THE HEX SIGN ESSAY
This is a really neat essay topic to help the kids learn the FIVE PARAGRAPH ESSAY because it has the subtopics built right in. It was given to me by Theresa Bohlinger at William Floyd High School on Long Island.
Pictured above is a Pennsylvannia Dutch HEX SIGN which I purchased some years ago. The Amish decorate their barns with these for good luck. Each of the symbols on the hex sign have a meaning. In the case of this one, here is the interpretation:
This design features two large, stylized birds, called Distelfinks. The Distelfink bird is the good luck and happiness bird of the Pennsylvania Dutch. Two, or double, Distelfinks double the good luck and happiness. Hearts for love and tulips for faith complete the design.
This lesson can be simple and fun for the kids. Have them design their own hex signs, using either Pennsylvania Dutch symbols or creating their own, then write a five paragraph essay explaining how the hex symbols represent various aspects of their personalities.
THE LESSON PLAN:
Our first step is to introduce the children to the hex sign. There is a store in Paradise, Pennsylvania, named WILL-CHAR which specializes in Amish signs and wood-carving of all kinds. If you will click on the hex sign below, Will-Char will provide you with the history of Hex Signs and some meanings for the more common symbols (Remember to click on BACK to return to this page):
Next, it would probably be a good idea to discuss and illustrate more hex signs with some specific interpretations. Click on the following hex sign to go to the WILL-CHAR catelogue, where you can find plenty of signs and interpretations to get the kids interested:
The next step is the artistic part. Have the kids think about three symbols which express aspects of their personality and draw their own hex signs. For younger students, this can be a fun project with crayons or whatever art the teacher likes to use. I always allow the kids to make up their own symbols if they are stuck with the Dutch ones, but if you do that, you can expect plenty of baseball bats and dollar signs.
We then use the five paragraph essay format to write about our hex signs. Beginning with a topic sentence that reads something like this: MY HEX SIGN HAS THREE SYMBOLS WHO SHOW MY PERSONALITY, the kids then write three body sentences along these lines: MY FIRST SYMBOL IS A HEART WHICH STANDS FOR LOVE. The concluding sentence just repeats the topic sentence, or might add a transition, such as: THE FOLLOWING WILL EXPLAIN MY CHOICES.
The body paragraphs provide a good forum for teaching VIVIDS. Children have the task of expressing an ABSTRACTION, such as love, faith, or happiness in CONCRETE, vivid terms. A good way to illustrate this is with the old PEANUTS book, HAPPINESS IS A WARM PUPPY. and other similar stuff. I usually can get plenty of vivids with an example or two like this: "Love is what I feel when I get home from school after a really bad day and my puppy, Oscar, greets me at the dog with his tail wagging and a rubber bone in his mouth."
The conclusion, of course, is easy. Following the rules from the five paragraph essay, the student summarizes his paper by restating the three chosen symbols.
