It's Great to Elaborate

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

The word elaborate comes from the Latin word elaborare, meaning to labor, endeavor, struggle, work out.

You can guess that to elaborate takes some work. It means not giving simple, watered-down answers.

To elaborate means to provide details and description that help others get a clearer idea of what you're talking about.

• Have you ever had a teacher tell you to show them, not tell them?

That means they want you to elaborate.

Study the dwarves' song and learn to elaborate on your answers.

J.R.R. Tolkien did not provide a title for his song. Although others have called it by various names, we will call it "The Dwarves' Song" throughout this lesson.

Read the first two stanzas.

• Far over the misty mountains cold
• To dungeons deep and caverns old
• We must away ere break of day
• To seek the pale enchanted gold.

• The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,
• While hammers fell like ringing bells
• In places deep, where dark things sleep,
• In hollow halls beneath the fells.

Now, think of how you might answer this question.

• Where are the dwarves going, and why?

You could say the following.

"They're going to the mountains to get some gold."

That answer would certainly be true, but it doesn't give a clear idea of the long, hard journey they will embark on or the deep emotions they feel about it.

Try to elaborate on that answer.

"They're going on a long journey. We know that from the word far. They're going toward cold, dark, and deep caverns under the mountains (fells). They're leaving early in the morning to seek the riches their ancestors had worked so hard to make."

That answer gives a clearer idea of what the author was trying to share with us.

Read the next three stanzas.

• For ancient king and elvish lord
• There many a gleaming golden hoard
• They shaped and wrought, and light they caught
• To hide in gems on the sword's hilt.

• On silver necklaces they strung
• The flowering stars, on crowns they hung
• The dragon-fire, in twisted wire
• They meshed the light of moon and sun.

• Far over the misty mountains cold
• To dungeons deep and caverns old
• We must away, ere break of day,
• To claim our long-forgotten gold.

Think of an answer to this assignment.

Describe the work that the dwarves were doing in their cavern home.

An unelaborate answer might be the following one.

"They made swords, necklaces, and crowns."

Again, it correctly states some facts, but it doesn't give any hint of the incredible skills of the dwarves as craftsmen and the great respect they earned for their gifts.

Here's a better answer.

"With great, almost magical skill, they crafted beautiful swords decorated with gems, necklaces that seemed hung with 'flowering stars,' and crowns embellished with 'dragon-fire.' They seemed to bring even the light of the sun and moon into their fabulous creations. Lords and kings desired their works."

• Are you getting the idea of elaboration now?

To elaborate, you can:

• ⇒ provide interesting details
• ⇒ explain a word that might not be known by everyone
• ⇒ use quotes from the work
• ⇒ use examples
• ⇒ use adjectives and other descriptive words

• Are you ready to try elaborating now?

Good, go on to the Got It? section!