Skits and Whiskey

Throughout the week, my students were working on presentations. They had been studying explorers over the last couple of weeks and were goin to present them in all their glory. The presentations had gone well and after three days of presentions, we only had one more to go. It was coming up on morning recess and I was ready to be finished. The last group was putting on a skit and to get set up, they had written a "sign" up on the white board. Groups had done this before, so I didn't pay much attention. I wrote down their names, set up the rubric, that kind of thing. The play starts and I notice what has been written on the board: Explorers Convention and Bar. BAR. As in alcohol. Let's set aside for a moment that 3 out of the 5 kids in the group are Muslim and focus on the fact that the setting of their class skit featuring Robert Swan and Henry Hudson is in a bar. Inappropriate, maybe? 

I'm playin' it cool on the outside, even though on the inside I'm a bit peeved at Team 5. I saw their proposal, I watched them rehearse in class, and I can assure you that not once did the little mongrels ever allude to their plans to set this thing in a bar. I wasn't appreciating this particular curve ball, but I decide it's best to ignore it and see what happens. It starts off well and the two girls of the group have a great conversation, sneaking in lots of juicy facts about their explorers. I'm happy and it's on to Scene 2. One of the three boys sits at my kidney table, in my spot. Turns out, he will be playing the role of the bartender and begins to use a rag to wipe off his water bottle prop as well as the table. Eccellent! Fabulous attention to detail. The other two walk and they chat-chat-chatter along until one says, "Hey, let's go talk at the bar." When they sit down, same kid slaps his hand on the table (boy did they research their bar-mannerisms) and says, "Bartender, I'll have a whiskey." A huhm? A WHHAAAT??? The other boy does the same and says, "And I'll have a coke." 

About a minute after that, the recess bell rang and needless to say, I hit the pause button on these little Thespians and we had ourselves a little chit-chat. Nothin like a good teachable moment. (They presented the G-Rated version the next day.) My favorite bit of irony was this, however: the bartender and whiskey boys are both Muslim. Kid who ordered a coke? Well, he hails from Texas. Riddle me that.