Berkeley Heights Public Schools...BERKELEY HEIGHTS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NEW JERSEY. COLUMBIA MIDDLE SCHOOL. LANGUAGE ARTS DEPARTMENT. 8TH GRADE ENGLISH. Curriculum Guide

BERKELEY HEIGHTS PUBLIC SCHOOLS BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NEW JERSEY

COLUMBIA MIDDLE SCHOOL LANGUAGE ARTS DEPARTMENT

8TH GRADE ENGLISH

Curriculum Guide

September 2011

Mrs. Judith Rattner, Superintendent Mrs. Patricia Qualshie, Assistant Superintendent

Mrs. Laurie Scott, District Supervisor

Developed by: Diane Corley Donna Marcy

This curriculum may be modified through varying techniques, strategies, and materials, as per an individual student’s

Individualized Educational Plan (IEP).

Approved by the Berkeley Heights Board of Education at the regular meeting held on October 20, 2011 .

Berkeley Heights Public Schools 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page Vision Statement 1 Mission Statement .................................................................................................................................. 2 Course Outline/Student Objectives ......................................................................................................... 3 Course Proficiencies ................................................................................................................................ 4 Course Objectives ...................................................................................................................... 4 Student Proficiencies ................................................................................................................. 6 Methods of Evaluation ............................................................................................................... 9 Differences Between Regular English and Accelerated English ................................................................. 10 Course Outline/Student Objectives ......................................................................................................... 11 English Department Guidelines for Teachers ........................................................................................... 17 Resources/Activities Guide...................................................................................................................... 18 Suggested Audio Visual/Computer Aids ................................................................................................... 78 Suggested Materials ................................................................................................................................ 79 Resources for Students .............................................................................................................. 79 Resources for Teacher ............................................................................................................... 79


VISION STATEMENT Eighth grade English provides a working knowledge, of strong samples, of American literature, poetry, and drama. Our goal is to inspire students to think and write critically, as they examine and grow to understand these genres, using vocabulary that challenges and writing techniques that facilitate understanding of text and promote the growth of skills, as they develop as writers. During the course of the year, students will demonstrate several modes of writing, including: creative, expository, and persuasive, as they prepare for 21st Century Living Skills. Through a supportive class community, students learn to enhance their ability to communicate ideas and opinions, as they explore higher‐level thinking skills and critical analysis.


MISSION STATEMENT The exploration, analysis, and ability to judge literature and writing is accomplished by use of several major learning tools, including, but not limited to:

Reading and analyzing literature of quality, to broaden vocabulary and general knowledge base

Using Writers Workshop models and techniques, along with other proven methods of facilitating writers’ skills

Using technology to assist the learning process

Offering cross‐curricular learning opportunities

Providing instruction in the I‐Search method of research


COURSE OUTLINE/STUDENT OBJECTIVES 1. Linkage of course skills with New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards. 2. Teaching of skills and GEPA tasks in eighth grade English. 3. Eighth grade English curriculum is organized around the New Jersey Core Curriculum

Content Standards, GEPA tasks and rubrics, specific reading and writing strategies, grammar skills, and vocabulary building.

4. During the first few weeks of school all English classes will:

♦ Complete an assessment of summer reading. ♦ Review the writing process (pre‐write, rough draft, revise/edit, publish). ♦ Complete an assessment of writing skills in the form of a five paragraph essay. ♦ Complete an assessment of grammar skills in order to determine which skills need

review.


COURSE PROFICIENCIES

COURSE OBJECTIVES 1. To encourage students’ ability to think critically about literature, an author’s purpose, and

the significance of historical context. (RL8/1‐3) 2. To develop students’ awareness of universal themes in literature through the study of

core texts and various genres. (RL8/2) 3. To develop students’ ability to identify literary techniques and devices through the study

of core texts and various genres. (RL8/4,9; RL8/ID; L8/5) 4. To develop students’ ability to analyze literature and convey their ideas through written

and oral reflection. (RL8/5,6; W8/9a) 5. To develop students’ ability to comprehend, analyze, and evaluate informational text,

including print, digital, video, and multimedia. (RI8/1‐10) 6. To emphasize writing instruction in the following writing modes: persuasion, comparing/

contrasting, informational, and narrative. (W8/1a‐e, 2a‐f, 3a‐e, 4,5) 7. To prepare students for the NJ ASK 8 by familiarizing them with the test format, skills

covered, and expectations for achievement. 8. To increase student competency in the use of standard English conventions in all writing,

such as sentence structure, grammar and usage, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. (L8/1a‐d, 2a‐c, 3a))

9. To provide opportunities for students to hone their questioning and speaking skills

through preparation for, and delivery of, presentations, small group discussions, and class discussions. (SL8/1a‐d,4,5,6)

10. To develop student listening comprehension and active listening skills. (SL8/51a‐d,3) 11. To use print and electronic media to explore human relationships, new ideas, and aspects

of culture (racial prejudices, stereotypes, historical events, family, social institutions). (SL8/2; RL8/7)

12. Use a variety of research materials to gather information and write a report.

(W8/6,7,8,9b,10)


COURSE PROFICIENCIES (continued)

13. Document materials according to departmental guidelines. (W8/8) 14. To clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple‐meaning words, based on grade eight

content. (L8/4a‐d,6)


STUDENT PROFICIENCIES

The student will be able to: Writing:

1. Follow the writing process ‐ brainstorm, draft, revise, edit, and publish, write at least

two kinds of expository essays, which may include comparing/contrasting, cause/effect, and problem‐solving. (W8/2a‐f,4)

2. Follow the writing process ‐ brainstorm, draft, revise, edit, and publish, write both

fiction and non‐fiction narrative. (W8/3a‐e,4,5) 3. Follow the writing process ‐ brainstorm, draft, revise, edit, and publish, write a

persuasive essay in response to literature, using the writing process. (W8/1a‐e) 4. Write a variety of poems employing different forms. (W8/6,10) 5. Write an I‐Search paper. (W8/6,7,9b,10) 6. Conduct short research project, with emphasis on literary responses, including analysis

and reflection. (W8/7,9a‐b,10) Reading: 1. Understand the major elements that comprise short stories, novels, plays, and poems:

plot/conflict, character, setting, and theme. (RL8/1,2,3) 2. Determine the meaning of words and phrases, as they are used in a text, including

figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts. (RL8/4)

3. Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing

structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style. (RL8/5) 4. Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or

reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor. (RL8/6)

5. Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful

to, or departs from, the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors. (RL8/7)


STUDENT PROFICIENCIES (continued) 6. Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns or events, or

character types from a variety of genre, including describing how the material is rendered new. (RL8/9)

7. Read and comprehend a variety of literature, including stories, drama, and poems at a

challenging level. (RL8/10) 8. Progress in ability to comprehend, analyze, and evaluate informational text, including

print, digital, video, and multimedia. (R8/1‐10) Language: 1. Demonstrate command of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or

speaking, including use of verbals and verbs in active and passive voice. (L8/1a‐d) 2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English, including capitalization,

punctuation, and spelling when writing. (L8/2a‐c) 3. Exhibit knowledge of language and its conventions, using verbs in the active, passive,

conditional, and subjunctive when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. (L8/3a) 4. To determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple‐meaning words or

phrases, including context clues, Greek or Latin affixes and roots and inferred meaning, and dictionary, glossary, and thesaurus skills. (L8/4a‐d,6)

5. To demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances

in word meaning, including connotations and denotations. (L8/5a‐c) Speaking and Listening: 1. To effectively engage in collaborative discussions, such as one‐on‐one, in groups, and

teacher‐led with diverse partners, relating to eighth grade topics, texts, and issues. (SL8/1a‐d)

2. Interpret and analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media

and formats. (SL8/2) 3. Identify and evaluate a speaker’s argument as it relates to literature response and

pertinent evidence within the text. (SL8/3)


STUDENT PROFICIENCIES (continued) 4. Hone questioning and speaking skills through preparation for, and delivery of,

presentations, small group discussions, and class discussions. (SL8/4,5) 5. Demonstrate command of formal English, adapting speech to a variety of contexts and

tasks. (SL8/6)


METHODS OF EVALUATION

1. Homework and class work. 2. Reports/presentations. 3. Tests and quizzes. 4. Writing pieces. 5. Supplementary reading. 6. Summer reading. 7. Final assessment.



DIFFERENCES BETWEEN REGULAR ENGLISH AND ACCELERATED ENGLISH

1. Reading Materials Students in accelerated classes will read a larger number of more challenging reading

selections. 2. Writing Assignments The quality, expectations, and complexity of writing assignments in accelerated English

are greater than in regular English. 3. Class discussions are conducted at a higher level with more in‐depth analysis. 4. Higher order thinking skills are employed more frequently.

SCOPE AND SEQUENCE COURSE OUTLINE/STUDENT OBJECTIVES

The student will be able to:

National Standards

N. J. Core Curriculum Standards/

Grade

Strands &Indicators

Course Outline/Student Objective

RL8/1,2,3 4

I. Unit I – The Short Story (9 Weeks) A. Thematic Focus Areas Within This Unit Include: 1. Considering options 2. Empathy for others 3. Accepting limitations B. Literary Content 1. Core text for regular English: Outsiders by S. E. Hinton or A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith or Fever by Laurie Halse Anderson 2. Core text for accelerated English: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain or Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle C. Selections from Prentice‐Hall Literature, Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes (Silver edition): 1. “A Retrieved Reformation” by O. Henry (p. 242)

[plot] 2. “Thank you, M’am” by Langston Hughes (p. 172)

[theme] 3. “Raymond’s Run” by Amy Tan (p. 16)

[characterization] 4. “Charles” by Shirley Jackson (p. 22) [characterization] 5. “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes (p. 182)

[characterization/point of view] 6. “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” by Sir Arthur

Conan Doyle (p. 462) [setting] 7. “Drummer Boy of Shiloh”” by Ray Bradbury (p. 6)

[setting] 8. “What Stumped the Blue Jays” by Mark Twain (p. 438)[theme]


I. Unit I – The Short Story – Essential Question: Why Is Self‐

Reflection Relevant In The Coming Of Age Process? (continued) D. Literary Focus/Terms Both the core text and the supporting literature must be taught with literary focus/terms in mind. The following may be found in the core text and, as the page numbers indicate, in the supporting literature for this unit 1. Surprise endings (p. 251, 26) 2. Irony (p. 251) 3. Making predictions (p. 527) 4. Characters’ reactions (p. 292) 5. Round/flat characters (p. 540) 6. Relevance of time and place (“Marigolds”) 7. Thematic connections (p. 17) 8. Stated/implied theme (p. 177, 577, 16) 9. Drawing inferences (p. 578) 10. Examples of dialogue (p. 27) 11. Identifying first person point of view (p. 183) 12. Dynamic/static characters (p. 203)

RI8/1,2,3 4,5,6

II. Unit II – Nonfiction (9 Weeks) A. Thematic Focus Areas Within This Unit Include: 1. The importance of dreams 2. The role of diversity and human experiences 3. Exploring fears B. Literary Content 1. Core text for regular English: Night by Elie Wiesel 2. Core text for accelerated class: Night by Elie Wiesel

and excerpt from Black Boy by Richard Wright C. Selections from Prentice‐Hall Literature, Timeless

