Friday, 28 September 2012

SANDRA CISNEROS' SHORT STORY, "ELEVEN": MORE ACTIVITIES

MORE ACTIVITIES FOR SANDRA CISNEROS' SHORT STORY, "ELEVEN"

Can you make these activities more creative without changing the focus? If you think they are too challenging, how would you tweak them so that your seventh graders are able to understand the tasks and perform them?

A. Plot Details

When you summarize a story, you note the most important events and details. Summarize the story in your own words. Write out the events in the order they happen.

B. Character Analysis

Rachel is the main character of the story. How do the following things give us clues about her personality? Rachel’s words, actions, reactions, feelings, movements, thoughts, mannerisms

C. Setting

What are the clues that tell you when and where the story takes place? How does the setting influence the story’s conflict and resolution?

D. Figurative Language

Identify TWO similes Rachel uses when she describes the sweater. Explain the two things that are being compared. What do these comparisons tell you about how Rachel feels about the sweater?

E. Point of View

Whose point of view is used to tell the story? How do you know it’s the first person point of view? In stories using first person point of view, the narrator’s words reveal his or her own personality. How does Rachel reveal the type of person she is through what she says?

F. Diction/Imagery/Word Usage

Identify the words that describe the sweater. How do the words describing the sweater help you understand how Rachel feels? What images do these words create?

G. Symbolism

Sometimes a character makes special connections with images in a story. Here are three different images Rachel focuses on near the end of “Eleven”. What are the connections Rachel makes with them? In other words, what do they symbolize to her?

A red sweater: being singled out; unfairness

A birthday party: unhappiness, disappointment

A runaway balloon: escape, being unnoticed

H. Themes

A theme is a main or central idea, concern or purpose in a literary work. It is a "big" statement that a piece of literature makes about particular subjects. Works can have many subjects and many themes and both are open to interpretation. It is best to express a theme in a full sentence. Some subjects of “Eleven” are growing up, childhood and the influence people’s experiences have on them. Sometimes a good way of determining a theme of a story is to ask: What lessons do the characters learn?

What are TWO lessons Rachel learns?

Activities for Sandra Cisneros' short story: "Eleven"

Story Analysis

1. To analyze a short story, the reader needs to think of the following:

When? (Time of the story)
Where? (Place of the story)
Who? (Characters: main & secondary)
What? (Plot: problem/conflict, rising action, crisis/climax, falling action, resolution)
Why? (Theme: what the idea behind the story is; why the author wrote this story)
How? (Point of view: who tells the story and how)

Complete the chart, analyzing the story, “Eleven”.

2. Summarize the story in your own words. This means you must write out the events of the story in the order they happen chronologically.

3. Describe the protagonist (the chief/main character) in the story. Write between 1 – 2 paragraphs.

4. a. Draw the simile Rachel uses in the story to describe what it is like to grow up.

b. Then explain what she means in your own words.

Here is the simile:

Because the way you grow old is kind of like an onion or like the rings inside a tree

trunk or like my little wooden dolls that fit one inside the other, each year inside the

next one. That’s how being eleven years old is.

Source: ETNI – English Teachers’ Network

www.etni.org/teachers/yehudith/eleven.htm

Poems for Grade 7 from Holt McDougal

GRADE SEVEN POEMS FROM HOLT MCDOUGAL LITERATURE INTERACTIVE READER

Sea-Fever by John Masefield

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

Message from the Caterpillar

by Lillian Moore

Don't shake this
bough.
Don't try
to wake me
now.

In this cocoon
I've work to
do.
Inside this silk
I'm changing
things.

I'm worm-like now
but in this
dark
I'm growing
wings.

I'm Nobody! Who are You?

By Emily Dickinson

I'm Nobody! Who are you?

Are you – Nobody – too?

Then there's a pair of us!

Don't tell! they'd advertise – you know!

How dreary – to be – Somebody!

How public – like a Frog –

To tell one's name – the livelong June –

To an admiring Bog!

Fog by Carl Sandburg


The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches	5
and then moves on.

Two Haiku by Basho

Winter solitude-
in a world of one color
the sound of the wind.

A field of cotton-
as if the moon
had flowered.

Mooses

by Ted Hughes

The goofy Moose, the walking house frame,
Is lost
In the forest. He bumps, he blunders, he stands.
With massy bony thoughts sticking out near his ears –
Reaching out palm upwards, to catch whatever might be
falling from heaven –
He tries to think,
Leaning their huge weight
On the lectern of his front legs.
He can’t find the world!
Where did it go? What does a world look like?
The Moose
Crashes on, and crashes into a lake, and stares at the
mountain and cries:
‘Where do I belong? This is no place!’
He turns dragging half the lake out after him
And charges the crackling underbrush –
He meets another Moose
He stares, he thinks: ‘It’s only a mirror!’
‘Where is the world?’ he groans. ‘O my lost world!
And why am I so ugly?
And why am I so far away from my feet?’
He weeps.
Hopeless drops drip from his droopy lips.
The other Moose just stands there doing the same.
Two dopes of the deep woods.

