“Boy, does this sound absurd, or what,” sighed John.
“It’s not that bad, and it is an easy way to get a good
grade,” commented Kendra.
John rolled his eyes at Kendra. They were walking
home after school talking about their homework this
week. They were supposed to find a place to sit and
listen for a total of two hours. They could do it any time
they wanted, for short times or long. They had to listen
and write down some of the things they heard. They
also had to describe where they listened, draw some
sketches, and note the time of day.
The activity was meant to help them observe the
world more closely. Their teacher said it was a place
where art, science, and reality met. John wasn’t sure
what the teacher meant, but Kendra seemed to like the
As they walked by a small corner park, Kendra stopped
for a moment. She said, “Hey, I have an idea, let’s start
right here. It’s just about two-thirty, my parents won’t be
home for two more hours, and neither will your mother.
We should sit down in the park and get part of the
assignment done. It will be easy.”
John thought Kendra had a good idea and pointed to a
bench beside the fountain. “Let’s get started,” he said.
After just a few seconds, Kendra began writing
something down. John followed right after her, and for
the next half hour, they did nothing but sit, listen, draw,
and take notes. When they were finished, both of them
were especially pleased with the way that the notes and
the drawings were connected.
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212 UNIT 6 • Lesson 2 Oral Fluency A