Meeting the California ChallengeChapter One

NotesWord AnalysisLessons: 1 and 2

Literal MeaningThe literal meaning of a word is its dictionary definition.

Figurative MeaningThe figurative meaning of a work is its extended meaning.

Prefixes and SuffixesPrefixes and suffixes are additions that change the meaning or part of speech of a base word.

Ex. Preboard= pre (prefix) + board (base word) Working= work (base word) + ing (suffix)

Word OriginsThe history of a word, as well as its adoption into English, is called its derivation.

Denotative Meaning (Denotation)A word that uses its literal meaning or dictionary definition.

Connotative Meaning (Connotation)A word that uses an underlying meaning or the feeling it evokes.

Positive and Negative ConnotationsWords that carry either positive or negative connotation convey specific meaning and emotion.

Ex. Ugly, Beautiful, Obese, SkinnySlender vs. Gaunt

Neutral WordsHave no strong positive or negative connotation and are considered neutral words.

Ex. Shiny, Table, Help

Meeting the California ChallengeChapter Two

NotesReading ComprehensionLessons: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10

Product InformationProduct information includes a description of the product, its features, or its uses.

WarrantiesWarranties are manufacturers’ guarantees that the products are reliable.

InstructionsInstructions are directions for making a product work correctly.

Table of ContentsShows the organization of the textbook

Heading and SubheadingPoint out important information

TextSpells out the information in clear, concise language

Bulleted ListsSummarize information

Numbered listsGive directions

Maps Show the layout of the workplace

Diagrams/Charts/TablesPresent information in graphic references

BibliographyA list of materials used when you research a topic.

AnalyzeTo analyze means to read critically and examine the information in a text.

Main IdeaIdentify the main idea or main point. What message does the author want readers to understand or remember?

ClassifyArrange information by grouping ideas, people things, or events by what they have in common.

OrderPlace events in an order that makes sense.

Compare and ContrastLook for similarities and differences.

Cause and Effect

Identify cause-and-effect relationships. Cause=an action that produces another event or action; Effect=the result of the action.

Explanatory WritingPresents necessary information found in functional documents

AudienceEffective explanatory writing addresses the needs of the audience as well as their interests

OrganizationThe document should begin with an overview of the process or policy.

SequenceWell-written documents follow a logical sequence.

Chronological, time, or order Spatial order Order of importance Order of difficulty

ClarityMake sure that the writing has enough details for the audience.

ToneThe writer should use a tone of authority to inspire confidence.

Evaluate an Argument Facts=informed writers defend their

arguments with facts that can be proved. Examples=good arguments have personal

stories and examples that help support a writer’s position.

Expert Opinion=appropriate quotations from experts can support an argument.

Logic=an argument or a defense should make sense.

Claim=a statement that is open to challenge.

Meeting the California ChallengeChapter Three

NotesLiterary Response and AnalysisLessons: 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22

Dramatic LiteratureIt consists of written dialogue performed by actors in front of an audience.

Types of DramasStories that end happily are labeled comedies. Stories that end in death, disorder, or destruction are called tragedies.

Modern DramaStage, television and motion pictures

SoliloquyA stage character presents a speech alone. Thoughts and feelings are revealed to the audience but not to the other characters.

Internal ConflictExists when a character struggles with a difficult situation or has to make an important decision.

External ConflictExists when a character struggles against an outside force that pulls the character into a difficult situation.

- man vs. man- man vs. nature- man vs. society

MotivationIs a character’s reason for doing something or behaving in a certain way.

Four Character Traits Static: remain the same from the beginning to

the end Dynamic: grow and change in the course of

the work Flat: reveal only one personality trait Round: show varied and sometimes

contradictory traits

NarrationReveals character traits, actions, dialogue, or conversation

Dramatic MonologueA poem in which a speaker appears to know the reader and explains what is happening as the poem unfolds.

ThemeThe main idea

Universal ThemesPassed from generation to generation in either written or oral form. Touches on human experiences so that people from different cultures and different time periods can relate to them.

PerspectiveIs the angle about the theme.

FlashbackTells about an earlier event

ForeshadowingBuilds suspense by giving readers clues about what will happen later.

