After reading the Diplomacy story called “Denny Teaches Tom to Eat Crow,” students will take part in a variety of follow-up activities to enhance the learning experience. Here is a story scenario you can use to help teach about the need to be diplomatic with adults in positions of power such as teachers, administrators, and parents. Valuing & Respecting Authority are two important survival skills that all thinking individuals need to display if they wish to get along well in this world. Students will learn when it might be appropriate to “eat crow” with teachers and other significant adults in their lives. One of the goals of this story is that students will increase the number of times they choose to “eat crow” with teachers instead of being rude or disrespectful.
Step 1: Read the story called “Denny Teaches Tom to Eat Crow.”
Story Description: Tom almost always got in trouble with his teachers while his best friend Denny rarely did. One day while the two boys were out fishing, Tom asked to know Denny’s secret. Denny, with the help of his grandfather, taught Tom the very important survival skill of learning how to “eat crow” with teachers, bosses, and other adults in positions of power.
Links to 3 chapters for “Denny Teaches Tom to Eat Crow.”
Chapter 1: Tom Gets In Trouble
Chapter 2: Tom and Denny
Chapter 3: Tom and Denny’s Grandpa
Step 2: Have class participate in the role-play based on the complete story called “Denny Teaches Tom to Eat Crow.”
Diplomacy role-play: Denny Teaches Tom to Eat Crow
Step 3: Have class participate in discussion questions about this story.
Let’s Discuss Denny Teaches Tom to Eat Crow
