Contributed by Juliette Lee
This exercise can be used as a journal prompt, and it is especially helpful for talking about interpretation as it is in the "Interacting with Texts" Unit.
Prompt: I'm sitting at a card table with people I don't know playing a game I don't understand. No one speaks English. When I try to leave, they take me home and treat me like a lost child.
I am on a playground. I am a child, about 8 years old. The turntable ride is going faster and faster. I am enjoying it. A man I don't recognize is pushing it. He stops and walks away. I vomit on my yellow dress and am very sad.
Students can either provide an interpretation of this dream, relate experiences they've had that are similar, dreams they've had, or other.
After Writing: Discuss students' ideas about interpretation. What is it? When do we do it? How is it useful?
This conversation can lead into a discussion about interpreting (and interacting with) texts.
