the funeral

Today one of our fourth grade teachers had a funeral for words we consider "dead".  Words like: got, went, big, said.  When fourth graders write essays and narratives, the words should be precise and specific like: grabbed, dashed, enormous, exclaimed.  That is, if the 9 year olds want high scores on their FCAT Writing test.

Well, I missed the funeral but I heard all about it.  All the students dressed in black.  Some girls even wore high heeled shoes.  I understand the funeral was quite an event.  Since this particular class is girl-heavy, and we all know how 9 year old girls can be drama queens, they literally cried real crocodile tears as they stood around the burial hole, dropping their dead words into it. They played a recording of mournful, sad music on a cassette deck.  The girls clung to each other and wept...loudly.  They boo-hooed and really played their roles good.

One girl told me she will never, ever again use the words:  got and big.  Another girl clung to her teacher wailing,  "But they were too young to die!"

I missed the funeral because I was teaching a different class.  This will probably be a highlight of their elementary lives.  Boo hoo.

Comments

[tina]

What a fabulous idea. We talk about what words not to use because they are so BORING, but we have never buried them. I can't wait to this kind of funeral with my fourth graders. They will LOVE it!!!! Thanks for the idea! I'm thinking bagpipes...