I CAN HELP, TOO CFE 3255V

I CAN HELP, TOO CFE 3255V OPEN CAPTIONED NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY 1993 Grade Levels: 2-6 14 minutes

DESCRIPTION When Aunt Rose calls to say she s in town, the family hurries to clean the house. Six-year-old Sonya, frustrated by trying to help, shows her family how everyone benefits when everyone helps. With Aunt Rose s assistance, Sonya identifies jobs that she can do and earns her place as a valuable member of the team. Demonstrates cooperation,, flexibility, and self-esteem. YOUNG VIEWERS SERIES II. INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS To stimulate interest in. To examine how helping benefits the helper. To dramatize the feelings that result from being left out. To illustrate how a family learns to work together. BEFORE SHOWING 1. Read the CAPTION SCRIPT to determine unfamiliar vocabulary and language concepts. 2. Post pictures of familiar teams such as football, soccer, baseball, and track teams. 3. Briefly discuss each team: a. What do they have in common? How are they alike? b. How do they plan, train, and prepare for a game? c. What might happen if they did not work together? d. What might happen if the same player(s) always got the ball or sat on the bench? 4. Relate a team to a family. Introduce the family in the video as a group that learns to work together as a team. 1

DURING SHOWING 1. View the video more than once, with one showing uninterrupted. 2. Pause at the appropriate scenes. Make predictions about: a. The end result of Sonya and Danny s struggle over the pancake batter b. What might happen to the picnic plans after Aunt Rose s phone call c. The outcome of Sonya s decision to give Skeeter a bath all by herself 3. Revisit Sonya s completed list on the refrigerator: a. Why does this posted list of successes make Sonya feel better? b. Who encouraged Sonya, and how? What were the differences in the ways Danny, Mother, and Aunt Rose reacted? c. Are these same jobs possible at home? What other jobs are completed at home, in the dorm, or in the classroom? AFTER SHOWING Discussion Items and Questions 1. Does Sonya like for her brother to call her short stuff? How does she use her voice and body language to express her feelings? 2. Why does Mother say, Oh no. You can t go to a hotel., to Aunt Rose on the phone? 3. Compare Sonya s and Danny s personalities and actions. 4. Why does Sonya try to change jobs with Danny? Why does he refuse the deal? 5. How does Danny s use of dance and music make the job of cleaning his room a lot more fun? 6. Why does Sonya wash Skeeter, even though it s not her job? What results from Sonya s disobedience? 7. How does Skeeter s capture demonstrate the family s? 2

8. Discuss Mother s comment, Honey, that dog is a two-person dog. 9. Why was Mother more disappointed with Sonya when she washed Skeeter alone than she was when Sonya got batter on Mother s face? 10. What is the difference between an accident and defiance or disobedience? 11. List the duties Sonya was able to accomplish. Discuss how Aunt Rose encouraged her. Determine why Mother was so surprised to see Sonya s list of completed jobs. 12. How did working as a team satisfy each family member s needs? 13. Why is it so important for everyone to have a job, feel good about the job, contribute, and cooperate? Applications and Activities 1. Host an I Can Do It party to celebrate personal accomplishments, such as I can tie my shoe; I can ride a bike; I can make my own lunch; I can write my address. 2. Create an I m Still Growing poster. Label with Can Do Alone and Can Do With Help columns. Extend the video concepts with a border of related pictures. 3. Discuss various family configurations such as a grandparent raising two boys or children who live with Father and a stepmother. Label a family photograph or draw and label a family portrait. 4. Draft friendly letters to Mother and Danny. Restate the key concepts from the video regarding involving everyone. 5. Introduce this TEAM acronym: Together Each Achieves More. Create additional acronyms for important vocabulary words from the video such as pride, help, or family. 6. Learn to sing and/or sign the video s theme song. Choreograph accompanying dance routines. 7. Publish the Teamwork Times together: 3

a. Include headlines, feature stories, humorous anecdotes, puzzles, and short encouraging sayings. b. Invite parents to act as contributing authors too. c. Rotate teams for each issue to vary leadership and planning duties. COMMUNICATION SKILLS 1. Practice new vocabulary using all appropriate modes of communication. 2. Some meanings are conveyed through facial expressions and voice inflection. Discuss what is implied when Father says, In three hours? with a disbelieving tone and exasperated expression. 3. Review Aunt Rose s question to Sonya, Why are you so glum on such a nice day? Define glum. Then: a. Use the thesaurus to locate the word sad. Discuss the additional entries. Is glum listed? b. Compare the word with idiomatic expressions such as down in the mouth or a long face. 4. Explain that exact words, used sarcastically or in idiomatic ways, are not meant to be taken literally. Review these segments to elaborate: a. Aunt Rose scolding Skeeter with, Dog... you jump on my new skirt.... b. Dad s idiomatic use of I m going to clean you up in a minute! 5. Teach the term compound word. Review the CAPTION SCRIPT to locate compound words within the song: sometimes, teammate, everybody,, and everyone. 6. Imitate Danny s use of rap music and rhyming words. Pound out the rhythms, and add new rhymes. 4

WEBSITES Explore the Internet to discover sites related to this topic. Check the CFV website for related information (http://www.cfv.org). 5

CAPTION SCRIPT Following are the captions as they appear on the video. Teachers are encouraged to read the script prior to viewing the video for pertinent vocabulary, to discover language patterns within the captions, or to determine content for introduction or review. Enlarged copies may be given to students as a language exercise. More batter, guys! I'm cookin'! Let me! It's my turn, short stuff. He called me "short stuff." It's my turn. Good morning. Morning. Is not! Is too! [laughter] She made me do it. Here now... have a seat. Read your paper... have some coffee... just how you like it. I'm sorry I'm making a mess, Mommy. It's O.K., Baby. Just try doing more cooking 6 and less fussing. I got up early this morning, and I packed for our picnic. We'll have a real family weekend. We haven't been on a picnic in a long time. What about this house? Do some cleaning this morning, and then... picnic! [telephone ringing] bbrrringgg!! A picnic, a picnic, we're gonna have a picnic! Move! Hello? Oh, hello. You're in town? No, you can't go to a hotel.

