Aim. To help children understand the concept of art, generally, and the art of living, in particular. To encourage them to invent and perform their own skills/tricks to make themselves, and others, laugh. To introduce the idea of compassion.

    Collect dress ups, some toys for tricks and musical instruments.

    “When George,” said she, ” was about six years old, he was made the wealthy master of a hatchet! of which, like most little boys, he was immoderately fond, and was constantly going about chopping everything that came in his way. One day, in the garden, where he often amused himself hacking his mother’s pea-sticks, he unluckily tried the edge of his hatchet on the body of a beautiful young English cherry-tree, which he barked so terribly, that I don’t believe the tree ever got the better of it. The next morning the old gentleman, finding out what had befallen his tree, which, by the by, was a great favourite, came into the house; and with much warmth asked for the mischievous author, declaring at the same time, that he would not have taken five guineas for his tree. Nobody could tell him anything about it. Presently George and his hatchet made their appearance. “George,” said his father, ” do you know who killed that beautiful little cherry tree yonder in the garden? ” This was a tough question; and George staggered under it for a moment; but quickly recovered himself: and looking at his father, with the sweet face of youth brightened with the inexpressible charm of all-conquering truth, he bravely cried out, “I can’t tell a lie, Pa; you know I can’t tell a lie. I did cut it with my hatchet.”–”Run to my arms, you dearest boy,” cried his father in transports, ” run to my arms; glad am I, George, that you killed my tree; for you have paid me for it a thousand fold. Such an act of heroism in my son is more worth than a thousand trees, though blossomed with silver, and their fruits of purest gold.”

    Prepare ‘Traffic Lights’² labelled ‘lying’ on the green, ‘not lying’ on the red and ‘?’ on the yellow.

Discussion Plan (Ask the questions using the ‘Traffic Light’ discs and score the results for questions 1 to 5.)

1. Parson Weems, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parson_Weems
2. Philosophy with Young Children – A Classroom Handbook, Philip Cam, Liz Fynes-Clinton, Kathlyn Harrison, Lynne Hinton, Rosie Scholl, & Simon Vaseo, Australian Curriculum Studies Association, 2007, Deakin West, ACT, 2600.

    Aim. To teach children that if they act quickly and in time, even they with their limited strength and resources can avert disasters.

    A legend has it that there was once a small boy who upon passing a Dutch dyke on his way to school noticed a slight leak as the sea trickled in through a small hole. Knowing that he would be in trouble if he were to be late for school, the boy still poked his finger into the hole and so stemmed the flow of water. Some time later a passer-by saw him and went to get help. This came in the form of other men who were able to effect repairs on the dyke and seal up the leak.

    However in exaggerated versions, the boy was late home because he had to spend all night plugging the leak.

    The fact that the Little Dutch Boy used his finger to stop the flow of water, is used as an illustration of self-sacrifice. The physical lesson is also taught: a small trickle of water soon becomes a stream and the stream a torrent and the torrent a flood sweeping all before it, Dyke material, roadways and cars, and even railway tracks and bridges and whole trains.

    This tale originates from the American writer Mary Mapes Dodge who published the story in ‘Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates’ in 1865. The Little Dutch Boy is now a very popular myth in the United States (and other countries), but is not well known in the Netherlands and has probably been imported there by American tourists.

    The teacher should provide drawing materials and encourage the children to draw light-hearted cartoons, which bring out the above points. A little vulgarity might be tolerated such as in the cartoon below.
                                  

                                  

    Aim: To show that life is frequently an uncomfortable mixture of good ambitions and bad activity.
        Background.Note: The Australian Encyclopaedia definition of squatter is “persons who placed themselves upon public lands without license.” Some squatters were good men, but some were brutal and several massacres occurred. (For example see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myall_Creek_Massacre.) Of course even the best of the squatters stole the land, but they may have been like Charles Bonney(see picture)who sought to engage with the aborigines by playing his flute rather than shooting with his rifle. Bonney and his senior partner, Charles Ebden, set up Bonegilla Station in what is now Victoria, and which eventually became the famous migrant reception camp after World War II. (In 1857 Ebden and Bonney became members of the colonial assemblies of Victoria and South Australia, respectively, and Ebden ultimately became Treasurer of Victoria.)
After the depressions of the 1860s, 1890s and 1930s there were waves of swagmen travelling around trying to find work. Some station managers and squatters made them welcome. Hunter of Evora Station, north of Blackall, Qld, gave every swaggie a pair of boots; Hunter was said to be a Quaker and “a really good man”. (1)
In 1895, Samuel Hoffmeister, a shearer. was suspected of leading striking unionists in burning down the woolshed on Dagworth Station, Kyuna, Queensland, on 2 September 1894, with the killing of 140 lambs. Overnight, Hoffmeister shot himself near a billabong of the Diamantina River. Perhaps Hoffmeister’s suicide, shortly before Paterson visited Dagworth, together with a swagman on Dagworth at the time, inspired Paterson’s poem, Waltzing Matilda, about a swagman who also was a thief. The tune was composed by his acquaintance from Dagworth, Christina Macpherson. 

Sing the song and/or perform a puppet show on the story, or, if puppets are not available, organise the children to act out the story.

Show picture of the Combo Waterhole where the lyricist, (Banjo) Paterson, may have imagined the action to occur. Begin the discussion:

Can anyone tell us who a swagman was? (see picture of swaggie)

Can anyone tell us who a squatter was?

The following questions could be typed onto A4 cards/sheets and displayed. Also give the children ‘traffic light’ discs of green, red and yellow, which they can hold up to indicated their agreement, disagreement, or ‘don’t know don’t care’, respectively. (The yellow disc is very important because it secures the cooperation of boys.) Tabulate the opinions on a black/whiteboard – a child always volunteers to do this in my experience. (Note very importantly: There are no right or wrong answers and the teacher withholds her/his own opinion, because the ‘traffic lights’ encourage valid responses from children as young as, wait for it, four!)

    Was the swagman right to steal the sheep in the circumstances? (He was probably hungry, out of work and tired.)

    Was the squatter right to call the police to arrest the swagman for stealing the sheep? (The sheep was probably unmarked and wandering around the squatter’s land, which itself had been stolen.)

Was the swagman right to jump into the waterhole and drown himself to avoid arrest?

Is there a message in the song?

    Does the swagman’s ghost exist today?

    Do ghosts exist?
 
    Conclude the lesson by going over the results on the blackboard, once again without the teacher giving their own opinion. Ask the children individually what they thought. Then invite the children to retell the story themselves using the puppets, or organise the children to re-enact the story themselves.

(The teacher can supply props such as toy police helmets, hobbyhorses, an old coat for the swagman and a sheep puppet.)

(1) As told by John Nichols to Dave De Hugard of Maldon, Vic., dugy@impulse.net.au. (If anyone has further details on Hunter please advise Dave or Harry?)
All pix are from Wikipedia