It’s in the Book, but Should It Be?

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.

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.

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.