Survival Word Sort Activity -...

Book Title: ____________________________________________________________Author: _______________________________________________________________

Character Inference Chart

Character Name: ______________________________________

Methods ofRevealing Character

Evidence/Quotations from the Story

Character Traits Revealed

Direct Comment

Character’s Thoughtsand Feelings

Character’s Speech and Actions

How Others React to Character

Based upon your responses reported in the inference chart, write 1-2 sentences telling what type of person you think this character is.

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Survival Anticipation Guide-Lesson Three Skill and experience make you more able to survive danger

To survive, you sometimes have to give up something precious to you

Having a positive attitude can help you survive an extreme situation

Survival skills are for emergencies and not useful in everyday life

Your fear of a situation can help you survive it

Thinking about loved ones can help you survive a dangerous situation

Bullies can be handled only with physical force

It is better to stay put and wait to be rescued than to look for help

I could survive on my own for a year in the wilderness

I couldn’t survive a weekend without my cell phone or Ipod

Physical strength is more important than mental strength to survive a difficult situation

If stranded away from civilization, I would rather be with a close friend than alone.

I believe that struggles in life just make us stronger people.

Bad situation can be avoided in life. I could survive on my own for a year in the wilderness. I couldn’t survive a weekend without my cell phone or iPod.Physical strength is more important than mental strength to survive a difficult situation.If stranded away from civilization, I would rather be with a close friend than alone.I believe that struggles in life just make us stronger people.Bad situations can be avoided in life.

Survival Word Sort Activity

Name: ____________________________________Section _________ Date: ___________

Read and separate each activity card.Identify and label categories.Sort the terms into your categories.

summary theme adversity

narrator character consequence

perseverance determination tenacity

willpower nonfiction conflict

consequence motivation Intuition

SURVIVAL, DECISIONS, AND CONSEQUENCESVOCABULARY LIST

Fiction – genre of literature, writing that tells an imaginary story

Nonfiction – genre of literature, writing that tells about real people, places, and events

Summary - a description of the story which includes information about the main characters and main events. It is not a review and should not contain the opinions of the author.

Theme - a central message, concern, or purpose in a story

Conflict – struggle between opposing characters: person/person, nature/person

Character - a person or an animal that takes part in the action of a story

Narrator – tells the story

Adversity - unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate eventCourage - unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event

Perseverance - persistent determination

Determination - the act of making up your mind about something

Tenacity - persistent determination

Will power – the trait of resolutely controlling your own behavior

Motivation - the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior

Intuition - instinctive knowing without the use of rational processes

Name: ______________________ Text: ___________________

“Snapshot” of Literature Circle Roles

Summarizer Questioner Passage Master

Character Captain Connector

Questioner-Literature Circles

Name:_________________________________ Book: _____________________________

Date: _________________________________ Assignment:________________________

Questioner/Discussion Director: Your job is to develop a list of questions that your group might want to discuss about this part of the book. Don’t worry about the small details; your task is to help people talk over the big ideas in the reading and share their reactions. Usually the best discussion questions come from your own thoughts, feelings, and concerns as you read. You can list them below during or after your reading. You may also use some of the general questions prompts below to develop topics to your group.

Possible discussion questions or topics for today:

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2. ___________________________________________________________________________

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3. ___________________________________________________________________________

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4. ___________________________________________________________________________

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5. ___________________________________________________________________________

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What if…?How did….?Why did…?What would happen if…?What caused…?What might…?How would you feel if…?What character traits describe…?Why do you think…?Why is…

Summarizer-Literature Circles

Name: _________________________ Book: ______________________________

Date: __________________ pages: ______________________________

Your job is to prepare a summary of the reading. Start with a headline. Don’t tell the whole story, just focus on the important parts. The other members of your group will becounting on you to remind them about this part of the story.

