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Differentiated Instruction for Advanced Students, Level I Care has been taken to verify the accuracy of information presented in this book. However, the authors, editors, and publisher cannot accept responsibility for web, e-mail, newsgroup, or chat room subject matter or content, or for consequences from application of the information in this book, and make no warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to its content. Trademarks: Some of the product names and company names included in this book have been used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks or registered trade names of their respective manufacturers and sellers. The authors, editors, and publisher disclaim any affiliation, association, or connection with, or sponsorship or endorsement by, such owners. ISBN 978-0-82193-063-2 © 2009 by EMC Publishing, LLC 875 Montreal Way St. Paul, MN 55102 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.emcp.com All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be adapted, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Teachers using Mirrors & Windows: Connecting with Literature, Level I may photocopy complete pages in sufficient quantities for classroom use only and not for resale. Printed in the United States of America 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09

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CONTENTS Introduction

vi

Unit 1 The Circuit / Harvesting Hope: The Story of César Chávez Informational Text Project: César Chávez Eleven Literary Analysis Activity: Point of View The Sand Castle / Forecast: A Warmer World Primary and Secondary Source Project: Global Warming La Bamba Independent Author Study: Gary Soto

1 3 6 8

Unit 2 Becky and the Wheels-and-Brake Boys / The Southpaw Comparing Literature Activity: Realistic Fiction The Dog of Pompeii / Pompeii Historical Nonfiction Study: Writing About Volcanoes President Cleveland, Where Are You? / Card-Carrying Collectors Primary Source Project: Trading Cards The King of Mazy May Independent Author Study: Jack London

9 10 12 14

Unit 3 Abd al-Rahman Ibrahima Geography Connection Activity: West Africa from The Need for Solidarity Among Ethnic Groups Social Studies Connection Project: Myanmar from There Is No Salvation for India Informational Text Project: Gandhi’s Philosophy of Nonviolence from Woodsong Independent Author Study: Gary Paulsen

15 17 19 21

Unit 4 The Five “Wanderers” of the Ancient Skies Primary Source Project: Images of the Solar System Developing Your Chops / Muddy Waters, from The Blues Singers Comparing Literature Activity: Author’s Purpose from Gorillas in the Mist / from Woman in the Mists Informational Text Project: Talking with the Animals The Adventures of Tintin: The Black Island Independent Genre Study: Comic Strips

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Unit 5 Abuelito Who / The Bats, from Under the Royal Palms Primary Source Project: Reading Memoirs Jabberwocky / from The Other Alice Informational Text Activity: Biographical Narrative There Is No Word for Goodbye / If You Should Go Comparing Literature Activity: Theme Jimmy Jet and His TV Set Independent Author Study: Shel Silverstein

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Unit 6 The Wreck of the Hesperus / Dangers of the Deep Primary Source Project: Researching a Shipwreck Seal / Whale Breathing Comparing Literature Activity: Diction in Poetry Haiku Poetic Form Study: Haiku We grow accustomed to the Dark— Independent Author Study: Emily Dickinson

34 36 37 38

Unit 7 In the Fog / from Gettysburg Informational Text Activity: Civil War Battles The Fairies’ Lullaby / The Stolen Child Comparing Literature Activity: Sound Devices Do You Think I’m Crabby? Primary Source Project: “Peanuts” Comic Strip The Phantom Tollbooth Independent Reading Activity: Themes of The Phantom Tollbooth

40 42 44 46

Unit 8 Arachne / The Orb Weaver Cultural Connection Activity: Ancient Greek Culture Why Monkeys Live in Trees Genre Study: Folk Tales Explaining Nature The Magic Mortar / The Stone Comparing Literature Activity: Characters in Folk Literature Clever Anaeet Independent Reading Project: Retelling a Folk Tale Answer Key

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Introduction Universities and employers have found that many incoming students and entrylevel employees lack the reading and writing skills needed to succeed in their new endeavors. Some blame this problem on a lack of rigor in the language arts programs at the high school level. Studies show that most students want to be challenged to gain the high-level skills that will help them succeed in college and in the workplace. This is especially true for advanced students. Differentiated Instruction for Advanced Students provides multiple opportunities to engage students and to teach them the skills necessary to excel in college-level, literature-based reading, thinking, discussion, and writing tasks. This supplement contains extended lessons for four selections from each unit in the Mirrors & Windows: Connecting with Literature Student Edition. These lessons integrate a variety of resources and media to help students analyze, compare, and appreciate literature from diverse cultures. The activities are designed to prepare students to move beyond a basic understanding of what is occurring in the literary text. Knowledge of characters, plot, and theme becomes the starting point rather than the goal. Students are challenged to extend their comprehension skills and to focus on critical analysis. Each lesson focuses on a particular selection in the textbook. The lesson expands on an aspect of that selection, often in many cases taking students outside the textbook and connecting them with other pieces of literature or fields of study. Students are then asked to respond by creating products, such as written essays and research papers, multimedia presentations, and works of art and performance. A broad range of activities are offered to motivate students and encourage independent inquiry and learning, literary analysis and criticism, genre study, and in-depth exploration of primary sources and informational texts. Differentiated Instruction for Advanced Students provides students with opportunities to hone their reading, writing, and research skills as they explore the rich world of literature and beyond. The activities are not busywork, but meaningful exercises of the mind that build skills students will need as they progress through college and careers. The assignments help students become deep thinkers, critical readers, and independent problem-solvers. As they are challenged to meet higher expectations, they will come closer to realizing their ever-expanding potential. In addition to the wealth of meaningful lessons in this book, you will find enrichment activities for every literature selection in the Differentiated Instruction boxes located in the bottom margins of the Annotated Teacher’s Edition.

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Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________

The Circuit / Harvesting Hope: The Story of César Chávez, page 42

INFORMATIONAL TEXT PROJECT

César Chávez “The Circuit,” by Francisco Jiménez, is a story about migrant workers. The biography Harvesting Hope: The Story of César Chávez, by Kathleen Krull, tells the story of César Chávez who began organizing the workers. The passage in your textbook focuses on Chávez’s childhood and on his first efforts to improve the lives of migrant workers. In this lesson, you will work with a group and use several different types of informational texts to research aspects of Chávez’s life. You will find facts about some of his most important ideas and experiences. Then you will use these facts to write an informative paragraph about Chávez.

Research César Chávez Information on the life, accomplishments, ideas, beliefs, and lasting contributions of Chávez can be found in the following sources: full-length biographies in the library; brief biographies in biographical references, encyclopedias, and the Internet. Quotes by Chávez can be found in these sources as well as in quotation reference books such as Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations. Form a small group and search for information on Chávez in the library or on the Internet. Copy the chart below on a separate sheet of paper and find information for each topic. Use a different type of source for each type of fact. Identify each source and paraphrase two or more facts from it. Record compelling facts that will make an interesting paragraph. Topic

Source

Facts

Life

Accomplishments

Ideas and beliefs

Lasting contributions

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Find direct quotes about or by Chávez and write them in the following chart. Also identify your source for each quotation. See Language Arts Handbook 5.6, Documenting Sources, in your textbook, for information about documenting sources. Quote About or by Chávez

Source

Write an Informative Paragraph On your own, write a paragraph about Chávez using the facts from your chart. Use the following guidelines to help you write: • Write a thesis statement suggested by the facts on your chart. • Think about the most effective way to arrange the facts. You might want to use chronological order or order of importance. • Use the direct quotes effectively, perhaps in your introduction or conclusion.

Share Your Paragraph Share your completed paragraph with your group and then with the entire class. Discuss how the group members’ paragraphs differ despite being based on the same information. Discuss similarities and differences in your classmates’ paragraphs based on the sources and facts that were used.

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Eleven, page 68

LITERARY ANALYSIS ACTIVITY

Point of View Recognizing a story’s point of view, or the perspective from which a story is told, is important to understanding the text. “Eleven” is written from the first-person point of view, in which the story is told by someone (Rachel) who participates in the action. Having Rachel narrate the story allows you, the reader, to experience the embarrassing incident at school as seen through her eyes. You get to know her thoughts, feel her emotions, and witness her reactions to others. What if the story were told by another character in the story, such as Mrs. Price, Sylvia Saldívar, or Phyllis Lopez? How would their perspectives show the incident with the red sweater in a different way? In this activity, you will have the opportunity to put yourself in another character’s place and write the story as seen through the eyes of that other person.

Get Started Choose the perspective of Mrs. Price, Sylvia Saldívar, or Phyllis Lopez for this writing assignment. Then consider what that individual is like as a person. What personality traits does that character reveal to others? For example, is she kindhearted, bossy, sneaky, sympathetic, energetic, or humorous? Fill in the graphic organizer below outlining the personality traits of your chosen character. You may base your traits on words or actions from the story, or you may create your own personality profile for the character. Write the character’s name in the circle and her personality traits in the rectangles. As you are writing your story, you will want to show (not tell!) the reader these personality traits through the character’s words, actions, and thoughts.

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When you have finished filling in the graphic organizer, answer the following questions. These questions will help guide you in writing your story. 1. Why does this character view what happened with the sweater differently than Rachel?

2. What does this character say, do, or think?

3. Why does this character say, do, or think these things? In other words, what motivates the character to behave this way?

Connect and Create Now that you are familiar with your character and her motivations, you need to briefly plan your story. Think about the following questions and then fill in the outline. I. Introduction: Where would you like your story to open? Should the action start in the cloakroom with finding the red sweater? Should the story begin in Mrs. Price’s classroom with identifying the owner of the red sweater? Should the story open with your chosen character arriving home from school and thinking back to that day’s events? You decide! Keep in mind that your introduction needs to establish the main character and the opening setting. II. Body: If your story does not open in Mrs. Price’s classroom, be sure to establish that setting here. What key events occur in her classroom? What is the reaction of your character? What are the reactions of others in the classroom? From this character’s point of view, explain what happens at school on Rachel’s birthday. III. Conclusion: How do you want your story to end? Do you want your character to feel good about her reaction to the incident? Do you want her to feel bad about her actions in the classroom? What lasting impression do you want to leave on the reader of your story? Use your outline to help you write the first draft of your story on a separate piece of paper. Add details to make your story more interesting. Sandra Cisneros used imagery and repetition when she wrote “Eleven.” See if you can write in her style using imagery and repetition.

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Story Outline I. Introduction A. Opening setting of story: B. Actions of main character in opening setting: II. Body (fill in as needed) A. First event: B. Second event: C. Third event: D. Fourth event: E. Fifth event: III. Conclusion A. Main character’s feelings about incident: B. Lasting impression for the reader of your story:

Check and Reflect Exchange papers with a classmate to get a reaction to your story. Be sure to highlight the things you like about each other’s stories. Mark any errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar that you see. Also mark confusing passages, contradictions, and structural or organizational problems. Finally, offer ideas for improving the story, if you have any. When you get your paper back, correct any errors that were marked on it, and consider your classmate’s concerns and suggestions. Then write a final draft of the story. When you have finished the assignment, answer the following questions: 1. What did you learn about telling a story from a different point of view?

2. What makes first-person point of view the most personal way to tell a story?

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The Sand Castle / The Forecast: A Warmer World, page 95

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCE PROJECT

Global Warming In the short story “The Sand Castle,” by Alma Luz Villanueva, the author imagines a world that changes because of global warming. The article “The Forecast: A Warmer World,” from Time for Kids, describes the science behind these changes. The article is an example of a secondary source. Secondary sources include magazine and newspaper articles, histories, biographies, and textbooks. Primary sources include official documents, letters, diaries, interviews, autobiographies, speeches, and creative works. In this lesson, you will complete a K-W-L chart about global warming. Then, you will use primary and secondary sources from the Internet to learn more about this issue. You will create a poster to report your findings.

