Texts We've Read
What was the title of the memoir about the boy who made a dark joke at his Catholic school?
What's so funny, Mr. Scieska?
What did the narrator of "The Breadwinner" have to do to get groceries for her family?
Dress as a boy
Summary
A short retelling of the key details of a text including major characters, plot points, or central ideas
The bird danced back and forth trying to get the boys' attention.
Personification
Define "culture"
A group of people's way of life: their foods, clothing choices, lifestyles, jobs, etc.
Who was the biographer who was targeted and shot by the Taliban for speaking out for girls' education?
Malala Yousafzai
What did Vinny decide to do at the end of "The Ravine" after the hike up the waterfall?
He didn't jump because he decided his safety and his mother's worries were more important than impressing his friends.
Theme
The moral or lesson a character learns throughout a text
What is the central idea of "The Last Wolf"?
A lone wolf is walking through a destroyed city trying to find a human. The human recognizes the wolf's pain.
What is a footnote?
The note at the bottom of a text defining or explaining a term (includes a number next to the word)
What common theme did both "The First Day of School" and "New Kid" both share?
Fears of a new school
Thinking about the text, "Embarrassed? Blame Your Brain?", explain why Vinny had such a difficult decision to make about the waterfall?
For teens especially, social pain can be just a harmful as physical pain. Vinny was embarrassed about not jumping in front of his friends which is an extreme emotion biologically for teens.
Inference
A logical assumption or guess based on evidence from the text
Describe the mood of "Pax".
What is an "excerpt" or "passage"?
A piece of a larger text
What is the author's / main character's name from the memoir, Brown Girl Dreaming?
Jacqueline Woodson
What phrase did Maya Angelou repeat many times in her poem about overcoming fears?
"Life doesn't frighten me"
Author's purpose
Why they wrote the text
Describe the theme of "Zoo".
Everything looks different from others' perspectives.
You don't know all sides to a story.
What is a "tribute"?
an action, gift, or speech that shows gratitude and appreciation
How were the themes of "First Day of School" and "New Kid" different?
FDoS: fears of school because of racial prejudices and potential dangers
NK: fears of school because of struggles to find friends and wanting to be somewhere else
What part of the brain is responsible for the "fight or flight" response?
Amygdala
Development
How the author further explains a topic; the more details they give to help the reader understand more about the topic
Explain what the "resolution" of a fiction text includes.
How the story ends; how the characters have learned a lesson and how they will move forward
What is an author's claim?
A reason given for being on a certain side of an argument