NARRATOR: Coming up next on Betsy's
Kindergarten Adventures--
-We have our bike parade at the end of the week.
-Can you keep a secret?
I don't know how to ride a bike.
-Do you get nervous when it thunders and lightnings?
-A-- thunderstorm?
-Ahh!
THEME SONG: A, B, C, and one, two, three.
It's kindergarten time for you and me.
So climb aboard and take a seat for kindergarten fun
with Betsy.
We'll make new friends along the way,
and have adventures every day.
It's Betsy's Kindergarten Adventures.
-Mornings are always busy for my mom.
Everybody eats breakfast at our house.
-Are you ready to eat, Kevin?
Betsy?
Time to catch the bus.
-OK, Mom.
We're learning about bike safety,
so I'm bringing my helmet.
Bye.
-Bye, dear.
Enjoy your day.
-Sorry about that, Dad.
It's a good thing I was wearing my bike helmet
and didn't get hurt, huh?
-Yeah.
You can't be too careful.
-Bye, Dad.
See you tonight.
-That's a snazzy helmet you're wearing, there, Betsy.
-Thanks, bus driver Bob.
I decided to bring it because we're
studying bicycle safety at school.
-You're not the only one.
Take a look.
BETSY (VOICEOVER): Bus driver Bob wasn't kidding.
Everybody was wearing his or her helmet.
-That's pretty, Maria.
Did you paint the flowers?
-Yes.
My dad says that it's one of a kind.
-Hi, Molly.
How come you're not wearing your helmet?
-Because my mom and I spent a lot of time fixing my hair,
and I don't want it messed up by a helmet.
-OK.
Then
-What kind of bike do you have, Molly?
-Oh, you should see it.
It's red with a basket and a horn.
-It sounds nice.
-Nice?
It's better than nice, Billy.
It's the best bike ever.
-I just had an idea.
Maybe we should make a little helmet for Sydney.
In case he falls off the wall.
-He won't fall.
Lizards have tiny hairs on their feet
that act like suction cups.
That's how they climb.
-Oh, no kidding.
I wish I had those.
I wouldn't need a ladder.
-It's nice to see that everyone's
ready to talk about bicycles.
-I wanted to bring my bike to class,
but my mom said I had to wait.
-But not too long, because we have
our bike parade at the end of the week.
-Class, this is the first machine
ever to be called a bicycle.
It was invented in the s.
-Whoa.
That's cool!
BETSY (VOICEOVER): I was glad I didn't have one of those,
because my legs are too short to reach the pedals.
-I wouldn't want o fall off of that bike.
-Especially without a helmet.
How come he's not wearing one?
-They didn't have bicycle helmets then, Kenji.
-Now all kids are supposed to wear them every time they ride.
-That's right, Scottie.
It's an important part of bicycle safety.
Who wants to talk about the bike parade some more after recess?
-Oh, I do!
-Me, me, me!
-So do I. Let's go out to the playground, kids.
-Come on, let's go.
Hey, wait up!
-Can I ask you a question, Mrs. O'Connor?
-Of course, Molly.
-Is it OK if I'm not in the bike parade?
-Why's that, Molly?
-Well, um-- something's wrong with my bike.
It's-- it's not working.
So I can't ride.
Sorry.
BETSY (VOICEOVER): That was strange to hear.
Molly said on the bus that she had a great bike.
-I see.
That's too bad.
Wait a minute.
I can borrow my niece's bike for you to ride.
-You could?
I mean, um-- that's a lot of trouble.
-I'm happy to do it so you can ride in the bike parade, Molly.
-Thanks, Mrs. O'Connor.
-You didn't say anything on the bus about your bike
bring broken.
-Betsy, can you keep a secret?
And you can't tell anyone, not even [INAUDIBLE]
-Um-- OK.
-Come on.
I don't know how to ride a bike.
-You don't?
-Shh.
Keep it down, Betsy.
-Molly, that's nothing to be ashamed of.
-Oh, right!
I'll be standing and watching the bike parade while everyone
else rides around me, pointing and staring.
-We're your friends, Molly.
Nobody is going to make fun of you.
You know what?
You just need to learn how to ride a bike.
Hey, come over to my house tomorrow.
Kenji will be there, so he can also help teach you.
-Well-- OK.
BETSY (VOICEOVER): Sometimes people
get embarrassed if they can't do something everyone else can.
And with the bike parade coming up in a few days,
Molly just had to know how to ride a bike.
And when we asked our parents, they
thought it was a good idea, too.
-OK, Molly.
Helmet on?
-Check.
-Light-colored clothing so you can be seen by cars?
-Check.
-Are you ready to roll?
-Yes.
Now let go before I change my mind.
-OK.
Good luck, Molly.
One, two, three.
-Oh-- oh-- oh no!
-Are you all right, Molly?
-Yes.
But I don't want to get grass stains on my clothes.
-She's fine.