Determine What You Want to Learn See Language Arts Handbook 1.2, page 801, in your textbook, for information about a K-W-L chart. Complete the first two columns of the K-W-L chart below to guide your research of global warming. In the first column, write the facts you know about global warming after reading “The Sand Castle” and “The Forecast: A Warmer World.” In the second column, write questions about global warming that you would like to answer. What I Know

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What I Want to Learn

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Research When you research, you use both primary and secondary sources. Use an Internet search engine to locate the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Climate Change Kid’s Site. The information contained on this website is a secondary source. For primary sources, find photographs showing the effects of global warming. Use an Internet search engine to locate the website for the U.S. Geological Survey Repeat Photography Project. This site compares historic photographs of glaciers from Glacier National Park with current photographs of the same glaciers. Use the information you find to help answer your questions on the K-W-L chart. When you find answers to the questions on your K-W-L chart, summarize them in the last column of the chart. Take notes on other facts that help you better understand climate change. Make copies of useful graphic aids or photographs that you find on the sites. Document your sources using the guidelines from Language Arts Handbook 5.6, Documenting Sources, on pages 873–876 of your textbook.

Share and Reflect Display your findings in poster form. Include any facts, information, and photographs that you find interesting or important to your audience’s understanding. • You may focus on one topic such as future effects of climate change, or you may wish to present an overview of many aspects of the climate change issue. • Use photographs or other visual aids to make your poster clear and interesting. • Display the poster in your classroom. After completing your poster, answer the following questions: • How did primary sources help you find answers for your K-W-L chart? _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ • How did secondary sources help you find answers for your K-W-L chart? _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ • Which sources made a greater impact on your understanding of the issue? Explain your answers. _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________

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La Bamba, page 112

INDEPENDENT AUTHOR STUDY

Gary Soto Studying poetry in a college class, Gary Soto, author of “La Bamba,” realized that poems could be about everyday people and places. He later took a poetry writing class at California State University, Fresno, and was soon writing and publishing poems. Soto has said, “Of poetry or prose, I prefer poetry as part of my soul. I think like a poet, and behave like a poet.” (Prose is any kind of writing that is not poetry. It is used in fiction and in nonfiction.) In this lesson, you will read both poetry and prose by Gary Soto. You will compare the two and decide whether you prefer Soto’s poetry or his prose. Then you will write an essay stating your opinion.

Get Started At the library, locate one or more short stories and several poems by Gary Soto. Read at least three poems. Also read at least one short story, novel, or essay. Some books containing Soto’s short stories and poetry are listed: short stories: Baseball in April and Other Stories, Petty Crimes, and Facts of Life: Stories; poetry: A Fire in My Hands, Canto Familiar, and Fearless Fernie.

Compare Forms of Writing On a separate sheet of paper, copy and complete the chart below to analyze Soto’s poetry and prose. Describe and give an example of each element listed. Prose

Poetry

Subject Character or Speaker Diction (word choice) Theme

Write and Support Your Opinion Decide whether you enjoyed Soto’s poetry or prose more. Ask yourself questions such as these: Which selection had the most engaging character or speaker? the most compelling subject? the most colorful word choice? a theme that was particularly timely or made me think about important issues? Write a thesis statement that describes your opinion of Gary Soto’s prose and poetry. Support your opinions about the elements of Soto’s writing with specific examples. See Language Arts Handbook 4.1, in your textbook, for additional guidelines on writing an essay. 8

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Becky and the Wheels-and-Brake Boys / The Southpaw, page 171

COMPARING LITERATURE ACTIVITY

Realistic Fiction Realistic fiction features settings, situations, and characters that are imaginary but could really exist. When you read realistic fiction, you may have the sensation that the author has special insight into your own experiences and emotions. In this lesson, you will compare specific elements of realism in the short stories “Becky and the Wheels-and-Brake Boys,” by James Berry, and “The Southpaw,” by Judith Viorst. Then you will compare and connect your own experiences to those of the main characters in the stories and describe these connections in a letter to a friend.

Compare Realism in the Stories Read “Becky and the Wheels-and-Brake Boys” and “The Southpaw.” Then copy the following chart on a separate sheet of paper. For each story, rate the literary elements listed in the first column on a scale of 1 (very realistic) to 5 (very unrealistic). Explain each rating using details and examples from the story. In “Becky and the Wheels-and-Brake Boys”

Literary Elements

In “The Southpaw”

Plot Main characters Setting Point of view Theme

Write and Share a Letter Think of a time you were excluded from an activity. Write a friend a letter relating your own experience to the situations of Becky and Janet in the stories. Describe how each story helps you better understand what happened to you. Include details about the realism of each story, and discuss how that realism affects your understanding of your own situation. Use the following parts of a letter correctly: date, greeting, body, closing, and signature. See Language Arts Handbook 4.1, in your textbook, for information about organizing and drafting your writing. Then read your letter aloud to a partner. Discuss similarities and differences in the situations on which the two of you focused. Compare ideas about the stories’ realistic elements and how they affected your understanding of your own experience. © EMC Publishing, LLC

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The Dog of Pompeii / Pompeii, page 192

HISTORICAL NONFICTION STUDY

Writing About Volcanoes The historical nonfiction article “Pompeii,” by Robert Silverberg, follows the short story “The Dog of Pompeii,” by Louis Untermeyer. “Popmeii” is a historically accurate description of what happened when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 ce. The purpose of historical nonfiction is to inform readers. However, a historical narrative like “Pompeii” can entertain as well as inform readers. In this lesson, you will analyze the sensory details Silverberg used to make his article colorful and entertaining. Then you will research another volcano and write about it using vivid language and sensory details.

Analyze Sensory Details In the article “Pompeii,” the writer uses striking descriptions to help readers imagine a historical event. Sensory details—words and phrases that appeal to the reader’s sense of sight, sound, touch, taste, or smell—often form the base of these descriptions. Authors use specific, strong verbs and adjectives to create effective sensory details. They predict how certain words will make the reader feel, and choose the words that best represent the details they wish to create. Complete the chart below with sensory details from the article. Identify how the sensory details make you feel, and tell what they add to your understanding of the eruption. Note that some images may appeal to more than one sense. After completing the chart, answer the question on the next page. Sense

Examples of Sensory Details from “Pompeii”

Sight

Sound

Touch

Taste

Smell

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How do the sensory images of the selection affect your understanding of the event? _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________

Research a Historic Eruption Select one of the following historic volcanic eruptions to research: • Mount St. Helens in Washington State in 1980 • Parícutin in Mexico in 1943, in which a previously unknown volcano began erupting in a cornfield • Novarupta in Alaska in 1912, one of the largest volcanic eruptions of the twentieth century • Krakatoa in Indonesia in 1883, one of the most violent volcanic events in history • Mount Tambora in Indonesia in 1815, an event that temporarily altered Earth’s climate Locate at least two sources on your topic in library or Internet articles, encyclopedias, or historical nonfiction books. If you are using online sources, only search educational (.edu) or governmental (.gov) websites. You can trust these websites to offer reliable, accurate information. Take notes on what happened at the beginning, the middle, and the end of the eruption. Paraphrase or summarize facts from the source. Take special note of passages that communicate what the eruption looked, sounded, felt, and smelled like. Record the titles and authors of your sources. See Language Arts Handbook 5.5, in your textbook, for additional tips about taking notes and documenting sources.

Write Historical Nonfiction Write a one-page historical nonfiction article describing the volcanic eruption as if you were witnessing the event. Before you draft the article, organize your notes in chronological order. Create an outline based on your organized notes. Think about connective words and phrases you can use to link the sections of your article and show the passage of time. As you draft your article, remember to write in the first person, just as Silverberg did in describing Pompeii during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Include sensory details that appeal to your reader’s sense of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. After you have completed your article, exchange it with a partner. Have your partner check the article for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Submit the completed article to your teacher to compile a class magazine about historic volcanic eruptions.

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President Cleveland, Where Are You? / Card-Carrying Collectors, page 213

PRIMARY SOURCE PROJECT

Trading Cards When you research information for an article or report, you may use primary and secondary sources. Primary sources are firsthand accounts recorded by people who personally experienced an event or situation. Primary sources include official documents and records, letters, diaries, interviews, speeches, autobiographies, and creative works such as photographs, paintings, and musical scores. In addition, objects like clothing, furniture, and tools can be primary sources. Secondary sources are accounts that rely on material from other sources to give information about a person, an event, or a topic. Secondary sources include articles in magazines, newspapers, and encyclopedias. Histories, biographies, and textbooks are also considered secondary sources. The story “President Cleveland, Where Are You?” by Robert Cormier, and the news article “Card-carrying Collectors,” by Kathleen McKenna, explore the topic of collecting trading cards. In this lesson, you will use primary and secondary sources to find out why people collect trading cards. Then you will write an article summarizing your findings. Finally, you will present your findings to a small group of classmates and form a group response to the question.

Search the Library and Internet Search for information about card collecting in the library or on the Internet. Use the information you find to answer the following questions. Document the source for each answer, and classify each source as primary or secondary. See Language Arts Handbook 5.5, in your textbook, for help documenting sources. 1. When were the first trading cards made? What did they show? Of what materials were they made? ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ 2. How were trading cards sold until around 1936? What was the main purpose of those early cards? ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ 3. What are the two main categories of trading cards? Give two or more examples of cards from each category. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________

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Interview a Card Collector Interviews are excellent primary sources for information about why people do something. Think about people you know who collect trading cards, and choose one to interview. If you cannot think of anyone you know, ask your teacher to help you find a collector. You might pair up with a classmate to interview someone that student knows. The tips and guidelines in Language Arts Handbook 7.5, in your textbook, can help you prepare for and conduct a successful interview. Use the following chart to organize the notes you take during the interview. You may write paraphrases, summaries, and direct quotes of the collector’s answers. Questions

Answers

Who? (name and relationship to you) What? (types, quantities, and values) When? (date collecting started) Where? (locations purchased and stored) Why? (motivation to collect) How? (process used to find, obtain, and store) Interesting stories and memories?

Write an Article Write a one-page informational article explaining why people collect trading cards. Remember to include a thesis statement that tells your main idea. Your thesis statement should provide the main idea of your article. Did you find that most people collect cards for fun? If so, your thesis statement might be “People collect cards for many reasons, but most collect them for fun.” Use the information you recorded on your chart to support your thesis statement. Use direct quotes and interesting stories from your interview to make your article entertaining as well as informative. See Language Arts Handbook 4.1, in your textbook, for additional information and guidelines for writing your article.

Share Your Article Summarize your article to a small group of your classmates. Present the key information from your article, but do not read or memorize your written text. Listen attentively while the other members of your group share their articles. When all members of the group are done, write a group statement answering the following question: Why do people collect trading cards? © EMC Publishing, LLC

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The King of Mazy May, page 236

INDEPENDENT AUTHOR STUDY

Jack London The theme of a literary work is the central message it reveals about life. A piece of writing may have one theme or multiple themes. Sometimes an author will return to the same themes in several works. Jack London is one such author, who explores similar or related themes in his stories and novels. In this lesson, you will read and analyze two works by London. Then you will write a descriptive essay exploring the themes in those two works.

