Veggie Monster – teacher notes –
Activity – Class debate on “Advertising and Prime Time TV, Their Role in Demonising Vegetables”
Activity – Make up an advertising campaign to popularise vegetables. Research TV advertisements and prime time TV shows to see what sort of food is promoted and how. I can think of one popular TV soapie, which has its cast eating pizza and drinking beer in most episodes. What does this say to young viewers.
Note what sort of advertisements come on between 4.00pm and 8.00pm, the time many children, families and young folk would be watching TV. How might you use your campaign to change this?
Activity – Make up recipes with vegetables as the main ingredients – they must be delicious enough that YOU would want to eat them! If there are any vegetarians in the class, ask them to be a consultative panel and to judge the result of the class cooking attempts to make veggies into taste tempting foods!
When the Parrot was Silent. by J.R.Poulter
“Twitter, twitter”, said the birds,
Perched outside upon a ledge,
“The wizard’s conjuring with words,
Some are wise and some absurd.
Tell us parrot what you’ve heard?”
Parrot, on his perch all day,
Hadn’t very much to say
But was noisy anyhow.
Parrot made a frightful row!
Showed off to his birdie friends.
Till the wizard hit wits END!
Parrot through the cage bars peaked,
Saw the wizard’s wand go, “TWEAK!”
Opened wide his beak to SQUAWK,
Found he could no longer talk!
Moral is, when wizards speak,
Wise birds seek but to be taught,
Say not a word unless it’s sought…
About JR Poulter: “I’m writing all the time – poetry is a bit like a journal for me. It is there 24/7. I have more books coming out – one a prose poem “The Passing” and one a humorous narrative verse story “A Raw Deal!” and then there is my poetry collection [for grown-ups] “Blood and Other Essentials” which hopefully coming out this year.”
Australian Children’s Poetry 