Dialectics for Kids Part-I
Dialectics Defined
Everything changes, and Dialectics for Kids explains how. If you are old enough to read, you can understand change. It’s so simple even grown-ups can understand.
Avalanche
B - A baby grows inside its mother, day by day . . . until the day of
Birth
C - You pile up blocks, higher and higher . . . until they
Collapse
D - A miner looks for gold for many days . . . until at last he makes a
Discovery
Earthquake
Falls out
GO!
Haircut
Inside
Joke
it’s the
Kick-off
Loose
Melts
Night
O - You’re warm and snug, and still a bit sleepy . . . but you know it’s time to get
Out of Bed
P - The kernels are getting hotter . . . until the popcorn
Pops
Q - You’re hot and dry, you get a drink . . . and you
Quench your thirst
R - The clouds turn dark, a cool wind stirs, . . . and it starts to
Rain
S - Traffic moves along the street . . . until the light turns red and the traffic
Stops
T - The cowgirl rides the wild horse . . . until at last it is
Tame
U - You study and think . . .until you finally
Understand
V - The mountain is quiet for many years . . . until it erupts as a
Volcano
W - You sleep all night . . . until you
Wake-up
X – A fire burns . . . until it is
eXtinguished
Y - You are getting sleepy. . . You try not to, but you have to
Yawn
Z - Five – Four – Three – Two – One . . .
Zero. Blast off!
Popcorn, Haircuts, and Other Changes
There.
You did it.
You just made a change.
This page was closed, but now it is open.
Everything Changes
- Young people grow old.
Days turn into nights.
Short hair grows long.
- Like a popcorn kernel that suddenly pops.
Or a birthday party when everyone shouts, “Surprise!”
Or a cloudburst that drenches everyone to the bone,
Or a lamp that changes a room from dark to light.
- Like a tree growing a little every day,
Or an ice cube melting in a cold drink,
Or the way the clock moves when you’re
waiting for recess to begin.
- Like the day in Spring when green buds appear
Or the start of a race when all the runners take off
Or when you leave home to go on a vacation.
- Like a house burning down
Or a car screeching to a stop
Or an earthquake that shakes the ground
- Like the first day of a new school
Or a roller coaster ride
Or learning to swim, or ride a bike.
How Things Change
- A sturdy tree stands many years, until lighting or wind comes along
to knock it down.
Traffic keeps moving, until a red light tells it to stop.
We keep drinking until we aren’t thirsty anymore.
- When a door is stuck, you need to push or pull hard to open it.
An elevator has to be very strong to lift up a load of people
weighing it down.
Sometimes you have to argue very hard to change someone’s mind.
- When one team is winning, they are the stronger side at that
moment.
When your body is stronger than any germs, you feel healthy, not
sick.
When a volcano is erupting, it is so strong that not even a mountain
can hold it down.
- We blow up a small balloon, and it gets bigger and bigger.
A baby tooth ready to come out gets looser every day.
Our bedroom starts out neat and clean, but gets messier and
messier as time goes by.
A cold popcorn kernel being cooked gets hotter and hotter
Turning Points
- When a balloon gets too big, it pops.
When a new tooth pushes far enough, a loose baby tooth falls out.
At some point your room becomes so messy that you decide to
clean it up.
When the tiny drop of water inside a popcorn kernel turns to steam,
the popcorn pops–all at once.
- When a match is struck, it bursts into flame
When our sleeping bodies are rested, we wake up.
When a piñata gets one last solid “Whack”, the candy spills out.
One day, when it is ready, a butterfly pops out of its cocoon.
When snow on a mountain gets too deep, it falls in a thundering
avalanche.
- Children grow a little every day, until one day there they are–
all grown up.
Over many, many years, wind and rain can change mountains into
grains of sand.
If you start with a big bag of Halloween candy, and eat a little
every day, one day it becomes more empty than full.
Icy winters change into balmy summers, day by day.
Some turning points mark an ending
- Like a street that comes to a dead end
Or going to bed at the end of a day
Or the last day of school before summer vacation.
- Like the kiss at the end of a wedding.
Or a home run that wins a ball game for your team.
- Like falling off a bike.
Or saying good-bye to a friend if you move away.
- When the school year ends, summer vacation begins.
If you fall off a bike, you can get up and try to ride again.
If you move away, you can make new friends, and keep in touch
with all your friends by email.
Circles and Spirals
- Like a Ferris wheel that goes up and comes back down to the same
spot.
