1. Connections in literature
Academic Vocabulary
Connections in literature

2. Learning Goal
RL.8.3: I can analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

3. ANALYZE
Analyze means to unpack the meaning of evidence in a text by interpreting what the evidence suggests through inferential thinking.

4. Analyze Visual

5. INCIDENT
An incident is an individual event or occurrence.

6. INCIDENT Visual

7. DIALOGUE Dialogue refers to the spoken parts in a text.
The things characters say and the way they say them can help a reader determine what their personalities are like.
For Example: When Mae Jemison’s teacher asked her, “‘Don’t you mean a nurse?’” after Mae revealed she wanted to be a scientist when she grew up, the teacher’s comments reveal that she is closed-minded.

8. Dialogue: Visual

9. PROVOKE
Provoke means to cause the occurrence of a feeling or action; to make something happen.
For Example: When Andrew Skurka encountered “rotten snow” and less-than-ideal conditions in Alaska, the environment provoked him to feel somewhat defeated because he was not able to hike his normal distances.

10. Provoke: Visual

11. DECISION A decision is a choice, conclusion, or determination.
How a character decides to react to incidents in a text or to what other characters say can reveal information about that character’s personality.
For Example: Even though people doubted Mae Jemison’s dream to become a scientist, she still decided to pursue a career in the sciences.
Jemison’s decision shows that she is determined and self- confident.

12. Decision Visual

13. PROPEL
Propel means to drive, push, or cause to move in a particular direction, typically forward.

14. PROPEL Visual

15. ACTION
Action is the unfolding of the events of a drama or work of fiction or the movement of incidents in a plot.

16. ACTION Visual

17. ASPECT
An aspect is a part or facet of something. When we talk about aspects of character, we are talking about parts or facets of a character’s personality or demeanor.
For example: Aspects of Andrew Skurka’s character include intensity, determination, resilience, athleticism, and more.

18. Aspect: Visual

19. CHARACTER
A character is a person in a novel, play, or movie.

20. CHARACTER Visual

21. DIRECT CHARACTERIZATION
Direct Characterization occurs when an author explicitly tells readers what a character’s personality is like.
When an author uses direct characterization, the author directly states personality traits that the character possesses.
For Example: from “Rip Van Winkle” by Washington Irving: “[Rip] was a simple, good-natured man; he was moreover a kind neighbor and an obedient, henpecked husband.”

22. Direct Characterization: Visual

23. Indirect Characterization
When an author uses indirect characterization, the reader must infer what a character is like through their features, actions, thoughts, speech, and other characters’ opinions (FATSO).
For Example: from “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst: “It was bad enough having an invalid [sickly, disabled] brother, but having one who possibly was not all there was unbearable, so I began to make plans to kill him by smothering him with a pillow.”
What can be inferred about the speaker’s personality based on this thoughts?

24. Indirect Characterization: Visual

25. Rube Goldberg Machine

26. National Anthem