Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire

2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire. William Butler Yeats 2009 Washington County Schools One-Day Conference Diana Bjornson Consultant Number: 0348 6716 E. 117 Pl. So. Bixby, OK 74008 bjornson.diana@unionps.org 918-357-7742 (school) 918-855-5533 (cell) Children are 28% of our population but 100% of our future. Anonymous 1 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced Portrait of a Teacher At the Beginning of the Year 2 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced Portrait of a Teacher At the End of the Year 3 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced What is The Advanced Placement Program? • A cooperative endeavor between secondary schools and colleges/ university • Composed of 37 rigorous courses and examinations offered in 20 subject areas in 2007; future additions will include Russian and Japanese • Committed to educational excellence and educational equity • An extensive system of teacher professional development What does an AP Program offer? • Promises college success for participating students. • Raises standards across the curriculum for schools/districts. • Delivers inspiring professional development through workshops and AP Central website. A 1999 U. S. Department of Education study found that the strongest predicator of college graduation is something students do before they ever go to college: participating in rigorous, college-level courses in middle/high school. Adelman, Clifford. Answers in the Tool Box: Academic Intensity, Attendance Patterns, and Bachelor’s Degree Attainment (1999), U. S. Department of Education. Impact of AP on Five-Year College Graduation Rates Comparison made among students with the same abilities and backgrounds (test scores, family income, school poverty index) AP Exam Grade of 3, 4, 5 AP Exam Grade of 1, 2 African American +28% +22% Hispanic +28% +12% +10% White +33% +22% +20% Low-Income +26% +17% +12% Not Low-Income +34% +23% +19% Student Group 4 Bjornson 2009 Took AP course but not exam +16% Daughtery, Chrys, Lynn Mallor, and Jian Shuling. The Relationship Between Advanced Placement and College Graduation. (National Center for Educational Accountability, 2005). 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced Top Five Factors Influencing College Admission Decisions - 2005 • Grades in College Prep courses (73.9%) (Percentage of college admission offers rating the factor to be of considerable importance in the admission decision process.) • Standardized Admission Tests (59.3%) • Grades in All Courses (53.7%) • Class Rank (31.2%) NACAC Admission Survey, 2005, www.nacacnet.org • Essay/Writing Sample (23.3%) AP and College Success 70 60 50 No AP 40 One AP 30 Two+ AP 20 Students who take AP courses and exams are much more likely than their peers to complete a bachelor’s degree in four years or less. Camara, Wayne. (2003). College Persistence, Graduation, and Remediation. College Board Research Notes (RN-19), New York, NY: College Board. 10 0 For Students: The Benefits of Pre-AP/AP • Prepare for success in college by taking college-level courses while still in high school o Explore advanced topics – study in greater depth o Develop advanced skills – form disciplined study habits o Build confidence in capability to succeed in college • Earn awards, scholarships, and improve chances of college admission • Gain college credit or advanced placement o Possible tuition $$$ savings o Flexibility in college course choice o Early entry to graduate/professional schools 5 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced What is Pre-AP? Pre-AP is a set of content-specific strategies to: • Build rigorous curricula • Promote access to AP for all children • Introduce skills, concepts, and assessment methods to prepare students for success when they tackle challenging courses • Strengthen curriculum and increase the academic for all students What is an AP Vertical Team? An AP Vertical Team is a group of educators from different grade levels in a given discipline who work cooperatively to develop and implement a vertically aligned program aimed at helping students acquire the SKILLS necessary for success in the Advanced Placement Program. Unlocking the Door to a Successful AP Program • Administrative support is essential. • Strong, prepared, committed instructors • AP as a program, not a series of isolated classes • Student participation, not test scores, is a measure of program success. • Informed, positive, reflective evaluation of instructor WHERE DO WE BEGIN? BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND "To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you are going so that you better understand where you are now and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction." — Stephen R. Covey in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change 6 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced Where Do We Begin? Aligning the Curriculum to Meet the Needs of the Students, Teachers, and Administration 7 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced Union Public Schools Power Standards Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12 Standard I: The Writing Process Paragraph organization, purpose, editing Word choice, figurative language Reasons, examples, sent fluency, begin, types Peer editing, demonstrating use of transitions Essay organization, unity, coherence Elements of discourse (purp, spkr, audience, form) Ideas, arguments, details Standard II: Modes of Wtg Narrative Expository Reflective Personal Narrative Expository/ Process Compare/ Contrast Argument/ Persuasion Standard III: Literature Novels/Short Stories: Recognize basic literary elements (POV, plot, character, theme) Poetry/ Mythology: Identify sound devices and figurative language Drama/ Mystery: Begin to evaluate elements of fiction (theme, conflict, allusion) Tragedy, Epic, Non-fiction: Evaluate lit elements (oxymoron, fshdw, flshbck, metaphor, person., rhyme scheme, pun) Am Lit Emphasis: Evaluate the significance of various lit devices/techn (imagery, irony, tone, allegory) World Lit Emphasis: Analyze the author's purpose and audience and the effects of allusion, tone, and irony Brit Lit. Emphasis: Analyze how word choice, tone, and style achieve specific rhetorical purposes Draw inferences, conclusions, and generalizations support with text evidence. Compare & contrast elements of text, such as themes, conflicts, allusions, and historical context Analyze how the patterns of organ., repetition of the main ideas, organization of language, and word choice in text affect clarity. Improve style by using parallel structures Standard IV: Comprehension Strengthen literal understanding using comprehension strategies Improve literal understanding and introduce inference and interpretation Build on inference and interpretation; introduce analysis and evaluation Recognize org. patterns (comp/ contr, cause/effect, chronological order). Connect text to pers exp. Determine salient points. Inferencing Standard V: Grammar, Usage & Mechanics Use spelling, basic capitalization, punctuation, verbs, and pronouns in complete sentences Correctly use prep. phrases and sub. clauses in simple, compound, & complex sentences. Incorporate a variety of sentence beginnings using verbal phrases and sub. clauses Correct run-ons, frags, specifically comma splices; use correct subject/verb agreement Strengthen use of active voice; emphasize subject/verb agreement Identify and correct dangling and misplaced modifiers Standard VI: Research and Information Project: one paragraph with bibliography Skills: Find biographical information for a given purpose and summarize the information Project: PowerPoint or poster with bibliography Skills: Access information to record, organize, and display relevant information Project: A 4-para 2-4 pg. paper, written in third person Skills: Summarize information from a variety of sources, & identify & credit the courses in a bibliography Project: A 4paragrah documented piece, written in third person, using quoted material Skills: Use par documentation and create a works cited page. Project: A 5-para. doc. essay, written in 3rd person, paraphrased/ quoted mat. Skills: Use par. documentation, create a works cited page, evaluate info from a variety of sources Standard VII: Vocabulary and Fluency Context, pref, suff, roots, com confused words Context, pref, suff, roots, com confused words Context, pref, suff, roots, com confused words Context, pref, suff, roots, com confused words Context, pref, suff, roots, com confused words Project: A 3-4 pg. research paper, written in third person Skills: Synthesize information from multiple sources into a research paper using MLA format Context, pref, suff, roots, com confused words 8 Bjornson 2009 Project: A 5-6 pg. research paper written in third person Skills: Synthesize information from multiple sources into a research paper using MLA format Context, pref, suff, roots, com confused words 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced 6th Grade Curriculum Map 1st Quarter: Standard 1—Writing Process  Ideas  Conventions  Organization Standard 2—Modes of Writing  Writing Pre- Assessment Standard 3 - Literature/Reading  Words in context  Sequence  Main idea Standard 4 - Comprehension  Literal comprehension Standard 5—Grammar, Usage, & Mechanics  Sentences/Fragments  Punctuation/Capitalization  Nouns  Commonly confused words Standard 7—Vocabulary  Greek and Latin Roots  Prefixes/Suffixes CRT over 1st quarter objectives 3rd Quarter: Standard 1—Writing Process  Fluency  Voice Standard 2—Modes of Writing  Narrative Standard 3—Literature/Reading  Character  Plot  Author’s purpose Standard 5—Grammar  Pronouns  Commas  Quotations Standard 6  1 paragraph biographical report Standard 7—Vocabulary  Prefixes/Suffixes CRT over 1st - 3rd quarter objectives 2nd Quarter: Standard 1—Writing Process  Word choice  Book Project/Activity Standard 2—Modes of Writing  Narrative paragraph Standard 3—Literature/Reading  Inference  Summarizing  Point of View  Setting Standard 5—Grammar, Usage, & Mechanics  Simple/Compound Sentences  Verbs  Adjectives  Synonyms Standard 7—Vocabulary  Greek and Latin Roots  Prefixes/Suffixes CRT over 1st and 2nd quarter objectives 4th Quarter: Standard 1—Writing Process  Review all traits of writing  Figurative language (similes/metaphors)  Personification  idioms Standard 2—Modes of writing  Writing post-assessment Standard 3—Literature/Reading  Comprehensive Review Standard 5—Grammar  Comprehensive Review Standard 7—Vocabulary & Fluency  Prefixes/Suffixes CRT – Comprehensive - Optional 9 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced 1st Nine Weeks 2nd Nine Weeks Grammar: Capitalization/Punctuation, Review Simple Sentences -subject/verb - fragments/Run-ons Writing: Writing Process Introduce Rubric Ideas -generate, expand Voice Grammar: Prepositional phrases (usage) Pronoun usage Writing: Organization -lead, conclusion, transitions Word choice -dead words -denotation/connotation Friendly/business letters Literature: Genre: Short Stories Literary Elements -plot -conflict -resolution -character -setting -theme -point of view Reading Strategy - summary/comprehension Literature: Novel: character development Literary Terms: -simile -metaphor -personification Reading Strategy: -Inference, making predictions Independent Reading Project focus: character Independent Reading Project focus: Elements of Fiction 3rd Nine Weeks 4th Nine Weeks Grammar: Verb Usage -tenses -transitive -intransitive Grammar: Sentence Structure -compound, complex - Subject Verb Agreement Writing: Writing: Sentence Fluency Word Choice (strong verbs) Literature: Literature: Novel Biography Reading Strategy: (non-fiction) -KWL -pre-reading/previewing -print conventions, graphs Independent Reading Project: Biography Powerpoint Poetry Mythology Folktale Fables Literary Terms -alliteration, -onomatopoeia -rhyme -metaphor, -simile, -personification Independent Reading Project Focus: Listening/speaking skills/Visual Presentation 10 Bjornson 2009 7 th G R A D E C U R R I C U L U M M A P 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced 8th Grade Curriculum Map 1st Nine Weeks 2nd Nine Weeks Grammar: Prepositional Phrases Appositive Phrases Grammar: Verbals -Participles -Infinitives Writing: Overview of 6+1 Trait Writing -Word Choice Action Verbs Introduce Chunking (8 sentences) Reflective Writing -Gerunds Writing: 6+1 Trait Writing -Conventions -Ideas -Presentation -Varying Sentence Beginnings Literature: Short Stories Literary Terms: -Alliteration -Allusion -Conflict -Theme -Point of View Literature: Plays Literary Terms: -Alliteration -Allusion -Conflict -Dramatic Irony -Foreshadowing -Metaphor 4th Nine Weeks 3rd Nine Weeks Grammar: Clauses -Adjective -Adverb -Noun Grammar: Reinforce -Clauses -Adjective -Adverb -Noun -Kinds of Sentences -Simple -Compound -Complex Kinds of Sentences -Simple -Compound -Complex Writing: Research Paper 6+1 Trait Writing -Organization -Sentence Fluency -Voice Writing: Research Paper 6+1 Trait Writing -Organization -Sentence Fluency -Voice Literature: Novel -Alliteration -Allusion -Conflict -Dialect -Dramatic Irony -Foreshadowing -Metaphor Literature: Novel Alliteration -Allusion -Conflict -Dialect -Dramatic Irony -Foreshadowing -Metaphor 11 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced 9TH Grade Curriculum Map 1st Nine Weeks 2nd Nine Weeks Power Skill 3 Literature  Identify Terms: foreshadowing, flashback, simile, metaphor (Std 3.2.c/p. 91, 3.3.a/p. 91) Literature  Identify Terms: alliteration, personification, onomatopoeia (Std. 3.3.b/p. 91, 3.3.a/p. 91, 3.3.d/p. 91) Power Skill 4 Comprehension  In a prose selection, recognize directly stated thesis or theme. Demonstrate literal understanding of the text. (Std 2.1.c/p. 89, 2.3.a/p. 90, 3.2.a/p.91) Comprehension  In a prose selection, recognize implied thesis or theme. Identify salient points and summarize effectively. (Std. 2.2.b/p. 90, 2.3.a/p. 90) Power Skill 5 Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics  Identify and correct sentence fragments. (Std. 3.3.d/p. 96) Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics  Identify and correct comma splices and run-ons (aka fused sentences). (Std. 3.2.c/p.96, 3.3.c/p. 96) Power Skill 7 Vocabulary and Fluency  Identify words in context. (Std. 1.2/p. 89) Vocabulary and Fluency  Determine word meaning through use of prefixes, suffixes, and Greek and Latin roots. (Std. 1.1/p. 89) 3rd Nine Weeks Power Skill 1 Writing Process Use transitions words, phrases, and sentences effectively. (Std. 1.3/p. 93) Literature  Identify Terms: pun, oxymoron, hyperbole, rhyme scheme (Std. 3.3.a/p. 91, 3.3.b/p. 91, 2.4.c/p. 90) Comprehension  In a poetry selection, recognize implied thesis or theme. Identify salient points and summarize effectively. (Std. 2.2.b/p. 90, 2.3.a/p. 90, 2.4.d/p. 90) Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics  Use correct subject-verb agreement in difficult constructions. (Std. 3.1.c/p. 96) Power Skill 6 Research and Information  Use correct in-text parenthetical documentation. (Std. 4.2.c/p. 92) Vocabulary and Fluency  Use commonly confused words correctly.  (Std. 3.1.a/p. 96, 1.5/p. 89, 3.2.d/p. 96) 12 Bjornson 2009 4th Nine Weeks To Be Determined with input from ninth grade teachers during first quarter of school year. 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced 10th Grade Curriculum Map 1st Nine Weeks 2nd Nine Weeks Power Std. 5 Grammar:  Run-ons/Fragments (Std.3.3.c)  Commonly Confused Words (Std. 3.1.a) Power Std.1 Writing:  Organization and Unity (Std. 1.3) Grammar:  Subject/Verb Agreement (Std. 3.1.c)  Verb Tense (Std. 3.1.b) Writing:  Variety of Sentence Structures (Std. 1.3.5) Literature: *Figurative Language (Std. 3.3a) -analogy -hyperbole -metaphor -personification -simile Power Std. 4  *Sound Devices (Std.3.3.b) -alliteration -onomatopoeia Literature:  * Literary Elements (Std.3.2.a) -setting -plot -conflict -theme -mood Comprehension:  Literal Understanding (Std. 2.1) Comprehension:  Summary/Generalization (Std.2.3) 3rd Nine Weeks 4th Nine Weeks Grammar:  Parallel Structure (Std.3.3.a)  Dangling/Misplaced Modifiers (Std.3.3.b) Writing:  Precise Words Choices (Std.1.4) Grammar:  Active/Passive Voice (Std.3.1.d)  Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement (Std.3.1.e) Writing:  Evaluate Writing/Voice (Std.1.3.6) Literature:  *Literary Devices (Std.3.2.d) -imagery -irony -tone  Character Traits (Std.3.2.c) Literature:  *Literary Elements – Author’s Purpose/Viewpoint (Std.3.2.b) (Std.3.2.e) Comprehension:  Analysis and Evaluation (Std.2.4) Comprehension:  Inferences and Interpretation (Std.2.2) Power Std.6 Research:  Evaluating information from a variety of sources (Std. 4.2) 13 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced 11th Grade Curriculum Guide 1st Quarter: Standard 1—Writing Process SENTENCE FLUENCY  Appositive phrases  Comma splices/fragments ORGANIZATION  Identifying/writing effective thesis statements Standard 2—Modes of writing: Compare/contrast  Writing Assessment #1: In-class write: comparison/contrast (LITERATURE COMPONENT HAS BEEN REMOVED. PROMPT IS UNDER REVISION.) Standard 5—Grammar, Usage, & Mechanics  Subject/verb agreement  Pronoun/antecedent agreement Standard 7—Vocabulary and Fluency CRT over 1st quarter objectives 2nd Quarter: Standard 1—Writing Process SENTENCE FLUENCY  Participle phrases  Gerunds  Clauses—adjectives and adverbs Standard 3—Literature; World Literature Emphasis  Identifying/analyzing the speaker, audience, and purpose LITERARY TERMS  Symbolism  Simile/metaphor Standard 5—Grammar, Usage, & Mechanics  Dangling/misplaced modifiers Standard 7—Vocabulary & Fluency  Commonly confused words 3rd Quarter: Standard 1—Writing Process  Writing assessment #2: open topic/preferably out of class ORGANIZATION  Using appropriate transitions Standard 3—Literature; World Literature Emphasis  Analyzing the effects of tone, allusion, and irony LITERARY TERMS  Irony/satire Standard 4--Comprehension  Compare/contrast themes and conflicts between and within texts Standard 6—Research & Information  A 3-5 page research paper written in 3rd person using MLA format/synthesizes information from multiple sources Standard 7—Vocabulary & Fluency CRT over 1st 3 quarter objectives 4th Quarter: Standard 1—Writing Process VOICE/WORD CHOICE  Passive voice SENTENCE FLUENCY  Absolute phrases CRT over 1st & 2nd quarter objectives Standard 2—Modes of writing  Writing assessment #3: In-class write: comparison/contrast (LITERATURE COMPONENT HAS BEEN REMOVED. PROMPT IS UNDER REVISION.) Standard 4—Comprehension  Identifying historical context of works Standard 5—Grammar, Usage, & Mechanics  Parallel construction Standard 6—Research & Information (If not completed in 3rd quarter)  A 3-5 page research paper written in 3rd person using MLA format/synthesizes information from multiple sources Standard 7—Vocabulary & Fluency 14 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced 12th Grade Curriculum Map 1st Quarter: Standard 1—Writing Process IDEAS  Developing a thesis statement SENTENCE FLUENCY  Absolute Phrases  Comma Splices, Run-ons, Fragments VOICE  Person/Point of View Standard 2—Modes of Writing  Writing Assessment #1: In-class write: argument and persuasion Standard 5—Grammar, Usage, & Mechanics  Pronoun/antecedent agreement Standard 6—Research & Information  A 5-6 page research paper written in 3rd person using MLA format/synthesizes information from multiple sources Standard 7—Vocabulary and Fluency CRT over 1st quarter objectives 3rd Quarter: Standard 1—Writing Process  Writing assessment #2: open topic/preferably out of class SENTENCE FLUENCY  Sentence Openers  Subject-Verb Splits  Parallel Construction Standard 2—Modes of Writing  Comparison and Contrast Standard 3—Literature; British Literature Emphasis LITERARY TERMS  Allusion Standard 4--Comprehension  Analyze patterns of organization and repetition of the main idea Standard 5—Grammar, Usage, & Mechanics  Tense Shifts  Literary present tense Standard 7—Vocabulary & Fluency CRT over 1st 3 quarter objectives 2nd Quarter: Standard 1—Writing Process IDEAS  Research Paper Details SENTENCE FLUENCY  Appositive Phrases  Participial Phrases VOICE  Passive Voice Standard 2—Modes of Writing  Argument and Persuasion Standard 3—Literature-British Literature Emphasis  Symbolism  Simile and Metaphor Standard 5—Grammar, Usage, & Mechanics  Parallel Construction Standard 6—Research & Information  A 5-6 page research paper written in 3rd person using MLA format/synthesizes information from multiple sources Standard 7—Vocabulary and Fluency CRT over 1st quarter objectives 4th Quarter: Standard 1—Writing Process VOICE/WORD CHOICE  Passive voice ORGANIZATION  Using appropriate transitions SENTENCE FLUENCY  Sentence Closers  Review of all sentence positions Standard 2—Modes of writing  Cause and Effect  Writing assessment #3: In-class write: argument and persuasion Standard 3—Literature; British Literature Emphasis LITERARY TERMS  Tone  Irony and Satire  Analyze word choice in relation to tone Standard 4—Comprehension  Analyze language and word choice and how they affect clarity Standard 7—Vocabulary & Fluency 15 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced UNION INTERMEDIATE HIGH CHOOL AP AND PRE-AP STUDENT AND PARENT ACKNOWLEDGMENT LETTER AND CONTRACT AP courses are taught using college materials and strategies that will prepare students to take College Board Advanced Placement exams. The purpose of the College Board Pre-Advanced Placement courses is to prepare students for successful completion of AP courses. Successful AP and Pre-AP students are task-oriented, selfdisciplined, proficient readers who prioritize their time and have parental support in their educational endeavors. AP and Pre-AP courses are to be expected to be different from any other class students may have taken. Classes are characterized by an immersion in rigorous content and an accelerated pace. Students in AP and Pre-AP classes will be counted as students who are identified as gifted using a multi-criteria index, unless otherwise directed in writing to the Pre-AP coordinator for UIHS. CURRICULUM Students will receive instruction in analyzing content, drawing comparisons and problem reasoning. Proficiency in writing clear, concise essays may be required in all subject areas. Content may be more mature than in academic classes. Students are expected to handle challenging material with maturity and respect. Students must be willing to speak and exchange ideas. AMOUNT OF WORK Students may be required to complete a summer assignment. In addition, significant outside work will be necessary for particular courses, including reading assignments, writing, preparation for class participation, and other assignments. Good attendance is necessary for success. EVALUATION Grading standards for Pre-AP classes may include, but will not be limited to, synthesis, analysis and proficiency based standards. Pre-AP classes will be on a weighted 5.0 scale. AP classes will be on a 6.0 weighted scale. Individual integrity is a standard of excellence for AP and Pre-AP students. All students will be expected to complete their own work. EXITING POLICY A student may exit an AP or Pre-AP class during the first five weeks of the first semester or the first two weeks of the second semester. Students will NOT be automatically withdrawn if they are receiving a failing grade. Students must obtain a withdrawal form from their teacher. Students may not be withdrawn without parent permission. Student _________________________________________ ID# _______________ AP or Pre-AP classes ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ Please sign and return this letter contract, which will indicate that you are aware of the expectations for students in AP and Pre-AP classes. Student ___________________________________________ Date ____________________ Parent ____________________________________________ Date ____________________ 16 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced PRE-AP/AP CLASS WITHDRAWAL FORM NAME ______________________________ GRADE _____ ID# _____ I wish to drop the following Pre-AP/AP class. _______________________ What is the reason for dropping the class? I understand that changes will be made if space is available, and that my schedule may be impacted in multiple ways, for example, order of classes, teachers, and lunch schedule. I have discussed my changes with both the teacher and my parents, and obtained the required signatures. I understand that my grades will transfer to the new class. Make-up work for the new class will be at the discretion of the teacher. Student has attended at least three documented tutorial sessions. _________ Teacher Signature _________________________________ Date ________ Book returned? __________ My parents have visited with or had a conference with the teacher. ________ Parent Signature_____________________________________________ Teacher _____________________ % ______ Remove ____ Remain ____ Parent _______________________________ Date ____________________ Please return to your counselor when completed during the first five weeks of the first semester or the first two weeks of the second semester. Books must be returned to the teacher or counselor before any changes will be made. 17 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced Three Areas of Importance to AP Vertical Teams: Vocabulary Reading/Literature Writing/Grammar 18 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced Raising the Vocabulary Level Word Study Synonyms Antonyms Analogies 19 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced FLASH CARDS 1. Cut your 3" x 5" index cards in half. 2. On the lined side of the card, write the stem, root, or prefix in color and in block print. Use a different color each week. 3. On the opposite side of the card, write the meaning, draw a picture, and write three derivatives at the bottom of the card. Use a different color from the front of the card. 4. Punch a hole in the upper left-hand corner of the front of the card. 5. Place the card on the ring. 6. Use the cards to study for your test. EXAMPLE OF CARD Back of Card Three tricycle Front of Card 20 Bjornson 2009 triad trilogy 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT ASSIGNMENT You have learning the meanings of several Greek and Latin prefixes, stems, and roots. Now it is time to put your knowledge to work. Begin reading newspapers and magazines. As you read, watch for words that are formed with these roots. Then do the following assignment. NOTE: You may NOT duplicate roots. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Clip the article (or a substantial portion of it if it is too long) and mount it on paper. Indicate the source (underline or italicize titles of magazines, newspapers, or books) and date of publication. Highlight the word or words you found which have the prefix, stem, or root with a highlighter or red pen. Guess the part of speech and meaning of the word based on your knowledge of root meanings, your understanding of grammar, and context clues. Look up the word in the dictionary. Give the part of speech and the meaning that best fits the context of the sentence in the article. List the prefix, stem, or root with its meaning and derivation. Write a mature sentence using this same word as it might be used in the real world. Your sentence should be at least 12 words long. Proofread your sentence for spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and usage. Highlight or underline the word in your own "real world" original sentence. NOTE: Some words may look as if they are derived from the roots, but they are not. The only way you will know for sure is to look it up in a dictionary. For example, the word "impediment" has nothing to do with the Greed root which "pedi" which means "child." The assignment will count as a Vocabulary Test grade for the current nine weeks. It is due on ____________. You will do all steps for each of the NINE words you highlight.  You may use a textbook of your own classes for one entry.  You may use one teacher quote for a source. Write the entire quote, the date it was said, and what the quote referred to during the conversation. Teacher signature is required for this entry. VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT EXAMPLE ASSIGNMENT A terrified woman was led from a crowd by Belgian paratroopers as part of the eradication of foreigners from the Rwandan capital of Kigali yesterday. A week of fighting between rebels and government troops in the Central African country has left tens of thousands dead. Source: Date: Dictionary Prefix, Stem, or Root -Sentence: Fort Worth Star Telegram Thursday, April 14, 1994 Part of speech: noun Meaning: trooper trained to jump from airplanes "para": A Greek prefix meaning defense against The paratrooper was ready for war; the military uses trained personnel to parachute behind enemy lines. 21 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced SAT Vocabulary #13 I. Matching. Match the word on the left with its definition on the right. You will use each letter once 1. fetter _________ A. adj. not subject to change; constant 2. heinous _________ B. adj. stealthy, secret, intended to escape observation; made or accomplished by fraud 3. immutable _________ C. adj. performed, suffered, or otherwise experienced by one person in place of another 4. insurgent _________ D. n. a chain or shackled placed on the feet (often used in plural); anything that confines or restrains v. to chain or shackle; to render helpless or impotent 5. megalomania ________ E. n. one who rebels or rises against authority adj. rising in revolt, refusing to accept authority; surging or rushing on 6. sinecure _________ F. n. a position requiring little or no work; an easy job 7. surreptitious_________ G. v. to change from one nature, substance, or form to another 8. transgress _________ H. adj. very wicked; offensive; hateful 9. transmute _________ I. n. a delusion marked by a feeling of power, wealth, talent, etc. far in excess of reality 10. vicarious _________ J. v. to go beyond a limit or boundary; to sin; to violate a law II. Fill in the blank. Choose from the following list of vocabulary words to complete the sentences. You might need to change the form of the word to make it fit correctly into the sentence. Be careful. fetter heinous immutable insurgent megalomania sinecure surreptitious transgress transmute vicarious 11. The _____________ way in which they planned the undertaking shows that they were aware of his illegal character. 12. Is there any other crime in history as _________________________ as the attempt of the Nazis to annihilate socalled “inferior” racial groups? 13. Although the _________________________ were defeated by the government’s forces, a small group escaped into the mountains, where they kept the spirit of the rebellion alive. 14. Although most of us lead a quiet, humdrum sort of live, we can all get a (n) _______________________ thrill from the achievements of our astronauts. 15. The Emancipation Proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln once and for all broke the _________________________ that bound Southern blacks to a life of servitude and humiliation. 16. The one fact about nature that seems completely ______________________ is that everything is subject to change. 17. His conceit is so great and so immune to the lessons of experience that this must be considered a kind of ______. 18. Anyone who refers to my job as a (n) ______________________ should spend just one day in my place! 19. The alchemists of the Middle Ages, who were both skilled magicians and primitive chemists, hoped to ________________ base metals into gold. 22 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced 20. In his determination to be blunt and honest, he has ________________________ the limits of good taste. III. Synonyms -- Choose the word most nearly the same in meaning as the boldface word or expression. fetter immutable megalomania surreptitious transmute heinous insurgent sinecure transgress vicarious 21. the disposition of the revolutionary ______________________________________ 22. a woman of unalterable habits ______________________________________ 23. a scandal involving “no-show” jobs ______________________________________ 24. convert ambition into action ______________________________________ 25. trying to restrain our imaginations ______________________________________ IV. Antonyms. Choose the word most nearly opposite in meaning to the boldface word or expression. fetter immutable megalomania surreptitious transmute heinous insurgent sinecure transgress vicarious 26. the modesty of the real genius ______________________________________ 27. obey the week-night curfew ______________________________________ 28. experienced actual thrills at the race ______________________________________ 29. accommodating, splendid treatment of prisoners ______________________________________ 30. made overt, open movements toward to candy _____________________________________ V. Choose the right word. From the pair, choose the word that best fits the meaning of the sentence. 31. Her description of the Western frontier was so vivid that I seemed to be (surreptitiously, vicariously) experiencing the realities of pioneer life. 32. For ancient Romans, feeling from the battlefield was the most (heinous, immutable) act of cowardice a soldier could commit. 33. A (n) (insurgent, heinous) group at the convention refused to accept the choices of the regular party leaders. 34. Although her new position bore a high-sounding title, it was really only a (n) (insurgent, sinecure). 35. He may have kept within the letter of the law, but there is no doubt that he has (transgressed, transmuted) the accepted moral code. VI. REACH. Now use each of these ten words correctly in a sentence. You may write a five-sentence paragraph, using more than one of these words in each sentence, or you may write ten separate sentences. Please do not write more than 10 sentences to use the 10 words. I will check these for correct use of the words and for correct spelling, grammar, usage, etc. This section is worth 2 points per word. Write on your own paper. 23 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced SAT Vocabulary Quiz #13 From the words below, select the correctly spelled word and write the ENTIRE WORD on your own notebook paper. 1. a. fettar b. feter c. fetter d. fieter 2. a. heinous b. heinus c. hainous d. henous Match the SYNONYMS below with the appropriate word from the list of vocabulary words. In the left margin of your notebook paper, write the letter of the list of synonyms next to the vocabulary word. A. absolute, indisputable, undeniable ________ 3. a. emmutable b. immutable c. immutible d. imutible 4 a. ensurgant b. insurgant c. ensurgent d. insurgent 5 a. megalomania b. megleomania c. megalomana d. megolamanea 6 a. sinycure b. sinecure c. sinacure d. cinekure F. cushy career, plum position, undemanding undertaking, __________ 7 a. syruppticious b. serrupticious c. syruptitious d. surreptitious G. change, alter, metamorphose, ___________ 8 a. transgres b. tranzgres c. transgress d. trainscress I. a. transmute b. tranzmute c. transmuite d. transmiout J. sin, disobey, overstep, ______________ a. vicarious b. vicarios c. vicarius d. vicarrious B. secret, sneaky, underhanded, ___________ C. substitute, proxy, stand-in, __________ D. bind, restrain, shackle, _________________ E. rebel, revolutionary, guerrilla, ____________ H. atrocious, reprehensible, wicked, _________ 9. 10. 24 Bjornson 2009 delusions of grandeur, illustrious illusions, fanciful fantasies, __________ 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced Teaching Literary Terms  Guide students from knowledge to application to analysis  Decide terms to be taught at each grade level  Use common definitions throughout the vertical team 25 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced Introducing Literary Elements IMAGERY "He clasps the crag with crooked hands; Close to the sun in lonely lands, Ringed with azure world, he stands." Tennyson Imagery may be defined as the representation through language of sense experience. The word image most often suggests a mental picture— visual imagery. Of course, an image may also represent a sound, a smell, a taste, a tactile experience or, an internal sensation. Since imagery is a particularly effective way of evoking vivid experience, conveying emotion, suggesting ideas, and causing mental reproduction of sensations; it is an invaluable resource for poets. 26 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced The Tropics in New York By: Claude McKay Bananas ripe and green, and ginger-root, Cocoa in pods and alligator pears, And tangerines and mangoes and grape fairs, Fit for the highest prize at Paris fairs. Set in the window, bringing memories Of fruit-trees laden by low singing rills, And dewy dawns, and mystical blue skies In benediction over nun-like hills. My eyes grew dim, and I could no more gaze; A wave of longing through my body swept, And, hungry for the old, familiar ways, I turned aside and bowed my head and wept. ANALYZE IT: Remember that an image is a word picture. A writer uses images to make the reader see, hear, taste, smell, or feel. Of course, you can have images without words in your mind too. These are mental pictures, and this is usually what memories are. The writer of this poem started with images in his mind and put them into words so that they could become images in the reader's mind. Use the chart below to list as many example of imagery from the poem under the appropriate sense to which it appeals. SIGHT SOUND TOUCH 27 Bjornson 2009 TASTE SMELL 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced IMAGERY WRITE ABOUT IT: Write a paragraph explaining why imagery is important to the poem. In other words, how does imagery add to your understanding and appreciation to the poem? Support your ideas and/or opinions by citing specific examples from the poem. DISCUSSION: Read the following description of a town named Maycomb. In rainy weather the streets turned to red slop; grass grew on the sidewalks, the courthouse sagged in the square. Somehow, it was hotter then; a black dog suffered on the summer's day; bony mules hitched to Hoover carts flicked flies in the sweltering shade of the live oaks on the square. Men's stiff collars wilted by nine in the morning. From To Kill a Mockingbird By: Harper Lee How does the author use imagery to tell the reader about the setting of the novel and about the size, location, age, appearance, and economic status of the town? What image of the town does the author create? Which words help create this image? ON YOUR OWN: Find a poem or paragraph that is rich in imagery. Copy the literary piece and write an essay in which you not only discuss the various types of imagery the writer uses in the piece, but also the effect of such imagery on the reader's understanding of the piece? Be sure to be specific. Cite actual words and phrases from the piece as examples to support your opinions and conclusions. 28 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced SIMILE A simile is a comparison between two things that are essentially unlike. A distinctive characteristic of simile is the use of the words like, as, similar to, or resembles to make the comparison. Thus the poet uses simile to help readers understand something new by comparing it with something familiar. “Man’s life is like a summer leaf.” 29 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced Simile AN EMERALD IS AS GREEN AS GRASS By: Christina Rossetti An emerald is as green as grass. A ruby red as blood; A sapphire shines as blue as heaven, A flint lies in the mud. A diamond is a brilliant stone, To catch the world's desire; An opal holds a fiery spark, But a flint holds fire. ANALYZE IT: Remember that a simile is a comparison made between two dissimilar things that uses the words like or as. The things compared are usually completely different except for a particular shared quality. From the chart below, write the similes found in the poem and then write the two things each simile compares. Write what makes these similes particularly appropriate for the poem. Simile What is being compared Explain what makes the simile appropriate for the poem. WRITE ABOUT IT: Complete the following sentence with interesting similes. 1. The August sun was as hot as __________________________________________________ 2. After a long day of hiking, we were as tired as ______________________________________ 3. The baby bird was as tiny as ___________________________________________________ 4. The sleeping children were as quiet as ___________________________________________ 5. The new-fallen snow was as white as ____________________________________________ 6. An angry teacher is like _______________________________________________________ 7. Trying to follow my little sister's directions is like ____________________________________ 8. The cold pizza tasted like ______________________________________________________ 9. The new first grader was as nervous as __________________________________________ 10. When he heard a noise inside the church, the undertaker ran like ______________________ 30 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced ON YOUR OWN: Find five examples of similes in magazine ads, stories, poems, etc., and copy them onto your own paper. Explain what two things being compared have in common and why the simile is appropriate, in other words, how does the simile add to what the writer is trying to say? Be prepared to share with the class. 31 Bjornson 2009 t ., 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced METAPHOR Like a simile, metaphor is also a comparison. However, in metaphors, the comparison is implied. In other words, when Shakespeare writes in "Spring" that "merry larks are ploughman's clocks," he is using a metaphor; for he identifies larks with clocks. "An aged man is but a paltry. thing, A tattered coat upon a stick. . ." W.B. Yeats 32 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced Dreams Langston Hughes Hold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow. DISCUSSION: Sometimes a metaphor is suggested or implied. It does not state that one thing is another, different thing. What comparisons are implied by the following metaphors? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. The wind drove the galloping storm clouds across the sky. Carefully, cleverly, the spy wove his web of deceit and waited to entrap his victim. The windows of the old house stared out into the night, and the open door seemed to grin. The quilted snow fell gently over the earth - tucking it in for a long winter's nap. His youth ticked away quickly. An extended metaphor is a series of comparisons between two unlike things that share common elements. Explain how the following poem is an extended metaphor. The Writer By: Richard Wilbur In her room at the prow of the house Where light breaks, and the windows are tossed with linden, My daughter is writing a story. How we stole in, lifted a sash I pause in the stairwell, hearing From her shut door a commotion of typewriterkeys Like a chain hauled over a gunwale. Young as she is, the stuff Of her life is a great cargo, and some of it heavy: I wish her a lucky passage. But now it is she who pauses, As if to reject my thought and its easy figure. A stillness greatens, in which The whole house seems to be thinking, And then she is at it again with a bunched clamor Of strokes, and again is silent. I remember the dazed starling Which was trapped in that very room, two years ago; And retreated, not to affright it; And how for a helpless hour, through the crack of the door, We watched the sleek, wild, dark And iridescent creature Batter against the brilliance, drop like a glove To the hard floor, or the desk-top, And wait then, humped and bloody, For the wits to try it again; and how our spirits Rose when, suddenly sure, It lifted off from a chair-back, Beating a smooth course for the right window And clearing the sill of the world. It is always a matter, my darling, Of life or death, as I had forgotten. I wish What I wished you before, but harder. 33 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced PERSONIFICATION Personification consists of giving human qualities to an animal, an object, or an idea. Thus, in the example below, the desert crouches, which is a human action. The author, through his “humanizing” of an inanimate person, place, or thing (the desert), employs personification. "The tawny-hided desert crouches watching her. Francis Thompson 34 Bjornson 2009 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced April Rain Song Langston Hughes Let the rain kiss you Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops Let the rain sing you a lullaby The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk The rain makes running pools in the gutter The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night And I love the rain. Brainstorming Graphic Organizer to Analyze Personification Directions: Write your word pairs in the appropriate column. Then, brainstorm imagery and details around the word pairs using the following questions to guide you: o What are Langston Hughes' feelings toward rain? o What does he want his audience to do? o How does personification help him make his point? o How is his use of personification different from that of Dickinson or Blake? o What do you notice about the language he uses to describe the rain? How does he use repetition to make his point? Word Pairs (Noun/Verb) (sample) rain/plays What? a little sleep song When? at night 35 Bjornson 2009 Where? Why? on our roof to lull me to sleep; to comfort me; to assure me 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced The Train By: Emily Dickinson I like to see it lap the miles, And lick the valleys up, And stop to feed itself at tanks; And then, prodigious, step To fit its sides, and crawl between, Complaining all the while In horrid, hooting stanza; Then chase itself down hill Around a pile of mountains, And, supercilious, peer In shanties by the sides of roads; And then a quarry pare And neigh like Boanerges; Then, punctual as a start its own, Stop-docile and omnipotentA stable door. Questions: o Why do you think he chooses to have the sunflowers talk? o What kinds of descriptive words does Blake use? Why do you think he uses these words? o What is different about how Blake uses personification in his poem? Word Pairs (Noun/Verb) What? When? Where? 36 Bjornson 2009 Why? 2009 South Washington County (MN) Schools One-Day Conferenced FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE CHECK WRITE ABOUT IT: Read the following passage and write a paragraph that examines the author's use of figurative language. Cite specific examples of imagery, simile, etc. and explain how they add to the reader's understanding and appreciation of the story. "HAIRS" From The House on Mango Street By: Sandra Cisneros Everybody in our family has different hair. My Papa's hair is like a broom, all up in the air. And me. My hair is lazy. It never obeys barrettes or bands. Carlos' hair is thick and straight. He doesn't need to comb it. Nenny's hair is slippery - slides out of your hand. And Kiki, who is the youngest, has hair like fur. But my mother's hair, my mother’s hair, like little rosettes, like little candy circles all curly and pretty because she pinned it in pincurls all day, sweet to put your nose into when she is holding you, holding you and you feel safe, is the warm smell of bread before you bake it, is the smell when she makes room for you on her side of the bed still warm with her skin, and you sleep near her, the rain outside falling and Papa snoring. The snoring, the rain, and Mama's hair that smells like bread. 37 Bjornson 2009 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference ARCHETYPES IN LITERATURE An archetype is a symbol, story, pattern, or character type that recurs frequently in literature and evokes strong, often unconscious, associations in the reader. For example, the wicked witch and the enchanted prince are character types widely dispersed through folk tales and literature. The story of a hero who undertakes a dangerous quest, as in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a recurrent story pattern. Situation Archetypes  The Quest — This motif describes the search for someone or some talisman which, when found and brought back, will restore fertility to a wasted land, the desolation of which is mirrored by a leader's illness and disability. (The Lion King. Idylls of the King)  The Task - To save the kingdom, the win the fair lady, to identify himself so that he may reassume his rightful position, the hero must perform some nearly superhuman deed. This is NOT the same as the quest; it is a function of the ultimate goal. (Arthur pulls Excalibur from the stone, Grendel is slain by Beowulf)  The Journey - The journey sends the hero in search for some truth or information necessary to restore fertility to the kingdom. Usually the hero descends into a real or psychological hell and is forced to discover the blackest truths, quite often concerning his faults. Once the hero is at this lowest point, he must accept personal responsibility to return to the world of the living. A second use of this pattern is the depiction of a limited number of travelers on a sea voyage, bus ride, or any other trip for the purpose of isolating them and using them as microcosm of society. (The Canterbury Tales. The Odyssey).  The Initiation - This rite usually takes the form of an initiation into adult life. The adolescent comes into his/her maturity with new awareness and problems, along with new hope for the community. This awakening is often the climax of the story. (Huckleberry Finn. King Arthur).  The Fall - This archetype describes a descent from a higher to a lower state of being. The experience involves a defilement and/or loss of innocence and bliss. The fall is often accompanied by expulsion from a kind of paradise as penalty for disobedience and moral transgression. (Adam and Eve, Lancelot and Guinevere).  Death and Rebirth - The most common of all situational archetypes, this motif grows out of the parallel between the cycle of nature and the cycle of life. Thus, morning and springtime represent birth, youth, or rebirth, while evening and winter suggest old age or death.  Nature vs. Mechanistic World - Nature is good, while technology and society are often evil (Mad Max, Terminator)  The Battle between Good and Evil - Obviously the battle between two primal forces; Mankind shows eternal optimism in the continual portrayal of good triumphing over evil despite great odds. (Westerns, Satan and God in Paradise Lost).  The Unhealable Wound - This wound is either physical or psychological and cannot be healed fully. This wound also indicates a loss of innocence. These wounds always ache and often drive the sufferer to desperate measures. (Lancelot's madness, Scar's envy)  The Ritual — The actual ceremonies the initiate experiences that will mark his rite of passage into another state. The importance of ritual rites cannot be over stressed as they provide a clear signpost for the character's role in society as well as our own position in the world. (Weddings, baptisms, coronation. 38 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference  The Magic Weapon — This symbolizes the extraordinary quality of the hero because no one else can wield the weapon or use it to its full potential. (Excalibur, Odysseus's bow, Thor's banner) Symbolic Archetypes  Light vs. Darkness - Light usually suggests hope, renewal, or intellectual illumination. Darkness implies the unknown, ignorance, despair, or evil.  Water vs. Desert - Because water is necessary to life and growth, it commonly appears as a birth or rebirth symbol. Water is used in baptismal services, which solemnizes spiritual births. Similarly, the appearance of rain in a work of literature can suggest a character's spiritual birth. Desert, in turn, implies the death of a soul and spirituality. (The sea and river images in The Odyssey.)  Heaven vs. Hell - Man has traditionally associated parts of the universe not accessible to him with the dwelling places of the primordial forces that govern his world. The skies and mountaintops house his gods; the bowels of the earth contain the diabolic forces that inhabit the universe. (Dante's Inferno. The Divine Comedy)  Innate Wisdom vs. Educated Stupidity - Some characters exhibit wisdom and understanding at situations instinctively as opposed to those supposedly in charge. Loyal retainers often exhibit this wisdom when they accompany the hero on the journey. (Animals, Sam in The Lord of the Rings).  Haven vs. Wilderness - Places of safety contrast sharply against the dangerous wilderness. Heroes are often sheltered for a time to regain health and resources. (The Batcave, Camelot).  Supernatural Intervention — The gods intervene on the side of the hero and sometimes against him. (The Bible. The Odyssey)  Fire vs. Ice - Fire represents knowledge, light, life, and rebirth, while ice represents ignorance, darkness, sterility, and death. (Dante's Inferno, the phoenix). Character Archetypes  The Hero - This archetype is so well-defined that the life of the protagonist can be clearly divided into a series of wellmarked adventures which strongly suggest a ritualistic pattern. Traditionally, the herd's mother is a virgin, the circumstances of this conception are unusual, and, at birth, some attempt is made to kill him. He is, however, spirited away and reared by foster parents. We know almost nothing of his childhood, but, upon reaching manhood, he returns to his future kingdom. After a victory over the king or a wild beast, he marries a princess, becomes king, reigns uneventfully, but later loses favor with the gods. He is then driven from the city after which he meets a mysterious death, often at the top of a hill. His body is not buried, but nevertheless, he has one or more holy sepulchers. Characters who exemplify this archetype to a greater or lesser extent are Oedipus, Jason, Dionysus, Joseph, Moses, Jesus, Arthur, Robin Hood, and Beowulf.  