1. Writing and Reading: Lesson 4
Grade 6

2. Warm up: Homonyms
Remember: Homonyms are words that sound alike have different meanings and different spellings.
Here’s one commonly misspelled set of homonyms:
Its – Belongs to an it
The dog ate its M&M’s and wanted mine.
It’s – It is
It’s that kind of day when I crave M&M’s.

3. Your turn
The Declaration of Independence draws strength from the writing, most of it Thomas Jefferson’s.
The hermit crab finished eating dog biscuit.
going to be another hot day.
I chose this book because I know author.
I don’t think nice to put your finger in your nose.
funny when she gives people the evil eye.
its; its; it’s; its; it’s; it’s.

4. Review
Creating images while reading is a good strategy for improving comprehension.
Context clues help you to understand the meanings of words as they are used in the text you are reading.
Tell me about the homework assignment you chose. Did you have fun with it? Did you share it? What did you learn?

5. Today we will continue with poetry.
One way to think of poems is that they condense language. Usually, when you try to explain the meaning of a poem, you must use many more words of prose (language that is not poetry) than the poet used in writing the poem.
Poems often use more figurative language, such as similes and metaphors, than prose writers use.
Poems usually include a lot of language that appeals to the five senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell), so it’s especially important for the reader to use the strategy of creating images.
Poems often, but not always, have rhyme patterns.

6. Reading Comprehension: Setting a Purpose for Reading
Sometimes students read simply because their teachers assign something for them to read.
However, whenever a reader wants to be actively involved in understanding a text, the first step is to decide on a purpose, or focus, for the reading.
For our first reading of today’s poem, I’d like you to think about perspective, or point of view. How does a person’s understanding of a situation change, depending on his or her point of view? In addition, remember to use mental pictures to help you understand and remember the poem.

7. The Blind Men and the Elephant by John Godfrey Saxe
It was six men of Indostan, To learning much inclined, Who went to see the Elephant (Though all of them were blind), That each by observation Might satisfy his mind. The First approach'd the Elephant, And happening to fall Against his broad and sturdy side, At once began to bawl: "God bless me! but the Elephant Is very like a wall!"

8. The Second, feeling of the tusk, Cried, -"Ho
The Second, feeling of the tusk, Cried, -"Ho! what have we here So very round and smooth and sharp? To me 'tis mighty clear, This wonder of an Elephant Is very like a spear!" The Third approach'd the animal, And happening to take The squirming trunk within his hands, Thus boldly up and spake: "I see," -quoth he- "the Elephant Is very like a snake!"

9. The Fourth reached out an eager hand, And felt about the knee: "What most this wondrous beast is like Is mighty plain," -quoth he,- "'Tis clear enough the Elephant Is very like a tree!" The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear, Said- "E'en the blindest man Can tell what this resembles most; Deny the fact who can, This marvel of an Elephant Is very like a fan!"

10. The Sixth no sooner had begun About the beast to grope, Then, seizing on the swinging tail That fell within his scope, "I see," -quoth he,- "the Elephant Is very like a rope!" And so these men of Indostan Disputed loud and long, Each in his own opinion Exceeding stiff and strong, Though each was partly in the right, And all were in the wrong!

11. Perspective
The man who touched the elephant's side thought the elephant
was like a tree a wall a suitcase a chalkboard
The man who touched the elephant's ear thought the elephant
was like a cushion a rug a newspaper a fan 
The man who touched the elephant's tail thought the elephant
was like a hose a snake a rope a spear
Side: wall; ear: fan; tail: rope

12. The man who held the elephant's trunk thought the elephant was like
. The man who held the elephant's trunk thought the elephant was like a snake a garden hose a spear a baton
The man who thought the elephant was like a tree touched what part of the elephant? the trunk the foot the tusk the knee
Trunk: snake; tree: knee.

13. Reading Comprehension: Determining Importance
Proficient readers always try to figure out what the writer thinks is the most important part. In other words, the reader needs to determine the main idea; sometimes the main idea is stated, and sometimes it is implied. Always, the details and examples in the poem or text are used to support the main idea.
A statement of the main idea is a complete sentence that tells what the writer is saying about the topic. It is usually a general truth about life or human nature.
In this poem, the main idea is not about elephants or the six blind men. The poet ends the final verse with a comment that can be re-written as a general truth. What is that truth?

