they assess what a student has actually learned? Absolutely not!

           Do they measure intelligence? Language ability? Performance indicators? Knowledge of material studied in class? Mathematical ability? Fluency in writing, reading, history, geography or science? No!

            If a student is lucky in Las Vegas, perhaps he/she can perform well on a multiple-choice exam, but this in no way implies that the student actually knows the material supposedly being tested.

            So why do educators, schools, administrators, testing companies, government agencies, and educational entities continue to use multiple-choice exams to assess and evaluate students when we recognize that «passing» such an exam implies that (1) The student is a good guesser. (2) The student exhibits luck in Las Vegas. (3) The student has memorized responses.

            The answer is «economy». It’s much less expensive and much easier to produce and score multiple-choice/true/false/matching exams than to assess using performance indicators, rubrics, observations, and portfolios.

            Based on research by University of Pennsylvania professor TheodoreHershberg, standards-based classrooms focus on student performance.

           How did you win merit badges in Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts? You didn’t take multiple-choice tests. You practiced with the rope, and then you tied the knot in front of your Scout leader.

          How do you get a job in photography? or admitted to art school? Once again, you don’t take a multiple-choice job test. You bring your portfolio of photographs or art work with you to the job interview, and you show your prospective employer what you can do with a camera.

          How do you check language ability? By discussions, by writing creatively, and by speaking fluently; not by identifying grammatical terms or identifying the leading character in a story.

          It’s performance that counts in the real world. In standards-based school reform, our classrooms will be organized around performance and student portfolios that collect student work. In the 21st century, portfolios are «in»; transcripts of grades are «out». Projects, cooperative learning activities, self-organized learning environments, and organized research, as advocated by Sugata Mitra, are examples of where education is moving, allowing students to develop their potential and their talents.

          Are you and your school moving towards a new focus, including performance indicators, eliminating tedious, meaningless homework, forgetting the multiple-choice options of the 19th century? Are students getting excited and involved about real learning, using digital technology, seeking unique paths of interest, stimulated by gifted teachers? These are the options for great schools, for great directors, who are seeking world-class performance by students and teachers.

Ask yourselves:

Are you part of change, or are you still resisting?

________________________

By Elaine Gallagher

         Research on cooperative learning demonstrated “overwhelmingly positive” results and confirmed that cooperative modes are cross-curricular. Cooperative learning requires students to engage in group activities that increase learning and adds other important dimensions. The positive outcomes include: academic gains, improved relations with others, and increased personal and social development.

         To be successful, the teams formed must be small (3-5 members), and each person on the team must have a role for which he/she is responsible. There should be two marks: one mark that each team member receives for the quality of the overall group project, (usually based on a rubric), and one mark for his/her role participation on the team. (Gallagher, 2010).

         Brady & Tsay (2010) report that students who fully participated in group activities, exhibited collaborative behaviors, provided constructive feedback and cooperated with their group had a higher likelihood of receiving higher test scores and course grades at the end of the semester.

         Results from Brady & Tsay’s (2010) study support the notion that cooperative learning is an active pedagogy that fosters higher academic achievement (p. 85). Cooperative learning has been found to also increase attendance, time on task, enjoyment of school and classes, motivation, and independence.

         Slavin states the following regarding research on cooperative learning which corresponds with Brady & Tsay’s (2010) findings.

• Students demonstrate academic achievement
• Cooperative learning methods are usually equally effective for all ability levels.
• Cooperative learning is effective for all ethnic groups
• Student perceptions of one another are enhanced when given the opportunity to work with one another
• Cooperative learning increases self esteem and self concept
• Ethnic and physically/mentally handicapped barriers are broken down allowing for positive interactions and friendships to occur

       Johnson and Johnson (1989) concluded cooperative learning results in:

• Increased higher level reasoning
• Increased generation of new ideas and solutions
• Greater transfer of learning between situations

_________________________

 

by Syd Lieberman

In the following TED video, award-winning storyteller and teacher Syd Lieberman demonstrates why story is the most effective way for teachers to share their experiences in order to build support for and understanding of their work. He shows how story touches listeners and readers, and presents a model of how to put together a story that teachers can use in writing their own pieces.

[vsw id=»xJG27jnKQds» source=»youtube» width=»425″ height=»344″ autoplay=»no»]

_________________________

 

 

Compiled by Elaine Gallagher

           Several items must be emphasized to teachers who want to achieve and maintain excellent classroom management.  The ideas are not new.  They have been practiced for many years by good teachers all over the world.

            Dr. Harry Wong has collected them in his book, The First Days of School.  Here are some major ideas that teachers must remember and practice if they want excellent classroom management.             

12 Important Ideas About Classroom Management:

 

1.      The most important variable governing whether the student learns or not is what you do in the classroom.

2.      Discipline = Behavior     Procedures = Doing

3.     What increases my students’ achievement level?

• Classroom management
• My expectations of my students

4.    Learning processes that students must master:

• How to take notes
• How to read a textbook
• How to work in groups

5.    Discipline compared with procedures:

• DISCIPLINE: Concerns how students BEHAVE.
• DISCIPLINE:  HAS penalties and rewards
• PROCEDURES: Concern how things are DONE
• PROCEDURES: Have NO penalties or rewards

6.    Remember, teachers, the number one problem in the classroom is NOT discipline; it is the lack of procedures and routines.

7.    An effective teacher MANAGES a classroom.   An ineffective teacher DISCIPLINES a classroom.

8.   Procedures must be rehearsed again and again until they become routines. 

9.   PROCEDURE: What you want students to do ROUTINE: What the students do automatically.

10. Research says that there must be an assignment posted before the students walk in.  The assignment must be posted in the same consistent location every single day.

11. Your very first priority when the class starts is to get the students to work.

12. It is the teacher who makes the difference in the classroom.  It is the teacher who makes the difference in student achievement.

            If teachers follow the ideas presented in the twelve important statements about classroom management, and if they prepare the day’s assignment every night in order to have it ready to post the next morning in the classrooms, the students are going to learn that the teacher means business!  Students are going to have a more positive attitude about the class because every student deserves a teacher who cares enough to be organized and to have high expectations for her/his students’ progress.

______________________________________

 

Dear Teachers: Here is a play adapted from THE NUTCRACKER ballet.You can use it as an oral reading activity…or you could begin to practice it as a play to be presented in the new year, 2014, so your students and the audience will have a Christmas spirit even after Christmas.   Elaine Gallagher.

 

 

THE NUTCRACKER

 

AN ADAPTATION

THE WHOLE SCHOOL CAN PARTICIPATE, THERE ARE ENTRANCES FOR FIRST OF PRIMARY, THEN SECOND OF PRIMARY, ETC.

STUDENTS CAN READ THE SCRIPT FROM THE I-PAD PROJECTED ON THE WALL OR SCREEN. PARTS DON’T HAVE TO BE MEMORIZED IF THIS IS TO BE A READING LESSON.

OBTAIN ON-LINE OR FROM  A CD THE MUSIC FROM THE NUTCRACKER SUITE…..

«THE DANCE OF THE SUGAR PLUM FAIRIES» IS ONE OD THE MOST POPULAR SONGS IN THE SUITE, BUT ALL THE MUSIC IS FAMILIAR TO MANY PEOPLE.

