Name _________________________________ Class _______________________ Date________________________
PACKET #3
CONTEMPORARY WRITERS PACKET Points: ____ / 75
FEATURED WRITERS: JOYCE CAROL OATES, BRIAN DOYLE, BILL WATTERSON – FICTION / THEMES
CHECK LIST:
□ _____/10 Completed Study Guide□ _____/10 Vocabulary Development – “Sky Blue Ball”□ _____/8 Vocabulary Development – “Joyas Voladoras”□ _____/8 Graphic Organizer – “Sky Blue Ball”□ _____/6 Graphic Organizer – “Joyas Voladoras”□ _____/8 Circular Graphic Organizer – Themes Map□ _____/25 Selection Test
TURN IN THIS COMPLETED PACKET IN ON
DUE DATE:______________________________________
OBJECTIVE: Students will learn literary elements definitions and begin to apply them to reading and their own writing. Students will also read and comprehend Contemporary American writing, the basis for such writing, as well as learn and apply new vocabulary words.
Academic Standards: 1.1.11A Learning to Read Independently1.1.11E Establish a reading vocabulary1.1.11F Understand the meaning of and apply key vocabulary words1.1.11H Demonstrate fluency and comprehension in reading1.2.11C Produce work in a literary genre1.3.11A Read and understand works of literature1.3.11B Analyze relationships, uses, and effectiveness of literary elements1.3.11C Analyze the effectiveness of author’s use of literary devices1.3.11F Read and respond to nonfiction and fiction1.3.11A Write short stories, poems and plays1.5.11D Write with a command of the stylistic aspects of composition
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113 Unit 6 Resources
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STUDY GUIDE / INSTRUCTIONS
CONTEMPORARY WRITERS: JOYCE CAROL OATES, BRIAN DOYLE, BILL WATTERSON – FICTION WRITERS / THEMES
►LIST THE TITLES OF THE PIECES WRITTEN BY THE AUTHORS:
1. Joyce Carol Oates wrote___________________________________________
2. Brian Doyle wrote________________________________________________
3. Bill Watterson wrote______________________________________________
►VOCABULARY:
spherical ______________________________________________
resilient ____________________________________________
volition ____________________________________________
intransigent ____________________________________________
insurmountable ____________________________________________
elephantine ____________________________________________
infinitesimal ____________________________________________
mitochondria ____________________________________________
aneurysms ____________________________________________
►LITERARY ELEMENTS:
theme ______________________________________________
►READING: “The Sky Blue Ball” – page 1254“Joyas Voladoras” – page 1259“Calvin & Hobbes” – page 1264
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114 Unit 6 Resources
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Vocabulary Development SKILL BUILDER
The Sky Blue Ball Joyce Carol Oates
Activity 1: Exploring Deeper MeaningsChoose the statement that provides an accurate example of the meaning of each vocabulary word.
1. insurmountableA) The huge numbers of marching ants overwhelmed the termite nest.B) The nest of hornets was large, but we removed it.
2. intransigentA) His mother’s rules were absolutely inflexible.B) His mother’s rules changed according to the situation.
3. resilientA) The palm trees snapped in the hurricane’s gale.B) The aspen trees rebounded against the strong breeze.
4. sphericalA) Maria studied the marble’s interior colors with a magnifying glass.B) Maria studied the triangular gem with a magnifying glass.
5. volitionA) She wrote occasionally, whenever the spirit moved her, and whenever nothing
more interesting was going on.B) She wrote for two hours every morning without fail, no matter what else was
going on.
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115 Unit 6 Resources
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Activity 2: Changing ContextsEach vocabulary word from “The Sky Blue Ball” is used at least once in the following paragraph. Fill in each word where it best fits the context.Example The insurmountable mountain caused Pedro to give up his quest.insurmountable intransigent resilientvolition spherical
The frozen society of Alpha-9 was bleak. The atmosphere was poisonous, and icy
mudslides forced everyone to mount their huge, (6) _____________________
buildings on stilts, looking like giant raised bubbles floating above the muck. The
laws of the closed society were completely (7) _____________________, and the
penalties for disobeying the rules were severe. Even worse than the laws were the
customs. Under the strictly-enforced norms of behavior, anyone who acted with (8)
_______________________ was instantly outcast. Even the most cheerful,
(9) _____________________ soul was sure to wilt under the weight of tedium on
this remote outpost of Earth. It was into this world of rigid, utterly (10)
______________________ conformity that the most remarkable, original thinker in
the history of humanity was born.
