Scripture: Genesis 13-14, 18-19
Learning Objectives:
- Students will review the story of Abraham and Lot.
- Students will learn the workers of Lot and Abraham argued over who had the right to pasture land and wells.
- Students will learn Abraham offered Lot his choice of which pasture lands to use for his family and flocks.
- Students will learn Lot thought he chose the better land, but in the end, it wasn’t.
- Students will participate in an activity to practice making comparisons using proper grammar.
Guiding Question: How can we compare two or more objects using correct grammar?
Materials: a large number of objects that are different from one another (although they can have some basic similarities. Ex. – both dolls, but one larger than the other.)
Procedure: Review the story of Abraham and Lot. Explain to students how Abraham and Lot had to separate their families and flocks because they had gotten too large. Abraham allowed Lot to choose which land he preferred for his family. Lot thought he chose land that was better. (In the end, it turned out to be a poor choice.) Discuss how Lot might have compared the two areas in order to decide which was better. Teach/review the following rules for making grammatically correct comparisons:
- When comparing two objects, use the suffix -er or the word more.
- When comparing three or more objects, use the suffix -est or the word most for the superlative.
- If the word you are using for the superlative has one or two syllables, use -er or -est.
- If the superlative has three or more syllables use the words more or most.
- Make note of irregular superlatives like good, better, best
- Never use -er with more or -est with most (Ex: “The doll was the most tallest of all.” is incorrect.
Present the grab bag of items. Have students take turns choosing two or three items and then making a comparison sentence using the proper superlative. As the students become more comfortable, you or other students may suggest a root word the student must then transform into a superlative.
Additional Question: How do poets use superlatives in their poems?
Supplemental Activity: Have more advanced students research and find poems they enjoy. Have them share poems where the poet used superlatives to add to the descriptive nature of the poem.