Question

independent practice/ homework
name: zadkira.s
partner: dont have one
essential questions:
how does migration or displacement impact individuals sense of belonging in their new environment?
what role do race, class, and gender play in a persons ability to achieve their dreams?
directions: use the criteria for success below to start drafting your two setting paragraphs of the youngers family living room at their new house. everyone will draft individually first, then come together with their partner to finalize ideas.
setting paragraph 1 cfs
this paragraph should describe what the living room looks like. focus on:
□ the size of the room
□ furniture
□ windows and lighting
□ floors, walls, or decorations
□ objects people would notice right away
□ add at least two examples of figurative language
setting paragraph 2 cfs
this paragraph should describe what the room reveals about the younger family and their new life. focus on:
□ personal items that belong to family members
□ signs they recently moved in
□ evidence of change, growth, or challenges
□ objects connected to the characters goals or identities
□ clues about living in a new neighborhood
□ add at least two examples of figurative language

Explanation:

Setting Paragraph 1 (Living Room Description)

The sun spills through floor-to-ceiling bay windows, gilding the edges of a scuffed, hand-carved oak couch that curves like a tired but warm hug against one wall. A frayed crocheted throw, the color of burnt amber, drapes over one arm, its loops tangled like a half-remembered lullaby. The floor is covered in a patchwork rug stitched with faded squares of navy and cream, each one a leftover scrap from the family’s old apartment, still holding faint indentations where a childhood rocking chair once stood. A dented brass lamp with a paper shade dotted with constellations sits on a rickety side table, casting soft, star-like splotches across the peeling off-white walls, which are smudged with faint handprints near the door—proof of small, hurried hands darting in and out.

Setting Paragraph 2 (Room Reveals About the Youngers)

Stacked in the corner, still wrapped in crumpled brown packing paper, are a set of chipped ceramic bowls, each etched with a tiny sunflower—Mama’s prized collection, carried through three moves, a quiet testament to her stubborn hope for a garden she’s never had. Beneath the couch, a tattered soccer ball with a missing valve peeks out, its surface scrawled with the name “TRAVIS” in neon marker, a reminder of a boy who’s already claiming his new space, even if the ball can’t yet bounce. On the windowsill, a half-empty can of paint (the label reads “Sky Blue—For a Fresh Start”) sits next to a crumpled job application for a local construction company, Walter’s handwriting smudged at the edges like he’d been gripping the pen too tight. A single, wilting violet in a cracked mason jar sits on the table, its petals drooping but still clinging to purple, just like the Youngers—bruised, but not broken, already putting down roots in a place that’s finally theirs.

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1. Paragraph 1: Follows the criteria by describing the room's physical features (windows, walls, furniture, decorations) and uses figurative language (similes: "couch that curves like a tired but warm hug," "loops tangled like a half-remembered lullaby") to create vivid imagery.
2. Paragraph 2: Meets the requirements by including personal items (Mama's bowls, Travis's soccer ball), signs of a recent move (packing paper, paint can), evidence of challenges/hope (Walter's job app, the wilting violet), and clues about the neighborhood (local construction job app). It also uses subtle figurative language to tie objects to the family's identity and dreams.

Answer:

1. Paragraph 1: Follows the criteria by describing the room's physical features (windows, walls, furniture, decorations) and uses figurative language (similes: "couch that curves like a tired but warm hug," "loops tangled like a half-remembered lullaby") to create vivid imagery.
2. Paragraph 2: Meets the requirements by including personal items (Mama's bowls, Travis's soccer ball), signs of a recent move (packing paper, paint can), evidence of challenges/hope (Walter's job app, the wilting violet), and clues about the neighborhood (local construction job app). It also uses subtle figurative language to tie objects to the family's identity and dreams.