Summer SAVY, Session 5 Day 4, Transformations in Writing (3rd-4th)
Today was amazing! They finally hit the day when they realized that they were the authors and controlled what they were writing! Yay!!!!
We started the day by looking at examples from G of Margery, and how authors use descriptive words to really paint a picture. We explored the description of the Hobbit and his home by Tolkien, then explored imagery and poetry, as we analyzed Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” and “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes. We read part of Poe’s “The Raven” and all of “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes and analyzed them and explored how their word choice had such meaning and added depth. We then explored Dr. Seuss and “Green Eggs and Ham.” Did you know that it was written as a bet to see if he could write a book that only uses 50 different words? He did it! If you enjoy poetry, this would be a great time to share!
Finally, we used paint sample strips to make shades of meaning words. We started with a word like big and then wrote synonyms that would alter the meaning or emphasize the feeling on each color palette. So big could be replaced by words like gargantuan, colossal, and infinite. Those would be great vocabulary substitutes, so they don’t use simple words repeated throughout their writing. This is a great opportunity to talk about words you like to use to replace common words like happy, sad, big, small, etc., or phrases that convey meaning with emphasis or emotion. Example: Instead of saying “It is hot outside,” you could say you are melting! Hyperbole (exaggeration) and colloquialisms make writing interesting sometimes! Talk about phrases you may hear in the South, etc. that might make a story interesting!
Have a great night!
Dr. Mall