OBJECTIVE
Prewriting
MATERIALS
Comic strips and cartoons relating to the family.
METHOD
Brainstorming
Display strips, permitting students to have sufficient time to enjoy them. Then wonder aloud how the artist thought of the idea—how anyone gets an idea.
Introduce concept of brainstorming; i.e., jotting down anything that comes to mind on a certain subject, without censoring or criticizing one’s own thoughts.
Have students jot down memories of comical situations involving their family. Stimulate them by reminding them of:
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-birthdays (when Morgan, the dog, ate the birthday cake;)
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-Father’s Day (when Dad received bottles of after-shave lotion he did not like from each of his children;)
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-Mother’s Day (when Mom was taken to a double-header;)
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-Holidays (when the Matzo balls soaked up all the soup.)
Focus on the celebration of holidays—the decorations, rituals—as reflective of a particular culture, as opposed to the first three days which are reflective of America, generally. Discuss at length.
Aid each student, extend his/her idea, after the discussion, by embellishing the “plot” with details:
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-what foods were served?
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-what were people wearing?
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-was the TV on; if so, what were people watching? What did it sound like? How were they sitting as they watched? What were they doing with their hands? their legs?
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-were other relatives or friends part of the celebration? Who were they? How does the student feel about them?
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-how does the student feel about the younger person he/she was at the time of the memory?
Have students review their prewriting notes. Without changing anything, ask them to check they have included notes recalling the use of their senses—a smell, sound, sight, touch, taste, feeling.
Finally, have them try to develop a question about the memory—a question which involves some problem.
Collect their notes, or be certain they will retain them in their notebooks and have them in class the following day.