The Young Man from the Provinces - This hero is spirited away as a young man and raised by strangers. He later returns to his home and heritage where he is a stranger who can see new problems and new solutions. (Tarzan, Arthur, Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz).  The Initiates - These are young heroes or heroines who, prior to their quest, must endure some training and ceremony. They are usually innocent and often wear white. (Daniel from The Karate Kid. Luke Skywalker)  Mentors — These individuals serve as teachers or counselors to the initiates. Sometimes they work as role models and often serve as a father or mother figure.(Merlin, Raffiki) 39 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference  Hunting Group of Companions - Loyal companions willing to face any number of perils in order to-be together. (Robin Hood and his Merry Men, The Knights of the Round Table).  Loyal Retainers — These individuals are somewhat like servants who are heroic themselves. Their duty is to protect the hero and reflect the nobility of the hero. (Sam in The Lord of the Flies. Watson to Sherlock Holmes).  Friendly Beast - This character shows nature on the side of the hero. (Lassie, Toto, Trigger).  The Devil Figure — Evil incarnate, this character offers worldly goods, fame, or knowledge to the protagonist in exchange for possession of the soul. (Satan, Lucifer, Hitler).  The Evil Figure with the Ultimate Good Heart ~ A redeemable devil figure saved by the nobility or love of the hero. (Green Knight, Scrooge).  The Scapegoat - An animal or more usually a human whose death in a public ceremony expiates some taint or sin that has been visited upon the community. Their death often makes them a more powerful force in the society than when they lived. (Oedipus, Jews in the Holocaust)  The Outcast — A figure who is banished from a social group for some crime {real or imagined) against his fellow man. The outcast is usually destined to become a wanderer from place to place, (cowboys, Cain, Timone and Pumba).  The Creature of Nightmare — A monster usually summoned from the deepest, darkest part of the human psyche to threaten the desecration of the human body. (Werewolves, vampires, Frankenstein).  The Woman Figure o The Earth Mother - Symbolic of fruition, abundance, and fertility, this character traditionally offers spiritual and emotional nourishment to those with whom she comes in contact. She is often depicted in earth colors and has large breasts and hips, symbolic of her childbearing capabilities. (Mother Nature, Mammy in Gone with the Wind). o The Temptress - Characterized by her beauty, this woman is one to whom the protagonist is physically attracted and who ultimately brings about his downfall. (Delilah, Cleopatra). o The Platonic Ideal — This woman is a source of inspiration and a spiritual ideal, for whom the protagonist or author has an intellectual rather than a physical attraction. (Dante's Beatrice, Petrarch's Laura). o The Unfaithful Wife — A woman married to a man who she sees as dull or distant and is attracted to a more virile or interesting man. (Madame Bovary, Anna Karenina). o The Damsel in Distress — The vulnerable woman who must be rescued by the ensnare the unsuspecting hero. (Guinevere, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty). o The Star-Crossed Lovers - These two characters are engaged in a love affair that is fated to end tragically for one or both of them due to the disapproval of society, family, friends, or some tragic situation. (Romeo and Juliet, the Titanic lovers). 40 Bjornson 2008 hero, she often is used as a trap to 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference THE FOUR ELEMENTS  Air is considered active and male. It is light, mobile, and has the quality of dryness. Being that which we breathe, it is essential to life and can be thought of as the primary element. The Greek "spiro" means "breath," from this we get inspiration, as if the gods were filling us with the divine breath. Air is also connected with stormy wind (creation) and a medium for movement. Air can also be thought of as human freedom, cold and aggressive and memory. Often fresh night air is a sign of danger and a transition to renewed hope, steadfastness, salvation, stability, and/or tranquility.  Earth is seen nourishment, fertility, infinite creativity, and/or longevity. Earth represents matter, while heaven stands for spirit. As one of the four elements, earth is the ground, stability, a foundation for life and for the structures of man and nature.  Fire consumes, warms, and illuminates but can also bring pain and death; thus, its symbolic meaning varies wildly, depending upon the context of its use. It is often the symbol of inspiration, and yet it is also the predominant symbol of hell; fire is the only one of the four elements that humans can produce themselves, so it bridges the connection between mortals and gods. Rituals often involve an eternal flame, and kindling a fire is equated with birth and resurrection. Fire can also be seen as a force of purification. In a more modern context, forest fires, while looked upon as destructive and costly by modern society are positive as a mode of purification -- old growth that is burned away makes way for new growth to begin, and the entire ecosystem is rejuvenated. Many cultures view fire as a symbol of wisdom and knowledge.  Water represents life and associated with birth, fertility, and refreshment. Christians are baptized with or in water, symbolizing a purification of the soul, and an admission into the faith. Water can also be destructive; water drowns and erodes, wearing away even the densest of stones given enough time. Its qualities are fluidity and cohesiveness. Flowing water usually represents change and the passage of time. SHAPES  The circle is a universal symbol with extensive meaning. It represents the notions of totality, wholeness, original perfection, the self, the infinite, eternity, timelessness, all cyclic movementIt implies an idea of movement and symbolizes the cycle of time, the perpetual motion of everything that moves, the planets' journey around the sun, the circle of the zodiac, the great rhythm of the universe. The circle is also zero in our system of numbering and symbolizes potential  The cube is a three-dimensional square and is a symbol of stability and permanence. It represents the final stage of a cycle of immobility and as the truth because it looks the same from any perspective. The cube is the squaring of a circle. Scientifically, the cube usually represents salt. It is the earth: a square plus the four elements plus three dimensions.  The square is the earth, as opposed to the heavens; it is geometric perfection, static, denoting honesty and straightforwardness, morality and integrity. It is a symbol of constancy.  The triangle is one of the simplest and most fundamental geometric symbols; it is often representative of the Holy Trinity. The triangle can also be a symbol for fire.  The curve gives a sense of more energy and motion. DIRECTIONS  East is the direction of the rising sun and the dawn and is commonly associated with beginnings, birth, spring, and/or renewal. The east is a place where magicians often emigrate from and can hold characteristics of wisdom. The right (favorable) half of the body is representative of the east and is s opposed to the west, sinister half.  North is most widely associated with cold, obscurity, winter, and old age.  South is commonly linked to the noonday sun, summer, youth, and warmth.  West is the direction of the setting sun and dusk, linking it with death, endings, the season of fall, and middle age. In the mid nineteenth century western culture witnessed westward expansion and the gold rush, so this context allows us to see west as opportunity, hope, and adventure. 41 Bjornson 2008 Color Representation Number black power, sexuality, sophistication, formality, eloquence, fear, evil, unhappiness, sadness, remorse, anger, mourning 0 blue peace, spirituality, spiritual energy, intellect, Inspiration, stability, trust loyalty, truth, confidence, (appetite suppressant bright green jealousy, envy, inexperience, misfortune brown neutralizing, earth, hearth, home, outdoors, reliability, comfort, simplicity, dark blue Symbolic Correspondence undetermined being, potential, latent ideas, absence of all; mystery Sunday power, magic, health, vitality, money, career 1 ultimate unity, identity, equality, existence, conservation, general harmony, peace, tranquility, - a good principle. Monday intuition, dreams, psychic ability, fertility 2 contrasts, diversity, inequality, division, separation, disorder, confusion, change; strong duality of Christ God and man, polars, Tuesday money, enemies, courage, energy completeness, divinity, soul of the world, spirit of man, meditation, atonement, mysteries beginning, middle, end; Trinity; birth, life, death; three tries, three strikes Wednesday 3 divination, communications, knowledge, wisdom earthly, physical things of creation, generating virtue, root of all things, gives human soul its eternal nature 4 elements, 4 stages of man, 4 directions, 4 corners of the world Thursday happiness, luck, wealth, victory, health 4 5 divine grace; redoubted by evil spirits 5 senses, 5 fingers & toes, 5 wounds of Christ (head. 2 hands, feet, side) Friday love, romance, marriage, friendship 6 evil connotations, devil, ambivalence, total of labor; luck, chance, hours of day are divisions of 6, Saturday psychic ability, communication, new beginnings, protection, bindings, depression magenta quick changes, spiritual healing, exorcism gold drawing strength from others; hiding behind an illusion; loss of confidence golden yellow fear, dishonesty, cowardice, betrayal, deceit, illness, hazard green material success, abundance, fertility, nature, environment, renewal, youth, vigor, generosity, 7 spiritual perfection; power, belongs to sacred things, merges 3 & 4 7 days for creation, 7 days of week, forgive 7 x 70, 7 colors of rainbow orange concentration, psychic energy, balance, warmth, enthusiasm, vibrant, demanding of attention, encouragement, 8 resurrection; regeneration, new beginnings, commencement; baptismal font is 8-sided; pink true love, friendship, attraction, romance, spiritual awakening, togetherness 9 the extent to which numbers should go; all numbers revolve around it; sacred; cannot get rid of 9 - 9 x 1 = 9, 9 x 2 = 18 --1 + 8 = 9 purple magical forces, power over obstacles, royalty, nobility, spirituality, ceremony, transformation, wisdom, 10 red passion, vigor, sexual energy, excitement, aggression, danger, fire, war, blood, all things intense and passionate 11 white reverence, purity, simplicity, cleanliness, peace, precision, Innocence, youth, birth, winter, snow, good, sterility, marriage, 12 yellow joy, happiness, optimism, imagination, hope, sunshine, 13 silver removes negative power, victory, stability, developing talents 15 gray security, reliability, intelligence, modesty, dignity, maturity, practical, sad, boring, old age 25 dark green problems in relationships or marriage (almost a black color) Days 2008 Vestavia Hills One-DayCorrespondences Conference Symbolic 666 completeness; new commencement disorder; incompleteness government of God; cosmic order multiples of 12 occur in government, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 months, 12 zodiac signs, controlling or regulating; rebellion, 6th prime number- associated with the concept of the works of man without the completion of God paganism, reduces to 6, thus indicative of a false system grace intensified; 5x5 mark of the beast, evil, cults 42 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference LOADED WORDS Being able to recognize propaganda/persuasion/rhetoric is necessary in order to be a careful, independent reader and thinker. These techniques are attempts to influence your thinking. Speeches, television and radio programs, advertisements, and movies can all be forms of propaganda/persuasion/rhetoric. Written material intended to influence you contains "loaded" words. A loaded word or phrase conveys emotion and the writer's point of view. Compare the loaded words in sentences 1 & 3 with the less emotional words in sentences 2 & 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. There was a forbidding and depressing gloom that day. The day was cloudy. She looked like a skeleton in her baggy clothing. Her clothes were too big for her. In sentence 1, the writer encouraged you to feel sadness and even fear. Cloudy, in sentence 2, merely describes the day with no added comment. Sentence 3 creates a mood with the words skeleton and baggy, while in sentence 4, too big states a fact. Some questions are worded in such a loaded way that you are led into agreement with the questioner. Look at this example. Who would not agree that this is a magnificent automobile? You are made to feel that you will appear tasteless or foolish if you disagree. This type of question is often used in selling, to make it impossible for the customer to say NO. In the sentences below, substitute a loaded word or phrase for each common word in parentheses. 1. The company president lives in _____________________________________ (big) house. 2. Describing the star player, the coach said, "She's _______________________________!” (good) 3. Sally Jones is a (n) ______________________________________________(capable) leader. 4. Acme Peanut Butter is___________________________________(better) than all others. 43 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference LOADED WORDS, PART II Probably the most common use of propaganda in daily life is in advertising. Strong, emotion-filled words are used to make products or services appealing. Read this real estate advertisement. Two story, three bedroom house. Living and dining rooms connected by archway. Kitchen has two windows, new cupboards. Screened porch. Basement storeroom. Located in center of town. Now observe how the same house is made to seem more attractive by using "advertising language." Upper level family suite assures privacy in this spacious dream home. Prepare a feast for guests in the bright, cheery gourmet kitchen. Entertain in the double-sized living area or enjoy cooling breezes on the veranda. Use your handyman skills to create a lower level den. Conveniently located near shopping and transportation. Notice how ordinary house features have been made to sound unusual and appealing. Upper and lower level, suite, privacy, spacious, feast, gourmet, and veranda are only a few of the words used to encourage a sense of wealth and importance. Even the substitution of home for house affects the impression. It is important to understand the point of view of the writer. How is he/she trying to sway you? How do your feelings change when you read "sun-drenched days and crisp, clear nights" and "broiling hot during the day and bone-chilling cold at night?" Propaganda may be beneficial or harmful, but it is never neutral. A writer of propaganda, good or bad, is attempting to make you think a certain way. There are other types of persuasive writing, such as editorials and some essays. But various forms of propaganda are especially important for you to recognize. The sentences below are written as propaganda. Rewrite them in straight, factual language. 1. Earsplitting shouts assaulted him as he inched through the mass of people. __________________________________________________________________________ 2. The constant, formless horror of famine can be seen in the ancient villagers' faces. _________________________________________________________________________ 3. Waves of melody delighted her ears. _________________________________________________________________________ 44 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference LOADED WORDS, PART III The words people choose reveal how they feel, by what standards they judge. The words you yourself choose may stir up the wrong emotions unless you handle them with care. Remember the following guidelines: 1. Distinguish neutral words from words with favorable or unfavorable connotations. Know which word is likely to be considered flattering, which insulting, and which is "straight talk," plain and simple. Neutral thin group project determined official careful reproach Favorable slender circle enterprise resolute public servant discreet admonish Unfavorable skinny clique scheme stubborn bureaucrat sneaky nag 2. Practice restraint in using words that express disgust or contempt. The damage done by invective, or "namecalling," is not easily patched up. Be careful how you call someone an "opportunist" or a "snob." Call someone a "coward" or a "slob" or a "traitor" only if you are willing to make a lifelong enemy. Such words are true "fuse blowers" or argument and discussion. They short-circuit all rational exchange of opinion. Among heated charges guaranteed to blow the fuse are: * * * * * accusing a book of "poisoning the minds of children" calling a person of conservative views a "fascist" calling unwelcome new ideas "subversive" calling a lawyer a "shyster" calling a doctor a "quack" 3. Resist being swayed by mere words. Remember to ask: What's in a name? A political candidate or an advertiser will naturally choose of two different names the one that suits his/her purpose best: * * * * * * patronage vs. spoils system negotiation vs. bickering investigation vs. witch-hunt accusation vs. smear order vs. regimentation freedom vs. lawlessness 45 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference Voters or customers must remind themselves that such words are not neutral descriptions. The words are charged with emotions and preferences. They serve the purposes of the speaker. These purposes may be different from the purposes of the voters. What differences in connotation are there among the synonyms in each group? What feelings, attitudes, or associations foes each word bring to mind? Compare your reactions to those of your classmates. * * * * * mongrel, hound, mutt, pup auto, motor vehicle, jalopy, hot rod, crate convict, felon, criminal, jailbird, inmate toil, labor, drudgery, exertion relax, loaf, dawdle, loiter On a separate sheet of paper, write down the more unfavorable word in each pair. Be prepared to explain what the word adds to the common meaning of the two words, producing a negative effect on our attitude. firm — ruthless haggle — bargain friend — crony domineering -- masterful shoddy — cheap mob — crowd paint — daub talk--chatter boast — brag panacea — remedy On a separate sheet of paper, write down the more appealing or more flattering term in each pair. What does it add to the common meaning of the two words? 46 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference house — home kinfolk — relatives youngster — child farm — homestead statesman — politician foreign — imported customer — client teacher — mentor hand-crafted — handmade limited — exclusive Analyzing for Tone, Theme, and Syntax TONE AND DIDLS Tone is the writer's/speaker's attitude toward the subject and the audience. To correctly interpret tone, a student must come to an understanding and appreciation of diction (word choice), details, imagery, and language. Using DIDLS gives students a pneumonic device with which to interpret tone more effectively. D- DICTION The connotation of the word choice I- IMAGERY Vivid appeals to understanding through the senses D- DETAILS Facts that are included or omitted L- LANGUAGE The overall use of language, such as formal, clinical, jargon, etc. S- SENTENCE STRUCTURE How structure affects the reader's attitude To misinterpret tone is to misinterpret meaning. 47 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference 48 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference Tone Words English Vertical Teams Guide abhorrence abrupt accusatory accusing admonitory afraid allusive amused angry anxious apathetic apologetic apprehensive argumentative audacious awe baffled bantering benevolent bitter boring bucolic burlesque candid cautious ceremonial cherry childish clinical cold colloquial compassionate complimentary contemptuous concerned condemnatory condescending confident confused contentious critical cynical dark despairing desperate detached didactic diffident disbelieving disdainful disgusted disparaging disturbed dramatic dread dreamy effusive elated elegiac elitist eloquent embittered enthusiastic erudite exuberant facetious factual fanciful fearful flippant foreboding frivolous furious giddy glib gloomy happy hollow hopeful horrific horrified humorous impartial incisive incredulous indifferent indignant inflammatory informative insipid insolent instructive ironic irrelevant irreverent ir reverent joking joyful lackadaisical laudatory learned light light-hearted loving lucid lugubrious matter-of-fact meditative melancholic mock-heroic mocking mock-serious moralistic mournful nostalgic objective optimistic outraged passionate patronizing peaceful pedantic pessimistic petty piquant pitiful plaintive playful poetic 49 Bjornson 2008 poignant pompous pretentious prosaic proud provocative questioning realistic reflective reminiscent repressive resigned respectful restrained sad sanctimonious sarcastic sardonic scornful seductive sentimental serene sharp shocked shocking silly sober solemn somber surprised sweet sympathetic taunting threatening tired turgid upset urgent vexed vibrant whimsical zealous 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference LANGUAGE artificial bombastic colloquial concrete connotative cultured detached emotional esoteric euphemistic exact figurative formal grotesque homespun idiomatic informal insipid jargon learned literal moralistic obscure obtuse ordinary pedantic picturesque plain poetic precise pretentious provincial scholarly sensuous simple slang symbolic trite vulgar SHIFTS IN TONE > > > > > Key words (but, yet, nevertheless, however, although...) Punctuation (dashes, periods, colons...) Stanza and paragraph divisions Changes in line and stanza or in sentence length Sharp contrasts in diction TONE EXERCISE Inflection makes tone of voice. Speaker A: You're late! Speaker B: I know. I couldn't help it. Speaker A: I understand. Speaker B: I knew you would. Speaker A: I have something for you. Speaker B: Really? What? Speaker A: This! 50 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference CONNOTATIVE WORDS In a group, discuss the connotation of each word. What images does each word conjure up in your mind? Which of the following words have a negative, positive, or neutral effect on the reader? Mansion, abode, dwelling, domicile, residence, house, home Snooty, arrogant, conceited, cocky, vain, self-satisfied, egotistical, proud, high-and-mighty, overbearing, high-hat, supercilious Titter, giggle, chuckle, laugh, guffaw, roar, snicker, snigger, cackle Spinster, old maid, bachelor girl, unmarried woman, maiden lady, career woman Saving, tight, miserly, frugal, economical, careful, thrifty, penny-pinching, budget minded, mean, penurious Shrewd, calculating, clever, sly, adroit, knowing, astute, cunning, skillful, smooth Glum, sullen, withdrawn, reticent, silent, taciturn Laconic, terse, economical, concise, pointed, pithy, compressed, brief, boiled down Steal, purloin, embezzle, filch, pilfer, burglarize, rob, hold up, snatch, grab, help oneself to, appropriate Dislike, resent, lament, hate, scorn, disapprove, decry, deplore, oppose, regret Odd, bizarre, singular, outlandish, curious, unusual, extraordinary, remarkable, noteworthy, out of the way, strange Confess, admit, acknowledge, concede, give in, grant, come clean, own, allow Amateur, buff, enthusiast, nut, fan, hobbyist, connoisseur Corpulent, plump, obese, heavy set, fleshy, fat, paunchy, burly, overweight, roly-poly, bulky, portly, weighty, pudgy 51 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference Lord of the Flies Denotation/Connotation Denotation is the pure, simple, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any personal or emotional associations. It is difficult to find a completely denotative word (except for conjunctions and prepositions) because of mental and emotional associations that are either universal or personal. A scientific symbol (H2O) stands a better chance of being wholly denotative than a word does. Connotation is the shade of meaning that has accrued to a word through use. Connotation is a valuable fact of language: it enlarges our vocabulary, provides fine and accurate distinctions, and help the writer to appeal to the emotions as well as to the intellect. Here are some examples of connotation: Slim and slender are connotatively complimentary. Thin is almost neutral, probably complimentary in America. Skinny is derogatory—and connotative. Yet any of these adjectives could be applied to the same person, depending on the speaker's attitude toward the person. The connotations of some words are governed by context: Richard is taking a course in adolescent psychology, (neutral: denotative) Richard's adolescent reaction to the joke embarrassed everyone, (pejorative: connotative) Word Connotations log cabin lodge shack chalet simplicity, strength, the pioneer past. Abraham Lincoln country retreats, hunting poverty, shabbiness skiing, snow, Switzerland Neutral Negative Connotations unemployed, out of work, at leisure, or freeloader or moocher between jobs Words and phrases that have strong connotations, either positive or negative, are called loaded words. They appeal to emotions and can bias people for or against something. Words With Positive Connotations roomy luxury sedan Words With Negative Connotations oversized, overpriced gas-guzzler 52 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference An excerpt from The Pearl By: John Steinbeck In his chamber the doctor sat up in his high bed. He had on his dressing gown of red watered silk that had come from Paris, a little tight over the chest now if it was buttoned. On his lap was a silver tray with silver chocolate pot and a tiny cup of eggshell china, so delicate that it looked silly when he lifted it with his big hand, lifted it with the tips of thumb and forefinger and spread the other three fingers wide to get them out of the way. His eyes rested in little hammocks of flesh and his mouth drooped with discontent. He was growing very stout, and his voice was hoarse with the fat that pressed on his throat. Beside him on a table was a small Oriental gong and a bowl of cigarettes. The furnishings of the room were heavy and dark and gloomy. The pictures were religious, even the large tinted photograph of his dead wife, who, if Masses willed and paid out of her own estate could do it, was in Heaven. The doctor had once for a short time been a part of the great world and his whole subsequent life was memory and longing for France... Despairing Dark Silly Scornful Contemptuous des despairing 53 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference "Blues Ain't No Mockin’ Bird" Toni Cade Bambara Dialectical vs. Standard English Rewrite each dialectical excerpt from the story into standard English and then explain what is being stated. 