Or the day which turns into night and then into day
Or the seasons–Winter–Spring–Summer–Fall–and Winter again
Or our breathing–in and out and in
- Like a winding staircase that moves in a circle, but comes around to
a higher point.
Or going to school and coming back home, but learning more about
the world every day.
Or losing something; then finding it, and then putting it in a special
place so you won’t lose it again.
Or like children growing up to be parents with children of their own.
Making Changes
Some changes are simple to make.
- If you don’t like a TV show, you can change the channel or turn the
TV off.
If you don’t like your hair style, you can cut it differently next
time.
- If you want to play the piano, you can study and practice and learn.
If you are shy or lonely, you can join a club and find people who
like the same things you do.
If you are mean to someone, you can say you’re sorry.
And if someone is mean to you, you can learn to forgive.
- For safer streets people can work to put up stop signs and traffic
signals.
To make our neighborhoods clean, we can help pick up trash.
- Sickness to health
Poverty to wealth
War to peace
Famine to feast.
Bit by Bit . . . Then All At Once
A story about making changes.
Most kids love birthdays, but not Henri. Well, he did like getting presents and being treated special. But he didn’t like growing older. So when he woke up on the morning of his ninth birthday, he lay in bed with mixed feelings. “What changes are in store for me?” he wondered.
“Happy birthday, Henri,” called out Gloria.
“What’s so happy about a birthday?” grumbled Henri.
“Come on Henri. You’re growing up. That’s good!”
“Not to me. You know I hate change.”
“I know Henri, but that feeling may change today because I’m going to give you a great power for a birthday present. But you have to agree to try it out”
“Oh, sure, like you’re going to make me into a superhero.”
“Fine, if you don’t want the power . . .”
“Gloria! You said you would give it to me. O.K., tell me, and I’ll try it. But what is it–some kind of magic trick?
“It’s like magic, but it’s not a trick, Henri. The gift is the power to make changes.”
“What? Isn’t that impossible?”
“No, anyone can learn it. You see, all changes are like a tug-of-war between two opposing sides. The new side pulls against the old side. Bit by bit the new side grows stronger until, all at once, it wins out, and the old side disappears–like the sunrise when night gives way to day.”
“You mean like when I wake up in the morning and my sleepiness goes away?”
“Yes, that’s it, Henri.”
“So how does knowing how things change give me a great power?” asked a puzzled Henri.
“Making changes makes you powerful, Henri. To make changes you have to build the new–what you want to happen–bit by bit, until, all at once, you’ve done it–the new takes the place of the old. It’s like building your Lego houses, piece by piece–until presto!–you’re finished.
“Is making changes work or is it fun?” asked Henri.
“It’s both! And you can always be proud of the changes you make.”
“If it’s so easy, why doesn’t everyone know this?” asked Henri.
“I don’t know, Henri. Maybe they never had a big sister to tell them. Now I’ve got to go to work. See you tonight. Have fun making changes.”
“OK, I’ll give this a try,” Henri said to himself. His room was cold. But, bit by bit, Henri built up his energy to get out of bed. “Now it is time for a change!” All at once, in a single burst, he tossed his covers off and got up. “Hmmm, that wasn’t bad at all. Maybe making changes will make me a superhero.”
Henri sat down with his mother for breakfast. “Henri, since this is your birthday, it’s time for some changes. Today you’re old enough to walk to school by yourself. And starting tomorrow, we want you to wash the breakfast dishes before you leave for school.”
“I was afraid of this,” groaned Henri. But then he thought it over and said with a sly look, “O.K., I’ll agree if I also get a bigger allowance. It’s only fair– more change for making changes.”
His mother smiled, and then replied, “All right, Henri, it’s a deal.”
After breakfast Henri felt like a brave explorer getting ready for an adventure as he walked out the door. When he got to Crow Canyon Road, Henri imagined himself in the World Street-Crossing Championship. Cars and trucks were whizzing by. The spectators were tense, but Henri remained calm. He pressed the pedestrian button and waited. Everyone watched, hoping. But Henri told himself, “Bit by bit, the signal is getting ready to change.” Then, all at once, the light turned green. The traffic stopped, and Henri crossed the busy street safely. The crowd cheered as Henri received the gold medal. Henri wasn’t surprised. He thought, “Now I know how to make changes.”
He kept walking, thinking about his birthday, and all the changes in his life. He remembered his mother saying, “When I was pregnant with you, you grew inside me–bit by bit–until one day, you were born.” He remembered growing older, day by day, until one day he started going to school.
