POINT OF VIEW
In "Ball Hawk," what point of view is used to tell the story?
First Person
What is Mitchell about to do at the very start of "Ball Hawk"?
Quit the baseball team
What type of figurative language gives a non-human thing human qualities?
Personification
What is the essential question for Unit 5 that all three texts explore?
How do games impact our lives?
Name one word that describes Uncle Tommy's personality in "Ball Hawk."
Wise
Mysterious
Patient
In "Ball Hawk," who is the narrator telling the story?
Mitchell, the main character
Is Mitchell's struggle with wanting to quit baseball an internal or external conflict?
Internal conflict
In "The Crossover," the speaker compares his crossover move to something else using "like" or "as." What type of figurative language is this?
Simile
At the end of "Ball Hawk," Mitchell reflects that his best moment came because Uncle Tommy taught him to let go of anger and put his heart in the game. What theme does this support?
Clear your mind and focus on your goals
Sports can connect us to something bigger than ourselves
Letting go of anger leads to success
At the start of "Ball Hawk," Mitchell describes himself as "pathetic" with a bat and glove. What does this word choice reveal about his character?
He has low self-confidence
He is self-critical
In "The Crossover," what do we call the voice speaking directly to the reader in a poem?
The speaker
In "Ball Hawk," what external conflict does Mitchell face during the game against the Cougars?
He struggles to perform well as a player / he has previously struck out
In "Double Doubles," the speaker says the Williams sisters move together "like a fine machine." What type of figurative language is this, and what does it suggest about the sisters?
Simile; it suggests they are perfectly in sync and work together seamlessly
In "Double Doubles," the Williams sisters usually play against each other but come together as partners. What theme does this suggest?
A shared love of sport can strengthen bonds between siblings
In "Double Doubles," one speaker says she plays "as if I know where she'll be going." What does this reveal about her character?
She knows her sister so well that she can anticipate her every move
She is deeply connected to and aware of her partner
"Double Doubles" is a two-voice poem. What does the two-column format tell the reader about who is speaking?
Each column represents one of the Williams sisters
Each has her own voice and perspective
In "The Crossover," what conflict exists between the speaker, Josh, and his brother JB?
They are competitive with each other; Josh feels tension as JB's priorities begin to shift
In "Ball Hawk," Mitchell calls the sound of the ball hitting the bat "just plain music." What figurative language is used and what does it show?
Metaphor; it shows how perfectly natural and right the moment felt to Mitchell
In "The Crossover," basketball is central to the speaker's relationship with JB. What theme does this suggest about sports?
Sports can strengthen bonds between people
Sports are deeply tied to who we are
How does Mitchell change from the beginning to the end of "Ball Hawk"?
He goes from wanting to quit and feeling like a failure to finding confidence, connection to his heritage, and success on the field
In both "Ball Hawk" and "The Crossover," a young athlete narrates in first person. What is one advantage and one disadvantage of this point of view for the reader?
Advantage - we feel close to the character's emotions
Disadvantage - we only get one perspective
In "Ball Hawk," Mitchell faces both internal and external conflict. Name one of each and explain how they are connected.
Internal - wanting to quit/feeling like a failure
External - poor performance on the team. They connect because his self-doubt causes his poor play, and his poor play feeds his self-doubt
Both "The Crossover" and "Double Doubles" use figurative language to describe athletic movement. What effect does this have on the reader in both poems?
It makes the action feel vivid and exciting, and helps us understand how deeply connected the speakers are to their sport and identity
"The Crossover" and "Double Doubles" are paired for a compare-and-contrast part of our unit. What theme do both poems share?
Siblings who play sports together develop a powerful bond; their shared love of the game connects them even when they compete
In "Ball Hawk," Uncle Tommy uses the hawk and lessons from nature rather than direct advice. What does this method of teaching reveal about his character?
He is wise and patient
He knows Mitchell needs to discover the lesson himself rather than just being told what to do