Choose a Work by London London’s stories often tell about humans and animals surviving challenges in the natural world. Choose one of London’s classic survival tales: • “To Build a Fire”: a short story about a miner who sets out on a long hike • The Call of the Wild: a short novel about a domesticated dog that is forced to adjust to harsh surroundings

Analyze London’s Themes Copy the chart below on a separate sheet of paper. As you reread the story “The King of Mazy May,” record your ideas about the theme or themes related to each topic. Then as you read your chosen selection, record your ideas about its theme or themes related to each topic. List details and summarize passages you feel are important to understanding the central ideas about humans, animals, and nature that London presents in these two works. “The King of Mazy May”

Selected Work by London:

Humans Animals Nature

Write an Expository Essay Write an expository essay based on your reading and the information in your chart. See Language Arts Handbook 4.1, in your textbook, for information about writing an essay. Your essay should describe London’s themes in the stories you read. State your thesis in the essay’s introduction. Your thesis should summarize what you learned about London’s themes in the two works you studied. Use examples from those works to illustrate your thesis. Consider this question as you write your essay: What themes do the two works have in common? 14

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Abd al-Rahman Ibrahima, page 270

GEOGRAPHY CONNECTION ACTIVITY

West Africa Many Africans who were kidnapped and forced to become slaves were from West Africa. Abd al-Rahman came from the region of Africa that is now the West African country of Guinea. When he finally returned to Africa, he was unable to locate his homeland. In this lesson, you will research the region of Africa known as West Africa. You will find out which countries are located in this region and identify their capital cities. Then you will create a map of the region that shows these countries and cities as well as the places mentioned in “Abd al-Rahman Ibrahima.”

Research Geography Find geographical information and maps of West Africa. Record important geographical and political features such as: the description of terrains and ecosystems; rivers; settlements, towns, and cities; traditional borders of ancient kingdoms. Copy or print detailed geographical or political maps you encounter. The following resources are useful for geographical research: • atlases and encyclopedias from the reference section at your library • online maps from educational (.edu) or governmental (.gov) websites As you research West Africa, list the sixteen present-day countries of the region below and on the next page. Also identify each country’s official capital city.

1. __________________________________________________________________________ 2. __________________________________________________________________________ 3. __________________________________________________________________________ 4. __________________________________________________________________________ 5. __________________________________________________________________________ 6. __________________________________________________________________________ 7. __________________________________________________________________________ 8. __________________________________________________________________________ 9. __________________________________________________________________________ 10. __________________________________________________________________________ 11. __________________________________________________________________________

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12. __________________________________________________________________________ 13. __________________________________________________________________________ 14. __________________________________________________________________________ 15. __________________________________________________________________________ 16. __________________________________________________________________________

Draw a Map Use your research to create a map that includes the following: • the region of Africa known as West or Western Africa • the sixteen countries that currently make up West Africa • the African geographical and political features mentioned in the biography, including Fouta Djallon, Liberia, Timbuktu, Benin, and the Gambia River • an inset map showing where West Africa is located within the continent of Africa

Display and Discuss Share your map with a partner. Role-play that you are using the map to show Abd al-Rahman the location of his homeland. Discuss the following questions: • Ibrahima’s letter to his people was mistakenly sent to Morocco. Is Morocco in West Africa? _______________________________________________________________________________ • How close did Ibrahima come to his home region in Guinea when he traveled to Liberia in 1829? _______________________________________________________________________________ • Which direction would Ibrahima have gone to reach his home region? _______________________________________________________________________________ After your discussion, display your maps on a classroom bulletin board.

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from The Need for Solidarity Among Ethnic Groups, page 298

SOCIAL STUDIES CONNECTION PROJECT

Myanmar The country of Burma, located in Southeast Asia, has a long and rich history. The region that encompasses modern Burma, now named Myanmar, has been inhabited since ancient times. In her speech “The Need for Solidarity Among Ethnic Groups,” Aung San Suu Kyi speaks to the people of modern Myanmar. In this lesson, you will work in groups to research information about this fascinating country. You will share your results in a display your classmates can view.

Conduct Research Form a small group and plan a display for one of the following categories as it relates to Myanmar: Geography, Culture, History, and Current Events. (Your teacher may wish to assign one category to each group.) Using Internet or library sources, research topics within your group’s category. Address the questions below, but do not limit your research to them. Geography 1. What are the most important mountains, rivers, and lakes? 2. What does the land look like? 3. What is the climate of the country? 4. What are the most important natural resources? 5. What are the main agricultural products? 6. What are the main cities? What are they like? Culture 1. What are the main religious beliefs of the people? 2. What does the traditional clothing look like? 3. What are some characteristic dishes? 4. What are some popular festivals? 5. What are the most common jobs? 6. What arts are the people known for? History 1. Who were the first people to live in the region? When did they live there? 2. Who were the country’s leaders until the 1800s? 3. How did Great Britain affect the country’s history? 4. How did Burma gain independence from Britain? 5. What happened to the Burmese government during the 1960s and 1970s? 6. What happened to the Burmese government during the 1980s and 1990s?

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Current Events 1. What is the current government like? 2. What is the current government’s relationship to other nations of the world? 3. What protests were held in 2007? How did they affect the country? 4. What natural disaster struck in 2008? What were its effects? 5. What is the history of Suu Kyi’s relationship with the current government? 6. What is Suu Kyi’s situation today?

Prepare and Present Your Display With your group, brainstorm original and engaging ways to display your findings. See Language Arts Handbook 7.10, in your textbook, for ideas and guidelines for preparing multimedia presentations. Consider sharing the following items: • arts and crafts • clothing • maps • photographs of people and places • newspaper articles • news videos • student-recorded reports Assign one main topic to each group member. Then, as a group, create a space (a booth or table) that displays the results of your research. Your goal is to make the class feel as if they have taken an imaginary trip to Myanmar. Remember to make your display as entertaining as it is informational.

Review Your Displays Write five important facts about Myanmar you learned from each category: Geography

History

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Culture

Current Events

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from There is No Salvation for India, page 303

INFORMATIONAL TEXT PROJECT

Gandhi’s Philosophy of Nonviolence Mohandas Gandhi is known for leading the nonviolent branch of the Indian independence movement—a platform of peaceful activism that eventually brought forth freedom from British rule. Gandhi’s peaceful beliefs and nonviolent actions are well documented in numerous encyclopedias, political reference books, history books, and biographies. All biographies narrate the events of a person’s life; a thorough biography also describes the beliefs and ideas that motivated the person’s actions. In this lesson, you will search biographies of Mohandas Gandhi for information on the beliefs that inspired his acts of nonviolence. Then you will write an informative essay describing Gandhi’s peaceful philosophy.

Locate Sources Find three biographies of Mohandas Gandhi in your library. Concentrate on locating texts written especially for young people. Next, check the table of contents and the index in each book to preview whether the book contains the specific type of information for which you search—in this case, descriptions of Gandhi’s philosophy and acts of nonviolence. Use the following tips as you search: • A table of contents lists the titles of the book’s chapters and other items such as time lines. Sometimes you can tell whether a book contains the information you are looking for by reading the chapter titles. The index, however, often provides more information about whether specific facts can be found in the book. • Search for your subject, nonviolence, in the alphabetically arranged index at the back of the book. The index will list each page on which that subject is mentioned. Some of the listed pages may contain detailed information about the topic, whereas others simply mention it. • When searching the index, you may find related topics appearing as subheadings under the main subject. For instance, you may find the following subheadings listed under nonviolence: civil disobedience, demonstrations, fasting, marches, noncooperation, peaceful resistance, and protests. Subheadings may help you locate your exact topic with more precision. • Sometimes you must check other terms for the topic you are looking for. For example, you could check peaceful resistance if the information you need is not listed under nonviolence. Use the chart on the following page to record where to find helpful information from sources for an essay on Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolence. Write any listings that appear useful as you research your topic.

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Source 1

Source 2

Source 3

Title and author

Useful listings in Table of Contents

Useful listings in Index

Research Your Topic After you have completed the chart, check the chapters and listings you recorded. Some of these may not contain the facts you need for your essay. When you do find specific details about Gandhi’s beliefs and acts of nonviolence, write it down. Paraphrase and summarize any information you may want to include in your essay. Do not write the exact words of your source in your notes. See Language Arts Handbook 5.5, on page 882 of your textbook, for information on taking effective notes.

Write an Essay Begin writing your essay by composing a thesis statement—a sentence presenting the main idea of an essay—about Gandhi’s nonviolent beliefs and practices. Review your notes and use them to help determine your main idea. After writing your thesis statement, organize your notes and write an outline. You may want to arrange your facts chronologically or in categories, such as types of nonviolence or Gandhi’s beliefs and Gandhi’s practices. See Language Arts Handbook 4.1, on page 866 of your textbook, for additional guidelines and strategies for writing an informative essay. In your essay, credit your sources informally with phrases such as “According to [author’s name]…” Use only paraphrased and summarized information from your notes. After you have completed your essay, prepare a bibliography that lists your sources in the format given in Language Arts Handbook 5.5, on page 884 of your textbook.

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from Woodsong, page 351

INDEPENDENT AUTHOR STUDY

Gary Paulsen Gary Paulsen, the author of Woodsong, has written more than 175 books for young people and adults. His stories feature compelling characters, adventurous and humorous events, and a variety of vivid settings. For example, Hatchet takes place in the contemporary—yet remote—Canadian wilderness, whereas The Tucket Adventures are set in the exciting pioneer days of America’s western frontier. In this lesson, you will choose a book by Gary Paulsen to read and analyze. Then you will write an illustrated review that focuses on the book’s setting.

Preview and Summarize Find several books by Gary Paulsen in your library. You may start by investigating the titles below: • Hatchet • The River • Tracker • Dogsong • The Winter Room • Mr. Tucket Preview these books by reading the front and back covers, table of contents, and first few pages. Read the book that features characters and events that you find most interesting. As you read, copy any passages that feature especially vivid descriptions of the story’s setting. Summarize the main elements of the novel in the concept web below. Place

Time

Main Elements Main Character

Theme

Conflict

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Analyze Setting After you have finished reading your book, answer the questions below to analyze the role that setting plays in the story. 1. Describe the mood created by the book’s setting. Consider both time and place. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 2. How does setting affect the main character and conflict? Is the setting significant to the character’s thoughts and actions? Explain your answer. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 3. How does the book’s setting help communicate its main theme? Are the setting and theme closely related? Explain your answer. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 4. Write three short quotes from the book that vividly describe its setting. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________

Create an Illustrated Book Review Write a one-page review of the book you read. Your review should describe how Paulsen creates a vivid, compelling setting and explore how that setting enhances your understanding and enjoyment of the book. Use your answers to the questions above to support your main idea. See Language Arts Handbook 4.1, in your textbook, for additional information on organizing and drafting your review. Include an artistic interpretation of the book’s setting to enliven your review. Work in whatever medium—such as watercolor, colored pencil, or collage—you are most comfortable. Use your imagination to capture the mood of the setting in your illustration.

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The Five “Wanderers” of the Ancient Skies, page 378

PRIMARY SOURCE PROJECT

Images of the Solar System As Dennis Brindell Fradin explains in his article “The Five ‘Wanderers’ of the Ancient Skies,” early civilizations had a limited understanding of astronomy. This was partly because objects in space were so faraway and hard to see. Today, sophisticated telescopes and cameras in space vehicles bring us detailed images of heavenly bodies. These images are primary sources. In this lesson, you will view primary sources that illustrate the “wanderers” of the ancient Greeks. You will use your findings to explore and present a feature shared by those planets.

