I Am David Extended Activities

I am David Extended Activities

Chapter 1

Persuasive Writing

On the ship to Italy, David persuades the sailor to help him. Check your answer to Question #7 to see how David did that. Being able to be persuasive is very important and to be able to do it in writing can be extremely helpful.

Here are some ways of persuading people to do things, or buy things:

You'll really enjoy seeing this film.

You must see this film - it's very good.

Don't you think you should buy a new car?

Perhaps you should buy a new car.

Another way is to exaggerate the qualities of the thing your are describing, using words like: amazing - fantastic - incredible - excellent - wonderful - terrific - unbelievable

Now practice persuading people by making sentences about these things. a. going to camp b. going on a diet c. buying a new tape d. learning how to play the piano e. buying a CD player

In order to persuade people, you often need to stress how good something is:

It's really good.

It's very reliable.

It's made of the highest quality materials.

Tennis is excellent exercise and great fun.

Use some of these words to persuade people to: a. go mountain climbing b. buy a motorcycle

Another way to persuade people is to suggest that by doing what you ask them: a. it will make them happy. b. it will save them money. c. it is the best thing they can do. d. they will avoid something bad happening to them. e. they will be popular with others.

Make sure that you always give reasons!

For example:

This bicycle is better because it has twelve gears.

This tape deck is better because it has Dolby noise reduction.

The reason for the increase in prices is higher wages.

Writing Task

You have been invited to a party on Friday night, and you must convince your mother to let you go. Jot down what you would have to say to her to get her permission. Chapter 2

Setting the Mood

The setting is the time and place in which a story occurs. By describing setting, an author can create a mood or atmosphere for the story.

Setting and the mood created by that setting are particularly important in I Am David. The environment acts as a force to shape David's character and his actions.

Directions

In the following passages from the book, the author describes setting and creates a mood. Read each passage and answer the questions.

Passage 1

... Every night he ran, and he ran all night long. Once he slipped into a water-hole and the mud caked on him as it dried. Once he was so torn by branches that blood oozed from the scratches on his face, hands and legs. He would never forget that night. He had come to a close thicket of thorn bushes, and the needle of his compass indicated that he should go straight through it. So he plunged into the thicket, elbows up to protect his face. The first branch that struck him hurt painfully, and so did the first gash along his arm, but after that he noticed nothing and just crashed his way through...

1. Select a single word that would best describe the mood created by the setting.

2. List two details that contribute to the mood of the passage.

Passage 2

... And so the days passed. David lost count of them, for it was dark all the time and there was nothing to distinguish day from night. Once he woke he picked up the strange bottle by mistake for his own, and after that he took a drink from it every time stay- ing awake any longer grew too much for him, for he discovered that drinking from it soon made him feel sleepy. It tasted good, too - a little strong perhaps but not unpleas- ant - and then he could sleep a while longer.

2. List two details that contribute to the mood of the passage. Passage 3

Far below him lay the sea, a sea bluer than any sky he had ever seen, The land curved in and out along its edge: in and out, up and down, all green and golden, with here and there the red of flowers too far off to be clearly seen. Down by the sea a road ran along the foot of the mountain, and near it lay villages whose bright colours gleamed dazzlingly. There were trees with many changing tints of green, and over it all shone the warming sun - not white-hot and spiteful and scorching, as the sun had shone upon the camp in the summertime, but with a warm golden loveliness.

2. In what ways is this mood different from the previous passages? What force in the passage creates this different mood?

One Step Further

Write a three-paragraph description of a room, car, restaurant, or store with which you are familiar. Write your subject on the top line of your sheet.

After choosing a setting, identify the mood you usually associate with it. Some examples of moods: peaceful, exciting, boring, frightening, depressing, homey, stressful, charming.) Write that mood on the second line of your sheet. Then write your drescription, choosing words to reflect the mood. Chapter 3-4

Characterization

I Am David contains many portraits of memorable people. The process of recalling or creating memorable details about individuals is called characterization.

