Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Fifth grade ran out of steam today and the teacher declared a game of hangman. Fifth grade is tricky, partly because only three of the 20 students are girls, and partly because the bilingual program only came to the school two years ago. Because they didn't have the advantage of starting young, fifth is struggling with more or less the same lessons as the third graders: past, present, future, and whatever vocabulary their science book demands (jungle animals, currently).

Hangman is fun, though. A boy spaced this phrase on the blackboard:

"- - - - - - - - - - - -"

"A" someone said (yelled).

" - - A - - - - - - A - -"

One of the three girls shot a hand up. "Yes, I know, it is Play Football!" she said. Correct. Everyone laughed. Football=soccer, remember...all the kids are obsessed. "It's so easy to know what boys are thinking about" she said in Spanish as she spaced her word on the board. A long word:

"- - - - - - - - - -"

They still don't know how to guess. Instead of starting with vowels they choose the obscure consonants. The first correct guess, with half the man hanged, was "C"

"C - - C - - - - -"

"Crocodile!" said (yelled) one boy. Correct. "It's so easy to know what girls are thinking about."

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Guess what I'm thinking about:

(a) Blue Oranges
(b) Crocodile Ballet
(c) 2010 World Cup
(d) Christmas Eve at LAX

Unknown said...

(d) probably..it's so easy to know what MOM's thinking about!

my favorite post so far!

Sophie or a said...

posie my favorite sis so far, that above comment was clearly a pop comment. mama uses more adjectives/less mystery.

it's all so easy.

Anonymous said...

many, many, many modifiers from man of no mystery (and first poster), who wishes you safe and composed travels through some really bad weather: have some good books to read and hangman
competitors around . . .

Unknown said...

oh boy I've been gone awhile.

GLITTORIS said...

crocodiles are all female

Anonymous said...

your host wants new post