The Book of the Dead
Which statement is an arguable claim about “The Book of the Dead?”
a. Annie’s father kept his past hidden from his family for many years because he was ashamed of being a prison guard.
b. Annie’s father takes the sculpture before it can be delivered.
c. “The Book of the Dead” suggests that what a person does after a terrible act matters as much as the act itself.
d. Annie’s parents left Haiti after they were married.
c. “The Book of the Dead” suggests that what a person does after a terrible act matters as much as the act itself.
Which statement is an arguable claim about “By Any Other Name?”
a. Rama Rau suggests that losing your name can mean losing part of who you are.
b. The headmistress gives Santha and Premila English names.
c. Premila takes Santha out of school in the middle of the day.
d. The memoir is set in India while it was under British rule.
a. Rama Rau suggests that losing your name can mean losing part of who you are.
Who is Mrs. McBride's favorite music artist(s)?
Billie Eilish, Malcolm Todd, Tyler the Creator, Back Seat Lovers
Emotionally moving or stimulating.
Poignant
The factual data, research, or proof used to back up a claim
evidence
A student makes this claim: Annie’s father takes the sculpture because he feels guilty, not because he is selfish.
Which piece of evidence best supports this specific claim?
a. Annie wakes up to find that both her father and the sculpture are gone.
b. Her father says he does not deserve a statue.
c. Annie’s parents describe themselves as seeds planted in a rock.
d. Annie tells her father she can only forgive him if he is dying.
b. Her father says he does not deserve a statue.
What is Mrs. McBride's middle name?
Noel
Which statement is an arguable claim about “What, of This Goldfish, Would You Wish?”
a. Sergei used his first wish to cure his sister's cancer, his second to eliminate a boy’s disability, and his third to save Yonatan.
b. Yonatan wants to interview people from many different groups in Israel.
c. Sergei lives in Jaffa, and his family questions his choices because of the Arab population.
d. Keret suggests that private wishes reveal more about people than the persona they show others.
d. Keret suggests that private wishes reveal more about people than the persona they show others.
Shrunken and wrinkled.
wizened
In a way that shows a contrast between what is expected and what occurs
ironically
A student writes this argument:
Claim: The father is a more complicated character than a simple villain.
Evidence: He uses the proverb “One day for the hunter, one day for the prey” to describe his past.
Which reasoning best explains how the evidence supports the claim?
a. The proverb is a Haitian saying, which shows the father is proud of his culture.
b. The proverb shows that roles can switch; he was once the hunter, but now he is haunted by guilt and fear of being exposed, so he is both a wrongdoer and someone who suffers.
c. The proverb proves the father was really a victim, so he did nothing wrong.
d. The proverb repeats the word “day,” which shows the story takes place over a short time, and if it is a short period of time, characters don’t have time to develop or change.
b. The proverb shows that roles can switch; he was once the hunter, but now he is haunted by guilt and fear of being exposed, so he is both a wrongdoer and someone who suffers.
A student makes this claim: The headmistress renames the girls for her own convenience, not for their benefit.
Which piece of evidence best supports this specific claim?
a. Santha does not respond when the teacher calls on “Cynthia” in class.
b. The classrooms are painted dark brown in the tradition of British schools.
c. The headmistress says she cannot manage Indian names after about fifteen years in India.
d. Santha lets the other children win in recess games during school because she was taught to let the smaller children win.
c. The headmistress says she cannot manage Indian names after about fifteen years in India.
A student makes this claim: Sergei’s second wish was not completely selfless.
Which piece of evidence best supports this claim?
a. Sergei never told Sveta about the wish.
b. A few months later, Sveta left Sergei for a police officer.
c. Sergei’s mind keeps returning to doubts about the wish.
d. Sergei used his first wish to cure his sister’s cancer.
c. Sergei’s mind keeps returning to doubts about the wish.
A figure of speech that puts two opposite or contradictory words together in a single phrase
oxymoron
Impulsive; in an unplanned way
Spontaneously
A student argues: By the end of the story, Annie’s father deserves his daughter’s forgiveness.
Which is the strongest counterclaim to this argument?
a. Annie loves her father, so she will probably forgive him eventually even though he has been lying to her.
b. Annie’s mother already knew the truth, so Annie’s forgiveness does not matter.
c. The story is too short to know whether he deserves forgiveness
d. Only the people he hurt in prison can forgive what he did; feeling sorry cannot undo the harm he caused.
d. Only the people he hurt in prison can forgive what he did; feeling sorry cannot undo the harm he caused.
A student writes this argument:
Claim: Premila’s decision to leave school is an act of self-respect, not just a fit of anger.
Evidence: Premila walks out after her teacher seats the Indian students apart during a test and says Indians cheat.
Which reasoning best explains how the evidence supports the claim?
a. Tests are stressful, so it makes sense that Premila wanted to go home early to take care of her mental health rather than take a test.
b. The teacher insulted the Indian children, and Premila defends her dignity by refusing to be treated as less than the other students.
c. Premila is older than Santha, so she is responsible for making decisions for both Premila and Santha.
d. Because Premila left, the memoir proves that all British teachers were unfair and racist.
b. The teacher insulted the Indian children, and Premila defends her dignity by refusing to be treated as less than the other students.
A student writes this argument:
Claim: Sergei’s hostility toward strangers comes from fear, not cruelty.
Evidence: Sergei assumes the boy at his door came to steal his fish and tells him to leave, yet he has used his wishes to help other people.
Which reasoning best explains how the evidence supports the claim?
a. Someone who spends wishes saving others is not cruel, and his suspicion of Yonatan comes from his fear of losing his only companion.
b. Yonatan was rude and pushy, so Sergei had every right to be hostile toward him and hit him with a burner.
c. Goldfish are valuable, so anyone would want to protect it at any cost.
d. Because Sergei used his wishes on others, he clearly doesn’t do anything wrong and this proves that he could never be cruel.
a. Someone who spends his wishes saving others is not cruel, and his suspicion of Yonatan comes from his fear of losing his only companion.
Neither hot nor cold; lukewarm
tepid
The main point or central idea that the writer or speaker tries to prove
Claim
What is Mrs. McBrides husband's name?
Rylan
A student uses the counterclaim: The headmistress is one part of a colonial system that treated British culture as superior, so the system as a whole deserves the blame and not just the headmistress.
Which is the best rebuttal to the counterclaim?
a. The headmistress made a choice to never learn to say Indian names, and she changed the girls’ names rather than adjust her habits.
b. People in charge are always at fault for everything that happens, so the headmistress deserves all the blame.
c. The colonial system is history, so it is not worth discussing in stories today.
d. The headmistress should have known better because she was an adult and Premila and Santha are kids.
a. The headmistress made a choice to never learn to say Indian names, and she changed the girls’ names rather than adjust her habits.
A student argues: Sergei is a good person at heart.
Which is the strongest counterclaim to this argument?
a. Sergei lives alone, so he must not be a good person or someone would want to be his roommate.
b. Sergei doubts his second wish wasn’t selfish, and he treats strangers with suspicion, so his “goodness” may be self-interest.
c. Sergei owns a magical fish, so he is just lucky and not good.
d. Sergei is a fictional character, so we cannot judge if he is a good person or not.
b. Sergei doubts his second wish wasn’t selfish, and he treats strangers with suspicion, so his “goodness” may be self-interest.
Able to express oneself clearly and easily.
fluent
An opposing statement or argument that challenges the main claim
Counterclaim