12A OFFLINES
1. Analyzing Themes in Literature
________/100
2. Denotative & Connotative Meanings
________/100
3. Tactics Used by Media
________/100
4. Etymology in Literature
________/100
5. Nature of Poetry
________/100
6. Final Essay
________/100
7. 7 Habits of Teens
________/100
8. Notes Turned In
yes/no
Final course grade__________%
All off-lines must be completed and notes must be turned in
before a grade can be assigned.
Myers ‘13
Analyzing Themes in Literature
12A
Objective: List examples from a text, movie, or other media that contain the following themes and describe
how the theme is present in the literature.
A theme is a broad idea in a story or a message conveyed by a work. This message is usually about
life, society, or human nature, and is generally implied. A recurring theme is known as a motif. This
is something that can be identified throughout a piece of work.
Universal themes are present in literature throughout every culture. They are universal because
they are uniform throughout the world and do not change in meaning despite the many specific
ways that they can be presented in literature.
1. Some examples of universal themes are: love and duty, heroism, illusion and reality,
salvation, and death and rebirth.
List examples from a text, movie, or other media that contain the following themes and describe
how the theme is present in the literature.
Theme
Definition
Text or Movie
Example
Why the Example fits
into the Theme
Love and Someone loves a
person/country so
Duty
they do their duty
to save/protect
them/it
Heroism To be a hero,
show heroic traits
Illusion
and
Reality
Something seems
real, but in reality
it’s fake
Salvation Act of saving
someone/thing
Myers ‘13
Denotative & Connotative Word Meanings
12A
Objective: Understand the difference between denotative & connotative word meaning, apply your
knowledge to Regan’s “Tear Down this Wall”.
The English language has a rich vocabulary that allows writers to express themselves in many
different ways by considering subtle differences in the meanings of words and phrases. Generally,
an author’s meaning is easily deciphered. Sometimes, however, an author carefully chooses his or
her words to achieve a desired effect or get an emotional response from the reader.
Consider the words fly and soar.
 I watched the eagle fly above me.
 I watched the eagle soar above me.
The words “fly” and “soar” have similar denotations (meanings) but different connotations. The
word soar hints at greater heights and speed and evokes an emotional reaction in the reader


Denotation: the dictionary definition of a word. This is used when a writer means
what he says and uses the literal definition of the word he or she chooses
Connotation: the emotional associations or implied/hidden meanings a word carries.
Step 1. Look at the following sentences and decide whether the bold word in each sentence is using
a denotative or connotative meaning.
A. She sauntered into the classroom.
_________________________
B. Maria is a good student.
_________________________
C. I usually walk to school each morning.
_________________________
D. Cletus is a real loner; he doesn’t have friends.
_________________________
E. Pat crammed for the test last night.
_________________________
F. Wow! That ring has a lot of ice.
_________________________
G. It is going to rain later tonight.
_________________________
H. What’s up, dog?
_________________________
I. I’m just nuts about the state fair!
_________________________
J. I’m going to the dance tonight.
_________________________
K. The alligator ate a marshmallow!
_________________________
L. She went crazy when the band started to sing.
_________________________
Myers ‘13
Step 2.
Look at an example of how authors use the connotative power of words in their writing to
achieve a specific effect. Access Ronald Reagan’s speech “Tear Down this Wall.” This speech was
made during the Cold War at a time when the United States and the Soviet Union were in a state of
conflict over political differences (communism vs. capitalism).
Using the chart, find and record five examples of connotative meaning from the text. Then
write whether the word or phrase has a negative or a positive connotation and the effect Reagan was
trying to achieve by using it.
Link:
Ronald Reagan “Tear Down this Wall”
http://redirect.platoweb.com/339271
Watch it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MDFX-dNtsM
Speech Text
Friends, let us come
together united.
Positive or
Negative
Positive
What effect was Reagan trying to
achieve?
He was trying to bring people together so that
they wouldn’t fight anymore.
Myers ‘13
Tactics Used by the Media
12A
Objective: For this activity, you will look at how the media influences its target audience.
1. What do we mean when we talk about “the media?” “Media” refers to the means of
communication, as radio and television, newspapers, and magazines that reach or influence people
widely. In the chart below, list a specific example of each kind of media.
Media Type
Example
Ex: KWWL
Television Station
Newspaper
Radio Station
Website
Magazine
2. Select one of the examples from above and try to determine its intended audience. How do
the media’s presentations of their message make you think they are aimed toward a
particular trait (age, gender, education level)? Use the chart below and explain your
reasoning for each estimate you give. An example has been done for you
Type of Media________________________
Example
Kwwl___________________
Audience Trait
Target
Range/Level
Reasoning/Examples
What Age Range
is being targeted?
Is there a Specific
Race being
targeted?
Which Gender is
being targeted?
Which Income
Range is being
targeted?
Which Education
Level is being
targeted?
Ex: 14 year olds+
Ex: People that have basic understanding of the news events.
Most don’t start to care about local/world news until high
school.
Ex: All races
Ex: News affects all races
Ex: Both Genders
Ex: News affects both genders
Ex: All income ranges
Ex: News affects all income levels
Ex: at least 5th grade
Ex: 5th grade+ has a basic understanding of world events.
Myers ‘13
Etymology in Literature
12A
Objective: It is important to understand where words are deriving. For this activity, you will look up the
etymology of common everyday words to understand how they were made, where they come from, and how
they have changed over time.
