Character Elements
This character type works against the main character's goals and creates obstacles in the story
Who is the antagonist?
This term refers to the central point an author is trying to make in a text.
What is the central or main idea?
This text feature helps readers quickly identify specific sections of a text they want to read.
What are headings or subheadings?
This poetic element creates sound patterns through the repetition of initial consonant sounds.
What is alliteration?
This reference material provides word origins, pronunciation, and multiple definitions.
What is a dictionary?
This term refers to the main character in a story whose actions drive the plot forward.
What is a protagonist?
In this passage: "Before inventing the light bulb, Thomas Edison experimented with over 6,000 filaments. His notebooks reveal detailed drawings of each attempt, documenting materials ranging from cotton thread to bamboo fibers." How is the key individual introduced and his work elaborated upon?
What is through statistics (6,000 filaments) and specific examples (notebooks, drawings, materials used)?
When an author wants to emphasize key terms in a science textbook, they often use this text feature.
What is boldface type?
The repeated line at the end of each stanza in a poem is an example of this poetic element.
What is repetition?
When encountering a word with multiple meanings, you should use this to determine which definition applies in context.
What are context clues?
When a character struggles with their own thoughts, feelings, or decisions, this type of conflict is occurring.
What is internal conflict (or individual vs. self)?
When summarizing a text, you should identify this and support it with key details from the passage.
What is the main idea?
A chronological organizational pattern would be most appropriate for this type of writing.
What is a historical narrative or process description?
In the phrase "her smile was sunshine," this type of figurative language is being used
What is a metaphor?
This reference source would be most helpful for finding words with similar meanings.
What is a thesaurus?
A character struggling against unfair rules in their society represents this type of conflict.
What is individual vs. society?
In this scientific text: "Photosynthesis powers plant growth. When sunlight strikes a leaf, chlorophyll molecules capture the energy. This energy is then used to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugar. A single leaf contains millions of chloroplasts performing this process simultaneously." How is the key concept illustrated and elaborated?
What is through step-by-step explanation of the process and providing quantitative details (millions of chloroplasts)?
This point of view allows the reader to know the thoughts and feelings of all characters in the story.
What is third-person omniscient?
When an author writes "The wind whispered through the trees," they are using this type of figurative language.
What is personification?
To determine the specialized meaning of the word "culture" in a biology text, you would consult this type of reference.
What is a subject-specific dictionary or glossary?
Identify the type of conflict and explain how it impacts character development in this scenario: A hiker lost in a snowstorm must find shelter before freezing, which forces them to overcome their fear of small spaces by sheltering in a tiny cave.
What is individual vs. nature? (The conflict forces character growth by requiring the protagonist to overcome personal fears to survive.)
Explain how the beginning paragraph of a persuasive essay on climate change that describes a melting glacier contributes to the development of ideas in the text.
What is establishing urgency/providing vivid evidence/creating emotional impact to support later arguments? (The opening paragraph creates a concrete image that serves as evidence and emotional appeal for the argument about addressing climate change.)
Identify and explain how the author's word choice in this passage reveals their purpose: "The rainforest is being decimated at an alarming rate, with acres of irreplaceable habitat vanishing every day."
What is persuasive/argumentative purpose? (Words like "decimated," "alarming," and "irreplaceable" create emotional impact and convey urgency, revealing the author's purpose to persuade readers about environmental conservation.)
Identify and explain the effect of the figurative language in this line: "The classroom was a zoo that day, with students howling over the surprise quiz and the teacher roaring for order."
What is an extended metaphor? (The metaphor compares the classroom to a zoo, with students and teacher likened to animals, creating a vivid image of chaos and noise.)
Given this sentence: "The delegate's obfuscation of the facts led to confusion in the meeting," explain how you would determine the meaning of "obfuscation" using reference materials and context.
What is using context clues (confusion resulted from the action) and a dictionary to find the definition "the act of making something unclear or difficult to understand"?