Read Online Close Encounters of the Third-Grade Kind by Phillip Done - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Phillip Done
Tags: BIO019000
Ads: Link
illustration for teaching students about the layers of the earth. On every messy desk you’ll find the December
dittos stacked on top of November’s grades, which are piled on October’s correcting basket, covering September’s lesson plans.
Just like the layers of our planet, the older layers are on the bottom and the newer ones are on the top. I wouldn’t be surprised
if hole punches and scissors lodged between the piles eventually began to fossilize.
A desk like mine can also be used to simulate a multitude of forces in nature. When a child bumps into my desk and disrupts
one of the piles, students observe the seismic shift of an earthquake. If one of the piles collapses, children witness firsthand
how landslides move. When the teacher sweeps everything on top of his desk into a large box the day before Open House, children
see just how quickly deforestation can wipe out an entire rain forest.
With a messy desk — who needs a social studies text? For my geography unit, I have used the stacks and piles on my desk to
illustrate mountains, hills, caves, caverns, highlands, lowlands, canyons, peaks, valleys, plateaus, crevasses, wilderness
territory, and badlands. When the piles spread onto nearby counters and tables, students understand urban sprawl.
And don’t forget about Mr. Columbus. Digging through a messy desk also provides the perfect metaphor for Columbus’s voyage.
In fact, it is a metaphor for
any
exploration. All of the great explorers faced disappointment, experienced hardships, adjusted their courses, and overcame
adversity. Last week when I realized my keys were missing, I started searching the corner of my desk (
embarked on my quest
). I lifted piles and dug under papers but couldn’t find them anywhere (
disappointment
). After no success, I switched to the other side of the desk (
changed my course
). Suddenly my coffee cup spilled all over the desk (
hardship
). The kids began to laugh (
further hardship
). I ran to the back of the room to get paper towels and mopped up the spill (
overcame adversity
). Then I continued my search (
forged ahead
). Finally, I spotted the end of the key chain, pulled it out from under a stack of books, and shouted, “I found them!” (
joy of discovery
).
This morning after I finished reading to my students, I excused them back to their seats and tossed the Columbus book on my
desk. All of a sudden the tallest pile on the edge came tumbling down into the wastebasket. There was a loud crash. The basket
tipped over. Papers spilled out all over the floor. Everyone stopped and stared at the mess.
“It’s an avalanche!” Trevor shrieked.
What did I tell you? They learn so much.
----
THE MESSY OR TIDY QUIZ
Not sure if you’re a
Messy
or a
Tidy
? Take the following test and find out.
Do you have shoe boxes stacked on the top shelf in your bedroom closet for diorama projects? If yes, give yourself 1 point.
Under your bed? 2 points.
Do you have enough pie tins, glass jars, and plastic cottage cheese tubs under your sink at school to start a recycling
center? 1 point.
When you look at the wilted celery in the vegetable bin in your refrigerator, do you think,
Good. Bunny food
? If yes, 1 point.
Have you ever worn a sweater to work over your shirt even though it was a hot day because nothing at home was ironed? 1
point.
Does your laundry basket look like the Lost and Found box at school? If so, 1 point.
Do you find White Elephant gifts easily in your home? If yes, 1 point.
Are all the alphabet letters on your refrigerator in alphabetical order? If not, 1 point.
When describing your classroom, do you prefer the words
relaxed, comfortable,
and
lived-in
? 1 point.
Do you have school stuff in the passenger seat of your car? 1 point. In the passenger seat
and
the backseat? 2 points. Is your trunk full, too? 3 points.
Can your students write their spelling words in the dust on your TV? 1 point.
Score of 0: My principal will love you.
Score of
dittos stacked on top of November’s grades, which are piled on October’s correcting basket, covering September’s lesson plans.
Just like the layers of our planet, the older layers are on the bottom and the newer ones are on the top. I wouldn’t be surprised
if hole punches and scissors lodged between the piles eventually began to fossilize.
A desk like mine can also be used to simulate a multitude of forces in nature. When a child bumps into my desk and disrupts
one of the piles, students observe the seismic shift of an earthquake. If one of the piles collapses, children witness firsthand
how landslides move. When the teacher sweeps everything on top of his desk into a large box the day before Open House, children
see just how quickly deforestation can wipe out an entire rain forest.
With a messy desk — who needs a social studies text? For my geography unit, I have used the stacks and piles on my desk to
illustrate mountains, hills, caves, caverns, highlands, lowlands, canyons, peaks, valleys, plateaus, crevasses, wilderness
territory, and badlands. When the piles spread onto nearby counters and tables, students understand urban sprawl.
And don’t forget about Mr. Columbus. Digging through a messy desk also provides the perfect metaphor for Columbus’s voyage.
In fact, it is a metaphor for
any
exploration. All of the great explorers faced disappointment, experienced hardships, adjusted their courses, and overcame
adversity. Last week when I realized my keys were missing, I started searching the corner of my desk (
embarked on my quest
). I lifted piles and dug under papers but couldn’t find them anywhere (
disappointment
). After no success, I switched to the other side of the desk (
changed my course
). Suddenly my coffee cup spilled all over the desk (
hardship
). The kids began to laugh (
further hardship
). I ran to the back of the room to get paper towels and mopped up the spill (
overcame adversity
). Then I continued my search (
forged ahead
). Finally, I spotted the end of the key chain, pulled it out from under a stack of books, and shouted, “I found them!” (
joy of discovery
).
This morning after I finished reading to my students, I excused them back to their seats and tossed the Columbus book on my
desk. All of a sudden the tallest pile on the edge came tumbling down into the wastebasket. There was a loud crash. The basket
tipped over. Papers spilled out all over the floor. Everyone stopped and stared at the mess.
“It’s an avalanche!” Trevor shrieked.
What did I tell you? They learn so much.
----
THE MESSY OR TIDY QUIZ
Not sure if you’re a
Messy
or a
Tidy
? Take the following test and find out.
Do you have shoe boxes stacked on the top shelf in your bedroom closet for diorama projects? If yes, give yourself 1 point.
Under your bed? 2 points.
Do you have enough pie tins, glass jars, and plastic cottage cheese tubs under your sink at school to start a recycling
center? 1 point.
When you look at the wilted celery in the vegetable bin in your refrigerator, do you think,
Good. Bunny food
? If yes, 1 point.
Have you ever worn a sweater to work over your shirt even though it was a hot day because nothing at home was ironed? 1
point.
Does your laundry basket look like the Lost and Found box at school? If so, 1 point.
Do you find White Elephant gifts easily in your home? If yes, 1 point.
Are all the alphabet letters on your refrigerator in alphabetical order? If not, 1 point.
When describing your classroom, do you prefer the words
relaxed, comfortable,
and
lived-in
? 1 point.
Do you have school stuff in the passenger seat of your car? 1 point. In the passenger seat
and
the backseat? 2 points. Is your trunk full, too? 3 points.
Can your students write their spelling words in the dust on your TV? 1 point.
Score of 0: My principal will love you.
Score of
Similar Books