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116 Unit 6 Resources
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Unit 6: Collection 16Vocabulary Development SKILL BUILDER
“Joyas Voladoras” Brian Doyle
Activity 1: Exploring Deeper MeaningsChoose the statement that provides an accurate example of the meaning of each vocabulary word.
1. aneurysmsA) The swollen wall of the bulge in the aorta was like a ticking time bomb.B) The weakened heart muscle was rehabilitated with cardiovascular exercise.
2. elephantineA) The tall, skinny man squeezed into a space next to the stage and stood still for
two hours.B) The 300-pound man was like a bull in a china shop as he blundered through
the room.
3. infinitesimalA) Most of our cells are too small to be seen clearly without a magnifying tool.B) The largest bone in your body is the femur, or the thigh bone.
4. mitochondriaA) Small organisms invade cells in order to reproduce.B) Small organisms act like little engines inside cells.
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117 Unit 6 Resources
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Activity 2: Changing ContextsEach vocabulary word from “Joyas Voladoras” is used at least once in the following paragraph. Fill in each word where it best fits the context.Example The chances of winning the lottery are infinitesimal.aneurysms elephantine infinitesimal mitochondria
Often called “cellular power plants,” (5) _____________________ are found in the
cells of almost all living things, from the largest, most (6) _____________________
animals to the smallest, most (7) _______________________ single-celled
organisms. Their origins are controversial, and no one knows exactly where they
came from. They may have been symbiotic bacteria that simply merged into cells
sometime in the distant past. Their importance is only now beginning to be
understood. For example, it is possible that a malfunction in these cellular
powerhouses may play a part in potentially fatal
(8) ______________________ in people’s large blood vessels, such as the aorta.
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118 Unit 6 Resources
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Selection Reading Focus GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
“Joyas Voladoras” Brian Doyle
ANALYZING PATTERNS OF ORGANIZATION As you read, use the table below to catalog the objects that Doyle discusses in his essay. Note the facts and objects by paragraph.
AFTER YOU READ Now, fill in the second box in each row to explain how those catalogued facts and objects affected your reading of the essay.
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119 Unit 6 Resources
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Collection 16 Student Edition pages 1251–1265
Graphic Organizer IDENTIFYING THEMES ACROSS GENRES
The Sky Blue Ball / “Joyas Voladoras” / Calvin and HobbesThemes Across Genres Map Some themes are so universal that they are explored through different genres. Short stories, poetry, nonfiction, novels, and even cartoons explore the questions of Who am I? and What is the meaning of life? and What does it mean to be human?
Think about the three selections. Fill in the outer circles with notes about the theme of the selection. Around the outside of each outer circle, you can jot notes about images, language, and details in the selections. In the center circle, write a theme that is common to all three selections.
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120 Unit 6 Resources
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Unit 6: Collection 16Selection Reading Focus GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
The Sky Blue Ball Joyce Carol Oates
READING FOCUS: INTERPRETING DETAILS As you read, use the chart below to record the images and details that stand out to you, and explain what those details tell you about the character or her situation. Think about what they may symbolize in the story.
AFTER YOU READ Now that you have finished reading, review your chart. Then, write a brief paragraph on how Oates carefully chooses details to give symbolic meaning to the story.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Unit 6: Collection 16Selection Test READING AND LITERATURE
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121 Unit 6 Resources
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The Sky Blue Ball Joyce Carol Oates“Joyas Voladoras” Brian DoyleCalvin and Hobbes Bill Watterson
COMPREHENSION Circle the letter of the best answer to each of the following items.
