Copyright © 2016 The Writers’ Exchange This book was created by Division 1, Ms. Rubin’s grade 6/7 class, at Sir William Macdonald Elementary in the winter of 2015. The Writers’ Exchange gets inner-city kids excited about reading and writing through mentoring and creative writing projects like this chapbook. All Writers’ Exchange programs are free for the children and families we serve, so we could not exist without the support of amazing donors, including Marily Mearns, the Waterbury Foundation, Megan Abbott, Bernard MacLeod, Linda Louis, Coast Capital Savings Credit Union, TELUS Vancouver Community Board, the McKesson Foundation, Nancy and Ted Maitland, Lindsay Mearns, the Greyross Foundation held at the Vancouver Foundation, the RBC Foundation, the City of Vancouver, Leo and Florence Helzel, Dun and Bradstreet Cloud Innovation Center, the CKNW Orphans’ Fund, the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative Canada and the students at Dr. Charles Best Secondary School, and the Edith Lando Charitable Foundation. Thank you.
Writers’ Exchange
881 Eas t Has t i ng s Va n co u ve r, B C V 6 A 1 R 8 vanco uver WE.co m
Wr i t e r s’ Exc han g e ment o r s : D a ve , Genevieve, Mar i l o u, She i l agh, SJ and To r i
T hes e ki n d o rg a n iz a tio n s s u p p o r t i n - s c h o o l p ro g ra m s :
D e s i gn and la yo ut : B r i tt any B axt er, s par k l eandspar kle.c o
As an author of a Writers’ Exchange book, you are invited to sign up for our FREE after-school and summer programs at the Writers’ Exchange home base, at 881 East Hastings Street in Vancouver. We run programs for kids in grades 1 to 12. Ask your teacher for a signup sheet, go to vancouverWE.com or call Jennifer at 604-428-8228 for more information.
Spe ci al t hank s t o Co ns t abl e Rus ty from t he Vanc o uver Po l i c e D e par tment.
Printing for this chapbook was generously donated by Hemlock.
TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 4 6
Introduction Emergency Kit Safety Situations
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What If. . . Plants Took Over the World?! (By Aysa, Deshawna and William)
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Internet Safety (By DJ, Hannah, Keri and Kiersten)
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What If. . . All the Mannequins Come Alive in a Store? (By Lina)
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Lightning Storms (By Aysa, Deshawna,William and Jacob)
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What If. . . There Is a Zombie Apocalypse? (By Will T. and fellow zombie experts)
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What If. . . An Evil Witch with a Million Black Dragons Comes? (By Joanna)
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Fire (By Aysa, Deshawna, William and Jacob)
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What If. . . A Person Is Trapped on an Island and a Volcano Erupted? (By Julianne)
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Earthquakes (By Aysa, Deshawna and William)
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What If. . . Unicorns Chased After You? (By Carissa)
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What If. . . A Justin Bieber Apocalypse Happened? (By Hannah)
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Drugs (By Aysa, Deshawna, William, Carissa, Julianne, Lina, Rosita and Jacob)
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What If. . . You’re Stuck in Lava? (By Rosita)
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What If. . . All the Ice Caps Melted? (By Will T.)
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What If. . . You Drop a Beet? (By DJ)
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What If. . . Charlie Charlie, Slenderman, Freddy Krueger, Jeff the Killer and Candyman Come to Life? (By Keri)
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Cigarettes (By Carissa, Julianne, Lina, Rosita, Aysa, Deshawna, William, Will T., DJ, Hannah, Keri and Kiersten)
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What If. . . Super-Fast Giant Snails Start Attacking? (By Kelly)
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Constable Rusty Responds Important Numbers
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INTRODUCTION
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This is a book about everything you (and potatoes) need to know to be safe in different situations. Some are wacky situations. Some are very serious situations. We hope these tips will help you if you are ever in these situations. There are also some jokes so you can be happy when you read this book.
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EMERGENCY KIT In case of emergency, keep these things in a pack that is easy to carry: • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
emergency plan colouring stuff board games, Uno medication money spare phone, charged to 100% plastic bowls, forks and spoons names and phone numbers rope yo mama jokes katana sword pet food cookies sleeping bag
•
these jokes: Knock, knock. Who’s there? Who. Who who? Who-who to you too. What’s black and white and read all over? A newspaper!
