Author's Purpose
What statement is supported by the paragraph below?
“I am a woman’s rights. I have as much muscle as any man, and can do as much work as any man. I have plowed and reaped and husked and chopped and mowed, and can any man do more than that? I have heard much about the sexes being equal; I can carry as much as any man, and can eat as much too if I can get it. I am as strong as any man that is now."
That she is as strong, can work just as hard, and can eat just as much as any man. She is equal to man.
The organizational pattern of the paragraph below allows the author to ---
Hot Cheetos: "Richard Montañez was born in Mexico and grew up in Guasti, a small town close to Ontario, California, picking grapes with this family. They would have dinner at the communal table in the kitchen they shared with six other families. Richard had trouble learning English and he dropped out of high school because he couldn't understand the teachers. Without a high school diploma, he got a job as a janitor at the Frito-Lay Rancho Cucamonga plant in California."
Descriptive-describe Richard's past so that we better understand where he came from.
Chronological-break down the events of Richard's childhood so that we better understand where he came from.
Using the information in the paragraph below, readers can conclude that---
Women Who Spoke Up: “And if the Freedom Democratic Party is not seated now, I question America. Is this America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, where we have to sleep with our telephones off the hooks because our lives be threatened daily, because we want to live as decent human beings in America?”
The speaker is questioning the integrity of America. People should not have to live in fear if this truly is the great nation it is supposed to be.
What is the definition of a controlling idea/thesis of a nonfiction text? What 3 elements does a controlling idea/thesis always have?
Controlling idea/thesis=the one sentence in the text that explains what the entire passage will be about. It includes the topic of the essay, the author's opinion on the topic, and the big ideas the author will develop about the topic.
How do you chunk a nonfiction text?
What do you annotate for?
You chunk it up by paragraph.
You annotate for the main ideas-(who, what, when, where, why)
Which sentence(s) from the paragraph below best demonstrate(s) how Frederick Douglass feels about white men.
"They both advised me to run away to the north; that I should find friends there, and that I should be free. I pretended not to be interested in what they said, and treated them as if I did not understand them; for I feared they might be treacherous. White men have been known to encourage slaves to escape, and then, to get the reward, catch them and return them to their masters. I was afraid that these seemingly good men might use me so; but I nevertheless remembered their advice, and from that time I resolved to run away. I looked forward to a time at which it would be safe for me to escape."
"for I feared they might be treacherous; White men have been known to encourage slaves to escape, and then, to get the reward, catch them and return them to their masters. I was afraid that these seemingly good men might use me so."
He fears the white men because he thinks they might be trying to trick him and use him to get reward money for catching an escaped slave.
The author reveals how determined Margaret Chase Smith was by---
Margaret Chase Smith was the first woman to serve in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. She won election to the Senate in 1948. Two years later, she bravely spoke up when other public leaders remained silent. At that time, Americans feared the spread of communism15 and its ties to the Soviet Union. Senator Joseph R. McCarthy was heading a campaign to identify Communist activity in the United States. McCarthy’s hunt ruined the careers and lives of the people accused. Smith delivered her “Declaration of Conscience” on the Senate floor. She did not specifically name McCarthy. But she commented on the state of fear that had crept into U.S. politics. She warned against its dangerous anti-American tone.
“I think that it is high time that we remembered that we have sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution. I think that it is high time that we remembered that the Constitution, as amended, speaks not only of the freedom of speech but also of trial by jury instead of trial by accusation.”
describing who she is, what she stood up for, why she stood up for it, and quoting what she specifically said.
What conclusion about Richard Montanez is supported by the paragraph below?
Hot Cheetos: "Latinos who have made it like myself have a responsibility to open doors to younger generations and teach them that they can do it," says Richard, who provides college scholarships to young Latinos. He also gives back to the community through food, clothing, school supplies, and other services. "I do it because I can and I know what it is to be hungry."
He is a compassionate man. Even when he became successful, he still gave back and helped those who were less fortunate.
Summarize the paragraph below.
Frederick Douglass: "From this time I was most narrowly watched. If I was in a separate room any considerable length of time, I was sure to be suspected of having a book, and was at once called to give an account of myself. All this, however, was too late. The first step had been taken. Mistress, in teaching me the alphabet, had given me the inch, and no precaution could prevent me from taking the ell."
His masters would watch him all the time. If he was alone, they thought he was reading, and they were determined to stop him. However, it was too late because his mistress had already taught him the alphabet and he wasn't going to stop learning.
What is the first thing you should do when you get your test next week?
Preview: Look at the title, headings, pictures, etc. What genre will you be reading?
Write a prediction sentence about what you think the text will be about.
What is one key detail that is similar in both of the paragraphs below?