Research Websites for scientific organizations contain secondary source material, such as articles and histories. They may also include primary sources, such as satellite photographs. These images are often arranged in galleries or online displays. Use an Internet search engine to locate one of the following image galleries: • National Optical Astronomy Observatory image gallery • NASA Featured Images and Galleries • HubbleSite image gallery (images from the Hubble Space Telescope) Find satellite photographs of the “wanderers” of ancient Greece: planets within our solar system. Save or print two or three images that share a common feature, such as planetary rings or craters. Then use secondary sources from the reference section of your library or the Internet to research this feature.

Create a Visual Aid Create a visual aid featuring your chosen photographs. Present the images in a creative way, perhaps as a poster or a PowerPoint slide. Use facts from your secondary sources to write a paragraph about the feature these images share. Also tell how primary sources (satellite photographs) affect your understanding of astronomy and of Fradin’s article. Include this text on your visual aid.

Share and Reflect See Language Arts Handbook 7.10, in your textbook, for tips on presenting with multimedia technology. Display your visual aid to the class and explain what it shows. After sharing your visual aid with the class, answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper: How did the primary sources shared in class affect your understanding of astronomy? How do the secondary sources support or refute the primary sources? How do the secondary sources affect your interpretation of the images? © EMC Publishing, LLC

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Developing Your Chops / Muddy Waters, from The Blues Singers, page 398

COMPARING LITERATURE ACTIVITY

Author’s Purpose The instructional text “Developing Your Chops,” by Fran Lantz, and the biography “Muddy Waters,” by Julius Lester, are about music and musicians. Although both articles were written to inform readers, the authors used different types of facts to serve that purpose. In this lesson, you will analyze the details used by the authors of the two articles. Then you will research a musician or aspect of music, and write your own article, focusing on a specific purpose.

Analyze Use the chart below to compare and contrast aspects of the two articles. In the first two rows, identify the main idea and purpose of each article. Then describe each literary element listed and include details from each article to complete the chart. Think about how these elements are related to the author’s purpose. Literary Element

In “Developing Your Chops”

In “Muddy Waters”

Main idea Author’s specific purpose Author’s tone Type of language used Types of details included about the person or people described Types of details included about the music described

Research Music or Musicians Choose one of the following articles to write: • an article describing one musician in depth, with details about the musician’s life, career, and musical philosophy • an article describing an aspect of music, such as a particular instrument or style of music. 24

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You can find reference materials on music and musicians in the library and on the Internet. If you search the Internet, be sure you get information from reliable sources, such as educational (.edu) or governmental (.gov) websites. See Language Arts Handbook 5.2 for additional tips about conducting online research. As you evaluate possible online sources, ask yourself the following questions: • Who is the author? Does the site tell about the author’s work, education, or other experiences that make him or her an expert? • Does it seem like the author understands the subject? Did you notice mistakes in the text? • Does the text contain signs of bias? For example, was the website created by a company that wants you to buy something? • Is the information old or up-to-date? Keep the specific purpose of your article in mind as you conduct your research. If you are writing about one musician, look for the types of biographical information used in “Muddy Waters.” If you are writing about a specific aspect of music, look for the types of details about musicians found in “Developing Your Chops” to support your main idea.

Plan Your Article Answer the following questions to plan your article: 1. Are you writing about one musician or about one aspect of music? What is your specific topic? _______________________________________________________________________ 2. What is your purpose? _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ 3. List three specific library or Internet sources of information for your article. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

Write Your Article Write an informative article, using the facts you found to support your main idea. Keep your purpose in mind, and be sure that your article serves that purpose. See Language Arts Handbook 4.1, The Writing Process, in your textbook, for writing guidelines and strategies. Share your article with a small group. Discuss how the articles differ according to each writer’s specific purpose.

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from Gorillas in the Mist / from Woman in the Mists, page 419

INFORMATIONAL TEXT PROJECT

Talking with the Animals In the selection from Gorillas in the Mist, by Dian Fossey, the author describes her joy when one of the mountain gorillas she was studying looked at her and touched her hand. Experiencing this nonverbal communication with the gorilla was deeply rewarding for Fossey. Such close contact between humans and gorillas is rare. However, some scientists have succeeded in teaching gorillas and chimpanzees sign language and using it to communicate with the animals. In this activity, you will research information about Koko, a gorilla that uses sign language to communicate with humans. You will use the information you find to write a two-page expository report.

Get Started Search the library or the Internet for information about Koko and her teacher, Penny Patterson. Locate books, videos, and articles that describe Patterson’s work with the gorilla.

Research and Prewrite As you research, ask and answer questions about Koko and her use of language. You might ask questions such as the following: • How did Koko become the subject of an animal-communication study? • Why did Patterson begin teaching Koko sign language? • How many signs does Koko use? How many spoken words does she understand? • What does Koko say when she communicates? • How has Koko used language in an amusing or interesting way? Look for an anecdote about Koko and her communication skills. (An anecdote is a short account of an interesting or amusing event.) Write your questions and answers on note cards. On each card, record which source or sources brought you the answer. Organizing your sources on note cards makes it easier to reference them as you draft your report and write your bibliography. See the Language Arts Handbook 5.5, Documenting Sources, in your textbook, for more information about citing sources.

Write and Revise Organize your cards in a logical sequence, such as chronological order. Use your cards to write your report. In the first paragraph, introduce Koko and tell why she is special. In following paragraphs, provide information about Koko’s communication skills and use of language. Include your anecdote in one of the paragraphs. In the last paragraph, summarize your information and discuss whether you think animals such as Koko should be taught to communicate with humans. 26

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The Adventures of Tintin: The Black Island, page 438

INDEPENDENT GENRE STUDY

Comic Strips Comic strips have been popular in the United States since the late 1800s, when they were first published in newspapers. Many newspapers continue the custom of publishing short, three- or four-panel comics in black and white during the week and longer, full-color comics on Sundays. Like other types of narratives, comic strips usually tell a story. Some, like the popular Calvin and Hobbes, Garfield, and Peanuts, are funny. Others are dramatic. The Adventures of Tintin, first created by Hergé in 1929, was one of the first comic strips to tell an adventure story. Some conventions were developed especially for comic strips. For example, balloon shapes were created to hold the words spoken by the characters. In this lesson, you will learn about the characteristics of traditional comic strips. You will find a comic strip to read on your own. Then you will analyze and review your selected comic strip.

Learn About Comic Strips Think about comic strips, or comics, you have seen. What do they have in common? On a separate sheet of paper, write a list of all the elements that you think identify comic strips. Read the following list of elements that are found in traditional comic strips and compare it with your own list. Then read “The Adventures of Tintin: The Black Island” and note how it uses each element from the list below. • A comic contains a narrative, meaning it tells a story using the elements of other types of narratives such as short stories and novels. • A comic uses both words and illustrations to tell the story. • A comic has a main character with a conflict. • A comic portrays events that are artistically arranged with an exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. • A comic uses dialogue to suggest traits of the characters and move the plot forward. • A comic uses illustrations to create a setting and character traits

Read and Analyze a Comic Strip Some popular newspaper comic strips are compiled in anthologies, or collections. Find an anthology of a popular newspaper comic strip, a comic book, or a comic strip from a recent Sunday paper that meets your teacher’s approval. Then analyze characteristics of your selection. Use the chart at the top of the next page to identify the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution of the plot. If the plot is missing an element, indicate that it does not have it. © EMC Publishing, LLC

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Exposition

Rising action

Climax

Falling action

Resolution

On your own paper, answer the following questions as part of the analysis of your selection. 1. In your own words, summarize the story told by the comic strip. 2. How important are the words to your understanding of the story? How important are the pictures? 3. Who is the main character? What are the character’s traits? Explain how the author/illustrator uses words and pictures to portray the main character. 4. What conflict does the character face? How does the author/illustrator use words and pictures to develop the conflict? 5. What is the setting? How does the author/illustrator use words and pictures used to suggest it?

Write a Review Write a review of the comic strip you read. In a review, you give your opinion of a work, supplying evidence from the work to support your opinion. In your review, discuss how well your selected comic strip uses each aspect of a traditional comic strip described earlier in this lesson. Decide whether the comic strip is an effective form for telling its story, and support your opinion with specific examples from the selection.

Share Your Review Display your review, along with a copy of your selected comic strip, on a class bulletin board. View and discuss your classmates’ comic strips and reviews.

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Abuelito Who / The Bats, from Under the Royal Palms, page 465

PRIMARY SOURCE PROJECT

Reading Memoirs When you research, you use both primary and secondary sources. Secondary sources include magazines and newspaper articles, histories, biographies, and textbooks. Primary sources are official documents, letters, diaries, interviews, autobiographies, speeches, and creative works such as art, music, and drama. A memoir, such as “The Bats,” by Alma Flor Ada, is a primary source. Unlike an autobiography, a memoir does not give a complete record of a person’s life. It usually focuses on a major event or time period from the writer’s life. An author’s memoir can give readers a better understanding of characters and events in the author’s works. In this lesson, you will read and analyze a memoir by an author. You will write a literary response essay describing what you learned about the author’s writing by reading the memoir.

Get Started Find a memoir or autobiography by an author whose works you enjoy. Following are some memoirs by authors of selections in your textbook: • Where the Flame Trees Bloom and Under the Royal Palms, by Alma Flor Ada • I Have Words to Spend: Reflections of a Small-Town Editor, by Robert Cormier • Bad Boy: A Memoir, by Walter Dean Myers • A Summer Life, by Gary Soto Brainstorm questions you have about the author you chose and how events in his or her life affected his or her works. On a separate sheet of paper, create an empty K-W-L chart similar to the chart in Language Arts Handbook 1.2, on page 801 of your textbook. Complete the K-W-L chart to focus your reading.

Read and Respond Read at least one complete chapter or section of your chosen author’s memoir. Write a literary response essay describing what you have learned about the author and the author’s stories or poems by reading about his or her life. See Language Arts Handbook 4.1, on page 866 of your textbook, for information on how to organize and draft an essay. As you write, consider the following questions: • How is the author similar to any of his or her characters or speakers? • Are any settings in the author’s stories or poems similar to places in the author’s life? Describe them. • Are any events in the author’s stories or poems similar to events in the author’s life? Describe them. • Are any themes in the author’s stories or poems similar to ideas or lessons described by the author in the author’s memoir? Describe them. • What insights does the memoir give you into the author’s reasons for writing fiction and/or poetry? © EMC Publishing, LLC

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Jabberwocky/from The Other Alice, page 487

INFORMATIONAL TEXT ACTIVITY

Biographical Narrative Alice Liddell, described in the biography The Other Alice, by Christina Björk, is said to have inspired Lewis Carroll’s most popular book, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Did the real Alice inspire Lewis Carroll’s story? You can find answers to this question in biographies about Carroll. In this lesson, you will read biographies to learn about Carroll’s reasons for writing Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Then you will write a brief biographical narrative to report your findings.

Get Started Complete the cause-and-effect chart to summarize what you already know about Alice Liddell and how she inspired Carroll to write Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Refer to the Meet the Author sections on pages 479 and 487 and the biographical narrative on page 490 in your textbook for familiar information to include in your chart. Cause Dodgson’s best subject in school is math.

Effect Dodgson majors in math at the University.

Summary Summary: Dodgson has a background in mathematics.

Research In the library, locate biographies of Carroll including The Other Alice, by Christina Björk. You might also find the biographies Lewis Carroll: Through the Looking Glass, by Angelica Shirley Carpenter, or Lewis Carroll in Wonderland: The Life and Times of Alice and Her Creator, by Stephanie Lovett Stoffel. Check the index in each book to see whether the book describes the connection between Alice Liddell and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Look up key words for the subject, such as Alice Liddell and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in the alphabetically arranged index. Summarize or paraphrase information you find on note cards. Remember to record the source of the information on the back of the note card. 30

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Describe events in Carroll’s life that occurred before, during, and after he wrote Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, focusing on experiences related to his writing. Write the events in a vertical time line, adding dates and the events that happened on them to the time line below.

