BABY-SITTING

 

Teaching steps:

1. Read the story (variant 1) with the students, draw their attention to how phrases in bold are explained.

2. Play a game: ask the students to give synonyms to each phrase in bold. Give one point for each synonym. The more points the better.

3. Photocopy enough variants 2 for each student and distribute them in class.

4. Ask the students to fill in gaps in writing (they are supposed to explain the same phrases in bold in their own words). This task should take not more than five minutes. If you feel that it’s going to take the rest of the lesson let the students work in pairs.

5. The following tasks may be given to different groups of students:

a) act out the conversation between Timmy Rinek and Katie Conklin;

b) retell the story from the part of the elephant;

c) retell the story from the part of Minney Conklin;

d) exercise on indirect speech: two students read the dialogue between Timmy Rinek and Katie Conklin in indirect speech and two other students pronounce the same conversation phrase after phrase in direct speech (not looking in the text).

6. Have some fun and pantomime this story.

7. Ask students to write at home their own short stories about Timmy Rinek. The following topics may be given:

a) how Timmy Rinek learnt what it means to make a pig of oneself;

b) how Timmy Rinek learnt that his brother sleeps like a log;

c) how Timmy Rinek learnt that some his friends (elephants, by the way!!!) eat like a bird;

d) how Timmy Rinek learnt what his mother really means when she says “I’m going to do my hair”.

 

Variant 1

“Ouch!” screeched Minney Conklin, the mouse, when Timmy Rinek, the elephant, began to sit upon her. “What are you doing?”

Timmy jumped up and explained, “Your mother told me specifically that I am supposed to baby-sit you this evening while she is out to dinner, and that is exactly what I am going to do.”

“But, but . . .” Plop! “AHHHHH!”

Timmy grabbed a book and began to read, and he soon was fast asleep.

Hours later came a DING-DONG . . . at the door. “Come in!” yelled Timmy. The door opened with a burst and in came Katie Conklin, the mother.

“Where is my puddin’ pie?” she whispered.

“Your what?” questioned Timmy walking towards her.

“My daughter, for goodness sake! Where is she?”

Timmy tip-toed over to Minney, who was now practically squashed into the floor, and said, “Here she is. She’s been sat upon long enough.”

“You did what?!” yelled the mother, not believing what she heard. She ran over and peeled her smashed daughter off the ground.

“Do you know what you did?”

“Um . . . yea. I baby-sat your baby. Isn’t that what you said?”

“Yes, but next time please do not take me so literally. Baby-sitting does not mean to sit on the baby. It means to watch over them. You must not take everything word for word. OK?”

“OK, but I still do not understand.”

“Timmy, listen carefully.” They both sat down and began to talk.

“Has someone ever asked you to make your bed?”

“Yes, many times. But for some odd reason they always get mad at me when I get out wood, nails and a hammer. Or when they tell me to make a room and I get bricks, they get mad too and give me a broom instead. They say I’m like a human, you know, with no brain. But, I don’t think I’m like a human at all. I thought I looked like an elephant. Don’t you think the same?”

“When they tell you to make your bed, they do not mean to take it word for word. They just want you to make your bed. You know, not build another one but just to pull the match box closed. Oh, I mean pull the cover up. And to make a room doesn’t mean to build a room. You just have to clean it. Don’t you understand?”

“Yes, but this evening you told me to baby-sit Minney. What else could baby-sit mean than to sit on the baby. I surely don’t know. Will you explain it to me? Then maybe I will get the picture. I mean understand you better.”

“Sure, I would be gl . . . ”

“Wait! I know. Doesn’t it mean to watch the children? You told me earlier.”

“You have a good memory, Timmy. You are very smart. Now, don’t you think you ought to be going home before it gets too late and cold outside? Hurry up or you miss your bus.”

“I surely do. Thank you very much, Mrs. Conklin. OK, I really need to leave. I’m going to make this bus. I mean to say be on time.”

So, off he went after just another day of learning.

 

Variant 2

“Ouch!” screeched Minney Conklin, the mouse, when Timmy Rinek, the elephant, began to sit upon her. “What are you doing?”

Timmy jumped up and explained, “Your mother told me specifically that I am supposed to baby-sit you this evening while she is out to dinner, and that is exactly what I am going to do.”

“But, but . . .” Plop! “AHHHHH!”

Timmy grabbed a book and began to read, and he soon was fast asleep.

Hours later came a DING-DONG . . . at the door. “Come in!” yelled Timmy. The door opened with a burst and in came Katie Conklin, the mother.

“Where is my puddin’ pie?” she whispered.

“Your what?” questioned Timmy walking towards her.

“My daughter, for goodness sakes! Where is she?”

Timmy tip-toed over to Minney, who was now practically squashed into the floor, and said, “Here she is. She’s been sat upon long enough.”

“You did what?!” yelled the mother, not believing what she heard. She ran over and peeled her smashed daughter off the ground.

“Do you know what you did?”

“Um . . . yea. I baby-sat your baby. Isn’t that what you said?”

“Yes, but next time please do not take me so literally. Baby-sitting does not mean to sit on the baby. It means to ____________________________________. You must not take everything word for word. OK?”

“OK, but I still do not understand.”

“Timmy, listen carefully.” They both sat down and began to talk.

“Has someone ever asked you to make your bed?”

“Yes, many times. But for some odd reason they always get mad at me when I get out wood, nails and a hammer. Or when they tell me to make a room and I get bricks, they get mad too and give me a broom instead. They say I’m like a human, you know, with no brain. But, I don’t think I’m like a human at all. I thought I looked like an elephant. Don’t you think the same?”

“When they tell you to make your bed, they do not mean to take it word for word. They just want you to make your bed. You know, not build another one but just to pull the match box closed. Oh, I mean ___________________________________. And to make a room doesn’t mean to build a room. You just have _______________________________________. Don’t you understand?”

“Yes, but this evening you told me to baby-sit Minney. What else could baby-sit mean than to sit on the baby. I surely don’t know. Will you explain it to me? Then maybe I will get the picture. I mean ___________________________________________________________

“Sure, I would be gl . . .”

“Wait! I know. Doesn’t it mean to __________________________________? You told me earlier.”

“You have a good memory, Timmy. You are very smart. Now, don’t you think you ought to be going home before it gets too late and cold outside? Hurry up or you miss your bus.”

“I surely do. Thank you very much, Mrs. Conklin. OK, I really need to leave. I’m going to make this bus. I mean to say ___________________.”

So, off he went after just another day of learning.

Seventh Grade, Harbor Day School (CA, USA)