Sue: Welcome to class, Anna. I can’t wait to see your trash!

Sue: Oh, okay. Alright, it’s a -- it’s a net with a … oh, it’s got a hole in it. Tell me about that.

Anna: This net said to me, “Anna, I used to catch stuff. I don’t anymore. So, use me, Anna.” That’s what it said. It said, “Use me, Anna.”

Sue: Okay. So...it’s a plastic helmet.

Anna: This plastic helmet said, “Anna. Hey, Anna, find me a head.”

Sue: Okay, um...and a broken toy.

Anna: This broken toy … this broken toy said to me – it said, “Anna, help me find fun.” “Help me, Anna” is what it said.

Sue: Anna, this stuff is not saying anything to you or me or anyone. It’s what we like to call in the business … garbage.

Anna: But you said to bring in trash.

Sue: Sometimes trash is treasure. Sometimes it's just trash.

Sue: Anna, don’t worry. Next week, I could teach you decoupage.

Anna: Decoupage. Decoupage. That’s fun to say.

Sue: All you need to bring is a clean shoe box. A box that held shoes.

Anna: I got it. I got it! See you next week!

Prof. Bot: Ut oh. It looks like Anna doesn’t know the difference between treasure and trash. She thinks those things are telling her something!

Prof. Bot: The words tell and say have similar meanings. But we use them in different ways.

Prof Bot: Tell means “to inform or instruct someone with words” and is almost always followed by an indirect object. For example, Sue says, “Tell me about that.”

Prof. Bot: The word me is the indirect object and tells us who is being told.

Prof. Bot: Say means “to express something with words” and focuses more on the words used. For example, Anna says, “That’s what it said. It said, ‘Use me, Anna.’”

Prof. Bot: Listen for when Anna and Sue use tell and say.

Sue: Anna, welcome to Decoupage class. Decoupage is just gluing pretty pictures onto stuff.

(Sue gets a phone call.)

Sue: Anna, I’ve got to talk to this person. I’ll be right back. Don’t start without me.

Anna: Got it.

(Sue leaves to take her phone call. Anna gets glue everywhere. She becomes covered with glue and paper.)

Anna: Okay. I can fix this.

Sue: Anna, what happened? I told you to wait for me!

Anna: Actually, you told me not to start without you, which I didn’t. Your glue is really sticky.

Sue: Next week, let’s try lamp making. There’s – there’s no glue. Here's a flier.

Anna: Thanks. See you next week.

Sue: Anna, you did really well this week. I think lamp making might be your thing!

Anna: Thanks, Sue. I did everything you told me to do.

Sue: Remember: I said to read the instructions really carefully. Where are those instructions?

Anna: Let’s just plug it in!

(Anna plugs in the lamp and, suddenly, the city loses electricity.)

Anna: So, what class will you be teaching next week?

Prof. Bot: Too bad Anna didn’t follow instructions! Visit our website for more on tell and say!