Summary:________________________________________________________________________

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Connector-Literature Circles

Name: _________________________ Book: ______________________________

Date: __________________ Assignment: _______________________________

Connector: Your job is to find connections between the book you are reading and the outside world. This means connecting what you read with your own life, to what happens at school or in the community, to similar events at other times and places, or to other people or problems.

Describe the part in the book, and then explain your connection.________________________________________________________________________

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PASSAGE MASTERNAME: ___________________________ pages____________As you read, think about parts of the text that are important, make you laugh, give you a good mental picture, or would trigger a good discussion. Fill out the chart below and bring this sheet with you to your next meeting. You may use the back for additional space if needed.HOW I PLAN TO SHARE

THIS PASSAGE WITH MY GROUP

CHAPTER AND/OR PAGE NUMBERS

PARAGRAPH BEGINNING WITH…

REASON I CHOSE THIS PASSAGE

Read aloud Read with

partner Read to self

Chapter: ______

Pages: ______

“When you change to a new…”

Important to the story Good descriptive

writing To discuss… Made me laugh when…

Literature Circles – Character Captain

Name:______________________________________Date:_________________

Book: ___________________________________________________

Character Captain: Your task is to identify specific personality traits of the main character(s) within the novel. Find examples in the assigned reading of behaviors/actions that help group members know this character(s). Select three adjectives that describe the main character, and support your selection with evidence taken from your reading assignment. * Evidence could be: quotes from the book, a short passage, or a one- or two-sentence summary of a passage.

Bonus: Identify a specific personality trait of a secondary character. Select an adjective that describes this secondary character and support your selection with evidence taken from your reading assignment.

Character Trait *Evidence

(same as above)

(same as above)

*Bonus

Literature Circle Group Roles

Rule/Term Definition Looks/ Sounds LikeRespect Show courtesy,

consideration, and respect at all times

Participation Everyone shares; everyone “actively”

listens

Time Use the time wisely; re-focus when

needed

Preparation Accomplish your goal and task; hold

each other accountable for completed work

Problem Solving Ask your group for guidance before you

ask the teacher

Behavior Stay in your assigned group; stay

on task; don’t distract other

students

Literature Circles Planning Sheet

Name: ____________________________ novel: ______________________________

Circle #1 date: ____ Circle #2 date: _____Summarizer __________________ Summarizer ______________________Character Captain______________ Character Captain ________________Questioner _________________ Questioner ________________________Passage Master_________________ Passage Master ____________________Connector _____________________ Connector ________________________

Circle #3 date: ____ Circle #4 date: _____Summarizer ___________________ Summarizer _________________________Character Captain ______________ Character Captain ____________________Questioner __________________ Questioner __________________________Passage Master__________________ Passage Master ______________________Connector ______________________ Connector ____________________________

Circle #5 date: ____ Summarizer ____________________Character Captain________________Questioner ___________________Passage Master ___________________Connector _______________________

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

A Step-by-Step Approach to Writing Summaries

The following is a step by step approach to teaching students how to write a summary of a text. Please have them record all information in the graphic organizer (see attached).

STEP ONE: Find the Main Idea of the Passage- The main idea can be explicitly or implicitly stated.Refer to One Hand Gone, but Not His Spirit from Course I, Volume II in the Expert 21 book.How do we find the main idea of this passage?

1) Identify the topic- Aron Ralston’s survival2) Underline and highlight key words and words that are repeated- options, calm, focused,

chose/choice, family, support3) Putting that together, what does the author convey about the topic:

Main idea: When Aron Ralston was put in a life and death situation, he considered his options, remained calm and focused, and made a difficult decision to save his life.

STEP TWO: Find other relevant details to support the main ideaIrrelevant detail- “Ralston fell in love with the outdoors upon moving from Indiana to Colorado at age 12”Relevant detail- “But Aron is the kind of person who actually becomes calmer and more focused when all the options are bad, the clock is ticking, and life hangs in the balance.”

