Collection 2: Characters- Living Many Lives 7th Grade Communication Arts Literature

Introduction to Collection The stories in this collection will introduce students to a variety of characters living different lives. Each character in this character is faced with a tough decision, and each handles it is a way that suits his or her personality Literary & Reading Skills Analyze the methods writers use to reveal character Analyze texts that show comparison and contrast Analyze how character affect plot

Elements of Literature- Characterization Direct characterization- the writer tells you directly what a character is like Indirect characterization- writers provide clues or hints about the character that you use to come to your own conclusion A method of showing rather than telling Ways to reveal character Appearance Action Speech Thoughts and feelings Other characters’ reactions

Before you read “Girls” by Gary Paulsen pgs. 131-133 About the author Written more than 175 books; finds inspiration for his writings from life experiences Literary Focus- Understanding Characters and Plot Tips of understanding characters They may use dialogue to give you insight into a character They may tell you what a character is thinking They may describe the way a character acts or reacts to situations They may tell you how other characters-or-even animals- react to a character Literary & Reading Skills Analyze how characters affect plot

Reading Assignment Read “Girls” pgs. 131-133 As you read, complete worksheet

Before you read “Mother and Daughter” by Gary Soto About the Author Grew up in a Mexican American family in California, much of his awarding winning fiction and poetry draws on his heritage and his childhood memories Literary & Reading Skills Analyze character traits; make inferences; analyze the characters’ effects on the plot and its resolution; compare and contrast the motives of literary characters from different historical eras Literary Focus- Character Traits Character- is anyone who plays a part in a story A trait is a quality in a person that can’t be seen Traits are revealed through a person’s appearance, words, actions, and thoughts.

Before you read, cont. Reading Skills- Making Inferences To find a character’s traits, you have to make inferences Inferences- are educated guesses, based on whatever evidence you have from the story or prior experiences To collect evidence, look for answers to questions like these… What do I know about the character’s looks, thoughts, words, and actions? How do the other characters react to the character? What does the character learn by the end of the story?

Vocabulary Development Matinees- afternoon performances of a play or a movie Antics- playful or silly acts Meager- slight; small amount Sophisticated- worldly; elegant and refined Tirade- long, scolding speech

Vocabulary Development Practice If you went to a matinee, would you be worried about coming home after dark? Who would be more likely to engage in antics: a lion tamer or a clown? If you were hungry, would you be pleased to a have a meager lunch? Would you dress up to dine with a sophisticated friend? Do you enjoy listening to a tirade?

Reading Assignment Read “Mother and Daughter” pgs. 138-142 As you read, complete Story Map worksheet After you read, complete vocabulary development worksheet

Before you read “The Smallest Dragonboy” by Anne MaCaffrey About the Author Grew up as a lonely tomboy in New Jersey; her books are now known all over the world Literary & Reading Skills Analyze character motivation; make inferences; analyze the characters’ effects on the plot and its resolution Literary Focus- Motivation Motivation- the reasons why people do or say the things they do or behave the way they do They are the feelings, needs, wishes, pressures from family and friends that motivate or forces us to do the things we do As you read, ask yourself what forces or motivates Keevan and how does understanding Keevan’s motivation help you understand the kind of character he is Reading Skills Focus- Making Inferences Educated guesses based on evidence As you read, stop at the open book signs to make inferences about a character

Vocabulary Development Goaded- pushed or driven Imminent- about to happen Perturbed- disturbed; troubled Confrontation- face to face meeting between opposing sides Alleviate- relieve; reduce

Reading Assignment Read “The Smallest Dragonboy” pgs. 148-160 As you read, complete worksheet After you read, complete vocabulary development worksheet

Before you read “here Be Dragons” by Flo Ota De Lange Reading Skills Analyze texts that show comparison and contrast Reading Skills Focus- Comparison & Contrast Comparison- looking for similarities Contrast- looking for differences Compare & Contrast Methods/Organizational Patterns Block Method- the writer 1st discusses all the features of subject 1 and then all the features of subject 2 Point-by-Point Method- in this pattern the writer discusses one feature of each subject at a time and then moves onto the next feature

Reading Assignment Read “here Be Dragons” pgs. 165-166 As you read, compare and contrast the eastern and western dragons by list similarities and differences on the Venn Diagram Worksheet

Before you read “A Rice Sandwich” by Sandra Cisneros About the Author Literary & Reading Skills Analyze the ways writers use a narrator to reveal character; make inferences; identify the speaker and recognize first- person narration Literary Focus- The Narrator Narrator- the person telling the story Omniscient narrator- means all-knowing; knows all about the characters and the events; can take you back and forth in time First- person narrator- someone that tells the story using the first person pronoun- I, me, my, or mine Reading a story told by a 1st person narrator is like entering a character’s mind and heart

Before you read, cont. Reading Skills Focus- Making Inferences Writers don’t come out and tell you everything you want to know- you have to make inferences To make inferences about the character in this story, use these strategies Watch what she says and does Observe the way other characters respond to her Examine what you learn through her thoughts Think about how she is like, or not like, people you know in real life

Reading Assignment Read “A Rice Sandwich” pgs. 169 and 170 As you read, complete character map After you read, complete reading check questions (in the box) a-e on page 172 on the back of your character map

Before you read “Antaeus” by Borden Deal About the Author Came from a family of Southern cotton farmers; experienced hardships of farm life during the Great Depression; Deal was just as persistent as the character in the story- TJ Literary & Reading Skills Analyze character motivation; analyze allusion; make predictions Literary Focus- Motivation The feelings, needs, wishes, pressures from family and friends that forces us to do the things we do As you read the story, think about what motivates them to act the way they do Reading Skills Focus- Allusion A reference to someone or something well known from history, literature, religion, politics, sports, science, or some other branch of culture The title of this story is an allusion to a character from Greek Mythology

Vocabulary Development Resolute- firm and purposeful; determined Domain- territory Contemplate- to look at or think about carefully Shrewd- clever Sterile- barren; lacking interest or vitality

Vocabulary Development Practice Synonyms 1. Decisive 2. Not fruitful 3. Consider carefully 4. Territory 5. Savvy

Reading Assignment Read “Antaeus” pgs. 176-183 After you read, complete vocabulary development worksheet and questions 2-4 on page185 on the back of the vocab worksheet After you read, complete character motivation chart

Before you read “A Day’s Wait” and “Stolen Day” Literary & Reading Skills Analyze character traits; compare and contrast characters Literary Focus- Characters and Character Traits Clues provided in the story will help reveal character traits and help you get to know the character Reading Skills Focus- Comparing & Contrasting You will compare and contrast the main characters in “A Day’s Wait” and “Stolen Day” As you read, you will fill a chart to compare and contrast the characters

Reading Assignment Read “A Day’s Wait” pgs. 191-194 and “Stolen Day” pgs. 197-203 As you read, fill in the comparing literature chart to compare and contrast the main characters After you read, write a comparison- contrast essay using the information from your chart to identify the similarities and differences between the 2 characters (Complete on Write to Learn)

Before you read Informational Text- “In a Mix of Cultures, an Olio of Plantings” This article is linked to “Antaeus” Reading Focus- The Main Idea Informational texts, such as newspaper articles, usually focus on one or more main ideas The main idea is the central, most important point in a text Sometimes it is stated directly, but most of the time the reader must infer the main idea Tips for figuring out the main idea: Look at the title Look for a sentence that seems to state a key idea If there is no sentence that states the main idea, then find the most important details in the text

Reading Assignment Read “In a Mix of Cultures, an Olio of Plantings” pg. 188 After you read, answer the questions underneath constructed response on pg. 189