Which Wes Moore?
Nature vs. Nurture
Imagery & Diction
Theme
Tone
100
How do we refer to the two main characters?
Author Wes Moore and Other Wes Moore
100
Define NATURE and NURTURE.
NATURE is DNA/genes and inherited traits. NURTURE is environment and learned behavior.
100
What is imagery?
Descriptive languages that appeals to the senses (sight, touch, taste, smell, sound); often creates images
100
What is a theme?
A universal life message found within a text
100
What is tone?
The author's feeling about a subject
200
Which Wes Moore wrote the book?
Author Wes Moore
200
Give an example of nature.
Possible answers include: similar personality trait to parent, genetic predisposition to substance abuse, etc.
200
What is diction?
Strong, powerful word choices
200
What makes a theme universal?
It can be true for many cultures and time periods.
200
How do we find tone?
Looking at word choices, punctuation, etc.
300
How can you tell the difference between the two Wes Moores when reading?
Author Wes Moore talks in first person (uses "I" and "we") Other Wes Moore is talked about in third person ("Wes" and "he")
300
In the instance of AWM being sent to military school, is that a factor of NATURE or NURTURE?
NURTURE--because it is a new environment and will teach him new behaviors
300
Identify the imagery. “She reached inside the first Nike box and opened it. Inside were pills, marijuana, half an ounce of powdered cocaine, and half a dozen vials of ‘ready rock,’ or crack cocaine. She felt like she’d been punched in the stomach… She sat paralyzed on the bed for fifteen minutes before springing up, suddenly decisive. She took the boxes into the bathroom, lifted their tops, and emptied the contents into the toilet. She watched every ounce, every rock, every leaf, every crystal float to the bottom of the toilet bowl, until the water was cloudy and white”
Possible answers include "punched in the stomach," "every leaf, every crystal float to the bottom," and "cloudy and white"
300
How should a theme be written?
In a complete sentence
300
How do we describe tone?
Strong adjectives--like angry, depressed, indifferent
400
Identify which Wes Moore the event is about. -Father died when he was four. -Father was a drunk and didn't recognize him.
AWM--Father died when he was four. OWM--Father was a drunk and didn't recognize him.
400
Is the instance of OWM's dad being an alcoholic, is that a factor of NATURE or NURTURE?
NATURE, because it could give him a genetic predisposition to alcoholism.
400
Identify the diction. “She reached inside the first Nike box and opened it. Inside were pills, marijuana, half an ounce of powdered cocaine, and half a dozen vials of ‘ready rock,’ or crack cocaine. She felt like she’d been punched in the stomach… She sat paralyzed on the bed for fifteen minutes before springing up, suddenly decisive. She took the boxes into the bathroom, lifted their tops, and emptied the contents into the toilet. She watched every ounce, every rock, every leaf, every crystal float to the bottom of the toilet bowl, until the water was cloudy and white”
Possible answers include: "paralyzed," all drug references, "suddenly decisive," "every..."
400
How can you make a theme statement about the quote below? “This tall South African [Zinzi] who now captured my attention wore his manhood as a sign of accomplishment, a badge of honor. His process was a journey taken with his peers, guided by his elders, and completed in a celebration. He was now a man. His community welcomed him. His tribe’s influence in making him a man was obvious… At that moment, I realized the journey I took was never mine alone either” (171).
Communities can shape a person's development and growth.
400
What is the author's tone about drugs in this passage: “Drugs were not new to the Bronx. Marijuana, cocaine, and heroin all took their turns as the drug of choice. But crack was different. After it introduced itself in the early 1980s, it didn’t take long for crack to place a stranglehold on many communities… Crack was different from the drugs that preceded it. It was crazily accessible and insanely potent—and addictive. My friends and I would regularly trade the most remarkable stories we’d overheard or witnessed: A father who left his family and robbed his parents for money to buy rock. A pregnant mother who sold her body to get another hit” (50-51)?
His tone is negative and critical.
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