Voices, Timeless Themes (Silver edition) [Teachers will choose two of each type of story]

1. “From E‐Mail from Bill Gates” by John Seabrook (p. 54) [exposition] 2. “Accidental Entrepreneurs” from Radio Documentary Transcripts (p. 326) [exposition] 3. “How to be Polite Online” by Robert MacNeil (p. 668 ) [persuasive and reflective] 4. From “Sharing in the American Dream ” by Colin Powell (p. 598) [persuasive]


II. Unit II – Nonfiction (continued)

5. “The American Dream” by Martin Luther King, Jr. (p. 672) [persuasive] 6. From: “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings ”by Maya Angelou(p. 32) [narrative] 7. From: “An American Childhood ” by Annie Dillard

(p. 424) [narrative] 8. “Debbie” by James Herriot (p. 652) [narrative] 9. “How to be Polite Online” by Virginia Shea (p. 62) [expository essay] D. Literary Focus/Terms Both the core text and the supporting literature must be taught with literary focus/terms in mind. The following may be found in the core text and, as the page numbers indicate, in the supporting literature 1. Compare/contrast (p. 898, 601, 428) 2. Identifying main points (p. 898, 675) 3. Purpose for reading (p. 329) 4. Persuasive techniques (p. 669, 673) 5. Evaluating logic (p. 671, 673) 6. Identifying paradox (p. 673) 7. Evaluating the speaker’s message (p. 598) 8. Analyzing figurative language (p. 34) 9. A memoir as a type of autobiography (p. 32) 10. Vignette and extended metaphor (p. 426) 11. Judging unity, coherence, originality, and relevance

(p. 423) 12. Evaluating the narrative essay (p. 652)

RL8/1,2,3, 4,6,7

III. Unit III. – Drama (9 Weeks) A. Thematic Focus Areas Within This Unit Include: 1. Issues of survival 2. Belief systems 3. The impact of family relationships 4. Issues of entrapment B. Literary Content 1. Core text for regular English: Diary of Anne Frank

by F. Goodrich and A. Hackett, and Summer People by Shirley Jackson and/or “The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man‐in‐the Moon Marigolds” by Paul

Zindel


III. Unit III. – Drama (continued‐

2. Core text for accelerated class: Diary of Anne Frank by F. Goodrich and A. Hackett and/or Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, Our Town by Thornton Wilder and/or Midsummer Night’s Dream by W. Shakespeare C. Selections from Prentice‐Hall Literature Anthology: 1. Sorry, Wrong Number by Lucille Fletcher (not in

text) 2. Life is Beautiful by R. Benigni and V. Cerami (p.786) 3. The Ninny by Anton Chekhov (not in text) 4. The Governess by Neil Simon (not in text) 5. Selections from supplemental text P.H. Literature

Library: Short Dramas and Teleplays D. Literary Terms/Focus Both the core text and the supporting literature must be taught with literary focus/terms in mind The following may be found in the core text and, as the page numbers indicate, in the supporting literature for this unit: 1. Identifying conflict and clarifying different types of conflict 2. Adaptation of short story to script (The Ninny/The Governess) 3. Interpreting stage directions and setting (p. 787, 699, 716) 4. Significance of dialogue in characterization and character’s actions (p. 703) 5. Moving the plot forward (p. 700, 786) 6. Analyzing the historical context (p. 700) 7. Understand the connection between literary and film depictions of the Holocaust (p. 786) 8. Optional: to understand the components of a screenplay (p. 786)

RL8/9 IV. Unit IV – Poetry (9 Weeks) A. Focus Areas Within This Unit Include: 1. Childhood memories 2. Choices 3. Aspirations B. Literary Content


IV. Unit IV – Poetry (continued)

1. Core text for regular English: No Excuses by Kyle Maynard or The Contender by Robert Lipsyte 2. Core text for accelerated class: House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros C. Selections from Prentice‐Hall Literature Anthology:

1. “The Wreck of the Hesperus” by Henry W. Longfellow (p. 818) [narrative]

2. “Harlem Night Song” by Langston Hughes (p. 834) [lyric]

3. “love is a place” by ee cummings (p. 840) [lyric] 4. “Two Haiku” by Basho and Moritake (p. 849) [form]

5. “400 Meter Style” by Maxine Kumin (p. 851) [form] 6. “She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways” by William Wordsworth (p. 850) [form] 7. “Poets to Come” by Walt Whitman (p. 80) [sound devices] 8. “Mushrooms” by Sylvia Plath (p. 498) [sound devices]

9. “Forgotten Language” by Shel Silverstein (p. 869) [sound devices] 10. “If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking” by Emily

Dickinson (p. 872) [sound devices] 11. “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden (p. 400)

[imagery] 12. “New World” by N. Scott Momaday (p. 878)

[imagery] 13. “Lyric 1”’ by Jose Garcia Villa (p. 880) [imagery] 14. “For My Sister Molly Who in the Fifties” by Alice

Walker (p. 882) [imagery] 15. “The Secret Heart” by Robert P.T. Coffin (p. 810)

[figurative language] 16. “Incident in a Rose Garden” by Donald Justice

(p. 892) [personification] 17. “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost (p. 44)

[speaker]


IV. Unit IV – Poetry (continued)

D. Literary Focus/Terms Both the core text and the supporting literature must be taught with literary focus/terms in mind. The following may be found in the core text and, as the page numbers indicate, in the supporting literature

for this unit 1. Ballad (p. 818) 2. Mood (p. 818, 834, 849)

3. Imagery (p. 834, 840, 878, 880, 882) 4. Identify simile and metaphor (p. 854, 834, 850, 44) 5. Reading poetry according to punctuation (p. 81) 6. Tone (p. 498) 7. Use of repetition (p. 869) 8. Use of alliteration (p. 872)

9. Interpreting meaning (p. 872) 10. Theme (p. 400) 11. Setting (p. 878) 12. Cultural connection (p. 883, 834) 13. Symbolism (p. 81, 11, 14) 14. Personification (p. 893)

Note: The New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards can be accessed at www.state.nj.us


http://www.state.nj.us/

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT GUIDELINES FOR TEACHERS

1. Teachers are to provide students with written expectations and grading procedures during the

first days of classes. A sample is listed in this curriculum document. 2. The five Language Arts Literacy Standards must be addressed in each unit. 3. Units may be taught in any order to utilize supplementary texts efficiently. 4. Teaching of grammar and mechanics should be an outgrowth of the teaching of writing.

Instruction of grammar should be individualized if students demonstrate deficiency in a particular language skill area.

5. All teachers are to maintain portfolios of students’ writing, which may include works in progress

and finished pieces. The writing portfolios should be returned to students at the end of the year. 6. Books have been assigned by grade level. To avoid duplication of efforts, teachers are to use

only those books assigned to each grade level. 7. Summer reading lists will be distributed to sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students in June.

Summer reading will be assessed during the first few weeks of school. 8. The teaching of vocabulary in context is to be a regular part of reading and studying literature. 9. Grades are to be recorded in the teacher’s grade book as percentage grades. The final grade for

a marking period is recorded as a letter grade.


RESOURCE/ACTIVITIES GUIDE

I. Elements of Literature.

A. Characterization – Four activities relating to A Raisin in the Sun, The Glass

Menagerie, The Outsiders (Units I and III).

B. Theme – Activity relating to Night by ElieWiesel (Unit II).

C. Plot – Activity relating to “The Tell‐Tale Heart (Unit III).

D. Setting – Activity relating to “The Drummer Boy of Shiloh” (Unit I).

E. Point of View – Activity relating to “Flowers for Algernon” (Unit I).

II. NJASK Material‐ (These activities are in‐class practice and are available to the teacher.)

A. Writing to persuade: Taking care of your environment.

B. Writing to speculate: picture prompt “Kids in Junkyard”.

C. Writing: Revise and edit.

D. Reading persuasive text: Neat vs. Sloppy People by Suzanne Britt.

E. Reading narrative text: The Moustache by Robert Cormier.

III. I‐SEARCH/Debate paper.

A. Choosing your topic.

B. Locating sources.

C. Works cited.

D. Note taking.

E. Writing the outline.

F. Writing the first draft.

G. Writing the introduction and the conclusion.

H. Proofreading/Editing.

I. Final copy.


RESOURCE/ACTIVITIES GUIDE (continued)

SAMPLE: WRITTEN EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Each teacher should prepare a Course Procedures and Grade Expectations sheet for the students. This is to be distributed at the beginning of the school year. A sample follows: Welcome to grade eight language arts! These guidelines will help you adjust to our classroom procedures. Please read them carefully and retain this paper in your notebook in the miscellaneous section. SUPPLIES: Please bring the following to class each day and use appropriately: 1. Loose‐leaf binder – divided into five (5) sections a. vocabulary b. grammar c. novels/literature d. book projects e. miscellaneous 2. Paper and pens 3. An agenda/homework pad 4. A spiral notebook (about 70 pages) for your journal 5. Textbook or novels we are currently using CONDUCT 1. Please arrive to class on time, be seated, and prepare to work when the bell rings. If late, please present a pass. 2. Courtesy and respect must be shown to all individuals in the classroom. 3. If you would like a drink of water or need to use the restroom facilities, please ask at the beginning of the period. POLICIES 1. Please read the Code of Conduct, we will follow all the policies explained there. 2. Work being made‐up after an absence must be completed in a time period equal to the length of the absence. See

me about special circumstances. GRADING 1. Students earn grades based upon their performance on homework, quizzes, tests, compositions, projects,

presentations, journal writing, and other special assignments. 2. I am available during OP, or after school for student conferences. HELPFUL HINTS 1. Use your agenda pad each day to help you stay organized and prepared. 2. Keep all homework papers, quizzes, and tests in the classroom folder. They will be helpful for review. 3. If you attend class regularly, pay attention, participate, and review, you will do very well in this class (and all others,

too). Please indicate that you have read this sheet by signing and dating it. Student’s Signature Date Parent’s Signature Date


RESOURCE/ACTIVITIES GUIDE (continued) Name Period Date

SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT

Please write the title and author of the book you read, from the approved list below. Title: Author: Directions: Select ONE of the following: 1. Conflict in a work of literature is the struggle between opposing characters or forces. The

three main types of conflict are person vs. person, person vs. him/herself, and person vs. the environment. Using a novel that you read this summer, write a five paragraph essay about one or more of the types of conflict you encountered. Illustrate your answer with examples from the text. Include details about the protagonist/antagonist, the plot, and the final resolution. Your introductory paragraph should include a statement introducing the types of conflict you will be writing about.