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band-aids tons of batteries
flashlight canned food
extra clothes
can of pop jacket or blanket
water/food that won’t go bad
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SAFETY SITUATIONS What If. . . Plants Took Over the World?! By Aysa, Deshawna and William You’d have to: • • • • • • • •
Kill any and all plants. Decide if you want a team or go on your own. Fly in the air to escape killer plants. Fill a huge balloon with weed killer and drop it on the plants. Flood the plants. Build an underground shelter with metal barriers to stop the roots. Get an airplane and learn how to fly it. People would have to wear colours that aren’t green so you could tell them apart from plants.
Emergency supplies you’d need: • • • • •
chainsaw flamethrower hedge cutter weed killer weed bomb
This could happen because of: Mad-plant disease! If this happens, everyone would be crazy and the world would: • • • • •
look like a zombie apocalypse, but with plants be covered in really long plants, but some would be short and spiky look like Jurassic Park smell bad like mould be very green everywhere
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Internet Safety By DJ, Hannah, Keri and Kiersten • • • • • • • • • • •
Stay away from online daters. Stay away from sites that have porn ads or that are sponsored by porn sites. Cover your camera. Be careful about social media. Avoid sketchy-looking websites. Set non-obvious passwords to avoid hackers. Don’t go on Talking Tom or Talking Angela, but if you do, cover your camera with tape or something. Don’t accept random people on Facebook or Snapchat. Don’t accept anything from Snapcash. On YouTube, don’t accept anything that says you’ll get anything free. Use anti-virus programs.
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What If. . . All the Mannequins Come Alive in a Store? By Lina When they come alive: • • • • • • •
They will move and somehow talk. They will decide to make a runway for a fashion show. When they go out on the runway, they will throw their phones at random people. The mannequins have no gender. They are not boys or girls. They will steal clothes. The people will go to the cops and say, “There are mannequins running in the mall.” The cops will go after them but they won’t catch them. The cops are so tasty.
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Lightning Storms By Aysa, Deshawna, William and Jacob
If there’s a lightning storm: • • •
Go inside and watch out for falling stuff. Don’t fly a kite and don’t use bikes (don’t be like Ben Franklin). Wait half an hour after the lightning storm before going outside.
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What If. . . There Is a Zombie Apocalypse? By Will T. and fellow zombie experts If you are at home: • • •
First thing, stop doing what you are doing. Gather food, rope, weapons, swords, kitchen knives, machetes. Phone your family and see where they are.
If you have a car: • • •
Go get your family if they need help and bring them back home. Pack up supplies and put them in the car. Drive to a small island in Ontario.
If you do not have a car: • • • • • •
Board up your house. Grow plants in your house (carrots, cabbage, watermelon, bananas). Save water (from fridge and in your basement). Save meat in your freezer. Get a weapon. Cover your windows with cartons and sheets.
Other tips: • • •
Keep your group small. Don’t trust anyone. Watch out for signs of infection (bites, scratches, behaviour, teeth, eyes, skin).
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What If. . . An Evil Witch with a Million Black Dragons Comes? By Joanna You’d need to: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Find a fairy and learn magic. Counter the million dragons with a million crystal dragons. Ask the King of Donuts for help. Find the Island of Crystal Poo. Ask the Army of Ice Cream for help. Build catapults to launch the crystal poo.
7. Fight! Supplies you’d need: • • • • • • • •
fairy dust fairy food milk dragon scale sprinkles pooper scooper catapult bag
This could happen if: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
You interrupt an incantation. You step on the witch’s fabulous shoe. You steal a plant from the witch’s garden (Rapunzel). You accidentally break something. The witch naturally hates you for no reason. The witch is jealous of you. You insult the queen.
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Fire By Aysa, Deshawna, William and Jacob
In case of fire: • • • • • • • • • •
Before there’s a fire, set up a meeting place outside. Know two ways to get out. Stop, drop and roll. Feel the door to make sure it’s not hot before you open it. Put a wet towel over your face. Stay low. Make sure you have a clear path to get outside. Go outside. Call 9-1-1. Don’t go back for anything.
