Grandma was writing a letter. At some point, she stopped and took a good look at the pencil she was holding. Her grandson, Jason, was watching her write this letter from time to time as he was playing with his toy. But Jason stopped and just observed his grandma looking thoughtfully at the pencil for a long time. He started wondering why grandma was looking at the pencil for so long. Puzzled, he asked:
“Grandma, are you writing a story about us? What are you writing about? Why are you looking at the pencil like this? Is something wrong?
The grandmother smiled, and turned to her grandson:
“I am writing about you. But I am also thinking that you are like the pencil. You and the pencil are similar, in some ways. I am trying to say that the pencil I’m using is as important as what I am writing. When you grow up, remember to keep the similarities with the pencil”.
The child looked at the pencil, even more puzzled and curious. First because he did not see anything special about this pencil and second because he did not want to be like the pencil.
“But it’s just like every other pencil I’ve ever seen! What is so special about this pencil?” The child blurted out and grandma went on to explain herself.
“Well, it is not just about this pencil. It all depends on how you look at things. The pencil has five qualities. If you manage to keep them, you will always live in harmony with the world” explained grandmother.
It was clear the child had not taken anything in.
“First similarity. You are like this pencil because you, like the pencil, can do great things. But you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps. We humans, call this hand God, and God always guides us to do good according to His will”.
“Second similarity. You will have to stop from time to time, to think how to overcome life’s problems. Similarly, the pencil must stop writing when it gets eaten away. We use the sharpener to give it a sharp edge. This sharpening makes the pencil suffer a little, but in the end, it becomes sharper and can write better. So, Jason do not stop with the first difficulty. Learn to stand hardships. Difficulties make you stronger.
“The third similarity is that you, like the pencil, will make mistakes in your life. An eraser makes it easy to correct the mistakes that the pencil makes. Understand that correcting something you’ve done is not necessarily bad; it’s important because you learn from your mistakes. Mistakes teach you what you must avoid.”
Jason did not interrupt. He never thought of things this way. And grandma went on with another similarity.
“Fourth similarity between you and the pencil. Remember not to worry too much about how you look. Take care of what is inside you. What really matters for the pencil for example, is not its wooden cover or shape or color. It is the graphite inside it. Therefore, always take care of what is happening in you”.
And there is one more similarity grandma said and went on.
The fifth similarity is that the pencil always leaves a mark. In the same way, you leave your mark through what you do. So, it is important to remember that everything you do in life will leave traces, and you must try hard to make sure that your actions are good so that people remember you in a good way.
Working on the story. Teaching Literary Devices
1. What is a “literary device”?
A literary device is a way writers make stories more interesting and meaningful. It is like a “tool” in writing.
2. What is a symbol?
A symbol is something that represents a bigger idea. In the story the pencil is not just a pencil. It represents a person. The grandmother is not really teaching about pencils. She is teaching about how to live a good life.
1. Activity:
a. What does an eraser symbolize? ……………………………………………….
b. What does the sharpener symbolize? …………………………………………….
2. Match the pencil parts with their meaning:
| Pencil Part | Meaning |
| 1. Eraser | a. Hard experiences |
| 2. Sharpener | b. Our actions |
| 3. Mark | c. Correcting mistakes |
3. Teach Similes & Metaphors
The objectives are that students understand simile and metaphor, identify them in the story and create their own simple examples.
- What is a simile?
It is a comparison between 2 things using the words like or as. Is a pencil just a pencil in this story or does it mean something more?
ex: “She is as strong as a rock. ex: “I want you to be like this pencil.”
- Complete the sentences to turn them into similes:
a. Life is like a __________
b. A good person is like a __________
c. Learning is like __________
- What is a metaphor?
A metaphor says one thing is another thing.
Ex: “Time is money.” Or “The world is a stage.”
The grandmother uses a metaphor to pass a message. She does NOT say directly: “The child is a pencil”. But the whole story shows that a person is a pencil through the metaphors used.
Activity 1: Simile or Metaphor? Write S (simile) or M (metaphor)
- “He is like a pencil.” ___
- “He is a pencil.” ___
- “Life is like a journey.” ___
- “Life is a journey.” ___
Activity 2: Find the Meaning
What does the metaphor “A person is a pencil” mean?
- People are made of wood
- People can learn, change, and improve
- People write letters
Activity 3:
1. Write ONE simile:
I am like a __________ because __________
2. Write ONE metaphor:
I am a __________ because __________
Activity 4:
Which is easier: a simile or a metaphor?
- One simile about yourself
- One metaphor about life
- One metaphor about learning
4. Dialogue. What is a dialogue?
Dialogue is when characters speak to each other.
— “What are you writing about?”
— “I am writing about you.”
It is useful because it makes the story feel real and it helps us understand characters
- Moral. What is a moral?
A moral is the lesson. the basic idea that the story leaves us with.
What is the moral in this story? Tick the correct answers.
a. be a good person.
b. learn from mistakes.
c. be strong in difficult times.
d. pencils are useful
e. we should live a good life and learn from mistakes
f. writing is fun
6.Repetition of Structure. What is it?
Repetition is when the writer repeats a pattern to make ideas clear. Ex: First quality, Second quality, Third quality. Fourth quality, Fifth quality.
Repetition does not confuse the listener, it helps us remember. It makes the meaning easy to understand.
7.Imagery What is imagery?
Imagery helps us imagine something in our mind. Ex: “leaves a mark” We can see the action in our mind.
Activity 1: Which sentence creates a clear image in your mind?
a) “The pencil leaves a mark”
b) “The story is interesting”
c) “The boy is there”
Activity 2: Write a paragraph on each of the following questions.
1. Which quality of the pencil do you like the most? Why?
2. What does the “eraser” teach us?
3. What kind of “mark” do you want to leave in life?