He remembered how he learned to ride a bike–trying again and again until, all at once, Gloria shouted, “You’ve got it Henri. You’re riding!”
He walked briskly ahead, step by step, getting closer to school. Then, before he knew it, he arrived. He wasn’t surprised; now he knew how to make changes.
The day at school seemed normal–too normal. Henri wondered if anyone knew it was his birthday. He did feel proud as he solved arithmetic problems, learned how to spell “Mississippi”, and drew a picture of a volcano.
His friend, Carlos, asked, “How did you learn to do all this, Henri?”
Henri answered, “I just keep working, bit by bit, until I get it right.”
But something was not right. Bit by bit, Henri’s happy feeling was fading while tick by tick the clock showed the end of the day was approaching. Then, all at once, the bell rang, and school was out.
Henri thought, “I can’t believe no one remembered my birthday.”
There was nothing for Henri to do but go home. He felt sad and crinkled up inside. “At least my family will celebrate my birthday,” he hoped.
But when he got home, his mom said, “Henri, tonight we have to go over to Aunt Violeta’s to watch videos of your cousin’s wedding.”
Henri was shocked. “How can this be happening on my birthday?” he thought. Bit by bit Henri had been getting more and more upset. Now, he erupted like a volcano.
“Forget it. That sounds boring. I’m staying here,” he shouted.
Then he ran to his room, slamming the door.
A few minutes later, Gloria tapped on his door.
“Henri, can I talk to you?”
“O.K., Gloria, but I’m not going to Aunt Violeta’s. This isn’t fair.”
“Henri, trust me. I really don’t think you’ll be bored at Aunt Violeta’s. Remember that things can change all at once. And you can always bring a comic book along just in case.”
“Oh great,” thought Henri, “now Gloria’s put my mind in a tug-of-war–should I stay, or should I go?” His mind was racing, “There is something strange about this; my family always celebrates my birthday. What is Gloria hinting at? Maybe I’ll find out if I go to Aunt Violeta’s.”
Finally Henri said, “All right, let’s go.” But he did grab a comic book on his way out the door just in case.
When they arrived, Henri tried to open the front door, but it seemed to be stuck. “Oomph, something is pushing against the other side,” Henri grunted.
But Henri knew how to make changes. He pushed harder and harder until, all at once, the door gave way. Henri fell into the room as the door swung open. Right then, the lights came on and a chorus of voices shouted, “Surprise!”
Henri just about jumped out of his socks as a flashbulb popped in his face. His friends laughed and laughed at his shocked expression. “Boy, did we have you fooled,” they gloated.
“Not at all,” lied Henri. “Well, I’ll admit that this is one change that came as a tiny surprise. But you know how I like changes.” Everyone laughed, but Henri didn’t mind.
They played and danced until bit by bit, they started getting tired and hungry. Then, all at once, his dad called out, “Come and get it!” and everyone sat down for a feast of home-made tamales.
Then came the cake. Henri sucked in a big breath of air, then blew. Just like that, the candle flames all went out. Everyone clapped, and Henri said, “Thanks, but it’s easy now that I know how to make changes.”
After dinner Henri especially enjoyed the piñata. It was shaped like a crocodile. Hit by hit, the crocodile got weaker and weaker until, with one last solid whack– it fell apart, dumping a pile of candy on the ground for everyone to dive for.
That night, Henri climbed into bed, thinking about the day and all the changes he had gone through. “Tomorrow I’ll have to face some of the same challenges, and make more changes–big and small. But I will be different. Tomorrow I’ll be stronger and smarter than ever. Bit by bit I’m learning and growing . . .”
Then, all at once, he fell asleep.
Spirals A – Z
A - An Acorn falls in the woods. It sprouts into a tree that eventually makes new, and different
Acorns.
B - You’re walking along and you happen to trip. Next time you’re more careful to keep your
Balance.
C - It’s the big game. You’re team starts to lose and you’re feeling bad. But then you feel great when your team makes a
C omeback.
D - A baby doesn’t know how to use a bathroom so we use Diapers to keep from having a mess. When a toddler learns to use a bathroom we’re glad that there is no more need for the
Diapers.
E - Whether it’s plants or animals, those best adapted to their environment survive, and the other species die out. This is the basis for
Evolution.
F - Someone dies and everyone feels bad. But we feel a little better after everyone gets together to celebrate their friend’s life at a
Funeral.
G - You start school when you are young. If you work hard, you can celebrate when you
Graduate.
H - When you are sick, your body will try to build up new defenses as it
Heals.
