Main Idea
Before you put on that skeleton costume and rove door-to-door pandering for candy, take a minute to reflect on this tradition. Halloween is believed to have come from an ancient Celtic festival dating back some 2,000 years. November 1st was the Celtic New Year and marked the end of summer to the Celts. They celebrated on its eve by wearing costumes made of animal skins and dancing around bon fires. Over the next two millennia, this primitive celebration grew to be the candy fueled costume ball that we know today.
What is the main idea?
The origins of Halloween
Inferencing is using information to draw a ________________.
Conclusion
What is the difference between mood and tone?
Mood is the feeling that the author is trying to create in the mind of readers.
Tone is the author’s attitude toward his or her subject
Mood is about the reader's feelings & Tone is about the author's feelings
Most people have had red pizza, or pizza covered with red sauce, but have you ever had white pizza? White pizza is made in almost the same way as red pizza: the dough rises and is rolled out, toppings are applied, and it is cooked in an oven—but the key difference is that white pizza does not have any tomato sauce on it. Instead, a white pizza may have olive oil or no sauce at all. I like white pizza more than red pizza because you can really taste the ingredients. Adding some fresh tomatoes to a white pizza will give it that tomato flavor without the completely overwhelming taste of the red sauce that covers most pizzas. If you have not had a white pizza, I recommend that you order or make one today.
Cause and Effect, Compare and Contrast, Chronological/Sequence, Problem & Solution, Descriptive
Compare and Contrast
What are the two names for the beginning of a story?
Exposition & Introduction
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.
What is the main idea?
Reality tv isn't actually real
What two pieces of information/knowledge do you use to form an inference?
Textual evidence & Background Knowledge
Trey looked out the window. The rain was still pouring down. He threw his baseball glove on the couch with a sigh. The thunder cracked and his phone dinged. Trey picked up the phone. It was a message from his cousin: The game is canceled because of the weather. Trey didn't reply to the message. He threw the phone back on his bed and rubbed his temples. The rain pattered on the roof.
What is the tone of this passage?
Gloomy, sad, disappointment, stressful
There are many reasons why people dance. Some people dance for fun, just because they enjoy dancing. At other times, people dance for exercise or for weight loss, because dancing can really get your heart beating. Also, sometimes people dance to try to get boyfriends or girlfriends. Some people think that good dancing is attractive. There are many reasons why people dance.
Cause and Effect, Compare and Contrast, Chronological/Sequence, Problem & Solution, Descriptive
Cause & Effect
What are the two names for the end of a story?
Conclusion & Resolution
Counterfeiting is the act of making phony money that looks official. It is a very old crime but recent advances in printing have made it possible for even amateurs to produce decent counterfeits. Fortunately, there are some ways that you can detect counterfeits. The first and most telling inspection is to pay attention to how the money feels. It is difficult to reproduce the texture of real money. If the money feels suspect, look carefully at the microprinting on the bill. Many features along the portrait and border of a genuine bill contain writing that is too small to reproduce in most printers. If you are still suspicious, hold the bill up to the light and look for the strip that says the value of the bill. With a little diligence, you can keep yourself from becoming a victim of this rising trend.
What is the main idea?
How to detect a counterfeit bill
Screech! Karen stomped on the gas pedal the moment the light turned green. She looked over her left shoulder and zigged past a semi-truck. She zoomed ahead and looked over her right shoulder and then zagged past a motorbike. She glanced at the clock on the console and darted into the parking lot. Whipping into a parking spot, she grabbed her suitcase and ran through the lot, up the escalator, and into the terminal. Her heavy suitcase was bumping and bouncing the whole way. Just as she entered the terminal, she heard an announcement over the loudspeaker, "Final boarding call for flight 205 to JFK..." Karen looked at her ticket and then at the line to get through the security checkpoint, which wrapped around several turnstiles and slithered like a lethargic snake. Karen sighed and then slowly walked to the customer service desk.
Why does Karen go to the customer service desk?
Karen is going to have to reschedule/get a new flight.
Amar wiped the sweat from his brow. The sun laid into him as he trekked across the desert. He licked his lips but there was no moisture on his tongue. His mouth was dry. His lips were cracked. He held his hand on his forehead to block the sun, but he still couldn't see over the next dune. The waves of heat obscured his vision. Amar looked up a saw the vultures circling. He felt his legs wobbling.
What is the mood of the passage?
Desperate, sad, dangerous, doomed,
Having good attendance is important because attendance determines the school’s funding. Some students have poor attendance, and the school has tried many ways of addressing this: teachers have talked to parents on the phone and the school has mailed letters. Yet, some students still maintain poor attendance. Next, the staff will attempt to schedule parent/teacher/administrator conferences with students who are habitually absent. Hopefully, this will help more students get to school every day.
Cause and Effect, Compare and Contrast, Chronological/Sequence, Problem & Solution, Descriptive
Problem & Solution
As far back as Brendon could remember, he only wanted one girl, Alice Dailey. To Brendon, she was perfect in every way. There was just one problem: every time Brendon tried to talk to her, he felt butterflies in his stomach and then he threw up in his mouth. To overcome his fear, Brendon enlists the help of the coolest guy in the school, Max Mansion, to teach him how to talk to girls. Will Brendon be able to summon the nerve to ask out Alice with Max's help, or will he just puke in his mouth again?
What is the conflict and what type of conflict is it?
