teaching | Clutch Cargo Lips

In the spring of 1991, probably because it was close to Earth Day or maybe I’d just taught a unit on environmental studies, I had my students write letters to President George Bush requesting he be more concerned about the Earth. It’s actually odd I did this at that time because he’d just announced Proclamation 6274 (Earth Day).

We received a reply, but I may have thrown it away. It was pretty exciting though.

Here are the letters:

Dear Mr. President,

We are Michael and Callie and we are interested in saving the Earth. We would like you to try to stop people from littering. And to make a law to stop people from littering.

Sincerely,
Michael and Callie

Dear Mr. President,

I understand that you have a lot of work to do but anyway I know that you want to be known as the Environmental President and I want to help. The first way is you could try to provide a safe place for animals. The second way is you could set a new law. It could be that you could arrest people who litter. You could also try to stop pollution by banning hairspray and just use mousse. You could also try to ban cigarettes and try to stop anymore oil going into rivers, streams, oceans, and seas. I would be pleased if you wrote back. If you write back can you send some of your ways to help the Earth? Tell Mrs. Bush I said hello.

Sincerely,
Jessica

Dear Mr. President,

I think you should help clean up the environment and air. I think you should shut down the smoke factories for ever and ever. That would be nice to breathe clean air. I get sick when the air has too much smoke in it. I think it is wrong to pollute the air because it destroys animals and plants. When I see dead animals I feel sad

Sincerely,
Dallas

Dear Mr. Presidident,

Can you help stop pollution a little and litter too? Can you help clean the air? Can you help clean the water?

Sincerely,
Daniel

Dear Mr. President,

How is congress? Can you make a law about pollution because the cars make the pollution? Can you make people pick up trash?

Sincerely,
Ian and Mark

Dear President Bush,

How are you? I’m fine. How’s congress? Any new decorations for the oval office? Didn’t think so. Well, I wrote to say you’re a great president. BUT can you help us around here? The environment is getting really polluted and littered and the animals are disappearing. Please help. Pass a law or something. Build animal shelters. But please do something when and if you have the time, and if you come here in person please sit by me and we can talk. We have lunch at 12:05. If you come on Friday they have pizza. This school (unlike others) has great pizza. We sit at the last table with another class. Anyway, write back soon.

Sincerely,
Edward

Dear Mr. President Bush,

I would like you to help the nation get most of the pollution out of it. I would like you to make a home that is safe for animals and make a law to show that the world is in danger.

Yours sincerely,
Sarah

Dear Mr. President,

I wish you would stop the littering. You would not like what you see. Please do a good job. Please do me a favor and make a new law. If someone litters they have to pay a fine.

Sincerly,
Eric

I thought I had written a post about my students as Dancing Dollars a while back but I cannot find it if I did; so here’s the back story to a sweet note I found and want to share.

My first teaching job was at Bartlett Learning Center (Now Clare Woods Academy) where I taught students with developmental disabilities. Every year the school put on a musical. The first year I taught there the students put on Alice in Wonderland. The second year it was Robin Hood.

The music teacher wanted to include all students, but there were never enough roles in the play so she had to be creative. The year we put on Robin Hood there was a commercial for WMAQ Radio featuring dollars as a chorus line. Here’s the commercial.

The music teacher decided that my students would be dancing dollars that were a result of someone dreaming about money. (I don’t remember the rest of the play, but I do remember my students’ performance). I was no good at choreographing so a friend helped me out. I think my students stole the show. Another friend silk screened the dollar image on the felt. I think I sewed the costumes at the shoulders and waist. Or perhaps my mom did.