(MUSIC UP.  ENTER CLARA’S GODMOTHER.  SITS IN CHAIR STAGE FRONT LEFT )

GODMOTHER

Good evening to you all and before I forget.. a very Merry Christmas!!!  This is a very special story, about a very special girl named Clara.

(ENTER CLARA WALTZING.  MOTHER FOLLOWS.)

I don’t say that she’s special just because she’s my god daughter but because everybody who knows her can’t help but remark about her kindness, her gentleness with others, her generous spirit and most of her great capacity to love.

MOTHER

Come along Clara, it’s time to go to bed.

CLARA

Ooh read me a story mother, please do.  I promise that I will fall right off to sleep before you’re finished.

MOTHER

I’m sure about that!  Especially because tonight is Christmas Eve…

CLARA

That’s right!  Tonight is Christmas Eve the most special, the most magical night of the year.  It’s the night that Baby Jesus is born and with him hope and love will reign all over the Earth!

MOTHER

That’s right…tonight anything can happen.

GODMOTHER

This Christmas Eve was going to be a very unique one for our little Clara. She had all different sorts of toys and you would think that with so many of them she wouldn’t have time to play with them all, but you don’t know Clara.  She not only gave each of them a name but she loved them so dearly that they were like brothers and sisters to her. That Christmas I had made her a nutcracker in the shape of a toy soldier and she took to him right away.

CLARA

Now I’m really sleepy mother. (YAWNS AND STRETCHES )  But before I fall asleep I must say goodnight to all my toys.

(BEGINS WALKING AROUND THE ROOM SAYING GOODNIGHT AND GIVING A KISS TO HER TOYS.  SHE STOPS IN FRONT OF THE SOLDIER )

Goodnight my nutcracker, I haven’t thought of a name for you yet.  But don’t you worry I’ll think of something soon.  I hope you’ll be happy here….I hope that you’ll stay.

MOTHER

Wherever would he go Clara?  I’m quite certain he feels at home with all the other toys.

CLARA

(GETTING INTO BED YAWNING )

You never know mother…toys can be so strange sometimes.  He’ll only stay if he feels at home.  I must think of a name for him.

(MUSIC. MOTHER KISSES HER GOODNIGHT AND CLARA BEGINS TO FALL ASLEEP )

GODMOTHER

Clara was right.  Toys can be so peculiar.  Only a toy that is truly loved lasts a long time.  And as all of Clara’s toys were loved, they not only lasted forever but when she slept they came to life!

( MUSIC. THE SUGAR PLUM FAIRY COMES TO LIFE FIRST AND USES HER WAND TO WAKE THE OTHER TOYS ONE BY ONE. TOYS BEGIN TO WAKE UP ALL EXCEPT FOR THE NUTCRACKER )

BALLERINA

Whoooooo are you????

(SHE POKES HIM )

TEDDY BEAR

(WALKING AROUND HIM AND MAKING FACES )

What a strange looking character.  He doesn’t move…he doesn’t blink. He doesn’t even talk!

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY

Let him be.  Can’t you see that he’s new?

RAG DOLL

And so?  What does that have to do with anything?

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY

Well, when a toy is new, well you know ….he’s new!

TEDDY BEAR

And soooo?

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY

And so Clara hasn’t had time to get to know him yet.  To get to love him yet.  Why he doesn’t even have a name as yet!

RAG DOLL

I still don’t understand what you’re trying to say Sugar Plum Fairy.

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY

Why every toy knows or should know that a toy doesn’t…can’t come to life unless he is truly loved by the child who owns him.

BALLERINA

Ohh…I see!  Well poor little thing.  I hope he stays.

TEDDY BEAR

Ok! Ok! Enough talk, it’s Christmas Eve and time for the festivities to begin.

RAG DOLL

That’s right….it’s that magical time of year when the gates of Toyland open up and we celebrate the joyous occasion of the night!

BALLERINA

Sugar Plum Fairy! Wave your magic wand…open the gates of Toyland and let the celebration begin.

(ENTER 1^ST PRIMARY)

GODMOTHER

Poor nutcracker.  He wanted so desperately to join in all the fun but he couldn’t.  But wait….are those visions of the nutcracker soldier dancing in Clara’s mind?  Could it be that as she sleeps she dreams of her brand new toy?

TEDDY BEAR

Bravo! Bravo!  What’s next? 

(PAUSE)

BALLERINA

Why are the toys taking so long?

(MUSIC. ENTER THE RAT KING)

RAT KING

What is this?  What is going on here? 

SUGER PLUM FAIRY

Who…who are you

RAT KING

I am the Rat King!  The new ruler of Toyland!  I am the one who says what should happen and when it should happen…what are you all doing with my subjects?

RAG DOLL

Well, it’s Christmas Eve, the most important night of the year.  It’s the night that Baby Jesus is born.

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY

And every year we celebrate His birth be inviting the toys from Toyland to come and visit us and share in the Christmas spirit.

KING RAT

Well not this year!  Not, this year they won’t!  Like I said, I’m the new king and as far as I’m concerned there won’t be any Christmas celebrating tonight!

TEDDY BEAR

Now look here you… you….you RAT!  This is a very special night and you can’t stop it from happening even if you tried!

KING RAT

Maybe not but I can forbid my subjects from coming to visit you and you can do nothing about that! Now what sort of Christmas Eve celebration will it be then?

RAG DOLL

You be careful with what you do Mr. Rat…we…we…we have a soldier here to protect us and  he’ll see to it that you don’t get away with your evil plan.

KING RAT

A soldier?  A soldier? 

(WALKS OVER AND POKES AT THE NUTCRACKER)

Ha!  Is this what you call a soldier?  Why he doesn’t even move…he can’t even talk!  HA! You’ll have to do better than that!

(EXITS LAUGHING)

GODMOTHER

With that the evil Rat King took off, set in his ways to ruin Christmas Eve.  Poor nutcracker.  He wanted to help but he couldn’t move.  Wait!  Clara is still thinking about him, maybe, just maybe she’ll come to love him in her dreams.  Look…he’s beginning to move!

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY

Did you see that?  He moved!

TEDDY BEAR

(GOES OVER TO CLARA IN THE BED)

Oh Clara, dear Clara….Please give him a name, chances are we’ll be needing his help tonight.

BALLERINA

Now what do we do?

RAG DOLL

Yes, what about our Christmas celebration?

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY

Don’t worry, the toys won’t let us down.   I know they’ll come when we call them.  Watch…

(SHE WAVES HER MAGIC WAND) 

(ENTER 2^ND PRIMARY)

TEDDY BEAR

Ooh that was so much fun and that horrible Rat hasn’t shown a whisker yet.

RAG DOLL

Maybe we’ll have our Christmas after all.  Call in the next ones Sugar Plum Fairy

(SHE WAVES HER WAND)

(ENTER 3^RD PRIMARY)

GODMOTHER

They were all having so much fun, even the nutcracker who could begin to feel himself  tingle with life.  Then suddenly….

(MUSIC.  ENTER KING RAT)

KING RAT

Stop all this fun and festivities right now!!!  I thought I had made myself clear!  There will be no celebrating tonight!  Not a single more toy will dance! Not a single more voice will sing or else I will punish all the toys in Toyland and you will never see them again!

(AS HE BEGINS TO EXIT, THE NUTCRACKER BLOCKS HIS PATH WITH HIS SWORD)

KING RAT

And what’s this?  

