Senses Working Overtime

Last week my students took the all encompassing state test. You know, the one that tests you on a year's worth of material before the year is up? Yeah, that test.

Well, for better or for worse (but mostly worse) it's all over. Most teachers would relax around this time. But not I. No, now third grade has the burden of preparing for this year's third grade show.

Diehard AOGB readers may recall last year's show and how grueling and nerve wracking it was, mainly because I had a difficult class and because I had never prepared for a show before. I mean I signed up to teach, not direct. Then again, I guess I technically direct every day. Redirect, that is.

But last year we had awhile to prepare since the show was in June. But no one can hold the pimp spot forever, and so this year we were scheduled to go in April. Now that's all fine and good, if you could figure out how to get ready in time.

For starters, there was the teensy weensy problem of a theme; we didn't have one. Finally, we begrudingly settled upon the theme of Magic School Bus. I know, I wasn't thrilled with it either.

Magic School Bus are a series of books and videos that teach children about science based concepts such as Inside the Human Body and The Nine Planets. There's always the main character of Ms. Frizzle who takes the kids on different, wacky journeys and the plots are both silly and educational. If you're really interested, you can read about more of the themes here.

It's a complicated theme for a number of reasons. For starters, there are so many books to choose from. Then there's the challenge of making it educational yet entertaining since after all, it is a show. There's another burden of giving everyone some sort of a part and finally, finding the time to rehearse it all.

Initially we had a middle of April show date scheduled which, when I looked at the calendar, made me realize that we had something insane like 10 school days to prepare for the show. So I went to the other third grade teachers who also hadn't done anything yet and we moved it back. Now I think we're going at the beginning of May, which lends itself to procrastination, if only for a few days longer.

This is where you come in. The Magic School Bus theme I chose was Magic School Bus Explores The Senses. Remember, I don't like this time but it was the one I least detested, so I went with it.

My rough draft goes a little something like this. I have twenty-two students and there are five senses. Thus, there will be five groups with four or five students in each group.

There will be a designated speaker, chosen by me, to do the speaking part about the said sense. This is the educational portion of the program. Then the four of five students in each group will take turns acting out things related to their senses via musical montages put together, also by me.

Sound confusing? Let me try to clarify.

For instance, let's say we were starting with taste. "Sally" would go up and read all about taste for about a minute. Then the students would act out motions to clips of taste related songs or song lyrics. This is the entertaining part of the program.

So the challenge now becomes finding a few good songs that indirectly or directly have to do with each sense. I'm thinking a bar or two from each song, spliced together, five songs or so max for each sense.

Here's what I have bouncing around my head so far, all subject to change, of course:

Touch
I Feel The Earth Move
Lovin', Touchin' Squeezin'
U Can't Touch This

As tempting as it is, I Touch Myself cannot be used. It's third grade, people.

Sight
Doctor My Eyes
I Can See Clearly Now
When I See You Smile
Come See About Me
Sad Eyes
Private Eyes
Eyes Without A Face

Hear
Voices Carry
Say, Say, Say
Heard It Through The Grapevine
Let's Hear It For The Boy
I Heard A Rumor

Taste
Eat It
I Love Rocky Road
Hot Lunch Jam from Fame
Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
Cheeseburger in Paradise
I Want Candy
Food Glorious Food

Smell
Smelly Cat
Love Stinks
Stop And Smell The Roses
That Smell

Once again, another perfect fit, but the kids can't smell sex and candy, k?

Obviously, smell is the sense that is giving me the most trouble. Not in life, just in this project.

For the culmination, I was thinking about everyone dancing to the chorus of the song Senses Working Overtime which goes like this:

And all the world is football-shaped
It's just for me to kick in space
And I can see, hear, smell, touch, taste
And I've got one, two, three, four, five
Senses working overtime
Trying to take this all in.
I've got one, two, three, four, five
Senses working overtime
Trying to taste the difference
'tween a lemon and a lime
Pain and the pleasure
And the church bells softly chime.

So go ahead. Whip up your magic. Any and all, and I do mean all suggestions are welcome. With spring break also rapidly approaching, I've got only a few short weeks to make it happen.

So use the sixth sense when making suggestions, common sense, that is.