Reading Literary Nonfiction

file:///Users/JACKIE/Desktop/Gr_8_Unit_3_Reading_Literary_Non-fiction_An_Unbreakable_Code_14-15.pdf


Comprehension Questions
1) FIGURATIVE vs. LITERAL LANGUAGE
In literal language, the words mean the same as their dictionary definitions. Figurative language
involves the use of words and phrases to mean something other than their dictionary definitions.
Look at paragraph 1. Is the phrase “the target of surprise attack” literal or figurative language?
What about “Americans heard the call of duty”? Explain the difference.
2) CONTEXT CLUES
Context clues are words and phrases around a difficult word that can help a reader determine its
meaning. Look at the word fluent in paragraph 2. What do you think it means? Which context
clues helped you determine the meaning? Now do the same with decipher.
3) MAIN IDEAS AND SUPPORTING DETAILS
The main idea is what a text is mostly about. Supporting details help to convey, or show, the
main idea. What is the main idea of paragraph 6? Which details support this main idea.
4) CONCLUSION
A conclusion is a decision you make about all or part of the passage based on information form
the text, inferences you make as you read, and your prior knowledge. Look at paragraph 7.
What conclusion can you draw about the chose? Which details support your conclusion?
5) INFERENCE
An inference is an idea that the reader reaches by putting the information in a text together with
what her or she already knows. Look at paragraph 11. What inference can you make about
Chester Nez? Which details led you to this inference?
6) SUMMARY
A summary tells the most important ideas of a text in a few sentences. Look at paragraph 15.
Summarize the experiences of the Code Talkers after the war.

Prezi Assignment (VIETNAM WAR)

Vietnam War
8 Frames
Cover Frame 1
Impact on our culture 2 Frames
American attitude toward the war 2 Frames
Memorial 2 Frames
Work Cited/Resources 1 Frame

Include 3 photos
1 video
2 shapes or symbols
EXTRA CREDIT (music)
EXTRA CREDIT (relate back to Maya Lin)

Red Ribbon Week 2016

Monday, October 24, 2016: Neon Day! We are "too bright for drugs!!!"
Wear Neon clothes to help knock them out!!!

Tuesday, October 25, 2016: Dynamic Duo! "fight drugs together!!!"
Dress the same as your friend to team up on drugs!

Wednesday, October 26, 2016: Camo Day! "end the war on drugs!!!"
Dress in camo and put an end to drugs!!!"

Thursday, October 27, 2016: Tie Dye Day! "tie down drugs!"
Dress in tie dye clothing to tie down drugs!

Friday, October 28, 2016: Red Day! "paint the town red!!!"
Dress in red clothing to blast out drugs!

Thursday, October 20, 2016 (Substitute Assignment)

Ellipsis and Dash

Ellipses and Dashes are used to indicate pauses, breaks, or omissions in your writing.

Ellipsis Examples:

(Pause or Break) "Julia cried and cried . . . then cried some more."

(Pause or Break) "I know I left my keys somewhere . . ."

(Omission)     Original Sentence: "We went to her house, which was several blocks away, and then came home."

                        With Ellipsis: "We went to her house . . . and then came home." (which was several blocks away has been omitted)

Dash Examples:

"All of my school work—physics, Academic Decathlon, sociology, and calculus—got washed away when my house was flooded."

"But I—But you said— . . . wait, what?" stammered Edna.

