Materials
scissors
poster board
laminator
markers or colored pencils
sailor's cap
Instructions
1. After any messy art activity or when the children have been cutting, pasting,
and mounting maps, poems, and so on, the floor will be littered with a pile of
debris.
2. Look for a child who has finished the activity and say to him, "I have a job for
you to do. But I don't know whether or not you will be able to do it because
it's rather difficult. I suppose you might be able to, but then..." By this time
you will have the child's full attention and the attention of all around.
3. Appear to make up your mind swiftly and decisively and tell the child that he
would make an excellent vacuum cleaner and you would like him to vacuum
up all the mess. The child will be very proud and will want to begin
immediately.
4. The other children will want to be "vacuum cleaners" too, so let everybody
join in when they finish the activity.
5. This creates a spotless classroom, a very proud child who was the "first
choice" vacuum cleaner, and a string of others asking whether or not they
were good vacuum cleaners.
