Inspired by: Tin Forest - Week 1

Inspired by the story "The Tin Forest," students are encouraged to delve into the mysterious life of an old man who resides in a desolate, windswept place. The learning activity prompts them to ask probing questions about the setting and the character's circumstances. They are tasked with considering why the old man is there, how he arrived, and if he shares his life with anyone else. By writing their own questions, students engage with the narrative and develop their curiosity and inquiry skills, using question words like What, When, Why, Where, Who, and How as their guides to explore the story's context.

As the narrative unfolds, the old man encounters a storm brewing outside his home. The learning objective shifts to using expanded noun phrases to describe the increasingly inclement weather and the old man's reaction to his surroundings. Students are challenged to express what the old man might see, hear, and feel, and to reflect on their own emotions if they were to live in such a bleak environment. The activity extends to contrasting the old man's dark, gloomy garden with their own, possibly more vibrant, spaces, encouraging them to find opposites for words like tidy, clean, bright, calm, and sunny. This exercise not only enriches their vocabulary but also enhances their descriptive writing skills.