Modify that Puppy!

Modify is not a word that kids use often. So when I start talking about words modifying other words I might as well be Charlie Brown's teacher, because the students that don't understand stop hearing intelligible words.

This week a solution came to me. Now my students are more comfortable with the word modify. 

Modify that Puppy

"I am going to say a word. When I say the word you are all going to automatically have a picture of it in your head, but everybody's picture will be different. When I point to you, I want you to say one word that will modify everybody else's picture."

"Puppy."

"Carolyn, change the picture that is in everybody's head; modify that puppy!"

"Huge!"

"How many of you had a picture of a chiuaua in your head? Carolyn just modified the picture in your head. She changed it, right? Modify just means to change."

My student's lit up the room with their radiant brilliance. One girl was physically affected, she jumped in her seat as though she had been struck by lightening, "Oh! I get it!!" Her hand shot into the air in hopes of getting a chance at our new game.

"Ron, modify that puppy!"

"Soft!"

We all felt the mood in the room shift as we imagined burying our hands in that huge, soft puppy's fur.

More hands.

"Amber, modify that puppy!"

"One-eyed!"

There was actually a collective "Oooohhh" for our poor puppy.

I can't believe none of us thought of miraculously healing our puppy with a simple modification to his eye. Ah well, another day.