What's in a Word?

What's in a Word? - Part 2

Imagine that you do not understand very well the word "haunches" in the Sandburg poem below about fog.

Fog

THE FOG comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches

and then moves on.

Carl Sandburg (1878–1967).
Chicago Poems. 1916.

1. Split into the same types of teams as before, but swap participants into different laptop concentrations.

2. Start with the print dictionary to deepen understanding of "haunches."

3. Then use one or more of these online dictionaries to deepen understanding of "haunches."

4. Next your team will write 3-4 sentences explaining several reasons why "haunches" was or was not a good word choice for this poem.

You may write your sentences on the printed paper sheet next to the poem or you may use a word processing program.

Do not move forward to the next activity until this activity has been completed and debriefed by the full group.