Lesson 7: The Attack

Activities

Activity 1: Editing Sentences

Materials: journal

Copy these sentences in your journal, correcting any grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors:

The sun was hot yellow that morning and it drew the moisture from the eshtuary and from the gulf, and hanged it in shimering scarves in the air so that the air vibrated and vision was insubstancial.
For Kino was a well liked man, it would be a shame if the pearl destroyed him.

Here are the suggested sentence corrections. (Changes from the original are underlined.)

The sun was hot yellow that morning, and it drew the moisture from the estuary and from the Gulf and hung it in shimmering scarves in the air so that the air vibrated and vision was insubstantial.
For Kino was a well-liked man; it would be a shame if the pearl destroyed him. (A dash between "man" and "it" would also work as would separating the clauses into two sentences.)

Activity 2: Wants

Materials: colored pencils or markers

One of the major themes in this story is want. The characters each want something, and their wants are not always bad. Think about each character in the story and what he or she wants in life. On the chart provided on the "Wants" page, record what you think each of the characters wants in the story. In the third column, draw a symbol that reflects the nature of the character's wants. Are the wants good? Are they evil? Are they valiant? Are they self-centered? Are they thoughtful? When you are finished, answer the question at the bottom of the page.

Student Activity Page

Wants

On the activity page, "Wants," ask your child to describe what he thinks each character wants.

Possible Answers:

The Priest — The priest wants money for the church and for himself. He wants power and recognition.
Kino — Kino wants to improve his life and the life of his family. He wants something better than the life his people now have as a result of oppression.
Juana — Juana wants her family to be safe and happy. She does not care about materialism or about rocking the boat.
The Doctor — The doctor wants wealth and influence. He wants a life of ease and self-gratification.

Possible answers for the question on the bottom of the page include the following:

The more people have, the more they want.
No matter what a person has, there is always something else to want and a reason to not be content.
Being content with what you have been given can lead to more happiness than great riches.