2. Theme in a work of literature is the author’s recurring message; it is what the writer wants

the reader to “come away with” after reading the work. Using a novel that you read this summer, write a five paragraph essay, clearly stating the theme/themes you encountered (a theme CANNOT be summed up in one word). Illustrate your answer with examples from the text. Your introductory paragraph should clearly state the author’s theme(s). Essay #1 Essay #2 Total SPELLING/PUNCTUATION /10 points /10 points _______ WORD CHOICE /10 points /10 points _______ ORGANIZATION /10 points /10 points _______ IDENTIFYING CONFLICT/THEME /10 points /10 points _______ RELEVANT EXAMPLES /10 points /10 points _______

FINAL GRADE



The Outsiders – Characterization Activity

Characterization is defined as the ways in which a writer develops a character, making him or her seem believable. Authors use three methods to develop characters. Sharing the character’s thoughts, actions, and dialogue Describing his or her appearance Revealing what others in the story think of this character Choose character(s) from The Outsider. Create a chart to display the way in which S. E. Hinton depicted the character throughout the novel. Categories in the chart should include: Physical description Important action of the character Important quotes said by the character (include the page number) Important quotes or descriptions made by other characters about your character (include

the page number) Be sure that your chart reflects the character’s development throughout the entire novel. In addition, indicate whether your character is a static or dynamic character in the novel. Due Date:



Characterization

Directions: Characterization is the portrayal of an imaginary person by what he says or does, by what others say about him, how they react to him, and by what the author reveals directly or through a narrator. As you read, look for clues to what a specific character is like. Think about why he/she and others act and speak as they do – and what traits these actions and words reveal. Fill in the chart below to record your ideas.

CHARACTER: ACTION/WORDS REASON TRAIT NARRATOR’S COMMENTS



Name:

12 Theme The theme of a book is its underlying message. The following passage from Night is closely related to the book’s theme. Read the passage and then answer the questions below.

Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments, which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never

1. What were the fires that consumed Eli’s faith? 2. Why did the fire consume, or destroy his faith? 3. What does night symbolize to Elie? Why do you think he selected it as the title

of his memoir? 4. State the theme of this book in your own words.


RESOURCE/ACTIVITIES GUIDE (continued) Name: Period: Date: Teacher:

NOVEL TITLE:

Literary Element: Plot A plot line is the graphic representation of the action or events in a story. exposition or explanation of the situation rising action or build‐up climax or most intense point falling action works out the decisions discovered during the climax resolution solves the problem, brings the story to a satisfactory ending Use a graphic representation of the plot, such as the one below, to indicate specific events from the book. At this point in the novel, you should be able to note exposition and rising action. Use this chart again when you conclude the book to indicate climax, falling action, and resolution.


RESOURCE/ACTIVITIES GUIDE (continued) Name: Date:

IDENTIFYING CHARACTER TRAITS

Directions: After reading scenes one, two, and three isolate the character traits of each individual. List five adjectives in each box, which best represent that character.

Amanda

Tom

1.___________________________________ 2.___________________________________ 3.___________________________________ 4.___________________________________ 5.___________________________________

1.___________________________________ 2.___________________________________ 3.___________________________________\ 4.___________________________________ 5.___________________________________

Laura

1.___________________________________ 2.___________________________________ 3.___________________________________ 4.___________________________________ 5.___________________________________



Characterization

Directions: Characterization is the portrayal of an imaginary person by what he says or does, by what others say about him, how they react to him, and by what the author reveals directly or through a narrator. As you read, look for clues to what a specific character is like. Think about why he/she and others act and speak as they do – and what traits these actions and words reveal. Fill in the chart below to record your ideas.

CHARACTER: ACTION/WORDS REASON TRAIT NARRATOR’S COMMENTS


RESOURCE/ACTIVITIES GUIDE (continued) Name: Period: Date:

Language Arts – Worksheet on Setting

Below is the first paragraph of a short story by Ambrose Bierce. Read it and answer the questions that follow. One sunny afternoon in the autumn of the year 1861, a soldier lay in a clump of a laurel by the side of a road in western Virginia. He lay at full length upon his stomach, his feet resting upon the toes, his head upon the left forearm. His extended right hand loosely grasped his rifle. But for…a slight rhythmic movement of the cartridge box at the back of his belt he might have been thought to be dead. He was asleep at his post of duty…if detected, he would be dead shortly afterward, death being the just and legal penalty of his crime. 1. Where does the story take place? What details

tell you this? 2. When do the events of this story take place? The time and place in which the events of a narrative occur form what is called the setting. The place may be a region, a city, or town or even a house or room. The time may be a period in history, a particular time of year, or a certain time of day. In some narratives, the setting is specific and detailed, as in the paragraph reprinted above, but in others, it may be intentionally obscure. The stranger rode slowly into the dusty town. His wide‐brimmed Stetson was pulled forward on his head, casting a shadow over his gaunt face. The sunlight sparkled on his spurs and on the handle of his gun, which hung casually by his right side. He headed straight for the stagecoach office and reined his horse. 1. Where does this event take place? What details

tell you this? 2. In approximately what period of history does

this event occur? How do you know?



RESOURCE/ACTIVITIES GUIDE (continued) Soon after the successful lift off, Mission Control received its first communication from the spacecraft Encounter. “All systems are GO” reported Astronaut Jake Lewis, whose voice came in loud and clear. “Next stop – the planet Mars!” 1. Where does this take place? How do you

know? 2. In approximately what period does it take

place? What details tell you this? “Land ho!” shouted the lookout. “To the starboard beam, about three miles off!” 1. Where does this take place? How do you

know? 2. Is there any indication of time of day? of

time in history? Explain. In some narratives the description of setting is either brief or merely suggested through the use of details scattered throughout the story. An author can suggest the setting be references to articles of clothing, famous historical figures, well‐known landmarks, or through the dialect and speech patterns of the characters that have been created. Not all stories have a setting in which both the time and place are identifiable. Frequently a setting, which is presented in detail, forms an important part of the narrative. It may have an effect on the events of the plot, it may reveal character, or, as in the next example from “Padre Ignacio” by Owen Wister, it may create a certain mood or atmosphere At Santa Ysabel del Mar the season was at one of those moments when the air rests quiet over land and sea. The old breezes were gone; the new ones were not yet risen. The flowers in the mission garden opening wide; no wind came by day or night to shake the loose petals from their stems. Along the basking, silent, many‐colored shore gathered and lingered the crisp odors of the mountains. The dust hung golden and motionless long after the rider was behind the hill, and the Pacific 1. East here. The Orient.

lay like a floor of sapphire, whereon to walk beyond the setting sun in the East.1 One white sail shone there. Instead of an hour, it had been from dawn till afternoon in sight between the short head‐lands; and the Padre had hoped that it might be the ship his homesick heart awaited. But it had slowly passed. From an arch in his garden cloisters, he was now watching the last of it. Presently it was gone, and the great ocean lay empty. 1. What is the setting? 2. How does part of the setting affect the

Padre? 3. What effect does the author create in this

paragraph? 4. What Specific words and phrases help to

create this effect? SETTING The time and place in which the events of a narrative occur. The setting may be specific and detailed, and introduced at the very beginning of the story, or it may be merely suggested through the use of details scattered throughout the story. In some stories the setting is vital to the narrative: it may have an effect on the events of the plot; reveal character; or create a certain atmosphere. In other stories the setting is relatively unimportant: the story could have happened almost anywhere or at any time.

RESOURCE/ACTIVITIES GUIDE (continued) Name: Period: Date:

POINT OF VIEW

On Friday, September 13, 1965, I was born to JoAnn and Bob Cheever. Robert H. Cheever, Jr., was born to JoAnn and Bob Cheever on Friday, September 13, 1965. What is the only important difference between the two sentences above? Before beginning to write, an author must decide who the narrator will be; that is, who will tell the story. A story may be told by one of the characters, as in the first sentence, or by an outsider, as in second sentence. The relationship between the narrator and the story he or she tells is called point of view. The four passages that follow tell the same incident from different points of view. Notice how the amount of information given about each character depends upon the point of view used.

1. As I placed the carefully wrapped package on the what she is thinking? park bench, I looked up and saw Molly walking across the street. I hoped that she hadn’t seen me.

a. Is the narrator a character in the incident or an outsider? b. Do you know what the narrator is doing? c. Do you know what Molly is doing? what she is thinking?

2. As George placed the carefully wrapped package on the park bench, he looked up and saw Molly walking across the street

a. Is the narrator a character in the incident or an outsider?

b. Do you know what George is doing?

what he is thinking? c. Do you know what Molly is doing? what she is thinking? 3. George anxiously hoping that no one was

watching him, placed a carefully wrapped package on an empty park bench. But when he looked around, he saw Molly watching him from across the street.


b. Do you know what George is doing? what he is thinking? c. Do you know what Molly is doing? what she is thinking? 4. George, anxiously hoping that no one was

watching him, placed a carefully wrapped package on an empty park bench. But Molly, who was walking home, saw him and couldn’t help thinking that he was acting strangely.


b. Do you know what George is doing? what he is thinking? c. Do you know what Molly is doing?

An author uses a narrator much as a movie director uses a camera. Through choice of point of view (who the narrator is), the author can focus sharply on some details and characters while showing other less clearly. First Person Point of View In example number 1, the narrator is George, a character in the story. In telling the story from his personal point of view, the narrator (“I,” or first person) can tell us his own thoughts, but he cannot tell us the thoughts of other characters. Just as you


RESOURCE/ACTIVITIES GUIDE (continued) can report what you see others doing, the narrator can tell us only what he sees other characters doing or what he is told by other characters; and just as you cannot enter the minds of other people, the narrator cannot enter the minds of characters other than himself. (For examples of the first person point‐of‐view, see “Top Man” and “Not Poor, Just Broke.”) Third Person Point of View. In each of the next three examples, the narrator is not a character in the story but is an outsider, or third person. Third Person Objective Point of View. Example two is written from the third person objective point‐of‐view. This narrator can tell us what is happening, but does not tell us the thoughts of any of the characters. Like a newspaper reporter, this narrator can give only the facts as they occur; he or she cannot enter into the characters’ mind. Third Person Limited Point‐of‐View. In the third example, the narrator sees into the mind of only one character, George. This is known as the third person limited point‐of‐view. (For examples of the third person limited point‐of‐view see “The Inspiration of Mr. Budd” and “The Treasure of Leon Brown”. Third Person Omniscient. Point‐of‐view in the fourth example, the narrator again is an outsider, a third person. But here the narrator has the ability to see into the minds and record the thought of both characters. Like a superhuman being, this narrator is omniscient (all knowing). For examples of the use of the omniscient point‐of‐view see “Upon the Waters” and “To Build Fire”)

____________________________________

POINT OF VIEW The relationship between the narrator and the story he or she tells. The author’s choice of narrator for a story determines the amount of information a reader will be given. The four major points‐of‐view are: 1. First Person: The narrator (“I”) is a

character in the story who can reveal only personal thoughts and feelings and what he or she sees and is told by other characters.

2. Third Person Objective: The narrator is an outsider who can report only what he or she sees and hears.

3. Third Person Limited: The narrator is an outsider who sees into the mind of one of the characters.

4. Third Person Omniscient: The narrator is an all‐knowing outsider who can enter the minds of more than one of the characters.