The Village Blacksmith

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Under a spreading chestnut tree
The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he,
With large and sinewy hands;
And the muscles of his brawny arms	5
Are strong as iron bands.

His hair is crisp, and black, and long,
His face is like the tan;
His brow is wet with honest sweat,
He earns whate'er he can,	10
And looks the whole world in the face,
For he owes not any man.

Week in, week out, from morn till night,
You can hear his bellows blow;
You can hear him swing his heavy sledge	15
With measured beat and slow,
Like a sexton ringing the village bell,
When the evening sun is low.

And children coming home from school
Look in at the open door;	20
They love to see the flaming forge,
And hear the bellows roar,
And watch the burning sparks that fly
Like chaff from a threshing-floor.

He goes on Sunday to the church,	25
And sits among his boys;
He hears the parson pray and preach,
He hears his daughter's voice,
Singing in the village choir,
And it makes his heart rejoice.	30

It sounds to him like her mother's voice,
Singing in Paradise!
He needs must think of her once more,
How in the grave she lies;
And with his hard, rough hand he wipes	35
A tear out of his eyes.

Toiling, - rejoicing,- sorrowing,
Onward through life he goes;
Each morning sees some task begin,
Each evening sees it close;	40
Something attempted, something done,
Has earned a night's repose.

Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend,
For the lesson thou hast taught!
Thus at the flaming forge of life	45
Our fortunes must be wrought;
Thus on its sounding anvil shaped
Each burning deed and thought!

Is the Moon Tired?

by Christina Rossetti

Is the Moon tired? She looks so pale
Within her misty veil;
She scales the sky from east to west,
And takes no rest.

Before the coming of the night
The Moon shows papery white;
Before the dawning of the day,
She fades away.

Thursday, 27 September 2012

Sample Grade Seven Literature Examination: Literary Appreciation, Runnin' Sheep & Oliver Twist

SAMPLE GRADE SEVEN LITERATURE EXAMINATION

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PAPER IS 1½ HRS. LONG.

IT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY UNFAIR TO ASK STUDENTS TO COMPLETE THE EXAMINATION IN LESS TIME.

INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS

Do not open this booklet until you are told to do so.

Write your full name in the spaces provided on the question booklet.

This paper consists of TWO sections: Section I, LITERARY APPRECIATION, and Section II, PRESCRIBED TEXTS.

Section I: LITERARY APPRECIATION – Answer ALL questions.

Section II: PRESCRIBED TEXTS - Section II has two (2) parts.

Part I: Context and Short Answer Questions Answer ALL questions.

Part II: Essays. Answer only ONE question.

Work should be neat and well organized. You should use clear English.

Special attention should be given to the directions for each question.

This question paper consists of 10 printed pages.

© MOE Examination & Assessment Division 2012

[Turn over

SECTION A - LITERARY APPRECIATION: GRADE SEVEN POETRY

POETRY

THE PLACE WHERE I WAS BORN

Quaint was the little house

Tall the gumelemi trees

That faced the tiny place where I was born.

Dirt path went winding by,

Skirting the unspoilt shore

That lent its beauty to the place where I was born.

Balmy the summer breeze,

Chilly the winter winds

That fanned the narrow isle where I was born.

Blue sea just steps away,

Lapped the coral sand at play,

Stretching miles around the isle where I was born.

Bees hummed and flowers bloomed,

Tall casuarinas trees

Pointed to the heavens o’er the place where

I was born.

Few were the people there.

Lengthy their leisure time,

Lazing on the beaches of the place where I was born.

No dance or movie show,

Nowhere at all to go,

Nothing but to sit and sigh in the land

Where I was born.

Susan Wallace

1. For each of the following, quote ONE word the poet uses to describe it:

The gumelemi trees ____________________

The winter winds ____________________ [3]

The summer breeze ____________________

2. In the first stanza, the writer paints a picture of a lovely place untouched by aspects of modern life. Quote TWO descriptive words that the writer uses to do this.

___________________ ____________________ [2]

3. Which phrase is repeated in each stanza and why does the poet repeat it?

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________ [3]

4. What figure of speech is being used in lines 10 – 11? Do you think this is a good comparison? Give a reason for your answer.