1. "The twins from next door, Tyrone and Terry, were swingin’ so high outta sight we forgot we were waitin’ our turn on the tire." 2. "This person takin’ up the whole roll of film, practically. But savin’ a few, o’ course." 3. "And Granny just stared at the twins till their faces swallow up the eager and they don't even care any more about the man jumpin’." 4. "But next day loadin’ up the truck, with rocks in his jaw, madder than Granny in the first place." 5. "And I could see her leanin’ up against the pantry table, starin’ at the cakes she was puttin’ up for the Christmas sale, mumblin’ real low and grumpy and holdin’ her forehead like it wanted to fall off and mess up the rum cakes." 6. "And the two men movin’ up on tiptoe like they was invisible or we was blind, one.* 7. "They just buzz on him as he stalks by with the chicken hawk slung over his shoulder, squawkin’, drippin’ red down the back of the oilskin." 8. "Granddaddy Cain straight up and silent watchin’ the circles of the hawk, then aimin’, the hammer off his wrist. The giant bird fall in, silent and slow." 9. "Then Granddaddy's other hand flies up like a sudden and gentle bird, slaps down fast on top of the camera and lifts off half like it was a calabash cut for sharin’." 10. "'You standin’ in the misses' flower bed,' say Granddaddy. This is our own place.'" 54 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference CATEGORIZING THE LANGUAGE OF SPEAKERS Categorize the language of the following passages. chauvinistic colloquial dialect effusive euphemistic formal insipid jargon moralistic pedantic poetic pretentious scholarly slang turgid vulgar 1. "When I told Dad how I'd goofed the exam, he literally blew his top." 2. "There was a constable on point duty just where we stopped, and he came over and lifted the bonnet and made ineffectual motions with a spanner. And then — what do you think? — we found we’re out of petrol." 3. "We don't keep nothin’ like that here, but maybe we could order it for ya special. Not in a hurry for it, was ya?" 4. "I had him on the ropes on the fourth, and if one of those short rights of mine had connected, he'd have gone down for the count. I was aiming for his glass jaw, but I couldn't seem to reach it." 5. "A close examination and correlation of the most reliable current economic indexes justifies the conclusion that the next year will witness a continuation of the present upward market trend, though this may be accomplished by seasonal fluctuations in respect to certain areas of the economy." 6. "We was loadin’ hay in the north forty when we seen the twister in the distance." 7. "Both the Oriental romance and the picaresque narrative have been favorite vehicles for the satirist, the romance because it permits a handy and vivid way of contrasting western manners with those of a very different culture, the picaresque tale because the hero's adventuresome career, spiced as it is with all sorts of roguery, gives an excellent excuse for pungent comment of the errant ways of mankind." 8. "The female operatives in this mill seemed well content with their lot, laughing and singing as they emerged at the end of the day." 9. "The ominous final movement begins with a toccata in the horns, punctuated by glissando effects in the tympani, and then develops, in the middle section, into a lyrical coda." 55 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference FUNERAL COMPARISON The following passage is an eyewitness account of a funeral. Read the passage carefully. Then write a wellorganized essay in which you consider the attitude of the speaker by carefully analyzing the diction and the choice of details in the account. In your discussion, consider the effects on the reader. Looking down, I could see them winding upward in a mass to the muffled sound of drums. Children stopped in their playing on the grass to stare, and nurses at the nearby hospital came out on the roof to watch, their white uniforms glowing in the now unveiled sun like lilies. And crowds approached the park from all directions. The muffled drums, now beating, now steadily rolling, spread a dead silence upon the air... Over the park the silence spread from the slow muffled rolling of the drums, the crunching of footsteps on the walks. Then somewhere in the procession an old, plaintive, masculine voice arose in a song, wavering, stumbling in the silence at first alone, until in the band a euphonium horn fumbled for the key and took up the air, one catching and rising above the other and the other pursuing, two black pigeons rising above a skull-white bam to tumble and rise through still blue air. And for a few bars the pure sweet tone of the horn and old man's husky baritone sang a duet in the hot heavy silence. "There's Many a Thousand Gone." And standing high up over the park something fought in my throat. It was a song from the past, the past of the campus and the still earlier past of home. And now some of the older ones in the mass were joining in. I hadn’t thought of it as a march before, but now they were marching to its slow-paced rhythm, up the hill. I looked for the euphonium player and saw a slender black man with his face turned toward the sun, singing through the upturned bells of the horn. And several yards behind, marching beside the young men floating the coffin upward, I looked into the face of the old man who had aroused the song and felt a twinge of envy. It was a worn, old, yellow face and his eyes were closed and I could see a knife welt around his upturned neck as his throat threw out the song. He sang with his whole body, his voice rising above all the others, blending with that of the lucid horn. I watched him now, wet-eyed, the sun hot upon my head, and I felt a wonder at the singing mass. It was as though the song had been there all the time and he knew it and aroused it; and I knew that I had known it too and had failed to release it out of a vague nameless shame or fear. But he had known and aroused it. I looked into that face, trying to plumb its secret, but it told me nothing. I looked at the coffin and the marchers, listening to them, and yet realizing that I was listening to something within myself, and for a second I heard the shattering stroke of my heart 56 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference The following passage is another eyewitness account of funeral. Read the passage carefully. Then write a wellorganized essay in which you consider the attitude of the speaker by carefully analyzing the diction and the choice of details in the account. In you discussion, consider the effects on the reader. The ailment of the grotesque was very noticeable to me in the most striking collection of the shabbier English types that I had seen since I came to London. The occasion of my seeing them was the funeral of Mr. George Odger, which befell some four or five weeks before the Easter period. Mr. George Odger, it will be remembered, was an English radical agitator of humble origins, who had distinguished himself by a perverse desire to get into Parliament He exercised, I believe, the useful profession of shoemaker, and he knocked in vain at the door that opens but to the refined. But he was a useful and honorable man, and his own people gave him an honorable burial. I emerged accidentally into Piccadilly at the moment they were so engaged, and the spectacle was one ^ been sorry to miss. The crowd was enormous, and I managed to squeeze through it and to get into a hansom cab that was drawn up beside the pavement, and here I looked on as from a box at the play. Though it was a funeral that was going on I will not cab it a tragedy, but it was a very serious comedy. The day happened to be magnificentthe finest of the year. The funeral had been taken in hand by the classes who are socially unrepresented in Parliament, and it had the character of great popular "manifestation." The hearse was followed by very few carriages, but the cortege of pedestrians stretched away in the sunshine, up and down the classic gentility of Piccadilly, on a scale that was highly impressive. Here and there the line was broken by a small brass band apparently one of those bands of itinerant Germans that play for coppers beneath lodging-house windows; but for the rest it was compactly made up of what the newspapers call the dregs of the population. It was the London rabble, the metropolitan mob, men and women, boys and girls, the decent poor and the indecent, who had scrambled into the ranks as they gathered them up on their passage, and were making a sort of solemn "lark" of it. 57 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference LITERARY ANALYSIS THEME Theme is defined as "the central idea or message of a work, the insight it offers into life." Usually, theme is unstated in fictional works, but in nonfiction, the theme may be directly stated, especially in expository or argumentative writing. THEME CHART PLOT SUBJECTS THEMES A summary of the "plot" or events of the poem, short story, or novel is written in paragraph form. Subjects of the poem, short story, or novel are listed as words or phrases. After combining subjects, where appropriate, students write a complete sentence identifying what idea the author is conveying about each subject. Example In "Janet Waking," Janet awakens one morning and runs to greet her pet chicken only to discover that a bee had stung and killed the bird. The discovery desolates Janet to such a degree that her father cannot comfort her. Example 1. A child's first experience of death 2. Loss of a pet 3. Innocence In "Barter," the poet describes the beauty of the ocean, fire, children's faces, music, pine trees, and thoughts. The poet urges the reader not to "count the cost" but to "Count many a year of strife well lost" and "Give all you have" for "a breath of ecstasy." 1. Beautiful things in life 2. Barter/exchange 3. The suffering and problems in life. 58 Bjornson 2008 Example 1. Children become aware of the inevitability of death and are transformed by the knowledge. 2. The death of innocence is inevitable. **Note: Subjects 1 & 2 are combined into one theme. Exchange the suffering and problems of life for the moments of loveliness. 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference JANET WAKING John Crowe Ransom BARTER Sara Teasdale Beautifully Janet slept Till it was deeply morning. She woke then And thought about her daintyfeathered hen, To see how it had kept. One kiss she gave her mother Only a small one she to her daddy Who would have kissed each curl of his shining baby; No kiss at all for her brother. "Old Chucky, old Chucky!" she cried, Running across the world upon the grass To Chucky's house and listening. But alas, Her Chucky had died. Life has loveliness to sell All beautiful and splendid things, Blue waves whitened on a cliff, Soaring fire that sways and sings, And children's faces looking up Holding wonder like a cup. Life has loveliness to sell, Music like a curve of gold, Scent of pine trees in the rain, Eyes that love you, arms that hold, And for your spirit's still delight, Holy thoughts that star the night. Spend all you have for loveliness, Buy it and never count the cost; For one whit singing hour of peace Count many a year of strife well lost, And for a breath of ecstasy Give all you have been or could be. It was a transmogrifying bee Came droning down on Chucky's old bald head And sat and put the poison. It scarcely bled, But how exceedingly And purply did the knot Swell with venom and communicate Its rigor! Now the poor comb stood straight But Chucky did not. Kneeling on the wet grass, crying her brown hen (Translated far beyond the daughters of men). To rise and walk upon it. And weeping fast as she had breath Janet implored us, "Wake her from her sleep!" And would not be instructed in how deep Was the forgetful kingdom of death. 59 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference THEME VOCABULARY Abstract ideas to use to form thematic statements. aloneness eternity law rebellion ambition exile loneliness repentance appearance failure loss of faith resistance betrayal faith loyalty retribution bureaucracy falsity luck revenge ceremony family materialism ritual chance fantasies memory scapegoat children fate mob psychology school contests feminism music search for identity courage free will mysterious stranger social status cowardice games paradise sports cruelty greed parenthood supernatural custom guilt patriotism suppression dance heart perseverance the past defeat heaven persistence time despair home poverty tradition discontent illusion prejudice tricks disillusionment initiation pretense utopia domination innocence prophecy victim dreams instinct psychological journey violence duty journey reality war education justice reason will power escape women 60 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference LITERARY ANALYSIS MOTIF A motif is defined as "an image or idea that is repeated within a literary work." As a pattern of repetition develops, the motif seems to point to an implied statement of meaning (themes). Student analysis involving motifs may be approached from either of two directions:  The student may be given a motif or set of motifs prior to reading a work and be asked to trace the occurrences of the motif (s) through the work. The final evaluative task will be for the student to explain the theme suggested by the pattern of motif (s).  The student may be given a thematic statement prior to reading a work and be asked to identify and trace the details, images, and statements that suggest this theme. The final evaluative task will be for the student to explain how that theme has been revealed through a patterns) of details, images, and statements. MOTIF → THEME MOTIF Motif to Theme Assignment A. Identify one or more motifs for the students.  If give them more than one, make sure they all point to one theme.  Make sure that the motif (s) you give them occur abundantly in the work.  Make sure you identify the motif in such a way that the student can recognize it in its various forms. It is best to stick with a clear image or an actual repeated quote. B. Have the students keep a dialectical record of the motif's occurrence (quote, page number, and commentary about what idea might be developing through the repetition). Suggested formats for the dialectical journal include:  Dialectical journal (quote on one side of the page, comment on the other).  Note card with quote on front, commentary on back.  Chart. C. About one-third to one-half through the work, have the students write an in-class essay speculating on the theme that is developing. Have each student use his/her dialectical record as a source of support. D. When the student completes the reading, assign an out-of-class essay in which the student states the work's theme and supports that thematic statement by tracing one or more motifs. The student should use the dialectical record as a source for support. You may increase the complexity of the assignment by asking the student a question appropriate to the work, a question that could be answered by an analysis of the work's theme(s), which, in turn, would require an analysis of the work's motifs. For example, senior AP students might be asked to take a position on whether or not A Passage to India, in its presentation of the human condition, is essentially optimistic, pessimistic, or ambiguous and to support the position by analyzing one or more of the novel's themes along with the relevant motifs. Similarly, in Steinbeck's The Pearl, middle school pre-AP students could be asked to take a position of whether or not human beings are better, worse, or similar in instinct to animals. 61 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference MOTIF →→→ IMAGES DETAILS PHRASES Theme to Motif An alternative to the motif to theme assignment is an assignment that allows the Students to work backward from a thematic statement. Starting with theme and having students look for supporting images, details, and statements is well suited for ■ Works without clear and abundant patterns of motifs. ■ Students who require a less challenging assignment. A. Give students a clear but thorough thematic statement. B. Have them trace the images, details, and phrases that suggest or support this theme. C. About one-third to one-halfway through the reading of the work, have the students write an in-class essay tracing the image patterns, details, and phrases that reveal the given theme. D. After they have finished the work, have the students repeat the assignment in an out-of-class paper. You may increase the complexity of the assignment by asking the students a question appropriate to the work, a question that requires them to apply a thematic analysis to produce a response. For instance, students studying Dante's Inferno might be asked to take a position on whether or not God (or Dante) is just in his placement of sinners in hell, and to support their position through an analysis of relevant themes and the images, details, and statements that reveal them. Likewise, pre-AP students can discuss the Biblical images in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and how these references contribute to the author's message on racial issues. 62 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference “O miscreant rabble, you who keep the stations of the place whose name is pain. Better you had been born as sheep or goats.” ”Because of them I lie in this pig-pen.” “…snapping their teeth as they ran, like hungry swine let out to feed after a night in the pen” “And when the rabid pair had passed from sight, I turned to observe the other, misbegotten spirits that lay about from left to right.” “The way frogs croak, their muzzles leaning out of water … just so the living dead are sealed and beat their teeth like storks.” “Here you shall pass among the fallen people who have lost the good of intellect.” “And this I learned was the never ending fight of those who sinned in the flesh, the carnal and lusty who betrayed reason to appetite.” Example of motif graphic: This graphic shows repetition of bestiality in Dante’s Inferno. Thematic Statement “The sinner’s legs and thighs began to join; they grew together so that soon no trace of juncture could be seen from toe to loin. Point by point the reptile’s forefeet simultaneously lengthened … it stripped the hair from the man and grew it on the reptile. While one fell to his belly, the other rose … they changed snouts as they changed pose.” To satisfy the bodily appetites to the exclusion of spiritual needs and to give rain to emotion at the expense of reason is to relinquish that which makes one human and to be no different from the animals. 63 Bjornson 2008 “And they, too, howl like dogs in the freezing storm.” ”…those spirits pf the stinking ditch scribed themselves with their own bloody claws to ease the furious burning of the itch.” 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference USING THE SIFT METHOD FOR LITERARY ANALYSIS When exploring how a writer uses literary elements and stylistic techniques to convey meaning or theme, teachers may introduce the following technique to help young readers begin to practice literary analysis. This method allows students to "SIFT' through the parts in order to comprehend the whole. Symbol: examine the title and text for symbolism Images: identify images and sensory details Figures of speech: analyze figurative language and other devices Tone and Theme: discuss how all devices reveal tone and theme USING THE SIFT METHOD IN ANALYZING STEINBECK'S THE PEARL Before reading John Steinbeck's The Pearl, have students examine the title for clues as to what the story might be about, making predictions based on the cover illustration and sharing some information about the author. Assign the book ahead of time, especially for Pre-AP students, so that students can read it a week or two before class discussion is scheduled to begin. Then, as the novel is studied in class, students can reread it with closer attention to detail. SYMBOL Steinbeck's writing is rich in the use of symbolism. Since the title of the story or novel often contains symbols that hint a t theme, students should first be encouraged to reexamine the title. The teacher might suggest that the pearl is the central symbol of the story and might ask students to reflect on the characteristics of the pearl and speculate about its significance. The teacher might point out that a pearl has often been used in literature to represent spiritual purity and innocence; at this point, the class might debate the issue of whether the pearl is used here in its traditional symbolic sense. For Kino, the pearl seems to symbolize potential wealth, education for his son, and betterment for his family. A class or small group discussion focused on the ways in which the meaning of the pearl changes throughout the story may reveal additional insights about Steinbeck's use of symbolism and its contribution to theme. A list of possible interpretations of other symbolic elements in The Pearl follows:  The scorpion may suggest evil or natural calamity.  The doctor may represent willful evil (inhumanity).  The pearl dealers may exemplify conspiracy and exploitation.  The trackers may symbolize a society bent on destroying an individual.  Kino could represent the common man suppressed by society.  The canoe may represent family tradition, something of value which Kino can pass on to his son. IMAGERY Writers use language to create sensory impressions and to evoke specific responses in characters, objects, events, and situations in their works. The writer "shows" rather than "tells," thus allowing the reader to participate in the experience more fully. Therefore, imagery helps to produce mood and tone. When reading a piece containing imagery, students might ask themselves two questions:   What can I see, hear, taste, smell, or feel? What effect is the author trying to convey with these images? 64 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference The Pearl opens with intense imagery. Students could examine the following excerpt for examples of imagery and discuss how these sensory details contribute to meaning and effect. Why did the author chose to begin with these descriptive details. What kind of information do they provide about Kino and the society in which he lives? Kino awakened in the near dark. The stars still shone and the day had drawn only a pale wash of light in the lower sky to the east. The roosters had been crowing for some time, and the early pigs were already beginning their ceaseless turning of twigs and bits of wood to see whether anything to eat had been overlooked. Outside the brush house in the tuna clump, a covey of little birds chartered and flurried with their wings. Kino's eyes opened and he looked first at the lightening square which was the door and then he looked at the hanging box where Coyotito slept. And last he turned his head to Juana, his wife, who lay beside him on the mat, her blue shawl over her nose and over her breasts and around the small of her back. Juana's eyes were open too. Kino could never remember seeing them closed when he awakened. Her dark eyes made little reflected stars. She was looking at him as she was always looking at him when he awakened. Kino heard the little splash of morning waves on the beach. It was very good - Kino closed his eyes again to listen to his music. Perhaps he alone did this and perhaps all of his people did it. His people had once been great makers of songs so that everything they saw and thought or did or heard became a song. That was very long ago. The songs remained; Kino knew them, but no new songs were added. That does not mean that there were no personal songs. In Kino's head there was a song now, clear and soft, and if he had been able to speak it, he would have called it the Song of the Family. FIGURES OF SPEECH Writers form images by using figures of speech, such as similes, metaphors, and personification. Students can find examples in the story and discuss how these figures of speech help to convey effect and meaning. Students might consider the following questions:  What is the significance of Kino's comparing the pearl to his soul?  Why is the town compared to an animal with a nervous system, limbs, and emotions?  What musical metaphors does Steinbeck use, and how are they significant? e.g. "The Song of the Family"  How do these figures of speech enhance meaning? Sample quotations for discussion:  "...die great pearl, perfect as the moon..."  "The houses belched people."  "A town is like a colonial animal."  "The essence of pearl mixed with essence of men and a curious dark residue was precipitated."  "The black distillate was like the scorpion, or like hunger in die smell of food or like loneliness when love is withheld."  "The poison sacs of die town began to manufacture venom, and the town swelled and puffed with the pressure of it." Students could also examine other devices in The Pearl such as irony and allusion. One example of irony found in this story is Kino's expectation that the pearl will bring wealth and education for his son; it causes destruction and death. Students could find other examples of irony in the story and identify which of the three kinds of irony is being used in each example. Steinbeck's parable alludes to the biblical story of "The Pearl of Great Price" and to an Indian legend he heard in Baja, California, called "The Pearl of the World." In the Bible story, the "pearl of great price" represents the soul's salvation. When it is found, one is advised to give up everything for it. The Indian legend tells the story of a boy who discovers a valuable pearl of great size and tries to sell it to pearl buyers who offer such a low price that he refuses to sell it to them. Instead, he hides the treasure under a rock and is attacked for three nights in a row. Finally, he removes the pearl from its hiding place and throws it back into the Gulf. Students might discuss how each of these allusions enhances the meaning or effect of the novel. Does the author retain the original symbolic meaning from "The Pearl of Great Price," or does he alter it? What is the relationship between the Indian legend and Steinbeck's novel 65 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference TONE A close examination of word choice, imagery, and detail reveals the narrator's attitude or tone and contributes to the reader's understanding? The songs that run through Kino's mind help to convey the tone of the novel. The "Song of the Family" represents Kino's happiness, but the other songs symbolize danger to the family. With his detail description of Kino's family visit to the doctor, Steinbeck effectively portrays evil, social justice, and the inhumanity of people's treatment of one another. Students could find examples of details in this and other descriptions that reveal the author's sympathetic tone toward the oppressed and his outrage against the oppressors. THEME To determine theme, students might:    Summarize the story. List the subject or subjects that emerge from their summaries, such as evil, injustice, inhumanity, social protest corruption, poverty, tradition, individuality, and survival. Write a sentence about each subject listed based on insights gained from analyzing symbolism, imagery, figurative language, and other devices. Because all rhetorical and literary devices lead to tone and theme, this process will help students to perceive what insights about life the author is revealing about each subject and to refine the process of determining meaning in a text. Students should be able to ask themselves what life-lesson the main characters have learned or what lessons they themselves have learned as a result of their reading. They could also look for statements in the story by characters or the narrator that comment on life, the world, or human nature, thereby implying theme. Students could then discuss each thematic possibility and decide which seems to be most probable based upon evidence from the text and from this "SIFTing" process, keeping in mind the fact that many stories have more than one theme and there is seldom just one "right" answer. Some of the subjects students might list are greed, injustice, evil, the individual and society, ambition, social classes, poverty, and racism. Possible themes arising from the subjects suggest above:  Man has no individual identity and cannot exist as a single human person apart from society.  The defeat of an individual is inevitable when society sets out to destroy him.  Even though everything a man possesses may be lost or destroyed, he need not be defeated.  When man becomes a threat to society, that society sets out to destroy him.  When a poor man has an ambition to rise above his station in life, he faces fierce opposition.  Evil forces are always conspiring to defeat the good.  Justice is often withheld from economically deprived racial minorities. The Pearl, like all allegorical fiction, can be read by young readers on one level and by older readers on more than one level. Therefore, the above example can be adapted and used effectively with any student population. 66 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference SYNTAX The manner in which a speaker or author constructs a sentence affects what the audience understands. The inverted order of an interrogative sentence cues the reader or listener to a question and creates a tension between speaker and listener. Similarly, short sente nces are often emphatic, passionate, or flippant, whereas longer sentences suggest the writer's more deliberate, thoughtful response; and very long, discursive sentences give a narrator a rambling, meditative tone. At its simplest level, syntax consists of senten ce structure, but analysis of style and meaning never relies on one concept alone. Syntax should not be studied in isolation, but rather it should be examined in conjunction with other stylistic techniques that work together to develop meaning. DESCRIBING SENTENCE STRUCTURE LENGTH   Telegraphic - shorter than 5 words in length Short - approximately 5 words in length   Medium - approximately 18 words in length Long and involved - 30 or more words in length SENTENCE PATTERNS One of the most important elements of syntax is the way the words, phrases, and clauses are arranged. Students should Debbie to identify and write sentences in varying patterns. Practice on this skill can begin in the sixth grade, continuing with increasing complexity, into high school.      Declarative sentence - makes a statement Imperative sentence - gives a command Interrogative sentence - asks a question Exclamatory sentence - provides emphasis or expresses strong emotion Simple sentence - one independent clause    Compound sentence - more than one independent clause joined by a coordinating conjunction or semicolon Complex sentence - one independent clause and at least one subordinate clause Compound-complex sentence - more than one independent clause and at least one subordinate clause CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES FOR SYNTAX PRACTICE  Write several types of sentences employing the strategies to be learned and practiced. Analyze the effect on the reader of each type of syntactical technique.  Find unique or beautiful sentences characteristic of an author's style to analyze the syntactical patterns. Practice writing "Syntax Mad-Libs" using the author's sentences as models;  Write sentences, paragraphs, or poems in which prepositional phrases, participial phrases, and gerund phrases predominate, flooding the eye and ear of the reader with descriptive details.  Write "singing sentences" which pair words and phrases n the basis of sound devices. To write "singing sentences," work and pairs and complete the following: o Generate a list of infinitive phrases that consist of pleasant-sounding (euphonious) words or ugly (cacophonous) words. Do the same with a list of prepositional phrases. o Pair infinitive phrases with prepositional phrases based on their assonant, consonant, alliterative, or rhythmic similarities. o Connect the pairs with coordinating conjunctions o End the sentence with an independent clause that gives the paired phrases meaning and focus. o Example: To play with grace (assonance) and to struggle with strife (alliteration); to win with a grin (rhyme) but to face defeat without heat (rhyme and consonance); to try beyond tribulation and to rejoice within reason (alliteration): these are the ways of a great man.  Because punctuation is an important aspect of syntax, explain how unusual or interesting combinations of punctuation *- dash, exclamation point, semicolon, parenthesis - contribute to meaning. Practice using these punctuation techniques.  Practice reading poetry aloud sentence by sentence, rather than line by line. The syntax of many poems includes enjambed lines, sentences that extend beyond the end of the line and into the next line. Learning to read poetry in sentences is essential to a basic understanding of the text. 67 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference SYNTAX AND STYLE When examining an author's style or when comparing one author's style to that of another, students will find it useful to write a paragraph that contains the following:  One sentence describing the author's characteristic syntax  One sentence about the author's use of imager and figurative language  One sentence about diction  One sentence about symbolism and/or concrete details Throughout the year, students should keep a running list of words that describe style and syntax. Some examples of words that lend themselves to this kind of description follow. (Yes, you will probably have to do a vocabulary activity on some terms.)        Plain, spare, austere, unadorned Ornate, elaborate, flowery Jumbled, chaotic, obfuscating Erudite, esoteric Journalistic, terse, laconic Harsh, grating Mellifluous, musical, lilting, lyrical        Whimsical Elegant Staccato, abrupt Solid, thudding Sprawling, disorganized Dry Deceptively simple When students are peer-editing essays, short stories, and other writing, they should work on syntax as well as on mechanics. Some suggestions for syntactical revision are as follows:  Reword most sentences beginning with the expletive "there."  Change all passive voice sentences to active voice  Add a sentence using a comparison (simile or metaphor).  Replace "be" verbs with action verbs.  Combine any two sentences to form one compound, one complex, or compound-complex sentence.  Change one declarative sentence into an interrogative sentence and answers it with a rhetorical fragment.  Move one sentence to a more effective location in the paragraph. 68 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference Another strategy for describing an author's style in terms of syntax utilizes the chart that follows. Students may choose any rich passage from a novel, short story, or essay and look closely at the syntax and characteristic language of the author. They can then formulate a statement paragraph, or full-length essay characterizing the author's style and showing how the author's use of syntax affects tone and meaning. Style and Syntax Analysis Worksheet Sentence 1 Sentence 2 Sentence 3 Sentence 4 Sentence 5 Number of Words Number of Independent Clauses Number of Subordinate Clauses Use of dash, semicolon, exclamation point Repeated use of coordinating conjunctions Number of polysyllabic words Use of reverse order or questions Large number of prepositional or other descriptive phrases Use of repetition Use of parallel structure Use of rhetorical fragments Use of balanced structures Other unusual or distinguishing characteristics of sentence structure (whole passage) Use of comparisons Types of figurative language _|or none used) Use of colloquial expressions or regionalisms 69 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference CHARACTERIZATION in The Pearl Character Character Trait #1 Character Trait #2 Character Trait #3 Supporting Detail #1 Supporting Detail #1 Supporting Detail #1 Supporting Detail #2 Supporting Detail #2 Supporting Detail #2 Supporting Detail #3 Supporting Detail #3 Supporting Detail #3 70 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference POETRY ANALYSIS AND TP-CASTT TP-CASTT is an acronym designed to help students remember the concepts they can consider when examining a poem. Realizing that the importance of poetry lies in understanding meaning and how technique enhances meaning, teachers need multiple strategies to help students explore and enjoy poetry. T- TITLE Ponder the title before reading the poem. What is this poem going to be about? P- PARAPHRASE Translate the poem into your own words, finding the literal meaning. What is going on in the poem? C- CONNOTATION Contemplate the poem for meaning beyond the literal. Look especially at the emotional overtones caused by the imagery, symbolism, diction, point of view, and sound devices, Elements of particular importance are similes, metaphors, personification, alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhythm, rhyme, assonance, consonance, hyperbole, irony... A- ATTITUDE Observe both the speaker's and the poet's tone. Analyze the diction, images, and details that suggest these points of view and contribute to the understanding of the poem. S- SHIFT Note changes in speakers and in attitudes. Rarely does a poet begin and end a poem at the same place. A gradual understanding of an experience is realized and the poem reflects this epiphany. T- TITLE (again) Examine the poem's title again, this time looking at its meaning on an interpretative level. T- THEME Determine what message the poet is saying. The students will recognize a human experience, motivation, or condition and understand the poet's stand on this topic. Identifying poetic devices is secondary to gaining an understanding of how the devices operate in conveying the effect and meaning of the poem. From A Guide for Advanced Placement English Vertical Teams: The College Board. 71 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference JAZZ FANTASIA By: Carl Sandburg Empty House By: Stephen Spender Then, when the child is gone, I was alone. In the house, suddenly grown huge, Each noise Explained its cause away, Animal, vegetable, .mineral. Nail, creaking board, or mouse. But mostly there was quiet of after battle Where round the room still lay The soldiers and the paintbox, all the toys. Then, when I went to tidy these away. My hands refused to serve. My body was the house. And everything he'd touched, an exposed nerve. Drum on your drums, batter on your banjoes, sob on the long cool winding saxophones Go to it, O jazzmen. Sing your knuckles on the bottoms of the happy tin pans, let your trombones ooze, and go husha-husha-bush with the slipper sandpiper. Moan like an autumn wind high in the lonesome, Treetops moan soft like you wanted somebody terrible, cry like a racing car slipping away from a motorcycle cop, bang-bang.1 You jazzmen, bang altogether drums, traps, banjoes, horns, tin cans – make two people fight on top of a stairway and scratch each other's eyes in a clinch tumbling down the stairs. Can the rough stuff . . now a Mississippi steamboat pushes up the night river with a hoo-boo-boo-oo. . . and the green lanterns calling to the high soft stars.. . a red moon rides on the bumps of the low river hills. . . go to it, O jazzmen! 72 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference THE ROAD NOT TAKEN By: Robert Frost TP-CASTT Poetry Analysis Two roads diverged on a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. T before reading P "what's going on in the poem?" C imagery, sound devices - emotional overtones A diction, images, details S trace changes T interpretative T human experience, motivation, condition T P C A S T T 73 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference LOADED WORDS Probably the most common use of propaganda in daily life is in advertising. Strong, emotion-filled words are used to make products or services appealing. Read this real estate advertisement. Two story, three bedroom house. Living and dining rooms connected by archway. Kitchen has two windows, new cupboards. Screened porch. Basement storeroom. Located in center of town. Now observe how the same house is made to seem more attractive by using "advertising language." Upper level family suite assures privacy in this spacious dream home. Prepare a feast for guests in the bright, cheery gourmet kitchen. Entertain in the double-sized living area or enjoy cooling breezes on the veranda. Use your handyman skills to create a lower level den. Conveniently located near shopping and transportation. Notice how ordinary house features have been made to sound unusual and appealing. Upper and lower level, suite, privacy, spacious, feast, gourmet, and veranda are only a few of the words used to encourage a sense of wealth and importance. Even the substitution of home for house affects the impression. It is important to understand the point of view of the writer. How is he/she trying to sway you? How do your feelings change when you read "sun-drenched days and crisp, clear nights" and "broiling hot during the day and bone-chilling cold at night?" Propaganda may be beneficial or harmful, but it is never neutral. A writer of propaganda, good or bad, is attempting to make you think a certain way. There are other types of persuasive writing, such as editorials and some essays. But various forms of propaganda are especially important for you to recognize. The sentences below are written as propaganda. Rewrite them in straight, factual language. 1. Earsplitting shouts assaulted him as he inched through the mass of people. __________________________________________________________________________ 2. The constant, formless horror of famine can be seen in the ancient villagers' faces. _________________________________________________________________________ 4. Waves of melody delighted her ears. _________________________________________________________________________ 74 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference The Diary of Anne Frank Persuasive Writing Ann rages at her mother: We're young, Margot and Peter and I! You grownups have had your chance! But look at us ... If we begin thinking of all the horror in the world, we're lost! We're trying to hold onto some kind of ideals ... when everything ... ideals, hopes... everything are being destroyed! It isn't our fault that the world is in such a mess! We weren't around when all this started! So don't try to take it out on us! Often young people today feel this way about the state of the world they have been handed. They feel that they face problems that are not of their making but were inherited, and that they are blamed for things they cannot control. Many youth have used this argument to justify not participating in the political and social systems of their society. Write a carefully reasoned persuasive essay that defends, challenges, or qualifies this idea that youth are trapped in a world not of their own making and that adults should not blame them for their actions and reactions. Use evidence from your reading and observations to develop your position. Your paper should be well-organized, and you need to support and elaborate on your ideas. THE GIVER RHETORICAL EXERCISE The following is a passage from The Giver. Read it carefully and complete the writing exercise which follows: At night, while Gabriel slept beside him, Jonas lay awake, tortured by hunger, and remembered his life in the community where meals were delivered to each dwelling every day. He tried to use the flagging power of his memory to recreate meals, and managed brief, tantalizing fragments: banquets with huge roasted meats; birthday parties with thick-frosted cakes; and lush fruits picked and eaten, sun-warmed and dripping, from trees. But when the memory glimpses subsided, he was left with the gnawing, painful emptiness. Jonas remembered, suddenly and grimly, the time in his childhood when he had been chastised for misusing a word. The word had been 'starving.' You have never been starving, he had been told. You will never be starving. Now he was. If he had stayed in the community, he would not be. It was as simple as that. Once he had yearned for choice. Then, when he had had a choice, he had made the wrong one: the choice to leave. And now he was starving. But if he had stayed... His thoughts continued. If he had stayed, he would have starved in. other ways. He would have lived a life hungry for feelings, for color, for love. Part I: Make two charts in which you list the compelling reasons for and the consequences of each of Jonas's choices: to leave or to stay in the community. Find specific examples (passages) in the novel which support or illustrate your compelling reasons. Reason for Leaving Example from text Example from text Reason for Staying Example from text Example from text Example from text Example from text Part II: Did Jonas make the right decision? Write a well-organized paper in which you defend, qualify, or oppose Jonas's decision to leave the community. Remember to examine his options and their consequences. You must use examples from the novel and your own experiences (including other books you have read) to support and elaborate your arguments. Proper essay style is important. 75 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference Diary of Anne Frank 5 10 15 20 25 Anne's Voice: We've had bad news. The people from whom Miep got our ration books have been arrested. So we have had to cut down on our food. Our stomachs are so empty that they rumble and make strange noises, all in different keys. Mr. Van Daan's is deep and low, like a bass fiddle. Mine is high, whistling like a flute. As we all sit around waiting for supper, it's like an orchestra tuning up. It only needs Toscanini to raise his baton and we'd be off in the Ride of the Valkyries. Monday the sixth of March, nineteen forty-four. Mr. Kraler is in the hospital. It seems he has ulcers. Pim says we are his ulcers. Miep has to run the business and us, too. The Americans have landed on the southern tip of Italy. Father looks for a quick finish to the war. Mr. Dussel is waiting every day for the warehouse man to demand more money. Have I been skipping too much from one subject to another? I can't help it. I feel that spring is coming. I feel it in my whole body and soul. I feel utterly confused and I am longing...so longing... for everything ... for friends... for someone to talk to...someone who understands...someone young who feels as I do. Answer the following questions: 1. In line 5, the word “rumble” refers to what sense? a. Visual sight b. Tactile touch c. Auditory hearing d. Olfactory smell e. Gustatory taste 2. The overall mood set in lines 1 – 6 is a. Angry b. Anxious c. Confused d. Foreboding e. Light-hearted 3. The dominant technique used in lines 7 – 9 is a. Flashback b. Imagery c. Point of view d. Foreshadowing e. Personification 4. From what point of view is this passage 76 Bjornson 2008 written? a. First person b. Second person c. Third person limited d. Third person objective e. Third person omniscient 5. What is the connotation of “spring” in line 20? a. Jumping b. Freedom c. Life renewal d. Death and gloom e. Change in season 6. In lines 10 - 11 Toscanini and the “Ride of the Valkyries” alludes to a. Anne and her freedom b. An equestrian and a horse c. A German soldier and his tank d. A composer and his composition e. A conductor and his composition 7. Which of the following choices describes the order of the connotative definition of “ulcers” used in lines 13 – 14? a. Medical to mental b. Imagination to reality c. Emotional to physical d. Physical to emotional e. Professional to feeling 8. In lines 8 - 9, what literary technique is used? a. Simile b. Metaphor c. Alliteration d. Onomatopoeia e. Personification 9. In the passage Anne feels all of the following emotions EXCEPT a. Joy b. Fear c. Anxiety d. Confusion e. Excitement 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference TESTIMONY OF A LIBERATOR DR. LEON BASS Dr. Bass is an African-American soldier who helped liberate Buchenwald Concentration Camp at the end of World War II. The following are excerpts from a talk Dr. Bass gave to students at English High School in Boston. Passage reprinted with permission from Dr. Leon Bass; Frank Schaffer Publications The war appeared to be over, and our unit went to a place called Weimar. Weimar today is in East Germany, but at that time there was no East Germany -- just Germany. Immediately about five or six of us took off with one of our officers to a place called Buchenwald. Buchenwald was a concentration camp. I had no Idea of what kind of camp this was. I thought it might have been a prisoner-of-war camp where they kept soldiers who were captured. But on this day in 1945, I was to discover what human suffering was all about I was going to take off the blinders that caused me to have tunnel vision. I was going to see dearly that, yes. I suffered and I was hurting because I was black in a white society, but I had also begun to understand that suffering is universal, it is not just relegated to me and mine; it touches us all. And so I walked through the gates of Buchenwald, and I saw the dead and the dying. I saw people who had been so brutalized and were so maltreated. They had been starved and beaten. They had been worked almost to death, not fed enough, no medical care. One man came up and his fingers were webbed together, all of his fingers together, by sores and scabs. This was due to malnutrition, not eating the proper foods. There were others holding on to each other, trying to remain standing. They had on wooden shoes; they had on the pajama-type uniform; their heads had been shaved. Some had the tattoos with numbers on their arms. I saw this. I saw them with the wooden bowls. Some of them were standing waiting for food and hitting on the fence (this was wire fence) and making guttural sounds - not words - just sounds. I said. 'My God. What is this insanity that I have come to? What are these people here for? What nave they done? What was their crime that would cause people to treat them like this? You see. I wasn't prepared for this. I was only nineteen; I had no frame of reference to cope with the kind of thing I was witnessing... I didn’t come up to Boston just to tell you the horror story; as horrible as it is. The story must be told. History cannot be swept under the rug. It shouldn’t be and you must not permit it to be. We have things in our history that are ugly; slavery was ugly … it was an evil, horrible institution and the Holocaust is just as evil, if not more so. There was a planned, organized, systematic approach to annihilating a while group of people. They killed not only six million Jews but millions of others. There were Gypsies there, there were Catholics, there were communists, trade unionists, homosexuals; anyone who didn’t fit the scheme of things for the Nazis was in Buchenwald and all the other camps to be annihilated. They came pretty close somebody had to dare to be a Daniel and walk into the den and say, “This evil cannot continue.” Literary Term Reminders o The point of view is the angle from which a story is told. This depends upon who is telling the story. o A first-person point of view means one character is telling the story: “I walked slowly, wishing I could turn and run instead of facing Mrs. Grunch.” o A third-person point of view means that someone outside of the story is telling it: “She walked slowly, wishing she could turn and run instead of facing Mrs. Grunch.” The three thirdperson points of view are: • Omniscient –the narrator tells the story from more than one of the characters’ vantage point. • Objective – the narrator tells the story from what he/she observes with no “inner secrets” of any of the characters’ perspectives • Limited – the narrator tells the story from one of the characters’ vantage point. o The setting is the time and place of the story. 77 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference GUIDED READING 8. How old was the speaker when he witnessed this suffering? Directions: Correctly answer each of the following questions about the passage. You may need to use the dictionary and the definitions of the literary terms attached. 9. Why does the speaker feel his age is significant? 1. From what point of view is the story told? What pronoun supports your answer? 10. When the speaker says, “…you must not permit it to be,” who is the “you” and what is the “it”? 2. What is the setting of this article? 11. Which phrase in this passage defines the word genocide? 3. What did the speaker expect to see? 4. Explain the meaning of the image about blinders and tunnel vision. 