Imaginary Animals

If I could have quit teaching this week I would have, and it was all because of a raging, lunatic parent that claims I don't see her child's brilliance....believe me, I'm really trying to see it.... Anyway, thank goodness it's vacation.

We did this project for our animal adaptation unit, and they were all laid out on the back table in my classroom. The kids had to come up with an animal that could survive in one of two climate choices. They did a great job. They wrote their papers describing their animal and then they got to build their animals in class. The easiest way to do this is to really combine some animals that you already know (ie- a cross between a bird and a butterfly). Get it?

One girl was really proud of her imaginary animal and got her dad to come in a view the animal before school started. She brought him into the classroom and had this interaction:

Dad: oh, wow! I love it! It's a cross between a gopher and a zebra.
Girl: Daddy! How could you say that? (saddened look)
Dad: (puzzled and trying to recover) hmm, maybe I need to look at it more closely.
Girl: It's because you're so tall. Here...(she hands him the animal to get a closer look)
Dad picks up the animal
Dad: Oh, I see it now...sweetheart, I'm so proud of you! (hands it back to her)
Girl: You still don't know what it is, right? (teary now)
Dad: Honey, don't get upset...I just don't know a lot about animals. I bet when you bring it home, Mommy will know exactly what it is..
Girl: Yeah, she will...it's part horse, part caterpillar and part beaver...see?
Dad: Oh...okay...

Kids art projects are funny...I always like to say something like, "That looks beautiful! What is it?" You can get into hot water otherwise