Sign a cohesive, personal short story about ONE of the holidays OR seasons your family celebrates. (Yes, this should be true. It will be vastly easier for you; trust me.)
Your FIRST sentence should include a setting, the people involved, and a clear description of what occurred.
Make sure that you set up the people involved in your signing space. You may use either indexing or body shifting, depending on your story needs & personal preference, but you are required to incorporate the use of signing space.
Include 4 time and/or tense signs throughout your story. These must be unique; no repeated signs. At least TWO of your 4 signs must be ASL time modifications as demonstrated in Unit 5, Lesson 4. You may use new or previously learned vocabulary for the other 2 signs.
Include a minimum of ONE classifier. It may be either pronomial OR instrumental, depending on the needs of your story.
Include non-manual marker information in (parentheses). This can be information regarding indexing, body shifting, facial expression, emphasis, classifiers, or anything else you may need to remember to sign accurately. You should have at least 1 per ASL sentence.
Your FINAL sentence should wrap up the story with a concluding sentence appropriate to your story. Ideas include reiterating the humor, making a future plan, a person leaving, a final thought, your personal opinion on the event, etc.
Every Thanksgiving, my family gathers at my grandparents' house to celebrate the holiday together. (Setting: at my grandparents' house) Aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings come from near and far to join in the festivities, and the house is always filled with the delicious scent of roasting turkey, savory stuffing, and sweet pies baking in the oven. (Description of what occurred)
As we all sit down at the table, eager to dig into the feast before us, my grandmother starts the tradition of going around the table and asking each person to share what they are thankful for. (Time sign 1: YEAR) This simple act of gratitude reminds us all of the importance of family, love, and togetherness during this special time of year. (ASL time modification 1: EVERY-YEAR)
After we have all eaten our fill and the dishes have been cleared away, my cousins and I head outside to play a game of touch football in the crisp autumn air. (Time sign 2: PAST-SUMMER) Laughter fills the air as we run around, trying to avoid being tackled by the others. (Non-manual marker information: facial expressions showing joy and excitement)
As the sun begins to set and the sky is painted with shades of pink and orange, we gather around the fire pit to roast marshmallows and make s'mores. (Time sign 3: NOW) The warmth of the fire and the sound of crackling logs create a cozy atmosphere that brings us all closer together. (Classifier: using a pronominal classifier to show the group huddled around the fire)
As the evening comes to a close and everyone begins to say their goodbyes, I am reminded once again of how grateful I am for my family and the memories we create together year after year. (Time sign 4: FUTURE) Thanksgiving may only come once a year, but the love and joy shared on this day will stay with me always. (Conclusion sentence)