McGuffey's Fifth Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson LXI · Part 6: Liberty and the voices of birds
67. The English Sky-lark, by Elihu Burritt
Goal: Your child retells what Burritt says about the skylark and notices how he uses joyful, soaring words.
You'll need
- The book, open to this lesson
- A notebook and pencil
What's in the book
An essay, abridged from "Walks to John o' Groat's House," praising the English skylark: plain to look at, but the greatest singer of any bird as it rises into the sky. A note about Elihu Burritt comes first; definitions follow.
The lesson, step by step
About the author
The book says Elihu Burritt, "the learned blacksmith," was born in New Britain, Connecticut, the son of a shoemaker. He had little schooling and worked ten to twelve hours a day at the forge, yet taught himself many ancient and modern languages. Say: What does that tell you about him?
Words and meanings
Read some definitions:
Ecstasy, overmastering joy, rapture.
Axiom, a self-evident truth.
Undulating, rising and falling like waves.
Hamlet, a little cluster of houses.
Read aloud
Take turns by paragraph.
Take it in all, no bird in either hemisphere equals the English lark in heart or voice.
It is rather homely withal, having nothing in feather, feature, or form to attract notice.
It mounts up like a human aspiration.
Talk about it
SayHow does the lark act on the ground? In the air?
Say"Never did the Creator put a voice of such volume into so small a living thing." Why is that surprising?
SayFind words Burritt uses that make the bird sound holy or heavenly.
SayDoes the lark remind you of any person you know: plain outside, wonderful inside?
Tell it back
Your child explains, in their own words, why Burritt loves the skylark.
Write (optional)
Write about something plain to look at that does something wonderful.