AP Language and Composition I can use close-reading strategies to comprehend a text.

Agenda: Sentence type bell ringer Introduction to unit essential questions Mini-lesson on close reading strategies Practice w/ Allegory of the Cave

Intro to New Unit Anchor Text: The Things They Carried Author: Time O’Brien From Minnesota B.A. in Political Science from Macalester College Drafted into Army in 1968 Served in Vietnam from 1969-1970

Intro to New Unit Anchor Text: The Things They Carried Tim O’Brien wrote a memoir (non-fiction) about his time in Vietnam called If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home. Tim O’Brien labels The Things They Carried as “fiction,” even though the protagonist’s name is “Tim O’Brien” and there are many similarities to his memoir.

Unit Essential Questions: What does it mean to be “true”? Is truth absolute or can each individual have his/her own truth? What is the best way to express “truth”? How do we know when something is “true?” On your own, take 10 minutes to write down answers to these questions, and then we will discuss.

Close-Reading Strategies Since our essential questions are philosophical in nature, we will encounter intellectually complex texts in this unit. So, we must learn some strategies to deal with complex, difficult texts. (P.S. these strategies are good in college too!)

Visualization: One of the best ways to comprehend an author’s main points is to visualize what is happening in the text. Actually close your eyes at times as you read and try to picture what the author is describing Better yet—sketch it out! (we’ll practice this today). This is also good for learning new vocabulary. Your brain always remembers words better when it’s associated with a picture.

Vocabulary in Context: When you read, your comprehension often depends on your ability to understand the meanings of words as they are used in context. You must recognize when you don’t know a word and STOP. Re-read the sentence in which the unfamiliar word appears and look for context clues. If you can’t find enough clues there, look in the sentences before and after. Come up with a “guess” word, or a synonym, and re-read the sentence with that word.

Vocabulary in Context: Types of context clues: Definitions (the sentence will provide the definition of the unfamiliar word) Ex: The explorers landed in an alien environment, a place both foreign and strange to their homeland. 2) Elaborating Detail (the sentence or surrounding sentences will provide descriptive details that suggest the meaning of the word) Ex: The natives were hostile. They lined up across the road and drew their weapons. The explorers were afraid to go further.

Vocabulary in Context: Types of context clues: 3) Comparison (the sentence or surrounding sentence will give a similar situation that suggests the meaning of the word) Ex: The smell of the flower was as compelling as a magnet’s pull on a paper clip. 4) Contrast (the sentence or surrounding sentence will provide an opposite situation that suggests the meaning of the word) Ex: In the U.S. she is an eminent journalist, even though she is virtually unknown in England.

Annotation Strategies: Annotation means responding to the text (as if you were having a conversation) as you read. Annotation does not mean just underlining, highlighting, or circling. If you make marks on a text, you need to actually respond in writing to your marks, so you remember why you made those marks. There are several annotation strategies you can use depending on your preferences and purpose for reading.

Annotation Strategies: Metacognitive Markers: Using symbols to indicate your thoughts and responses to the text. (Good for visual people) ?=I have a question about this != I agree with this *=This is a main point/argument 2) Color-coding: Using different colors to indicate different parts of the text. Create a key based on what you’re looking for as you read. (Good for hyper-organized people) Red = Author’s main points/premises/arguments Green = examples of rhetorical strategies Blue = Counterarguments 3) Circle and arrow: circling important parts of the text and drawing arrows to more detailed notes in the margins. (Good for organized chaos people).

Assessment and Practice: Get into the groups I assign you to Everyone in your group should get out their Allegory of the Cave text Everyone in the group should begin on the side where it asks you to visualize the cave. Talk through every question together, but each individual should complete the assessment sheet on his/her own. When it asks you to annotate the text as a group, I will give you a blank text.

Homework: Read chapter 1 of The Things They Carried and complete the character backpack for your assigned character.