Bellringer—Monday Get a bell work sheet from the table at the front of the room. Read the poem “Sister.” What type of poem is this? Explain in prose (a paragraph) exactly what is happening in the poem. We will be using this poem for bell work throughout the week, so doing a good job today will make your work easier for the rest of the week!

Henrietta’s Dance Day 5

How Do We Determine a Writer’s Style? Rebecca Skloot, like all writers, has a unique style. Style is the combination of the writer’s choices for diction, imagery, details, language, and syntax. Skloot, like all writers, makes these style choices to achieve a certain purpose. Our analysis today will help us with our Culminating Writing Task, which asks us to determine if Skloot’s style is effective.

Let’s Define Some Terms… What is DICTION? A writer’s choice of words What is IMAGERY? Language that appeals to the five senses What are DETAILS? Bits of information that explain or describe What is FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE? Figurative language includes figures of speech, such as metaphors, simile, and allusions. What is SYNTAX? The arrangement of words and sentences What is TONE? The writer’s attitude toward the subject

Review Last week we took a look at diction and imagery. Look back at the DIDLS chart that you completed with your partner last week. Who wants to share your findings with the rest of the class?

Independent Reflection… If you get stuck, you can talk to your partner ;) Spend five minutes making a list of the points you feel like Rebecca Skloot leaves out that would have been valid counterclaims to her argument that doctors were not ethical in their treatment of Henrietta Lacks.

Let’s Discuss Your Findings… Skloot emphasizes the strength of the cells and their widespread use. She also emphasizes the loss of Henrietta and how the family was left in the dark about the cell’s use. Skloot did not emphasize all the millions of lives that were saved with the research or any interviews with the researchers, who interacted with the Lacks family. She also didn’t interview anyone else who has had cells taken.   Why would Skloot leave out these key details?

Whole Class Discussion…Contribute! Guiding Questions Which phrase could not literally happen, such as can a cell embrace a virus? Do cells embrace or do people embrace?

Syntax…huh…what’s that? Syntax is how an author arranges words and sentences to create effect. Consider sentence type: simple, compound, complex, compound-complex. HINT: If you don’t know what those things are, then look at her punctuation. Do you see a good variety of sentence structures using commas and semicolons, or do you just see simply punctuated sentences that end with a period? What’s dialogue? How does Skloot use dialogue? What is parallelism? EXAMPLE: “of the people, by the people, and for the people” Do you see parallelism used anywhere in your section of the text?

Partner Work! Looking at your assigned section, work with your partner to complete the SYNTAX column on your DIDLS chart. SECTIONS 1. From the beginning until “knew nothing of the cells’” 2. From “As a train …” to “big enough for one culture: HeLa.” 3. From “Though it took… to “Some have yet to find answers” 4. From “There are at least two issues…” to the end of the text. The suggested four sections are 1. From the beginning until “knew nothing of the cells’” 2. From “As a train …” to “big enough for one culture: HeLa.” 3. From “Though it took… to “Some have yet to find answers” and 4. From “There are at least two issues…” to the end of the text.

Think…Pair…Share Critical Thinking: What effect do you think Skloot is trying to achieve with her syntax?

Back Where We Started… Objective Opinionated Academic Narrative Nostalgic Cynical Humorous Last week we looked at how DICTION and IMAGERY contribute to a writer’s tone. Today we added to that discussion with a look at DETAILS, LANGUAGE, and SYNTAX. You chose one of the words from the list that you felt fit Skloot’s style and explained your answer. Look back at your response (if you still have it) and see if it has changed after our discussions today. See how you can further support your claim, edit your response, and turn it in before leaving today! Objective is without any opinion or judgement. Opinionated is full of strong opinions and judgements. Academic means that it is suited for a school, usually high school or university. Narrative means story-like. Nostalgic means recalling the past fondly. Cynical is full of doubt. Humorous is funny or light-hearted. Questions for Consideration: Does Skloot insert strong opinions or is her story more factual?Who do you think is Skloot’s audience? How might this help to clarify Skloot’s style?