1. The tone of “The Sky Blue Ball” is—A) calmB) menacing
C) somberD) thoughtful
2. After reading the first paragraph of “The Sky Blue Ball,” the reader is immediately pulled into the story by—A) suspense over plot developmentsB) the happy mood the reader feelsC) detailed characterizationD) the weirdly unique writing style
3. The first-person narrator of “The Sky Blue Ball” is motivated by—A) self-satisfactionB) duty
C) self-discoveryD) love
4. Which vocabulary word best expresses the theme of “The Sky Blue Ball”?A) resilientB) spherical
C) insurmountableD) volition
5. The metaphoric importance of our own hearts in “Joyas Voladoras” is that—A) they are highly vulnerable to human emotionB) they all will beat about the same number of timesC) they have four chambers, like other mammalsD) they keep beating, without stopping, all our lives
6. The comparison between the size of a hummingbird’s heart and a blue whale’s heart in “Joyas Voladoras” is meant to emphasize that—A) the world of living things includes an awesome varietyB) lifetimes are measured in numbers of heartbeats, not size of heartsC) a blue whale lives many more years than a hummingbirdD) the largest heart of all is found in a mammal, not a bird
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122 Unit 6 Resources
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Unit 6: Collection 16, Selection Test continued
7. The four simple panels of the “Calvin and Hobbes” cartoon use one square of a sidewalk as a metaphor for—A) the many decisions we must
make in our livesB) life and our passing through it
C) the many questions we have about the origins of life
D) the brevity of childhood as opposed to maturity
8. The characters in “Calvin and Hobbes” are frozen in place by the questions posed in the third panel of the cartoon because—A) the questions have completely
confused themB) they are waiting for an outside
source to answer the questions
C) the questions about the purpose of life are so overwhelming
D) they are afraid to step out of the sidewalk square
VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT Match the definitions in the left column with the correct word in the right column. Write the letter of the word on the line next to the definition. Not all words will be used.
_______ 9. indefinitely or exceedingly small
_______ 10. able to return to original form after being bent, compressed, or stretched
_______ 11. huge, ponderous, or clumsy
_______ 12. uncompromising
_______ 13. conscious choice, will, or determination
A) volitionB) elephantineC) infinitesimalD) insurmountableE) intransigentF) mitochondriaG) resilient
LITERARY FOCUS Circle the letter of the best answer to each of the following items.
14. The wall in “The Sky Blue Ball” is symbolic. It might represent—A) the hope most people harbor for the futureB) the troubles experienced in the pastC) the barrier to communication with othersD) the ever-present weight of authority and convention
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15. In “The Sky Blue Ball,” the ball also symbolizes several things. For example, it is a symbol of—
A) the narrator’s schoolB) the narrator’s fatherC) the narrator’s childhoodD) the town of Strykersville
16. How does the catalog structure of “Joyas Voladoras” affect its theme?A) Hummingbirds and whales compare to other animals in an interesting way.B) The lifespans and heart sizes lead naturally to comparisons with insect life.C) Each creature’s heart compares to the human heart in terms of structure.D) The emotional vulnerability of a human heart makes it “largest” of all.
READING FOCUS Circle the letter of the best answer to each of the following items.
17. Which image from “The Sky Blue Ball” gives the reader a sense of the narrator’s self-image in the first half of the story?A) “A game, I thought. You can’t quit a game.”B) “. . . I’d cut my knees that were bare . . .”C) “. . . we . . . were perceived inferior . . .”D) “I was fourteen years old.”
18. The organization of “Joyas Voladoras” suggests that the human heart is—A) between a hummingbird and a blue whale in sizeB) largest of all because of the emotions humans feelC) the smallest and weakest of all animal heartsD) subject to diseases and injury that do not affect animals
19. What words from the end of “The Sky Blue Ball” reveal what has happened to the narrator’s attitude?A) “somewhere on the other side,” “at last”B) “stubbornly,” “heat of indignation,” “snatched it up in triumph”C) “like my own ball,” “discovered the ball,” “faded and cracked”D) “wall . . . insurmountable,” “no longer sky blue,” “smelled of nothing”
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CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE (6 points)
20. One consistent element in all three selections is the vulnerability of human life. Below, compare how each selection treats this subject. Use evidence from the selections to support your answer.
HINT: Be sure to use at least one specific (quoted) example from each selection. Explain how your examples show the vulnerability of human life.
________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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296 Differentiating Instruction