1832

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson is born.

1898

Write a Biographical Narrative See Language Arts Handbook 4.1, on pages 866–875 of your textbook, for detailed information on the writing process and purposes of writing. Follow these guidelines and the tips below to draft a biographical narrative of Carroll at the time of his writing Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: • Write the events from your time line in paragraph form. • Write an introduction that explains what the narrative is about. • Use chronological order and mention specific dates of important events. • Use transitions such as then, next, and later to make the order of events clear. • Conclude with one or more sentences that sum up the main idea of the narrative.

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There Is No Word for Goodbye / If You Should Go, page 493

COMPARING LITERATURE ACTIVITY

Theme The theme of a poem is its central idea. Readers can draw conclusions about a poem’s theme by analyzing the poem’s speaker, tone, mood, imagery, and figurative language. For example, the poems “There Is No Word for Goodbye,” by Mary TallMountain, and “If You Should Go,” by Countee Cullen, both address the topic of saying goodbye. However, the poems differ significantly in speaker and tone. Analyzing the unique way each poet used these and other elements can help you determine the poem’s theme. In this lesson, you will analyze literary elements of “There Is No Word for Goodbye” and “If You Should Go.” Then you will use your analysis to determine the poems’ themes and to write a journal entry.

Compare and Contrast In a chart like the one below, identify and describe the literary elements of each poem. Record your thoughts and ideas and include supporting examples. Use your understanding of the literary elements to identify each poem’s theme. There Is No Word for Goodbye

If You Should Go

Speaker Tone Mood Imagery Figurative language Theme

Respond Write a one-page journal entry explaining which of the two poems you prefer and why. To support your opinion, use specific details and examples from the chart. Also describe personal experiences or emotions that help you understand the poem’s theme. See Language Arts Handbook 4.1, on page 866 of your textbook, for additional guidelines and tips on the writing process.

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Jimmy Jet and His TV Set, page 520

INDEPENDENT AUTHOR STUDY

Shel Silverstein Shel Silverstein wrote and illustrated a large body of work, including poems, short stories, plays, and songs. His writing has appeared in magazines, newspapers, and twenty books. Although many of his poems were written for children, they appeal to people of all ages. In this lesson, you will read and analyze several poems by Shel Silverstein. Then you will share your selections with your classmates.

Get Started Locate a collection of Shel Silverstein’s poetry in your school or local library. Some of his most popular titles include Where the Sidewalk Ends, Falling Up, and A Light in the Attic. Read several poems from your chosen collection. Then select one poem that you feel would appeal to each of the following audiences: a five- or six-year-old child, a person your own age, and an adult your parents’ age.

Analyze In the chart below, describe and analyze the features of the poems that you chose for different age groups. For example, “Jimmy Jet and His TV Set” has a singsong rhythm and an abab cded fghg rhyme scheme that suggests the musical qualities of a nursery rhyme. These elements would appeal to children. However, a parent may enjoy the humorous way that the poem condemns the constant viewing of television. Six-Year-Old

Sixth Grader

Parent

Poem title Poem subject Rhythm and rhyme Word choice Humor

Share Read your selected poems aloud to your classmates. See Language Arts Handbook 7.7, on page 895 of your textbook, for tips on interpreting and reciting poetry. After reading each poem, identify which group of readers (sixyear-olds, sixth graders, and parents) you felt would most enjoy the selection. Explain your reasoning with specific ideas and examples from your chart. © EMC Publishing, LLC

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The Wreck of the Hesperus / Dangers of the Deep, page 551

PRIMARY SOURCE PROJECT

Researching a Shipwreck The narrative poem “The Wreck of the Hesperus,” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, is a creative work that describes a shipwreck. “Dangers of the Deep,” by Alex Markels, is an informational article that describes some causes of wrecks of fishing boats. One of the most famous shipwrecks of all time was the sinking of the Titanic. Unlike the small boats described in “The Wreck of the Hesperus” and “Dangers of the Deep,” the Titanic was an enormous ocean liner. In April 1912, the ship sank, killing over fifteen hundred people. Hundreds of articles, nonfiction books, novels, and memoirs about the Titanic have been published. Secondary sources on this event include magazines and newspaper articles, histories, biographies, and textbooks. Primary sources include official documents, letters, diaries, interviews, memoirs, and autobiographies. In this lesson, you will research the causes and effects of the sinking of the Titanic. You will use at least one primary source and one secondary source in your research. Then you will write a cause-and-effect essay to report your findings.

Research the Sinking of the Titanic A cause-and-effect essay answers the questions why and what. Consider the following questions as you research the Titanic: • What was the main cause of the wreck? • Why did this event occur? • What did the ship’s crew do after the wreck? • What did the ship’s passengers do after the wreck? • What were the effects of the crew’s and passengers’ actions? • Why did the event result in such loss of life? At the library or on the Internet, locate primary and secondary sources about the sinking of the Titanic. In these sources, use tables of contents and indexes to find information about the causes and effects of the events surrounding this tragedy. Use bibliographies to help you locate additional primary sources. A bibliography lists the sources used by an author in researching a topic. A title or subtitle, the author’s name, and the publication date can help you determine whether a source is primary or secondary. For example, a newspaper article with the phrase “firsthand account” in the title and a date shortly after the wreck would be a primary source. Use the following chart to record your findings about the causes and effects of the sinking of the Titanic. For each item that you list in the Effect column, include at least one cause in the Cause column, and vice versa. You might discover that a particular cause has more than one effect, or that a single effect has two or more causes. In the Source column, write the title and author of your source for each piece of information that you record in the Cause and Effect columns. 34

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Cause

Effect

Source

Primary or Secondary?

Write a Cause-and-Effect Essay See Language Arts Handbook 4.1, in your textbook, for information on the writing process. Refer to these guidelines and the following suggestions as you write a cause-and-effect essay on the sinking of the Titanic: • Begin with an introduction that states the main idea of your essay and lets readers know that it will discuss causes and effects. • Organize your essay clearly. You might discuss causes of the event first and effects of the event second, or you might discuss each cause and its effects separately. Decide how to organize each of these sections. You might choose to organize your ideas in chronological order or order of importance. • Generally summarize or paraphrase the facts from your sources. Do include at least one direct quote from a primary source. • When you quote a source directly, be sure to use quotation marks around the words and include a proper citation. • Write a conclusion that sums up your findings. • At the end of your essay, document your sources. See Language Arts Handbook 5.5, Documenting Sources, in your textbook, for information on correct documentation formats.

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Seal / Whale Breathing, page 568

COMPARING LITERATURE ACTIVITY

Diction in Poetry In writing, diction describes an author’s choice of words. It is an important element of the writer’s style and voice. Diction helps readers visualize what is happening through the use of specific nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. In this lesson, you will write a one-page essay comparing diction in the poems “Seal,” by William Jay Smith, and “Whale Breathing,” by Bill Holm.

Identify Examples of Effective Diction What makes some words and phrases exciting and interesting? Think about the phrase “aquamarine waves leap.” The noun waves, the adjective aquamarine, and the verb leap are interesting because they are precise words. Each word creates a specific picture in the reader’s mind. Copy the chart below on a separate sheet of paper. In your chart, identify rich language from each poem according to each word’s part of speech. Parts of Speech

Examples in “Seal”

Examples in “Whale Breathing”

Vivid nouns Vivid verbs Vivid adjectives Vivid adverbs

Write a Compare-and-Contrast Essay Write a one-page compare-and-contrast essay discussing the diction of these two poems. You may organize your essay as a point-by-point comparison, discussing one element of one poem and then the same element of the other poem, and so on. Or you may organize your essay as a block comparison, discussing all aspects of one poem and then all aspects of the other. Use the examples listed in your chart to support the main points of your essay. See Language Arts Handbook 4.1, in your textbook, for additional information on organizing and drafting an essay. Consider those guidelines and the following questions as you write your essay: • How does each poet use diction to make his subjects and themes clear and interesting? • In your opinion, does one poem use diction more effectively than the other? Explain your answer. • Which poem did you enjoy more? Describe the diction of that poem. Did the poem’s diction influence your preference? Explain your answer. 36

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Haiku, page 580

POETIC FORM STUDY

Haiku A haiku is a traditional Japanese three-line poem. It has five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third. A traditional haiku usually describes an object or event in nature. It may communicate a fleeting emotion or moment in time. Its purpose is to create a vivid image using only a few words. The haiku in your textbook are by Matsuo Bashō, a poet who is considered one of the greatest masters of the form. In this lesson, you will read and analyze several additional haiku. Then you will write your own haiku.

Read and Analyze Haiku Some collections of poetry—like Unit 5 and Unit 6 in your textbook—include examples of work from many literary traditions. In the library, locate one or more poetry collections containing examples of haiku. Read a number of these poems and choose the four that you like best. Record the author, topic, and one vivid image from each poem on your own paper.

Discuss Haiku See Language Arts Handbook 7.3, Collaborative Learning and Communication, in your textbook, for information about participating in a group discussion. After reviewing those guidelines, discuss your haiku with a small group. Answer the following questions in your discussion: What subjects in nature are described in the haiku you studied? What other subjects did you find described in haiku? What characteristics marked your favorite haiku? Why do you think haiku has been a popular form of poetry for hundreds of years?

Write a Poem With your group, brainstorm ideas for haiku topics. Write on a small piece of paper each topic from nature that could be the subject of a haiku. Fold the papers and put them in a brown bag. Then draw a piece of paper from it. Read the topic on your piece of paper, and write a haiku on that topic. Use the following questions to help you revise your poem: Does the haiku focus on the specific topic you chose? Does the haiku contain the proper number of syllables and lines? Does the haiku use vivid imagery to communicate a powerful image, idea, or emotion?

Share and Respond Read your haiku aloud to the group. Make positive comments about the imagery in your group members’ poems and explain how this imagery made you feel. © EMC Publishing, LLC

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We grow accustomed to the Dark—, page 601

INDEPENDENT AUTHOR STUDY

Emily Dickinson Emily Dickinson wrote nearly eighteen hundred poems in her lifetime. An enthusiastic gardener, Dickinson wrote many poems about objects in nature. She used figurative language to describe various natural subjects, such as birds, insects, storms, and seasons. Specifically, Dickinson used the following figures of speech to add color and interest to her poetry: • Metaphor: a comparison describing one thing as if it were another (“the moon is a golden coin”) • Simile: a comparison between two unlike things using the word like or as (“the bird song is like a hymn”) • Personification: a description that treats a nonhuman subject as if it were human (“Life steps almost straight”) In this lesson, you will read and analyze three poems about nature by Dickinson. Then you will write a one-page descriptive essay answering the question, How does Dickinson express mood and meaning through figurative language in three nature poems?