(BEGINS TO LAUGH)

You think you can stop me my little toy soldier?  My little lifeless nutcracker?  Ha! Ha! You’ll need more than that to get the better of me.

 (EXIT  RAT KING)

TEDDY BEAR

Now what do we do?  I don’t want the other toys to get into trouble for our fault.

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY

Well I’m afraid there’s nothing that we can do.  Tonight is Christmas Eve and with it comes a special feeling.. a feeling of hope and peace for all the world.  The toys must sing…they must dance…they don’t know how to do anything else.

RAG DOLL

Well if it must be, then let it be!

BALLERINA

That’s right…nobody can take away Christmas.  Let the show continue!

(ENTER 4^TH PRIMARY)

GODMOTHER

And so they continued their celebration… the nutcracker becoming more animated as the seconds passed.

TEDDY BEAR

Lovely, just lovely!

RAG DOLL

Shh! Listen!

(THEY ALL APPROACH CLARA’S BED)

CLARA

(IN HER SLEEP)

Ivan…your name will be Ivan!

BALLERINA

That’s it!  She’s given him a name! She really loves her nutcracker soldier.

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY

(APPROACHES THE NUTCRACKER AND WAVES HER WAND OVER HIS HEAD)

Now my dear little nutcracker…you have found the true love of a little girl. Now you will become one of us!

(THE NUTCRACKER COMES TO LIFE AND BEGINS TESTING OUT HIS ARMS AND LEG)

NUTCRACKER

Can it be?  Is it true?  Am I really real?

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY

Once you have been filled with the special  love of a special child and been given a name you come to life.  Welcome nutcracker.  Welcome Ivan, welcome!

TEDDY BEAR

This is truly a most magnificent, a most blessed night!

(MUSIC. ENTER THE RAT KING)

RAT KING

I warned you all.  I told you that if you disobeyed my orders and continued with the celebration I would punish all the toys in Toyland!  Now you will  only have yourselves to blame!

NUTCRACKER

(TAKING OUT HIS SWORD)

On guard you scoundrel!  No on will be allowed to stop the spirit of Christmas. I won’t let you get away with it!

(THE NUTCRACKER AND THE RAT KING HAVE A SWORD FIGHT.  THE NUTCRACKER KNOCKS THE RAT’S SWORD AWAY AND HE RUNS OFFSTAGE.  THE TOYS ALL CHEER AND HUG THE NUTCRACKER)

GODMOTHER

And that was the last time the King Rat was ever to be seen.  He ran far away from Clara’s house and never stepped foot again in Toyland which was from then onward protected by Clara’s brave and kind nutcracker soldier….Ivan.

TEDDY BEAR

Ooh look…the sun is coming up.

BALLERINA

Time for us to take our places.

RAG DOLL

It most certainly has been the best ….

SUGAR PLUM FAIRY

The most magical…….

TEDDY BEAR

The most unforgettable Christmas ever!

NUTCRACKER

(TO THE AUDIENCE)

Christmas is a time for dreams to come true…if mine did, maybe yours will too!

(MUSIC. CLARA WAKES AND YAWNS AND STRETCHES)

CLARA

Why I had the most amazing dream….

(SEES THE NUTCRACKER STANDING GUARD OVER HER BED)

and how did you get here my nutcracker ?

(PAUSE)

Ivan, that’s your name..your name is IVAN. 

( MUSIC. CLOSE CURTAINS )

GODMOTHER

Like I told you, that was a very unique Christmas Eve for Clara.  I hope you all have paid special attention to the message of our story tonight, that we must never let anyone take away the true spirit of Christmas and like the Nutcracker  we must never be afraid to stand up for what we believe in.  HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS 

(MUSIC)

ALL ENTER – FINAL

 ________________________________

 

By Elaine Gallagher

There are five components of a good behavior management plan.    

1. Rules  
2. Procedures  
3. Consequences  
4. Recognition or rewards  
5. Consistency 

These five components fit together well to form what we call “An Assertive Discipline Plan”.  The three words shown above that are in bold print explain the basic plan: Rules, Consequences, and Rewards.   

Teachers must have maximum five written rules for their classroom, visually posted. (The explanation of this follows.)  The rules need to be practiced as procedure, until they become automatic. Very important, also, is that the rules and rewards, and consequences MUST be enforced consistently. 

If a teacher overlooks a student disobeying a rule, or if the teacher enforces the rules with consequences, but does not recognize or reward positive responses, the assertive discipline plan will not function well.   If a teacher follows the assertive discipline plan, and even better, if all the teachers in a building or team of teachers follow the same plan, the behavior and the motivation of the students will improve greatly!

                                 Guaranteed!!!

 

What are the five rules that can apply to every grade level? 

1. Follow directions: the FIRST time.
2. Come to class with all your materials.
3. Eyes on the teacher when he/she is teaching.
4. Be respectful at all times.
5. Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself.

Naturally, you must have consequences in place, escalating in severity, for the non-compliance of your rules. Very important, also, is to have a reward system in place, as well. 

Rewards can be as simple as a smile and verbal praise, to a candy or a pencil.  Class rewards, such as a movie, can also be given so encourage good behavior.

_____________________________________________

 

by Elaine Gallagher

(Statistical data from Alfie Kohn)

         In many of my talks to teachers and parents, throughout Mexico and in various Santillana countries, I mention that I’m an «enemy of homework». Frequently, there is loud applause when I say this, yet, mysteriously, homework continues.  

         So let me provide you with research results. If you want more research sites supporting the ineffectiveness of homework, write to me, and I’ll send you a list for you to complete your own web searches.

         A brand-new study, autumn 2013, on the academic effects of homework offers not only some intriguing results, but also a lesson on the importance of reading a study carefully, rather than relying on summaries by journalists or even by the researchers themselves.

         Let’s start by reviewing what we know from earlier investigations.

         [1] First, no research has ever found a benefit to assigning homework, of any kind or in any amount, in elementary or middle school (secundaria in Mexico). In fact, there isn’t even a positive correlation between having children do some homework (vs. none), or more (vs. less), and any measure of achievement.

         If we’re making 12-year-olds, much less five-year-olds, do homework, it’s either because we’re misinformed about what the evidence says or because we think kids ought to have to do homework despite what the evidence says.

         (2) Second, even at the high school level, (preparatoria in Mexico) the research supporting homework hasn’t been particularly persuasive. There does seem to be a correlation between homework and standardized test scores, but

                   (a) It isn’t strong, meaning that homework doesn’t explain much of the variance in scores,

                   (b) One prominent researcher, Timothy Keith, who did find a solid correlation fifteen years ago, returned to the topic a decade later to enter more variables into the equation, only to discover that the improved study showed that homework had no effect on academic progress after all.

         Now, along comes a new study, then, that focuses on the neighborhood where you’d be most likely to find a positive effect if one was there to be found: math and science homework in high school.

         Like most recent studies, this one by Adam Maltese and his colleagues doesn’t provide rich descriptive analyses of what students and teachers are actually doing in class.

         Thousands of students were asked one question — «How much time do you spend on homework?» — and statistical tests were then performed to discover if there’s a relationship between that number and how they fared in their classes and on standardized tests.

         When kids in two similar datasets were asked how much time they spent on math homework each day, those in the NELS study said 37 minutes, whereas those in the ELS study said 60 minutes.

