The Straight Dope in my classroom

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I’ve been implementing a new language arts intervention program (Open Court–a phonics-based approach, for those who care) in the last few months, and it comes with a tear-out workbook collection of ministories for each child. There’s about 20 stories–one for each lesson in the program. (With names like “Slick Sam the Spy,” “Robot Music,” and “Scat Cat.” Yeah, great content there.)

Anywho, the illustrations have looked vaguely familiar, and the name of the illustrator has stuck with me for the last few weeks–I knew I knew his name from somewhere. Shel Silverstein books? Nooo…he illustrated them himself. What the heck was it?

Slug Signorino. The illustrator for Cecil Adams and The Straight Dope itself. I just realized that this morning, and had a good (quiet) chuckle. I had several of his more PG-13-rated creations in my vision. (Chastity belt, anyone?)

Good to know he has a day job.

Teaching: The ultimate birth control method.

Laura’s Stuff and Things

2

IIRC, eden worked with Slug illustrating some textbooks. They may have been the very ones you are using.

I share your astonishment at his generating drawings suitable for grade-school children. His illustrations for TSD usually have an unconventional regard for decorum.

“I used to think the brain was the most important organ in the body, until I realized who was telling me that.”
Emo Phillips

3

Does Ed Zotti work for Encyclopedia Britannica?

Voted Best Sport
And narrowly averted the despised moniker Smiley Master

Forward deployed until 18AUG00

4

What the hell is “language arts intervention”? Is this a group students sitting aroung berating the poor kids who don’t know you shouldn’t string three or four nouns together, much like the name of this program?