Do Now!  Create a List of Heroes:  2 From Real Life  2 From Film / Television  2 From Literature

Defining a Concept 8 th Grade Language Arts

Definition Essay  To define a concept a writer must make the concept clear to others.  Writers of a definition essay use strategies of definition to clarify, develop, and organize ideas.  Three Definition Strategies you will learn are: 1. Function 2. Example 3. Negation

Definition by Function  Paragraphs using the function strategy explain how the concept functions or operates in the real world  Defining by function tells how something is used or how something works.

Definition by Example Definition by Example  Paragraphs using the example strategy use specific instances (examples) of the concept from texts or life

Together… Springboard Pg definition by function definition by example  Read through the following excerpts and decide if the paragraph is an example of definition by function or definition by example.

From “Family” by Marilynn Robinson  “But just for the purposes of this discussion, let us say: one’s family are those toward whom one feels loyalty and obligation, and/or from whom one derives identity, and/or to whom one gives identity, and/or with whom one shares habits, tastes, stories, customs, memories.” What Definition Strategy is the Paragraph Describing? Definition by Function Describing Family as it Functions in the Real WorldQuestion:Answer: How Do You know:

From The Bible, “Corinthians”  “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” Question:Answer: How Do You know: What Definition Strategy is the Paragraph Describing? Definition by Function Describing the Functions of Love

From Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird “You know, she was a great lady.” “A lady?” Jem raised his head. His face was scarlet. “After all those things she said about you, a lady?” “She was. She had her own views about things, a lot different from mine, maybe … son, I told you that if you hadn’t lost your head I’d have made you go read to her. I wanted you to see something about her—I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew.”

Question:Answer: How Do You know: From Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird What Definition Strategy is the Paragraph Describing? Definition by Example Mrs. Dubose is an Example of courage

On your own…  Using your lists from yesterday on Heroism: 1. Write one paragraph using definition by example 2. Write one paragraph using definition by function.

Homework:  Finish Chapter 22 of The Lightning Thief for tomorrow  Complete reading questions – on our page