No, it's no trouble at all. Who? What? Who? What's happening? (Mother) You know the address. (Father) Aunt Rose is coming. This means no picnic? Who's Aunt Rose? A mean woman. She's your dad's favorite relative, Sonya. You'll remember her. We haven't seen her in a while. She'll think we live like this. The house is clean. We just let things slide the last couple of days. Maybe Aunt Rose will clean up. I'm going to clean you up! Just an idea, Dad. When's she coming? After lunch. In three hours? In 2 hours and 45 minutes. 7 See, the big hand is on the 3, and the little hand is on the 9. That should do it. Dad will wash the dishes, I'll do the laundry, and you and dad wash Skeeter. I want to wash Skeeter! You're too little. Honey, that dog is a two-person dog, and he hates baths. I want to wash him myself. No time to argue. We need. If you pick up the living room, I'll wash Skeeter. No way! If there's time, we'll do it together. My jobs are baby jobs. "Pick up the living room, "sweep the front porch, help Danny with the trash..." This is no time for standing around. Take this, soldier!

Take this, soldier! Troops, fall in! Get in line, soldier. I'm marching to a different drummer. Very well. Forward march! Hup! Hup! Hup, two, three, four. Hup! Hup! Hup, two, three, four. [bark] [bark] I never get the good jobs. [funky music playing] My room, my room, my room is a castle And cleaning it is just one big hassle If you pick up the living room, I'll wash the doggie. Oh, sis, little sis, don't give me that jive You know there's no time before Aunt Rosie arrives I will get this stuff done if it takes me all day You're much too little and would just get in the way [whimpering] This is easy! And you like bubble baths, don't you, Skeeter? See? Isn't this fun? Would you like a rubber duckie? grrrr grrrr I have rubber duckies in my bath. Skeeter? Skeeter! Are you in there, Skeeter? Hey! Come back here! Uh-oh! Oh! Skeeter! Skeeter, get off the bed! Arggh! Get--ahh! Skeeter, come back here. Come here. Come here. Get off the bed! Come back here, Skeeter! I got him, Mom! I got him! Danny, did you tell Sonya to wash Skeeter? 8

No, Ma, honest. Sonya, I told you I'd help you. Look at this place! Aunt Rose will be here soon. If you're not going to help, stay out of the way. I was just trying to help. You had to mind me. You're a very bad doggie. We'll talk about this later. But don't worry. I still love you. [footsteps approaching] (woman) Dog... you jump on my new skirt... [dog whimpers] Hello. Hello. Now, why are you so glum? We were supposed to go on a picnic. I see. I remember you! You're Aunt Rose! And you're Sonya. 9 I remember you too. You're not mean. I have my little ways, but meanness is not one of them. Tell Aunt Rose why you're blue. I never get the good jobs. What would the good jobs be? Well, I guess... I guess I need some help on the really big jobs. And everybody was just too busy. Very busy. I tried to give Skeeter a bath. That Skeeter! I had some problems, though. I was supposed to clean in here. They think I'm too little to do anything else. For some things, yes. You are still growing. You could probably think of lots of things to do all by yourself to help out every day.

Well, I guess so. Good girl! Why, whose collection of flowers is this? Oh, these are mine. Why, they're lovely! I'll sit here and rest, and while I'm looking at your collection, you can pick up some. And sweep the porch? It's always nice to greet visitors with a clean house. Sometimes when things need getting done They can't be done by only one It helps to have a teammate when you start Things can be much better When you can pull together And everybody gets to do their part That's what we call That's when you're working side by side That's what we call And when the job gets done That's what we call pride 10 When everyone's cooperating You can be participating That's called sol-i-dar-i-ty A barbershop quartet needs four people, you can bet To make that sweet harmony That's why we need Oh, yeah! It makes you want to shout out loud That's why we need And when the job gets done That's what we call proud That's what we call Everybody! It makes you feel good inside That's what we call And when the job gets done That's what we call pride That's a great job. Thanks. Just perfect. [growling] grrrr O.K. Here's your ball. You always were a lazy boy.

Aunt Rose! Lazing around when there's work to do. Oh, hi! I didn't hear you come in. I hope you didn't look at the house. Things have been hectic. Well... you all have been busy. (Mother) Sonya, you did all that? It's nice for visitors to come to a clean house. (Father) Nice work! Hello, Aunt Rose. My, my! Look how you've grown! I heard a certain rumor about a picnic. We're all ready to go, Aunt Rose. He always was a nice boy! [laughter] That's why we need Oh, yeah! It makes you want to shout out loud That's why we need And when the job gets done That's what we call proud That's what we call Everybody! It makes you feel good inside That's what we call And when the job gets done That's what we call pride Funding for purchase and captioning of this video was provided by the U.S. Department of Education: PH: 1-800-572-5580 (V). 11