Laugh Lines April 2004

There goes the neighborhood
In my seventh grade geography class we had been studying the concept of adaptation by investigating how Native American culture groups were influenced by their surroundings. While grading a writing assignment one day at a local coffee shop, I had to get up and run to the bathroom, fearing my uncontrollable laughter would disturb the other patrons. Jamar was on the right track when it came to explaining how sub-arctic Native Americans used the resources of the caribou to survive, but I realized he may have needed a little review when he explained how they lived in houses made of meat.
Chris Magnuson
Washington, D.C.

Polly veut un biscuit salé
While starting a unit on birds, I read a book about different types of birds such as tropical birds, water birds, birds of prey, etc. to my kindergarten class. After reading the story, I asked the students, "What kinds of birds will we not see at our bird feeder?" The kids all had great answers and named birds like penguins, flamingos and eagles.

Next I asked, "Will we see any parrots at our bird feeder?"

A little girl answered very seriously, "No, Miss Wright. Parrots are in France. You know, Parrot, France!"
Lauren Wright
Cincinnati, OH

The shoe fits
One day I encountered a first grader running down the hall. I stopped him and asked him to sit down. He had his head down the whole time we discussed the pros and cons of running in the hall. After delivering my speech, I asked him what he had learned. He slowly looked up and replied, "You sure have ugly shoes."
David Benne
Bartlesville, OK

Smoked out
I teach kindergarten at a school on an Army base that houses 500 preK through first grade students. One day while we were out at recess, one of my students came up to me after going into the bathroom and asked, "How come there are three MPs walking up and down the hallway?" (The military police will monitor the school and make checks once in a while.) I told him that they were just keeping us safe. He replied in all seriousness, "Maybe they were making sure that no kindergartners were smoking."
Lesley Lourenco
Leesville, LA

The two faces of Daniel
Two of the second graders in our school are identical twin brothers and were placed in separate classes to avoid confusion. While the second graders were having recess one day, one of the children came to tattle on one of the twins.

"Daniel hit me!" he said.

The teacher he was speaking to asked, "Daniel in my class?"

The tattling boy shook his head and said, "No, not him. The other Daniel!"
Patricia Ross
Jacksonville, FL

April, 2004, Vol.34, No.7