12. In this passage, the speaker makes two points – one about suffering and one about history. The each main point in a complete sentence. • Point about suffering. • Point about history. 5. What word means not eating proper foods? 6. Give 2 examples of suffering that the speaker saw. 7. What are guttural sounds? 13. Of these two main points, which one explains why the speaker tours the country making students aware of the Holocaust? 78 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference Writing Outline for Multi-Paragraph Essay INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH Topic Thesis Support of Thesis 1 2 3 BODY PARAGRAPH 1 Topic Sentence Evidence 1 Evidence 2 Evidence 3 Commentary BODY PARAGRAPH 2 Topic Sentence Evidence 1 79 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference Evidence 2 Evidence 3 Commentary BODY PARAGRAPH 3 Topic Sentence Evidence 1 Evidence 2 Evidence 3 Commentary CONCLUSION Restate Thesis Revisit Assertions Closing Commentary 80 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference How Do I Begin My Introductory Paragraph?  Open with a question. o How can a man be so evil that he kills over eleven million people?  Open with an anecdote or example. o Use a story or make one up that is pertinent to the topic of your paper.  Open with a startling or unusual fact, idea, or opinion. o United States leaders knew about the Japanese plan to bomb Pearl Harbor and did nothing to stop this disaster.  Open by directly addressing the reader. o If you think the atrocities of the World War II concentration camps were horrifying, you are right, though you probably will never know the true extent of these terrors.  Open with a simple statement about your topic or thesis. o Dachau, opened in 1933, was the first concentration camp to open during the Holocaust.  Open with a description of a person, place, or object. o Images of people embedded in the sidewalks, others walking around without skin, and still others …  Open with interesting, specific details. o Adolf Hitler was part Jew, yet he still killed six million of these people.  Open with your stand on the issue. o Your thesis; however, only use this option on a short paper – not a research paper.  Open with a quotation. o From a person or about a person, place, object…  Open with a definition. o Holocaust means “burned whole.” 81 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference What Do I Put in a Well-Developed Body Paragraph? Paragraph Topic: Should classes be taught by computers?  In a persuasive paper, each paragraph states a reason for the writer's opinion, so each topic sentence will name the reason to be discussed in that paragraph.  Three details or points you will make about the reason you've chosen to discuss in that paragraph. When the writer reaches the supporting detail part of the elaboration pattern, s/he should use a variety of techniques throughout the paper. Use a specific example. First, it is essential that students have a knowledgeable teacher available to answer questions. Since a computer can only answer the questions that the software is programmed to answer, a confused student may not be able to locate the answer to a question or understand the answer once it is found. For example, a child may ask a question in biology class about how a cell functions. A teacher is able to communicate directly with that student, find out exactly what confuses the child about cells, and explain the answer in several different ways, if necessary, until the student completely understands the information. The computer, on the other hand, is limited to the explanation that it was programmed to give, which may not be detailed enough or simple enough for the student to understand. Secondly, a teacher is able to plan a variety of activities to instruct a class… Write a description that emphasizes your opinion. Because students need quality instruction, classes should not be taught by computer. First, it is essential that students have a knowledgeable teacher available to answer questions. Since a computer can only answer the questions that the software is programmed to answer, a confused student may not be able to locate the answer to a question or understand the answer once it is found. Picture a student sitting in math, his most difficult subject. Since the first grade, he has struggled to keep above a C average even when a teacher is present to answer his questions. This year, however, a computer is teaching the class. He types in a question about a difficult math problem that he missed on his homework, but the computer's answer is confusing. When he asks the computer to clarify the answer to his question, he still cannot make sense of the words on the screen. Without a teacher present to continue assisting him until he understands the problem, he will not be able to learn and will become very frustrated. Secondly, a teacher is able to plan a variety of activities to instruct a class. 82 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference Use an anecdote, a story that reiterates the main point. Because students need quality instruction, classes should not be taught by computer. First, it is essential that students have a knowledgeable teacher available to answer questions. Since a computer can only answer the questions that the software is programmed to answer, a confused student may not be able to locate the answer to his or her question, or understand the answer once it is found. For instance, Travis Prescott, a student at XYZ Middle School, missed fifteen days of school last semester because he was in the hospital with mono. Although his math teacher sent lessons and detailed instructions, he still had difficulty with the assignment. As a last resort, he tried using a tutoring website to get answers to his questions. Soon he became frustrated with the computer's inability to explain in terms that he could understand. After a tutoring session with his math teacher, who could communicate directly with him and identify the concepts causing the confusion, he was able to pass his math test with a B. Secondly, a teacher is able to plan a variety of activities to instruct a class... Use a statistic or fact. Because students need quality instruction, classes should not be taught by computer. First, it is essential that students have a knowledgeable teacher available to answer questions. Since a computer can only answer the questions that the software is programmed to answer, a confused student may not be able to locate the answer to his or her question, or understand the answer once it is found. A recent survey of 8th grade algebra students at XYZ Middle School showed that 95% of these teens were against computerized instruction for math classes. Ninety per cent of these students claimed that their greatest concern is whether the computer would be able to answer questions when the learner becomes confused. Secondly, a teacher is able to plan a variety of activities to instruct a class… Write a cause/effect example, or an if-then statement. Because students need quality instruction, classes should not be taught by computer. First, it is essential that students have a knowledgeable teacher available to answer questions. Since a computer can only answer the questions that the software is programmed to answer, a confused student may not be able to locate the answer to his or her question, or understand the answer once it is found. If a student asks questions that the computer cannot answer sufficiently, then that student will become frustrated. Therefore, many students will not pass their classes because they will be confused, frustrated, and unable to learn. Secondly, a teacher is able to plan a variety of activities to instruct a class… Get a direct quotation from someone whose opinion or knowledge of the subject will strengthen the argument. Because students need quality instruction, classes should not be taught by computer. First, it is essential that students have a knowledgeable teacher available to answer questions. Since a computer can only answer the questions that the software is programmed to answer, a confused student may not be able to locate the answer to his or her question, or understand the answer once it is found. Brandon Beasley, a student at XYZ Middle School, agrees. "Math is a very difficult subject for me. I ask lots of questions and get extra help from my teacher sometimes. I don't trust a computer to give me the extra help that I need to pass." Brandon is just one of many students who is apprehensive about trading his teacher for a computer. Secondly, a teacher is able to plan a variety of activities to instruct a class... 83 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference How Do I Conclude My Essay?  Restate the thesis in different words  Reflect on the main ideas developed within the body paragraphs.  Show significance of thesis  o How and why this topic is important o How might this topic affect me or other people? o What can we learn from this topic? Contribute more commentary about your subject, usually more holistically.  Give a personal statement about the subject  Ways to enhance a conclusion  o Make a recommendation to the reader. o Predict outcomes of this ideal. o Quote an expert knowledgeable on this topic End with a powerful statement that solidifies your thesis.  “NOTS” of a concluding paragraph o Do NOT add new ideas into the conclusion. o Do NOT include concrete details to your conclusion. You have already stated them in your body paragraphs. Concluding Paragraph Example The Crucible is a story about integrity, love, and power. When these virtues are intermingled, a variety of events can occur. What happens in the final analysis is the protection of self first, in particular preserving one’s public reputation. John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, and Abigail Williams all go to extreme measures to protect their “good names.” However, because they use deceitful methods in maintaining their good standing in society, they cause death and banishment of numerous people, most of whom are innocent, from their communities, friends, and families. Thus, although it may seem that a person’s reputation is worth any price he/she has to pay, the victims of this “progression” may think otherwise. Begin the process of analytical writing by using a ONE paragraph essay with 2 -3 points which support the thesis. 84 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference Mr. Simms' Role as a Parent Mr. Simms' role as a parent is poor and can be evaluated as insensitive and abusive. This assertion can be supported by several of his actions. His treatment of Cassie in Strawberry illustrates his insensitivity to others. He supports Lillian Jean's humiliation of Cassie by physically grabbing her as she attempts to run away and insisting upon another apology from Cassie. Furthermore, when Jeremy attempts to defend Cassie, he stutters, which suggests fear of his father's reaction. This reaction is probably physical abuse as the Logans have noticed big red welts on Jeremy's arms after Lillian Jean reported to her father that Jeremy had met with them. It seems that Mr. Simms' behavior is being processed differently by his children. He is instilling and cementing extreme prejudice and racial hatred into Lillian Jean's mind; however, Jeremy does not accept these values and understands that color of skin should not be a societal issue. 85 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference Timed Writing Assessment Hints to help you perform more successfully on a timed writing assessment:  Spend at least five minutes of prewriting and organization before you begin writing.  Write an outline, a mind map, a list of ideas, any graphic organizer which will help you arrange your writing.  Follow the directions exactly. Respond to the prompt as written.  Do not spend a lot of time on the introduction. A few sentences that focus the reader will meet the requirements.  Write a thesis that argues a point, takes a stand on the issue, and addresses each task set by the prompt.  Your introduction should not simply rephrase the question you are answering or the topic to which you are responding.  Spend most of your time on the body of the essay.  Be sure that each paragraph has a unifying topic sentence.  Support your points with specific evidence or experiences.  The conclusion should provide a sense of closure to the essay.  It should NOT simply repeat the introduction.  The conclusion should echo the main idea.  One GOOD original sentence that truly completes the essay is much more desirable than a dull recap of your major ideas.  Mark through your errors and go on. Do not use whiteout to correct errors; it takes too long to dry, or you will forget to go back and make corrections. Writing Prompt In Act IV of The Crucible Reverend Hale states that “Life is God’s most precious gift; no principle, however, glorious, may justify the taking of it.” In a well-organized essay, defend, challenge, or qualify the validity of this assertion. Use evidence from your readings, observations, and/or experiences to support your position. 86 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference WRITING IDEAS FOR LITERARY ANALYSIS The ideas listed below will help you choose a specific focus for your analysis. Theme: You can write about the main idea, or theme, presented in your literary selection.  Does the author seem to be saying something about ambition, courage, greed, jealousy, happiness...?  Does the selection how you what it is like to experience racism, loneliness...?  Does the author say something about a specific historical event? Characterization: You can write about one or more of the characters in your selection.  How does the main character change from the beginning to the end?  What forces or circumstances make one of the characters act in a certain way? Consider the setting, the conflict, other characters, etc.  What are the most revealing aspects of one of the characters? Consider his/her thoughts, words, and actions.  Does the main character have a confidant, someone he/she relies on? How important or reliable is that person? Plot: Certain aspects of the action or story line may also lead to analysis.  What external conflicts affect the main character? Consider conflicts with other characters, the setting, objects, etc.  What internal conflicts make life difficult for the main character? Consider the thoughts, feelings, and ideas that affect him/her.  How is suspense built into the story? Consider the important events leading up to the climax.  Are there any twists or reversals in the plot? What do they add to the story? Setting: You may want to analyze the role of the setting of the story.  What effect does the setting have on the characters?  Has the setting increased your knowledge of a specific time and/or place?  Is the setting new and thought provoking? This question is especially important in science fiction. Style: Special attention is an analysis can also be given to the author’s style of writing - the words and phrases he/she uses.  How does the writing - descriptive phrases, comparisons, etc., create a main feeling or tone in the selection?  Is dialogue or description used effective? Provide examples and explain.  Is there an important symbol that adds meaning to the selection? How is this symbol represented in different parts?  Has special attention been given to figures of speech like metaphors, similes, personification, etc? What do these devices add to the writing? 87 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference CRITERIA FOR A GOOD HISTORICAL NOVEL  A setting that is integral to the story.  An authentic depiction of the time, place, and people being featured.  An author who is so thoroughly knowledgeable in the history of the period that he/she can be comfortably creative without making mistakes.  Believable characters with whom readers can identify.  Evidence that even across great time spans people share similar emotions.  References to well-known events or people or other clues through which the reader can place the happenings in their correct historical framework.  Readers who come away with the feeling that they know a time or place better. 88 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference Catastrophic Verbs In the late summer of 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the coast of New Orleans, Louisia na. Many newspapers throughout the world ran stories about this storm’s devastation to the Gulf Coast. Descriptions such a, “The storm splintered houses, flattened cars, toppled trees, and whipped power lines around like children's jump ropes” filled the media, whose job is to draw pictures with words for their articles. As writers, students too must show the reader, not just tell the reader. Notice the verbs. They are powerful, accurate, and moving: splintered, flattened, toppled, whipped Write a news report about a disaster that struck a city or village somewhere in the world, and use the most vivid verbs you can to describe the devastation. 89 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference Sentence Prescriptions 1. Simple Sentence: I saw the boy at the park. 2. Compound Sentence: I saw the boy at the park, and he ran into a pole. 3. Complex Sentence : After I saw the boy at the park, I went to the ice cream parlor. 4. Compound-Complex Sentence: After I saw the boy at the park, I went to the ice cream parlor, and the boy followed me there. 5. Sentence beginning with a prepositional phrase: At the beach, we were able to find many shells for our project. 6. Sentence beginning with a gerund: Swimming is my favorite summer activity. 7. Sentence beginning with a participle: Angered by the allegation, the girl cried convulsively. 8. Sentence beginning with an infinitive: To arrive safely, follow the directions exactly. 9. Generalization: All boys are good in math. 10. Summary: In conclusion, we know that at least two cures have been found. 11. Comparison: Mark is shorter than Randy. 12. Contrast: Jane is quiet but Ashley is noisy. 13. Cause-effect: If you put your shirt in the dryer, it will shrink. 14. Opinion: He is the best teacher. 15. Definition: A peninsula is a piece of land surrounded by water. 16. Procedure: First, mix the butter and eggs, then, add the dry ingredients; lastly beat until welt blended. 17. Problem-solution: Andrew was skinny until he began to lift weights. 18. Simile: He is as sly as a fox. 19. Metaphor: Sean is a bulldozer coming down the football field. 20. Law or principle: For every action, a consequence will result. 21. Example or enumeration: The lunch line offered a selection of meats, vegetables, salads, fruits, breads, desserts, and beverages. 22. Transition: While he was sleeping, I slipped out of the room. 90 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference The Poetry of Phrases F oundation Les son Ad ap t ed f rom A P St r ateg ies Pattern #1 Absolute phrase Absolute phrase Absolute phrase Independent clause Prepositional phrase Prepositional phrase Prepositional phrase Prepositional phrase Prepositional phrase Pattern #3 Independent clause with an appositive phrase in it Participial phrase Participial phrase Participial phrase Participial phrase Participial phrase Example for Pattern #3 The sky, a dark cauldron full of storm clouds, boils and bubbles. Sparkling with lightning. Glittering with glimpses of stars Shrouded with fog Crackling with electricity Waiting for the storm to burst. Example for Pattern #1 His glowing fur ruffling in the breeze His eyes burning like coals His muscles rippling like ocean wave The tiger paced. In the cage In the night In the gloom In the fire Of his rage. Pattern #4 Subordinate clause Independent clause Infinitive phrase and a prepositional phrase Infinitive phrase and a prepositional phrase Infinitive phrase and a prepositional phrase Infinitive phrase and a prepositional phrase Independent clause Pattern #2 Gerund phrase as the subject Finish the sentence with a rhyme. Gerund phrase as the subject Finish the sentence with a rhyme. Gerund phrase as the subject Finish the sentence with a rhyme. Gerund phrase as the subject Finish the sentence with a rhyme. Example for Pattern #2 Toasting in the hot sun Is a lot of fun. Dipping in the crystal fountain Seems better than climbing a mountain. Sipping on an icy drink Lets you hear the sound of a refreshing clink. Relaxing with good friends Is the way a summer day ends. 91 Bjornson 2008 Example for Pattern #4 When I grow up I want To dance over a rainbow To climb above the clouds To soar beside the birds To sail with the stars These are the dreams of my heart. 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference Calvin and Hobbes Elaboration in Writing Improving What You Say Have students study the attached cartoons and look for the gestures, posture, facial expressions, movement, evidence of tone in the character’s diction, etc. then point out that these elements are what make a good story memorable and impactful. Read the sample together and look at the difference sentence patterns. Then you and your group will elaborate on a subsequent frame or frames to this cartoon. “What are you so mad about anyway?” Susie asked as she and Calvin waited for the bus together. Each stood on the sidewalk holding their respective supplies, books, folder, and the like. “Couldn’t you find all the bugs you needed for your insect collection?” A bemused look passed over Calvin’s face. “Huh?” Calvin asked, his forehead crinkling into a frown. “Hey!” Susie claimed incredulously. She stooped and examined her companion for any sign of his conspicuously absent project. “Where is your insect collection?? It’s due today.” Calvin’s panic is immediate and evident. Both feet popped into the air, his fingers spread apart as if gripping for handles to steady him, and sweat shot from his tiny pores. “I forgot my insect collection! Oh, no!!” he clamored in sheer terror, his eyes enlarged to the size of baseballs. Susie leaped into action. “Quick! Go home and get it!” she suggested, glancing over her shoulder for the school bus while urging him down the street. “Maybe you can make it back before the school bus comes! Hurry! Run!” Calvin resisted her promptings, digging his heels into the pavement. “No, that’s not what I meant. Help me find some ants,” he pleaded and dropped to his knees, pressing his nose close to the pavement. Susie was absolutely astonished. Her arms fell limply at her sides in disbelief. “You forgot it ENTIRELY!” As Calvin was bounding into the air, he shouted hysterically, ”Don’t just stand there, Susie! Help me catch some bugs!” In a deranged state of mind, Susie yelped, “Are you crazy?” authoritatively, Susie points her index finger in a disciplinary gesture. Counting on each finger, she continued into a long elaboration, “We were supposed to be working on our collect all month!” she says, struggling to remember exactly what the teacher had said. “You can’t do the whole thing on the last morning while you wait for the bus!” Susie’s frustration was evident as her expression turned from concern to anger as she yelled impatiently after Calvin, who was still chasing bugs. “How could you have possibly forgotten it, anyway? Susie yelled furiously. “It’s all the class has been doing! Where have you been? Don’t you pay attention? Don’t you care about getting an education? Susie sarcastically shot these questions at her friend so quickly that he could feel the metaphorical bullets whizzing by his head. However, all Calvin could think about was his quest for some form of assignment. In his frustration with himself and his lecturing friend, Calvin harassingly asks Susie, “If any bugs fly in your open mouth, can I have them?” “Here comes the bus, Calvin. It’s hopeless,” Susie exclaimed. Calvin’s time to find his bugs was rapidly running out as the bus continued to make its way down the street. Calvin was on his hands and knees as he desperately searched through the grass for any kind of bug. “There’s a bug!” Calvin screamed with excitement. 92 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference Susie frowned. “You’re wasting your time!” Susie hopelessly tired to explain. “The teacher is going to know y9ou didn’t spend any time on this insect collection.” Susie snapped. Frustrated by Calvin’s stubbornness, she raised her arms in total disbelief. No matter what anybody said, Calvin refused to give up. As he glanced over his shoulder, he caught a glimpse of a bug. He hoisted his arms to signal Susie to stop talking. Calvin gulped and took a deep breath. “Stall the bus driver!” Susie just stood there with her sides, staring at Calvin with a puzzled look. She persisted on trying to convince him that it was useless. “You’re supposed to have 50!” she exclaimed. “You’ll be lucky to have any!” Calvin completely ignored her. Without wasting another moment, he leaped in the air. His eyes widened and his jaw practically dropped to the ground with amazement. As he crashed down to the ground and squashed the bug, he cried out, “Got it!” Afterwards Calvin lifted up his leg and hopped toward Susie. “Can you tell what it is?” he inquired curiously. Still bouncing toward Susie trying to save his insect, he demanded, “Scrape it off!” Susie was terrified and disgusted by the sight of the dead bug. She squeezed her eyes shut as she quickly turned the other way screaming at the top of her lungs, “Get away from me!” They entered the bus stepping over candy wrappers in the aisle and inhaling the aroma of diesel fumes blended sweating bodies. “PHOOEY!” Calvin exclaimed with disappointment. “No bugs in the window!” “I can’t believe you are doing this,” declared a flabbergasted Susie. Calvin then had an idea. He reached over the seat pointing at the kid in front of Susie. “Hey, ask that kid if he’s got any bugs in his window.” Susie replied with a sympathetic sigh, “Calvin, there is no way you’re going to complete an insect collection on the way to school. Forget it!” Turning around to face the front, and seemingly his demise, Calvin let out a big sigh as if he was letting his hope out. “Well, maybe you’re right.” Then Calvin’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. What a brilliant idea! He turns to Susie with his offering in his hand in complete sincerity, “How much do you want for your collection? I’ll give you a quarter…or here, 30 cents.” Susie’s reaction was utter disbelief. How can her friend be so selfish! “I spent a month on this project!” 