__________________________________



GEPA – READING: PERSUASIVE TEXT

Different perspectives give life texture. Susanne Britt presents one aspect of life that may give you a different slant on an old theme

Neat People vs. Sloppy People By Suzanne Britt

’ve finally figured out the difference between neat people and sloppy people. This distinction is, as always,

moral. Neat people are lazier and meaner than sloppy people. Sloppy people, you see, are not really sloppy. Their sloppiness is merely the unfortunate consequence of their extreme moral rectitude. Sloppy people carry in their mind’s eye a heavenly vision, a precise plan, that is so stupendous, so perfect, it can’t be achieved in this world or the next. Sloppy people live in Never‐Never Land. Someday is their métier. Someday they are planning to alphabetize all their books and set‐up home catalogues. Someday they will go through their wardrobes and mark certain items for tentative mending and certain items for passing onto relatives of similar shape and size. Someday sloppy people will make family scrapbooks into which they will put newspaper clippings, postcards, locks of hair, and the dried corsage from their senior prom. Someday they will file everything on the surface of their desks, including the cash receipts from coffee purchases at the snack shop. Someday they will sit down and read all the back issues of The New Yorker. For all these noble reasons and more, sloppy people never get neat. They aim too high and wide. They save everything, planning someday to file, order, and straighten out the world. But while these ambitious plans take clearer and clearer shape in their heads, the books spill from the shelves onto the floor, the clothes pile up in the hamper and closet, the family mementos accumulate in every drawer, the surface of the desk is

buried under mounds of paper, and the unread magazines threaten to reach the ceiling. Sloppy people can’t bear to part with anything. They give loving attention to every detail. When sloppy people say they’re going to tackle the surface of the desk, they really mean it. Not a paper will go unturned; not a rubber band will go unboxed. Four hours or two week into the excavation, the desk looks exactly the same, primarily because the sloppy person is meticulously creating new piles of paper with new headings and scrupulously stopping to read all the old book catalogs before he throws them away. A neat person would just bulldoze the desk.

eat people are bums and clods at heart. They have cavalier attitudes toward possessions, including family heirlooms. Everything is just

another dust‐catcher to them. If anything collects dust, it’s got to go and that’s that. Neat people will toy with the idea of throwing the children out of the house just to cut down on the clutter. Neat people don’t care about process. They like results. What they want to do is get the whole thing over with so they can sit down and watch the rasslin’ on TV. Neat people operate on two unvarying principles: Never handle any item twice, and throw everything away. The only thing messy in a neat person’s house is the trash can. The minute something comes to a neat person’s hand, he will look at it, try to decide if it has immediate use, and finding none, throw it in the trash. Neat people are especially vicious with mail. They never go through their mail unless they are standing directly over a trash can. If the trash can is beside the mailbox, even better. All ads, catalogs, pleas for

I

N


RESOURCE/ACTIVITIES GUIDE (continued) charitable contributions, church bulletins, and money‐saving coupons go straight into the trash can, without being opened. All letters from home, postcards from Europe, bills and paychecks are opened immediately, responded to, then dropped into the trash can. Neat people keep their receipts only for tax purposes. That’s it. No sentimental salvaging of birthday cards or the last letter a dying relative ever wrote. Into the trash it goes.

eat people place neatness above everything, even economics. They are incredibly wasteful. Neat people throw away several toys every

time they walk through the den. I knew a neat person once who threw away a perfectly good dish drainer because it had mold on it. The drainer was too much trouble to wash. And neat people sell their furniture when they move. They will sell a La‐Z‐Boy recliner while you are reclining in it. Neat people are no good to borrow from. Neat people buy everything in expensive little single portions. They get their flour and sugar in two‐pound bags. They wouldn’t consider clipping a coupon, saving a leftover, reusing plastic non‐dairy whipped cream containers, or rinsing off tin foil and draping it over the unmoldy dish drainer. You can never borrow a neat person’s newspaper to see what’s playing at the movies. Neat people have the paper all wadded up and in the trash by 7:05 A.M. Neat people cut a lean swath through the organic, as well as the inorganic world. People, animals, and things are all one to them. They are so insensitive. After they’ve finished with the pantry, the medicine cabinet, and the attic, they will throw out there geranium (too many leaves), sell the dog (too many fleas), and send the children off to boarding school (too many scuffmarks on the hardwood floors).

N



The Web: The Moustache At the last minute, Annie couldn’t go. She was invaded by one of those twenty‐four hour flu bugs that sent her to bed with a fever, moaning about the fact that she’d also have to break her date with Handsome Harry Arnold that night. We call him Handsome Harry because he’s actually handsome, but he’s also a nice guy, cool and he doesn’t treat me like Annie’s kid brother, which I am, but like a regular person. Anyway, I had to go to Lawnrest alone that afternoon. But first of all I had to stand inspection. My mother lines me up against the wall. She stood there like a one‐man firing squad, which is kind of funny because she’s not like a man at all, she’s very feminine, and we have this great relationship – I mean, I feel as if she really likes me. I realize that sounds strange, but I know guys whose mothers love them, and cook special stuff for them, and worry about them and all, but there’s something missing in their relationship. Anyway. She frowned and started the routine. “That hair,” she said. Then admitted: “Well, at least you combed it.” I sighed. I have discovered that it’s better to sigh then argue. “And that moustache.” She shook her head. “I still say a seventeen‐year‐old has no business wearing a moustache.” “It’s an experiment,” I said. “I just wanted to see if I could grow one.”To tell the truth, I had proved my point about being able to grow a decent moustache, but I also had learned to like it. “It’s costing you money, Mike,” she said. “I know, I know.” The money was a reference to the movies. The Downtown Cinema has a special Friday night offer – half price admission for high school couples, seventeen or younger. But the woman in the box office took one look at my moustache and charged me full price. Even when I showed her by driver’s license. She charged full admission for Cindy’s ticket, too, which left me practically broke and unable to take Cindy out for a hamburger with the crowd afterward. That didn’t help matters, because Cindy has been getting impatient recently about things like the fact that I don’t own my own car and have to concentrate on my studies if I want to win that college scholarship, for instance. Cindy wasn’t exactly crazy about the moustache, either. Now it was my mother’s turn to sign.


RESOURCE/ACTIVITIES GUIDE (continued) “Look,” I said, to cheer her up. “I’m thinking about shaving it off.” Even though I wasn’t. Another discovery: You can build a way of life on postponement. “Your grandmother probably won’t even recognize you,” she said. And I saw the shadow fall across her face. Let me tell you what the visit to Lawnrest was all about. My grandmother is seventy‐three years old. She is a resident – which is supposed to be a better word than patient – at the Lawnrest Nursing Home. She used to make the greatest turkey dressing in the world and was a nut about baseball and could even quote batting averages, for crying out loud. She always rooted for the losers. She was in love with the Mets until they started to win. Now she has arteriosclerosis, which the dictionary says is “a chronic disease characterized by abnormal thickening and hardening of the arterial walls.” Which really means that she can’t live at home anymore or even with us, and her memory has betrayed her, as well as her body. She used to wander off and sometimes didn’t recognize people. My mother visits her all the time, driving the thirty miles to Lawnrest almost every day. Because Annie was at home for semester break from college, we had decided to make a special Saturday visit. Now Annie was in bed, groaning theatrically – she’s a drama major – but I told my mother I’d go anyway. I hadn’t seen my grandmother since she’s been admitted to Lawnrest. Besides, the place is located on the Southwest Turnpike, which meant I could barrel along in my father’s new Le Mans. My ambition was to see the speedometer hit seventy‐five. Ordinarily, I used the old station wagon, which can barely stagger up to fifty. Frankly, I wasn’t too crazy about visiting a nursing home. They reminded me of hospitals and hospitals turn me off. I mean, the smell of ether makes me nauseous, and I feel faint at the sight of blood. And, as I approached Lawnrest – which is a terrible cemetery kind of name, to begin with – I was sorry I hadn’t avoided the trip. Then I felt guilty about it. I’m loaded with guilt complexes. Like driving like a madman after promising my father to be careful. Like sitting in the parking lot, looking at the nursing home with dread and thinking how I’d rather be with Cindy. Then I thought of all the Christmas and birthday gifts my grandmother had given me and I got out of the car, guilty, as usual. Inside, I was surprised by the lack of hospital smell, although there was another odor or maybe the absence of an odor. The air was antiseptic, sterile. As if there was no atmosphere at all, or I’d caught a cold suddenly and couldn’t taste or smell. A nurse at the reception desk gave me directions – my grandmother was in East Three. I made my way down the tiled corridor and was glad to see that the walls were painted with cheerful colors like yellow and pink. A wheelchair suddenly shot around a corner, self‐propelled by an old man, white‐haired and toothless, who cackled merrily as he barely missed me. I jumped aside – here I was, almost getting wiped out by a two‐mile‐an‐hour wheelchair after doing seventy‐five on the pike. As I walked through the corridor seeking East Three, I couldn’t help glancing into the rooms, and it was like


RESOURCE/ACTIVITIES GUIDE (continued) some kind of wax museum – all these figures in various stances and attitudes, sitting in beds or chairs, standing at windows, as if they were frozen forever in these postures. To tell the truth, I began to hurry because I was getting depressed. Finally, I saw a beautiful girl approaching, dressed in white, a nurse or an attendant, and I was so happy to see someone young, someone walking and acting normally, that I gave her a wide smile and a big hello and I must have looked like a kind of a nut. Anyway, she looked right through me as if I were a window, which is about par for the course whenever I meet beautiful girls. I finally found the room and saw my grandmother in bed. My grandmother looks like Ethel Barrymore. I never knew who Ethel Barrymore was until I saw a terrific movie, None But the Lonely Heart, on TV, starring Ethel Barrymore and Cary Grant. Both my grandmother and Ethel Barrymore have these great craggy faces like the side of a mountain and wonderful voices like syrup being poured. Slowly. She was propped up in bed, pillows puffed behind her. Her hair had been combed out and fell upon her shoulders. For some reason, this flowing hair gave her an almost girlish appearance, despite its whiteness. She saw me and smiled. Her eyes lit up and her eyebrows arched and she reached out her hands to me in greeting. “Mike, Mike,” she said. And I breathed a sigh of relief. This was one of her good days. My mother warned me that she might not know who I was at first. I took her hands in mine. They were fragile. I could actually feel her bones, and it seemed as if they would break if I pressed too hard. Her skin was smooth, almost slippery, as if the years had worn away all the roughness, the way the wind wears away the surfaces of stones. “Mike, Mike, I didn’t think you’d come,” she said, so happy, and she was still Ethel Barrymore, that voice like a caress. “I’ve been waiting all this time.” Before I could reply, she looked away, out the window. “See the birds? I’ve been watching them at the feeder. I love to see them come. Even the blue jays. The blue jays are like hawks ‐ they take the food that the small birds should have. But the small birds, the chickadees, watch the blue jays and at least learn where the feeder is.” She lapsed into silence, and I looked out the window. There was no feeder. No birds. There was only the parking lot and the sun glinting on car windshields. She turned to me again, eyes bright. Radiant, really. Or was it a medicine brightness? “Ah, Mike. You look so grand, so grand. Is that a new coat?” “Not really,” I said. I’d been wearing my uncle Jerry’s old army‐fatigue jacket for months, practically living in it, my mother said. But she insisted that I wear my raincoat for the visit. It was about a year old but looked new because I didn’t wear it much. Nobody was wearing raincoats lately. “You always loved clothes, didn’t you, Mike?” she said. I was beginning to feel uneasy, because she regarded me with such intensity. Those bright eyes. I wondered ‐ are old people in places like this so lonesome, so abandoned that they go wild when someone visits? Or was she so happy because she was suddenly lucid and everything was sharp and clear? My mother had described those moments when my grandmother suddenly emerged from the fog that so often obscured her mind.