Get Started Find a book of Dickinson’s poetry in your library. Your selected book may group poems by topic, such as time, love, or nature. Choose three of Dickinson’s nature poems to analyze. You may want to narrow your focus to a subtopic, such as birds, insects, or storms. Remember that any subtopic must be related to nature. The list below names some of Dickinson’s best-known nature poems. • “A narrow Fellow in the Grass” • “The Wind begun to knead the Grass—” • “A Bird came down the Walk—” • “Two butterflies went out at noon” • “We like March, his shoes are purple” • “Blazing in Gold and quenching in Purple” (page 577 of your textbook) • “We grow accustomed to the Dark—” (page 601 of your textbook) Draw a three-column chart like the one shown on a separate sheet of paper. Record the titles of your selected poems. Read each poem. Identify each poem’s mood and meaning under the correct headings in your three-column chart. Poem

Mood

Meaning

Title: Title: Title:

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Analyze Figurative Language Complete the following chart to analyze Dickinson’s use of metaphor, simile, and personification in the three poems you selected. List at least one example of each type of figurative language from each poem. For examples of metaphor and simile, identify what is being compared. For examples of personification, describe the mental image the example creates. Explain how each example affects your understanding of the poem’s mood and meaning. Figurative Language

Poem 1:

Poem 2:

Poem 3:

Metaphor Examples: Explanations: Simile Examples: Explanations: Personification Examples: Explanations:

Write an Essay How does Dickinson express mood and meaning through figurative language in three nature poems? Write a one-page essay answering this question, giving examples from the nature poems you studied. See Language Arts Handbook 4.1, in your textbook, for information on the writing process. In addition to those guidelines, consider the following questions as you write your essay: • What attitude does Dickinson’s figurative language show toward her topic? • How did Dickinson use figurative language to help create the mood of each poem? • How does figurative language help you understand the meaning of each poem? • Did Dickinson always characterize nature as beautiful? What other traits of nature do her poems suggest?

Display Your Essays Create a class bulletin board about Dickinson’s poetry. Copy the three poems you analyzed and display your essay with them. Create an illustration (a sketch, a painting, or a collage) to include with your essay, or work with classmates to make illustrations for the entire display.

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In the Fog / from Gettysburg, page 623

INFORMATIONAL TEXT ACTIVITY

Civil War Battles The Informational Text Connection from the article “Gettysburg” on page 635, provides factual information about the setting of the screenplay “In the Fog.” The Battle of Gettysburg was one of the key battles of the American Civil War. In addition to being one of the deadliest battles in U.S. history, Gettysburg marked a turning point in the war. The South suffered a huge defeat, while the Union was newly energized. In Civil War history, battles like Gettysburg stand out because of their effect on the war’s final outcome. In this lesson, you will research and write a report about an important battle of the Civil War. Then, you will share your article with the class as a television news report.

Get Started Research one of the major Civil War battles listed below: • First Bull Run • Fredericksburg • Siege of Vicksburg • Second Bull Run • Chancellorsville • Spotsylvania Court House • Antietam • Shiloh • Siege of Petersburg You can find many books about the Civil War in the library. You may discover that Civil War reference books contain an enormous amount of information on this complicated period in history. Your first step is to locate books that have the specific material you need. Find two or three books that discuss battles in detail. Look up the battle you are researching in the table of contents and the index of each book. If the books contain the facts you need, begin reading and summarizing the information. Identify the battle you choose below. Briefly list the most important events of that battle, based on the information you just read. Battle: __________________________________________________________________________ 1. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 3. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 4. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 5. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 40

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Research Continue to research your chosen battle using Internet and library sources. Complete the following chart as you research your topic. To answer the question, “What happened?,” you can summarize the events of the battle that you listed. Battle: Who was involved? (Identify generals and other commanders.) What happened? When did it happen? Where did it happen? Why did it happen? How was it significant?

Write a Report Use your research to write a report in the style of a news article. See Language Arts Handbook 4.1, on page 866 of your textbook, for information on the writing process. Use these guidelines and the tips below to help you write your article: • Begin with a lead paragraph that identifies the who, what, when, where, why, and how of your selected battle. • Explain this information in greater detail in the body of your report. The purpose of a news article is to provide the most important facts in a clear and direct way. • Report the events in chronological order. Use dates as well as transitions such as first, next, then, and finally to make the order of events clear.

Share Your Report Present your report in the style of a television news broadcast. Sit at a desk in the front of the classroom and maintain eye contact with your classmates, as if you were looking at a television camera. Use your written report as a reminder of your facts, rather than reading the report word-for-word. Remember to speak with a tone of voice that indicates your attitude toward the event you are reporting.

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The Fairies’ Lullaby / The Stolen Child, page 637

COMPARING LITERATURE ACTIVITY

Sound Devices Poets often use sound devices to add a musical quality to their poems. Sound devices such as rhyme and alliteration use the repetition of sounds to create this effect. Rhythm, another sound device, also has a strong connection to music: it is what causes listeners to tap their feet to a song! These sound devices can help create the moods and themes of a poem. In this lesson, you will analyze the sound devices in “The Fairies’ Lullaby,” by William Shakespeare, and “The Stolen Child,” by William Butler Yeats. Then you will consider how sound devices influence your enjoyment and understanding of the poems. Finally, you will write a poem of your own using sound devices.

Analyze Sound Devices Use the chart below to help analyze the sound devices in “The Fairies’ Lullaby” and “The Stolen Child.” (Refer to pages 472–473 in your textbook to review the sound devices used in poetry.) • For rhyme scheme, use lowercase letters, such as abab, to identify the rhyme scheme of the first two stanzas of “The Fairies’ Lullaby,” and of the first stanza of “The Stolen Child.” • For rhythm, tell whether each poem has a regular rhythm or not. If so, tell how many feet are in each line. • For the other sound devices listed on the chart, give specific examples from the poems. Sound Devices

in “The Fairies’ Lullaby”

in “The Stolen Child”

Rhyme scheme Rhythm Alliteration Consonance Assonance Onomatopoeia

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Use your completed chart to help you answer the following questions. 1. How does the rhythm and rhyme of “The Fairies’ Lullaby” affect the poem’s mood? How does the effect of rhythm and rhyme differ in “The Stolen Child”? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 2. In “The Fairies’ Lullaby,” alliteration and consonance help create what mood? Explain your answer. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 3. How does onomatopoeia help create mood in “The Fairies’ Lullaby” and in “The Stolen Child”? Describe the mood of each poem in your answer. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________

Write a Poem Imagine meeting some supernatural creatures in a forest. Write a poem about the creatures. Include several sound devices in your poem. Consider the following as you plan and write your poem: • Identify the mood you want to create, such as gentle, mysterious, scary, or funny. • Use rhythm, rhyme scheme, alliteration, onomatopoeia, and other sound devices to help create the mood. • Use “The Fairies’ Lullaby” and “The Stolen Child” as models of how rhythm and rhyme help create a specific mood.

Share Your Poem Read your poem to a small group. See Language Arts Handbook 7.1 and 7.7, on pages 890 and 895 of your textbook, for tips on delivering a poem with expression. After you have read your poem to the group, ask group members to identify the mood of your poem and to point out specific sound devices that help create it.

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Do You Think I’m Crabby? page 644

PRIMARY SOURCE PROJECT

“Peanuts” Comic Strip “Do You Think I’m Crabby?” is an excerpt from the musical play You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. This play is based on the comic strip “Peanuts,” by Charles Schultz, which was one of the longest-running and most popular comic strips in history. It was published daily for nearly fifty years. At its height, it appeared in over 2,600 newspapers. With such a distribution, Schultz’s work has influenced many comic strip artists. In this lesson, you will analyze the literary elements in original “Peanuts” comic strips. Then you will write and deliver a short speech focusing on Charles Schulz’s unique achievements in this genre.

Research Due to the popularity of “Peanuts,” these comic strips have been published together in many books, or collections. These collections include The Complete Peanuts, a series of books in eleven volumes, and Peanuts Guide to Life. Use the card catalog or online catalog in the library to find one or more of these collections. Read several “Peanuts” comic strips. In the chart below, give examples of each literary element from the comic strip. One example of characterization is given as an example. Choose examples that show why the comic was popular and acclaimed. Use the completed chart to help you answer questions on the next page. Literary Element Characterization

Examples Linus is talented musically but still needs his security blanket.

Dialogue

Humor

Theme

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1. In your opinion, which element of the comic strip was strongest and raised “Peanuts” above the level of other comic strips? Give one or two examples. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 2. In your opinion, which element of “Peanuts” was weakest? Give one or two examples. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 3. What aspects of “Peanuts” were unique and different from the content of other popular comic strips? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 4. Based on your analysis, why do you think “Peanuts” was the most popular comic strip for many years? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________

Write and Deliver a Speech Commemorative speeches are written to honor subjects for their skills, talents, or deeds. Suppose you are giving a speech at an event honoring Charles Schulz’s achievements in the comic strip “Peanuts.” Write a speech describing why the author of “Peanuts” should be honored. Focus on one element of the comic strip that you feel demonstrates how artistic and original the author was. Use specific examples from the comic strip to support your ideas and opinions. See Language Arts Handbook 7.6, on pages 886–887 of your textbook, for additional information on delivering a commemorative speech. Present your speech to the class, maintaining eye contact and appropriate vocal expressions. Include visual aids such as copies of “Peanuts” comic strips or examples of other comic strips for comparison.

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The Phantom Tollbooth, page 650

INDEPENDENT READING ACTIVITY

Themes of The Phantom Tollbooth In Act 1, Scene 1 of The Phantom Tollbooth the Clock says, “Time is important, but it’s what you do with it that makes it so.” This is an idea that you may have heard before or that you may have realized yourself. Both the play and the novel The Phantom Tollbooth look into several important ideas like this one. Each of these ideas could be considered a theme, or a central idea of a literary work. Sometimes themes are stated directly, but most often they are suggested by literary elements of the work, such as how the characters behave and speak. In this lesson, you will read and analyze the original novel The Phantom Tollbooth. Then you will write a personal essay about a theme of the novel.

Read the Original Work Locate a copy of the novel The Phantom Tollbooth in your library. As you read the book, be mindful of how the author uses literary elements to explore possible themes. Notice which topics the author discusses repeatedly. Think about what the characters say about these topics. The ideas and opinions the characters present through dialogue can help you find the theme or themes of the work. On the lines below, identify four themes that you found important in the novel. Then circle the one that is most meaningful to you. This theme may be most meaningful because you feel it connects to your own life, or it could be an important lesson you believe everyone should learn. 1. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 3. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 4. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Complete the chart on the next page to show how each element of the novel contributes to understanding the theme you circled. For example, you might mention how Milo’s bored attitude changes throughout the story, supporting the theme of the importance of making good use of time.

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Element

Examples from Novel

Main character: Milo

Other characters

Dialogue

Setting

Events

Word choice and figures of speech

Write a Personal Essay In a personal essay, you write about a topic that interests you, using personal ideas, experiences, and anecdotes (short amusing stories) to support your point of view. For example, the novel The Phantom Tollbooth may have encouraged you to examine your own attitudes toward the use of time. Is your attitude similar to Milo’s at the beginning or at the end of the novel? Have Milo’s experiences made you eager to change your own life in any way? Write a one-page personal essay about the theme you found most meaningful in The Phantom Tollbooth. See Language Arts Handbook 4.1, beginning on page 859 of your textbook, for information on the writing process. Follow these guidelines and remember to include the following elements when writing your essay: • a thesis statement relating to the theme of the novel • evidence to support your thesis • examples from the novel • examples and anecdotes from your personal experience • a conclusion that sums up why you found the novel’s theme valuable

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Arachne / The Orb Weaver, page 705

CULTURAL CONNECTION ACTIVITY

Ancient Greek Culture “Arachne” is a myth that originated in ancient Greece, which existed from 1100 to 146 bce. Ancient Greece is considered the birthplace of Western civilization. The Greeks are famous for many achievements in multiple areas of culture, such as architecture, drama, philosophy, and science. Knowing more about ancient Greece can help you understand and appreciate literature from that period. In this lesson, you will learn about a specific field of ancient Greek culture and create an illustrated report to share your findings. You will also summarize your classmates’ findings in a chart.