         There’s no good reason for such a striking discrepancy, nor do the authors offer any explanation. They just move right along — even though those estimates raise troubling questions about the whole project, and about all homework studies that are based on self-report.

         Which number is more accurate? Or are both of them way off? There’s no way of knowing. And because all the conclusions are tied to that number, all the conclusions may be completely invalid.

         But let’s pretend that we really do know how much homework students do. Did doing it make any difference?    

Was there a correlation between the amount of homework that high school students reported doing and their scores on standardized math and science tests?

         One or two hours’ worth of homework every day may buy you two or three points on a test. Is that really worth the frustration, exhaustion, family conflict, loss of time for other activities, and potential diminution of interest in learning?

         And how meaningful a measure were those tests in the first place? They were timed tests of mostly mechanical skills?

Thus, a headline that reads «Study finds homework boosts achievement» can be translated as «A relentless regimen of after-school drill-skill-and kill  can raise scores a wee bit on tests of rote learning.»  No where were researchers measuring critical thinking skills in mathematics, which most mathematicians see as the most important math skill needed to be developed in our schools. This is done by skillful teachers, not by homework mechanical skills.

         But it was grades, not tests, that Maltese and his colleagues really cared about. They were proud of having looked at transcript data in order to figure out «the exact grade a student received in each class «, so they could compare that to how much homework the student did. Previous research has looked only at students’ overall grade-point averages.

         And the result of this fine-tuned investigation?

There was no relationship whatsoever between time spent on homework and course grade, and «no substantive difference in grades between students who complete homework and those who do not.»

         This result clearly caught the researchers off-guard. When you measure «achievement» in terms of grades, you expect to see a positive result — not because homework is academically beneficial, but because the same teacher who gives the assignments evaluates the students who complete them, and the final grade is often based, at least partly, on whether, and to what extent, students did the homework. Even if homework were a complete waste of time, how could it not be positively related to course grades?

         And yet it wasn’t. Again. Even in high school. Even in math. The study zeroed in on specific course grades, which represents a methodological improvement, and the moral may be: The better the research, the less likely one is to find any benefits from homework.

                  Maltese and his colleagues did their best to reframe these results to minimize the stunning implications. Like others in this field, they seem to have approached the topic already convinced that homework is necessary and potentially beneficial, so the only question we should ask is How — not whether — to assign it.

         But if you read the results carefully, you’ll find that there’s not much to prop up the belief that students must be made to work a second shift after they get home from school.

         The assumption that teachers are just assigning homework badly, that we’d start to see meaningful results if only it were improved, is harder and harder to justify with each study that’s published.

         If experience is any guide, however, many people will respond to these results by repeating platitudes about the importance of practice, or by complaining that anyone who doesn’t think kids need homework is coddling them and failing to prepare them for the «real world» (read: the pointless tasks they’ll be forced to do after they leave school).

         Those open to evidence, however, have been presented this autumn with yet another finding that fails to find any meaningful benefit, even when the study is set up to give homework every benefit of the doubt.

_________________________________

by Elaine Gallagher     

Finally, to end this topic, here are three Reading aloud stories for the 5th and 6th graders.

These stories definitely are NOT intended to be used as a quiz, homework, or class assignment!

READING ALOUD is a stimulating technique to promote oral listening and spoken fluency for children of all ages. DAILY reading aloud, for all ages, is our goal. The same story can be read several times during a week. The students actually enjoy hearing them over and over, because the tale will begin to make more sense, and fluency builds

==============================================

Grades five or six

STORY #1: “Cats in History”

Art: Ideas follow the story.

Emotional Intelligence: Topics follow the story.

General Topic: “Dinosaurs and Extinction”

Vocabulary:    died, was, were, wanted, ate, happened, made, drank, extinction, bigger, longer, smaller, taller, bone 

Cats in history

            Cats have been around almost as long as men. Because they are highly adaptable animals, extinction was never a problem for cats. No matter what has happened with the Earth’s  changes, cats have survived for thousands of years.

            More than 5,000 yearsago, humans began domesticating cats.  They wanted cats for their pets. From tigers to Siamese cats and all types in between, cats have been pets of  humans.

            Cats have been found in the burial sites of ancient Egyptians. When cats died, they were mummified and buried with their owners.

            In ancient times, cats ate meat, such as rats, mice, and snakes, and drank water. Today they still like forms of meat, such as fish or canned food or meat and dry cat food made from meat or fish flavor.

            There are many different kinds of cats today that have evolved over thousands of years.  Some cats are bigger than others; some are smaller than others. There is a wide variety. Some cats are taller, some are longer. From a wild tiger, to a tame baby kitten, we are looking at all the different types of cats in the world today.

            There are more cats in humans’ homes than dogs. We hear about dogs being “man’s best friend”, but it appears that worldwide statistics show that cats are really humans’ best friends because there are many more cats in homes than dogs.

            In ancient Egyptian days, the cat was a symbol of royal power. As time went on, cats became symbols of witches.

            Superstitions developed, and people believed that if a black cat crosses in front of your path, you will have bad luck.

            Another superstition is that cats have nine lives. That is not true.  What is true is that cats are very agile and can jump from high heights without breaking a bone.  But they don’t actually have nine lives.

            In the 21^st Century, superstitions became less important, and people began to value cats for their independence and their aloof type of companionship. Many people who wanted a cat as a pet are happy they decided to get one.

            Cat shows, competition for the most beautiful cats, became important in developing the sophistication of cats today.

            People become very attached to their pet cats.  Cats even sleep in the same beds with their owners in some households!  They are real family members!

            Since cats live about 14 years, many people have several cats in their lifetime.  Some people even have several cats at the same time.

            There have been books and movies made about cats.  One famous book, was also made into a movie. It is called, “Thomasina.”  Maybe you can rent the movie and learn about the life of Thomasina.

            An interesting survey you can do is to poll your classmates to see how many pets they have, and what kinds: dogs, cats, fish, turtles, and so on. Make a graph to show the number and kinds of pets your classmates or your neighbors have. You can discover:  What is true: Are there more pet cats or dogs in your neighborhood?

THE END

 NOTE TO TEACHERS:

  Art project:   You could have students make a cat collage, cutting, and pasting cats from magazine pictures.

 Another idea: They could stuff a bag with newspapers, glue on ears and whiskers, and a tail, and have a cat.

 Emotional Intelligence: Do you like cats? Explain. What is your favorite animal? Why do you think people have pets? Can people love a pet as much as they love other humans?  Is this weird or natural? Explain. Do you think that pets can have «love» for their owners? Explain. Give examples for your ideas

Another idea: Have students work in teams to produce a virtual project about cats that they decide to do. They will not actually need to do the project (unless they decide to).The major goal is to have them talk about how it feels to work in a group, as a team.  Discuss the positive and the negative sides of working in teams and working independently. Under which circumstances are some activities better suited for group work or for independent work?  Discuss.

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Grade six

STORY: “Whales in Acapulco”

General Topic: “It’s Fun!”

Art: Ideas follow the story.

Emotional Intelligence: Topics follow the story.

Vocabulary:    boring, exciting, fun, hard, interesting, silly, faster, longer, shorter, younger, older, fastest, longest, slowest, meter, winner, trophy, palapa.

Whales  in  Acapulco

             The Greenlaw family went to Acapulco for their Christmas vacation. Since Acapulco is warm all year long, they wanted to rest in the sun  away from the winter cold of  New York City. They had two weeks after Christmas, to enjoy their vacation at the beach.