RESOURCE/ACTIVITIES GUIDE (continued) I didn’t know the answers, but it felt kind of spooky, getting such an emotional welcome from her. “I remember the time you bought the new coat ‐ the Chesterfield,” she said, looking away again, as if watching the birds that weren’t there. “That lovely coat with the velvet collar. Black, it was. Stylish. Remember that, Mike? It was hard times, but you could never resist the glitter.” I was about to protest ‐ I had never heard of a Chesterfield, for crying out loud. But I stopped. Be patient with her, my mother had said. Humor her. Be gentle. We were interrupted by an attendant, who pushed a wheeled cart into the room. “Time for juices, dear,” the woman said. She was the standard, forty or fifty‐year‐old woman: glasses, nothing hard, plump cheeks. Her manner was cheerful but a businesslike kind of cheerfulness. I’d hate to be called “dear” by someone getting paid to do it. “Orange or grape or cranberry, dear? Cranberry is good for the bones, you know.” My grandmother ignored the interruption. She didn’t even bother to answer, having turned away at the woman’s arrival, as if angry about her appearance. The woman looked at me and winked. A conspiratorial kind of wink. It was kind of horrible. I didn’t think people winked like that anymore. In fact, I hadn’t seen a wink in years. “She doesn’t care much for juices,” the woman said, talking to me as if my grandmother weren’t even there. “But she loves her coffee. With lots of cream and two lumps of sugar. But this is juice time, not coffee time.” Addressing my grandmother again, she said, “Orange or grape or cranberry, dear?” “Tell her I want no juices, Mike,” my grandmother commanded regally, her eyes still watching invisible birds. The woman smiled, patience like a label on her face. “That’s all right, dear. I’ll just leave some cranberry for you. Drink it at your leisure. It’s good for the bones.” She wheeled herself out of the room. My grandmother was still absorbed in the view. Somewhere a toilet flushed. A wheelchair passed the doorway ‐ probably that same old driver fleeing a hit and run accident. A television set exploded with sound, somewhere, soap‐opera voices filling the air. You can always tell soap‐opera voices. I turned back to find my grandmother staring at me. Her hands cupped her face, her index fingers curled around her cheeks like parenthesis marks.


RESOURCE/ACTIVITIES GUIDE (continued) “But you know, Mike, looking back, I think you were right,” she said, continuing our conversation as if there had been no interruption. “You always said, ‘It’s the things of the spirit that count, Meg.’ The spirit! And so you bought the baby‐grand piano ‐ a baby grand in the middle of the Depression. A knock came on the door and it was the deliverymen. It took five of them to get it into the house.” She leaned back, closing her eyes. “How I loved that piano, Mike. I was never that fine a player, but you loved to sit there in the parlor, on Sunday evenings, Ellie on your lap, listening to me play and sing.” She hummed a bit, a fragment of melody I didn’t recognize. Then she drifted into silence. Maybe she’d fallen asleep. My mother’s name is Ellen, but everyone always calls her Ellie. “Take my hand, Mike,” my grandmother said suddenly. Then I remembered ‐ my grandfather’s name was Michael. I had been named for him. “Ah Mike,” she said, pressing my hands with all her feeble strength. “I thought I’d lost you forever. And here you are, back with me again…” Her expression scared me. I don’t mean scared as if I were in danger but scared because of what could happen to her when she realized the mistake she had made. My mother always said I favored her side of the family. Thinking back to the pictures in the old family albums, I recalled my grandfather as tall and thin. Like me. But the resemblance ended there. He was thirty‐five when he died, almost forty year ago. And he wore a moustache. I brought my hand to my face. I also wore a moustache now, of course. “I sit here these days, Mike,” she said, her voice a lullaby, her hand still holding mine, “and I drift and dream. The days are fuzzy sometimes, merging together. Sometimes it’s like I’m not here at all but somewhere else altogether. And I always think of you. These years we had. Not enough years, Mike, not enough…” Her voice was so sad, so mournful that I made sounds of sympathy, not words exactly but the kind of soothings that mothers murmur to their children when they awaken from bad dreams. “And I think of that terrible night, Mike, that terrible night. Have you every really forgiven me for that night?” “Listen…” I began. I wanted to say: “Nana, this is Mike your grandson, not Mike your husband.” “Sh…sh…” she whispered, placing a finger as long and cold as a candles against my lips. “Don’t say anything. I’ve waited so long for this moment. To be here. With you. I wondered what I would say if suddenly you walked in that door like other people have done. I’ve thought and thought about it. And I finally made up my mind ‐ I’d ask you to forgive me. I was too proud to ask before.” Her fingers tried to mask her face. “But I’m not proud anymore, Mike.” That great voice quivered and then grew strong again. “I hate you to see me this way ‐ you always said I was beautiful. I didn’t believe it. The Charity Ball when we led the grand march and you said I was the most beautiful girl there…” “Nana,” I said, I couldn’t keep up the pretense any longer, adding one more burden to my load of guilt, leading her on this way, playing a pathetic game of make‐believe with an old woman clinging to memories. She didn’t seem to hear me. “But that other night, Mike. The terrible one. The terrible accusations I made. Even Ellie woke up and began to cry. I went to her and rocked her in my arms and you came into the room and said I was wrong. You were


RESOURCE/ACTIVITIES GUIDE (continued) whispering, an awful whisper, not wanting to upset little Ellie but wanting to make me see the truth. And I didn’t answer you, Mike. I was too proud. I’ve even forgotten the name of the girl. I sit here, wondering now ‐ was it Laura or Evelyn? I can’t remember. Later, I learned that you were telling the truth all the time, Mike. That I’d been wrong…” Her eyes were brighter than ever as she looked at me now, but tear‐bright, the tears gathering. “It was never the same after than night, was it, Mike? The glitter was gone. From you. From us. And then the accident…and I never had the chance to ask you to forgive me…” My grandmother. My poor, poor grandmother. Old people aren’t supposed to have those kinds of memories. You see their pictures in the family albums and that’s what they are: pictures. They’re not supposed to come to life. You drive out in your father’s Le Mans doing seventy‐five on the pike and all you’re doing is visiting an old lady in a nursing home. A duty call. And then you find out that she’s a person. She’s somebody. She’s my grandmother, all right, but she’s also herself. Like my own mother and father. They exist outside of their relationship to me. I was scared again. I wanted to get out of there. “Mike, Mike,” my grandmother said. “Say it, Mike.” I felt as if my cheeks would crack if I uttered a word. “Say you forgive me, Mike. I’ve waited all these years…” I was surprised at how strong her fingers were. “Say, ‘I forgive you, Meg.’” I said it. My voice sounded funny, as if I were talking in a huge tunnel. “I forgive you, Meg.” Her eyes studied me. Her hands pressed mine. For the first time in my life, I saw love at work. Not movie love. Not Cindy’s sparkling eyes when I tell her that we’re going to the beach on Sunday afternoon. But love like something alive and tender, asking nothing in return. She raised her face and I knew what she wanted me to do. I bent and brushed my lips against her cheek. Her flesh was like a leaf in autumn, crisp and dry. She closed her eyes and I stood up. The sun wasn’t glinting on the cars any longs. Somebody had turned on another television set, and the voices were the show‐off voices of the panel shows. At the same time you could still here the soap‐opera dialogue on the other television set. I waited awhile. She seemed to be sleeping, her breathing serene and regular. I buttoned my raincoat. Suddenly she opened her eyes again and looked at me. Her eyes were still bright, but they merely stared at me. Without recognition or curiosity. Empty eyes. I smiled at her, but she didn’t


RESOURCE/ACTIVITIES GUIDE (continued) smile back. She made a kind of moaning sound and turned away on the bed, pulling the blanket around her. I counted to twenty‐five and then to fifty and did it all over again. I cleared my throat and coughed tentatively. She didn’t move; she didn’t respond. I wanted to say, “Nana, it’s me.” But I didn’t. I thought of saying, “Meg, it’s me.” But I couldn’t. Finally I left. Just like that. I didn’t say goodbye or anything. I stalked through the corridors, looking neither to the right nor the left, not caring whether that wild old man with the wheelchair ran me down or not. On the Southwest Turnpike I did seventy‐five ‐ no, eighty ‐ most of the way. I turned the radio up as loud as it could go. Rock music ‐ anything to fill the air. When I got home, my mother was vacuuming the living‐room rug. She shut off the cleaner, and the silence was deafening. “Well, how was your grandmother?” she asked. I told her she was fine. I told her a lot of things. How great Nana looked and how she seemed happy and called me Mike. I wanted to ask her ‐ hey, Mom, you and Dad really love each other, don’t you? I mean ‐ there’s nothing to forgive between you, is there? But I didn’t. Instead I want upstairs and took out the electric razor Annie had given me for Christmas and shaved off my moustache. Art Gallery Main Page




GEPA Reading: Items for The Moustache

1. The word lucid as it is used in paragraph

25 means A. weary. B. energetic. C. clear‐headed D. irritable Answer: Skill: R4 2. In paragraph 25, Mike says, “…my

grandmother suddenly emerged from the fog that so often obscured her mind.” Obscured means

A. clouded. B. changed. C. revealed. D. stimulated. Answer: Skill: R4 3. Mike originally grows a moustache

because he is A. experimenting with his appearance. B. angry with her mother. C. in love with Cindy. D. upset with his sister. Answer: Skill: R2 4. Twice in the story (paragraph 13 and

paragraph 58) Mike travels at least seventy‐five miles an hour. Which statement BEST describes Mike’s state of mind on these two occasions?

A. In the beginning, Mike is angry that his mother has asked him to visit Lawnrest, while at the end he is exhausted from the visit.

B. At first Mike wanted to try out his father’s car, but at the end he is anxious to get home.

C. In the beginning Mike wanted to prove something to Cindy, while at the end he wants to prove something to himself.

D. At first Mike wants to follow the rules, but at the end he doesn’t care about speed limits.

Answer: Skill: R10 5. Mike first realizes that his grandmother

has confused him with someone else. A. she sees the birds out in the parking

lot. B. she tells him how much she loved the

piano. C. he remembers that he is named after

his grandfather. D. he doesn’t understand her remark

about the Chesterfield coat. Answer: Skill: R2 6. In paragraph 55, the word serene means A. quiet and shallow. B. calm and undisturbed. C. loud and uneven. D. raspy and labored. Answer: Skill R4

RESOURCE/ACTIVITIES GUIDE (continued) 7. At the beginning of the story, Mike grows a

moustache to appear older. Why does he decide to shave it off?

A. Cindy doesn’t like it. B. It is becoming too expensive. C. He isn’t ready to grow up. D. His mother asks him to shave it. Answer: Skill: R10 8. The author uses the attendant to help the

reader realize that A. Many people are uncaring. B. Mike is very much like the attendant. C. the grandmother needs constant

attention. D. Mike is not permitted to be alone with

the grandmother. Answer: Skill: R5 9. The turning point of the story occurs when

Mike A. realizes he is not wearing a Chesterfield

coat. B. accepts the role of his grandfather. C. speeds home from Lawnrest. D. shaves off his moustache. Answer: Skill: R5 10. Which of the following DOES NOT contribute

to the setting of the story? A. The air in the nursing home was

antiseptic and sterile. (paragraph 15) B. The people seemed like wax figures.

