No Talking Flashcards
What famous person from history inspired Dave’s first experiment with “no talking”?
He researched Mahatma Gandhi for a school report and learned that Gandhi used to go without talking one day each week.
What event in the cafeteria started the No Talking contest?
Dave Parker insulted Lynsey Burgess saying “boys NEVER talk as much as girls do, ever”
Give 3 of the rules of the No Talking contest.
- The contest is between the 5th-grade boys and the 5th-grade girls.
- There is no talking allowed anywhere 0 home or school for 2 days.
- 5th-graders may give three-word answers to grown-ups who ask a question.
- All 5th-graders are on the honor system when not in school.
- Contractions are considered one word.
- A big “L” for loser would be drawn with marker on the forehead of either Lynsey or Dave - depending on who lost.
What was the nickname the teachers had given the 5th-grade class and why?
5th grade was known as the “Unshushables” because no teacher could seem to shush them. They had a reputation for being talkative.
How did the 5th-grade classes go on the first day of the No Talking contest? Give two examples.
- Music Class- Students hummed and clapped all the songs.
- Language Arts Class- Students read a story out loud, 3 words each. Then they made up a story as a class with each student adding 3 words to it.
- Gym Class - They played dodgeball using motions to communicate.
- Science Class - They gave 3-word answers to the teacher’s questions. Then they quietly read a chapter and did homework.
- Another Language Arts Class - They wrote nonstop to each other for the entire period.
What “no talking” challenges did the kids face after school? Give two examples.
- Karate class without saying the shouting words.
- One student got an unwanted haircut because he couldn’t communicate with his mother.
- Instrument lesson done by tapping out answers to the teacher (example - how many beats in a measure)
- A shopping trip to the mall for shoes
- Dave’s mother was going to break down the bathroom door when he didn’t answer her from the bathroom.
After school, what did the teachers have to say about their 5th-grade classes?
Most were against what the students were doing. The gym teacher and the LA teachers, though, were in favor of it.
What happened at the assembly Mrs. Hiatt called on the second day of the contest? What was the students’ reaction? What was the teachers’ reaction to the students’ reactions?
Mrs. Hiatt’s announced an end to the contest, but the 5th graders continued the contest. The teachers let them continue the contest because classes were so orderly and a lot of work was getting done. One exception was made to the rules - the students agreed to sing normally in music class.
Describe Mrs. Hiatt’s reaction at lunch when she realized her orders had been disobeyed.
She lost her temper and yelled at Dave Parker who spoke disrespectfully back to her.
How did Mrs. Hiatt and Dave resolve this?
First, they met in Mrs. Hiatt’s office and Mrs. Hiatt came to understand that the 5th graders were not trying to be disrespectful. Then she decided to participate in the “no talking” and get the rest of the school to participate too. After the meeting, Dave and she went back to the cafeteria and apologized by exchanging 3-word phrases.
What was the final result of the 5th-grade boys vs. girls No Talking contest? What circumstances caused the result?
Lynsey gave a speech of exactly the same number of words that Dave had used to answer Mrs. Hiatt in the cafeteria. She did this so that the contest would end in a tie.
