SPOKEN 4.2
Proof: Meeting the Troublemaker

Grades 1-3

In the previous lesson, you introduced us to the troublemaker and told us the most important point(s) about him. 

The structure for most sections is 

I       Introduce
D      Describe
P      Prove

You have introduced the troublemaker to your reader, and you have described him a little.

Now it’s time to “prove” that you know him.  For that, you will tell us about meeting him.

Sensory Details

Imagine you have a special camera that not only can see what things look like, but it can also hear sounds, smell smells, and even taste things. 

You have to be precise when using sensory details. Instead of saying things are just “amazing,” “beautiful,” or “old,” tell us exactly what makes them so special. 

So what else can this camera sense in the scene? 

  • What types of plants and animals are nearby? If, for instance, there are birds, then what type of birds are they?
  • What is the name of the nearest building? What does it look like?
  • Exactly what is the weather like? Saying sunny does not help readers see it. How does the weather make you feel?
  • If you are eating cereal, for example, what is its name? What does it tell us about you if you’re eating Count Chocula rather than raisin bran?

Task 4.2 – Small Group

Add sensory details to the list

Add Emotions

What exactly did you feel emotionally?

Be realistic as possible when describing emotions. If a dog talked to you in real life, would you just start answering? You may feel fear, shock, or think you are going crazy…

Dialogue

What did you and the troublemaker say to one another? Is that what you would say in real life?

Pretend you meet the troublemaker.  What did it say?  What did you say?

Task 4.2.4 – Small Group

Role-play with other members of your class or family about meeting the troublemaker.

Task 4.2.5

Look through the grocery list.  Use numbers. Don’t erase if something is out of order.  Instead, use numbers or letters.  For example:

Info 3                                              Info 3

Info 4                                              Info 4

Info 3.5                                           Info 3a

Example

Meeting The Troublemaker
1 Then One Day I Met A Talking Dog.
3 Near School – Corner of 3rd And Alder
2 Summerville, Alaska
4 Edge Of Woods
5 Spruces, Evergreens
2a Fishing Community
3a Hardware Store
6 Shar-Pei
7 Rumpled As A Rug
8 Size Of A Breadbox
6a Sitting By Street Sign
9 Scratching Ear With Back Foot
10 Gray With White Spots
11 Spots Looked Like Splotches. Like Someone Spilled White Out
12 “Hey Good Looking.”
13 Thought I Was Going Crazy. Or Pranked.
14 “Down Here, Stupid.”
15 Ventriloquist Somewhere?
16 Collar Studded With Fake Diamonds
17 “Quit Staring At My Collar!”
18 “You Can’t Talk, You’re A Dog!”
19 “And You Can’t Think. You’re A Blond.”
20 My stomach growled.
21 The shar-pei growled.
1a Drizzling.
3b Water dripped off the roof.
2b Air smelled like fish.
2c Salt smell in the air.

APPLICATION – Small Groups

1. Start a new piece of paper. Put Troublemaker at the top.
2. Use yellow stickies. That way, you can move information without 
3. Add your first sentence of the Troublemaker section.

Then one day I …

4. Add in information about meeting the troublemaker
5. In most cases, you will use two structures of having a good meeting

a. First to Last

Here, you put in information according to what happened first, second, third, and so on.

b. Logical Description

Here, you describe the dog according to how important the description is, down to how least important it is. For example, don’t start describing his collar before you let us know how big he is.  You wouldn’t, for instance, say he had what looked like diamonds on his collar before you told us he was the size of a go-kart.

6. Put the yellow stickies on a sheet of paper. Number them.