Hunter had been working on a descriptive essay about Costa Rica with Miss Kelli. She had recommended adding significant descriptive language and making edits . Apparently, Hunter was unenthusiastic about that prospect.
As such, today we read the opening paragraphs of Steinbeck's novella,The Pearl, which contains an excellent example of descriptive language. We discussed the imagery and the use of descriptive language in the passage. We then composed a sensory poem. In this exercise, the student picks a series of animate or inanimate objects that he feels resemble him in some way ( I am a ....)and then for each object lists a series of descriptive words.
Here is what we ended up with:( The subjects and adjectives selected were Hunter's)
I am a sloth
strong, lazy, and sleepy.
I am a teddy bear,
soft,scary ,but sweet.
I am a tree
tall, sharing, still.
I am a kite,
soaring in the wind.
Assignment
Hunter needs to narrow the focus of his descriptive essay. I suggested he bring in a photo of Costa Rica that we can use as the subject of his essay.
Hunter and I watched excellent videos today with grammar lessons - adjective order, commas and coordinating adjectives, intensifiers and adverbs, comparatives and superlatives. After each, he completed practice exercises. He did a great job with these. We learned about DOSASCOMP - how to order adjectives and when to use commas. I ordered a new "Best Grammar Workbook Ever." This contains good exercises for him to practice. We read together in our second session. Almost finished!
Hunter and I continued to read aloud together from "The Book Thief." We discussed how the narrator questioned the dictionary definition of silence. We read about "dead body dominoes." We read about guilt and regret related to Mas's leaving. I gave him HOMEWORK - to edit and proofread the final copy of his essay.
Hunter added to his essay from handwritten notes from last week. He typed and edited, working towards a finished product and adding more description. In our second session today, he continued and finished. I will send final version home with him to proofread himself.
Hunter and I read together in "The Book Thief" and discussed and analyzed sentences and scenes. Significant events have taken place - marching the Jews through the streets to Dachau. Max left. We discussed new vocabulary - futile, omniscient, anguish. Afterwards, Hunter completed more grammar exercises, rewriting sentences. During our second session, we went to the new school to get desks for the Wainwrights!
Hunter spent the class time today editing and rewriting his essay. He added sentences to the introductory paragraph and added description throughout. He composed a conclusion. We discussed and questions word usage, sentence structure and description. He is close to completing this essay. He did not return homework. In our second session we read "The Book Thief" together and discussed questions about the book, significant themes and relationships. We discussed the words Liesle looks up in the Duden Dictionary. Hunter questioned the bombing and realized he had empathy for the enemy/Germans.
Hunter completed some grammar exercises today. He will work on his descriptive essay, adding adjectives, introductory and concluding paragraphs for HOMEWORK. Hunter did some grammar practice with parallell sentence structure, rewriting sentences, and translating Shakespeare.
Hunter and I read "The Book Thief" together today. We read about the trilogy and the letter to Liesle. In our second session, Hunter finished editing his descriptive essay. He needs to add much more description and conclude.