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"Flipped Classroom Videos" Understand-don't just watch-the videos linked below (and the rules on the right) so you do well on your assessment.  Your score on the assessment will not go in the gradebook, but it will indicate how much practice work you need on these topics.  So, the better you do, the less time you have to spend working with these topics! (Did you notice how I slipped a dash into the instructions above . . . pretty amazing right?) Video #1: Using an ellipsis to indicate a pause or a break. Video #2: Using a dash to indicate a pause or a break. Video #3: Using an ellipsis to indicate an omission. Ellipsis Rules: Use ellipsis marks when omitting a word, phrase, line, paragraph, or more from a quoted passage. NOTE: To create ellipsis marks with a PC, type the period three times and the spacing will be automatically set, or press Ctrl-Alt and the period once. The Three-dot Method There are many methods for using ellipses. The three-dot method is the simplest and is appropriate for most general works and many scholarly ones. The three- or four-dot method and an even more rigorous method used in legal works require fuller explanations that can be found in other reference books. Rule 1 Use no more than three marks whether the omission occurs in the middle of a sentence or between sentences. Example: Original sentence: The regulation states, "All agencies must document overtime or risk losing federal funds." Rewritten using ellipses: The regulation states, "All agencies must document overtime..." NOTE: With the three-dot method, you may leave out punctuation such as commas that were in the original. Example: Original sentence from Lincoln's Gettysburg Address: "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." Rewritten using ellipses: "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth...a new nation, conceived in liberty..." Dash Rules: An em dash is the width of an m. Use an em dash sparingly in formal writing. In informal writing, em dashes may replace commas, semicolons, colons, and parentheses to indicate added emphasis, an interruption, or an abrupt change of thought. Examples: You are the friend—the only friend—who offered to help me. Never have I met such a lovely person—before you. I pay the bills—she has all the fun. A semicolon would be used here in formal writing. I need three items at the store—dog food, vegetarian chili, and cheddar cheese. Remember, a colon would be used here in formal writing. My agreement with Fiona is clear—she teaches me French and I teach her German. Again, a colon would work here in formal writing. Please call my agent—Jessica Cohen—about hiring me. Parentheses or commas would work just fine here instead of the dashes. I wish you would—oh, never mind. This shows an abrupt change in thought and warrants an em dash. To form an em dash on most PCs, type the first word, then hold down the ALT key while typing 0151 on the numerical pad on the right side of your keyboard. Then type the second word. You may also form an em dash by typing the first word, hitting the hyphen key twice, and then typing the second word. Your program will turn the two hyphens into an em dash for you. While there are many more possible uses of the em dash, by not providing additional rules, I am hoping to curb your temptation to employ this convenient but overused punctuation mark.

**Please use the resources you have (videos, rules, notes, etc. as you complete these activities!**

COMBO

Activity C1: Create a graphic organizer to help you understand when and how to use ellipses and dashes.  This organizer MAY be of use to on the day of the quiz!  Here is a site that has graphic organizer templates.  I suggest thinking about a T-Chart, but you may use any that you like.  Your organizers may be digital (computer) or physical (printed out and filled in by hand)

ELLIPSIS

Activity E1: Complete this document on ellipses.

Activity E2: Complete this document on ellipses

Activity E3: You will be assigned this if you do poorly on E1 or E2.

DASHES

Activity D1: Complete this document on dashes

Activity D2: Create a new Google Doc and correctly punctuate the sentences that are in Exercise 12 on page 680 in the Elements of Language textbook. Name your document #LN D2.

Early Finishers will go to www.ixl.com and complete the following:
Dashes E.1
Ellipsis F.1
Hyphens G.1
Frequently Confused Words LL.1 and LL.2
You need to score at least a 90 or above on ixl assignments!! 
BE SWEET FOR MS. KEYS!!  LOVE, ME:)

1st Nine Weeks' Test Schedule

October 5, 2016--3rd, 5th, and 7th period tests
October 6, 2016--4th, 6th, and 8th period tests
October 7, 2016--1st and 2nd period tests

On Friday, SMS will release students at 12:45.
The Homecoming Parade will begin at 2:00.

Mark your calendar!

It's time for the Mississippi Reading Fair and the Patriot's Pen Essay Contest!

Reading Fair Information
Books must be read by October 3, 2016. We will begin mini-boards on this day. All 8^th grade students are required to participate in the reading fair. Reading fair set up is on October 25, 2016. Judging is set to begin on October 26, 2016. We will take down all boards on October 27, 2016.

https://districtaccess.mde.k12.ms.us/curriculumandInstruction/Reading%20Fair/Reading%20Fair%20Guidelines%20-%202016-2017.pdf

Patriot's Pen Essay Contest Information

The 2016-2017 Theme is: The America I Believe In
Essays must be turned in no later than October 21, 2016


https://www.vfw.org/PatriotsPen/

Power Paragraph

Topic Sentence – broad enough to not give specific details yet narrow enough to know the specific topic.

Transition Sentence – incorporates grade specific grammar skills (see L1-3) such as verbals

Inference with text evidence –  a variety of different sentence structures can be used to achieve different effects.

Transition Sentence – use a verbal different from the one used above but structure the sentence in the same format.

Inference with text evidence – use the same structure as above to create parallelism.

Closing Sentence – concludes the topic with an additional insight gained to show a personal connection to the topic and/or text.