STEP THREE: Paraphrase the relevant details:“A mechanical engineer with years of backcountry experience, Ralston was a prisoner of geology for five nights.”Paraphrase: Despite his background in mechanical engineering and familiarity with outdoor adventure, Ralston was unable to free himself from a boulder for five nights.

STEP FOUR- Collapse lists/ Make generalizationsQuotation: “Keeping up that pace since the accident, he has completed the Leadville 100, a daunting 100- mile high mountain foot race; climbed the highest peak in five neighboring states within 24 hours; and traipsed to Vermont to see the final performances of Phish, his favorite band.”Generalization: Since his accident, Aron has had many extreme adventures.

STEP FIVE: Identify the text structure(examples: chronological, cause and effect, compare/contrast, problem-solution)This particular passage is a problem-solution, so the summary should be written in that manner:When Aron Ralston’s arm was pinned inside a narrow canyon, he made the decision on the 6th day to cut off his right forearm in order to survive.

Step 6- Put main ideas and summaries together using proper transitions according to the text structure:Problem/Solution: So, then, due to, nevertheless, in spite of, after

Step 7- Use the graphic organizer to write your summary:When Aron Ralston was put in a life and death situation, he considered his options, remained calm and focused, and made a difficult decision to save his life. In 2003, Aron Ralston was hiking in Utah’s Canyonlands National Park, when he accidentally dislodged an 800 pound boulder. He became trapped in a narrow canyon with his right arm pinned by the boulder. Over

the course of the next six days, Ralston tried several ways to free his arm, including chipping away at the stone. With supplies running out, and the knowledge that he had told no one where he was, Aron made a drastic decision to cut off his right forearm with a dull pocket knife. After applying a tourniquet, he climbed down a 65-foot cliff and hiked seven miles before being rescued by a search helicopter. He credits his survival to his calm and focused manner and his determination to see his family again. Since his accident, Aron has had many extreme adventures and has written a book about his experience. .

Summary Graphic Organizer

Find the topic:____________________________________________________________

List key words and words that are repeated: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Write the main idea: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paraphrase first relevant detail: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paraphrase second relevant detail: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paraphrase third relevant detail: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paraphrase fourth relevant detail: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paraphrase sixth relevant detail: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Text structure (cause and effect, problem/solution, compare/contrast, chronological, description):____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Literature Circle Reflections

Name:___________________________________ Date:_____________________

Title:_____________________________ session:_____________

Reflection Statements Yes No SomewhatI completed my assigned reading before the meeting.

I wrote thoughtful and complete responses on my role sheet.

I asked questions to clarify my understanding of the book and/or to help me better understand other group members’ ideas.I brought all required materials to the Literature Circle meeting. (book, role sheet, my brain, etc.)

I shared parts of the book that were important to me and explained why they were important.I was a careful and caring listener by giving my complete attention to other group members when they were speaking.I responded to other group members’ ideas.

What was an important contribution you made to the discussion today?

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What was an important idea or explanation expressed by someone else during the discussion?

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Teacher Comments:

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HOTSEAT

Hotseat is an excellent activity as students will remember a great deal more of the story when they have been involved in a role play.

Directions

During literature circles, each student is asked a contentious question that could be asked of the main character in the novel. The student assumes the role of the character and answers the question according to how he/she believes the character would answer them.

Identifying ThemeDirections: Determine what the theme is for each story and explain your answer. Remember, a theme is a lesson or message in the story. Write in complete sentences.

1. Katie Clean invited Messy Missy to her house to work on their biology project, but Katie Clean had no idea what a visit from Messy Missy entailed. First of all, it was raining and Messy Missy neither bothered to take her boots off nor thoroughly wiped them on the doormat. Then Messy Missy ate a bag of hot chips on Katie Clean’s white bedspread without asking, and Messy

Do you ever feel overwhelmed? What could you have done differently?

Do you blame others for the situation you are in, or was this a choice you

made?

