FORT RILEY, Kan.- A group of Fort Riley Elementary School first graders stood in the hall outside their cafeteria. Wearing green and silver costumes; they whispered amongst themselves about their lines and the crowd gathering in the gym.

"My ears fell off," one of the boys exclaimed.

He picked up a head band with the attached glittery "antenna" and stuck it on top of his head. He was one of the students playing a Martian in the first grader's music program: "A Martian Christmas."

The first graders presented their Martian Christmas program at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 15 in the school's cafeteria.

Fort Riley Elementary School music teacher, Greg Gooden, chose the "A Martian Christmas" program because he thought it would be a good fit for the first graders.

The program started with elementary school students decorating for Christmas. Their decorating was interrupted when Martians suddenly landed and started to question the Earthlings' Christmas traditions.

"Why are you adorning that vegetation'" asked one of the Martians when he noticed the students' Christmas tree.

Just as the Martians were beginning to understand the Earthlings' Christmas traditions, they were interrupted by Darth Meany. Darth Meany was the leader of the Martians.

He landed on Earth to freeze dry the Earthlings and steal their snow because the Martians use it as fuel.

Not wanting to be freeze dried, the Earthlings volunteered to give the Martians their snow. The Martians were so moved by the Earthlings' generosity they decided to stay on Earth and celebrate Christmas.

The rest of the program focused on the Earthlings and Martians celebrating Christmas together. All the first graders had a speaking part in the production.

Gooden said the children started work on the program before Thanksgiving.

"This is the first program for most of the first graders because they don't do a kindergarten music program," he said.

All the classes at Fort Riley Elementary School, except for the kindergarten classes, have a music program during the school year.

Gooden said the fourth- and fifth-grade program will be in February, and the third graders will hold their program later in the year.