(paragraph 16) C. His mother acted as a one‐man firing

squad. (paragraph 1) D. As attendant pushes a wheeled cart into

the room. (paragraph 16) Answer: Skill: R11

11. By the end of the story, Mike learns that A. it is better not to ask questions. B. body language is not important. C. it is best to be honest with yourself. D. sometimes it’s best to put things off. Answer: Skill: R1 12. Why does Mike go alone to visit his

grandmother? A. Annie was sick. B. His mother asked him to go. C. No one wants to drive in the car with him. D. Cindy was going to the beach with her

friends. Answer: Skill: R2 13. By the end of the story, readers understand

that A. people learn that things are always better

left unsaid. B. people sometimes mature as a result of a

single experience. C. people need to say they are sorry after

they have lied. D. people must face their fears. Answer: Skill: R6

OPEN‐ENDED ITEMS 14. Mike’s attitude toward his grandmother

changes from the beginning of the story to the end.

At the beginning of the story, how does Mike feel about visiting his grandmother?

How does Mike’s attitude to his grand‐mother change during his visit to the nursing home?

Will Mike visit his grandmother in the nursing home again? Why or why not?


RESOURCE/ACTIVITIES GUIDE (continued) 14. (continued) Use information from the story to support your response. 15. At the end of the story, Mike discovers, “For

the first time in my life, I saw love at work.” (paragraph 53)

Explain what Mike means by this statement

Explain how this discovery will affect Mike’s future relationship.

Use information from the story to support your response.



GEPA/NJ ASK 8 Extending Understanding: Reading Informational Text

Feeding Frenzy By Peter Ames Carlin and Don Sider

Florida teen won’t let leftover food go to waste

hen 15‐year‐old David Levitt makes his weekly appearance at the Haven of Rest food bank in Pinellas

Park, FL, he is greeted as a Good Samaritan. “The Lord will repay you,” declares mission worker Eric Fridrichson, helping Levitt unload the 45 pound boxes of canned fruit, rice, and sugar he has brought from a nearby Publix supermarket in the family minivan. Levitt enjoys the work – It’s cool,” he says – but what he’d really like are Mom’s car keys. “Hey,” he asks her hopefully, “can I drive?” He may not be quite old enough for that, but no one knows better than Levitt how to get food to the hungry. Since 1994 the surplus food‐sharing program he designed as an 11‐year‐old for the Pinellas County public schools has sent more than a quarter‐million pounds of cafeteria leftovers to the county’s shelters

2 and food banks. Singled out for praise last year by President Clinton, Levitt, a freshman at Seminole High, is currently backing state legislation to protect donors of surplus food from liability lawsuits. “It’s a no‐brainer, says State Rep. Dennis Jones, who is shepherding Levitt’s bill toward certain passage when the state legislature meets next spring, “You wonder why it’s taken so long for someone to do it.”

The same question crossed Levitt’s mind in 1993, when he first read about Kentucky Harvest, a non 3 profit organization that funnels leftover food from restaurants and other businesses to charities. He was only a sixth grader, but Levitt understood that a

nation that regularly sends 30 million people to bed hungry shouldn’t toss nearly 20 percent of its edible food into the garbage. Buttonholing Osceola Middle School principal Fred Ulrich outside class one day, he asked if he could start a Harvest program using cafeteria leftovers. “I figured he didn’t know me,” says Levitt, “so he couldn’t be mean.”

lrich wasn’t mean. He was merely realistic, pointing out that district health regulations prohibited using

previously served food. (“Red Tape, red tape,” Levitt sighs.) but, encouraged by his mother, Sandy, Levitt attended a Pinellas County school board meeting and made his case for a local Harvest program. “I’d been in children’s theatre since I was 8,” says Levitt. “I just thought of it as another performance.” He not only won the board’s approval but a spontaneous ovation to boot. The board’s approval, alas, merely gained him entrance to the bureaucratic maze. Next, he had to contend with state health‐department rules governing the handling of secondhand food. For a time it seemed that packaging requirements would

5 doom the program – the state demanded specific containers, and the schools had no money to pay for them. Undaunted, Levitt wrote to the First Brands Corporation, which promptly shipped eight cases of Glad plastic bags to his doorstep, and on Nov. 8, 1994, Levitt helped make the school’s first delivery:

W

U



cartons of milk and bags of salad for Haven of Rest. “That,” he says, “was satisfaction.” The younger child (sister Jamie is 18) of Sandy Levitt, a bookkeeper, and her husband, Rich, vice president of a medical‐supply company, Levitt grew up in Seminole, a suburb of St. Petersburg, earning A’s and B’s in school and playing volleyball and a handful of

6 musical instruments. “David’s a typical teenager,” notes his mother. Eventually, he would like to attend the U.s. Air force Academy and learn to fly. “That’s today,” he says. “Call me tomorrow – I might change.”

hat doesn’t change is his ability to make things happen. And while he’s fortunate to have a mother who helps

push his projects along (Sandy is “the silent driving force,” according to her husband), Levitt’s energy has won him plenty of fans. “David had drawn attention to hunger and the availability of food in the community,” says Mary Dowdell, director of Tampa Bay Harvest. Adds Stan Curtis, the Kentucky stockbroker who started the first harvest program: “Any parent in American would be glad to have him as a son.” Including the First Dad, who invited Levitt to the White House last spring as part of a Points of Light ceremony. Taking his medal from Hillary Rodham Clinton, Levitt wasn’t shy about pushing his agenda. “What,” he asked the first Lady, “do you do with the White House leftovers?”

W



Name

GEPA Extending Understanding: Items for Feeding Frenzy

1. The word undaunted as it is used in

paragraph five means A. not happy. B. unrealistic. C. not discouraged D. unauthorized.

D. young people can make a positive change in the country

6. The authors characterize State Rep.

Dennis Jones as “shepherding” Levitt’s bill to show that Rep. Jones is

2. In paragraph three, the word funnels

means A. directs. B. separates. C. eats D. organizes. 3. In paragraph six, David’s mother refers to

him as “a typical teenager”. Which of the following details does not support her description?

A. He played musical instruments. B. He was uncertain of his future. C. He loved sports. D. He designed a food bank. 4. In paragraph five, when David says, “That

was satisfaction,” the word that refers to A. entering the bureaucratic maze. B. the eight cases of Glad plastic bags. C. making the school’s first delivery. D. the demand for specific containers. 5. The central idea of this article is A. 30 million people go to bed hungry. B. even at the White House, there are

leftovers. C. “red tape” stops people from

achieving their goals

A. wondering “Why it’s taken so long for some to do it.”

B. thinking that no one else will have the brains to do it.

C. protecting the passage of the bill. D. feeling afraid that time will run out. 7. In paragraph two, the article states that

legislation is proposed “…to protect donors of surplus food from liability lawsuits.” Why might this legislation be needed?

A. to promote high health standards for food banks.

B. to encourage people to donate secondhand food.

C. to protect contributors to the food bank from legal action.

D. the State demands specific containers for each type of food.

8. When the authors refer to President

Clinton as the “First Dad,” it is an example of

A. personification. B. Alliteration. C. hyperbole D. symbolism.



9. The authors use quotations to characterize David as a young man who

A. is angry. B. is self‐confident. C. has no sense of humor. D. seems overwhelmed by his success. 10. David’s inspiration for the creation of the

Haven of Rest food bank came from A. his invitation to the White House. B. his experiences in children’s theatre. C. his principal’s speech at an assembly. D. his reading about Kentucky Harvest.

OPEN ENDED ITEMS Remember – do not restate the questions in

your answer.

11. “Feeding Frenzy” is an informative article that tells about one young man’s contribution to his community.

What group of people might be inspired by reading this article?

Explain how this group of people would benefit from the information.

Use information from the article to support your response.

12. David said his work in children’s theatre helped him persuade the Pinellas County School board to support his ideas for a food bank.

What skills and abilities must David have had for his project to be a success?

In what way might these skills help him in the future?

Use information from the article to support your response. 11.

_____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 12._____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________



Speculative Prompt 4

Writing Task

“Remember what I told you about how risky it is to be listening to music while you’re riding your bike,” the mother called to her son as he went out the door. Down the block, a massive SUV was backing out of a driveway.

Write a story about what happens next. You may take notes, create a web, or do other pre‐writing work in the space provided on the following pages. Then write your story on the lines provided.



NJ ASK Sample Speculative Writing Prompt

Writing Task The last day of school was approaching. All of the students were excited in anticipation of the

coming summer vacation. Trevino had been planning his first day off from school. Then something happened that changed all of his careful planning.

Write a story about what happened to change his plans. The writing you do in your answer folder will be scored. You may use the box provided on pages two and three of your answer folder to plan your ideas before you begin writing your response. Then write your response on the lines that follow.



NJ ASK Sample Speculative Writing Prompt

Writing Task Your class went to a park near the school to see the Butterfly House. Thousands of rare

butterflies live in this special glass house built just for the butterflies. When you entered the Butterfly House, you were suddenly covered with hundred of butterflies.

Use your imagination to write a story about what happened when you were covered with

butterflies on your visit to the Butterfly House. The writing you do in your answer folder will be scored. You may use the space provided in your answer folder to plan your ideas before you begin writing your response. Then write your response in your answer folder.



Expository Essay

Paragraph #1 Grabber Fact #1 Fact #2 Thesis Paragraph #2 Topic Sentence (Fact #1) Details Summarize Paragraph #3 Topic Sentence (Fact #2) Details Summarize Paragraph #4 Repeat Thesis using facts Grab again No new information



NJ ASK – 2009 ‐ Expository Essay

Future Careers Magazine is conducting a survey of young people to find out which job interests them. Imagine you could have any job you wanted. Write an essay to the magazine explaining what kind of job interests you. Give reasons. Include details, facts, examples, and other evidence to support your explanation.



Expository Essay – Prompt #1 Many students enjoy doing something special for their family or friends. For example, they may take care of their younger sibling, or help to cook a favorite meal. Write an essay that describes something special that you would like to do for your family or friends. Explain why this would be something special and how your family and friends might react. Be sure to include details and facts to support your explanation.



