Key to terms used in physical descriptions
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The project is contained in a black plastic ringbinder. It is in reasonably good condition, though the front cover is slightly scratched, and there is a sticky mark on the back (where a sticky label has come off). Inside the binder, the pages consist of sheets of white, A4 filepaper, mostly narrow lined, some plain. The top edges of the lined sheets, and the left edges of the plain sheets, are rather rough, sometimes slightly torn, indicating where they have been torn from a pad. Only one side of the paper is used; work done on the plain white paper is clearly visible on the other side, as the paper is fairly thin. The sheets have holes punched in the side (the regular position of the holes suggests that they were pre-punched). Neither the pages nor the holes are protected in any way, but the pages look quite clean and tidy.
The pages contain mainly handwriting and drawings. The writing, page numbers and corrections to the writing are in blue biro, with titles and subheadings underlined in red felt tip (unless otherwise indicated in the page notes); two different thicknesses of red felt tip appear to have been used. The handwriting often seems to be squashed into the available space. On the plain pages, some of the words are written in pencil, or crayon and some are outlined in pencil and coloured in with pencil crayon, like the drawings. Framing is in biro or felt tip. A ruler has been used on some pages. Erased pencil lines, or crossings out in biro, are sometimes visible, indicating alteration to earlier drafts. One page also contains imported material: a newspaper photo, cut out and stuck with glue onto the lined paper.
cover page [ next page ] [ top ] [ LA53 index ] (cover)
This is the black plastic cover of the binder. There is nothing else to see here.
page 1 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ LA53 index ]
This is the only page containing imported material: a newspaper cutting, stuck down firmly with glue. The surface of the cutting is stiff and on the reverse side, the lined paper is wrinkled, indicating the way in which the glue has been applied around the edge of the cutting. There are a few greyish, smudgy marks (bottom left); it is not clear how they got there (-doesn’t look like glue - possibly newsprint, or crayon).
page 2 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ LA53 index ] (child’s page 1)
Underlining is ruled in biro beneath the felt tip. There is evidence of alterations (to spelling/shape of letters) in words: ‘barns’, ‘nearly’, ‘Seychelles’, ‘roof’, ‘clutch’, ‘intervals’. The top edge of the paper is quite badly torn, suggesting that the sheet may have been torn out quite roughly, or hurriedly, or that it was an awkward task. (The later pages appear to have been torn out much more smoothly, suggesting that the child may have learned from her experience)
page 3 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ LA53 index ] (child’s page 2)
In these drawings, different strokes indicate careful control of the pencil (for example, compare the very light, wriggly line used to depict the delicate, fluffy body of the chick with the heavier marks used for the eye and beak -making indentations in the paper). Fine ruled pencil lines are visible beneath the felt tip frames of the drawings, evidence of careful drafting, with a sharp pencil. Note the decision to repeat the ‘feather’ pattern, in pencil, in the underlining of the title.
page 4 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ LA53 index ] (child’s page 3)
Underlining is ruled in biro beneath the felt tip. There is evidence of alterations to initial draft: changes to spelling or shape of letters in words: ‘of’, ‘eyes’, the’, ‘a’, ‘in’, normally’, ‘may’; and some words inserted later: ‘the’, ‘difficult’, ‘ territory’, ‘screech’.
page 5 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ LA53 index ] (child’s page 4)
Drawings (and word ‘OWLS’ down side of page) are outlined in pencil and coloured in crayon. Underlining is ruled in pencil beneath the felt tip. Erased pencil lines are visible in the drawing of the owl’s head. A ruler has been used for drawing the building. The key has been framed using ruled biro lines.
page 6 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ LA53 index ] (child’s page 5)
The word ‘live’ (about half way down the page) has been altered, using biro.
page 7 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ LA53 index ] (child’s page 6)
The pink crayon has been used very heavily in the drawing of the map; elsewhere, it tends to be used very lightly.