            Each day they sat in the chairs under the palapas along the ocean.  They played, read books, swam, and relaxed, enjoying the beauty of the ocean.

            On the fifth day of their vacation, there was a lot of noise  and excitement with many people along the edge of the water!  Richard and Kathy Greenlaw ran to the crowd.  The people were pointing  to the water.  There, as clear to see as the sun in the sky, was a whale in the ocean.

            “Wow!!! Look at the whale.  I have never seen one in my life” exclaimed Richard.

            “I haven’t seen one either,” shouted Kathy.

            They continued to watch the whale. As he shot up water from his blowhole, the crowd of people was amazed. It appeared that the whale was putting on a show for them.

            “I guess the whale wanted a vacation in Acapulco, too.  Maybe he wanted to escape the cold winter up north,” said a tall man watching the whale swim in a big circle. Everyone laughed.

            Then, to their amazement, a second, smaller whale swam next to the big whale.  They both moved quickly in a big circle.  Then, as the crowd continued to watch, the two whales swam off together, side, by side.

             Richard and Kathy said to each other, “I guess this was NOT a boring vacation!  This was interesting! We got to see two whales.”

            “What do you think was happening, Richard?” asked Kathy.

            He answered, “They were probably a family, migrating from the northern cold waters to here for the winter. Maybe they got separated on the journey.  The big whale made lots of noise when he blew water from his blowhole. Maybe the sound reached the smaller whale, who found the family.”

            Kathy exclaimed, “You should be a scientist!”

            “Maybe I will be some day, “answered her brother.

            Kathy said, “Let’s go back to the hotel to tell Mom and Dad what we saw today! This has been an exciting day!  I can’t believe that we saw real whales!  What a day!!!! We saw whales in Acapulco!” 

 THE END

 NOTES TO TEACHER:

Art: Students can research whales and make a poster showing types of whales. The project should include at least one three-dimensional whale on the poster. Students have to decide HOW they will make the 3-dimensional whale. They could also include a sea view on their poster. Creativity is what you should encourage. Students can work in pairs if you want.

Emotional Intelligence: Whales are mammals, like dogs and cats or horses. Can a whale be a pet?  Why or why not?  Can whales communicate?  Explain. Research information about whales. Then have a discussion about whales.  Do they have emotions? Can they show caring or love? Give examples.

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STORY: “The Friendly Fox and the Rapid Rabbit”

General Topic: “It’s More Fun! ” and  “Show Time!”

Art: Ideas follow the story.

Emotional Intelligence: Topics follow the story.

Vocabulary for fluency: choose, baseball, coin, insects, soccer, tennis, track,    volleyball, I think it’s fun. Which is the fastest? thought, caught, decided, slept, came, found, invited, missed, ran, went, ate, jumped, entered, city, country, characters, setting, fable, summary,  laughed, sleeping,     going to, sing. 

The Friendly Fox and the Rapid Rabbit

            Once upon a time there was a friendly fox, and a rapid rabbit.  Usually, foxes eat rabbits, but this fox was friendly. He just wanted to be friends with the animals. He was happy eating the left-over food that the farmer left near the big garbage bucket.

            The rabbit could run very quickly and loved to have races with the other rabbits because Rapid Rabbit always won!

            One day a turtle said to Rapid Rabbit, “Will you race with me?” 

            Rapid Rabbit said, “No…you are too slow.  It would not be an exciting race.”

            The turtle said, “Please.  I always see only rabbits  running the race.  I want to try, too.”

            “O.K.” said Rapid Rabbit, “But it won’t be fair. I can run so much faster than you.”

            “That’s OK”, said the Turtle.  “I just want to have the opportunity to race against you.”

            So the turtle and the rabbit lined up.  The Friendly Fox said that he would be the judge.

            The rabbit and the turtle had to run all the way to the end of the field and back again to the Friendly Fox.

            “ Ready…..set…..almost time to go. One, two, three….GO!!!!” shouted  Friendly Fox.

 NOTE TO TEACHERS:

Art: Have students, in pairs, make a panel with six sections on a poster, numbering them 1-6. Then have the students draw six scenes from the story in sequential order. They can draw, paint, cut/paste, use materials of any type in order to make an interesting and creative panel.

Emotional Intelligence: This story is based on an Aesop’s Fables tale.  The students may have seen this story before. Now they will discuss it as a lesson in morals.

_______________________

by Elaine Gallagher     

Now is the turn for reading aloud stories for the 4th and 5th graders.

These stories definitely are NOT intended to be used as a quiz, homework, or class assignment!

READING ALOUD is a stimulating technique to promote oral listening and spoken fluency for children of all ages. DAILY reading aloud, for all ages, is our goal. The same story can be read several times during a week. The students actually enjoy hearing them over and over, because the tale will begin to make more sense, and fluency builds

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STORY #1: “ Paul, the Proud Peacock”

General topic “All About Us”

Art: Ideas follow the story.

Emotional Intelligence: Topics follow the story.

Vocabulary for fluency: shorter, taller, older, younger, long, excited, happy, sad, scared, giraffe, lion, elephant, proud, to fan out, arch shape, goose, geese, turkey, gobble, pea hen, terrific, sayings (those sayings)

Paul, the Proud Peacock

            A peacock is a beautiful bird. The female peacock is very plain and is called a pea hen.  When we think of a peacock, usually we are thinking of the male.  The male peacock is outstanding.  It has huge, gorgeous tail feathers that fan out into a beautiful arch shape.

            Paul is a peacock.  He is proud of his feathers. 

            If you can see his feathers up close, you can see how beautiful they are. Many peacocks can be seen proudly strutting in gardens of famous hotels or of kings.

            Paul’s head up close looks like he is wearing a crown.  Paul is so proud to be a peacock. He has gorgeous, long tail feathers that he can fan out, and he has a crown of feathers on his head.

            Paul used to live in a circus. When the circus closed, the owner found a new home for Paul. Poor Paul. He had been happy in the circus. He was sad he had to leave.

            First, Paul went to a hotel, where peacocks were strutting on the front lawn.  But when summer was over, and the tourists stopped coming, the hotel needed to find homes for the peacocks.

            Paul went to live on a farm. A farmer bought him so his farm would have an unusual pet.  Paul is the only peacock on his farm.  There are many turkeys and chickens, and ducks, geese, pigs, and cows, and swans…but only one peacock.

            Paul had a good, happy, peaceful home on the farm.  There were no kids running after him to pull out his tail feathers like at the hotel. Paul was peaceful and he was proud. He spent much time teaching the turkeys, the chickens, the ducks, the geese, and the swans how to be proud.  Only the swans understood how to be proud, so they were easy to teach. 

            Paul had to teach the others to be proud. “You are elegant,” Paul said to the goose.    She stood up a little taller, and looked more proud of herself.   

            “You have such a beautiful neck and gobbler,” Paul said to the turkey. The turkey gobbled and stretched his neck a bit longer, and he seemed to grow taller.

            “Gobble, gobble, gobble,” said all the turkeys together.  They sounded proud, and they were, thanks to Paul.

            “What gorgeous smooth white feathers you have, and such a nice long neck, too,” Paul said to the geese. They fluffed up their feathers and stood tall, making typical squawking sounds that geese make.  They honked in loud, proud voices. 

