Show and Tell

Show and Tell just kills me. If you want a way to get your kids to think out of the box, just tell them that show and tell items have to be educational-something that we can learn from. I told them from the first that what they bring can be items they have made or bought, but absolutely no toys. I can't believe the creative ways they come up with to show a toy and make it "legal." A few weeks ago we had a toy cat whose owner told us that she had made the cat with her grandma. Grandma had allegedly bought the fur and stuffing at a craft store and they made it together. The cat's owner then proceeded to show us that the cat had a compartment in the bottom that you could put two batteries in and the cat would meow. The cat was then thrust into my arms as she produced the cat's matching kitten from her backpack. After we listened to the both cats meow a couple of times I said to the owner, "Are you sure you and your grandma made these?" "Yes, we did," she said. "Are you really sure?" I said. "Yes," was her reply again.
I then turned the cat I was holding over and held up the "Made in Taiwan" tag. I really wanted to say "so you must live in Taiwan, then." But being the nice teacher I am, I just gave her that look that we as teachers strive to perfect. You know, the one that says I know exactly what you are doing and you can't fool me. As soon as she saw the tag, she suddenly remembered that this wasn't the right cat that she and her grandma made, they actually made a different one that was still at home.

Another time a student brought a Hannah Montana eraser in the shape of a heart. Thinking that I wouldn't allow it, she told the class that her dad was a scientist (he's not) and that she and her dad had made this eraser from a "special" material that doesn't break. She told us how they had a mold and poured the solution in and then they painted a Hannah Montana picture on the front. She then proceeded to show us how she could bend the eraser back and forth and it wouldn't break. The kids were amazed! I thought, "hmmm, I need to talk to this student about telling the truth." But then as fate would have it, the problem took care of itself. The kids all asked if she would pass it around so they could see it close up. When the eraser came back around to the front, it was given back to her in two pieces.

I could go on all day about the show and tells we've had so far, but let me just leave you with what we had for this week's show and tell.

1. Aaron's rock collection. A plastic grocery bag filled with hundreds of rocks and each one had its own story.
2. A vending machine ring that we were told was a "very expensive" birthstone ring.
3. A pokemon card that when I told the student that it counted as a toy, he replied that he was showing it to us because the picture was beautiful art.
4. A "very special" pink Hannah Montana backpack. (We've seen this same backpack at three other sessions of show and tell.)
5. A dried and crumbling bread bowl that we were told was from the pioneer times when they didn't have plates and so they ate on stale bread. It broke twice during the day before show and tell and so it's owner and I glued it back together. I had to say no when it was suggested that everyone take a bite to see what it was like to eat in the "olden days."

This last one was funny to me, yet very true, and actually led us into a great discussion about the pilgrims and what people ate back then. It came from one of my very creative thinking students who always brings the most interesting things for show and tell. I love to see her mind at work.