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Lesson 1 (from Thirty-Six Persian Throw Rugs)

Objective

Thirty-Six Persian Throw Rugs

The first chapter introduces us to Quammen and also to his writing style. This lesson discusses Quammen's writing, for how it reveals his strategies for using language to convey meaning.

Lesson

1. Close Reading: Read the first few paragraphs, and analyze the writing style. How does Quammen write? What kinds of words does he use? How are he sentences structured?

2. Small Group Discussion: Ask students to work together in small groups to characterize Quammen's style. When or how does he vary from that cadence ? What does he lay emphasis on when he varies from his typical sentences? Ask each group to report back to the class after some time for discussion.

3. Class Discussion: How would you characterize Quammen's values as a writer? What does he talk about? How does he use language to draw the reader in? Is he neutral, partisan, interested?

Homework...

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