I - If there is a traffic accident, maybe the next one can be prevented by having a stop sign
Installed.
J - If someone is treated badly, we should all work to seek
Justice.
K - For people to live, we have to eat plants and animals. Although it may seem harsh, for life to go on, we have to
Kill.
L – You may not know everything, but you can
Learn.
M - Your back is stiff, and you’re feeling beat, but you’ll feel a lot better after a
Massage.
N - All of these examples represent a negation of
Negation.
O - When someone is very sick, they may recover if they have an
Operation.
P - When something is not just, it is important to
Protest.
Q - If you are puzzled and confused, it’s a good idea to ask a
Question.
R - To find out what is going on in the world, you need to learn how to
Read.
S - A winding staircase goes up around and around in a
Spiral.
T - If you know how to do something, and your friend doesn’t, you can
Teach.
U - When you make a mistake on the computer, you can hit the button that says
Undo.
V - A steam engine needs pressure to run, but when the pressure gets too high, it could explode if it didn’t have a safety
Valve.
W - Left – Right – Left. That’s how you move ahead when you
Walk.
X – When you have a flat tire on your car, you need an
eXtra.
Y - Tomorrow will replace today, just as today replaced
Yesterday.
Z - To go up a mountain it’s best to follow a course that
Zig-zags.
For a more detailed look at these spirals
Spirals A – Z (a second look)
| Starting Point | Opposite (Negation) | Spiral (Negation of Negation) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Acorn | Acorn intact | Acorn destroyed as it sprouts | Tree grows and produces new/different acorns |
| B | Balance | Walking, but carelessly | Tripping. losing your balance | Walking, but being more careful |
| C | Come-back | Before the big game–happy with anticipation | Feeling despair as your team falls behind | Feeling ecstasy as your team pulls off a big come-back and wins (Of course this is just a negation if your team loses, but then, there’s always next year.) |
| D | Diapers | Without diapers, a baby makes a mess | Diapers preserve cleanliness, but are a hassle | By learning to use a bathroom, toddlers keep themselves clean, no longer needing diapers |
| E | Evolution | Living species | Death of those least adapted | Survival of new species, better adapted |
| F | Funeral | A living friend | Death, grief | A funeral celebrates the friend’s life, relieving grief |
| G | Graduation | Before school, uneducated | Going to school | Graduating, with an education |
| H | Healing | Health, but without anti-bodies | Sickness | Health, but with anti-bodies to combat future sickness |
| I | Install | Intersection is built | Collisions occur | Install stop sign to improve safety |
| J | Justice | An innocent person | Treated unfairly | An apology, reparations, justice |
| K | Kill | Living plants and animals | These living things are killed to make food for people | People eat the food and are able to live |
| L | Learning | Ignorant, but blissful | Learning, having to work at it | Knowledgeable, and blissful |
| M | Massage | Before–Sore and tense | Getting a massage | After–Feeling less sore and tense |
| N | Negation of negation | Starting point | Negation of starting point to an opposite | Negation of negation, back to the starting point, but with something different |
| O | Operation | Ailing and in need of surgery | Doctors perform an operation | Recovering, and in better health (hopefully) |
| P | Protest | You disagree, but say nothing | Finally, you have to protest | Even if you don’t get your way, at least you feel better |
| Q | Question | You’re puzzled and confused, but quiet | Ask a question | Afterwards, you might get an answer. |
| R | Reading | Being illiterate | Studying to learn to read | No longer studying reading, but being literate |
| S | Spiral | Starting up a spiral staircase | Going half-way around to the other side | Completing the circle, but being higher |
| T | Teach | You know, but they don’t | You teach them | Now you both know |
| U | Undo | You’re typing along on the computer | You accidentally hit the wrong key and erase your file | Click Undo, and you’re back where your started, but being more careful |
| V | Valve | A steam engine is working hard | It overheats and could explode | The safety valve releases the energy; the overheating can be fixed without an explosion |
| W | Walk | Left . . . | Right . . . | Left. . . but now you’re two steps ahead |
| X | eXtra | The car is moving along, but one tire is going bad | A flat tire stops the car | The extra tire gets you back on your way |
| Y | Yesterday | Yesterday is negated by | Today, which is negated by | Tomorrow. Each day is different. |
| Z | Zig Zag | Start up the mountain in one direction | Cut back in the opposite direction | Zig zag back in the original direction, but at a higher level |
Ten Ways You Turn Into Your Opposite–
Every Day Before You Leave Your House!