Figurative LanguageDescribes something by comparing it with something else:

Simile: compares two unlike things Metaphor: compares two things without using

the words like or as to introduce the comparison.

Personification: gives a human quality to something that is not human

Repetition: is the recurring use of a sound, a word, a phrase, or a line

Imagery: refers to the way an author uses words that appeal to your senses.

AmbiguityThe way of expressing something so that its meaning is unclear or doubtful.

SubtletyAn author takes advantage of the slight, but significant, difference in the meaning or words.

Contradiction

A statement or phrase whose parts oppose or conflict with each other.

IronyThe difference between what exists or occurs and what is believed or expected.

+ Verbal Irony – when what is said and what is meant are opposites

+ Dramatic Irony – when the audience/reader knows something that the character(s) do not

+ Situational Irony – when the resolution to a story is unexpected

First-person Point of ViewThe story is told by one character in the story.

Third-person Point of ViewThe story is told by an outside observer or a character who is not involved with the action.

HeritageIncludes traits and characteristics that are passed down from one generation to another.

TraditionsAre periodic rituals and celebrations, held to honor people, holidays, or special occasions.

AttitudesReflect values and outlooks on life.

Beliefs

Are an individual’s religious or spiritual understandings

ImagesThe words and phrases that writers use to create “word pictures” and the symbols an author weaves into the text to represent larger ideas spring from the author’s imagination.

LanguageCan reflect a writer’s education and the time period during which he or she works.

DictionUse precise language and vivid verbs and often choose words that evoke emotional responses in their readers

Meeting the California ChallengeChapter Four

NotesWriting StrategiesLessons: 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, and 29

Thesis StatementDefines the boundaries of the subject and shows the major points of the main idea.

PerspectiveThis is a clear point of view. It clearly states the focus of the writing.

ToneThe tone expresses the view of a subject: serious, conversational, humorous, etc…

Action VerbsHelp readers visualize what is happening.

Sensory DetailsThese are words that describe smells, taste, sights, sounds, and textures.

ModifiersA word, phrase, or clause that describes or gives specific meaning to another word, phrase, or clause. Adjectives and adverbs describe nouns, pronouns, and verbs.

Action Voice

A sentence written in the action voice depicts the subject performing an action.

ScenariosAre descriptions of events that help readers visualize the outcome of a situation.

HypothesisAn idea that is assumed to be true according to prior knowledge or experience.

Synthesizing InformationCombining information to form an accurate picture.

Quotation Rules1. Put quotation marks before and after direct

quotations. Place quotation marks around the exact words quoted. Place periods and commas inside closing quotation marks.

2. Place an exclamation point or question mark outside the quotation marks unless it is part of the quotation.

3. Begin each sentence of a direct quotation with a capital letter.

Meeting the California ChallengeChapter Five

NotesWriting ApplicationsLessons: 30, 31, 32, 33, and 34

Biographical NarrativeIs a story of a significant event in a person’s life.

Describe EventsWhen writing a biographical narrative, always include vivid descriptions of events that shape or influence the subject of the narrative.

Describe SettingUse vivid description to describe the setting of which events take place.

Describe CharactersUse detailed descriptions when conveying the personalities and habits of the people in a biographical narrative.

ThemeIncludes details about a shift in perspective that the main subject experiences within the story.

TimeShow the passage of time in a biographical narrative to reveal how your subject learns or changes.

Write Response to Literature Understand the Text Analyze Complexities Evaluate Style Support Your Ideas and Opinions

Write Expository Compositions Evaluate Your Sources Consider Your Topic Introduce Your Topic

o Thesis Statement Develop Your Topic Define Unfamiliar Terms Anticipate Misunderstandings, Biases, and

Expectations End on a Strong Note

Write Persuasive Compositions Begin your argument Support your position Convince your audience Conclude your argument

Write Business Letters Heading Inside Address Salutation Body

o Beginningo Middle

o Ending Closing Signature Format

o 81/2 by 11-inch papero Business size envelopeo Center your letter on the page with equal

margins on the sides, top, and bottomo Use a traditional fonto Block style or modified block

Meeting the California ChallengeChapter Six

Notes

Written and Oral English Language ConventionsLessons: 35, 36, 37, and 38

ClauseA grammatical unit that contains a subject and a predicate.

