Example
1:
What can I expect
from these examples?
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We'll take a look at reading passages and
questions to see how a reader might apply their understanding
of the long list of Literary Elements, Figurative Language,
and Stylistic Devices reviewed in this lesson.
-
We'll go through the questions and explain
the correct answers, along with discussing WHY
the particular element is effective in the passage.
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We'll use some of the key questions
effective readers ask as they read to help them understand
the whole story or poem better.
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And finally we'll look at how both short answers
and extended answers will be scored. You'll have a
chance to be the teacher and score the writing of others too!
If you completed Lessons 1-4, you have already
meet Birdfoot's Grampa, by Joseph
Bruchac and figured out the theme or message,
identified a summary statement, and made inferences.
Now it's time to apply our understanding of character
to the poem. Read the poem by clicking on the
book icon on the right. Then keep the poem open
while we go through the question and explanations.
Question:
Which word best describes how the speaker
of the poem acts?
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Birdfoot's
Grampa |
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Remember to:
- Read the question before reading the passage.
- Look for the clues or hints in the poem to help you
identify the speaker. Ask the question: "Who
is the speaker?"
Think
to yourself:
There
are two characters in the poem, the "Old Man"
and the speaker who refers to himself as "I."
(That means the poem is told from the first person point
of view!) They are together because they are in "our
car." The Old Man must be the grampa mentioned in
the title. It makes sense that the other person is Birdfoot,
because of the title too. Birdfoot refers to himself as
"I" and so he is the speaker in the poem.
Think:
-
What are the key
words in this question? (best
describes, speaker, acts)
- Use the choices to answer the
question one at a time. "Is
the speaker furious? How do I know that from the poem?"
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Which choices can you eliminate right
away, and which are possibly correct answers?
Remember
the "YES, NO, MAYBE" tool.
- Can I prove my answer choice from details in the poem?
Multiple Choice Answers:
- Furious
Think
to yourself:
Furious
means really really mad! Since you figured out Birdfoot
is the speaker, you ask: "Does Birdfoot act
furious? Does any part of the poem prove he is furious?"
Birdfoot says, "and I kept saying, 'You
can't save them all, / accept it, get in, / we've got
places to go.'" He obviously doesn't want to
help the Old Man collect and save the frogs. He wants
to keep going. Look at the question and the key
words again. To choose this answer, you would have
to prove that Birdfoot ACTED furious. He just
says words to his Grampa to try to get him going. That
is not a furious action. If Birdfoot was furious, he
would be shouting, or raging, or yelling, or grabbing
his Grampa and pulling him back into the car, but not
just saying. Saying is a key word in the
poem to tell us Birdfoot is not furious. For that reason,
you would choose NO for this response. Furious
actions cannot be proven by the words in the poem.
- Sympathetic
Think
to yourself:
Sympathetic means understanding, and agreeing with the
other person. Since you figured out Birdfoot is the
speaker, you ask: "Does Birdfoot act sympathetic?
Does any part of the poem prove he is understanding
and agrees with his Grampa?" Birdfoot says,
"and I kept saying, 'You can't save them all,
/ accept it, get in, / we've got places to go.'"
If Birdfoot were sympathetic, he would get out
of the car and help his Grampa save the frogs. Instead
he encourages him to get back in the car so they can
keep going. For that reason, you would choose NO
for this response. Sympathetic actions cannot be proven
by the words in the poem.
- Affectionate
Think
to yourself: Affectionate
means to like something or someone. Since you figured
out Birdfoot is the speaker, you ask: "Does
Birdfoot act affectionate? Does any part of the poem
show him acting affectionately to his Grampa?"
The only thing Birdfoot says is, "and
I kept saying, 'You can't save them all, / accept it,
get in, / we've got places to go.'" If Birdfoot
acted with affection, he might put a hand on his grampa's
shoulder, give it a squeeze, or a hug, or even a smile
and words of encouragement. Instead he tells him to
stop collecting frogs, to accept that he can't save
them all, and to get in the car so they can get going.
For that reason, you would choose NO for this
response. Affectionate actions cannot be proven by the
words in the poem.
- Impatient
Think
to yourself:
Since you've chosen NO to the first three responses,
you're hoping this one fits. Let's see. Impatient means
anxious, restless, short tempered with delay or irritation,
not willing to wait, not patient. Since you figured
out Birdfoot is the speaker, you ask: "Does
Birdfoot act impatient? Does any part of the poem show
him acting impatient?" The only thing Birdfoot
says is, "and I kept saying, 'You can't save
them all, / accept it, get in, / we've got places to
go.'" This could definitely be read with an
impatient voice. There are more clues to help us decide
this is a fine answer. "Kept" means Birdfoot
said this over and over . . . he really wanted to get
going, and wanted his Grampa to stop saving the frogs,
and "get in" the car. These words support
the idea that Birdfoot is a bit impatient. He wants
to get going rather than wait for his Grampa to collect
and save frogs. For that reason, you would choose YES
for this response. Impatient actions can be supported
by the words in the poem and this is the best answer
to the question..
D
is the best answer to how Birdfoot (the speaker) acted in
the poem.
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Example
2 >>
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