Links:
Online Dictionary
http://www.dictionary.com
Douglas Harper’s Online Etymology Dictionary
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?l=a
1. Etymology is the history of a word, or its origin, shown by tracing its development from one
language to another. Look at this etymology of the word window
Middle English WINDOWE, from Old Norse vingauga, from vindr wind (akin to Old
English wind) + auga eye; akin to Old English eage eye
The etymology shows that the word window can be traced back to the Old Norse word
vindauga, deriving from the Old Norse vindr (wind) and auge (eye), then to the Middle
English word windowe, and then to its modern form window.
2. Shakespeare, writer of famous works like Romeo & Juliet, Caesar, A Midsummer Night’s
Dream, and Othello, was known for creating words. In his lifetime, Shakespeare crafted
around 1,700 words that had not been in the English language before. Some of the most
popular words he created are in the chart below.
Look up each word in the Douglas Harper’s Online Etymology Dictionary and write down each
word’s etymology. If you are given a list of etymology choices, always write down the first
definition block.
Word
Etymology Definition
Eventful
Suspicious
Myers ‘13
Courtship
Accommodation
Dislocate
Generous
Myers ‘13
The Nature of Poetry
12A
Objective: It is important to understand how a poem’s meaning is affected by the poetic elements. For this
activity, you will study how the two intertwine.
Links:
Poetry.org, from the Academy of American Poets
http://redirect.platoweb.com58865
Poetry Glossary, from Poets.org (The Academy of American Poets)
http://redirect.platoweb.com/337771
Activities:
1. Many literature students enjoy reading poetry for the personal, emotional response a poem
can bring about after one hears or reads it. A poem’s meaning is often rooted in both the
poem’s content and its form. Content refers to the plot-like elements of the poem: its
speaker (narrator); the person, event, or issue being addressed; the setting or context; and the
poem’s overall theme or argument. Form refers to the poem’s figurative language and its
structure.
2. In great poems in the relationships between the poems form and content support each other.
An example of a poem that marries form and content is the Renaissance writer Thomas
Nashe’s “A Litany in Time of Plague.” Nash uses each of the elements of poetry defined in
the chart below. After reading Nashe’s poem, fill in the missing parts of the chart.
Poetic Element
Imagery
Definition
Mental picture drawn
by words
Personification
Giving a non-human a
human characteristic
(Ex. The sad desk)
Metaphor
Comparing between
two things without
using ‘like’ or ‘as’
Alliteration
The repetition of
sounds, usually at
beginning of a words
(Peter piper picked)
Repeated use of words
or phrases for some
rhetorical effect
Repetition/
Refrain
Example from Poem
Explanation
Myers ‘13
3. A poem’s punctuation can also have a significant effect on how you read the poem and how
the poem conveys its meaning. As you noticed, Nashe’s poem is written so that almost every
line ends with punctuation. Rewrite the first stanza of the poem so that there are no breaks in
lines and no punctuation.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
How does this change the poem’s tone, meaning, or flow?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Myers ‘13
ENGLISH 12A ESSAY
Your final essay will give you three choices to write on. Choose ONE. Your paper should seek to be
5 paragraphs or longer; Each paragraph should be 6+ sentences long. A typed paper is preferred.
Objective: Analyze your actions/choices through writing. Note how you have made a personal
connection with the information given, detail how it has changed you, and cite information from
other sources to help you (if needed).
Paper Steps to be Completed
By the End of the Quarter:
By the End of the Semester:
A. Brainstorm (draft ideas for paper)
D. Revisions (made after Flo edits)
B. Outline (format ideas into paper)
E. Final Draft: Cover Page, Works Cited
C. Rough Draft (including quotes used)
Dress Code (Persuasive
At First Glance (Narrative)
Advice to Freshman
(Expository)
Some high schools are requiring
students to follow a dress code.
Think about the reasons for
instituting dress codes and why
they might be needed or
necessary.
"You can't judge a book by its
cover" is a common saying. Another
way of expressing this idea is,
"Things are not always as they
appear at first glance." Write an
essay about an experience you've
had that illustrates this theme.
As a senior, you will soon be
graduating from your high school.
What advice would you give a
freshman at your school to help
them have happy, productive years
in high school? Write an essay
detailing the experiences and
advice you feel would be helpful to
someone beginning his or her high
school years.
Write a letter to your principal
stating your position for or
against a dress code and
support it with convincing
reasons.
Myers ‘13
7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens- 12A
By: Sean Covey
Sean Covey is an internationally known author of thinking and self-help books; his
work has changed the lives of millions of people. For this assignment, Read Pages 105128 of “Put First Things First”, and answer the questions.
Logistics: a paragraph is 6 sentences or more. Please make sure your thoughts are clear and well-written.
A typed paper is preferred in Times New Roman or Arial, Size 12 font, 1” margins
Section 1:
(4 paragraphs)
Describe each of the four quadrants in their own separate paragraph: The
Procrastinator, The Yes-Man, The Slacker, The Prioritizer
Section 2:
(1 paragraph or more)
Explain which of the three quadrants you fall under and WHY. If you fall
under more than one quadrant, feel free to write more: The Procrastinator,
The Yes-Man, or The Slacker
Section 3:
(1 paragraph or more)
Explain the steps you will take to be more like The Prioritizer and less like the
person you stated in Section #2. (I.e. what are things you will do, what are
some goals you will make, or what are some steps you will take.)
*BONUS QUESTION, 10 points: How has reading this chapter made a positive impact on
you/changed your views on life?
Myers ‘13