In the episode, “Idle Chatter”, Anne must deal with conflicting feelings when she thinks she sees Gilbert cheating on a test in school.  Anne decides to talk to some of her classmates about her suspicions, which may be unfounded, and the outcome puts Gilbert’s grades and reputation in jeopardy.

This episode illustrates an important lesson for children, as well as teachers, in how to handle conflicts between classmates.  The show’s main moral, which was developed with the aid of an educational consultant, is that the harm gossip can cause may sometimes never fully be repaired.  Choosing sides, gossiping, socializing in cliques and spreading rumors is an unfortunate, yet realistic, aspect of being a young student.

Teachers are advised to play the old game “broken telephone” with their students, in order to show them how information can be easily mixed up.  It’s also a good opportunity to teach children the difference between fact and fiction.  This can be done by reading the class two stories: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak and Chickens Aren’t the Only Ones by Ruth Heller.  Before you read them, explain to the children that one is based on fact and the other is a made-up story.  Have them guess which is which before and after reading the stories.

To learn more about the Anne Animated episodes and their educational value, visit annetoon.com.