Do you like to be alone sometimes? How are you able to stay positive?

Which have you relied upon more, mental strength or physical strength?

How is your health (emotional and physical)?

Missy is a sloppy eater, so hot chip powder got all over the bedspread. Katie Clean tried to be polite and ignore Messy Missy’s sloppy behavior, but then Messy Missy threw her chip wrapper on the floor. Offended, Katie Clean pretended that she was sick and asked Messy Missy to leave. The next day Katie Clean asked the teacher if she could work by herself. After explaining her situation, the teacher allowed Katie to work alone. Messy Missy would have finished the assignment by herself, but she spilled grape soda all over her assignment.

What is the theme of the story? ______________________________________________________________________________

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What happens in the story that leads you to believe this? ______________________________________________________________________________

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2. Money Mark was born rich. He never had to work a day in his life and he got everything handed to him on a silver platter. When he was six, Money Mark wanted to go to a basketball game. His father paid the starting five of the Bulls and Celtics to play a private game of Nerf-ball in Money Mark’s bedroom. When Money Mark turned thirteen, he wanted to start a band. His father hired the Rolling Stones to play with him every Saturday at the family’s private concert hall, though his family was never there. By the time he was twenty-one, Money Mark was bored with life. He was surrounded by a bunch of possessions that he didn’t appreciate and Money Mark could find nothing new or exciting in his life. Despite his vast wealth, Money Mark never found happiness. Penny Petal was born poor. Her family hardly had anything to eat, but they loved each other. Penny Petal appreciated every thing she got. When she was six, her father walked her around the United Center before the Bulls played the Celtics. She was excited by the crazy fans and feeling in the air. She looked forward to the day that she could see a real game. When she was thirteen, she learned to play the buckets. She was an extremely talented musician, a natural percussionist, and everyone on the block loved the rhythms that poured from her palms. By the time she was twenty-one, Penny was a successful businesswoman. Now she had everything that she had ever dreamed of and she truly loved to share her wealth and happiness with her family who supported her through all of the hard times.


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3. Tammy and Sammy were both students in Mr. Morton’s reading class. Mr. Morton wasn’t too strict about deadlines, and Sammy took advantage of that. He did all of his homework in his other classes but never bothered to complete Mr. Morton’s reading assignments, figuring that he could complete them later. Tammy, on the other hand, completed each assignment Mr. Morton assigned the night that he assigned it. She had to stay up a little later, but she didn’t want to get a penalty for turning in her reading work late. Tammy knew reading was a core subject and that she had to keep “C” average for the entire year or she would have to go to summer school. When the end of the quarter came, Tammy and Sammy had both planned on going to the Enchanted Castle amusement park, but Mr. Morton called Sammy’s mother, and she grounded Sammy until he turned in all of his work. That weekend was horrible for

Sammy. He stayed up until 2:00 AM each night and still couldn’t complete all of the assignments. The whole while, Tammy had a great time eating pizza at Enchanted Castle, watching movies late at night, and enjoying her weekend free of stress and pressure. At the end of the quarter, Sammy was lucky to squeak by with a “C” minus in reading while Tammy earned an “A.” Sammy still hasn’t learned his lesson and probably won’t complete this activity either.


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4. Mr. Pig and Mr. Dog were hanging out at the food court of the animal shopping mall. Mr. Pig was eating a huge feast of pizza and drinking a large jug of fruit punch and Mr. Dog was watching him eat. “Hey, Mr. Pig. If you give me a slice of your pizza, I’ll let you have the next bone I find.” Mr. Pig declined, even though it hurt his stomach to eat the last three slices of pizza. “I’m sorry, Mr. Dog,” Mr. Pig said, “but I paid for this pizza and it’s all mine.” Mr. Dog sighed and waited for Mr. Pig to finish, and then they left the animal mall together. On the way out, a hunter spotted them and gave chase. Mr. Pig normally could have escaped the hunter but since he was weighed down by such a large meal, Mr. Pig collapsed and the hunter killed him. Mr. Dog easily escaped. Later that night while returning to the scene, Mr. Dog caught the scent of something delicious and began digging around a trash can. He found a large ham bone with lots of meat and marrow still stuck to the bone. Mr. Dog happily ate.


