Theme
Central Idea
Tone & Meaning of Words
Compare & Contrast
Arguments & Rhetoric
100
Theme is...
The message or moral of the story
100
Define "central idea"...
What the text is mainly about.
100
Define "tone."
How the author feels about the topic of the text.
100
Define "artistic mediums" and give an example.
A form of art: painting, poetry, film, etc.
100
Define "claim"
To say that something is true. Something that can be argued.
200
How can I figure out the theme of a story?
Identify the topic of the text.
(You must name one of the following)
Pay attention to repeated details.
Ask yourself: what does the author want you to know regarding the topic after reading this text?
Ask yourself: what did the character learn about the topic?
200
How can you identify the central idea of the text?
1) Identify the topic of the text
2) Ask yourself: What is the MOST important information about the topic?
200
Often you feel you’ve done nothing when you’ve actually done a lot. That’s because what you did do seemed beneath notice—it was so small that it didn’t “count.” But it did—just as each stitch counts toward a finished dress, each brick or nail toward a house you can live in, each mistake toward knowing how to do things right.
What is the tone?
a. hesitant
b. encouraging
c. amused
B. Encouraging
200
How does the illustration contribute to the meaning of the poem? 
Blue= their true self, something they want to hide
The size of the masks in the illustration emphasizes how hard people try to hide their true selves.
200
How is a claim supported?
Through evidence and reasoning.
300
Name three common themes seen in Disney movies or fairy tales.
Answers will vary, possible answers:
-Dreams come true
-To find yourself, you must look within
-Your beauty on the inside is more important than what is on the outside
-Love always prevails (wins)
-People are not actually that different
300
Define "topic." Give some examples of common topics.
A topic is a big idea. A word or phrase that sums up the text or a portion of the text. Examples: love, hate, war, peace, death, grief, adolescence etc.
300
Each year in the middle of February, when slush is underfoot and the sky is a depressing gray, I begin dreaming of warm beaches, tropical fruits, and sunsets. If only I could save enough for a winter vacation! Maybe next year I’ll win the lottery. Meanwhile, I’ll read travel brochures and sigh.
What is the tone?
a. unsure
b. joyous
c. longing
C. Longing
300
Define "source material" and "transformation."
Source material - the original source
Transformation - Changes made from the source material in a new work, or the newer work itself
300
Define "rhetoric" and give examples.
How an author is effective and/or persuasive.
Ex. Ethos, Pathos, Logos, Repetition, etc.
400
Read the passage and answer the following questions:
1) What is the topic of the text? 2) What were the repeated actions?
When Curtis transferred to our high school from some fancy private school, I was assigned the job of showing him around our building. First, I showed him our trophy case. Our school has put together some quality teams and programs over the years, so our trophy case was pretty full. Curtis was not impressed. He claimed that at his old school, the trophy case was at least twice as big as ours. Next, I showed him our swimming pool. Not every high school has a swimming pool, so we were proud of ours, but Curtis couldn't care less. "The swimming pool at my old school is bigger and more modern. This one looks kind of dirty," he said with disdain. I continued to guide Curtis around the school, showing him our cafeteria, gymnasium, and even our garden, but Curtis seemed disappointed with everything that he saw. He'd quickly compare it to his old school, which in his words was superior to ours in every way. The last thing I showed Curtis was the front door. I told him that he would like this one best because he could walk through it and go back to his old school.
1) What is the topic of the text?
Criticism, comparison, adapting
2) What were the repeated actions?
Curtis keeps comparing everything to his old school, and saying the new school is not as good as his old one.
400
What is the TOPIC of the following passage?
When one hears the term "reality" applied to a show, one might expect that the events portrayed occurred naturally or, at the least, were not scripted. This is not always the case. Many reality shows occur in unreal environments, like rented mansions occupied by film crews. Such living environments do not reflect what most people understand to be "reality." Worse, there have been accusations that events not captured on film were later restaged by producers. Worse still, some involved in the production of "reality" television claim that the participants were urged to act out storylines premeditated by producers. With such accusations floating around, it's no wonder many people take reality TV to be about as real as the sitcom.
