Overview:
This is
for an intermediate writing class. It is a lesson based on the first comedy record
to sell one million copies, which happened in 1952. It is a lesson on removing redundancy.
Media:
Audio recording: 1952 HITS
ARCHIVE: It's In The Book (Grandma's Lye Soap) - Johnny Standley (a #1 record) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poCWRJTgMQU
Video recording: Johnny
Standley.wmv https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdaeQLCTa6g
Note:
If you use the second one, you may have to change the transcript slightly.
The audio recording can also be found at http://turoks.net/Cabana/ItsInTheBook.php
by a fan whose transcript I have used here.
Little Bo Peep:
Inform students that today
they will edit the text of a written passage to make it shorter.
Show them this text.
Explain any key words.
Apologies to this lady
ahead of time, for what we will do to your rhyme.
Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep,
And doesn't know where to find them;
Leave them alone, and they'll come home,
Wagging their tails behind them.
“There is too much
information here. Cross out any extra words.” Have them cross out words.
It’s In the Book:
Set the scene. Show the
pictures. Get them to say what they think is going on. It is important for them
to speak about their hypotheses before you give your context. Do not use the
captions underneath the photos at this time.
Done with that? Move on. “Today,
we will listen to a recording of a man from a religious revival in the US in
the 1950s. He will be speaking to a large group of Christians. He will read
from a very important text. What text do you think he will read from?” [Elicit Bible.]
Audience at a religious revival in the 1950s
John Standley, playing the part of a revivalist preacher
Play them the first bit of
the recording.
I have a message for you - a very sad message! My subject for this
evening will be Little Bo Peep.
Stop here. Ask them if they
were correct.
“Now listen again. What
words would he have removed? Why?”
It’s possible to use the
remainder of this transcript for lower-level learners. Use your best judgment
for whatever else may need explaining.
Continue playing:
It says here, "Little Bo Peep"—who was a little girl—
has lost her sheep,
And doesn't know where to find them”
Now that's reasonable, isn't it? It's reasonable to assume if
Little Bo Peep had lost her sheep, it's only natural that she
wouldn't know where to find them.
That, that basically is reasonable, but, uh, "leave them
alone". Now that overwhelms me—completely overwhelms me. The man said she
lost her sheep, turns right around and boldly states, "She doesn't know
where to find them". And then has the stupid audacity to say, "Leave
them alone!" Now! Now, now think for a moment! Think! If the sheep were
lost, and you couldn't find them, you'd have to leave them alone, wouldn't you?
So, "Leave them alone". "Leave them alone". It's in the
book!
"Leave them alone and they"—they being the sheep—"they will come home". Ah yes, they'll
come home. Oh, there'll be a brighter day tomorrow, they will come
home! It's in the book.
“they'll come home,
Wagging their tails”
Pray tell me what else could they wag?
“they'll come home,
Wagging
their tails behind them.”
Did we think they'd wag them in front? Of
course, they might have come home in reverse. They could have done that, I
really don't know. But, nonetheless, it's in the book.
End recording. There is more but it is not relevant to the
lesson.
Now compare your answers to those of the speaker. Were they
similar?
A good follow-up would be this paragraph, which they can edit
out for redundancy. “There are seven words or phrases that can be removed to
make this smaller and more powerful. What words would those be?”
Let me tell you
about my personal friend, Roger. He’s American and bald-headed. Nowadays, he is
on a diet. Today, he ate a salad with tuna fish in it. The next time he and I
meet together, I think he will be thinner. His birthday is March 3, and that is
coming soon, so I should give him a free gift and plan in advance what to give
him. The reason is because he gave me a gift on my birthday.
Answers in boldface:
Let me tell you
about my personal friend, Roger. He’s
American and bald-headed. Nowadays,
he is on a diet. Today, he ate a salad with tuna fish in it. The next time he and I meet together, I think he will be thinner. His birthday is March 3, and
that is coming soon, so I should give him a free gift and plan in
advance what to give him. The reason is because he gave me a gift on my birthday.
If they have a portfolio of their own written work, they can
look for redundancies after that.
Appendix: The rest of “It’s in the Book” (Not part of the lesson). Perhaps
some day I will come up with a lesson for this part.
So now if you will, kindly pick up your books, and turn to page 222. We'll ask you all to sing. You'll find your books on the backs of your seats. Are we ready?
Everyone, 222. Let's really enjoy ourselves, let's live it up. All together.
Do you remember grandma's lye soap?
Good for everything in the home.
And the secret was in the scrubbing,
It wouldn't suds and couldn't foam.
Then let us sing right out of grandma's, of grandma's lye soap
Used for - for everything, everything on the place,
For pots and kettles, the dirty dishes,
And for your hands and for your face.
Good for everything in the home.
And the secret was in the scrubbing,
It wouldn't suds and couldn't foam.
Then let us sing right out of grandma's, of grandma's lye soap
Used for - for everything, everything on the place,
For pots and kettles, the dirty dishes,
And for your hands and for your face.
Shall we now sing the second verse? Let's get it with great
exuberance, let's live it up. It's not raining inside tonight. Everyone, let's
have a happy time. Are we ready? All together, the second verse.
Little Herman and brother Thurman
Had an aversion to washing their ears
Grandma scrubbed them with the lye soap.
And they haven't heard a word in years.
Then let us sing right out of grandma's, of grandma's lye soap.
Sing all out, all over the place.
For pots and kettles, the dirty dishes,
And for your hands and for your face.
Had an aversion to washing their ears
Grandma scrubbed them with the lye soap.
And they haven't heard a word in years.
Then let us sing right out of grandma's, of grandma's lye soap.
Sing all out, all over the place.
For pots and kettles, the dirty dishes,
And for your hands and for your face.
Well, let's sing what's left of the last verse. Let's have a happy
time, everyone. The last verse, all together. Every one!
Mrs. O'Malley, out in the valley,
Suffered from ulcers, I understand.
She swallowed a cake of grandma's lye soap.
Has the cleanest ulcers in the land!
Then let us sing right out of grandma's, of grandma's lye soap.
Sing right out. All over the place.
The pots and - the pots and pans, oh dirty dishes,
And for your hands and for your face.
Suffered from ulcers, I understand.
She swallowed a cake of grandma's lye soap.
Has the cleanest ulcers in the land!
Then let us sing right out of grandma's, of grandma's lye soap.
Sing right out. All over the place.
The pots and - the pots and pans, oh dirty dishes,
And for your hands and for your face.
