1. Pre-Warm Up
For those of you who haven’t read yet, I’d like you to do a few things:
Select who will read the poem
Write three descriptors for the emotional quality of the poem under the title of your poem on the board.
For the rest of the students, please take out your journal and The Things They Carried text. Open your journal to the area where your war poem descriptors are, and wait for further instructions.

2. Warm up, 9/11
Review all the poem descriptors from yesterday and today. Take a moment to write a general statement about the emotional quality of war based on your list of the descriptors from our poetry activity.
Now, go back to the synthesis statement that you wrote about Nixon’s and Kerry’s speeches (in your journal from a few days ago, maybe Tuesday?). Based on these background activities, what did you learn in order to prepare yourself for the reading of a novel about war?

3. Learning Targets
I can synthesize what I wrote about two historical documents and also about the war poems.
I can listen and read along in class during our reading of the first chapter in our shared text.
I can identify and list new vocabulary and also elements of O’Brien’s style as indicated in the first chapter of our reading.
I can determine what O’Brien’s writing style is like based on our class’s reading of the first chapter of TTTC.

4. The Things They Carried - notes
You’ll be taking notes on evidence of O’Brien’s writing style by identifying and copying down examples of
Diction choice (what the characters say)
Imagery (what the writer intends for its reader to see in his/her mind)
Syntax (how the words are arranged in the sentences)

5. Vocabulary
In addition to the notes that you’ll be required to take while reading, I want to formulate a list of vocabulary terms from each chapter. So, before we begin reading, skim through the first chapter, and find at least five words that you don’t exactly know.
While we read, see if you can use context to define them.

6. Today, we will read the first chapter of the book together.
We can either have volunteers read, or else I will read to the class.
The rules: all must follow along. No heads down, no eyes closed. No super-slouchy body language.
While reading,
Take notes, AND
Try to identify your chosen vocabulary words

7. The Things They Carried - notes
You’ll be taking notes on evidence of O’Brien’s writing style by identifying and copying down examples of
Diction choice (what the characters say)
Imagery (what the writer intends for its reader to see in his/her mind)
Syntax (how the words are arranged in the sentences)

8. Homework
Finish Reading the first chapter/vignette of The Things They Carried. Take notes on DICTION, IMAGERY, and SYNTAX. List out and define FIVE vocabulary words you didn’t know.