Unit 1
Vocabulary and Language Activities
“The Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury
Vocabulary in Context
Practice: Answer the following ten questions to demonstrate your comprehension of the vocabulary words.
1. Which is more expendable in the desert, a water canteen or a pencil?
2. Which probably stagnating, water that has been sitting for weeks or a rushing river?
3. If I correlate information, do I get rid of it or analyze how it connects?
4. Would a malfunctioning vehicle work perfectly or break down?
5. If a change happens infinitesimally, is simple or challenging to discover?
6. What makes a home more resilient, a well-built frame or a great paint job?
7. Which might annihilate sea life, an oil spill or a light rain storm?
8. Is a subliminal reply a well-prepared answer or a subconscious recollection?
9. Do ocean waves or firewood undulate?
10. Which is a paradox, a flower blooming in winter or a flower blooming in spring?
Vocabulary List
annihilate
correlate
expendable
infinitesimally
malfunctioning
paradox
resilient
stagnating
subliminal
undulate
Academic Vocabulary
-analyze -element -infer -sequence -structure
It is possible to infer exactly how Eckels’ actions in the past lead their effects in the present? Talk about her
thoughts and ideas with a classmate. Use at least two Academic Vocabulary words to support your answers.
Strategies for Vocabulary: The Latin Root mal
Common Core Standard: L.4c Use context as a clue to the meaning of a
word.
The Latin Roots mal means “bad” or “wrongly.” Readers will come across the mal in many different contexts.
For instance, this root is seen often related to health in words like malnourished and malady. When mal is
used as a prefix, a reader can ascertain what the word means rather easily.
The vocabulary word malfunctioning contain the Latin Root mal. To understand additional words, use context
clues to help you figure out the word’s meaning.
Practice: Use the meaning of mal in combination with context clues to ascertain the meanings of the bolded
words.
1.
2.
3.
4.
In her speech, the candidate maligned her opponents.
The doctor was relieved to let his patient know that the tumor was not malignant.
He complained so much around the office that everyone knew he must be malcontent.
Scientist and doctors go to countries to help people who are infected with malaria, a disease that is
contracted through mosquitoes.
Language
Grammar and Style: Use Realistic Dialogue
Common Core Standards: L.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different
contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style W.3b Use dialogue to develop experiences, events, and
characters.
Bradbury effectively shapes his dialogue by using the following two techniques:
A. Sentence fragments – Although very seldom acceptable in formal writing such as essays,
sentence fragments are very common in everyday conversations.
B. Contractions – Using contractions, such as I’ve, we’ll, hasn’t, and don’t, makes dialogue sound
more realistic and less formal. Read the example from the story in the box below.
“A Tyrannosaurus rex. The Tyrant Lizard, the most incredible monster in history. Sign this release.
Anything happens to you, we’re not responsible. Those dinosaurs are hungry.”
Eckels flushed angrily. “Trying to scare me!”
Next, read the two student drafts below. In the first draft, the student is lacking dialogue that makes his
conversations sound realistic. In the second draft, he the student has revised his writing to sound more
realistic. Compare the two drafts to see the significant difference that realistic dialogue that
includes sentence fragments and contractions can make. All the revisions are in blue.
Student Draft #1: “Why did you do that? Have you lost your mind?” Lesperance cried. “He was a simpering
idiot. He ruined it for all of us. The world is better off without him,” Travis shot back.
Student Draft #2 (With edits): “Why’d you do that? Have you lost your mind?” Lesperance cried.
“Simpering idiot. Ruined it for all of us. The world’s better off without him,” Travis shot back.
The Reading-Writing Connection
Expand your understanding of “A Sound of Thunder” by answering the writing prompt below. When you are
finished writing, improve and enhance your witting by utilizing the editing tip
Writing Prompt
Editing Tip
Extended Constructed Response: Dialogue
Review your writing
What might the characters say to each other after Travis shoot Eckels? Utilizing
and look for
Bradbury’s style of dialogue as a example, write one ½ - one page of dialogue to show
examples of
how the characters respond to the central incident in the story and the results.
dialogue that is
conversational in
nature. If you are
missing this type of
conversational
dialogue, go back
to your writing and
add examples to
improve and
enhance your
writing.