Study Notes

Here is the information from the PowerPoint that we went over on Thursday. 

Figurative vs Literal Language

Can you identify which is which?

1. I am starving! I could eat an elephant.
2. You can drive 100km/h on some highways.
3. His heart was full of lead.
4. I waited a million years just to buy the tickets.
5. Her pink dress swayed with the gentle breeze.
6. As the giraffe ran gracefully across the savannah, its legs moved like so fast it was as if they disappeared.
7. My mind is like a rushing hurricane.

Literal language is to be taken seriously and as truth. It is a real meaning.  Figurative language uses images, comparisons, and exaggerations to express an idea.

Poetry Terms

—  Assonance: repeating a vowel sound

—  Consonance: repeating a consonant sound (especially at the end of a word)

—  Alliteration:  repeating the beginning sound of a word

What are they?

1. I raised the flag high so it could fly freely
2. I thought that if I bought you a present you’d be happy
3. Not guns, not thunder, but a flutter of clouded drums
4. I must confess that in my quest I felt depressed and restless
5. I think I will get sick if I drink milk every day
6. Almost all of them felt angry that they already missed the airplane

Answers: alliteration  (f), consonance (t), assonance (u), assonance (e), consonance (k), alliteration (a)

Citations

A citation is used to give credit to the author and document your work.

(_____________, _____________) 

(author’s last name, page number)

Punctuating Dialogue

*Refer to the hand out you received during our short story unit for more details.

Are they done correctly?

1.  I said, “The fable by James Thurber will surprise you.”
2. And then he said, “Mind your own business”!
3. “This fable” our teacher said, “is a twist of an old tale,”
4. Did she say, “I’m quitting?”

Answers: 1. correct  2. And then he said, “Mind your own business!”   3. “This fable,” our teacher said, “is a twist of an old tale.” 4. “Did she say, ‘I’m quitting’?”

Showing vs Telling

When you TELL you SAY it SIMPLY

            The kitten is cute.

When you SHOW you PAINT a PICTURE

            The kitten’s soft grey fur and big blue

            eyes made my heart melt.

Paraphrase vs Summary vs Main Point

Paraphrasing

Steps to paraphrasing:

1.     Read the passage carefully

2.     Identify the main point

3.     Underline important key terms and phrases

4.     Write it in your own words

5.     Cite your source

*to avoid plagiarism do not use more than 3 words in a row from the passage.  A good tip is to rearrange the order of the sentences.

Practice paraphrasing paragraphs from the newspaper articles that I gave you, from one of your textbooks, or from online :)

Sample paragraph:  

“Personification is a type of metaphor, and thereby involves a comparison. When we use personification, we attribute human characteristics and behaviors to non-human entities or to inanimate objects.” (Mosdos, 2001)

A good paragraph: 

One form of figurative language is a comparison called personification. Personification means that you give human characteristics and actions to something that is not human, like an animal, or a tree (Mosdos, 2011).

A bad example (too much of the information is the same, this is plagiarism): 

Personification is a type of figurative language. Personification means we attribute human characteristics and behaviors to things that are not human (Mosdos, 2011).

Another bad example (this is too short and is more of a summary):  

Personification compares human behaviors to non-human things (Mosdos, 2011).

*Don't forget to refer to the study guide (green paper) and your VLD booklet :) 

VLD Week 3

Give your new post this title: VLD Week 3

Instructions:

Interview one of the women in the story (Ly, Xuyen, Aunt Binh, or Ah Soong), and create a transcript of the interview.  Ask your character 4-6 questions about events that have happened in Parts 1-3 of the story.  Your character should reveal their thoughts, feelings, and actions when answering the question.

Remember to write in the format of an interview, as shown below.

Your entry should be 250-300 words in length.

Transcript Example:

Reporter: How did you feel when you finally finished your new book?

Author: I felt absolutely fantastic!  I had been writing my book for the last four years.  So when I finally finished I had a big celebration with my family and friends. We went to a fancy restaurant and I read my favorite section to all of my guests.  Seeing their happy faces made me proud of my work.

Reporter: What inspired you to write this story?

Author: Well, when I was 13 I had my first love.  Of course, now that I am married I have moved on, but I wanted to write a book that teens would understand and enjoy.  My favorite section is inspired by the day he asked me out for the first time.  I was standing by the bus stop and he pulled up with a couple of friends and I had to choose which seat I should take:  the front or the back.  Clearly, I chose the one next to him.  And the rest is history!

VLD Week 2

Give your new post this title: VLD Week 2

Write a summary of the important events in chapters 9-12 from your family's perspective, as if you and your family escaped Vietnam, just like Phan Thi Chi's family did. You may write it as a letter to a friend, or as a story.

Think about what each member of your family would be like in that situation.  Would they be a leader like Quan, a planner like Uncle Tan, negative like Phan Thi Chi...etc. 

Your letter should be written in paragraph form and be 350-400 words in length. 

This completed post is due at the end of class today.

Sample Post: VLD Week 1

Here is an example of one way you could structure your letter in Part A

Dear…

I have some sad news to share with you…

This frustrates me because…

My family has decided to…

This makes me feel…

I hope that….

Sincerely…

VLD Week 1

Give your post this title: VLD Week 1

Part A:

Scenario: The government has wrongly accused your family of doing something that has made them very angry. Since they are threatening to take your home, your money, and separate your whole family in different parts of the country, your family has decided to escape. You are leaving tomorrow morning.

Imagine you will be leaving your home for a new, unfamiliar place. Your destination and future are both uncertain. In a letter, describe your fears, expectations, frustrations, hopes, and feelings about this situation. Your letter could be to a close friend or relative.

Your letter should be in paragraph form, 300-350 words in length (So write thoughtfully with plenty of detail!)

Part B:

Re-read the beginning of chapter 8 (pages 607-608). These paragraphs describe what each person in the family dreamt or did the night before they left. Think about the letter you wrote in Part A, and explain which character best shows how YOU would have felt the night before leaving. Explain your answer. (4-5 sentences)

This post is due at the end of class today (you may NOT finish at home).

Project #5 - Biography

Assignment Instructions:
1.  Create a new post with the title, "Project #5 - Biography"

2. Type the final draft of your biography into the new post.

3.  When you are finished, look back at your writing and highlight areas were you included specific elements of biography. (please highlight phrases and sentences, not whole paragraphs.)
      a) Accomplishments/things that the person is proud of = BLUE
      b) Problems/obstacles the person faced = RED
      c) Important people/places in the person's life = GREEN
      d) Quotations from the interview = PURPLE

4. Finally, add you answer to the following question at the bottom of you post:
      1. What did you learn while doing this project?  (4-5 sentences)

This project is due Sunday, February 19th, at 8pm.

Reminder: Interview

Instructions:

You will be writing about the life of someone in your family. You should choose someone in your family who is older than you to interview about their experiences. 

First, write down 8-12 questions to ask. Your need to find out the following information from your relative:

• Details about his/her birth, family, and significant events in his/her life
• Stories about their accomplishments or things they are proud of
• Stories about difficult experiences or problems they had to overcome
• The most important people in his/her life (and why)

In addition, you should ask one other family member how they would describe your chosen relative.

After you have decided on the questions you will ask, talk to the person and write down the answers they give you.

A

Your notes (questions & answers) from your interview are due in class on Wednesday, Feb. 15.