Week 3, Oct. 3rd.

Today we started out with a VTS of two Sam. fighting on a rooftop.
it was interesting to have different interpretations of what the boys saw in this painting, such as women fighting, on a bed or a blanket.
Next I reminded the boys that artists use images (pictures) to communicate ideas and tell stories and writers use words to communicate ideas and tell stories and that the Boys Writer Club is about being both artists and writers.Then I finished reading where we left off about the Three Samurai Cats by, Eric Kimmel, and at one point I stoped and had the boys visualize, what the path that the Domyio took, and for them to visualize what it looked like, what was on the side of the path, who might he meet or was there any signs about Samurai for hire, or was there any places on the side for him to stop at, and what was inside? 
Some of the boys had no problem while others needed a few prompts to help them generate some ideas of how to draw a path, which I used other terms such as road, or street. I was asked can I put my house? or can there be stores on the road? I spoke to them about a general idea of what a road from long ago in a forest might look like and asked two of them if they had ever taken a walk in a big park or in the woods. They said "no" I asked if they ever walked to school or other friends houses in the neighborhood. They seem to be having problems visualizing a path and what might be on it or beside it. "Can there be a McDonalds?"

I did not want to tell them what to think or draw so I just told them about the story again and how the Damyio was hoping to find a new Samurai and would be riding on his horse back to talk to the Dosho. I told them to try to imagine they were the Damyio on his horse and told them to use their imaginations and create what-ever they thought they would see or who they might encounter. I noticed that a few did very maze like paths and others did straight street like roads with big buildings on both sides. This makes me think about how the development of vocabulary is easier to recall if it goes hand in hand with an image of the word. But then how to put an image with a concept or adjetive? I am thinking that some of the boys may have not had much exposure to picture books and possibly no one to read to them when younger. It is easy to watch movies and have memories of how things look but it can be difficult to visualize or imagine some place or space when there is no reference point. I wonder if giving the boys access to other books or images to flip through for ideas could help them when they are stuck. I have seen how one will copy off the other in some circumstances and that is to be expected yet it may just be out of frustration for not being able to come up with an idea on their own. I know it is easy for me to forget that just because I think the boys should know the meanings of simple words does not mean they do. If they are afraid to ask or admit that they dont know what a "path" or any other word is, they will have trouble from the get-go.