Better Understanding the DN: List to Explain Activity

Today in class we did an activity that helped to show the differences between list, describe, and explain. To start we imagined a place that made us happy; we then all wrote down a bulleted list of descriptors of this place. I chose a beach I went to in Malta and my list look a bit like this:

-beach

-sand

-clear water

-hill behind the beach

-rock stairs leading down to the beach

We then partnered up and shared our lists. After this we were asked to add a bit of context to our list and give detail to why this was the place we chose. So my list became:

-beach

-sand

-clear water

-hill behind the beach

-rock stairs leading down to the beach

-beach in Malta

-we went here on a family trip

-this was a beach we visited a couple of times while we were there

After that we were instructed to add a bit more detail to our list. So my new list became:

-U-shaped beach

-rocky sand near the water, smoother sand farther from the shore

-clear water, small waves,

-water stretching out as far as the eye could see

-a large hill behind the beach covered in grass

-steep stairs made of grey rock leading down to the beach

-beach in Malta, a small country in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea

-We went here on a family trip the summer before my sophomore year

-This was a beach we visited 3 times while in Malta

We shared these lists with a new set of partners. For the last round we were asked to add the emotions tied to this place and explain them. So from here I added these to my list:

-This place was filled with only happy memories

-there were children running around and laughing and screaming

-the sun was warm and comforting

This activity really allowed me to understand the process of going from listing to explanation. We started off small with a few details and slowly built up our lists to something that was explanatory and detailed. I found it interesting to see how everyone else’s lists grew and became more detailed. I started and ended with the same partner so it was very cool to see how their list started out very small and became something super detailed and interesting. This activity definitely helped me to better understand how to EXPLAIN in my director’s notebook.