Reality Television
400
What is the tone?
Heat
By Hilda Doolittle
O wind, rend(1) open the heat,
Cut apart the heat,
Rend it to tatters(2).
Fruit cannot drop
Through this thick air --
Fruit cannot fall into heat
That presses up and blunts
The points of pears
And rounds the grapes.
Cut the heat --
Plough through it,
Turning it on either side
Of your path.
1. rend: to tear or rip apart
2. tatters: ragged clothing, fabric, or paper
Exaggerated
Longing
400
Give an example of a newer work and its source material.
Answers will vary.
Romeo and Juliet & Taylor Swift's "Love Story"
Any book turned into a movie
400
Give 3 examples of how an author effectively or persuasively gets their point across.
Answers will vary. Possible answers: Examples, data, appeal to emotion, appeal to credibility, facts, personal anecdotes, comparisons, repetition, etc.
500
Read the passage and determine the theme.
When Curtis transferred to our high school from some fancy private school, I was assigned the job of showing him around our building. First, I showed him our trophy case. Our school has put together some quality teams and programs over the years, so our trophy case was pretty full. Curtis was not impressed. He claimed that at his old school, the trophy case was at least twice as big as ours. Next, I showed him our swimming pool. Not every high school has a swimming pool, so we were proud of ours, but Curtis couldn't care less. "The swimming pool at my old school is bigger and more modern. This one looks kind of dirty," he said with disdain. I continued to guide Curtis around the school, showing him our cafeteria, gymnasium, and even our garden, but Curtis seemed disappointed with everything that he saw. He'd quickly compare it to his old school, which in his words was superior to ours in every way. The last thing I showed Curtis was the front door. I told him that he would like this one best because he could walk through it and go back to his old school.
Answers may vary. Possible answers:
Constant criticism will keep you from adapting to a new situation.
Constant comparisons will keep you from seeing the good in a new situation.
500
What is the central idea of the following passage?
When one hears the term "reality" applied to a show, one might expect that the events portrayed occurred naturally or, at the least, were not scripted. This is not always the case. Many reality shows occur in unreal environments, like rented mansions occupied by film crews. Such living environments do not reflect what most people understand to be "reality." Worse, there have been accusations that events not captured on film were later restaged by producers. Worse still, some involved in the production of "reality" television claim that the participants were urged to act out storylines premeditated by producers. With such accusations floating around, it's no wonder many people take reality TV to be about as real as the sitcom.
Reality TV is not as real as it seems.
500
What is the tone?
Strange Meetings
By Harold Mono
If suddenly a clod(1) of earth should rise,
And walk about, and breathe, and speak, and love,
How one would tremble, and in what surprise
Gasp: "Can you move?"
I see men walking, and I always feel:
"Earth! How have you done this? What can you be?"
I can't learn how to know men, or conceal(2)
How strange they are to me.
1. clod: a lump of something, especially dirt or clay
2. conceal: hide
Wonder/Amazement
500
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZNPbMu2Ge0&t=1s
1. What is most likely the source material for the clip?
2. What elements were drawn from the source material?
3. What elements were transformed from the source material?
1. Romeo and Juliet
2. Their names are similar, the balcony scene, forbidden love
3. Their names, he is a zombie (the reason their love is forbidden), modern English
500
What is the author's purpose? Give an example of how the author uses rhetoric to advance that purpose.
Every citizen should have access to a free, universal health care system. This would allow medical professionals to concentrate on healing their patients rather than dealing with insurance procedures and liability concerns. Each person has a right to be cared for and having access to free medical services provides patients with the opportunity for regular checkups when otherwise they may not be able to afford them.
Purpose- To persuade the reader to be for universal healthcare.
Rhetoric- Gives examples of how it would help people focus on the positive.