Mrs. Clodius and
Mrs. Crowe
are pleased to announce that our project “A Gift of Hope” (about
Veteran’s
Day), has been awarded $855.00 grant money through the generosity of
the St.
Mary Ann Governal and Mrs. Ellen Ryan Memorial Development Grant. This grant seeks to promote the growth and
development of Catholic educators’ innovative programs and methods.(Participating Teachers also include-Cathy
Borgmann,
Jene` Turnure and Jennifer Buxton)
This project is intended to coincide with Veteran’s Day, and aims to
highlight and bring understanding to what it means to be a veteran. Through this project students will be the
beneficiaries of several resources to help them learn about what it
takes to serve our country.
This
project has
several different components and utilizes various resources. There will be plays
presented on
Veteran’s Day. The first play is called “The Gift of Hope” written by Beth
Clodius, and the second play is “War
Stories” by Scholastic. The
students will draw airplanes from WWI
–WWII and complete rubbings of war medals in art class.
The science teacher will have students
research and make posters on “The
Additionally,
I
intend to use the Jefferson Barracks Historic Site Educational Programs
which
would consist of a field trip to the site to visit the museums and view
a
presentation by a WWI “Doughboy” and
WWII “G.I. Joe.” I will
also use the Missouri Historical
Society’s History to Go! This
program will bring historical characters
to life in one-person plays to our school. The
two presentations will be A Soldier of the Revolution
and Go Home Rosie! I will
borrow authentic costumes for the
plays from Jefferson Barracks as well.
FIELD TRIP: GRADE 6 OCTOBER 23-JEFFERSON
BARRACKS HISTORIC SITE
HISTORY TO GO! A SOLDIER OF THE REVOLUTION -OCTOBER
21 - 1:00-CHURCH BASEMENT
GO HOME ROSIE!-OCTOBER 28-1:00-CHURCH BASEMENT
GRADE 6 FIELD TRIP: JANUARY 8, 2009-GEORGE WAHSINGTON
CARVER TRAVELING EXHIBIT (SNOW DATE JANUARY 15)
A
Gift of
Hope
(Veteran’s Day Play)
By Beth Clodius
TEACHER: Good morning class! Veteran’s Day is November 11th. Who can tell me what a veteran is?
GEORGE WASHINGTON TRAVELING TRUNK FOR CLASSROOM USE -ARRIVING IN
JANUARY FROM THE NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE
GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER
AN AMERICAN HERO
BY BETH CLODIUS
(Classroom Setting Indoor Lunch Recess)
Student 1: (singing
Goober Peas) Eating goober peas!
Eating goober peas, we will go rejoicing eating goober peas!
Student 2: What are you singing?
You’re going to get us in trouble!
Student 1: Eating goober peas!
Eating goober peas!
Student 3: Quit your singing!
Student 4: What are goober peas?
Student 1: Peanuts! I’m
trying to get my social studies report finished by the end of indoor
recess. Remember, our reports are due
Friday on Heroes in American History. My
report is on George Washington Carver.
Student 5: When I think of peanuts, I think Cardinals. There is nothing better than salted peanuts
in the shell at the ball game. (start
singing-Take me out to the ball
game!)
Student 6: Ball Game!
These boys are going to get us in trouble with all the singing. We aren’t supposed to be loud during indoor
recess.
Student 7: I know, ask for goober peas at the ballgame.
Student 1: I bet they won’t
know what I’m talking
about. They will think I’m crazy!
Student 8: They’ve got that right!
Student 1: Hey! (to
student 8)
Student 2: What did George Washington Carver do with
peanuts?
Student 1: He became the director of Agriculture at
Tuskegee
Institute. He couldn’t believe the poor
hungry people he saw. They didn’t
understand that the cotton they planted used up all the minerals in the
soil.
Student 9: I guess they
didn’t know about Miracle Grow!
Student 1: Oh, you think you’re so funny!
Actually, he had farmer’s plant cowpeas and
sweet potatoes that put minerals back into the soil.
Student 10: Cowpeas! I’ve
never heard of that. I know sweet
potatoes. Yuck! My grandma always makes
sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving with marshmallows on top.
Give me peanuts any day!
Student 9: Don’t give our teacher any ideas. She always has us sampling different
foods. Remember the buffalo jerky when
we studied Indians?
Student 3: I remember my sister did a report on George
Washington
Carver when she was in 5th grade.
He had to set up his own labatory with old bottles, jars,
lids-anything
he could find.
Student 4: You mean he was into recycling back then?
Student 3: Actually, he even went green.
He was worried about the environment. He
showed farmers how to make organic
fertilizer from food scraps. He was
convinced God wanted him to teach his fellow African-Americans.
Student 1: My book said he wanted to be an artist at
first. His art teacher felt he would have
a hard
time making a living. She said he would
be able to do more for his people in another field of work.
Student 4: My sister is majoring in art and my parents
say the
same thing to her. They want to know how
she plans on earning a living.
(George Washington Carver walks in to the
classroom.)
Carver: Are you enjoying indoor recess?
Student 9: Why it’s George Washington Carver.
Carver: I loved
teaching! Yes, I dreamed of being an
artist but realized God had a different plan for me.
I let God take me in the direction he wanted.
Student 10: How did you help people?
Carver: Well, I studied plants and soil.
I did all kinds of experiments.
Student 8: How did you get started experimenting with
peanuts?
Carver: In the
early 1900’s a boll weevil (insect) devoured cotton fields. The cotton plants curled up and died. Boll weevils didn’t care a thing about
goobers.
Student 7: We call them peanuts here!
Carver: Well, I said plant goobers, I mean peanuts. They put nitrogen back into the soil. Only thing was there was no market for
goobers. (I mean peanuts.) So, I went to
work. I always believed in
hands-on-activities.
Student 2: I know you discovered over 300 uses for
peanuts! I read you made milk, cheese,
butter and even
cosmetics.
Carver: Yes ladies, I even developed vanishing cream
to take
care of those wrinkles.
Student 6: I don’t have wrinkles yet, but my mom might
be
interested. She likes anything organic.
Carver: The peanut is one of the most nutrious foods
in the
world. I once served soup, bread,
chicken loaf, vegetables, ice cream and cookies to convince local
businessmen
that a demand could be created for peanuts.
Student 5: Wow! Did it
work?
Carver: I was chosen to represent peanut growers
before
Congress. I convinced Congress to put
high tariff on peanut imports so farmers could sell their products here.
Student 2: I’m pretty sure that means we should buy
American and
not import anything.
Carver: That’s right!
Student 4: Did you make a lot of money?
Student 5: That’s not polite to ask people how much
money they
make. It’s being nosey.
Carver: It’s ok! I made
$125 a month and turned down all raises.
I always said, “The Lord charges me nothing for my knowledge. I will charge you the same.”
Student 6: I think I might be able to finish my report
before
lunch recess is over.
Carver: “Well the more information one has the greater
will be
the inspiration.” Maybe one of you
will
invent something to help others. I guess
I should be going. Thank you!
Teacher: (Teacher
walks in.) The recess ladies said you were so quiet in
here. Why you didn’t even get the games
out!
Students 1-10: We had a visitor!
Teacher: Who was that!
Student 9: George Washington Carver!
Teacher: Oh, don’t be ridiculous!
I don’t have time for this!
Student 10: Really _____________.
He was here!
Teacher: Next thing you will tell me you have your
report
finished because he supplied all the information!
Student 1: Can we turn in our report early?
Teacher: (teacher
shakes head and tells student to take out Social Studies Book)