            The farmer asked Paul, “Why do you teach everyone on my farm to be proud?  I know that there is a saying, ‘Proud as a peacock’, so you need to be proud.

            But we also hear other sayings such as, ‘Silly as a goose’, or “He’s a chicken’, when someone is cowardly. Or we hear, ‘What a turkey’, about someone who fails.”

            “Yes”, said Paul, “I have heard those sayings, too. But so have all the turkeys, the geese, and the chickens. When they hear those things, they become, more timid, and unfriendly.  When they feel good about themselves, they stand tall, and they are happier, and they help everyone to be happy, too.  So I spend my time praising the other animals. If we are all proud, we will be happy.  It will help everyone on the farm.” 

            “I hope,” said the farmer, “That you keep teaching everyone to be proud. I never knew how important it is to be proud. I am so proud that you are living on my farm.”

            Paul, the proud peacock, said, “You are the best farmer in the world. I am so happy you chose to take me home with you. You are terrific!”  

            The farmer stood a little taller, puffed out his chest a bit more, and looked proudly at his farm.  Paul, the proud peacock looked back at the farmer and spread out his beautiful tail feathers. He was proud that the farmer liked him to teach others to be proud.

THE END

 Note to teachers:

1. Art:  You can have students make a peacock, made from paper or clay.

2. You can also have children investigate in a computer more facts about peacocks.  Then they can make a peacock, working in teams of two, so they can make lots of feathers for their peacock.

3. Emotional intelligence:Discuss PRIDE….is it a good quality or a negative one? How can we develop pride?  What are some examples of pride? Who do you know that is proud?  Why?  Are you proud of yourself?  Why or why not?  Explain. Can someone be TOO proud?  How would you describe a proud person?  How would you describe a person who is TOO proud?

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STORY #2:  “The Noisy Rooster”

Coordinates with topic: “Last Weekend”

Art: Ideas follow the story.

Emotional Intelligence: Topics follow the story.

Vocabulary for fluency: get up in the morning, watch TV, take a shower, go to bed, do, eat, go, make, ride, run, before, after, noisy, quiet, products, production (wool production), comfortable, crowing (crowing about).

 

THE NOISY ROOSTER

            It was morning on the farm.  It was early and still dark with some pink and purple colors in the morning sky. It was time to get up in the morning on the farm.

             Farmer Smith and his family lived on the farm. Mrs. Smith, the children, Joshua and Nicholas, and their big sheep herding dog, Barney, lived on the farm.

            The Smiths raised animals and plants on their farm. They had forty sheep for wool production. They sheared the sheep every spring. They bagged the sheared wool and sold it to the cloth production factory in the city, forty miles away. 

            Life on the farm was peaceful and comfortable.There was only one problem on the farm: the rooster. He did not know he was a bother, but he was too noisy.  Most roosters yell, “Cocka-doodle-do, cocka-doodle-do” in the mornings, waking up the family.

            Roosters are like an alarm clock that’s alive. Farms like to have roosters, because they wake up the family.

            This rooster that lived on Mr. Smith’s farm was a noisy one.  He was the noisiest rooster in all of Indiana. He yelled, “Cocka –doodle –do, cocka-doodle-do, cocka-doodle-do” all day.  He cried it out at five o’clock in the morning, nine o’clock in the morning, at noon time, at two o’clock, at four, and at six in the afternoon.           

            Farmer Smith and his family asked each other: “Doesn’t that rooster have anything else to do? Doesn’t he ever go to sleep?  We can hardly hear the TV because the rooster is too loud.”

             “I can even hear the rooster when I take a shower,” said Farmer Smith.

             “I hear the rooster when I get up in the morning,” said Mrs. Smith. “It’s OK in the morning, but all day screeching ‘Cocka-doodle-do’ is driving me crazy!” she exclaimed.

            “The worst thing is that when I go to bed, I still hear the rooster squawking”, said Farmer Smith. “There is just too much noise. What can we do?” Farmer Smith asked his wife.

            “Well,” answered his wife, “We could cook him and have a nice baked rooster for dinner. That would get rid of the problem”.

            “No”, said Framer Smith.  I do not want to cook him.  It’s not his fault he crows a lot.  It is his instinct.  We can’t cook him in the oven when he is just acting on instinct.”

            “Maybe he’s lonely”, said Joshua. “Maybe he wants to go back where he came from before we found him in the road.  Let’s let him loose, out of the chicken coop. and see what he does,” said Nick. They opened the gate.  The rooster looked around and then flew to the top of the fence. He looked around again, and then jumped down on the ground and began to run.

            “Look at him go!” exclaimed Farmer Smith.  They watched across the field. They suddenly saw a big white rooster who flew to the fence.                                             

            The white rooster jumped down and began to go towards the noisy rooster. The white rooster flapped his wings as if he was very happy to see the noisy rooster.  They got close to each other and began to walk down the road together, just as if they knew where they were going.

            “Look at that, “declared Farmer Smith. “They are walking together as if they are great friends or family!”

            Mrs. Smith thought for a minute. Then she said, “They are probably brothers that were separated as babies. I bet our rooster was crying, hoping that his brother would hear him.”

            “Maybe you’re right “, said Farmer Smith. “Look at them.”

            Joshua, Nicolas, Mr. and Mrs. Smith looked across the grass.  They saw the two roosters walking together over the field.

            “I guess we’ll have peace and quiet on our farm,” Farmer Smith told his family. “I am glad we decided not to eat the noisy rooster.  He’s with his family now and is happy.  He probably will only crow in the mornings now like a normal rooster because he found his family that he had been  crowing about.

THE  END

 Note to Teachers:

1. Art. Choose an art project that would exemplify farm life. Make any farm animal, painting, mosaics, drawing; they       could make a whole barnyard scene.

2. Emotional intelligence: Discuss your family…happiness, sadness, and why the rooster crowed so much.  Do humans react similarly as the rooster in the story? How do humans react when they miss their family?

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STORY #3: “ Samantha, the Slithering Snake”

General topic; “Your Health ”

Art: Ideas follow the story.

Emotional Intelligence: Topics follow the story. 

Vocabulary for fluency:         What’s the matter? I feel awful.        I feel warm. I feel terrible. I feel sick.           Take an aspirin. Herself,   himself, myself,  yourself,  break,  fall,  feel,  have, hit,  hurt,  ride,  telephone,  helmet,  baseball bat,  slither.

SAMANTHA, THE SLITHERING SNAKE

             Samantha slithered very slowly to her home.

             “What’s the matter, Samantha? asked her Mother.

             Samantha said, “I feel terrible. I feel warm». (We all know that snakes are usually cold). I feel awful!  I feel sick!”

            “Poor Samantha” said her mother.  “Let me give you some hot chicken soup. That always helps me when I am sick. Then, I will give you one baby aspirin, and you will feel better soon.”    

            Samantha didn’t feel herself…so after she had some soup and took the baby aspirin her mother gave her, she curled up and went right to sleep.

            She woke up in three hours. 

             “How do your feel?” asked her Mother.

            “I feel great!  I feel like myself.  I want my baseball cap and my bat and ball!  I am ready to play baseball!”

            “Mother, you are best doctor I know.  The chicken soup and baby aspirin helped me feel better. THANK YOU!”

            Then Samantha slithered to home plate so she could begin to  play baseball with her friends.

