The Strongest Link – a classroom presentation
Back in 2004, my eldest son Ralph Emerson was in his first year in high school. I was still working then.
I came home quite late one day, my son told me they will have a classroom presentation the next day… and he was the appointed leader of their group. He asked me to prepare something for them.
Again, the presentation would be the next day.
So I asked him the details, what subject? what was required of them? how many were they in the group? and what else do I need to know?
It was be for their English subject, they were required to present something – drama, play, song, dance… anything! As long as they would present the different Parts of Speech in the most creative way.
They were 6 in the group, including my son who was the group leader, and they left everything to him and expected him to have something the next morning.
That’s all I needed to know. Great!
I hardly ate dinner that night. My mind was swirling… thinking of something that can satisfy the requirements given the limitation of time. It should be something short enough that they can rehearse quickly in the morning, yet complete enough to mention all the different parts of speech.
I never thought my son had so much faith in me.
I hardly slept. It was almost 1AM and I haven’t written anything yet. I didn’t know if I was going to write a song or a short play…
3AM, inspiration struck me!
The Philippine franchise of The Weakest Link was a very popular game show then, especially with Edu Manzano as an effective host. So, I started writing the sript for the presentation… except that I changed the title… and here is how it came out….
Ralph: Good day to all our viewers! Welcome to the hottest game show today – The Stongest Link! Today, we will learn from our contestants, who are all parts of speech, which of them is the strongest link. Let’s meet them and hear what they have to say.
Noun: I am Noun, and as you can obviously see, I am the strongest link! Without me, what would you call your mother? You wouldn’t have a pet dog… hey! You wouldn’t even have birthday without me! That’s why I should be the strongest link!
Pronoun: (Ehem) With all due respect, listen to the following sentences… My mother went to market. My mother cooks delicious food. My mother loves us very much. Hmmm… doesn’t it sound like a broken record. Surely, this sounds better… My mother went to market. She cooks delicious food. She loves us very much. See! It sounds better! That is why I, Pronoun, should be the strongest link!
Verb: Hey! Wait a minute! You’ve just proven that I am the strongest link! Without me, your mother can’t go to the market, she can’t even cook if there are no verbs. Just imagine a world without action… isn’t that boring?! I am really the strongest link!
Adjective: How can you be the strongest link? Without me, you wouldn’t even know the meaning of strongest at all! You won’t know how delicious your mother cooks or how much she loves you! There’s no question about it. When it comes to comparison, I am the strongest link!
Adverb: Well, you may have a point there. But just like Mr. Noun, you’re kinda boring by yourself. That is where I come in, I put more colors and meaning to you Mr. Adjective, and not only you but including Mr. Verb there. In fact, I put excitement to the whole sentence! Isn’t that what the strongest link should be?!
Ralph: Well, there they are ladies and gentlemen. We all have heard what they have to say, and honestly, each one has a point. Who then should be the strongest link?
The truth is, all of them are important, all deserve to be the strongest link. But here’s the news here, if you, my fellow students would learn how to use them all, together with other parts of speech – preposition, conjunction and interjection… without a doubt then, you will be the strongest link!
Goodbye! (wink)
Tags: adjective, adverb, class presentation, conjunction, creative writing, game show, high school, interjection, noun, parts of speech, play, preposition, pronoun, Ralph, Script, SSC, strongest link, verb
Firstly, I appreciate you have chosen a domain name which no one dares to ! I’m sure one day, you will no longer struggle!
Read 2 Know’s last blog post..Enhance your emails and blog posts with Zemanta
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thanks!
I hope that will happen soon
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Wow. You sacrificed your sleep for your son’s homework. You’re a great Dad!
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That’s a lovely script for the presentation.
eastcoastlife’s last blog post..Enjoying the HP TouchSmart PC IQ818 – WS
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Thanks eastcoastlife (or what should I call you?
)
A dad got to do what a dad got to do
Roy’s last blog post..LPG and an inconsistent Accounting system
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A loving dad, you sure are. Your son – he’s in college now, right?
I’m sure he has learned to fend for himself by now. Or does he still drive you nuts with his assignments? lol.
I love what you came up with. If I were his teacher, I’d be impressed. I give you an A for this. “,)
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Roy Reply:
May 13th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
he rarely goes to me anymore now, which I really don’t like
he now relies on his classmates
he’ll be in second year college this june
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Nice naman Roy…
Ganyan din ako sa Dad ko noong elementary naman ako. Palabiro kasi yun. Makulit pa. Sabi ko sa kanya, “Pa draw me a carabao kasi hindi ko kayang i-draw”.
Aba, nagscribble tapos nung nakita ko, sabi ko, “Pa hindi ito carabao, malakeng bato lang ito.”
Ang sinagot nya sa akin, ” Nasa likod ng malakeng bato yung carabao, anak!” sabay tawa.
Iyak naman ako.
hahahhaha….
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Roy Reply:
May 14th, 2009 at 3:02 am
hahaha!
buti hindi nagdrawing ng kalabaw na kumakain ng damo
kundi blankong papel ang ibibigay sa ‘yo
yung damo kasi, kinain na ng kalabaw
yung kalabaw, umuwi na dahil busog na
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If it were me, I won’t be able to come up with something. Ang maiisip ko is tulog…zzzzzz But then again you’re creative.
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Roy Reply:
May 15th, 2009 at 1:48 am
Hi Luke!
there were lots of instances wherein I was ‘forced’ to be creative….
just like the one above
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Wow, you’re kinder than I would be.
I’d have told him to do it himself!! I mean, I’d have helped, but what’s the point in you doing his homework? What does he learn from that?
Sometimes to fail is a better lesson.
(Plus, as an ex-English teacher, I’d have failed him because he hadn’t written it himself!!)
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Roy Reply:
May 15th, 2009 at 5:50 am
well, it was the (very) rare times my son approached me for help on his school work.
my son doesn’t need help on his English lesson, it’s the extra work that their teacher gave them ON A SHORT NOTICE he’s asking help from
I guess we don’t have the same approach in rearing our children… in the same way we don’t really know each other’s children
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I resonate with you on this one. I’m a homeschool mom and I get to see these English topics on a daily basis (well, except on some weekends, of course). But I wouldn’t have thought of that creative presentation the way you did! Wow! Again, what do you eat for breakfast?!
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Roy Reply:
May 15th, 2009 at 7:50 am
hahaha! there’s that breakfast question again… as of late, I only take coffee in the morning lol
like what I replied to Luke, this an example of those instances where I was “forced” to be creative
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Sir Roy! present. mukhang interesting tung blog mo sir.
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Roy Reply:
May 16th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
uy! welcome sa aking humble na blog exidans!
pinipilit kong gawin interesting, hehe…
sensya na, hindi ako maka-comment sa blog mo, bisaya e.
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Noong HS din kami, laging may classroom presentation. Ang galing ng naisip mong script Kuya Roy. Bakit di namin naisip yung ganung style dati? haha!
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iba kasi siguro talaga mag-isip kapag para sa anak mo na
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This is so sweet of you. When it comes to our kids- we are selfless. You’re a wonderful father!
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thanks Jena!
sometimes it can be a chore, when the kids know how much you can do for them lol!
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“Without me, your mother can’t go to the market” haha that was my favorite line in the entire story… but yes choosing the “strongest link” can be difficult. All parts of a sentence make a sentence, and you are in trouble if you don’t even have one.
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Hi Izzy!
I’m glad that you enjoy the humor in my post.
I only wish I was able to coach my son and his team on how to present it effectively.
thanks!
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