Kid Thinker 1 -

You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.

What does this quote mean? Look up "clench" in the dictionary if you are unsure of its meaning.
When Indira Gandhi talks about "shaking hands" she is really meaning something else. What?
Is the quote appropriate today?
Is Indira Gandhi talking about individual people, or countries?
Is the quote useful for children? Does it tell us or teach us anything?

Younger children may want to try clenching their fists to see how it makes them feel. Does it make them feel angry and tense?
Can you clench your fists and smile at the same time?
Is it possible to shake hands with a clenched fist? Try!
Now try shaking hands. How does it feel? If you are in a classroom or group situation, take the time to shake hands all around the room.
Use the opportunity to do some role playing. Pretend you are meeting each other for the first time. Shake hands and say "How do you do?" or "Pleased to meet you!" How about introducing yourself? The more practise children have at this kind of thing, the more natural they will be when they meet adults in everyday life.

What can you find out about Indira Gandhi? How did she die? You could write a short profile about Indira Gandhi using the notebooking pages below.
Indira is pictured below with a very famous man. Who was he, and for what was he most famous?
Can you find any more quotes by Indira Gandhi? Are there any that have meaning for you? If so, perhaps you could start a quote book - grab a notebook, decorate it's cover, and add any quotes that you feel are particularly useful or special as you come across them.
Design and make your own poster of this week's quote. You could take your own photographs, find photos on the internet, or illustrate your poster yourself.
How and why did shaking hands originate? Learn some interesting facts about the handshake here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handshake