THE END

Note to teachers:

1. Art: Have students in groups research about snakes, and complete illustrated reports.  They should separate snakes into harmless and dangerous groups. Samantha in the story is an example of a harmless garden snake.  Have some students find information about this kind of snake. Other students can look into the types of dangerous snakes, such as those who kill prey and/or humans by venom or by constriction. Are there other ways that snakes kill?

2. Multiple intelligence: What happens when you feel sick?  Who helps you?  Are there regular family traditions in your home that apply when you are ill? How can some illnesses be prevented?  Is it possible to be in charge of your own health?  Explain. Are mothers good doctors? Explain.

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by Elaine Gallagher     

(In response to our reader’s request, Elaine now offers us reading aloud stories for third through sixth grades, starting with 3rd and 4^th).

These stories definitely are NOT intended to be used as a quiz, homework, or class assignment!

READING ALOUD is a stimulating technique to promote oral listening and spoken fluency for children of all ages. DAILY reading aloud, for all ages, is our goal. The same story can be read several times during a week. The students actually enjoy hearing them over and over, because the tale will begin to make more sense, and fluency builds

 (Eager and apt readers, may also read these stories by themselves.)

_______________________________________________________________

STORY: “The Ugly Duckling”

General Topic:  “City and Country”

ART: Ideas follow the story.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: Topics follow the story.

 NOTE: Teachers: You may want to read to the students the original, classic story of  “The Ugly Duckling”.

 Vocabulary for fluency: barn, country, farm, fence, field, grass, lake, pond, town, chicken, cow, duck, duckling, horse, sheep, bird, cat, dog, fish, have to, has to, in, on, under, in front of, behind, next to, ugly, swan, egg, hatched, odd-looking.

 The Ugly Duckling

            Once upon a time, there was an egg that cracked open in a field on a farm in the country, far from town. Out popped an ugly duckling.  He was odd-looking.

            The barn on the farm had many kinds of animals, but there were none that looked like the ugly duckling. On the farm there were chickens, cows, ducks, horses, sheep, birds, cats, dogs, and even fish in the large pond.

            The farm was big and beautiful, except for the ugly duckling. Of all the other eggs that hatched open, the baby ducks were cute, and all alike.  But the ugly duckling was different.  Everyone laughed at him. He walked funny.   He could not swim as fast as the other baby ducks. When he was next to the other ducks, it was easy to see that he was different.  He would hide so they could not see him.

            The ugly duckling ate bugs and bread that the farmer gave to him.  He would not leave his hiding place.  The farmer told the ugly duckling, “Don’t worry. You will not always be ugly. When you grow up, you will be handsome and beautiful.” 

            But the ugly duckling did not believe the farmer.

             After three months passed by, the ugly duckling saw the farmer coming with food and water.  He shyly moved towards the farmer who was now his friend.

             “Wow!” exclaimed the farmer.  “Look at you!  Look at you!”

            The ugly duckling went to the pond to see his reflection in the water.  He did not see himself. “What is wrong, Farmer?  I am not here. I do not see myself.  I see another beautiful bird in my place.  What has happened? ”

             The farmer smiled. “You have grown up.  You are not an ugly duckling anymore. You never were a duck. Your egg got mixed in with duck eggs.  You are a swan.  A swan is the most handsome and most elegant bird on my farm.”

            “Look at you,” exclaimed the farmer. “You are not the ugly duckling.  You have changed into a beautiful, graceful swan.  You are the most beautiful bird on my farm.” 

            “Thank you, Farmer, for being my friend all this time.  I have learned a good lesson.  I will never make fun of anyone.  I will be fair and kind to everyone so no one will feel sad as I did.”

            The ugly duckling was not ugly any more.  He walked to the pond and began to swim, proudly and smoothly. The ducks said they were sorry for saying he was ugly.  They told the swan that he was gorgeous. They promised that they would be kind. 

            The ugly duckling, now a beautiful swan, slowly swam away.  He was happy and he was proud.

THE END 

Note to Teachers: 

1. Art: You can have students make a sequence chart, showing pictures in chronological order of the 4 principle parts of the story, from when the egg hatched to when the swan was beautiful and proud.
2. Emotional Intelligence:  Ask students if they have ever felt “ugly”….How does it feel?  Can they talk about what it means to be attractive….popular…..friendly…….??? Ask if they think the story could happen to people???  (beginning            as ugly and then, with time, becoming  attractive and proud)????  Give examples.

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 STORY: “ Pauline, The Parrot Who Talked Too Much”

General Topic: “Animal Homes”

ART: Ideas follow the story.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: Topics follow the story.

Vocabulary for fluency: forest, jungle, river, parrot, sleeping, flying, monkey, do, don’t, elephant, gazebo, rain forest, smooth, gorgeous, exotic, too, to, two.

Pauline, the Parrot who talked too mu

            Pauline was a beautiful parrot with long, smooth, feathers  of red, and yellow,  blue, and green.  All the animals in the pet shop where Pauline lived in her huge cage said that Pauline was the most gorgeous parrot they had ever seen. The monkey, the puppies, and the pet rabbits admired Pauline because she was so beautiful.

            You may know that parrots can live to be 100 years old, so they can be pets for a very long time.  Pauline was 35 years old, young for a parrot.  She was so pretty.  People who came into Timothy’s Exotic Pet Shop loved to look at her.                             

            When Pauline was flying, her beautiful feathers showed their colors: red, and blue, and yellow, and white. Pauline’s best friends were Emily, the elephant, who lived in the field behind the pet shop, and Tomas, the turtle.  Tomas had a very large area outside, with water from a small river.  It was almost like a jungle. 

            Pauline, Emily, and Tomas were friends for 30 years. Parrots and elephants and some types of turtles live a very long time, many, many years. 

            Pauline, Emily, and Tomas had met at Timothy’s Exotic Pet Shop when they were young, and they stayed friends all  these years.

            Emily came to the pet shop when she was only 5 years old.  Her mother had been a circus elephant, but retired to go back to the jungle. The circus did not want a 5 year old baby elephant without a mother, so they gave her to Mr. Timothy, who owned a pet shop for exotic animals.  Mr. Timothy hoped that a nice family would buy Emily, but no one did. She ate too much so was very expensive to keep. Mr. Timothy decided he would not sell her to a zoo.  He wanted her to be free.  “I do love Emily. I will keep her”, thought Mr. Timothy.  That’s why Emily is still at the Exotic Pet Shop.

            On Saturdays and Sundays, Mr. Timothy allows people to ride Emily. They pay one dollar for 10 minutes on Emily’s back.  She loves the people, and she loves the red and gold blanket on her back.  She looks very elegant! 

            Another animal living in Mr. Timothy’s Exotic Pet Shop is Tomas.  He is a very big turtle.  He grows every year and is still growing, even though he is 41 years old.  Tomas came to live in the Exotic Pet Shop when he was 11 years old. He lived on the edge of the small lake in the Mr. Timothy’s huge garden.

            Tomas was given to Mr. Timothy when his owners moved to Alaska to work on the petroleum pipe line.  Alaska would be too cold for Tomas.  His human family wanted him to be safe and happy, so they gave him to Mr. Timothy who would take good care of Tomas.

            Tomas was happy at the Exotic Pet Shop.  He had his friends, Emily, the elephant, and Pauline, the parrot. He also had Mr. Timothy who took good care of him.  Tomas

kept growing, bigger, and bigger, and bigger every year.    

