Ask students to close their eyes and picture a remote mountain cabin. Have them re-create sensory details in their minds as you paint a picture beginning with the sentence: "The old cabin made me feel close to nature." Explain that instead of adding additional sentences to make this painting, you are going to expand the basic sentence by adding details created with a rhythm of repeated prepositions or subordinate conjunctions. Demonstrate with the following: "The old cabin with its rustic stone fireplace, with its handmade log furniture, with its view of Lake Papatachi, made me feel close to nature." Point out how the repeated "with" phrases add detail and rhythm.

          Give a second example using the subordinate conjunction when, adding the following clauses: "When I awoke to the aroma of burnt fire logs, when I looked out the window and saw the morning fog roll across the lake, when I felt the slight chill of the mountain air, the old cabin made me feel close to nature."

          After you have modeled this technique, have each student imitate it, using an image taken either from the CD in this book or from one of the suggested Internet image sites.

          Invite students to describe a picture of their choice, but have them use either the list of prepositions or the list of subordinate conjunctions that follow to create parallel structures. Encourage students to add sensory details that are not necessarily represented in the photograph---sounds, smells, or any related images.

Prepositions:about, above, according to, across, after, against, ahead of, along, alongside, along with, amid, around, as well as, at, before, below, beneath, beside, besides, between, beyond, by, but (except), concerning, despite, down, due to, during, except, for, from, in, in addition to, in between, in front of, inside, instead of, in spite of, into, like, minus, near, of, off, on, onto, opposite, out, outside, over, past, plus, prior to, since, through, throughout, till, to, together with, toward, under, underneath, up, upon, until, via, with, within, without.


Subordinate Conjunctions:after, although, as, as if, as though, before, because, even though, even if, how, if, since, so that, than, that, though, unless, until, what, whatever, when, whenever, where, wherever, who, whoever, whom, whomever, which, whichever, whether, while, why, whereas, whose.

          To secure images for classroom display, have students create two additional descriptions using images from magazines at home. (For students who do not have magazines available, ask the librarian for discards.) Students should cut out selected images from magazines and attach them to their writing before turning in the assignment.