The Mother Tongue, Book I: Lessons in Speaking, Reading and Writing English · Secs. 150–153 · Part 1: Part First
45. A Gaelic Lullaby, and the story of a sculptor
Goal: Your child can tell the scenes in a lullaby and the story of the sculptor Thorwaldsen, and describes a picture of his lion.
You'll need
- The book, open to this lesson
- Paper and pencil (a notebook kept just for this book works well)
What's in the book
Sections 150 and 151 are "A Gaelic Lullaby" from the Scottish Highlands, to talk about and learn. Section 152 is the "Story of a Sculptor", Bertel Thorwaldsen of Copenhagen, with pictures of his "Night" and "Morning" and of "The Lion of Lucerne". Section 153 asks for a description of the lion.
The lesson, step by step
Read the lullaby
Read "A Gaelic Lullaby" softly, the way a mother might sing it.
Hush! the waves are rolling in,
The book explains that knowes are knolls, or low hills.
Ask: What scene is in each stanza? Where is everyone? Where is the baby?
Read the sculptor's story
Read Section 152 together. It tells how Thorwaldsen, son of a wood-carver, became a famous sculptor.
He went to Rome to study the beautiful statues there.
Look at "Night" and "Morning" on page 121.
Tell it back
Close the book. Prompts:
- What did his father do, and how did Bertel help?
- Why did his father let him stay in school?
- Why was the Lion of Lucerne made?
Study the lion (Section 153)
Look at "The Lion of Lucerne" on page 122.
The wounded lion protects the French shield, even in the agony of death.
Ask: What did the artist mean the lion to show? (Faithfulness, courage to the end.)
Write a description
Your child writes 4 or 5 sentences describing the picture of the lion as well as they can.
Check it gently
Is every sentence about the picture? Is there one detail that only someone who really looked would notice? Help your child add one.
What a good result looks like
Example (written for this guide, not from the book):
The great lion lies dying in a hollow carved in the rock. A broken spear is in his side. One paw rests on a shield, as if he is still guarding it. His head is low and his face looks tired and sad, but he does not let go.
Afterwards
Learn "A Gaelic Lullaby" by heart (Section 151).