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What If. . . A Person Is Trapped on an Island and a Volcano Erupted? By Julianne You’d need to: • •
Run away and swim. Build a boat out of a palm tree, or a raft or a surfboard.
This could happen if: You were exploring and people asked you to go take a picture of a volcano. You rode a boat to go to the island and the boat left you, and the volcano, which is bigger than other volcanoes, erupted.
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Earthquakes By Aysa, Deshawna and William If there’s an earthquake: •
Drop, cover, hold.
If you’re inside: • • •
Hide under a desk/table and hold the legs. Stay away from the windows. Don’t go into an elevator. If you’re in one, push the button to get off at the nearest floor.
If you’re outside: • •
Stay outside and go to an open area. Don’t run away.
If you’re in a car: • • • •
Pull over and stay in your car. Avoid bridges. Listen to the radio. Write a sign that says “HELP” if you need help.
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What If. . . Unicorns Chased After You? By Carissa
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What If. . . A Justin Bieber Apocalypse Happened? By Hannah You’d need to: Hide under your bed and cringe, and then cover your eyes and scream. Or get Taylor Swift to chase the Justin Biebers away. Supplies you’d need: •
headphones
This could happen if: An obsessed fangirl magically duplicated Justin Bieber.
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Drugs By Aysa, Deshawna, William, Carissa, Julianne, Lina, Rosita and Jacob When adults talk to kids about drugs, they should: • • • • • • •
Be understanding. Use small words. Be yourself. Be honest. Not be funny, or kids won’t listen. Not write about it and make kids read it. Use YouTube to make videos about drugs to teach kids.
It is not okay to do drugs because you wouldn’t be the same person as you are. It is okay to do drugs if it is a doctor who gives them to you. People shouldn’t do drugs because it can affect your future, it can hurt you and it can make you hurt other people.
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What If. . . You’re Stuck in Lava? By Rosita You’d need to: Do nothing. Just stay in a glass case saying, “LAVA OMG.” Someone made a glass case from glass and lava is slow and hot and the cupcake is here to EAT YOU. This could happen if: The cupcakes take over the world! The humans are defeated.
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What If. . . All the Ice Caps Melted? By Will T. You’d need to have: • • • • • • • • •
a makeshift boat, made with rope, wood, cloth, empty water jugs, duck tape binoculars puddles food map bow fishing rod flint and steel dunkleosteus
This could happen because of: Global warming
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What If. . . You Drop a Beet? By DJ You’d need to: Get a disco ball. Thousands of people would crowd around you and they’d chant your name.
What If. . . Charlie Charlie, Slenderman, Freddy Krueger, Jeff the Killer and Candyman Come to Life? By Keri You’d need to: Get a knife, break all pencils and paper, and not go to sleep. Also, burn all paper and stay out of the dark. Take Candyman’s candy! How could this happen? Play the games! . . . Did you ever play?
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Cigarettes By Carissa, Julianne, Lina, Rosita, Aysa, Deshawna, William, Will T., DJ, Hannah, Keri and Kiersten You should never smoke because cigarettes taste horrible, and kill your lungs and brain. There is bad stuff in them. Smoking makes you look gross, especially your teeth, and you will smell. Smoking is expensive. Do you want to live or die? Talk to someone dying from smoking. Listen to their story. You’ll die sooner if you smoke. Second-hand smoke is bad for your pet. It causes cancer in pets. Third-hand smoke is when chemicals land on your furniture/ carpet/drapes/car, and it causes cancer. You hurt children by smoking! Don’t start!
Illustration by Carissa
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What If. . . Super-Fast Giant Snails Start Attacking? By Kelly You’d need to: • • •
First, don’t run. They WILL catch you. Slowly back away. Get salt and slowly sprinkle it on the ground. Make sure you’ve sprinkled enough. Maybe chuck it all over the ground. Get a potato and chuck it at the snails to anger them. Make them run all over the salt.
This could happen if: A mutant virus turns the snails into giants. The virus turns the food into speed potions and then the snails eat it.