page 8 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ LA53 index ] (child’s page 6)
Evidence of alteration to the word ‘the’. The way in which the letter ‘s’ (at very bottom of page) is not quite centralised suggest that the child may have had difficulty fitting it into the available space.
page 9 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ LA53 index ] (child’s page 8)
This is the only title written in crayon; a different colour is used for each letter. In the underlining, the dots may indicate marks measured vertically, to help keep the line straight. Red felt tip has been used to colour the owl’s eyes, which have been shaded very heavily in pencil, leaving indentations on the paper; the tip of the beak is in yellow felt tip. The head is shaded very, very lightly in black crayon, and the pattern created using pencil dots.
page 10 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ LA53 index ] (child’s page 9)
The underlining of the second heading is not smooth; it appears to have been reworked several times, to cover a slip of the pen. At the bottom of the last paragraph, there is evidence of alteration to spelling of words ‘which’ and ‘suitable’; also crossings out, indicating deletion of words ‘while the’.
page 11 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ LA53 index ] (child’s page 10)
There is evidence of alteration to words ‘outstretched’ and ‘field’. In words which have been coloured in, crayon is used very lightly in some letters, and much more heavily in others. Compare the carefully controlled lines in the drawing and words with the very loose, light, wavy lines up the sides.
page 12 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ LA53 index ] (child’s page 11)
There is evidence of alteration to letters in words’such’ (line 12) and ‘resident’ (line 27). The words seem to have been squashed into the available space here, especially in the bottom right corner.
page 13 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ LA53 index ] (child’s page 12)
A single crayon is applied with different pressure here to create different effects (eg a very heavy pencil stroke is used for the eyes, nose and claws). Unlike the other drawings, the mouse is not outlined in pencil. This page appears a bit grubby (faint smudgy brown marks) and slightly creased, providing evidence of handling. The map is coloured very heavily, in pink crayon. The writing accompanying the map is in pencil.
page 14 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ LA53 index ] (child’s page 13)
Evidence of alteration to letters in the words ‘eyes’, ‘warmer’, ‘tufts’, male’, ‘which’; and crossing out deleting a group of words.
page 15 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ LA53 index ] (child’s page 14)
The owl is outlined carefully and shaded very neatly, in brown and black crayon. The eyes are coloured in orange crayon, making them stand out, brightly. A strong stroke is used for specific features (nose and claws). There are erased lines visible beneath the words of the title, indicate careful drafting and alteration; also alteration to letters of word ‘short’. Something which looks like food (perhaps breakfast cereal/biscuit?) is stuck to the reverse side.
page 16 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ LA53 index ] (child’s page 15)
Evidence of alteration to letters in words ‘short’, ‘much’, typical’, Scandinavia’, ‘of’, ‘such’; also a crossing out, indicating complete deletion of word.
page 17 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ LA53 index ] (child’s page 16)
The sub-headings appear to be squashed into the available space. Notice the thick, uneven, underlining of ‘conservation’ (could be covering a mistake eg slip of the pen), also alterations to letters in words ‘rodents’, ‘saharan’, ‘southern’.
page 18 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ LA53 index ] (child’s page 17)
Erased pencil lines visible beneath words of title, indicate redrafting. The owl is coloured using yellow, brown and black crayon, lightly overlayed. The stripes are more heavily worked. The beak is yellow.
page 19 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ LA53 index ] (child’s page 18)
There is evidence of alterations to letters in words; ‘up’, ‘lazy’, ‘such’ and ‘his’(later crossed out and rewritten). Underlining is quite thick here.
page 20 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ LA53 index ] (child’s page 19)
There is evidence of alterations to letters in words: ‘the’, ‘and’ ‘that’, and a crossing out.
page 21 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ LA53 index ] (child’s page 20)
There is evidence of alteration: a crossing out.
page 22 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ LA53 index ] (child’s page 21)
Marks in underlining indicate where the stroke was broken. Compare the very light shading in the map here with the thicker crayon stroke on earlier pages. The writing accompanying the map is in pencil.