            Tomas ate very little food. Mr. Timothy fed Tomas five flies, 10 mosquitoes, a big spoonful of dried fish eggs mixed with water, and some lettuce.  That was what Tomas ate in 3 days. He spent time sleeping quietly, not moving for many hours each day.

            The opposite was Emily.  She was difficult to care for and expensive.  She needed a lot of water to drink and to bathe in.  She ate 2,000 pounds of food every week, grass and vitamins. 

            Another exotic pet living in Mr. Timothy’s Exotic Pet Shop is Pauline, the gorgeous parrot, who has lived at the Exotic Pet Shop for 25 years.  She got there when she was 10 years old. She had had 10 different owners when she arrived at the Exotic Pet Shop. No one wanted to keep her. She had one bad habit.  Many parrots nip and bite people.  Not Pauline.  She gets close to people, and wants them to pet her feathers and tell her she is beautiful.  Pauline is not shy or mean.  She is friendly.  She likes people. 

            If Pauline is beautiful, doesn’t bite people, is clean, eats only a little food each day,  why don’t people want to keep Pauline?

            Why? Sad to say…Pauline talks too much.  She only is quiet when she is sleeping.  During the day and night, she never shuts up. If a phone rings, she’ll yell over and over again, “Pick it up! Pick it up! Pick it up!”

             If someone rings the doorbell, she’ll shout, “Come in. Come in Come in! Come in!”

            If a woman walks by, Pauline will whistle at them and say, “Hi beautiful!  Hi beautiful!  Hi beautiful!”

            When a man walks by, Pauline will call out, “ Hey handsome…hey handsome…hey handsome!”

            If an animal walks by, Pauline says, “You are ugly.  You are ugly.  You are ugly!”

            In her cage, she is even noisier, talking for 7 or 8 hours.

            Why does Pauline talk so much?

            Pauline is sad that she is not with her friends outside.  She wants to be with Emily and Tomas.  She only sees them when her cage is put outside for a few hours on nice, sunny days. When she is with Emily and Tomas, she is quiet because she is happy to be near them.

            But when she not with them, she says the same thing 5 or 10 times, over and over.

            Now you know why no one wanted to keep Pauline.  She talks too much! 

            Poor Pauline.  She wants people to love her. And they do love her, but she talks too much!  She tries NOT to talk, but the words just come out!

            Mr. Timothy didn’t know what to do. 

            Finally, he had a wonderful idea to help Pauline!

            What do you think Mr. Timothy is going to do?

            First, he built a round gazebo for Pauline in his big back yard where Emily and Tomas are most of the time.  He put plants, food trays, and water dishes in the gazebo. He put screening on the gazebo so Pauline could not fly away, and so other birds would not bother her.

            He added a big mirror so that Pauline could see herself and talk to herself without bothering the humans.

            When Mr. Timothy finished making the gazebo, he brought Pauline there in her cage.  He opened the cage, and let her fly freely into the huge gazebo.  Pauline never had so much space!

            Now, inside the gazebo, she could fly and be safe. Pauline was so very happy!  She had a new home!  She could see Emily and Tomas every day! Pauline felt safe and comfortable, and not alone. She didn’t talk too much anymore…just enough so people would say, “Let’s see if we can get that parrot to talk!”

            Pauline, and Emily, and Tomas all looked at each other and smiled! They were all so very happy!

THE  END

 NOTE TO TEACHERS:  

1. Art:  The children can work in teams organizing a rain forest scene for a background, and then and drawing, coloring/painting, cutting, pasting, various animals of the rain forest, including, of course, many parrots. The use of various media (tissue paper, colored paper, paints, colors) plus making two and three-dimensional art projects, will help to make the scene top quality. 
2. Emotional intelligence: Why do you think Pauline talked so much? Do you know someone who talks too much? How do others treat them? How should we react to people   who talk too much? Do you think that if we understand WHY we do something, it is easier to improve our  behavior?  Discuss.        

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STORY #3: “George, the Tallest Giraffe”

General Topic: “The Food I Eat”

ART: Ideas follow the story.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: Topics follow the story.

Vocabulary for fluency: apple, cake, candy, cheese, chocolate, egg, fruit, grapes, milk, bananas, I’d like, some, any, lunch, tall, taller, tallest, strange, supposed to be, heavy, light (adjective, opposite of heavy), elephant’s trunk, miss, missing, missed

“George, the Tallest Giraffe”         

            George was a tall, tall, tall giraffe. He was taller than his mother.  He was taller than his father.  He was taller than anyone he knew. He was even taller than the biggest elephant, but he wasn’t as heavy.  He didn’t have a trunk like an elephant, but he had a tall, tall, tall neck.

            George was embarrassed at how tall he was. His mother told him, “George, giraffes are supposed to be tall.” But George wanted to be shorter.  George had the longest neck, and the tallest legs of his whole village. “I’d like to be shorter,” said George.

             When he went to the movies, nobody behind him could see the movie. He ate chocolate candy, and he shared with his friends, but he was so unhappy because he was so very tall.

             Even at home, he had to sleep on the floor.  The beds were too short, even though they were special giraffe beds. They were too short for George.

            He was tall, and giraffes are supposed to be tall, as his mother had told him, but he was unhappy. George decided that he was going to go for a long, long walk to see if he could find any other giraffe taller than he.

            So he left home, and left a note for his mother so she would not worry. “Dear Mother, I am going to the next village to see if I can find another very, very ,very tall giraffe. If I do, I won’t think I am so strange.”

            George walked a long, long, long time. He passed three villages but he saw no giraffes taller than he.  He decided he would go home. He was missed his family and he was tired.

            All of a sudden, he heard a strange sound. “Cheep, cheep, cheep”.  He looked and saw on the ground a little baby bird. “Help me, help me”, said the little yellow bird. “I fell out of my nest and can not fly.  I am too little. If I can not get back in my nest, a cat might eat me.”

            “Where is your nest?” asked George.

            “Up in that tree.  No one can reach it because it is too high.  I have been here since morning and no one can help me,” said the scared little bird.

            George looked way up He saw how high the tree was. George smiled.

            “Why are you smiling?” asked the little yellow bird. “I fell out of the tree.  I can not get back up in the tree because I am a baby bird and can not fly…..and you are smiling. I do not understand.”

            George said, “I was always sad I was very, very tall. I was the tallest giraffe in many villages. Now, I can be useful. I can pick you up and put you back in your nest.”

            Carefully, with his mouth, George picked up the little yellow bird, and put him back in the tree. 

            “Oh, thank you! Thank you!” exclaimed the bird.

            George felt so happy. George was never sad again.  He was proud and happy to be the tallest giraffe because he knows “Giraffes are supposed to be tall.”

THE END

Note to Teachers: 

1. Art: You can have the students make a tall giraffe by teaching them how to join several pieces of paper together, and drawing the neck, which could be 3 pieces of paper long.  Attach the neck with tape to the body and head, resulting in a tall, tall giraffe. They can color their giraffe to complete it. 
2. Emotional Intelligence: talk about feeling different, feeling unwanted.  Discuss what happened in the story.  When did the giraffe discover that he was supposed to be tall? What experiences can help us feel better about ourselves?  Discuss…and share your experiences with the students.  You are their role model.

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