Create an Illustrated Report Choose one of the cultural fields in the chart below to research in depth. (Your teacher may assign fields to be sure that the class as a whole covers all the fields equally.) Use encyclopedias, other nonfiction books, and Internet sources for your research. Then write a report on your findings. Your report should describe the main accomplishments of the ancient Greeks in the field you researched. It should also profile people or gods associated with the field. Once you have written the text of your report, find a creative way to present it, such as in a poster, brochure, presentation software such as PowerPoint, or video. See Language Arts Handbook 7.10, in your textbook, for presentation suggestions. Whatever form your report takes, be sure to make it visually appealing with illustrations (such as drawings, paintings, collages, charts, maps, and graphs). Display or present your report along with those of your classmates.

Listen and Learn Copy the chart below on a separate sheet of paper. In your chart, record and summarize information you learn from your own report and your classmates’ reports. Cultural Field

Ancient Greek Accomplishments

Religion Philosophy Architecture Science Drama Olympic games and sports Government 48

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Why Monkeys Live in Trees, page 716

GENRE STUDY

Folk Tales Explaining Nature Folk tales are stories passed by word of mouth from generation to generation. Some folk tales, like “Why Monkeys Live in Trees,” explain behaviors or events in nature. Stories of this type are alike in many ways, although each may have a unique subject. In this lesson, you will read folk tales that explain features of the natural world. You will analyze the literary elements of these stories, looking for similarities. You will then write your own folk tale that explains something in the natural world, using elements that are common to nature folk tales.

Read and Analyze Folk Tales Read “Why Monkeys Live in Trees,” as retold by Julius Lester, from your textbook, plus at least two other folk tales that explain how something in nature came to exist. You can find this type of story by checking the tables of contents of collections of folk tales and looking for titles beginning Why or How. You can also run a search for nature myths in the library catalog or on the Internet. Copy the chart below on a separate sheet of paper. In columns 2, 3, and 4 of your chart, describe the literary elements of each story. When have finished the stories, compare and contrast the treatment of each element in the all three stories. Summarize your observations about similarities and differences in column 5. In Story 2:

Literary Elements

In Story 3:

In “Why Monkeys Live in Trees”

Similarities and Differences Between the Stories

Topic

Characters

Setting

Tone

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Write and Present a Folk Tale Brainstorm a subject for an original folk tale about nature. Use the following general topics to help you find a specific topic for your story: the color, shape, or patterns of plants and animals; features of the four seasons; habits of animals; and weather events. Write your topic on the line. ________________________________________________________________________________ Write a folk tale that explains how your topic came to be. After writing a first draft, ask yourself the following questions. Write the answers on the lines provided. 1. Does the story offer an original, imaginative explanation of the subject? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 2. In what ways are the characters similar to characters in the folk tales I analyzed? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 3. In what ways is the setting similar to settings in the folk tales I analyzed? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 4. In what ways is my tone similar to the tones of the folk tales I analyzed? Is it appropriate for my topic and purpose? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Remember that folk tales explaining nature have many similar elements. After reviewing the answers to the above questions, consider whether you need to revise your story. When you have a clean final draft of your folk tale, present it orally to the class. See Language Arts Handbook 7.8, in your textbook, for information about storytelling.

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The Magic Mortar / The Stone, page 732

COMPARING LITERATURE ACTIVITY

Characters in Folk Literature The protagonist is the most important character in a work of fiction. During the course of the story, he or she will experience some sort of conflict, or struggle. A protagonist’s motivation is the force that moves him or her to think, feel, or behave in a certain way. The protagonist of a story may be dynamic (changing as a result of the story’s events) or static (not changing in a significant way). In this lesson, you will read a folk tale or fairy tale of your choosing and analyze its protagonist. You will then write a description of a folk tale protagonist, using specific examples from the “The Magic Mortar,” “The Stone,” and your chosen folk tale.

Read a Folk Tale At the library, locate an anthology, or collection, of folk literature. Read at least one folk tale from your anthology. Then read “The Magic Mortar,” as retold by Yoshiko Uchida, and “The Stone,” by Lloyd Alexander, in your textbook. Copy the chart below on a your own paper. Complete the chart by describing how each literary element relates to the protagonists in the stories you just read.

Literary Element

Younger Brother in “The Magic Mortar”

Maibon in “The Stone”

________________ in:

Conflict Motivation Character traits Dynamic or static?

Describe a Protagonist Suppose you are creating a protagonist for a folk tale you are writing. Write an essay that discusses the general character of your protagonist. Assume that your protagonist shares at least some of the traits common to the ones in the three stories you examined. In your essay, use specific examples from your chart. See Language Arts Handbook 4.1, in your textbook, for information about writing essays. Refer to those guidelines and to these questions as you write your description: What type of motivation does the protagonist have? Is the protagonist likeable? What are some common character traits of protagonists in folk tales you have read? In a folk tale, is the protagonist usually dynamic or static? © EMC Publishing, LLC

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Clever Anaeet, page 774

INDEPENDENT READING PROJECT

Retelling a Folk Tale “Clever Anaeet” is a folk tale from Armenia. Nearly every country in the world has traditional folk tales that have been retold for hundreds of years. You may be familiar with traditional German tales as presented through the writings of the Brothers Grimm. You can find these stories, as well as tales from Japan, India, Mexico, and other countries, in the library and on the Internet. Tanya Robyn Batt wrote the version of “Clever Anaeet” that appears in your textbook. Batt not only writes versions of traditional folk tales for modern readers, she performs the stories for audiences. Storytelling is an art that has entertained people for thousands of years. In this lesson, you will read and analyze a folk tale from a specific country of your choice. Then you will prepare an oral interpretation of the story to share with classmates or others.

Read and Analyze Locate an anthology of folk tales from a country that interests you. From that collection, choose a tale to tell your classmates. The story you select should have • a strong, engaging protagonist (main character) • a plot that has an interesting conflict and compelling events and that is not too complex for listeners to follow • a clear theme or moral • vivid details about a setting or culture In the chart below, describe the key parts of your chosen folk tale. For characters, name and briefly describe the story’s protagonist and one to three other main characters. For point of view, identify which of the following viewpoints the narrator of the tale uses: • third person omniscient, in which the narrator is aware of the thoughts and feelings of all the characters • third person limited, in which the narrator is aware of the thoughts and feelings of only one character • first person, told by a participant in the story’s events Literary Elements

How Each Element Is Used in the Story

Point of view Main characters Moral or theme

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Analyze Audience Identify the audience to whom you will tell the tale. Perhaps you will have the opportunity to present your story to younger students. You may also present the story to your classmates or to a group of adults including teachers or parents. Knowing your audience will help you plan how to tell the story. For example, you will want to use simple, direct language if you are telling the story to a group of fiveyear-old children. Your audience will also affect the story events you describe and the cultural background information you include. For instance, if the audience is young, you may need to simplify story events. If they are unfamiliar with the culture that made the tale, you may need to describe certain traditions. In the chart below, identify your audience and plan how to make elements in your story appropriate that audience. Audience: Language Story events Knowledge of cultural background

Plan and Rehearse the Story After planning for your audience, write the story events you want to include on note cards. Use key words and phrases to describe events, instead of full sentences. Your performance should sound natural and entertaining. If you write out the whole story, you may sound rigid and scripted. Practice with your note cards in front of a mirror. Use the following tips to develop your performance: • Focus on your audience and purpose. • Use your chosen point of view consistently. • Use vivid details to bring the characters and setting to life. • Use a few well-chosen words instead of many words. • Use dialogue when it helps bring the characters and plot to life. You can make your voice higher or lower and speak faster or slower to fit each character. • Decide on how you will communicate the theme or moral of the story. Will you state it directly, or will you suggest through the characters and events you describe? See Language Arts Handbook 7.8, in your textbook, for more information on telling an expressive, entertaining story. After reading those guidelines, practice telling your story to a small group of friends or family. When you are confident in your storytelling abilities, deliver the story to your audience.

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ANSWER KEY Unit 1 The Circuit / Harvesting Hope: The Story of César Chávez Informational Text Project: César Chávez, page 1 Students should work with a group to find and record five different print or online sources of information about César Chávez. They should record two facts from each source on specific topics. Students should identify quotes about or by Chávez and cite their sources. Students should write individual paragraphs about Chávez based on the facts they collected. They should share their paragraphs with their groups and then with the class to analyze differences based on varied organizational structures, sources, and facts.

Comparing Literature Activity: Realistic Fiction, page 9 Students should rate and analyze the realistic elements of the two short stories. In their analysis, students should describe specific aspects of the stories’ realism. Students should write thoughtful letters that adhere to the standards of written English. In their writing, they should connect events or situations in the stories to their own experiences. They should refer to realistic aspects of the stories and use the correct form for a personal, informal letter.

The Dog of Pompeii / Pompeii Historical Nonfiction Study: Writing About Volcanoes, page 10

Eleven Literary Analysis Activity: Point of View, page 3 Students should use the graphic organizer to identify personality traits of the character they chose to tell the story. Answers to questions about the character will depend on the character chosen. Students’ outlines should provide a structure and significant events for their retelling of the story, using a different point of view. Students’ answers to the Reflect questions should identify what they learned about telling stories from a different point of view.

The Sand Castle / Forecast: A Warmer World Primary and Secondary Source Project: Global Warming, page 6 Students should complete the first two columns of a K-W-L chart on global warming. They should find and document primary and secondary sources to answer their questions. They should use the information to complete their K-W-L chart.They should create a poster that includes relevant, attractive graphic aids. Students’ posters should display pertinent, accurate information about global warming.

La Bamba Independent Author Study: Gary Soto, page 8 Students should read at least three poems and one piece of fiction or nonfiction by Gary Soto. They should complete a chart to analyze and thoughtfully compare specific aspects of Soto’s poetry and his prose. Then they should write a paragraph explaining whether they prefer Soto’s poetry or his prose, using specific examples from both genres to support their main idea.

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In their charts, students should identify images from “Pompeii” that appeal to each sense. They should record their reactions to these details and explain how the details affect their understanding of the historic event. Students should research one of the volcanic eruptions from the list: Mount St. Helens, Parícutin, Novarupta, Krakatoa, or Tambora. They should locate at least two sources on the Internet or in the library and take notes by paraphrasing or summarizing facts and information. Students’ historical nonfiction articles should describe the events surrounding their selected eruptions in chronological order. They should imitate Silverberg’s style by writing as if they were witnessing the events and by including numerous sensory details.

President Cleveland, Where Are You? / Card-Carrying Collectors Primary Source Project: Trading Cards, page 12 Students should use Internet and library resources to find the following answers to questions about trading cards: 1. The first trading cards were made in the 1880s and showed the names of baseball players. They were made of cloth. 2. Until around 1936, trading cards were sold with products such as bubble gum or snacks as a marketing gimmick. 3. The two main groups of trading cards are sports cards (baseball, football) and non–sports cards (movie characters, comic book characters).

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Students should interview a person who collects trading cards and write an article based on the interview. The article should answer the questions who, what, when, where, why, and how about the person and his or her hobby. Students should include relevant, interesting quotes and anecdotes to add an element of entertainment to their articles. Students should summarize their articles as an informal speech in a small group. The group should reach a consensus on an answer to the question Why do people collect trading cards?

from There Is No Salvation for India Informational Text Project: Gandhi’s Philosophy of Nonviolence, page 19 Students’ charts should indicate the location of relevant information from biographies. Students’ essays should provide thoughtful, accurate descriptions of Gandhi’s beliefs and acts of nonviolence. Students should provide a complete bibliography of their sources, following the standard format.

from Woodsong The King of Mazy May

Independent Author Study: Gary Paulsen, page 21

Independent Author Study: Jack London, page 14

Students should complete a concept web showing the basic elements of their selected book. Answers for questions 1–4 will vary. Students’ answers should demonstrate that they have read and understood their selected book. Students should write a one-page book review that accurately describes and thoughtfully analyzes the book’s setting. They should include an illustration that captures the setting’s mood.

