Start with both hands in 'A' handshapes (fists with thumbs pointing up) in front of your chest, palms facing each other. Move both hands upward simultaneously while gradually bringing them closer together. The movement traces the outline of a tall, tapering monument, ending with your hands close together at the top.
Sign 'Washington Monument' (or fingerspell it), then use the sign for 'obelisk' to describe its iconic shape.
Sign 'Egypt', 'history', 'class', 'learn', and then sign 'obelisk' to show the specific structures you studied.
Sign 'plaza', 'center', and then use the 'obelisk' sign, placing it intentionally in your signing space to show its location.
Sign 'Washington Monument' (or fingerspell it), then use the sign for 'obelisk' to describe its iconic shape.
Sign 'Egypt', 'history', 'class', 'learn', and then sign 'obelisk' to show the specific structures you studied.
Sign 'plaza', 'center', and then use the 'obelisk' sign, placing it intentionally in your signing space to show its location.
Yes, this sign functions very much like a shape-and-size specifier (SASS) classifier. It uses your hands to draw the physical dimensions and shape of the object directly in your signing space.
Yes, mouthing the word is very helpful. Because the sign traces a general shape, mouthing 'obelisk' clarifies that you are referring to that specific type of monument and not just any tall, pointed structure.
While 'A' handshapes with the thumbs up are great for defining the edges of the structure, using flat hands (like 'B' handshapes) to trace the tapering sides is also an acceptable and common way to describe this shape.
