Santa: A Picture Can Inspire 1,000 Words

1. After looking closely at the image above (or at the full-size image), think about these three questions:

• What’s going on in this picture?
• What do you see that makes you say that?
• What more can you find?

Learn More About the Image:  Click Here

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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Nonfiction: Listening Is an Act of Love from StoryCorps

 

Listening Is an Act of Love from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

The first-ever animated feature from StoryCorps celebrates the transformative power of listening. Listening Is an Act of Love: A StoryCorps Special presents six stories from 10 years of the innovative oral history project, where everyday people sit down together to ask life's important questions. Framing these intimate conversations from across the country is an interview between StoryCorps founder Dave Isay and his nine-year-old nephew, Benji, animated in the inimitable style of The Rauch Brothers.

Listening Is an Act of Love will be broadcast by public television stations nationwide throughout the holiday season. Stations will be airing the special on varying dates through February 2014. 

Questions:

I will stop the video between stories.  Develop a question based on the conversation. After the video we will review using student created questions.  I will throw in a few of my own.

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Nonfiction: What is the Most Loathsome Insect?

What is the most loathsome Insect?

Lessons Worth Sharing

Everyone hates mosquitos. Besides the annoying buzzing and biting, mosquito-borne diseases like malaria kill over a million people each year (plus horses, dogs and cats). And over the past 100 million years, they've gotten good at their job -- sucking up to three times their weight in blood, totally undetected. So shouldn't we just get rid of them? Rose Eveleth shares why scientists aren't sure.

Questions:

Full Lesson with higher level thinking questions

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Giving: Examples from Give Back Films

If you are having trouble with developing examples for your "Pay It Forward" paper here are a few examples of "Giving" that might spark your writing inspiration...

Examples from Good Housekeeping article:

1. Leave a bouquet at the hospital — the nurses will know who needs it the most. 

2. Make a struggling family's summer by buying them a season pass to the municipal pool. 

3. Help a friend see today in a wondrous new light: Hand him or her a kaleidoscope. 

4. If you are in a long line, invite the person behind you to go first. 

5. Shower the pediatric wing of a hospital with $1 coloring books and $2 boxes of new crayons. 

6. Hang a sign on a bulletin board that says "Take What You Need" — with tear-off tabs at the bottom for Love, Hope, Faith, and Courage. 

7. Bring courtesy back in an instant: Hold the door open with a flourish. 

8. Drop off combs, toothbrushes, and toothpaste at a shelter or a soup kitchen. 

9. Curb road rage: Let other cars merge onto the highway. 

10. Leave your neighbors a note that tells them how much joy you find in admiring their garden.

Read more: Acts of Kindness - Random Acts of Kindness Ideas - Good Housekeeping

Read the full article on Good Housekeeping's site:  CLICK HERE

Giving Thanks and Giving Back:

Other Give Back Films:  CLICK HERE

The Actual '73 Giving Tree Movie Spoken By Shel Silverstein:

Opening Sentence Using A Quote

Use the quote, “Kindness, like a boomerang, always returns,” to write an opening sentence(s) for a paper about the concept of "Pay It Forward".  

Sample:

     Someone once said, “Kindness, like a boomerang, always returns,” in other words, do good works by showing kindnesses  to others and these kindnesses that were handed out will come back threefold--equal to three times as many as you handed out. My New Years resolution this year is to make sure that in 2014 I accomplish at least five acts of kindness.  I want to "Pay it Forward", which means I want to do something kind for other people without expecting anything in return.  The first act of kindness that I will... 

Example of Pay It Forward:  Click Here

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NEW WORDS!

bovine •\ˈbō-ˌvīn, -ˌvēn\• adjective

piecemeal •\ˈpēs-ˌmēl, -ˈmēl\• adjective and adverb

1. Predict what you think each of these words mean?

What do they mean?

Bovine

1. of or relating to cattle
2. dull and slow-moving and stolid; like an ox

The word bovine has appeared in 34 New York Times articles in the past year, including on April 3 in “Carolina’s Expansive Wine List” by Eric Asimov:

Piecemeal

adjective: one thing at a time
adverb: happening a little bit at a time

The word piecemeal has appeared in 141 New York Times articles in the past year, including on Aug. 14 in “The Trip From Bountiful” by David Tanis:

The New York Times

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What's in a Picture? OR A Picture Can Inspire A Thousand Words

Neal Boenzi/The New York Times

What’s going on in this picture? Look closely at the image above, or view it in a larger size, then tell us what you see by posting a comment. On Dec. 3, we will reveal more about the image and its origins at the bottom of this post. 

Students 

After looking closely at the image above (or at the full-size image), think about these three questions:

1. What’s going on in this picture?
2. What do you see that makes you say that?
3. Look closer at the enlarged picture, what more can you find?
4. Write a caption for the picture before updated information is revealed.
5. Write a caption for the picture after the updated information is revealed. 

The New York Times

UPDATE ON PICTURE:  CLICK HERE

MORE IMAGES IN THIS SERIES:  CLICK HERE

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Nonfiction: Street Compliments

Define compliment.

Have you ever received an unexpected compliment?  If so what was it?

What is a compliment you wished someone had given you?

We are going to view a video entitled "Street Compliments", what do you think it might be about?

What is you reaction to the video?

Write a compliment that you could give someone in the room.

Write a compliment that you could give someone you will see over the holiday.

Write an opening sentence(s) for an essay/paper entitled "Compliments".