-Now you know why I didn't want to practice in the grass.
-Don't worry, Molly.
I fell down when I was first learning
how to ride a bike, too.
You just need to keep trying.
-But you learned.
And I haven't.
Maybe I never will.
-Hey, I know.
You can practice on Kevin's tricycle.
-I'd rather walk for the rest of my life than ride a tricycle!
-OK.
Forget the tricycle.
-You're not going to give up, are you?
-Why not?
I'm not getting an better.
-You will, if you practice.
-Well?
-OK.
BETSY (VOICEOVER): Molly tried a few more times
to ride her bike, but she just couldn't get the hang of it.
-That's it!
I give up.
From now on I'll walk.
-But you can't give up, or you won't
be able to ride in the bike parade.
-It's no use.
I'll just stand with Mrs. O'Connor and watch!
BETSY (VOICEOVER): We didn't know what else to do.
It looked like Molly was giving up.
But things changed when Kevin rode past us.
-How are you doing, Molly?
-Oh, not too well.
I think I'll walk from now on.
-Oh, don't give up.
Look at Kevin.
It's even harder for him to learn.
But he's just having fun while he practices.
You know, I'll bet that would work for you, also, Molly.
Don't give up, and have fun learning.
-If Kevin can learn to ride a bike, so can I.
-And we can all have fun while you learn.
-Right.
BETSY (VOICEOVER): We did have fun.
Molly kept practicing.
And after many tries, finally, she was riding all by herself.
Everybody brought his or her bike to school the next day.
Including Molly.
-Does everyone have his or her safety helmet fastened?
-Yes, ma'am.
-I thought you said your bike was broken, Molly.
-Well-- not really.
Um -- it's just that-- I-- I couldn't ride it.
But Kenji and Betsy helped me to learn how.
-You did all the work, Molly.
-Well, I've got a lot more to go.
I'm not very good.
-You, too?
I just started riding my bike a couple of weeks ago.
-You did?
-Uh-huh.
But I get a little better every time I ride.
-Wow.
And I thought I was the only one who
was just learning how to ride.
-No way.
Come on.
I'll ride with you.
BETSY (VOICEOVER): We all had a great time.
Especially Molly.
She rode in the bike parade.
I guess it's important not to give
up when trying something new.
Even if it gives you trouble.
It can even seem impossible at first.
But if you practice hard enough you can do anything.
One of the things I really like about kindergarten
is that you never know what to expect each day.
Weekends are fun, but I like school better.
-Hm.
That's odd.
Mom, what's wrong with Gracie?
-Is she staring out the window again?
-Yeah.
It's a little strange.
-She's just afraid of the clouds.
-Why?
-Well, there's a rainstorm coming, Betsy,
and you know how Gracie gets when
it thunders and lightnings.
Kevin!
BETSY (VOICEOVER): I think Gracie was probably right.
Those clouds look like a good reason to be nervous.
-OK, Kenji.
By my calculations this structure
is the tallest block building we've built to date.
blocks.
-Now one more block will make it the tallest
ever built in kindergarten.
-But-- but-- you may not want to do that, Kenji.
See, that's blocks.
And I think that when you factor in the wind and the--
-You were correct, Scott.
Time to rebuild.
-Thanks.
-Scott, Kenji, I need to ask you something.
-What is your question, Betsy?
-Do you get nervous when it thunders and lightnings?
-Why do you ask?
-Because there's a storm coming, and Gracie's nervous.
And so am I, I think.
-A thunderstorm?
-Yeah.
Look.
-Uh-oh.
I was not nervous until now.
-Why?
-Don't you know what causes thunder?
-No.
-Thunder is the noise of the giants that
come in the middle of the night and walk around your house.
-Really?
-What else could make that noise?
-He has a good point.
It has to be giants.
-Are you sure?
-I'm afraid so, Betsy.
Gracie knows about the giants.
-Oh no.
-If there is a storm coming tonight,
we better warn everyone.
-I agree.
We need to let everyone know that they should be careful.
-Molly, Sarah, Maria.
We've come to warn you about the storm that's coming.
-Storm?
-There's a big rainstorm coming.
Look at those clouds.
-More importantly, there are giants that will be walking
around your houses later, and you need to be careful.
-Giants?
-That's what makes the thundery noise.
-Are you sure?
I heard it was fairies bowling in the clouds.
-Since when do fairies bowl?
Fairies don't bowl.
Everyone knows fairies, in their time off,
have very exclusive tea parties, and paint the stars
with fairy dust and gold crayons.
-You're right.
They do.
I wish I could go to a fairy tea party.
That would be so magical.
-Are you sure about all this?
-What else could make that noise?
Right, Scott?
-Correct.
-I guess you have a point.
But--
-We must warn all the others.
-Giants are coming from the clouds!
Run!
Save yourself from the thunder giants!
[SCREAMING]
-It's strange.
It's been really easy to find worms today.