Expository Essay Sample Last night Mom finally sank into a chair at nine o’clock and burst into tears. “I’m just so tired,” she wept. “In a few short hours I have to start all over again.” I looked at the immaculate kitchen and thought about the delicious dinner she had just fixed for our whole family. (Grabber) Providing a great dinner requires buying and fixing the food. (Fact #1) Cleaning up afterwards is another big job in itself. (Fact #2) My mom is exhausted from working fulltime and taking care of her family. This Sunday I’m going to be the one to make dinner for her. (Thesis) First, I’ll need to buy and cook the food. (Fact #1 – Topic Sentence) I’m going to ask my best friend’s mom to drive me to the new A & P in New Providence because it’s a huge store and has everything I’ll need. (Detail) My mom’s favorite food is spaghetti and meatballs, only she likes it on linguine. (Detail) With that in mind, I’ll buy the best sauce I can, maybe Paul Newman’s, and I’ll buy hamburger for meatballs and the most expensive linguine I can afford (Detail) I want her to have a green salad, too, and garlic bread. (Detail) Finally, her favorite dessert is ice cream sundaes and I’ll make sure she has the prettiest, complete with whipped cream and a cherry on top! (Detail) Buying all the ingredients will be fun and I know that cooking them will be easy and a great learning experience, too. (Summarizes) After the dinner, I’ll clean up the whole kitchen. (Fact #2 – Topic Sentence) I can put the big dishes in the dishwasher, but I want to use our best silver for the meal and I can’t put that in the dishwasher. (Detail) Tomorrow I’m going to polish all our silver and when the dinner is done I’ll wash the glasses and silver by hand. (Detail) I’ll wipe down all the counters and even sweep the floor. (Detail) By the time I’m finished with that kitchen, it will be spotless! (Summarizes) I’m so excited that I will be buying the food, fixing the meal, and cleaning up the kitchen all by myself. I can imagine the look on her face right now. (Repeating thesis by using supporting facts.) Her eyes will sparkle, her face will light up, she might even cry, but this time, for the right reason. Cooking dinner for Mom this coming Sunday, will make that meal one that we will both remember for the rest of our lives. I can hardly wait. (NO NEW INFORMATION)



NJ ASK Sample Explanatory Writing Prompt Writing Task

As part of a language arts class assignment, you have been asked to consider how the following quotation is related to you.

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” ‐ Joseph Addison Write an essay explaining what this quotation means to you. Use details and examples in your essay.

The writing you do in your answer folder will be scored. You may use the box provided on pages two and three of your answer folder to plan your ideas before you begin writing your response. Then write your response on the lines that follow.



Reminders When Writing a Persuasive Essay 1. Use signal words! 2. Keep each reason within its own paragraph. 3. Remember to write your three supporting paragraphs, weakest to strongest. 4. Don’t write, “I’m going to give you reasons” ‐ just do it. 5. Underline newspaper and magazine titles. 6. Pronouns must match their antecedents, e.g., “Everyone must use his/her phone.” 7. Put the comma in front of the coordinating conjunction. 8. Do not place a comma after the word “because”. 9. When a number begins a sentence, write it out, e.g., “Eighty percent of the students pass the

test.” 10. Don’t begin a sentence with “Well”. 11. Use “then” when you’re talking about the sequence of time; use “than” when you’re comparing

two things. 12. Don’t sum up your reasons by listing them until the last paragraph. 13. No new information in paragraph #5. 14. Proof!



Writing Task – Review the Persuasive Essay Follow these steps: 1. Read the prompt 2. Make 2 columns

PRO CON 1. 2. Brainstorm 3. Reasons 4. 5.

3. CIRCLE the three best that you can support – either side 4. Write five paragraphs – use “the formula” (think of the HAND) Use 1. Introduction – state your position; briefly write three reasons – Grab, Reasons, Thesis transition 2. Reason #1 with examples – Least important) to make 3. Reason #2 with examples ) Quotes, stats, facts, examples it 4. Reason #3 with examples – Most important ) cohesive 5. Conclusion – wrap it up – Grab Again, Restate Reasons, Restate Thesis, No New Information

NO NEW INFORMATION IN LAST PARAGRAPH IF to a newspaper: Dear Editor: Sincerely, A Concerned Citizen (Never sign your name)

PROOFREAD, PROOFREAD, PROOFREAD



Persuasive Prompt 4

Writing Task People like to debate about all the inventions that were created in the 20th century, specifically which have been the most important, and which have most changed people’s lives for the better. Some say that the television was the most important because it brought the rest of the world into people’s living rooms. Others say that the computer was the most important because it revolutionized the way that information is worked with and shared. Write a composition persuading the reader of your opinion that either the television or the computer was the most important invention of the 20th century. Use examples and other evidence to support your ideas.



“The Formula”

BRAINSTORMING

OPENING Issue: Your Position:

BODY

Reason #1 Reason #2 Reason #3 Facts & Examples Facts & Examples Facts & Examples 1. 1. 1. 2. 2. 2. 3. 3. 3.



“The Formula” (continued)

CLOSING



Persuasive Writing: Signal Words Introductory Phrases In my opinion There is no doubt that I question whether I believe From my point of view I (dis)agree with It is my belief that It seems to me that I maintain that Concluding Phrases For the reason above To sum up In short In brief As you can see To be sure Undoubtedly In any event As I have noted Without a doubt In conclusion In any case In other words In summation Obviously Concluding On the whole Unquestionably Summarizing Supporting Opinions Furthermore Equally Important Besides Further In addition In the first place Next Again Also Likewise Moreover Similarly Finally Last Introducing Details For example For instance In support of this In fact As evidence Cause and Effect hence Caused by In effect because of This results in Brought about Due to Consequently Made possible For this reason Accordingly As might be expected Therefore As a result of Give rise to If…then Leads to Was responsible for



Persuasive Writing: Signal Words (continued) Compare and Contrast Similarly Likewise As well as Whether or not Compare to In the same way Have in common Even through In like manner Contrasting All are Rather than On the other hand On the contrary The same as Nevertheless Although As opposed to Conversely In spite of Countering I realize you believe but Nevertheless I understand you feel yet Even though you maintain however Although you want I doubt Some people favor I questions It may be that you support Let me explain our idea to deserves argue On the other hand some merit state On the contrary



Peer Edit for Persuasive Essay

Name: Period: Date: Teacher’s Name Writing Task Write an editorial to the school newspaper either supporting or opposing a rule that would forbid students from entering the restaurant during school hours. Use examples, facts, and/or other evidence to support your point of view. 1. Is there evidence of a T chart with pros and cons listed? Are the three choices circled? 2. Does the introduction use one of the methods we’ve modeled/discussed in class? If so,

name it. If not, what could the writer have used? 3. List the three reasons the writer used as evidence. 1. 2. 3. 4. Is the conclusion a summation of the main points? Is it effective? Why or why not.



I‐Search Requirements

The I‐Search should not be left to the last minute. Work on it regularly and keep up with the deadlines and you will be able to turn it in on time. Remember, it’s a project – 10 points off for each day you are late. The I‐Search contains three sections. I want to look over each section and make sure you’re on the right track. Turning in each section counts as homework; that is, there will be five points off your Homework Grade if you do not have the required section written and typed on the day it is due. These sections will not be graded separately; only the final paper will be graded. Section One (Ends with Thesis) Due: Section Two (Research and Works Cited Page) Due: Section Three Due: Final Paper Due: Paper must be five pages long, at least. You must use at least four sources (one may be an interview). The paper must be typed, double‐spaced, and you must use the proper heading. The top of the first page should look like this. Your Name Class and Period Date Teacher’s Name “I‐Search: Topic”



The I‐Search Structure (Include these headings in your paper to help you stay organized.) Section One Introduction – one paragraph (why am I interested?) What I Already Knew – one paragraph What I Wanted to Know – one paragraph (your questions/at least three/ends with Thesis) Section Two The Story of My Search – one paragraph What I learned – several paragraphs WITH CITATIONS (You may write one paragraph for each question or combine questions in the paragraph if

you have more than three questions. Section Three Personal Reflection – at least three paragraphs What about the project surprised me? What frustrated/pleased me? What questions couldn’t I get answered? What part of the project did I like most/least? How can I use this information in my future?




I‐Search Rubric

Name: Period: Date: Grade: Content (50 Points) 1. Well organized. 2. Section one leads to the thesis statement. 3. Section two includes research that is clear and informative. 4. Section three is a strong reflection on the project and how what you learned can apply to your life. Format (25 Points) 1. Citations are correct. 2. Bibliography is correct. 3. Typed and double spaced. 4. At least five pages, not including bibliography. 5. Notes attached. Spelling and Grammar (25 Points) Total Points


I‐Search Topics – “How We Make Life Better”

Civilization

Law

Doctors Domestication

Police Firefighters

Government Voting Volunteers Economy

Medicine Environment Technology Fellow Humans Culture

Vaccinations Doctors

RecyclingGlobal Warming Green Peace Kyoto Whales

TVIPod

Transportation Heat/Air

Conditioning

Equal Right United Nations

Holidays Languages

Animals Food and Shelter

ZoosEndangered Puppy Mills

Domestication

Architecture Fast Food



Model Sample I‐Search Topic: The History and Future of Zoos

Introduction I’ll never forget the look on that tiger’s face. He was pacing back and forth, back and forth in his cramped, dingy cage at the Peoria Zoo, glaring at us; but he had another look in his eyes, too – the look of loss, an expression of unimaginable sorrow. It was as if he was saying, “What am I doing here? Is this it for the rest of my life, this narrow, grey enclosure? In my blood race the power, dignity, and majesty of generations of my own kind, those who could take down a gazelle in a single clean moment, who knew the great luxury of gazing on a moonlit night over thousands of acres of the African plains. Let me be free! Let me be free!” He never really lowered himself to actually see us, the little kids hanging on the fence outside his cage. Why should he care who these human children were, when humans had robbed him of everything that should have been his? What I Thought I Knew About Zoos When I was growing up in Peoria, Illinois, my grandmother often took my brothers, sister, and me to the zoo to see the animals, but she was also the first person I ever hear say, “It’s so sad that they’re here.” Sometimes my parents would take all of us to Brookfield Zoo outside of Chicago but that felt like a happier experience; the zoo was huge and many of the animal cages were actually natural settings for the creatures behind the bars. Still, zoos were both fascinating and sad. I knew that I was not the only person who felt this way about zoos; I knew that there were organizations and individuals who had been trying to improve zoos for many decades. I also knew that zoos, as I once knew them, had been practically outlawed at this point, at least in the United States. My first experience visiting the Bronx Zoo was wonderful; the people were enclosed in many cases while the animals roamed free. When I was living in Washington D.C., right next door to the National Zoo, I remembered seeing exhibits that also seemed kinder to the animals. One more thing I knew was that sometimes animals got loose in zoos and attacked people or simply ran in panic. I knew that the highest enclosures couldn’t always keep the animals and human visitors separate from each other. What I Wanted to Know about Zoos I wanted to know more about the history of zoos, in the world at large. I wanted to know where the first zoo was created, how the zoos were stocked, and what people thought about them in the beginning. I especially wanted to find out when people began to protest on behalf of the animals. I wanted to discover how these protests became legislation and how zoos came to be built in ways that were humane to the animals and actually more fun for the visitors.



