Sharing

 
Tony and Joe have been friends from P1. They do everything together, and since the Star Cards craze started, they have been sharing their cards with each other so that they can trade with other collectors to get even better ones. However, when Joe suggests that Mark should join their team, Tony objects saying they are doing all right on their own. What Tony can't bear is the thought of sharing his best friend. They fall out over this and Joe forms a team with Mark, and Tony is left on his own.

At home too, Tony is increasingly on his own. He has to share his Mother's time and affection with her boyfriend Paul. Since his Dad left, Tony has had his Mother all to himself, but then along comes Paul who ruins everything. When Tony tries to tell his Mum about his problems, she says he is being selfish by not wanting to share with Mark. Tony sulks and goes up to his room. Paul, as a peacemaker, brings him a box of special Star Cards. He suggests that now the other boys will be keen to trade with him. When Tony shows Joe and Mark the cards and they show interest, he still says he won't trade with them. In revenge they decide never to trade with him again. They don't even want to talk to him and the rest of the class don't want to talk to him either because he's so mean.

Tony now has lots of great cards but nobody will trade with him. Paul is sorry for Tony and suggests that it's not much fun putting yourself first all the time and shows Tony a way out of his problems. Paul has studied the Star Cards and has discovered a secret about the Star Cards, a secret that Tony could share with the others which will make them want to trade with him again. By sharing their new skill, Tony, Joe, and Mark will be an unbeatable team. Paul's plan works and Tony realises the importance of sharing. At home he has also learned to share his Mum with Paul who are planning to share their lives together by getting married.
 

 
pulsating; intergalactic; satellite; manual; properties; orbit; interstellar; manoeuvres.
 

 
Class Discussion:

• Tony does not want to share his cards with Mark. Why do the children think he behaves like this? Is it really because he doesn't want to share his best friend?
• Since his Dad left, Tony has had his Mum all to himself, but now she wants to share her time and affection with her boyfriend Paul. Do the children think Tony is selfish in resenting this? Do they think it possible that his home situation might have had an influence on his not wanting to share his friendship with Joe?
• Have the children ever found themselves left out of games because they didn't want to share? Do they know others who might have behaved like that? Do they agree that putting yourself first all the time is not much fun?
• Mum says Tony knows what he has to do to solve his problem. Why does she say it like that rather than actually telling him what he has to do?
• Paul goes to the trouble of learning all about the Star Cards, just so that he can help Tony to get back with his friends. At first Tony thinks Paul is a creep for doing this, that he was doing it to make him like Tony. Do the children think he will make a good Dad for Tony?
• Although Tony has been mean in not wanting to share, do the children think it fair that the whole class should join with Joe and Mark and gang up against him?

 
Write a dialogue between Joe and Mark in which they describe Tony's mean behaviour towards them and what they plan to do about it.

Describe a situation where someone you know was ganged-up on by others for being mean with something. Consider if the punishment was too much.
 

 
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