Here are 10 ways that you and your body become their opposites–before you even get out the door in the morning. (Of course, not everybody has the same routine, or even has a house to live in (!), but you get the idea.)
TIME TO GET UP!
1. You go from asleep to awake
2. You go from in bed to out of bed
3. You go from unwashed to washed (plus some more opposites here):
You go from out of the shower to in the shower
The water goes from off to on to off
You go from unsoapy to soapy and then to rinsed
You go from wet to dry
4. Your bladder goes from full to empty
5. Your bowels go from full to empty
6. Your teeth go from unbrushed to brushed
7. Your hair goes from messy to combed
8. You go from undressed to dressed (lots of opposites here):
Your clothes go from off to on
Your shoes go from untied to tied
Your zippers go from unzipped to zipped
Your shirt goes from unbuttoned to buttoned
9. You go from hungry to fed (lots of opposites here too):
The refrigerator goes from closed to opened to closed
Your food goes from uncooked to cooked
Eggs go from soft to hard
Oatmeal goes from runny to ready
Your food goes from uneaten to eatened (even more opposites here):
Your food goes from out of your mouth to in your mouth
Your food goes from unchewed to chewed
Your food goes from unswallowed to swallowed
Your stomach goes from empty to full
Your milk goes from unpoured to poured/undrunk to drunk
Vitamins go from untaken to taken
10. Your coat goes from off to on; your door goes from closed to opened; and you go from in the house to out of the house!
So our bodies and the world around us are always changing into opposites. Remember that we, like everything else, have many opposing sides–at first one side is in control, but eventually the other side becomes stronger and–all at once–we go from asleep to awake, undressed to dressed, . . .
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- Now our two sides have a struggle
To see which comes out ahead.
And you’d better pay attention.
You could go from live to dead.When your water hits its boiling point,
Or a baby’s being born,
When the traffic stops, or a popcorn pops,
Or your clothes get worn and torn,Everything comes to a turning point
Where the new defeats the old.
When a new day starts, and the old departs,
Springtime ends the winter’s cold.Changes start out slowly
With one side in command.
That side keeps commanding
For as long as it can.But keep your eye on the other side;
It may be able to turn the tide.
So things build up to a turning point,
When a big change happens fast–
‘Til an earthquake quakes, a pinata breaks,
Or your day has come, at last.-
- (There is still one more question–
When we finish with our part,
At the end of life’s adventure,
Have we changed things from the start?)Do our days go round in circles–
First sun up then, and then sun down?
We sleep, we wake, we give, we take.
Sometimes we smile, sometimes we frown.Do our lives go round in circles–
Breathing in and breathing out?
We’re born we die, we laugh we cry.
Sometimes we’re sure, sometimes we doubt.But it isn’t always circles.
It’s not just the same old game.
For when you touch another
You’re never quite the same.So there’s more to life than circles.
We make changes everywhere.
We try, we reach, we learn, we teach.
We find a new way, we make a new day,
. . . if we dare.-
- (To the tune of “Carousel” by Jacque Brel)
Constant changes, clashing forces
Pushing, pulling, just as they please
Dialectic contradictions
From a gale to a gentle breeze
Opposites confront each other
Act and react repeatedly
Waking, sleeping, laughing, weeping
Turning points – eternallyCHORUS: We’re on a whirling world
A swirling, whirling world
And now we go around
Again we go around
And now we spin around
We’re standing on the ground
But still we go around
Transform and go around
We spin around the sun
We run until we’re done
And when our spin has spun
Another spin’s begun
We’re in a spiral spin
An endless spiral spin
No matter lose or win
We see where we have been
Then we begin again
Another spiral spin
We’re down again around
And up again around
We’re up and then we’re down
We end then we begin
Another spiral spin
The spiral spin were inConstant changes, clashing forces
Pushing, pulling, just as they please
Colder, hotter, teeter-totter
Ice cubes melt and then they freeze
Opposites confront each other
Act and react repeatedly
Popcorn popping, traffic stopping
Turning points – eternally.REPEAT CHORUS (faster)
Constant changes, clashing forces
Pushing, pulling, just as they please
Tigers pouncing, footballs bouncing
Thunderclaps and stormy seas
Opposites confront each other
Act and react repeatedly
Seeing, blinking, swimming, sinking,
Turning points – eternally.REPEAT CHORUS (faster still)
Constant changes, clashing forces
Until our life comes to an end.-
- Pump up a balloon with a bicycle tire pump until it pops.
- Cut a rubber band, then stretch it until it breaks.
- Stack blocks until they fall–the tipping point.