     Here are a few common ways to open a paper:

     Use a quote

     Ask a question

     Restate the prompt

     Start with an interesting fact

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Writing: Pay It Forward

A Writing Assignment based on an adaptation of a lesson found on Film English:  The lesson will be used in connection with the teaching of the dramatization of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.  Connections will be made concerning the transformation of the protagonist, Scrooge, from  the miserly man he was prior to his visitation by the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Future to, the man he became after the visits.

Describe the boy in the picture?

Based on his appearance, what do you think he’s like as a person?

How do you think he is feeling in this moment?

Predict what’s happening in the picture?

Now, after looking at the picture and answering the questions, what do you think the film you are about to see is about?

[Discuss answers in groups and as a class]

Watch the film entitled "Giving"

Giving - Thai Commercial Truemove H - [English Subtitles]

Were any of your predictions about the film correct?

How did the film make you feel?

What is the theme or message of the film?

What does "Pay It Forward" mean?

According to the Film English it means the following:

It means that if somebody does something kind to you, you should do something kind to another person without expecting anything in return. This has become a global movement. In 2000, Catherine Ryan Hyde's novel Pay It Forward was published and adapted into a film, Pay It Forward. In Ryan Hyde's book and movie it is described as an obligation to do three good deeds for others in response to a good deed that one receives. Such good deeds should accomplish things that the other person cannot accomplish on their own. In this way, the practice of helping one another can spread geometrically through society, at a ratio of three to one, creating a social movement with the impact of making the world a better place.

Message or Theme of the Film:

The message of "Giving" is that we should pay it forward. The restaurant owner is kind to the child and expects nothing in return. However, his kindness has a profound influence on the young boy who subsequently dedicates his life to helping others and becomes an eminent surgeon. The restaurant owner’s life is saved by the surgeon who waves his fee because of the restaurant owner’s previous kindness to him.

Examples of Pay It Forward from Film English:

Collect cans of non perishable foods and give them to charities or organizations who would benefit 

Collect books and distribute to needy groups 

Buy the train or bus ticket for the person behind you 

Donate some of your professional services to someone in need on the day, for example - free hour consultation 

Buy a stranger a cup of coffee 

On a rainy day, buy a few umbrella's and give them to those who don't have one and are getting wet.

 Watch the second Film:

What do you think of each deed and would you do them them yourself?

Write five (5) "Pay it Forward" actions you would be prepared to carry out.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Share responses in groups and as a class.



What does the quote “Kindness, like a boomerang, always returns,” mean to you?

Share responses in groups and as a class.


Share quotes from slides:  Click Here
 Real Life Example:  Click Here

Writing Time:

Using one of the quotes from the slides develop an opening sentence(s) to introduce a paper entitled "Giving" or "Pay it Forward".

Share sentence(s) as a group

Now, the real writing begins, use the sentence(s) you developed to start your paper. The paper must include/explain the five (5) acts of kindness you listed earlier.

Use a different quote from the one used in the opening sentence(s) from the slides to develop a closing sentence(s) for your paper.

FOR PRE-WRITING DOCUMENT/WORKSHEET: CLICK HERE 

Interesting Article:  HAPPINESS = GRATITUDE + GENEROSITY + SINCERITY

Sample Lesson plans for a Lesson using Pay it Forward: 

Click Here


aDDING ON TO THIS IDEA OF gRATTITUDE:


Film English 365 Grateful:  CLick Here


ADDITIONAL LINKS ON THE WRITING WHISPERER FOR THIS LESSON:


Link 1 More Examples of Pay It Forward and the Giving Tree

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Nonfiction: Why bring a child into this world? - A film by Unilever

Nonfiction:  Why bring a child into this world? - A film by Unilever

WE BELIEVE WE CAN CREATE A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR OUR CHILDREN. SEE THE POSSIBILITIES AND GET INVOLVED.

Before viewing the film answer the following question:

Why bring a child into this world?

After viewing the film answer the following question:

What is your initial reaction to the film?

If you were one of the parents shown the horrific images in the film would you still want to bring a child into this world?

What is Project Sunlight?

To find out more:  CLICK HERE

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Nonfiction Using Storycorps: Interview with a Parent

Q&A from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

Summary

Joshua Littman, a 12-year-old boy with Asperger’s syndrome, interviews his mother, Sarah. Joshua’s unique questions and Sarah’s loving, unguarded answers reveal a beautiful relationship that reminds us of the best—and the most challenging—parts of being a parent.

Questions:

1.  What does Joshua ask his mother to rate on a scale of one to ten?

2.  How does his mother answer?

3.  What animals does his mother say she can live without?

4.  What does Joshua say about cockroaches?

5.  Joshua asks his mother if she has ever felt her life is hopeless, how does she         respond?

6.  Joshua asks his mother if she has any mortal enemies, how does she respond?

7.  How does Joshua's mother respond to the question about lying to her son?

8.  What is colic?  What does it have to do with Joshua and his mom?

9.  Who is Amy?

10. What does Joshua think about Amy?

11. What does Joshua suffer from?

12. How are Joshua and Amy different?

13, How does Joshua describe his friendships?

14. What does Joshua's mother say in response to his question about whether or not he is the son she hoped for, i.e. did he meet her expectations as a son?

15. Write a one sentence summary of "Interview with a Parent".

16. What question(s) would you ask your parents if you could interview them?

17. If this piece were in written form, what genre would we categorize it? What sub-genre?

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