CONSTABLE RUSTY RESPONDS Questions by Division 1 Answers by Constable Rusty of the Vancouver Police Department
What happens if you witness a crime? Be a good witness: remember the who, what, where, when, why and how. Call 9-1-1. What do you do if you’re being cyberbullied? Take screenshots and call the police. The police will talk to everyone involved. What do the police do if someone keeps prank calling 9-1-1? The police will always respond, even if there have been lots of prank calls from that number before, because this time might be a real emergency. Does Vancouver have a SWAT team? No, we have an Emergency Response Team (ERT). Would you arrest a poor family for shoplifting food? No, the police would try to help the family. Do you handcuff children? Only if it’s the only way to keep the kid and the police safe. What happens to minors when they commit a crime? The police turn them over to the kids' parents. Arresting a kid is the last resort.
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Are police allowed to lie to you if it helps them solve a case? Yes. What do you do if you find a body in the forest? Call 9-1-1. Make sure you mark the spot so you can tell the police where it is. Be a good witness. What are you supposed to do when you need to call 9-1-1 but you are unable to? Make a loud and annoying noise. Do you do anything about emotional abuse from family? What do you do about physical abuse? Speak to the child, then others, to find a solution. Are bulletproof vests really bulletproof? Yes, but only to a certain point. What do you do if you’re being stalked by a creepy relative? Talk to someone you can trust. Call 9-1-1. The police will help. They will make a safety plan and deal with the person.
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What are the most important things to know about road safety? Even if a car is doing something it shouldn’t do, the car is always “right” because you can’t beat a car in a fight. For example, even if it’s your turn to cross the road, if it looks like a car isn’t going to stop at a crosswalk, don’t walk. Also, don’t use your phone when you’re walking across the road. What if you think someone poisoned you? Call 9-1-1. How do you know if someone is really a cop? Ask for identification. Call 9-1-1 and ask them to tell you if the person is really a cop. When should you call 9-1-1? Any time you think it’s an emergency!
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IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS 9-1-1
For any emergency
1-800-567-8911
Poison Control
8-1-1
HealthLink BC
(for 24-hour, confidential health info)
1-800-668-6868
Kids Help Phone Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Centre
604-872-3311
BC Hydro
1-888-POWERON (1-888-769-3766)
Fortis BC
1-800-663-9911
(to report a power outage)
(if you smell rotten eggs, go outside and call to report a gas leak)
Add your own important numbers: EMERGENCY CONTACT 1:
EMERGENCY CONTACT 2:
EMERGENCY CONTACT 3:
Copyright © 2016 The Writers’ Exchange This book was created by Division 1, Ms. Rubin’s grade 6/7 class, at Sir William Macdonald Elementary in the winter of 2015. The Writers’ Exchange gets inner-city kids excited about reading and writing through mentoring and creative writing projects like this chapbook. All Writers’ Exchange programs are free for the children and families we serve, so we could not exist without the support of amazing donors, including Marily Mearns, the Waterbury Foundation, Megan Abbott, Bernard MacLeod, Linda Louis, Coast Capital Savings Credit Union, TELUS Vancouver Community Board, the McKesson Foundation, Nancy and Ted Maitland, Lindsay Mearns, the Greyross Foundation held at the Vancouver Foundation, the RBC Foundation, the City of Vancouver, Leo and Florence Helzel, Dun and Bradstreet Cloud Innovation Center, the CKNW Orphans’ Fund, the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative Canada and the students at Dr. Charles Best Secondary School, and the Edith Lando Charitable Foundation. Thank you.
Writers’ Exchange
881 Eas t Has t i ng s Va n co u ve r, B C V 6 A 1 R 8 vanco uver WE.co m
Wr i t e r s’ Exc han g e ment o r s : D a ve , Genevieve, Mar i l o u, She i l agh, SJ and To r i
T hes e ki n d o rg a n iz a tio n s s u p p o r t i n - s c h o o l p ro g ra m s :
D e s i gn and la yo ut : B r i tt any B axt er, s par k l eandspar kle.c o
As an author of a Writers’ Exchange book, you are invited to sign up for our FREE after-school and summer programs at the Writers’ Exchange home base, at 881 East Hastings Street in Vancouver. We run programs for kids in grades 1 to 12. Ask your teacher for a signup sheet, go to vancouverWE.com or call Jennifer at 604-428-8228 for more information.
Spe ci al t hank s t o Co ns t abl e Rus ty from t he Vanc o uver Po l i c e D e par tment.
Printing for this chapbook was generously donated by Hemlock.