Day Eight Afternoon
2
“This morning’s lesson was about kindness and the idioms related to kindness. One of the best examples of kindness that I have personally known about came in May with the death of my sister-in-law that I mentioned to you earlier. As a final act of unselfishness, she willed her body to the Southwest Medical School in Dallas, Texas. She hoped that, by doing this, she might be able to save someone else from having to have the disease that she had. There are two other true stories that I believe you will find interesting.”
“One involves these two teenagers who were classmates and friends.”
[Show the picture of Felipe and Donna.] “The title of the story is ‘The Gift.’ As you listen, find out what this extraordinary gift was that Felipe gave Donna.”
Read “The Gift” from p. 15 in More True Stories. After the first reading, elicit response to the listening prompt. (Felipe gave Donna his heart when he died. This gift saved her life.)
Call attention to the cling sheet or overhead cell that displays the questions to guide the listening for a second reading of the story. Ask that partners work together to answer the following questions:
1 – Why did Donna feel sad and thankful at the same time? (Her friend Felipe died, but he gave her his heart. Donna would have died without a heart transplant.)
2 – What was Felipe’s mother’s response when he told her he would die soon and wanted his heart to go to her? (thought he was joking)
3 – Before becoming brain dead, what were Felipe’s symptoms? (bad headache, dizziness, and difficulty breathing)
4 – Why didn’t they tell Donna about Felipe right away?
5 – How did Felipe’s brother feel about this? (He thinks of Felipe every time he sees Donna, because his heart is beating in her chest. But this gives him and his family great peace.)
After allowing time for partners to answer these questions, debrief with the whole class.
“In the U.S. many people carry donor cards in their wallets. A donor card says: “If I die in an accident, take my heart and other important organs. Give them to those who need them.” Does China have a similar plan for organ donation?”
“With your partner talk about how you feel about an organ donation program—and how you would feel about being an organ donor yourself.”
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“The next story is about a remarkable young lady.
Look at her picture and tell me what you think is happening in her life. [Show picture of Katie Fisher on p. 62 of More True Stories.]
“Katie obvious loves animals.
What animal is she holding? (a black-faced lamb or young sheep)
“The name of this story is ‘The Auction.’ Do you know what an auction is?” (wait for response—then say. . .) “In the U.S. when people have things they no longer need or want, they sometimes donate or give these items to charity for people who cannot pay for what they need. Sometimes they take the items to a place that sells the items for a very cheap price to help those who do not have much money. At other times, people need to raise money or get money they need—and they do this in one of several ways: 1) by paying for a classified ad in the newspaper and waiting for someone to call and want to buy it, (2) by placing a sign in the yard to let people know what you want to sell, (3) by having a Garage Sale or Yard Sale (if you don’t have a garage!). This takes place usually on a Saturday when more people have free time to come and browse or look through your items for sale. (This is often the way people get rid of things they do not need, if they are moving to another house or to another town.) (4) Another way to sell things is with an auction that is usually held in a public place with a professional auctioneer. People “bid on” the items for sale by saying what they are willing to pay—and the person with the highest bid gets to buy the item for sale. The auctioneer begins the bidding by saying to the crowd of people: “Who wants to bid on this animal/car/work of art/house (or whatever is being auctioned off)?”
[Write the words ‘auction’ (noun or verb), ‘auctioneer,’ and ‘auction off’ on the cling sheet or overhead cell.]
“As you listen to Katie’s story, find out why she is auctioning off her lamb.” After reading, take time for response to this listening prompt.
“What interesting and kind thing happened in this auction?”
“How many times did the farmers buy Katie’s lamb?” (36 times)
“How much money did Katie take home from the auction to pay her medical bills?” ($16,000—all the money she needed!)
“What else did she go home with that day?” (her lamb—and perhaps THAT is the reason for her big smile!)