Laugh lines

Teaching Pre K-8, Feb 1998 by Haws, Cynthia

This year we've embarked upon a new vocabulary program in our intermediate grades. A new, fairly simple word that was in this week's fourth grade lesson was "hostess." When the teacher asked if the students were familiar with the word, one youngster piped up, "Oh, I know that one. It's the name of a cupcake!" Now a few from our readers:

An Army Travels on Its Stomach My first graders were participating in making a meal for the Salvation Army soup kitchen in order to feed 80 children. We decided to make pizza, salad and pudding. Before preparing the food, the children wrote stories about the importance of giving and helping others. One student wrote, "It is important to help others so they can be healthy and strong. They need to be in good shape for the war!"

Julie Voegele Patterson

Hanover, IN

Is a Camel a Mammal?

In my second grade science class, we were studying groups of animals. I asked if anyone could tell me what a mammal was. One student raised his hand and said, "An animal with two humps."

Debbie Sharum, Ft Smith AR

Undercover Agent

I was lining up my first grade students to go home at the end of the day. In order not to create confusion, I usually color coordinate the line. When the students who were wearing stripes were called to line up, a little boy in a solid green polo shirt and blue jeans, stood up. When I questioned him where his stripes were, he said, "They are on my underwear. Do you want to see?"

Johanna Bellezza

Chestnut Hill, MA

The Older Woman

One afternoon I overheard two little first grade boys carry on a conversation about a "girl." Suddenly, one boy turned to the other and said, "Yeah, she's old. She's so old, she could be a baby sitter!" When asked how old the girl was, he replied, "Well, she is almost 12!"

Jennifer Blessman,

Carpe nte1le, IL

Productive Politicians

While assisting a sixth grader in our resource room during the Presidential Election, I asked him about the two different parties and if he knew their names. His response: "Reproductive and Democratic."

Gail Emersan

Manchester, NH

More Than a Penny for Your Thoughts

My third graders were discussing changes they would make in the world. When they were asked to write down what they thought was the biggest problem in the world, one responded with "1,000,000 x 2!"

Ann Mohr, Cedar Fall IA

Chicken soup is dear to everyone's heart. . . and it's no different with "Chicken Soup for Little Souls," the new children's book series based on Chicken Soup for the Soul. There are three storybooks, $14.95 each (plus s/h), for kids ages 4-8. Grace Sartor, our teacher-helper, made us read the The Best Night Out With Dad and we cried. Kids need to hear the messages in these books. Call Health Communications, Inc. 800-441-5569 or your local bookstore.

No matter the subject, your students can always take a straight line and turn it into a curve - a big smile that will make everyone laugh! Jot down those curved lines and send them to me, Cynthia A. Haws, Principal, Normandy Elementary, 6750 S. Kendall, Littleton, CO 80212.

Cynthia Haws is Principal of Normandy Elementary School, Littleton, CO and a Teaching Editor of Teaching K-8.