-My brother tells me that worms come
out when it's about to rain.
They like the rain.
I bet you it's gonna rain.
-Yeah, you're probably right.
I bet you could find a bunch today.
This is going to be totally awesome.
-Careful where you step.
We're working here.
-We've come to warn you about the giants.
-Giants?
-A storm is coming towards us, and that storm
means that giants will be walking all over the place
when it gets here.
[THUNDER]
-That's what makes the thunder noise, Billy.
-Are they friendly giants?
-Look at that cloud.
-I don't think they're friendly giants.
-Ahh!
-See?
He did what anyone would do.
-What do we do?
-I don't know, Billy.
-Wait a minute.
This may just be a rain storm, nothing more.
Maybe giants won't come with this rain storm.
Maybe there won't be any thunder or lightning.
[THUNDER]
[SCREAMING]
-Oh no.
The giants are coming.
They have enormous feet.
And if we are out here we could get stepped on
and possibly smooshed to nothing!
-Uh-- I'm not so sure about that, Maria.
-Fine!
Save yourself!
-We've gotta do something, Betsy.
We can't let giants step on us.
-We could hide.
-The only place to hide is right here under this tree.
And you can't hide under trees, because lightning
could strike the tree.
-See, the giants thought of everything!
-Looks like a thunderstorm, class.
Probably a big one, too, judging by the size of those clouds.
-Guys, what are you doing?
-We're making our table stronger so if a giant comes and steps
on us he won't smoosh the table.
There's room for one more, Sarah,
if you want to hide with us.
[THUNDER]
-We don't have much time.
-Betsy, do you really believe this giant story?
-I think so.
All I know is that the noise scares me.
And giants scare me, too.
-They're here!
-The giants are here!
-I better not be smooshed by a giant.
I will be so mad!
-Now I know what an ant feels like.
-These giants are probably bigger than my brother.
-They're a lot bigger than your brother, Newton.
[THUNDER]
-Hear that?
-Oh no!
Mrs. O'Connor is standing up.
-Mrs. O'Connor, take cover.
Get under your desk.
The giants are coming!
-Giants?
-There's his voice.
[THUNDER]
[SCREAMING]
-Children.
Children, why are all of you hiding under your desks?
You're supposed to be coloring now.
-We're hiding from the giants, Mrs. O'Connor.
-Take cover!
-Yeah.
Take cover, Mrs. O'Connor.
-Giants?
What giants?
-The thunder giants!
-Oh, you mean thunder.
Is that why you're all underneath your desks?
Because of the thunder sound?
[THUNDER]
Well, I guess that answers that question.
Class, thunder and lightning are nothing much to worry about.
Really, class.
I was holding this lesson for another day,
but I guess it's appropriate for today.
You see, thunder and lightning are relatively harmless.
Lightning is the bolt of light that sh**t across the sky.
Although there is some danger with lightning-- especially
when you're around tall objects like trees and flag poles--
but most of the time it is nowhere near you.
And thunder's only a noise.
-Yes, but isn't that noise cause by giants
walking all over the place?
-No.
It's not caused by giants walking
or fairies bowling or anything like that.
Thunder is natural.
It's caused by clouds coming together
and making the flash of light.
Heavier clouds and lighter clouds
rubbing together, which gives the flash of light.
We see the lightning, then we hear the thunder shortly after.
The farther away the lightning is,
the longer it takes us to hear the thunder after the flash.
Actually, kids, thunder and lightning storms
are one of the most spectacular shows mother nature has.
-Whoa.
-Cool!
-I guess that makes sense, too.
-I think so.
I like it better than giants.
-I agree.
BETSY (VOICEOVER): I learned all about thunder and lightning,
and it was the coolest lesson ever.
And by the end of it I wasn't even afraid of it anymore.
I also learned that if you're afraid of something
it's good to get all the facts about it Most of the time,
if you understand it, you won't be afraid of it.
[SCREAMING]
-Someone has to teach Gracie about thunder and lightning
so she won't be scared.
Thunder isn't caused by giants, Gracie.
It's a harmless noise.
And the flash of light is lightning.
It can't hurt you, unless you're playing under a tree.
And you don't like to play under trees, so I guess you don't
have to worry about that, either
NARRATOR: Visit the Betsy's Kindergarten Adventures website
and see how Betsy's getting ready for school.
Play games, color pictures, and meet all of Betsy's friends
at pbskids.org.
BETSY (VOICEOVER): My friends and I love to read.
You can find all kinds of fun and interesting books
to read at your local library.
Visit the library in your town today
to have your own adventures, just like me.
-Of course, garbage will have to be
taken out by somebody strong.
-When someone gives you a responsibility,
you should always do your very best.
-How about Billy?
-All right!
I get to take out the garbage!
[THEME MUSIC PLAYING]
-Glub-glub-gub.
-Doink!
CHILDREN: PBS Kids!