Conflict: Scared to talk to a girl
Type: Internal, self vs self
Wolverines are medium sized mammals. They weigh no more than 50 lbs. Yet they have earned their reputation for ferocity by killing prey many times their size. But why do they get in so many fights? The reason why wolverines have so many conflicts with other animals (including wolves, cougars, and even bears) is probably because of the wolverine's preferred hunting style. Rather than chasing down or tricking its prey like most hunters, the wolverine prefers to take its meals directly from other hunters. So while a polar bear or a lone wolf might be enjoying a hard-earned carcass, a hungry wolverine may try to take his lunch. As you might imagine, this style of hunting gets the wolverine in plenty of fights.
What is the main idea?
The Wolverine is very tough and takes its food from other mammals.
"Nico!" Erin shouted at the top of her lungs as she bounded through the meadow, "Come back, Nico!" She was nearly out of breath but she kept running through the tall grass. "Nico, come on, boy! It's time to go home!" Erin continued shouting, her voice hoarse from shouting similar expressions all day. Then she stumbled over the leash that she was carrying, "Whoa… Come on Nico!" Erin shouted, regaining her balance.
Who is Nico?
Erin's dog
How could I love you more? I try to think of one lovely gift No lover yet in all the world has found; I think: If the cold somber1 gods Were hot with love as I am Could they not endow2 you with a star And fix bright youth forever in your limbs? Could they not give you all things that I lack? You should have loved a god; I am but dust. Yet no god loves as loves this poor frail dust.
What is the tone of this poem?
Lovely but lack of self-confidence
Cats are known for their independence. They may be difficult to train, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t teach an old cat new tricks. It’s time to learn how to teach your cat to fetch. First, find a toy or object that your cat likes. It is much easier to keep your cat’s attention if you use something in which he or she is already interested. Next, throw the toy a short distance. If your cat chases the toy, you are off to a good start. Wait until the cat returns the toy and reward the cat with a treat when he or she does. Continue doing this for as long as your cat shows interest in the toy: toss it, wait for the cat to return it, and then reward the cat. As your cat gets better at this trick, slowly increase how far you throw the toy. It may take some time, but with a little dedication and a lot of patience you can teach your cat a cool trick that he or she will do whenever he or she feels like it.
Cause and Effect, Compare and Contrast, Chronological/Sequence, Problem & Solution, Descriptive
Sequence
What are:
Characters
Setting
Conflict
Point of View
Narrator
Characters: people and animals in the story
Setting: where and when a story takes place
Conflict: the problem in the story
Point of view: the perspective that the story is told in
Narrator: who tells the story
Remember, if something is worth doing, it is worth doing correctly. That said, the key to making perfect cookies is merely a matter of preparation and precision. To begin with, read your cookie recipe thoroughly before baking. Make sure that you have all the necessary ingredients before you continue. Next, use good tools and utensils. Sometimes, the craftsperson is only as good as his or her tools. By using good tools you minimize mistakes and improve the quality of your product. Last, use top quality ingredients. Unlike characters in fairytales, you can't turn lead into gold. If you use poor quality materials, you'll create inferior products. So, to make perfect cookies you should use the highest quality materials available. Bon appetite!
What is the main idea?
How to make the perfect cookie
Michael was the star quarterback of the football team and he was dating Amanda Barnes, the captain of the cheerleading squad. Everything was going perfectly for them until Michael was seriously injured during one of the last games of the season. The doctors told him that he would probably never play football again and that he would have to wear a large cast on his leg for several months. Amanda stayed really close with Michael immediately after the injury, but then she started to change. She would not visit him often. She would not wait by his locker or help him carry his books to class anymore. Also, he noticed that she was talking more and more with Ken Madsen, the new quarterback. This upset Michael greatly. Then one day Amanda told him that she and Michael needed to have a talk after school. Michael did not like the sound of that.
What does Amanda want to talk to Michael about and why?
She wants to break up with Michael because he is no longer an athlete and she wants to date an athlete.
I couldn’t blame them. They had seen no battles, but the invisible arms of the war had taken their men and their hope. Every face I saw was angry and bleak. The anger rose in me for a moment. I hadn’t asked for the war. I hadn’t wanted to leave my family for years and to travel so far away. What did I have to show for those years? A woolen blanket, a cooking kettle, a lucky stone, and stories of what I had seen—the good and the bad. Too bad I couldn’t eat stories.
What is the tone of the poem?
Angry, bleak, frustration,
Molly crept out the door onto the front porch. Early morning. A fresh new day. Their old farmhouse sat comfortably on an acre of grass and gardens, surrounded by trees. Distant traffic sounds filtered through trees: muted background music. Molly sat on the steps and took a deep contented breath. Dawn's ragged swirls of mist lingered among the maple and fir trees. Two robins pecked in the grass looking for worms. Mom's bed of daffodils glowed yellow in the morning light. Molly hugged herself, while a nippy breeze poked through her thin cotton nightie. And then she saw them. They stepped out of the mist-laden gloom between the trees, one dainty step after the other, across the grass in front of her. There were three of them: a deer and her two young fawns. Molly held her breath. Awesome!
Cause and Effect, Compare and Contrast, Chronological/Sequence, Problem & Solution, Descriptive
Descriptive
List all the plot elements in order and name one detail about each one
Exposition, Introduction: Characters, setting, conflict is introduced
Rising action: Conflict is building
Climax: high point of the story, the main character faces the conflict, turning point
Falling action: loose ends are tied up, the story is coming to an end
Resolution, Conclusion: end of the story, everything is resolved