Green Eggs and Jamón

My newest excitement in my classes has been introducing my students to the Dr.Seuss classic Green Eggs and Ham.

Obviously, ham is a big deal here, and the students were not so crazy about the idea of it being Green. Why mess with a good thing?

I first read the book in my first 4th grade class, and I tell the students that I am reading them one of my FAVORITE books. I asked them if they think Green Eggs and Ham are real. Some looked puzzled, as if, well MAYBE it is real in the United States (it is different there). However, most just looked disgusted at this idea of Green Eggs and Ham.

I emphasize to the class that it is a silly book, but they are now trying to determine who the character is on the cover. Is he a dog? Is he a horse? What is his name? What is he DOING?

The students continue to squint but are no longer concerned with what this creature is, but now feel obliged to comment on how ugly he is.

Teacher, Teacher! It "awwgly."

I'm sorry what?

Ugly, it ugly.

Right. Not nice Spanish Children! I suppose they start saying what they think at a young age.

I then ask the students ( while pointing at my head) "Do you think, (motion out) that YOU would eat (eating motion) green eggs and ham?"

EWWWWWWW, noooooo. You would think I would have shown them something horrible. Or maybe that I suggested no ham for a week.

Teacher, teacher, no good, no good. Bad teacher! Food bad.

Lets take a vote. Would you or would you not eat Green Eggs and Ham?

Raise your hand if you WOULD (nodding) eat Green Eggs and Ham. A few students' hands start to linger, but do not go all the way up. The few hands quickly go back down once they realize that nobody else is daring to try this imaginary food. The students shrink in their seats.

In one of my classes my birthday twin (8/21!) waved his hand up on the air. I checked to see that he did actually understand the question. Sure enough, he did. We finally have a student willing to try this imaginary green concoction! During the story, he also continued to hold out for the "creature" and that he too would eventually like them as well. Great minds those August 21st birthday children!


He, however, was alone in the crowd. The other 99% of my students fell into this category:

Raise your hand if you Would NOT (shaking my head) eat Green Eggs and Ham. Hands shoot up in the air as if they have won against the Green Eggs and Ham. Spain gets to keep its plethora of regular, boring ham. I hear a few "tomaaaas" throughout the class.

I tell the students that I have eaten Green Eggs and Ham. From the look on their faces, I have once again told them no ham for a week, possibly even NO BOCADILLOS for a week.

Their faces become even more contorted, eyes popping out, jaws dropping, when I tell them that it was actually GOOD. What, do they think it is fungus? Food coloring does wonders kiddos!

We begin the story (one book for thirty students) and the students begin to pick up on the rhymes, and seem to feel reassured by their decision to not try Green Eggs and Ham. I mean this dog/horse/ugly creature isn't trying them! And Sam is pretty persistent.

We read through the book, talk about trains, rain, mouse, house, fox, box, etc...

We reach the end of the book where Sam finally triumphs over this "unknown" creature, and gets him to finally try the Green Eggs and Ham.

I do a little poll to see how the class feels about this.

Will he like them?
Noooooooo.
Are you sure?
Noooooooo

I think well... I bet they are, lets reword that question.

Are you positive?
Yesssssssss
Will he eat them?

NOOOOOOOO.

The classroom is quiet as I return to the book and turn the page....

I open the book and look at it and show it to the class.
This grumpy fellow is finally happy. Big smile in fact.

The students faces look disgusted. What happened? Here was this sensible, no-named creature and now he is eating green ham?

The students look confused. Did he really EAT the Green Eggs and Ham? Maybe he didn't...

They hanging on my every word, perhaps to see if there was some mistake. Nope, people (in this case-unknown creatures) try new things!

I take a poll at the end, were these students swayed?

Not in the slightest.

There was one ray of hope, my birthday companion is still willing to try them. 1/100 students isn't bad! More for us! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHqXBZFZ6OA