This week, in Art of the Essay, students read "Ode to An Orange," by Larry Woiwode, in preparation for their own descriptive essays they will write. 

Woiwode, whose descriptions of nature can "hypnotize the senses" with their precision and vitality, turns his descriptive powers on a familiar fruit in his Ode. After reading the essay, students turned to the oranges in front of them and began to record all of their sensory observations. The activity was refreshing in a lot of ways; the classroom was filled with citrusy and sweet aromas, students enjoyed the change of pace in a screen-free activity, and some even ate the fruits of their labor afterwards!