Laughs as a Teaching Tool

Thank you, thank you for the April Fools Day articles.  I must admit you had me going with the panther, even KP2, and then I got suspicious.  My fifth grade son, Tadeu, was so captivated.  His exact words were, “Wow mom, now I like reading the newspaper.” One more reader grabbed!

It just so happened that these articles came out the week before my unit on “How to Write a Newspaper Article” here at Kilohana School.  I marched into class, suppressing a smirk, with multiple copies of The Molokai Dispatch under my arm.  I gave the class a teaser of each story and they couldn’t wait to get to their seats to read the articles.

I ended the class by letting the students know that I found the newspaper in my PO Box last Thursday.  “Class, do you remember the date last Thursday?” I asked.  One student remembered it was April first.  I agreed and then showed them the page two headline, “Happy April Fools Day!”

They ate it up, and I am thrilled to have the Molokai Dispatch to thank for inspiring our young journalists.  Students will be looking into the 75 year history of Kilohana School and would like to interview alumni and veteran stafff for their articles.  Students are excited to do some journalistic reporting for our favorite local newspaper, The Molokai Dispatch.

Kumu Alestra Menendez, Kilohana School