Friday, January 30, 2009

For Good, Not For Evil

This week my 6th grade gifted classes were studying about the digestive system. In order to show them the great length of the system I had them measure and cut different colors of yarn the correct length for the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small and large intestine.

(In case you are interested- your mouth is measured from your lips to the back of your jaw, the esophagus is measured from your lips to the middle of your chest- right below your rib cage, your small intestine is 4 times your height, and your large intestine is your height.)

It was a great activity with lots of time for discussion as we measured and cut the yarn and tied it all together.

I found myself saying the funniest things during class though and kept thinking that if someone had come in or just heard me without seeing me, they would have thought I was totally and completely insane! The kids laughed and cracked up with me when I would say these things.

Things like...................

Please pick up your small intestine from off of the floor.

Now, don't get your small intestines mixed up with someones else. Keep your intestines to yourself!

Please don't throw your intestines up in the air- they will get all tangled up and you'll die!


At the end of each class I explained that I would let them take the yarn digestive system home, provided that they promised to use it for GOOD (like to show to their parents) and not for EVIL (choking a friend, playing with it in the middle of another class). They all laughed and promised.

As Maddie and I were walking out yesterday afternoon to leave school, there were still some kids waiting to be picked up. As I walked out the door, a group yelled........

Hey, Mrs. L.....look what we are playing with!

I looked over to see them jumping rope .........with their INTESTINES!

The teacher on duty said..........

They explained to me what the yarn represented and promised me they were using it for good and not for evil!

So glad to know they listen.............at least sometimes!