Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Gestures in Literacy #2: The answer to HRASHES!

It's time to present the solution to "Gestures in Literacy 2: This time it's HRASHES!" But first, let's honor those readers who had the fortitude to "enter the gesture."

Ben Parzybok said...
This is obviously some kind of funereal ritual. Here we see various implements that were important to this person during her life. At top right, her favorite banana, at left a treasured handbag. In the center is a painting she composed of 8 black crows flying over a somber beach.

At bottom, of course, is the bag of 'her ashes'.

My blessings to the departed.

Anonymous said...
The general tank image alludes to the current standoff between Somali pirates and the military powers racing to recapture a Ukrainian vessel full of tanks and other arms.

The symbolism at the tank's top (flag = nation; crescent = religion) mimic Marxian notions of base/ superstructure.

At the pyramid/tank's base is, in effectively grand lettering, the name of an international brand that, like the romantic dream of high-seas piracy, invades the heart of every boy: Thrasher Skateboard Company.

Short answer: Thrasher.

Those are excellent answers, Ben and Anon. Not correct. But excellent.

And now: The gesture was...

Top row, L to R: Zip-lock bag holding crackers, single apple slice.
Second row: Bottle of water, zip-lock bag holding sandwich.
Bottom row: A HRASHES chocolate bar (manufactured in HERSHEY, PA)

The parent of this child would like us to make clear the following: the packed lunch holds more than one apple slice; the water is never decanted in an old perfume bottle; and the child has never been given a giant Hershey's chocolate bar in the lunch. So this gesture in literacy is a suggestion: one apple slice is okay, perfume water would be cool, and why, again, can I not have a huge chocolate bar in my lunch?

Thanks for playing, folks! More gestures soon.

2 comments:

  1. Very fun. It seems like this could easily blossom out into its own website, provided you kept the kid on the production line.

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  2. We had these kids working night and day, Ben, but the problem was that they began to gain written fluency. One of them actually wrote a note that said, "Why are we doing this, again?" Which was obviously troubling, because it was way too clear to be a useful "Gestures in Literacy" puzzle! So we've banned ALL writing practice for now. The kids in the program may only write once a week. For two minutes. It's the only way to keep this going.

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