HTI: Ideas for Silly Slammers

[rich tabis <tabis@infonline.net>]

Thanks to all who sent me suggestions of ways to use the Silly Slammers.

Funny you should ask!  I've been using them since they first came out
and I
saw how much the kids liked them. (just like Beanies)  I work with
grades
k-5.
They work GREAT for getting attention at the beginning of a class or for
a
"friendly" reminder when someone speaks out of turn.  I have one that
screams
"BE QUIET!!!"
Also work as a behavior motivation.... one or two well-behaved students
get
to play with them for a minute at the end of the class.

You can find those slammers all kinds of places, like Walmart, Disney
Store.
Sometimes they seem more available with holiday messages.
My daughter gave me one of the Queen of Hearts from the Disney Store.
It has
become a "favorite" among staff - though I doubt we will use it with
kids.
The queen either says "That's enough---Silence!"  or "off with  their
heads".

 Use them in storytelling.  I have a guiro shaped like a frog and
painted green.  It is based on the Latin instrument that looks like a
small
baseball bat with ridges that you scrape a stick across. I have kids
tell
brief made up tales of only a few sentences which lead to the punchline
which everyone says in unison "The Big Green Bullfrog!"  The frog is
passed
to the child telling the story who gets to scrape a metal stick across
its
back in any rhythm which makes it sound astonishingly like a frog in a
swamp.
        I got this idea from the Halloween storytelling game "Old Bloody

bones". Short ghost stories are told followed by the entire group
singing
"Old Bloody Bones is a-comin', a-comin'.  Old Bloody Bones is
a -comin' on down!"   If you are doing this with K-4 you join hands and
walk in around in a circle as you sing or chant this.  If the students
are
older, everyone sits or stands in a circle and while singing/chanting
the
chorus bring their arms up in the air over their heads and bow low
shaking
their arms and bringing them down toward the ground. Teacher/librarian
models by telling the first one and perhaps getting the classroom
teacher
and/or library assistant (if you have one) to tell one.
Story sample:  I couldn't sleep one night and I decided to go down to
the
kitchen and get a snack.  I opened up the refrigerator and the peanut
butter jar was on its side and empty and there sitting peeking out from
behind it on the shelf was:  "Old Bloody Bones!"(all followed by
singing/chanting the chorus as described above)
Story sample for frog: I was outside on the porch taking the trash cans
to
the curb, when I heard something hopping around in one of the cans.  I
took
off the lid and out of the can hopped: "The Big Green Bullfrog!" (all)
You can do something similar with your toys.  Use the "Silly Slammer" or

the "Y2K Bug" as the climax of these very short stories and create a
sound
effect and/or a chant or expression to go with it. Then ask who wishes
to
tell the next one.
Story sample:  I was reading a book quietly in the living room when I
heard
a crazy humming coming from the bathroom.  I crept quietly to the
doorway
and there taking a bath in lime jello and playing with a rubber chicken
was
the "Silly Slammer! Whacka-whacka-whacka!" (all)
Story sample:  I was almost asleep one night when I heard a weird noise
across the room from my bed.  I turned on the little nightlight I had
and
was just in time to see something scrabbling along under my carpet.  I
bravely got up to see what it was.  I quickly ran to the edge of the
carpet
where it was heading and waited and suddenly out popped an ugly thing
that
had 4 big black eyes, 10 purple legs, 4 green antennae, a yealo,
egg-shaped
body, and an orange snake-like tongue.  It was the --- "Y2K Bug!
AARRGGHH!"
(all)

You could certainly use them in some competition where a member of each
team has to "hit the buzzer" to have first chance at the answer. If they

make a different sound it would be easy to tell who "rang in" first.





--
Lois Tabis, Librarian
Sharpsville HS, Sharpsville, PA
tabis@infonline.net

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=
All postings to LM_NET are protected under copyright law.
 To quit LM_NET (or set-reset NOMAIL or DIGEST), send email to:
   listserv@listserv.syr.edu          In the message write EITHER:
    1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL or 3) SET LM_NET DIGEST
 4) SET LM_NET MAIL  * Please allow for confirmation from Listserv
 For LM_NET Help & Archives see:  http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=