“Dirk the Protector” From Gary Paulsen’s memoir My Life in Dog Years He gives the readers a peek into his own life by sharing memories of his dogs. Gary Paulsen was born to a family facing many problems: As a boy he had to work and take care of himself.

Conventional: adj. usual; traditional All the conventional jobs like working in the markets or at the drugstore were gone and all I could find was setting pins in the small bowling alley over the Four Clover Bar.

Forerunner: n. Person or thing that came before They were the forerunners of the gangs we have now, but with some singular differences. P. 272

Predatory: adj. given to stealing or hunting others for one’s own gain These groups were predatory, and they hunted the streets at night. p. 272

Impasse: n. a situation in which no progress can be made; a deadlock We were at impasse. P. 273

Decoy: n. a person or thing used to distract others, or lead them in a different direction I could use it as a decoy and get away. P. 273

Puny: adj. weak and small I hit Happy in the face with every ounce of strength in my puny body. P. 273

Hustle: v. to gain by energetic effort I had tow boxes of Ritz crackers I’d hustled somewhere, a jar of peanut butter and one of grape, and a knife from the kitchen upstairs. P . 275

Cohort: n. a companion or associate He had only two of his cohorts with him and I don’t think they intended to do me harm, but I surprised them and Happy took a swing at me. P. 275

Third Person Point of View Third Person Limited • The narrator is not a character in the story. • Third person pronouns such as he, his, she, hers, it, its, they, and them are used in telling the story. • The narrator tells the story from the vantage point of one character. • The narrator can see into this character’s mind, but not any of the other characters. • We find out only what this character does, knows, thinks, and witnesses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20pgy7WA8oU Third Person Omniscient • The narrator is all-knowing, and can see into the minds of all of the characters. The narrator can also report what is said and done. • We find out what all of the characters do, feel, think, and witness. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L3NOwWVOzI

ELACC7W1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence Vocabulary in Writing page 278 Were you surprised that Dirk stayed with Olaf? Using two or more vocabulary words, write a paragraph to explain how you thought the memoir ( a true account of experiences in the writer's life)might have ended. Here is an example of how you might begin. I thought that Dirk would always want to remain the boy’s cohort.

7RL2: Determine the theme of a text. Complete vocabulary practice and vocabulary in writing on page 278. Reread “Dirk the Protector” and be prepared for a vocabulary/comprehension test.

7RL2: Determine the theme of a text. Reread “Dirk the Protector” and study for a vocabulary/comprehension test.