The personalities of people in a book can be conveyed by

__what the author states directly about the character

__ what the character says and does

__ what others say or think about the character

__ how others act toward the character

Directions

Each of the following charts lists some traits possessed by a character in the book. Find one specific piece of evidence for each trait (from anywhere in chapters 1-4) to prove the character does have that characteristic.

Then decide which characterization method (or methods) is used to reveal that trait. Check the appropriate column. a = what the character says b = what the character does c = what others say or think about the character d = how others act toward the character e = what the author writes about the character Trait Evidence How trait is revealed Page a b c d e

Example: He doesn't believe the man will let him distrustful 9 b David escape.

persistent

curious

honest

Chapter 5-6 A World of Differences

I Am David shows us the world mainly through the eyes of David. But his experiences and conversations with others give the reader different views on the same subject.

The inclusion of these different views serves two important purposes. First, it allows the reader to get a clearer picture of other characters and perspectives. Second, the views serve as a force of change. Being exposed to new thoughts and circumstances help David grow from an intelligent but naive boy into a mature young man.

Directions

Determine what the characters listed feel about each of the following topics. You may use quotes, paraphrases, or inferences (logical conclusions) in your responses.

1. Escape from the Camp a. David b. the Man

2. Understanding a. the priest and the villagers (pp.48-49) b. David

3. Helping out a. the English couple b. David

4. Trust a. the American couple b. David

5. Aggression a. Carlo b. David

6. Gratitude a. the di Levana del 'Varchi parents b. David

7. Understanding David a. the di Levana del 'Varchi parents b. Signora Bang

Chapter 7-8

Figures in the Round Although the author concentrates on the character of David, he has drawn his support- ing characters realistically and well rounded. He has done this by showing more than one side of their personalities, so that they are more than just one-dimensional characters. These realistic portraits are not only a challenge to the author but to the reader. As in dealing with real people, the reader must decide how to merge into one personality many different - even contradictory - traits.

Directions

Some statements about the personality of characters in I Am David follow. Give evidence from the book to first support the statement (pro). Then contradict the statement (con). Finally, based on that evidence, draw your own conclusion that explains the character's nature. An example has been done for you.

Example

The man hates David. a. Pro: He hates David because he is the child of the woman he loved but couldn't win. b. Con: He helps David escape as a last goodwill gesture towards the woman he loved. c. Your conclusion: The man loved David's mother, but hates her offspring because sh rejected him.

1. David is naive and ignorant 2. David is paranoid 3. David lies a lot 4. Carlo is evil. 5. The American couple is mistrustful 6. Mrs. di Levana del 'Varchi is grateful that David saved their daughter's life. 7. Signora Bang is very understanding

Select a figure from a popular TV show. Write down the character's name and the series he or she is featured in.

Decide how often your character exhibits each of the following five qualities:

1. Acts unwisely 2. Is compassionate 3. Shows a good sense of humour 4. Is moral 5. Becomes angry

Use the following rating scale: never - seldom - sometimes - often - always Briefly cite some evidence to back up your decision. Is this character well rounded? Explain your answer. The Moral of the Story Is ...

I Am David is a special kind of coming of age story. By the time the book is concluded, David has learned many - sometimes painful - lessons. It is also a story about freedom, not only David's escape from the camp but also about his liberation from his own fears. These morals (principles or lessons taught by a story or experience) prepare David for the new world he is entering.

Directions

A list of morals and learning experiences in I Am David follow. For the first three questions, list a learning experience that helps David see the moral. Then for the last four questions, create a moral that expresses what David gains from the learning experience.

1. Moral: Don't judge others too harshly. What would the learning experience be?

2. Moral: Lack of knowledge leads to misunderstanding. What would the learning experience be?

3. Moral: What one doesn't comprehend, one fears. What would the learning experience be?

4. Learning experience: The man lets David escape from the camp. What would the moral be?

5. Learning experience: Mrs. di Levana del 'Varchi doesn't want David to stay with her family. What would the moral be?

6. Learning experience: Signora Bang doesn't pry into David's background. What would the moral be?

7. Learning experience: The dog sacrifices its life so that David can escape. What would the moral be?