Mother to Son: "Life for me ain't been no crystal stair...But all the time I'se been a-climbin' on, And reachin' landin's, And turnin' corners."
Learning to Read: "So I got a pair of glasses, And straight to work I went, And never stopped till I could read the hymns and Testament."
Both paragraphs include details that focus on not giving up, and not quitting when life is difficult.
Read the origin of the word unpardonable.
From the prefix un=not; the root pardon=to forgive or excuse; and the suffix able=is/can be
Based on this information, what is the meaning of the word unpardonable in the paragraph below?
Frederick Douglass: "I am strongly tempted to give the names of two or three of those little boys, as a testimonial of the gratitude and affection I bear them; but prudence forbids;—not that it would injure me, but it might embarrass them; for it is almost an unpardonable offence to teach slaves to read in this Christian country."
can not be forgiven or excused
Read the paragraph below. Why couldn't Frederick Douglass thank the white boys that taught him how to read?
I am strongly tempted to give the names of two or three of those little boys, as a testimonial of the gratitude and affection I bear them; but prudence forbids;—not that it would injure me, but it might embarrass them; for it is almost an unpardonable offence to teach slaves to read in this Christian country.
It might embarrass them because it was pretty much against the law to teach slaves to read in America during this time.
What is the different between a fact and an opinion.
Why do authors use facts when writing a nonfiction text?
Why do authors use opinions when writing a nonfiction text?
Fact: a statement that is true and can be proven.
Purpose: to provide information that is reliable and trustworthy that further supports the author's views.
Opinion: a personal view, attitude of a topic.
Purpose: to reveal someone's thoughts about an issue, usually an expert, that further supports the author's views.
After you preview the text, you are supposed to go to the questions and do what?
Read the questions that are associated with the text.
Circle the keywords and put the question into your own words.
If a question mentions a specific paragraph, go back to the story and label the paragraph with the question number.
Where is the simile, and why did the author incorporate it in the passage below? What purpose did it serve?
Learning to Read: "Then I got a little cabin, A place to call my own, And I felt independent as a queen upon her throne."
The simile is comparing the speaker to a queen on her throne.
It reveals how powerful and independent she feels after learning to read. She no longer sees herself as a slave; she is a confident queen.
Read the origin of the word denunciation.
From the Latin root word denuntiare, "to announce, proclaim, denounce, or command."
Based on this information, what is the meaning of the word denunciation in the paragraph below?
Frederick Douglass: "The moral which I gained from the dialogue was the power of truth over the conscience of even a slaveholder. What I got from Sheridan was a bold denunciation of slavery, and a powerful vindication of human rights."
to condemn, to express an unfavorable judgment against, to proclaim something is wrong
Based on the entire paragraph below, you can infer that---
Steve Jobs' Speech: "I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life."
Getting fired helped Steve Jobs find a completely different path, and it turned out to be the best thing for him. He could finally be creative.
What are the five different types of organizational patterns?
1. Sequence/Chronological
2. Compare/Contrast
3. Problem/Solution
4. Cause/Effect
5. Description
When you don't know what a word means, what are you supposed to do?
Use context clues, word parts, and then a dictionary to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.
Where is the imagery, and why did the author incorporate it in the passage below? What purpose does it serve.
Learning to Read: "I remember Uncle Caldwell, Who took pot liquor fat, And greased the pages of his book, And hid it in his hat."
Imagery-"pot liquor fat, greased the pages, hid it in his hat"
It reveals how the slaves would use grease from their food to glue book pages inside their hats. This way their masters couldn't find them, and they could secretly practice their reading when their masters weren't around. They would go to extreme measures to learn how to read.
How does the organizational pattern of a text contribute to the purpose of a text?
The author uses a specific pattern to reveal specific information in a certain way in order to teach the reader a specific message.
What is a theme shared in the passage below?
Frederick Douglass: "Slavery soon proved its ability to divest her of these heavenly qualities. Under its influence, the tender heart became stone, and the lamblike disposition gave way to one of tiger-like fierceness. The first step in her downward course was in her ceasing to instruct me. She now commenced to practice her husband's precepts. She finally became even more violent in her opposition than her husband himself."
We learned that bad situations can negatively impact a person and change who they are.
We learned that when people have power or are placed in a position of power, they can negatively change.
His mistress was kind, but when she became a slave owner and was forced to do what her husband commanded, she became violent.
What are at least THREE different types of evidence authors can use when writing a nonfiction article.
Descriptions, Examples, Facts, Opinions, Statistics, Personal Testimonies/Experience, Scientific Studies, History, Current Events
As you are answering the questions, what strategies can you use to ensure you are selecting the correct answer?
Eliminate obvious wrong answer(s).
Use text evidence to support the right answer and justify how you know it is correct.