RESOURCE/ACTIVITIES GUIDE (continued) Name:

Keeping Track of the Websites I Use for My Research

Title of Website or Article: Search Date: Web Address: Author (if noted) Date of Article (if noted) The Question I Had… Author’s Answer… Page # In My Own Words…


I‐Search Paper – Suggested Interview Questions

Name: English/Period Date: Teacher’s Name Directions: Use at least 10 questions 1. What interested YOU in this topic? 2. Do you enjoy it? 3. Is it stressful? 4. What is most fascinating about your job? What keep you interested? 5. Is Risk involved? 6. Are you glad you chose it? 7. How does this work? 8. What was your most memorable moment? 9. Has your job taken you to other places? 10. What is the history of the process? How was it discovered? 11. What is the hardest part of your job? 12. What is the most complex, difficult, intriguing part of your job? 13. What are the hours? 14. How do you get started? 15. Did you ever regret choosing this job? 16. What kind of training did you need? 17. What is your typical day like? 18. What are the rewards or consequences of your job? 19. Any words of wisdom for young people? 20. Is your field lucrative? 21. What is the future of this field? 22. What kind of power do you have? 23. What caused it? 24. When did it happen? 25. How long did it last? 26. How did this impact you? 27. Could it happen again?


RESOURCE/ACTIVITIES GUIDE (continued) Name: English/Period: Date: Teacher’s Name

Citations and Plagiarism Remember, PLAGIARISM is a serious charge. Plagiarism means the use of another person’s work without give credit, so that it appears to be your own work. In school, it usually means failure; in the outside world it is against the law. It takes only a few moments to do a citation, and it allows you to honestly borrow all the information you need. In fact, it means you did your research.

Using Parenthetical Citations for Research

Citations or footnotes are the way you give credit to the resources of specific information in your writing. In this method of footnoting (called parenthetical citations because the information is in parentheses), the reader may refer to the Works Cited page at the end of the paper for more complete information about the book, magazine, etc. Here is an example of how one line might look with a citation at the END of the information you’re citing. Model Psychologist Neil Walker estimates that about 20% of young people have eidetic, or photographic memory (Lewis 10). (Lewis is the author’s last name and 10 is the page number where this information can be found. Please note that there is NO comma after Lewis, and the period goes outside the parenthesis. Also note that the Works Cited page will have the title of the source and additional details. If there were two books by Lewis, the citation would be Lewis Thinking Better 10) so that we would know what specific book by Lewis was used. What if the book didn’t have an author or editor listed? Then you would use the form (Thinking Better 10). The whole point of the citation is to let the reader find the exact page where the information is located. If it is a Website: (<http://www.jonesinternational.edu>). (Period if at end of sentence) If it is an interview: (Jones Interview). If it is an encyclopedia: (World Book T: 2014). (Encyclopedia A: 514).


http://www.jonesinternational.edu/


Works Cited – MLA Handbook for Writers for Research Papers, 6th ed. Electronic Sources Magazine or periodical article from an online subscription database: Ebscohost, SIRS, etc. Author (if available) article title magazine original date pages online database library name location

Lewis, Peter. “Pay to Play.” Fortune 7 Jan 2002: 115‐118. Ebscohost. GLHS Media Center, Berkeley Heights, NJ 29 Jan 2003. <http://ehostvgw7epnet.com>. date of search web address(URL)

Online article from a subscription reference source: Literature Resource Center, Discovering Collection, ABC‐CLIO American History, etc. “New Left Political Movement in the 1960’s”. Discovering U.S. History. Gale Research, 1997. title of article original print source publisher date

Discovering Collection Online, Gale Group, 2002. GLHS Media Center, Berkeley Heights, NJ. Online source online publication date library library location

29 Jan 2003. <http://www.galent.com> date of search web address(URL)

Online encyclopedia article: Britannica, American, etc. title of article encyclopedia name library library location date of search

“Morocco.” Britannica Online. GLHS Media Center, Berkeley Heights, NJ 16 March 2003. <http://www.eb.com>. web address(URL)

Website author (if available) title of web page publication date source

Felluga, Dino. Undergraduate Guide to Literary Theory. 17 Dec. 1999. Purdue University. 15 November 2003. <http://omni.cc.purdue.edu>. date of search web address(URL)

Print Sources One author Ornstein, Robert E. The Psychology of Consciousness. New York: author title place of publication Harcourt, 1977. publisher copyright



Two or three authors Gesell, Arnold, and Frances L. IIg. Child Development: An Introduction to the Study of Human Growth. New York: Harper, 1949. Edited or translated work Nichols, Fred J., ed. and trans. An Anthology of Neo‐Latin Poetry. New



The Works Cited or Bibliography

Name: Period: Date: At the end of your paper, you will need to include a list of all the references you have used and/or cited in your paper. Usually your bibliography will include the same works that you cited but you may list additional helpful works that you consulted but did not have to cite. Standard rules for writing a bibliography or works cited page 1. The bibliography is the last page of the report. 2. All sources are listed in alphabetical order by the first item in the entry (usually an author,

but sometimes a title). 3. Do not number your entries. 4. Underline titles of books, magazines, and newspaper. 5. Put “quotation marks” around any titles of articles or book sections. 6. List the pages you actually used. It is very rare for a researcher to use an entire book. 7. Leave two (2) spaces after each piece of punctuation in an entry (notice the exception for

newspaper sections above). 8. Begin at the left margin. If you use more than one line, indent five (5) spaces for the second

and all of the lines that follow (this is the opposite of paragraphs. 9. End each entry with a period. 10. Bibliographies are typed double spaced. Additional helpful hints: 1. ALPHABETIZE your source cards first. 2. Alphabetize by the author’s last name. 3. If there is NO AUTHOR, use the first letter in the title. RULE: Do not use the articles A, AN or THE when you alphabetize. 4. Reminder: DO NOT INDENT the first line. Indent the second and third line, if needed. Check

the model on the back of this page.



Sample Outline and Research Paper Use Italics

Double Space Indent five spaces

Sample entry: Date of access and electronic address Leave one space Sample entry: An article in a periodical

½"

1” McMullen 10

Works Cited

Carr, Sara. “Closely Watched Unext Rolls Out Its First Courses.” Chronicle of Higher Education 12 May 2000: A50 Claytone, Mark S. “Click’n Learn.” Christian Science Monitor 15 Aug. 2000: 15. Hartigan, Rachel. “Smart New Degrees Take Center Stage.” Graduate Schools. Spec. issue of U.S. News and World Report 28 Oct. 2002: 6‐10 Jones International University. Home page. 1 Apr. 2004 <http://www.jonesinternational.edu>. Keegan, Desmond. Distance Training: Taking Stock at a Time of Change. London: Routledge, 2000. McClenahan, John S. “http://www.mba.degree.” Industry Week 21 July 1997: 19‐22. Mangan, Katherine S. “Top Business Schools Seek to Ride a Bull Market in On‐Line MBAs.” Chronicle of Higher Education 15 Jan. 1999: A27‐28. Mannix, Margaret. “Buyers, Be Wary.” U.S. News and World Report 15 Oct. 2001: 68‐70. Shea, Rachel Hartigan. “So Where’s the Beef?” U.S. News and World Report 15 Oct. 2001: 44‐50.



Sample Outline and Research Paper (continued)

Sample entry: A book by one author Book Entry: Encyclopedia: Movie/TV Show:

Willis, Barry. Distance Education: A Practical Guide. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educ. Technology Publ., 1993. Zolander, John. Interview. May 2, 2010. Author’s Last Name, First Name. Book Title. City of Publication: Publisher, Publication Date. “Article.” World Book T. Publisher. Date of Publication. Page Numbers. Title. Directed by __________. With__________, __________ Studio, Year.



Final Copy

YOUR GOAL: TO PRODUCE A POLISHED, PUBLISHABLE COPY OF YOUR PAPER. PAGE 1: INTRODUCTION with title PAGE 2: HALFWAY DOWN THE PAGE, begin the body of your paper. RULES YOU MUST FOLLOW: A. REMEMBER TO: Write out all numbers under one hundred EXCEPT for DATES AND

PERCENTAGES. B. NO ABBREVIATIONS except for titles. (Dr. Smith) C. Check all DOCUMENTED information for correct authors, key words from article titles, and

the EXACT PAGE NUMBER. D. Use TRANSITION bridging all paragraphs. E. If you are using a computer, SPELL CHECK!!! F. If you are writing your paper out, PROOFREAD for spelling errors. G. Edit your own paper (and your partner’s) for the following grammatical errors: 1. Run on sentences (comma splices). 2. Sentence fragments. 3. Subject/verb agreement. 4. Correct capitalization. 5. Correct paragraphing. 6. Correct punctuation. WHEN THE BODY OF THE PAPER IS FINISHED, STOP. FOLLOWING THIS PAGE, ON A SEPARATE PIECE OF PAPER, PLACE THE CONCLUSION. LAST PAGE: WORKS CITED or BIBLIOGRAPHY PAGE IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER!!!



BEFORE YOU PRINT CHECKLIST: _____1. SPELLCHECK _____2. PROOFREAD _____3. THERE ARE AT LEAST 5 DOCUMENTS IN YOUR PAPER _____4. ADD TRANSITION _____5. NUMBER PAGES

_____6. CHANGE TO 16 FONT _____7. DOUBLE SPACE _____8. BEGIN 15 SPACES DOWN ON THE FIRST PAGE ONLY _____9. WRITE DOWNTHE WORD COUNT OF THE BODY OF THE PAPER ONLY


SUGGESTED AUDIO VISUAL/COMPUTER AIDS

1. Prentice Hall Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes – video Interest Grabbers and audio

CDs available for most stories ‐ listed on pages T26 ‐ TT46 in the teacher’s edition. 2. Teachers resources available on the Internet and projected on the LCD. 3. Selected DVDs to compare/contrast reading of books: Midsummer Night’s Dream Life is Beautiful Outsiders Our Town Charley (Flowers for Algernon) Eli Wiesel Interview



SUGGESTED MATERIALS Resources for Students Prentice Hall Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes. Silver Level. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2005. Prentice Hall Literature Library: Biography and Autobiography Prentice Hall Literature Library: Nonfiction Readings across the Curriculum Prentice Hall Literature Library: Short Dramas and Teleplays Prentice Hall Literature Library: Twentieth‐Century American Drama Vocabulary Workshop – Level C Resources for Teachers Teacher’s Edition Prentice Hall Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes Bronze Level Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2005. Teacher Resources ‐ Authors in Depth Teacher Resources ‐ Reader’s Companion Teacher Resources ‐ Review and Remediation Skill Builder Teacher Resources ‐ Extension Activities Teacher Resources ‐ Art Transparencies

Teacher Resources ‐ Standardized Test Preparation Workbook Teacher Resources ‐ Standardized Test Preparation Diagnostic Tests Teacher Resources ‐ Open Book Tests Teacher Resources ‐ Formal Assessment with Test Book Software Teacher Resources ‐ Writing and Grammar Teacher Resources ‐ Writing and Grammar – Vocabulary and Spelling Practice Teacher Resources ‐ Writing and Grammar – Daily Language Practice Teacher Resources ‐ Selection Support: Skills Development Workbook Teacher Resources ‐ Reading Diagnostic Test and Improvement Plan Teacher Resources ‐ Transparencies Teacher Resources ‐ Basic Reading Skills Teacher Resources ‐ Student Placement Screening Test Teacher Resources ‐ Literary Analysis for Enrichment Teacher Resources ‐ Performance Assessment and Portfolio

Documents

Berkeley Heights Public Schools...BERKELEY HEIGHTS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NEW JERSEY. COLUMBIA MIDDLE SCHOOL. LANGUAGE ARTS DEPARTMENT. 8TH GRADE ENGLISH. Curriculum Guide