93 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference BUSINESS LETTERS PUT TO USE One fun exercise in writing business letters is to write to colleges, universities, and/or vocational schools asking for entrance criteria. This assignment not only lets th e students practice writing formal letters, but the students also receive valuable information they can use in deciding their academic future. Each student will be responsible for writing five (5) letters to various higher educational institutions. The criteria for deciding where to write follow: o One LOCAL college/university/vocational school o One college/university/vocational school within driving distance o One college/university/vocational school within your state o One college/university/vocational school of your dreams o One college/university/vocational school of your choice The students are also responsible for bringing their own envelopes and stamps I give them a grade for this to ensure that I do not incur a huge debt over this project. Students will begin receiving replies within a couple of weeks. I wait 6-8 weeks and then allow the students to bring their information for discussion and sharing. I also invite the school's college career counselor to talk with the students either at the onset of the unit, when the students share their information, or at both times, depending on time restraints. Students, parents, and administrators love this assignment. 94 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS Details are the facts revealed by the author or speaker which support the attitude or tone of a piece of poetry or prose. To analyze details and their purpose, ask the following questions: o What information is the author telling? o What information is the author omitting? o What information is the author implying? o What has the author chosen to bring to this piece of literature? o Do the actions of the characters suggest anything else that happens in human life, i. e. is there more in the literature than meets the eye? Detail Activity With the attached checks, have students analyze the checks for details and write a story of this man's life. Make sure they watch for signatures, dates, account names, memos, etc. Students will have variations of the story; however, if they can justify their biographical sketch from the evidence they find in the details of the checks, then their theory is validated. Mr. & Mrs. Billy Bob LaProfit, Sr. 2006 Sycamore Tulsa, OK 74100 Date Pay to the Order of $ Dollars Tulsa Bank and Trust 100 SW Main www.tulsabankand trust.com (918)555-BANK Memo 987654321 123456789 95 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference WRITING ASSIGNMENT You have been involved with both writing and grammar. Now let's see if you can organize this information into a well-formatted, well-developed one page essay. You will need to include and mark several grammatical elements. Minimum requirements include the following elements: o One simple sentence o One appositive o One compound sentence o One absolute o One complex sentence o One gerund phrase o One compound-complex sentence o One infinitive phrase o One adjective clause o One participial phrase o One adverb clause o One adjective phrase o One noun clause o One adverb phrase After typing your paper, neatly underline and label each of these elements. You may (and will) have a combination of these parts in one sentence. The technical criteria for this assignment are as follows: o One page double spaced o One inch margins on all four sides of the paper o 12 point font-Times New Roman o Title on the first line (do not double, double space after the title) o Name and hour number, using the header/footer option under "View” on your computer TOPICS  Write a one-page paper explaining to your state legislators that they should/should not increase/decrease the age in which you can legally get a driver's license.  Write a one-page paper explaining to your school board that they should/should not extend the school day, keeping in mind that the state mandates the amount of total time in the classroom.  Write a one-page paper explaining what you would do if you witness your friend cheating on a major exam in a class in which the teacher curves the test grades Remember that this person may score high enough on the exam to affect the curve and your grade.  Write a one-page paper explaining to your parents that they should lift your grounding for a big party even though you are grounded for a previous family rule violation.  Write a one-page paper explaining to your city leaders that they should extend the curfew for teens under the age of 18.  Write a one-page paper explaining to school administration that semester finals should/should not be mandated. 96 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference Questioning Strategies to Elicit Close Reading BUILD A HIGHER THOUGHT Bloom’s Taxonomy Verbs to Use for Soliciting Higher Level Responses Recall Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation Level I (includes Knowledge & Comprehension Level II Level III Level IV Level V apply construct demonstrate illustrate make record show teach translate abstract categorize chart classify compare contrast deduce differentiate dissect investigate order outline separate summarize combine compose create design estimate forecast hypothesize imagine infer invent predict produce assess choose conclude decide discuss dispute editorialize evaluate grade judge qualify rate recommend select support verify identify list locate match memorize name read recall reproduce review 97 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference WHAT COULD I ASK? What would you do if...? What could a ______ be used for besides its obvious use? What is your understanding of...? What else might lead you to believe that. .? What might you...? HOW MIGHT I BEGIN AN OPEN-ENDED QUESTION? What might lead you to predict...? How might you change the statement? What else would have to be true for...? How is _____ an example of ______ ? What if...? How is _____ related to ______ ? What are some ways... ? How would you create/design a new ..? What would it be like if...? How would you decide about...? What do you know about...? How can you compare. .? What is your reasoning for saying. .? How did you arrive at that answer? What led you to that decision? How many ways can you think of to...? What do you think will happen to...? How can you explain the way you felt about...? What other ways could. .? How would you describe your reaction to...? What would happen if...? How is a ______ like a _____ ? What evidence can you list for...? HOW SHOULD I ASK WHY? What would you predict from...? What might happen if you combine. .? Why would it be necessary ..? What solutions would you suggest for...? Why do you think that...? What do you think about...? Why is _____ significant? What criteria would you use to assess...? Why do you think that is most likely? I CAN STATE IT What evidence is there to support your answer? What can be done about... ? Elaborate on that. What example could you give? Pretend you are. What might happen when...? Tell me more. 98 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference Who is Mossflower? Person, place, thing? Sunrise? Sunset? Sounds like a house Depressing color Mossflower lay deep in the grip of midwinter beneath a sky of leaden gray that showed tinges of scarlet and orange on the horizon. A cold mantle of snow draped the landscape, covering the flatlands to the west. Snow was everywhere, filling ditches, drifting high against hedgerows, Like a cloak Many participial phrases making paths invisible, smoothing the contours of earth in its white embrace. The gaunt, leafless Diction makes the forest sound like a nice place to live. ceiling of Mossflower Wood was penetrated by constant snowfall, which carpeted the sprawling Cumulative sentence woodland floor, building canopies on evergreen shrubs and bushes. Winter had muted the earth; the muffled stillness was broken only by a traveler’s paws, Not hands – must Alliteration “m” sound A sturdily built young mouse with quick dark eyes was moving confidently across the snowbound gives a silent feeling be an animal. country. Looking back, he could see his tracks disappearing northward into the distance. Farther Isolated Burning wood and cold wind for a contrast. south the flatlands rolled off endlessly, flanked to the west by the faint shape of distant hills, while characterization Mossflower Wood and the traveler are linked by this word. to the east stood the long ragged fringe marking the marches of Mossflower. His nose twitches at the elusive smell of burning wood and turf from some hearthfire. Cold wind soughed from the Diction – he is tired. treetops, causing whorls from the treetops, causing whorls of snow to dance in icy spirals. The traveler gathered his ragged cloak tighter, adjusted to old rusting sword that was slung across his Snow seems alive Everything is ruined He is a warrior, but a poor one back, and trudged steadily forward, away from the wilderness, to where other creatures lived. It was a forbidding place made mean by poverty. Here and there he saw signs of habitation. The dwellings, ravaged and demolished, made pitiful shapes under snowdrifts. Rearing high against Sad, scary tone the forest, a curious building dominated the ruined settlement. A fortress, crumbling, dark and Like a dragon or dinosaur brooking, it was a symbol of fear to the woodland creatures of Mossflower. This was how Martin the Warrior first came to Kotir, place of the wildcats. Martin is confident even though he is in a dark, scary ruined place. 99 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference AUTHOR AWARENESS QUESTIONS FOR COMPREHENSION PLOT o How does the author let you know where the story happens? When did you first begin to learn about the setting? Give examples of changing settings. o Describe what you believe to be one of the most important scenes in the story o What questions did you have while reading? Were the questions answered by the end? o Did the author give you any clues to the outcome? STYLE o Find (or copy) a passage in the book/story where you think the author has done a great job of description. What makes this passage good? How does it help the story? o Copy examples of similes and metaphors that you think are good. o How does the author create suspense or at least make you curious about what will happen? CHARACTERIZATION o Find (or copy) a passage in which the author shows you a character's personality. Then find one in which the author tells you about a character's personality o Find (or copy) a passage of dialogue that tells you something important about a character. Explain why it is important. o In what ways do the characters change in the book? How does the author help you to notice these changes? o After reading the story, which character do you feel you know best? How did the author help you to know so much about this character. STRUCTURE o Why do you suppose the author began the story this way? o Who tells the story? Why do you think the author chose this point of view? o Can you think of a reason for ending the chapter here? What do you expect will happen next? What clues does the author give you? o How does the author organize the book/story? Do you think this structure works well? o Can you find an example of foreshadowing? REFLECTION o Explain the title of the book. What other title would be more appropriate? o What were your thoughts and feelings at the end of the story? o Why do you think the author chose this ending? o What might the author have wanted us to learn? o If you could meet the author, what questions would you ask? o Using the information you've learned about the author's life, find parts of the story that may have been influenced by the author's own experience o What important symbols did the author include in the story? What do you think they represent? o Would this book make a good movie? Why or why not? What parts would you leave out? What problems might a director encounter trying to translate the writer's words onto the movie screen? 100 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference Inner-Outer Circle Questions Recall 1._______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ Application 1._______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ Analysis 1._______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 2._______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ Synthesis 1._______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 2._______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 3._______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ Evaluation 1._______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 2._______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 3._______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 101 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference _ CLOSE READING STRATEGIES THE THREE LEVELS OF READING Materials and Resources o o o o Any short fiction, nonfiction, drama, or poetry selection. 12"x 18" paper (Manila paper works well.) Colored pencils, crayons markers, water colors, etc. If desired, a template of circles, or students may draw them freehand. Lesson Introduction Close reading is a special kind of analytical reading. When readers look at a text this way, they slow down in order to assess the importance of each word, detail, or image, and they make guesses about the meaning of the text as they read. Close readers look beyond the plot for deeper layers of meaning. Readers who use Pre-AP strategies will discover the three levels of reading so they slow down to notice each aspect of the text. o Reading on the line implies that students find the meaning directly in the text. As they read, they are mentally asking questions, "Who?" "What?" "When?" and "Where?". o Reading between the lines is the stage at which students interpret what is in the text. As they read, they are analyzing what they read: interpreting, classifying, comparing, contrasting, and finding patterns. The students’ key concerns are ♦ What does a passage represent, suggest, or personify? ♦ What does a certain allusion or metaphor mean? o Reading beyond the lines has the students moving outside of the text to connect to universal meaning. As they read, they connect the literature with their own experiences and with universal meaning. They are asking mental questions like: ♦ How does this text connect with my life? ♦ How does this text connect with life in a larger sense, for all human beings? ♦ How does this text connect with my ideas about morality or values? ♦ What kind of perceptions about life in general is the author communicating to me ? ♦ What do I think of those perceptions? . Note: This assignment works best in the middle of or at the end of a study of a work. This activity is from Advance Placement Strategies 102 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference Dialectical Journals I equate dialectical journals with conversations with the author or text. Students write questions, comments, insights,... whatever they are thinking as they read. This method allows even the quietest student to have prepared input for classroom discussion; plus it requires close reading and interpretations, especially during discussion. Page# Page # where passage is found. TEXT Students quote the text that causes question, insights, or interest. READER RESPONSE Students write personal responses, questions, and insights to that particular passage. This is "what the book says." This is "what the student says." I usually require a certain number of responses per page, chapter, or reading assignment. Since the students are such concrete learners, they need some parameters. As the students learn this close reading strategy, they become better at narrowing down the passages to the most relevant section. I also do not want entire paragraphs or pages. I try to get the students to narrow down the text passage to 1-2 sentences. They also learn what is important to their questions, insights, and responses. 103 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference Writing AP Style Multiple Choice Questions and Essay Questions "The Outlaw" by: Sinclair Ross She was beautiful but dangerous. She had thrown one man and killed him, thrown another and broken his collar bone, and my parents, as if they knew what the sight of her idle in her stall was doing to me, never let a day go by without giving lurid details, everything from splints and stitches to the undertaker, of the painful and untimely end in store for me should I ever take it into my fool young head to try to ride her. "I've got trouble enough without having you laid up with broken bones and doctor bills. She's a sly one, mind, and no good's ever come of her. " "Besides, you're only turned thirteen, and a grown man, a regular cowboy at that, would think twice before tackling her. Another year and then we'll see. You'll both be that much older. In the meantime, nobody expects it of you." In the meantime, though, she was captive, pining her heart away. Week after week she stamped and pawed, nosed the hay out of her manger contemptuously, flung her head and poured out wild, despairing neighs into the prairie winds and blizzards streaming past. It was mostly, of course, for my benefit. She had sized me up, evidently, as soft-hearted as well as faint-hearted, and decided there was just a chance that I might weaken and go riding. Her neighs, just as she intended they should, tormented and shamed me. She was a good horse, but reprobate [reprobate - immoral, unprincipled character]. That was how we came to own her. At the auction sale where she was put up, her reputation as a killer spread among the crowd, and my father got her cheap. He was such a practical, level-headed man, and she was so obviously a poor investment, that I suspect it was because of me he bought her. As I stood at this side in the front row of the crowd and watched them lead her out, poised, dramatic, radiant, some of the sudden desire that overwhelmed me must have leaped from my face and melted his. "Anyway, she's a bargain," he defended himself that evening at the supper table. "I can always sell her and at least get back what I paid. But first I want to see what a taste of good hard work will do." He tried it. His intention was to work her on the land a month or two, just until she was tamed down to make an all-round, serviceable saddle horse, but after a painful week of half-days on the plow, he 104 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference let her keep her stall. She was too hard on his nerves, he said, straining ahead and pulling twice her share. She was too hard on his self-respect, actually, the slender limbs, the imperious head. For she was a lovely reprobate. Twenty years of struggle with the land had made him a determined, often hard man, but he couldn't help bring himself to break her spirit with the plow. COMMON ERRORS IN MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTONS 1. Ridiculous Choice (Kangaroo) In the context of the sentence, use like parts of speech. The word “lurid” in line three (3) is similar in meaning to the word a. lengthy a. lengthy b. gruesome b. gruesome c. numerous c. numerous d. farmer d. threatening 2. Wordy Stem or Instructional Aids Just ask the question. Beginning with a statement causes the test taker to look for hints and not answer the question directly. Some horses seem to be devious and cunning, and able to outsmart a person who is not alert to their ways. An example is when the narrator thinks that the mare “flung her head and poured out wild, despairing neighs” to a. tempt him to ride her b. show how tormented she is c. prove she is a reprobate d. show how wild she is The narrator thinks that the mare “flung her head and poured out wild, despairing neighs” to a. show how wild she is b. tempt him to ride her c. prove she is a reprobate d. show how tormented she is 3. Unnecessary Repetition of Choices Avoid repetition by putting recurring words or phrases in the stem. The statement “She has sized me up, evidently, as self-hearted as well as faint-hearted” (paragraph 4) suggests that a. the horse is unpredictable. b. the horse is confused. c. the horse is clever. d. the horse is cranky. 105 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference The statement “She has sized me up, evidently, as self-hearted as well as faint-hearted” (paragraph 4) suggests that the horse is a. unpredictable. b. confused. c. clever. d. cranky. 4. Three-One Split Responses should be consistent or totally different. Beginning three responses with the same letter and having the fourth response beginning with a different letter leads test takers to eliminate the different choice. As test writers, we have the answer in our head and subconsciously think of choices beginning with the same sound/letter. The statement “She has sized me up, evidently, as self-hearted as well as faint-hearted” (paragraph 4) suggests that the horse is a. unpredictable. b. confused. c. clever. d. cranky. The statement “She has sized me up, evidently, as self-hearted as well as faint-hearted” (paragraph 4) suggests that the horse is a. temperamental. b. unpredictable. c. clever. d. angry. When testing for point of view, word the question so two of the responses deal with numbers and the other two deal with terms. The point of view used in this short story is that of a. first person b. second person c. third person d. omniscient The point of view used in this short story is that of a. first person b. second person c. objective d. omniscient 5. Incomplete Stem The task of the question should be crystal clear to the test taker. 106 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference “Reprobate” a. describes the horse’s personality b. is not a good word to describe a horse c. means beautiful but dangerous. d. is what the narrator thought of the father In paragraph five (5), the word “reprobate” is used to describe the horse’s a. cost c. strength b. training d. personality 6. Choices in Illogical Order The responses should have some consistent arrangement: alphabetical, reverse alphabetical, short to long, long to short. In paragraph five (5), the word “reprobate” is used to describe the horse’s a. personality b. cost c. strength d. training In paragraph five (5), the word “reprobate” is used to describe the horse’s a. cost b. training c. strength d. personality 7. Inappropriate Choices Use Roman numerals when asking for multiple responses. Avoid using ALL OF THE ABOVE or NONE OF THE ABOVE. Using those responses tells the student that the test maker ran out of responses for that question. Which of the following statements BEST CONTRADICTS the idea that the narrator’s father is a “practical, level-headed man”? a. He intended to break the mare with the plow even though she is a thoroughbred. b. He buys the mare for the child even though the mare is not suitable for riding. c. All of the above d. None of the above. Which of the following statements BEST CONTRADICTS the idea that the narrator’s father is a “practical, level-headed man”? I. He needed a plow horse to help him with his farming. II. He buys the mare for the child even though the mare is not suitable for riding. III. He intended to break the mare with the plow even though she is a thoroughbred. IV. He buys the thoroughbred at a reduced price for the sole purpose of making a profit in a resale. a. II only b. IV only c. I and III only 8. Grammatical Clue to Correct Answer d. I, II, and IV only Beware of using article adjectives or numerical adjectives that give a hint to the answer. 107 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference The narrator’s attitude toward the mare can be described as an a. admirable one b. annoying one c. confusing one d. disappointing one The narrator’s attitude toward the mare can be described as one of a. admiration b. annoyance c. confusion d. disappointment 9. Non-parallel Choices Make responses parallel. If using a quote in the response, all four responses should be quotes. Which of the following statements BEST expresses the irony in the relationship between the narrator’s father and the horse? a. In an effort to tame the mare, the man decides “to work her on the land for a month or two.” b. Even though the man illustrated hard determination, “he couldn’t bring himself to break her spirit.” c. A cow would have been a better buy than the horse. d. Race horses are often temperamental and high-strung. Which of the following statements BEST expresses the irony in the relationship between the narrator’s father and the horse? a. In an effort to tame the mare, the man decides “to work her on the land for a month or two.” b. Following the purchase of the mare, the man wants to give her “a taste of good hard work.” c. When the man buys the mare, he realizes that she is “so obviously a poor investment.” d. Even though the man illustrated hard determination, “he couldn’t bring himself to break her spirit.” 