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5. In his sophomore year of high school, Michael Jordan tried out for the varsity basketball team at Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. But at five feet and eleven inches tall, the coach believed that Jordan was too short to play at that level, so Jordan was cut from the team. Jordan didn’t let this obstacle defeat him. In fact, it pushed him to work even harder. He trained vigorously and grew another four inches the following summer. When he finally made the varsity squad, Jordan averaged 25 points a game and went on to become one of the greatest basketball players in history.

What is the theme of the story?_________________________________________________________________________

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Identifying Theme : ANSWERS

Directions: Determine what the theme is for each story and explain your answer. Remember, a theme is a lesson or message in the story. Write in complete sentences.

1. Katie Clean invited Messy Missy to her house to work on their biology project, but Katie Clean had no idea what a visit from Messy Missy entailed. First of all, it was raining and Messy Missy neither bothered to take her boots off nor thoroughly wiped them on the doormat. Then

Messy Missy ate a bag of hot chips on Katie Clean’s white bedspread without asking, and Messy Missy is a sloppy eater, so hot chip powder got all over the bedspread. Katie Clean tried to be polite and ignore Messy Missy’s sloppy behavior, but then Messy Missy threw her chip wrapper on the floor. Offended, Katie Clean pretended that she was sick and asked Messy Missy to leave. The next day Katie Clean asked the teacher if she could work by herself. After explaining her situation, the teacher allowed Katie to work alone. Messy Missy would have finished the assignment by herself, but she spilled grape soda all over her assignment.

What is the theme of the story? Answers may vary. Respect other peoples' property. Choose your partners carefully.

What happens in the story that leads you to believe this? Missy ruins Katie's property and had to work alone.

2. Money Mark was born rich. He never had to work a day in his life and he got everything handed to him on a silver platter. When he was six, Money Mark wanted to go to a basketball game. His father paid the starting five of the Bulls and Celtics to play a private game of Nerf-ball in Money Mark’s bedroom. When Money Mark turned thirteen, he wanted to start a band. His father hired the Rolling Stones to play with him every Saturday at the family’s private concert hall, though his family was never there. By the time he was twenty-one, Money Mark was bored with life. He was surrounded by a bunch of possessions that he didn’t appreciate and Money Mark could find nothing new or exciting in his life. Despite his vast wealth, Money Mark never found happiness. Penny Petal was born poor. Her family hardly had anything to eat, but they loved each other. Penny Petal appreciated every thing she got. When she was six, her father walked her around the United Center before the Bulls played the Celtics. She was excited by the crazy fans and feeling in the air. She looked forward to the day that she could see a real game. When she was thirteen, she learned to play the buckets. She was an extremely talented musician, a natural percussionist, and everyone on the block loved the rhythms that poured from her palms. By the time she was twenty-one, Penny was a successful businesswoman. Now she had everything that she had ever dreamed of and she truly loved to share her wealth and happiness with her family who supported her through all of the hard times.

What is the theme of the story? Answer may vary. Money doesn't buy happiness. You don't appreciate the things for which you don't work.

What happens in the story that leads you to believe this? Mark was rich but miserable. Penny was poor but happy.