- Hold your arms out until you can’t hold them any more.
- Open your eyes without blinking, until you have to blink.
- Hold your breath until you have to let it out and take a new breath.
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Dialectics for Teachers
Here are some ideas for teaching dialectics:
1. Quantitative change leads to qualitative change:
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“We’re in a Spiral Spin”
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“Do Our Lives Go Round in Circles?”
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- 2. Everything is made of opposites:
Can your students think of anything that isn’t made of opposites? Remember that any object has to have a force holding its parts together; otherwise they fly apart (2nd law of thermodynamics). Also, any process only moves forward if a force causes it to move (Newton’s laws of motion). Also, concepts are not things, so they aren’t “made of opposites”, but they do need opposites to be understood–e.g. good/bad, fast/slow, etc.
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- Take a wheel, and mark where it touches the ground. Make the wheel move forward one revolution. The mark is back to its original position, but the wheel has moved forward.
- Stand with weight on your left foot. Take two steps–first right, then left. Now your weight is back on your left foot, but you have moved forward.
- Ask students to try to spell a tricky word–say “collectible”. Count how many got it right. Then put the word on the board so everyone can see how to spell it correctly. Then erase it and ask them to spell it again. Now see how many get it right. The same exercise can be repeated with any test or quiz, say 10 true/false questions.
- Ask students what they were doing exactly one year ago, i.e. the time since the earth went one time around the sun. Is anything different? Are some things the same?
3. Change moves in spirals (negation of negation): -
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To learn about change you can study Hegel,
But it’s plain to see if you toast a bagel.
You put it in a toaster that’s electric.
The bagel heats up; everything gets hectic.
Then it pops up, and that’s a dialectic.refrain:
Everything changes bit by bit.
Everything changes bit by bit.
Everything changes bit by bit. . .
Then all at once, you have its opposite.Verse:
You plant some seeds; you don’t want drought.
You wait and wait; you begin to doubt.
Then all at once, you give a shout–
The green pops out, and the seeds do sprout.Refrain
Verse:
The sky turns dark on mountain tops.
The clouds fill up with a lot of drops.
Then all at once, the silence stops!
The thunder stops and the rain kerplops.Refrain
Verse:
You hold your breath and you’re feeling tough.
You hold it in, but it’s getting rough.
Then all at once, you’ve had enough–
You’re out of stuff, and you huff and puff.Extra verses:
Your hunger builds, and you’re feeling beat.
You think of bread, bananas, and meat.
Then all at once, the taste is sweet–
You get a treat, and you eat, eat, eat.The sky turns dark over mountain tops.
The clouds fill up with a lot of drops.
Then all at once, the silence stops–
The thunder pops, and a raindrop plops.
“Turning Points”
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Here’s a little message found floating in a bottle.
It drifted down the ages, all the way from Aristotle.
It bobbed by our buddy, Buddha, who never heard of the big bang,
But that wise old Buddha knew–where there’s yin there’s always yang.Everything is made of opposites.
From great big blobs,
To little bitty bits.
Without a bond to make them stay
All our parts would fly away.Every change must have two opposites
That push and pull,
And give each other fits.
For each act some things react–
Said Sir Isaac, it’s a fact.The new side pushes against the old.
That’s the way changes do unfold.
If you give a push, something pushes back.
Sometimes you retreat, sometimes you attack.So by now perhaps you understand
There is no way to clap with just one hand.
Whether you stand or you simply sit,
Whether you’re cool or a bit misfit,
Whether you try or you say, “I quit!”
Everything must have its opposite.
“Everything Changes Bit by Bit”
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Songs for all ages
Dialectics–The Musical
“Everything is Made of Opposites”
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- Play a card game–say 21 or poker, consider how easy it would be if you knew what cards the other player is holding. Or, if you are playing liar’s poker, consider how easy it would be if you knew the card on your forehead.
- Consider any sport–your chances of winning depend not only on the strength of your team, but also the strength of the opposing team. No matter how good your school team is, they couldn’t beat a team of top professionals. Try some competition such as tug-of-war or arm wrestling to show the concept of opposing forces.
- Look at the news–read the election polls or results. Which candidates got the most votes? Discuss why one candidate was stronger than another.
- Consider history–who won wars and why were they stronger? Why did the U.S. win in World War II and lose in Vietnam?
Here’s a lesson plan I used with a 4th Grade class in January, 2008:
Good luck and have fun in teaching this important concept!
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- (Edited and slightly modified varsion original published essays at http://home.igc.org and Last updated June, 2008 )
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