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________ [4]

5. Write out another comparison from the second stanza. Then say what figure of speech is being used.

_____________________________________________________ [3]

6. The sea was very near to where the speaker lived. What phrase in the poem shows us that it is so?

_____________________________________________________ [2]

7. What is the rhyme scheme of stanza three?

_________________________________________[1]

8. Quote a word from the FIRST stanza that helps you to picture the shape

of the dirt path.

______________________ [1]

9. The poet uses specific words in stanza TWO to involve the reader’s senses.

For each of the following senses, give TWO examples of a word that the poet uses to

involve the senses:

a. sight ______________________ ______________________

b. hearing ____________________ ______________________ [4]

[Turn over

10. a) Quote a line from the last stanza in which the poet uses alliteration.

____________________________________________________________[1]

b) The use of alliteration improves the stanza. Give a reason why it does so.

______________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________[2]

11. Do you agree with the poet’s statement that there was “no where at all to go”?

In a paragraph, give at least THREE reasons to support your answer.

Be sure to explain each reason fully. All evidence should be taken from the poem.

Use about 100 words.

_____________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________ [9]

Total Marks [35]

SECTION B: [55%]

PART I: CONTEXT QUESTIONS

ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS.

TEXT: RUNNIN’ SHEEP

1. “A belly full is a belly full, even if it’s a belly full of rocks.”

a. From which story is the quotation taken?________________________________ [1]

b. Name the speaker and say what he/she has just finished. ______________________

__________________________________________________________________[2]

c. What is the specific setting of the conversation? ____________________ [1]

d. Why have the people who are conversing made their way to this setting? [1]

_____________________________________________________________________

2. Once this was done, the group marched army-like up the steps into the schoolhouse and around the gallery, dropping off pupils at their classes.

a. Name the main character of the story from which the quotation above is taken. _________________________________________________________________[1]

b. What was the activity the group performed before climbing the steps? _________________________________________________________________[1]

c. Which figure of speech is being used in the first line of the quotation? _________________________________________________________[1]

d. Explain the comparison in this figure of speech.

______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________[2]

[Turn over

3. “It sure beats riding a donkey – less wear and tear on the rear end,” he chuckled.

a. From which story is the quotation taken?________________________________ [1]

b. Who is the speaker? ________________________________________________[1]

c. Give the word the writer uses in the quotation to suggest that the speaker’s comment is humorous.

____________________________________________________________ [1]

d. The speaker is making a comparison. Using your own words as far as possible, explain this comparison.

_____________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________[2]

TEXT: OLIVER TWIST

1. “Oh, my brother! My poor, dear, sweet innocent little brother! What has become of him?”

a. Name the speaker.

___________________________________________________________________ [1]

b. What has happened to the speaker’s ‘brother’?

_____________________________________________________________________ [1]

c. Explain exactly how the speaker will try to find his/her brother.

_____________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________[2]

d. Why does the speaker use the type of adjectives he/she does in describing the donkey?

______________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________ [1]

All them straws is long but one, and I’ve bit that one off short.”

a. Who is the speaker? ___________________________________________________ [1]

b. What is the specific setting at the time that the speaker makes this statement?

_____________________________________________________________________ [1]

c Tell what has to be done by the person who draws the short straw.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________ [1]

d. What are TWO consequences the person who picks the short straw suffers for doing

whatever he/she does?

________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________[2]

3. “What’s that? What do you watch me for? Why are you awake? What have you seen?

Speak out, boy!”

a. Who is the speaker?

___________________________________________________________________ [1]

b. To whom is he speaking?

_____________________________________________________________________ [1]

c. What is it that the speaker believes the boy might have seen?

_____________________________________________________________________ [1]

d. Give TWO details about the kind of work that the speaker does.

______________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________ [2]

[Turn over

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS [15]

4. Write a paragraph which explains ONE example of internal conflict that you read about in ONE short story from “Runnin’ Sheep”. Be sure to explain fully. Use about 50-60 words. [7]

5. Write a paragraph in which you describe Mr. Brownlow. Give details about his background, appearance and personality. Use about 50-60 words. [8]

ESSAY QUESTION [20 marks]

Select only ONE of the following topics and answer it on the lines below. Write about 80 -100 words.

1. One of the themes of “Oliver Twist” is poverty. Explain TWO things the play teaches us about the lives poor people lived at the time when the story of “Oliver Twist takes place.

2. Choose one character from “Runnin’ Sheep” whom you find very interesting. Describe this character fully and say why you find him/her interesting.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[10]

Friday, 28 September 2012

SANDRA CISNEROS' SHORT STORY, "ELEVEN": MORE ACTIVITIES

Activities for Sandra Cisneros' short story: "Eleven"

Story Analysis

When?

Who?

Poems for Grade 7 from Holt McDougal

Thursday, 27 September 2012

Sample Grade Seven Literature Examination: Literary Appreciation, Runnin' Sheep & Oliver Twist