more fun & realizations 02/19/10

Yesterday my lessons focused on the 1985 "We are the World" video to aid famine relief in Africa and the 2010 remake to benefit Haiti.  I wrote "1985" on the board under "Africa" and mentioned that I was in high school at the time.  A 2nd grader said, "You were in preschool?"  "No, high school."  "How old ARE you?!"  Another kid: "Was that when Ms. S. was a little girl?" Ms. S. is a 60-year-old black woman who talked to the kids last month about growing up in the '60's - segregation, etc.  "No, it was after that.  Can we please focus on the video?!"  :)  The remake added a rap section and I was excited to show the kids that musicians they like were working along with other, different types of people to help people in need.  They enjoyed seeing the rappers, but I didn't bother telling them about the 15-year-old white kid that sings the opening line because he didn't fit my stereotype of what young black kids like. But when the video started, my 3rd-grade boys said, "Hey! That's Justin Bieber!"  And when I showed the video to N. (white 4th-grade boy) tonight and Justin came on, he said, "Oh, I hate that kid!"  I swear I'm learning at least as much as my students are.