Students should read the short story “To Build a Fire” or the novel The Call of the Wild. Students should analyze what London says about humans, nature, and animals in the work they read and in his short story “The King of Mazy May.” Finally, students should write an essay discussing London’s themes in the two works. They should use examples from the works to support their main idea. Students should provide insight as to how themes from the two works are related to each other.

Unit 3 Abd al-Rahman Ibrahima Geography Connection Activity: West Africa, page 15

Unit 4 The Five “Wanderers” of the Ancient Skies Primary Source Project: Images of the Solar System, page 23

Students should list the following West African countries and capitals: Porto-Novo, Benin; Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; Praia, Cape Verde; Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire; Banjul, The Gambia; Accra, Ghana; Conakry, Guinea; Bissau, Guinea-Bissau; Monrovia, Liberia; Bamako, Mali; Nouakchott, Mauritania; Niamey, Niger; Lagos, Nigeria; Dakar, Senegal; Freetown, Sierra Leone; Lomé, Togo. Students’ maps should include the locations mentioned in the selection and an inset map identifying West Africa within the continent. Students should show and discuss their maps with their classmates.

Students should create and present an interesting, accurate visual aid. They should include two or three images as primary sources. They should include one well-researched paragraph describing an interesting feature the images share. Students should conclude their paragraph with an explanation of how their primary sources influenced their understanding of the topic. Students’ answers to the Reflect questions should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of primary sources and their importance. They should also include a description of how secondary sources can help reinforce the primary source images that were viewed.

from The Need for Solidarity Among Ethnic Groups

Developing Your Chops / Muddy Waters, from The Blues Singers

Social Studies Connection Project: Myanmar, page 17 Students’ displays should demonstrate they have thoroughly researched their category of information. The displays should answer questions about Myanmar, expand this information, and contain multiple visual or physical aids, exhibited in an appealing manner. After viewing class displays, students should provide five facts from each category of information.

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Comparing Literature Activity: Author’s Purpose, page 24 Students should analyze and compare the main idea, purpose, and details of each article. They should plan and research an article that either describes one musician in depth or describes one aspect of music such as a particular instrument or style. Students’ articles should follow the organizational method of one of the articles, include specific details to support their main idea, and demonstrate a specific purpose.

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from Gorillas in the Mist / from Woman in the Mists Informational Text Project: Talking with the Animals, page 26 Students should find information on Koko the gorilla and her trainer, Penny Patterson. This information should include how many words Koko can sign and how many spoken words she understands. Students should create an accurate, well-organized informational report with a bibliography.

The Adventures of Tintin: The Black Island Independent Genre Study: Comic Strips, page 27 Students should think about elements that are common in traditional comic strips and identify those elements in “The Adventures of Tintin: The Black Island.” Next, they should locate and read an appropriate comic strip from a library or Internet source. They should complete a chart for plot and answer questions in the lesson to analyze the comic strip’s plot, use of words and illustrations, characters, conflict, and setting. Then they should write a review giving their own opinion of how well the comic strip executes each element in a traditional comic strip.

Unit 5 Abuelito Who / The Bats, from Under the Royal Palms Primary Source Project: Reading Memoirs, page 29 Students should complete a K-W-L chart to decide what they would like to learn about a selected memoir. Their charts should demonstrate that they have read the work with thoughtful consideration. Students should write literary response essays describing what they learned about the author’s life and how it may have influenced his or her writing.

Jabberwocky / from The Other Alice Informational Text Activity: Biographical Narrative, page 30 Students should complete a cause-and-effect chart to identify their prior knowledge of the subject. Students should demonstrate thorough research through summaries and an accurate time line of events from Lewis Carroll’s life. Time lines may include these dates and events: 1832 Charles Lutwidge Dodgson is born; 1854 Dodgson graduates from Christ Church, Oxford University; 1856 Dodgson begins teaching at Christ Church;1856 Dodgson publishes the poem “Solitude”

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under the name Lewis Carroll; 1856 Dodgson meets the Liddell family.1862 Dodgson tells Alice and her sisters a story about Alice’s adventures; 1865 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is published; 1871 Through the Looking Glass is published. 1898 Dodgson dies. Students should write a biographical narrative telling how Carroll came to write Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The narrative should follow chronological order, mention specific dates, and use transitions such as later and then.

There Is No Word for Goodbye / If You Should Go Comparing Literature Activity: Theme, page 32 Students’ charts should demonstrate that they have read and understood the literary elements of the selection poems. Possible responses for chart: “There Is No Word for Goodbye”: speaker: niece or nephew of subject; tone: serious, yet loving; mood: understanding, sentimental; imagery: touch, “windtanned skin”; sight, “river flash,” “looked close”; figurative language: metaphor, “net of wrinkles,” “wise black pools”; simile, “touched light as a bluebell”; theme: we are never apart from those we love because we hold them in our hearts. “If You Should Go”: speaker: a loved one; tone: serious and reflective; mood: thoughtful; imagery: sight, “passing day”; sound, “go quietly”; figurative language: simile, “leave me like the light”; theme: We need only memories too remind us of those who are gone. Students should identify themes of these poems based on their analysis of literary elements. For example, in the poem “There Is No Word for Goodbye, the images such as “wind-tanned skin” and “wise eyes” focus on the aunt’s appearance. They are memorable images that one can visualize. The images reinforce the idea that one does not need a word for goodbye because the person can remain in memory. Students’ one-page journal entries should identify which poem they prefer. They should justify their reasoning with examples from the poem and connections to their own lives.

Jimmy Jet and His TV Set Independent Author Study: Shel Silverstein, page 33 Students should locate and read one poem that would appeal to each of the following audiences: a five- or six-year-old, a sixth grader, and a parent. They should complete the chart to analyze the rhythm and rhyme, humor, and word choice of each poem. Then they should read each poem aloud to the class and explain why they chose it for a particular age group.

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Unit 6 The Wreck of the Hesperus / Dangers of the Deep Primary Source Project: Researching a Shipwreck, page 34 Students should locate at least one primary source and one secondary source discussing the causes and effects of the sinking of the Titanic. They should demonstrate their understanding of these sources by recording information in a chart. Students should write essays that are well organized. Students should use quotation marks to indicate direct quotes, and they should use proper documentation for their sources.

Seal / Whale Breathing Comparing Literature Activity: Diction in Poetry, page 36 Students should complete a chart to analyze the word choices for particular parts of speech in the paired poems from their textbook. Then they should write an essay comparing and contrasting the two poems, focusing on diction. They should organize the comparison in pointby-point or block comparison format.

Haiku Poetic Form Study: Haiku, page 37 Students should record details of their selected poems, including authors, topics, and vivid imagery. Students should demonstrate understanding of their selected poems by discussing the subjects and characteristics of their favorite haiku. Students’ original poems should follow proper haiku form, express a particular emotion, and feature vivid imagery.

We grow accustomed to the Dark— Independent Author Study: Emily Dickinson, page 38 Students should draw a chart identifying three nature poems by Emily Dickinson and their moods and meanings. Then they complete a chart by listing examples of metaphor, simile, and personification in the three poems. In this chart, they should explain how each example affects the mood and meaning of the poem. Students should then write a thoughtful essay discussing Dickinson’s use of figurative language to express mood and meaning. They should include examples from the poems they analyzed.

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Unit 7 In the Fog / from Gettysburg Informational Text Activity: Civil War Battles, page 40 Students’ summaries and charts should demonstrate that they have thoroughly researched major events of a battle, the people involved, the location, the time period, its causes, and its effects. Students’ reports should imitate the style of a news article. Students should thoughtfully address who, what, when, where, why, and how questions in their writing and in an oral news report.

The Fairies’ Lullaby / The Stolen Child Comparing Literature Activity: Sound Devices, page 42 The Fairies’ Lullaby: mostly regular rhythm—four beats; rhyme scheme—abab, cddeedd; examples will vary: alliteration—“lovely lady,” “not near”; assonance—“Philomel, with melody,” “double tongue”; onomatopoeia—“lulla, lulla, lullaby.” The Stolen Child: irregular rhythm; rhyme scheme: ababccddeeff, ghghijjikllkmmff, and so on; examples will vary: alliteration—“lies a leafy island,” “To the waters and the wild”; consonance: “moon has taken,: “hear no more”; assonance—“no more the lowing,” “than you can understand”; onomatopoeia—“whispering.” Answers will vary. Possible answers: 1. In “The Fairies’ Lullaby,” rhythm and rhyme create a sleepy, peaceful mood; these devices create a cheery, carefree mood in “The Stolen Child.” 2. The sound devices in the fairies’ speeches create a spooky mood and tone; those in the chorus give a sweeter, hypnotic feel. 3. Onomatopoeia makes “The Fairies’ Lullaby” magical and hypnotic; it helps create vivid nature imagery in “The Stolen Child.” Students should include the sound devices they analyzed to create specific moods in their poems. Students should read their poems aloud in an expressive manner.

Do You Think I’m Crabby? Primary Source Project: “Peanuts” Comic Strip, page 44 Students should identify examples of characterization, dialogue, humor, and theme in original “Peanuts” comic strips. They should use these examples to help explain the popularity and literary depth of “Peanuts.” Students should deliver commemorative speeches honoring Charles Schultz. In their speeches, students should discuss one element of the comic’s artistry and/or originality.

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The Phantom Tollbooth

Clever Anaeet

Independent Reading Activity: Themes of The Phantom Tollbooth, page 46

Independent Reading Project: Retelling a Folk Tale, page 52

The themes students identify will vary, but they should identify four themes from The Phantom Tollbooth (novel), such as these themes: you will never be bored if you look for what is interesting in everyday life; you can use your knowledge and skills to solve problems; you can learn from experiences; and you should appreciate what you have and never take it for granted. They should list details from literary elements that help develop one of the themes. Students should then write a personal response essay about this theme, using personal anecdotes and examples from the novel.

Students should describe the point of view, main characters, and moral or theme of their chosen folk tales. They should identify appropriate strategies for telling the story to their chosen audience. They should tell the story, using a consistent point of view, vivid details, interesting dialogue, and clear narration.

Unit 8 Arachne / The Orb Weaver Cultural Connection Activity: Ancient Greek Culture, page 48 Students should create and share an illustrated poster, brochure, video, or other presentation that demonstrates thorough research and understanding of their chosen cultural field. Students should thoughtfully summarize major accomplishments in other fields as reported by their classmates.

Why Monkeys Live in Trees Genre Study: Folk Tales Explaining Nature, page 49 Students should demonstrate their understanding of three folk tales by accurately describing the literary elements of those stories in a chart and then summarizing their observations of similarities and differences in the treatment of those elements. Students should draft an original folk tale explaining a feature of nature. They should compare their stories with those they have read and make revisions to better match the genre.

The Magic Mortar / The Stone Comparing Literature Activity: Characters in Folk Literature, page 51 Students should complete the chart to compare the young brother in “The Magic Mortar,” Maibon in “The Stone,” and the protagonist of their chosen folk tale. Then they should write an essay describing a protagonist for their own folk tale, supporting their ideas with traits of characters in the three folk tales they read.

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