3. Tammy and Sammy were both students in Mr. Morton’s reading class. Mr. Morton wasn’t too strict about deadlines, and Sammy took advantage of that. He did all of his homework in his other classes but never bothered to complete Mr. Morton’s reading assignments, figuring that he could complete them later. Tammy, on the other hand, completed each assignment Mr. Morton assigned the night that he assigned it. She had to stay up a little later, but she didn’t want to get a penalty for turning in her reading work late. Tammy knew reading was a core subject and that she had to keep “C” average for the entire year or she would have to go to summer school. When the end of the quarter came, Tammy and Sammy had both planned on going to the Enchanted Castle amusement park, but Mr. Morton called Sammy’s mother, and she grounded

Sammy until he turned in all of his work. That weekend was horrible for Sammy. He stayed up until 2:00 AM each night and still couldn’t complete all of the assignments. The whole while, Tammy had a great time eating pizza at Enchanted Castle, watching movies late at night, and enjoying her weekend free of stress and pressure. At the end of the quarter, Sammy was lucky to squeak by with a “C” minus in reading while Tammy earned an “A.” Sammy still hasn’t learned his lesson and probably won’t complete this activity either.

What is the theme of the story? It is better to do things right the first time. Work hard, play hard.

What happens in the story that leads you to believe this? Sammy blew off his work but it caught up with him.

4. Mr. Pig and Mr. Dog were hanging out at the food court of the animal shopping mall. Mr. Pig was eating a huge feast of pizza and drinking a large jug of fruit punch and Mr. Dog was watching him eat. “Hey, Mr. Pig. If you give me a slice of your pizza, I’ll let you have the next bone I find.” Mr. Pig declined, even though it hurt his stomach to eat the last three slices of pizza. “I’m sorry, Mr. Dog,” Mr. Pig said, “but I paid for this pizza and it’s all mine.” Mr. Dog sighed and waited for Mr. Pig to finish, and then they left the animal mall together. On the way out, a hunter spotted them and gave chase. Mr. Pig normally could have escaped the hunter but since he was weighed down by such a large meal, Mr. Pig collapsed and the hunter killed him. Mr. Dog easily escaped. Later that night while returning to the scene, Mr. Dog caught the scent of something delicious and began digging around a trash can. He found a large ham bone with lots of meat and marrow still stuck to the bone. Mr. Dog happily ate.

What is the theme of the story? It is better to share. Don't be greedy.

What happens in the story that leads you to believe this? Mr. Pig died because of his greed. Had he shared with Mr. Dog, he might have escaped.

5. In his sophomore year of high school, Michael Jordan tried out for the varsity basketball team at Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. But at five feet and eleven inches tall, the coach believed that Jordan was too short to play at that level, so Jordan was cut from the team. Jordan didn’t let this obstacle defeat him. In fact, it pushed him to work even harder. He trained vigorously and grew another four inches the following summer. When he finally made the varsity squad, Jordan averaged 25 points a game and went on to become one of the greatest basketball players in history.

What is the theme of the story? Never give up. Persistence pays off.

What happens in the story that leads you to believe this? Jordan could have quit basketball his sophomore year, but he continued playing and became one of the best players in history.

Vocabulary Assessment Name:____________________________________ Date: _______________ Block: ________

Below are vocabulary words pertaining to survival. Use each word in a sentence that relates to characters and their experiences in your

survival readings.

Be sure to cite specific examples. Underline the vocabulary word used in each sentence.

Adversity - unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event______________________________________________________________________________

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Courage - the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear______________________________________________________________________________

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Perseverance - persistent determination______________________________________________________________________________

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Determination - the act of making up your mind about something______________________________________________________________________________

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Tenacity – the quality of sticking firmly to any decision, plan, or opinion without changing or doubting it

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Will power – the trait of resolutely controlling your own behavior______________________________________________________________________________

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Motivation - the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior______________________________________________________________________________

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Intuition - instinctive knowing without the use of rational processes

Example:

Courage - the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear

In “Tuesday of the Other June”, June demonstrated courage at the end of the story when she finally stood up to the Other June and said “No more!”

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Conflict Letter Writing Activity

1. Identify a conflict facing the main character in your novel,______________________, and put yourself in the character’s place.

2. As that character, write a letter to someone you know explaining your problem with detail and ask that person for advice.