10. Answer Clue in Length Test takers believe that the longest answer is the best answer; therefore, try to make all four responses approximately the same length. The sentences that begin paragraphs 1, 5, and 8 serve to create a. an effective example of contrast b. understatement c. motivation d. suspense The sentences that begin paragraphs 1, 5, and 8 serve to create a. contrast b. suspense c. motivation d. understatement 108 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference Writing AP Style Multiple Choice Questions and Essay Questions "The Outlaw" by: Sinclair Ross She was beautiful but dangerous. She had thrown one man and killed him, thrown another and broken his collar bone, and my parents, as if they knew what the sight of her idle in her stall was doing to me, never let a day go by without giving lurid details, everything from splints and stitches to the undertaker, of the painful and untimely end in store for me should I ever take it into my fool young head to try to ride her. "I've got trouble enough without having you laid up with broken bones and doctor bills. She's a sly one, mind, and no good's ever come of her. " "Besides, you're only turned thirteen, and a grown man, a regular cowboy at that, would think twice before tackling her. Another year and then we'll see. You'll both be that much older. In the meantime, nobody expects it of you." In the meantime, though, she was captive, pining her heart away. Week after week she stamped and pawed, nosed the hay out of her manger contemptuously, flung her head and poured out wild, despairing neighs into the prairie winds and blizzards streaming past. It was mostly, of course, for my benefit. She had sized me up, evidently, as soft-hearted as well as faint-hearted, and decided there was just a chance that I might weaken and go riding. Her neighs, just as she intended they should, tormented and shamed me. She was a good horse, but reprobate [reprobate - immoral, unprincipled character]. That was how we came to own her. At the auction sale where she was put up, her reputation as a killer spread among the crowd, and my father got her cheap. He was such a practical, level-headed man, and she was so obviously a poor investment, that I suspect it was because of me he bought her. As I stood at this side in the front row of the crowd and watched them lead her out, poised, dramatic, radiant, some of the sudden desire that overwhelmed me must have leaped from my face and melted his. "Anyway, she's a bargain," he defended himself that evening at the supper table. "I can always sell her and at least get back what I paid. But first I want to see what a taste of good hard work will do." He tried it. His intention was to work her on the land a month or two, just until she was tamed down to make an all-round, serviceable saddle horse, but after a painful week of half-days on the plow, he let her keep her stall. She was too hard on his nerves, he said, straining ahead and pulling twice her share. She was too hard on his self-respect, actually, the slender limbs, the imperious head. For she was a lovely reprobate. Twenty years of struggle with the land had made him a determined, often hard man, but he couldn't help bring himself to break her spirit with the plow. 109 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference COMMON ERRORS IN MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTONS 11. Ridiculous Choice (Kangaroo) In the context of the sentence, use like parts of speech. The word “lurid” in line three (3) is similar in meaning to the word e. lengthy a. lengthy f. gruesome b. gruesome g. numerous c. numerous h. farmer d. threatening 12. Wordy Stem or Instructional Aids Just ask the question. Beginning with a statement causes the test taker to look for hints and not answer the question directly. Some horses seem to be devious and cunning, and able to outsmart a person who is not alert to their ways. An example is when the narrator thinks that the mare “flung her head and poured out wild, despairing neighs” to e. tempt him to ride her f. show how tormented she is g. prove she is a reprobate h. show how wild she is The narrator thinks that the mare “flung her head and poured out wild, despairing neighs” to e. show how wild she is f. tempt him to ride her g. prove she is a reprobate h. show how tormented she is 13. Unnecessary Repetition of Choices Avoid repetition by putting recurring words or phrases in the stem. The statement “She has sized me up, evidently, as self-hearted as well as faint-hearted” (paragraph 4) suggests that e. the horse is unpredictable. f. the horse is confused. g. the horse is clever. h. the horse is cranky. The statement “She has sized me up, evidently, as self-hearted as well as faint-hearted” (paragraph 4) suggests that the horse is a. unpredictable. b. confused. c. clever. d. cranky. 110 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference 14. Three-One Split Responses should be consistent or totally different. Beginning three responses with the same letter and having the fourth response beginning with a different letter leads test takers to eliminate the different choice. As test writers, we have the answer in our head and subconsciously think of choices beginning with the same sound/letter. The statement “She has sized me up, evidently, as self-hearted as well as faint-hearted” (paragraph 4) suggests that the horse is e. unpredictable. f. confused. g. clever. h. cranky. The statement “She has sized me up, evidently, as self-hearted as well as faint-hearted” (paragraph 4) suggests that the horse is e. temperamental. f. unpredictable. g. clever. h. angry. When testing for point of view, word the question so two of the responses deal with numbers and the other two deal with terms. The point of view used in this short story is that of e. first person f. second person g. third person h. omniscient The point of view used in this short story is that of e. first person f. second person g. objective h. omniscient 15. Incomplete Stem The task of the question should be crystal clear to the test taker. “Reprobate” a. describes the horse’s personality b. is not a good word to describe a horse c. means beautiful but dangerous. d. is what the narrator thought of the father In paragraph five (5), the word “reprobate” is used to describe the horse’s c. cost c. strength d. training d. personality 111 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference 16. Choices in Illogical Order The responses should have some consistent arrangement: alphabetical, reverse alphabetical, short to long, long to short. In paragraph five (5), the word “reprobate” is used to describe the horse’s e. personality f. cost g. strength h. training In paragraph five (5), the word “reprobate” is used to describe the horse’s e. cost f. training g. strength h. personality 17. Inappropriate Choices Use Roman numerals when asking for multiple responses. Avoid using ALL OF THE ABOVE or NONE OF THE ABOVE. Using those responses tells the student that the test maker ran out of responses for that question. Which of the following statements BEST CONTRADICTS the idea that the narrator’s father is a “practical, level-headed man”? e. He intended to break the mare with the plow even though she is a thoroughbred. f. He buys the mare for the child even though the mare is not suitable for riding. g. All of the above h. None of the above. Which of the following statements BEST CONTRADICTS the idea that the narrator’s father is a “practical, level-headed man”? I. He needed a plow horse to help him with his farming. II. He buys the mare for the child even though the mare is not suitable for riding. III. He intended to break the mare with the plow even though she is a thoroughbred. IV. He buys the thoroughbred at a reduced price for the sole purpose of making a profit in a resale. a. II only b. IV only c. I and III only 18. Grammatical Clue to Correct Answer d. I, II, and IV only Beware of using article adjectives or numerical adjectives that give a hint to the answer. The narrator’s attitude toward the mare can be described as an e. admirable one f. annoying one g. confusing one h. disappointing one The narrator’s attitude toward the mare can be described as one of e. admiration f. annoyance g. confusion h. disappointment 112 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference 19. Non-parallel Choices Make responses parallel. If using a quote in the response, all four responses should be quotes. Which of the following statements BEST expresses the irony in the relationship between the narrator’s father and the horse? e. In an effort to tame the mare, the man decides “to work her on the land for a month or two.” f. Even though the man illustrated hard determination, “he couldn’t bring himself to break her spirit.” g. A cow would have been a better buy than the horse. h. Race horses are often temperamental and high-strung. Which of the following statements BEST expresses the irony in the relationship between the narrator’s father and the horse? e. In an effort to tame the mare, the man decides “to work her on the land for a month or two.” f. Following the purchase of the mare, the man wants to give her “a taste of good hard work.” g. When the man buys the mare, he realizes that she is “so obviously a poor investment.” h. Even though the man illustrated hard determination, “he couldn’t bring himself to break her spirit.” 20. Answer Clue in Length Test takers believe that the longest answer is the best answer; therefore, try to make all four responses approximately the same length. The sentences that begin paragraphs 1, 5, and 8 serve to create e. an effective example of contrast f. understatement g. motivation h. suspense The sentences that begin paragraphs 1, 5, and 8 serve to create e. contrast f. suspense g. motivation h. understatement 113 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference AP MULTIPLE CHOICE STEMS Language and Composition 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. The speaker's primary purpose is to The phrase "___" functions primarily as The attitude of the entire passage (or parts of the passage is one of The author uses this (certain image) for the purpose of The main rhetorical strategy of the _____ paragraph is for the purpose of The word " " in context line _____ is best interpreted to mean Lines____ can be interpreted to mean The reason for the shift in tone is due to The phrase" " line(s) ____ refers to which of the following The word/phrase " " line(s) _____ refers to which of the following In relation to the passage as a whole, the statement in the first sentence presents In lines ___ " ___", the speaker employs which of the following rhetorical strategies Which of the following best summarizes the main topic of the passage? In the sentence beginning "___" the speaker employs all of the following EXCEPT The style of the passage as a while is most accurately characterized as The principal contrast employed by the author in the passage (paragraph) is between The primary rhetorical function of lines _______ "___" is to The speaker's reference to “___” serves primarily to The tone of the passage shifts from one of ________to one of _____ The second sentence line(s) ____ is unified by metaphorical references pertaining to (frame of reference) It can be inferred by the description of _______ that which of the following qualities are valued by the speaker The antecedent of "it" in the clause "___"is The type of argument employed by the speaker is most similar to which of the following The speaker describes ____ in an order best described as from the (loudest to softest) The pattern of exposition exemplified in the passage is best described as The point of view indicated in the phrase "___" line(s) is that of The atmosphere established in _____ sentence, line(s) ____ is mainly one of The ___ sentence, line(s) ____ remains coherent chiefly because of its use of a. parallel structure b. colloquial and idiomatic diction c. a series of prepositional phrases d. periodic sentence structure e. retrospective point of view The function of the three clauses introduced by "that" in lines __ is to The sentence "___" line(s) ___ contains which of the following Which of the following best describes the function of the ___ paragraph in relation to the ____ paragraphs that precede it The passage is an appeal for a The primary rhetorical function of line(s) _______ "___"is to 114 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference AP MULTIPLE CHOICE STEMS Literature and Composition (similar to Language and Composition) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. The mood of the poem is best described as Line __ "___" is best interpreted to mean Line __ "___" describes the Between lines ___ and __ there is a shift from ____ to ___ The speaker's/character's attitude is best described as one of Throughout the poem (short story, novel), the imagery suggests that Which of the following literary devices most significantly contributes to the unity of the poem In the first stanza, the speaker makes use of paradox by doing which of the following Which of the following best conveys the meaning of the word "___" in line ___? Which of the following best paraphrases the meaning of line___? In line ___ the word "___ " suggests The verb phrase "___ "line ___ serves primarily to The words" "and" " line(s) _____ convey which of the following? The subject of the word "___"is The speaker metaphorically likens himself to The imagery in the first stanza most clearly suggests which of the following? Which of the following accounts for the ironic tone of "___" in line(s) ___ The pronoun "___" in line ___ refers to The phrase "___" in line(s) ___contrasts directly with As the poem progresses, the speaker's mode of expression shifts from one of ____ to one of ___. Which of the following pairs of words function as opposites in the poem? Which of the following illustrates the rhetorical devices of apostrophe> The word "___” in line ____ is most strongly reinforced by which of the following pairs of lines? Which of the following is the best interpretation of "___"in line(s) ___? The primary implication of line(s) ___is that The critical transition point in the poem occurs at The figure of speech in line ___ is The effect of lines ___ is In the first stanza, the ___ is presented chiefly as The diction used to describe "___"in line(s) ___ suggests that The object of “___"in line ___ is In line ___ the speaker implies that In the poem as a whole, the speaker views nature as being essentially The speaker makes a categorical assertion in all of the following places in the poem EXCEPT Which of the following lines contain an example of personification? The speaker's words line(s) ___ convey a sense of The poem dramatizes the moment when the speaker In context, the phrase "___" line(s) ___is best paraphrased as A principal purpose of the use of "___"in line(s) ___ is to In the final stanza the speaker anticipates Which of the following is LEAST important to the theme of the poem? The tone throughout the poem is best described as one of A shift in tone occurs in which of the following lines? 115 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference WRITING ESSAY QUESTIONS FOR PRE-AP English Literature and Composition- 2001 1. In each of the following poems, the speaker responds to the conditions of a particular time and place - England in 1802 in the first poem, the United States about 100 years later in the second. Read each poem carefully. Then write an essay in which you compare and contrast the two poems and analyze the relationship between them. 2. The passage below is taken from the novel Tom Jones (1749) by the English novelist and playwright Henry Fielding. In this scene, which occurs early in the novel, Squire Allworthy discovers an infant in his bed Read the passage carefully. Then, in a well-organized essay, analyze the techniques that Fielding employs in this scene to characterize Mr. Allworthy and Mrs. Deborah Wilkins. 3. One definition of madness is "mental delusion or the eccentric behavior arising from it." But Emily Dickinson wrote Much madness is divinest Sense To a discerning Eye — Novelists and playwrights have often seen madness with a "discerning Eye." Select a novel in which a character's apparent madness or irrational behavior plays an important role. Then write a well-organized essay in which you explain what this delusion or eccentric behavior consists of and how it might be judged reasonable. Explain the significance of the "madness" in the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot. Language and Composition 1. The letter below was written in 1866 by the English novelist Marian Evans Lewes (who used the pen name George Eliot) in response to a letter from an American woman, Melusma Fay Peirce. Read the letter carefully. Then write an essay in which you analyze the rhetorical strategies Lewes uses to establish her position about the development of a writer. 2. Carefully read the passage from "Owls" by Mary Oliver. Then write an essay in which you analyze how Oliver's style conveys the complexity of her response to nature. Carefully read the passage by Susan Sontag. Then write an essay in which you support, refute, or qualify Sontag's claim that photography limits our understanding of the world. Use appropriate evidence to develop your argument 116 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference “Zoo” By: Edward D. Hoch The children were always good during the month of August, especially when it began to get near the twentythird. It was on this day that the great silver spaceship carrying Professor Hugo's Interplanetary Zoo settled down for its annual six-hour visit to the Chicago area. Before daybreak the crowds would form, long lines of children and adults both, each one clutching his or her dollar, and waiting with wonderment to see what race of strange creatures the Professor had brought this year. In the past they had sometimes been treated to three-legged creatures from Venus, or tall, thin men from Mars, or even snakelike horrors from somewhere more distant. This year, as the great round ship settled slowly to earth in the huge tri-city parking area just outside of Chicago, they watched with awe as the sides slowly slid up to reveal the familiar barred cages. In them were some wild breed of nightmare - small, horse-like animals that moved with quick, jerking motions and constantly chattered in a high-pitched tongue. The citizens of Earth clustered around as Professor Hugo's crew quickly collected the waiting dollars, and soon the good Professor himself made an appearance, wearing his many-colored rainbow cape and top hat "Peoples of Earth," he called into his microphone. The crowd's noise died down, and he continued, "Peoples of Earth, this year you see a real treat for your single dollar - a little-known horse-spider people of Kaan - brought to you across a million miles of space at great expense. Gather around, see them, study them, listen to them, tell your friends about them. But hurry! My ship can remain here only six hours!" And the crowds slowly filed by, at once horrified and fascinated by these strange creatures that looked like horses but ran up the walls of their cages like spiders. "This is certainly worth a dollar," one man remarked, hurrying away. "I'm going home to get the wife." All day long it went like that, until ten thousand people had filed by the barred cages set into the side of the spaceship. Professor Huge once more took the microphone in his hand. "We must go now, but we will return next year on this date. And if you enjoyed our zoo this year, telephone your friends in other cities about it. We will land in New York tomorrow, and next week on to London, Paris, Rome, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. Then on to other worlds!" He waved farewell to them, and as the ship rose from the ground, the Earth peoples agreed that this had been the very best Zoo yet. Some two months and three planets later, the silver ship of Professor Hugo settling at last onto the familiar jagged rocks of Kaan, and the odd horse-spider creatures filed quickly our of their cages. Professor Hugo was there to say a few parting words, and then they scurried away in a hundred different directions, seeking their homes among the rocks. In one house, the she-creature was happy to see the return of her mate and offspring. She babbled a greeting in the strange tongue and hurried to embrace them, "It was a long time you were gone. Was it good?" And the he-creature nodded, "The little one enjoyed it especially. We visited eight worlds and saw many things." The little one ran up the wall of the cave. "On the place called Earth it was the best. The creatures there wear garments over their skins, and they walk on two legs." "But isn't it dangerous?" asked the she-creature. "No," her mate answered. "There are bars to protect us from them. We remain right in the ship. Next time you must come with us. It is well worth the nineteen commocs it costs." And the little one nodded. "It was the best Zoo ever." 117 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference “THE DINNER PARTY” by: Mona Gardner The country is India. A colonial official and his wife were giving a large dinner party. They were seated with their guests — army officers and government attaches with their wives, and a visiting American naturalist — in their spacious dining room, which has a bare marble floor, open rafters, and wide glass doors opening onto a veranda. A spirited discussion springs up between a young girl who insists that women have outgrown the jumping-on-a-chair-at-the sight-of-a-mouse era and a colonel who says they haven't. "A woman's unfailing reaction in any crisis," the colonel says, "is to scream. And while a man may feel like it, he has that ounce more of nerve control that a woman has. And that last ounce is what counts." The American does not join in the argument but watches the other guests. As he looks, he sees a strange expression come over the face of the hostess. She is staring straight ahead, her muscles contracting slightly. With a slight gesture, she summons the native boy standing behind her chair and whispers to him. The boy's eyes widen, and he quickly leaves the room. Of the guests, none except the American notices this or sees the boy place a bowl of milk on the veranda just outside the wide doors. The American comes to with a start. In India, milk in a bowl means only one thing - bait for a snake. He realizes there must be a cobra in the room. He looks up at the rafters - the likeliest place - but they are bare. Three corners of the room are empty, and in the fourth the servants are waiting to serve the next course. There is only one place left — under the table. His first impulse is to jump back and warn the others, but he knows that the commotion would frighten the cobra into striking. He speaks quickly, the tone of his voice so arresting that it sobers everyone. "I want to know just what control everyone at this table has. I will count to three hundred - that's five minutes — and not one of you is to move a muscle. Those who move will forfeit fifty rupees. Ready!" The twenty people sit like stone images while he counts. He is saying "two hundred and eighty" when, out of the corner of his eye, he sees the cobra emerge and make for the bowl of milk. Screams ring out as he jumps to slam the veranda doors safely shut. "You were right, Colonel!" the host exclaims. "A man has just shown us an example of perfect control." "Just a minute," the American says, grinning at his hostess. "Mrs. Wynnes, how did you know the cobra was in the room?" A faint smile lights up the woman's face as she replies, "Because it was crawling across my foot." 118 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference NINTH STREET BRIDGE By Bill Cosby Sometimes our imaginations can get out of control. Then a normal situation can turn into something totally different. Find out what happened to Bill Cosby when his imagination was too powerful. Old Weird Harold and I - Old Weird Harold, we called him that. because he was six feet nine and weighed 50 pounds - we sued to go to every horror picture in the world I'm telling you right now, we would go and we would see Frankenstein. We'd walk 100 miles to see Frankenstein. And mind you, we never saw the monster once, never saw him once, 'cause we were too scared to look at him. And we had the best seats in the movie. We used to sit right up front. I mean right up front That's where you can see everything. You just look right up front there. And we'd say to each other, "You gonna look at the monster this time?" "Yeah, yeah" "Now, don't lie now. If you're gonna look at him, say that. You might as well get right on the floor now, if you're not gonna look at him. You didn't look at him the last time." "Yes, I did" "Don't lie Look out now!" That's the way we stayed for 11 days, used to come home with 100 black juji-fruits all on our backs. We used to stay over and over trying to get to see the monster. But we couldn't do it, we were too scared. And my mother use to come for us, "Will you come home? Get up off the floor and come home!" You know, and the guys would razz us. "Hey, Cos, your mom came for you again. Ha ha ha!" "You shut up!" So my mother says one day, she says, "I'm not comin' for you. That's all. You come home yourself. Walk under the Ninth Street Bridge by yourself in the dark, if you don't know how to come home." "Aw, Mom, you'll come for us." So, we were watching this one picture. It was a heck of a picture It was one of the greatest. They had Frankenstein, Wolfman, Dracula, the Hunchback, the Mummy - everyone was in it And Harold and I stayed on the floor. Our eyes were closed. We never came up one for air. Every time there was somebody on that screen, we didn't want to see. "The Mummy's on there now! We don't want to look. We don't want to look!" And we sat through about 12 showings of the same picture. "You gonna look this time?" "No." "Get up off the floor." "No, I ain't gettin' up nowhere. He ain't gonna get me." So, finally, during the cartoon, I got up and looked around and I said, "Hey, Harold, there's nothin' here but grown-ups." And Harold says, "Yeah." 'Cause that's want he always says whenever I'm right. He's my closest friend, you know. I said, "Ask that man what time it is." "Hey, Mister! What time is it?" "It's ten o'clock.” 119 Bjornson 2008 2008 Vestavia Hills One-Day Conference "Oh, Harold. Oh, Harold, we're in trouble. Ten o'clock, yeah. Ten o'clock, that's when the monsters come out and my mom didn't even come for us." "Well, she said she wasn't. “Yeah, but she is supposed to come for us. She isn't supposed to let us walk home at ten o'clock when all the monsters come out and everything." And we walked out of the movie crying. Now, the walk home. Ninth Street Bridge has no lights whatsoever, which is the only way to get home. And we are sick. You talk about two scared kids just walking arm in arm, not even picking our feet up off the ground 'cause we want to be ready, if the monster touches us. We want to be ready to jump straight up to heaven. When you pick one leg up, you take a chance on going sideways. You know. And we got out legs ready, sending our toes out six feet ahead of us like radar. Too-doodle-poo-doo, too-doodle-poo-doo, kids coming, too-doodle-poo-doo, kids coming. And I'm telling you, really scared, ready to go any second And I bumped into Harold Bump! I said, "Harold, did I bump into you?" Harold said, "No." I said, "Don't lie to be now, Harold. If I bumped into you, say that I bumped into you. Even if I didn't bump into you, say that I bumped into you. Because if I didn't, we're gonna get eaten alive. You know that, don't you?" Harold says, "Wee, you bumped into me." I said, "Okay Don't lie anymore." Now, I don't know the name of the wino that came out of the alley that emptied onto the Ninth Street Bridge. I don't even care what the guy's name is, man. All I know is, he was wrong That's all I can say. He was puredee wrong. You just don't walk out of an alley that empties onto Ninth Street Bridge without making some sore of an announcement, warning to little kids. "Look out, little kids coming home for the Astor movie after seeing a whole lot of horror monsters. This is nobody that can hurt you. It's just an old wino." And he came out. B-b-b-l-l-aa-am-m!!! Now, I'm sure after filling out the accident report on this man, that the doctor said, "What happened?" "I don't know. It was just four feet ran right up my chest, danced on my head for a half hour, and then ran straight down my back, doctor." "But did they say anything?" "Yes, they said, "Aa-a-a-hh-h!!!!!!!!" "Did you see them at all?" "Yes, it was a little kid on top of a tall, skinny one, and he was beating him with a stick, saying, "Faster, faster, you fool, you fool!" 120 Bjornson 2008

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