14. What is the main idea?
And so these men of Indostan Disputed loud and long, Each in his own opinion Exceeding stiff and strong, Though each was partly in the right, And all were in the wrong!
Main idea:
Answers will vary. If a person views only part of a situation or problem, s/he can draw entirely incorrect conclusions.

15. Rhyme patterns.
Poems often have lines that end with the same sound; these are called end rhymes.
When a reader is analyzing end rhyme patterns, s/he uses a new letter of the alphabet to label each ending sound.
The next slide shows how a rhyme pattern can be labeled.

16. Rhyme pattern It was six men of Indostan, a
To learning much inclined, b
Who went to see the Elephant c
(Though all of them were blind), b
That each by observation d
Might satisfy his mind b
The rhyme pattern is abcbdb, and the three lines with end rhymes are 2, 4, and 6.

17. Your turn The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, -"Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me ‘tis mighty clear,
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!”
Pattern:
Rhyming lines:

18. Break

19. Vocabulary: Context Clues
We’re going to continue working on synonyms as context clues. Writers may include a synonym for an unfamiliar word in the same sentence or sentences that surround it.

20. Try these.
Brian's project is supposed to oscillate, or swing, back and forth. In this sentence, the word oscillate means    rest    remain still    never move    swing
My most humiliating day was probably the day that I was mortified when I looked down and noticed that I had on one black shoe and one brown shoe. In this sentence, the word mortified means    humiliated    brave    proud    excited
#1: swing. #2: humiliated.

21. There was crazy pandemonium as people were trying to leave the rock concert. In this sentence, the word pandemonium means    craziness or chaos    order    peace    silence
The cop knocked the derringer, or gun, away from the bad guy. In this sentence, the word derringer means    book    jewelry    gun    hat
#3: craziness; #4: gun.

22. Similes and Metaphors A simile is a stated comparison.
Example: My sister is like a cow.
A metaphor is an implied (unstated) comparison.
Example: My sister is a cow.
Writers use these comparisons to make their writing more interesting and easy to understand.
Let’s read a passage that has similes and metaphors.

23. Underline the comparisons you find
Underline the comparisons you find. Then remember them so you can answer questions about them.
  My friend Travis is a nervous guy. He is like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs! I've known him since preschool. We were like two peas in a pod back then. That was before the peanuts incident.      K.T. came to school with a can of peanuts. The first person she offered to share them with was Travis. K.T. was as pretty as a pansy, but I didn't like the look on her face. She looked as sneaky as a fox slipping up on a baby chick.      Travis took the can and unscrewed the lid. Instead of peanuts, he got a face full of springing snakes! He screamed and dropped the can. K.T. fell back on a desk, laughing like a hyena.      After that, K.T. picked on Travis a lot. She'd pop balloons behind his back. She dropped fake spiders on his head. The teacher said the K.T. must really like Travis to give him so much attention. I think the teacher was confused.

24. How is Travis like a long-tailed cat in a room of rocking chairs?
He is jumpy.
He looks for some attention.
He purrs loudly.
He worries that his tail will get hurt.
What does it mean to be "like two peas in a pod"?
to love vegetables
to be a lot alike
to be round
to enjoy being in a crowd
#1: He is jumpy. #2: to be a lot alike.

25. Why did K.T. look as sneaky as a fox?
She planned to play a joke on Travis.
She was pretty as a pansy.
She was sneaking up on a baby chick.
She had a pointy nose and red hair.
How was K.T. like a hyena?
She made sounds like one.
She looked like one.
She played tricks like one.
She smelled like.
#3: She planned to play a joke. #4: She made sounds like one.

26. The Writing Process Can you list the steps of the writing process? 1.2. 3. 4. 5.
Prewriting, Drafting, Revising, Editing, Publishing

27. Your writing assignment, Part 1: Prewriting
Choose a topic:
1) In your opinion, what makes the perfect ice cream dessert? OR
2) Describe your favorite meal. OR
3) Your own idea of something to describe.
Write a statement (sentence) of your main idea; remember that this is a general statement, not a detail.
Make a list of descriptive words or phrases, examples, and comparisons (similes and metaphors) that you might use in your draft.

28. Your writing assignment, Part 2: Drafting
Use your main idea and your list of ideas to write your draft.
Be sure to include sensory language to help create images in the reader’s mind.
Include at least two comparisons (similes and/or metaphors).

29. Submitting Your Homework
Please your homework to the following address within the next four days:

30. You did a wonderful job today!