1. Second Nine Weeks

2.  Once you can find the topic, you are ready to find the main idea. The main idea is the point of the paragraph. It is the most important thought about the topic.  To figure out the main idea, ask yourself this question: What is being said about the person, thing, or idea (the topic)?  The author can locate the main idea in different places within a paragraph. The main idea is usually a sentence, and it is usually the first sentence. The writer then uses the rest of the paragraph to support the main idea.  Reading Keys Online Practice  link link

3.  Before an author can reach his or her audience, they have to find them. That means understanding who they are, what their expectations are, what they bring to the author’s writing, and what the author wants them to take away.  Author’s ask themselves these questions when they sit down to write:  Who is my audience?  What do I want them to know, believe, or feel after they read it?  When and where will they read it?  Why will they read it?  Online examples and quiz  Link Link

4.  Author's Purpose Basics  The author's purpose is basically the reason he or she chose to act in a particular way, whether that's writing the passage, selecting a phrase, using a word, etc. It differs from the main idea in that author's purpose not the point you're supposed to get; it's the why behind the author picked up a pen or selected those words in the first place. Author’s Purpose Practice link

5.  Link to Close Reading Practice Link A close reading of anything requires you to pick up on important details and to clearly understand exactly what it is you are looking at. Sometimes this requires you to reread the same thing multiple times. If you are taking a test, you will need to read a passage at least two times in order to answer specific questions. Click on the link below to see how well you closely read things.

6.  Link  go here for practice. Link  To improve the clarity of your writing, it is important to remember the balance of your sentence structure. Here are 3 rules:  1. Parallel Structure should be used when elements are joined by coordinating conjunctions:  Incorrect: I am allergic to the dog’s hair and how it smells.  Correct: I am allergic to the dog’s hair and its smell.  2. Parallel Structure should be used when writing elements in the form of a list or a series:  Incorrect: The class valued respect, honesty, and being on time in a teacher.  Correct: The class valued respect, honesty, and promptness in a teacher.  3. Parallel Structure should be used when comparing or contrasting elements  (A is better than B – X is less than Y):  Incorrect: James enjoys reading more than to write.  Correct: James enjoys reading more than writing

7.  Denotation is a word’s dictionary definition. Connotation is the feelings and associations surrounding a word. These could be based on history, or social feelings. There are positive, neutral, and negative connotations.  *Positive connotation: Being on the track team has made Alan slender and  lean. (attractively thin) *Neutral connotation: Being on the track team has made Alan thin. *Negative connotation: Being on the track team has made Alan skinny and  scrawny. (unattractively thin)  Excellent worksheet practice  linklink

8.  An allusion is a reference, within a literary work, to another work of fiction, a film, a piece of art, or even a real event. An allusion serves as a kind of shorthand, drawing on this outside work to provide greater context or meaning to the situation being written about.  Common places allusions are pulled from:  The Bible, Greek and Roman Mythology, Shakespeare, historical events  examples: It has rained so long that it seems as though it has rained for 40 days and nights. (This is reference to Noah's Arc which is a well-known event.)(Bible)  Harriet Tubman was called the Moses of her time. (Bible)  The girl’s love of sweets was her Achilles Heel. (Greek mythology)

9.  There are many tones a writer can take. For example: serious, humorous, romantic, silly, tragic, ironic, lyrical (melodic and poetic), earnest, sentimental, pompous, mocking, apologetic, and many more.   Practice 1:  "Freedom," John Ruskin You will send your child, will you, into a room where the table is loaded with sweet wine and fruit - some poisoned, some not? You will say to him, "Choose freely, my little child! It is so good for you to have freedom of choice; it forms your character-your individuality! If you take the wrong cup or the wrong berry, you will die before the day is over, but you will have acquired the dignity of a free child." What is Ruskin’s tone in this passage (consider his apparent feelings about young children having freedom)? A) sincere/honest B) sarcastic/mocking C) joyful/rejoicing

10.  There are many tones a writer can take. For example: serious, humorous, romantic, silly, tragic, ironic, lyrical (melodic and poetic), earnest, sentimental, pompous, mocking, apologetic, and many more.   Practice 2:  The Way Things Work, David Macaulay The kind of nuclear reaction that happens inside a nuclear reactor is called nuclear fission. The fuel is uranium or plutonium, two very heavy elements which have many protons and neutrons in their nuclei. Fission starts when a fast-moving neutron strikes a nucleus. The nucleus cannot take in the extra neutron, and the whole nucleus breaks apart into two smaller nuclei. What is Macaulay’s tone in this passage? A) uncertain/confused B) scared/apprehensive C) factual/unbiased

11.  There are many tones a writer can take. For example: serious, humorous, romantic, silly, tragic, ironic, lyrical (melodic and poetic), earnest, sentimental, pompous, mocking, apologetic, and many more.  Practice 3: Frankenstein, Mary Shelley "I am not mad," [the monster] cried energetically, "the sun and the heavens, who have viewed my operations, can bear witness of my truth. I am the assassin of those most innocent victims; they died by my machinations. A thousand times would I have shed my own blood, drop by drop, to have saved their lives; but I could not, my father, indeed I could not sacrifice the whole human race." The speaker in this passage is the monster. What is the speaker’s tone?  A) sorry/remorseful B) angry/vindictive C) humorous/happy

12.  Autobiography  Memoir  Speech  Journal  Informational text is:  ◆ text whose primary purpose is to convey  information about the natural and social  world.  ◆ text that comes in many different formats,  including books, magazines, handouts,  brochures, CD-ROMs, and the Internet.  Informational text is not:   For more information: LINKLINK

13.  Link for additional help Link  A stanza is a group of lines forming the basic recurring metrical unit in a poem; a verse. It really means STOPPING PLACE.

14.  Meaning: bad  Click on the link for word root flashcards using the word “mal”  LINK LINK

15.  This has two meanings  1. “with” conforming or connecting to  2. “against” in contrary to  Flashcards LINKLINK

16.  Repetition-  Advertisers use repetition in two ways: Within an ad or advocacy message, words, sounds or images may be repeated to reinforce the main point. And the message itself (a TV commercial, a billboard, a website banner ad) may be displayed many times. Even unpleasant ads and political slogans work if they are repeated enough to pound their message into our minds.  Emotional words  Contrast  Rhetorical question

17. Emotional words-  Can use fear to promote a "solution.” Ads that use fear to sell us products claim to prevent or fix the problem. Politicians and advocacy groups stoke our fears to get elected or to gain support.  Sentimental images (especially of families, kids and animals) to stimulate feelings of pleasure, comfort, and delight.  Example: If you love your children, you will buy Tobias Children’s Life Insurance.

18.  Compare and Contrast-The viewer is led to believe one product is better than another, although no real proof is offered.

19. Rhetorical question- These are questions designed to get us to agree with the speaker. They are set up so that the “correct” answer is obvious. ("Do you want to get out of debt?" "Do you want quick relief from headache pain?" and "Should we leave our nation vulnerable to terrorist attacks?" are all rhetorical questions.) Rhetorical questions are used to build trust and alignment before the sales pitch.

20. LinkLink to more information A main clause sometimes called an independent clause must contain a subject and a verb as well as express a complete thought. It can stand alone.subjectverb Dependent clauses cannot stand alone and contain a subordinating conjunction. VIDEO HELP ONLINE QUIZONLINE QUIZ Practice

21.  Documentation is the way in which you give credit to the sources that you use, and the guidelines that show you how your paper should look. MLA is used in English, APA is used in Psychology, and Chicago used in Social Science.  MLA videovideo  APA  Chicago  For more information: LINKLINK