3. Write an answer in letter form from the person you wrote to, offering a solution to your (the main character’s problem).

Dear__________________________________,

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_________________________________,

_________________________________

(character’s name)

Found Poetry: A found poem uses language from non-poetic contexts and turns it into poetry. Think of a collage -- visual artists take scraps of newspaper, cloth, feathers, bottle caps, and create magic. You can do the same with language and poems.

Writing this type of poetry is a kind of treasure hunt. You can search for interesting scraps of language, then put them together in different ways and see what comes out. This can lead to surprising results.

YOUR TASK:

1. Search through your novel for words, phrases, and sentences that highlight the story’s theme. Look for details that you find particularly powerful, moving, or interesting, but all should relate to the theme. Copy everything down in the order in which you find it. As you collect, don’t worry about the poetic form right away. You should have roughly 75-125 words. Double-space between lines so that the lines are easy to work with.

2. Look back over your list and cut out everything that is dull, or unnecessary, or that just doesn’t seem right for a poem about this theme. Try to cut your original list in half.

3. As you look over the shortened list, think about the tone that the details and language convey. Make sure that you have words that communicate your message clearly.

4. Make any minor changes necessary to create your poem. You can change punctuation and make little changes to the words to make them fit together (such as change the tenses, possessives, plurals, and capitalizations).

5. When you’re close to an edited down version, if you absolutely need to add a word or two to make the poem flow more smoothly, to make sense, to make a point, you may add up to two words of your own. That’s two (2) and only two!

6. Read back over your edited draft one more time and make any deletions or minor changes.

7. Check the words and choose a title that reflects the theme of your novel. 8. Type your words in a word processor. Space or arrange the words so that they’re

poem-like. Pay attention to line breaks, layout, and other elements that will emphasize important words or ideas in the poem.

• Read aloud as you arrange the words! Test the possible line breaks by pausing slightly. If it sounds good, it’s probably right.

• Arrange the words so that they make a rhythm you like. You can space words out so that they are all alone or allruntogether.

• You can also put key words on lines by themselves. • Emphasize words by playing with boldface and italics, different sizes of letters, and

so forth.

9. At the bottom of the poem, type your name, and underneath it, tell where the words in the poem came from, for example, From Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George.

Clues to Theme

In some folk tales and stories, the theme is directly stated by a character or narrator. In most works of literature, though, the theme is not usually revealed in the form of a direct statement. As a reader, you

need to infer, or guess, the theme. To make a reasonable guess, you have to consider certain clues. The elements in the chart below can all serve as clues.

TITLE: The title may hint at a theme by highlighting an important idea, setting, or character. Ask:

To what in the story does the title refer? What ideas does the title emphasize?

PLOT & CONFLICT: A story’s plot often focuses on a conflict that is important to the theme. Ask:

What conflicts do the characters face? How are the conflicts resolved?

CHARACTERS: Characters can reflect a theme by how they act and what they learn. Ask:

What are the main characters like? (Notice what they do and say.)

How do the characters deal with the conflicts? How do the characters change? What lessons do the characters learn?

SETTING: A setting can suggest a theme because of the conflicts it creates for the characters. Ask:

What conflicts does the setting create? How do the characters feel about their

surroundings??

THE CLUES

Name: _________________________________ Date: ______________

THEME ORGANIZER

In some folk tales and stories, the theme is directly stated by a character or the narrator. In most works of literature, though, the theme is not usually revealed in the form of a direct statement. As a reader, you need to infer the theme, or use clues from the story to make a reasonable guess.

TITLE PLOT & CONFLICT CHARACTERS SETTING * What do the characters say and do? * What conflicts does the setting create?

* What does the title refer to in the story? * What conflicts do the characters face? * How do the characters change? * How do the characters feel about their * What ideas does the title emphasize? * How are the conflicts resolved? * What lessons do the characters learn? surroundings?

Big Idea or Topic: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

THEME Statement: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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