Main ClauseCan stand independently and make sense as a sentence.

Subordinate ClauseIt does not make sense on its own. It is always part of a larger sentence and is often separated from the main clause by a comma.

Gerund phraseContains a verb ending with –ing and functions as a noun.

Infinitive phraseIncludes the to form of a verb.

Participial phraseContains verbs that are present participles (ending in –ing) or past participles (ending in –d, -ed, -n, -en, pr

–t). It acts as an adjective and is usually close to the noun that it modifies.

SemicolonsJoin two independent clauses without using a conjunction.

ColonsLet readers know that something important follows.

EllipsesIndicates that something is omitted from a quotation.

HyphensShow relationships between words by making them compound words.

Parallel StructureThis means that similar elements in a sentence or paragraph are expressed in the same way.

SubordinationCombines two related ideas in such a way that the main idea, or independent clause, is more important grammatically than the subordinate, or dependent, clause.ModifiersWords and phrases that describe nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs.

Verb tenseShow time relationships in writing.

Integrate Source Material research paper

o title pageo formatted pageso quotationso citationso Work Cited

California Reading ReviewChapter One

Notes

Word Meaning and Fluency

Context Clues Look at the words around an unknown work. Think about the meaning of these words or the ideas of the full sentence. Then, match the meaning of the unknown word to the meaning of the text that you do know.

Denotations and ConnotationsThe denotations of words are the plain dictionary meaning. The connotations of words are the emotional associations of words.

Literal and Figurative MeaningsAn author may use words to tell plain facts: a literal meaning. The author many also use words to give the text deeper meaning, to add imagery, or to make the text poetic: a figurative meaning.

Word Derivations and Analysis:This is the process of constructing the meaning of a word based on its smaller parts called roots, prefixes, and suffixes.

Word OriginsThe English language oriented, or began, as a form of German. It’s called a Germanic language. The

earliest influence on the English came from Norway and its Norse language. The countries close to England also influenced its language with Latin and Greek elements.

FluencyFluency means being able to easily speak and read in a certain language.

California Reading ReviewChapter Two

Notes

Literal Meaning

Locating DetailsDetails are facts, reasons, and examples. They are the legs upon which a written text stands or falls. Without a clear understanding of the details, you will be confused about the meaning of the passage. Locating details is usually a straight-forward task, but sometimes a careful reading is required to sort out related facts.

Sequence of EventsQuestions dealing with the sequence of events or directions require you to make connections between events or instructions in a passage from the details you found. The subject of these passages may be a historical event, a story, a new report, or directions for procedure. The passage will generally follow a chronological order.

Cause-Effect RelationshipsThe importance of the cause-effect relationships between the sequences of events adds details and logic to passages.

California Reading ReviewChapter Three

Notes

Main Idea and Theme

When you read a paragraph where the main idea is directly stated, you will usually find some or all of the main idea either in the title, the first sentence, or the last sentence.

You may read a paragraph where the idea is implied rather than directly stated. In this case, you need a different set of strategies to identify the main idea. You are still looking for the central point of the paragraph, but no one sentence will summarize the entire paragraph. You must infer what that idea is from the supporting details.

Facts and specific examples usually support the main idea, whereas more subtle details suggest the main idea of a fictional passage. We use the word theme in discussing the main idea of short stories, novels, poetry, and plays.

California Reading ReviewChapter Four

Notes

Conclusions, Inferences, and Predictions

ConclusionA conclusion means to make a judgment about something: a work of literature, a picture, a speech, etc.

InferenceAn inference is a conclusion that goes beyond what is explicitly stated, but is based on the information already given. When you make an inference while reading a text, you make an educated guess based on facts and details in a passage.

PredictionA prediction means to make a statement about future events using information already given.

California Reading ReviewChapter Five

Notes

Elements of Argument

Analyzing ArgumentThis means to break something down into small parts to help you understand the entire concept. The following elements are some of the small parts for constructing an argument.

A primary source is first-hand information about people or events of the past. A secondary source is writing or evidence about an event written by others. It is not a first-hand account.

A fact is a statement that can be proven true by observation, statistics, or research. An opinion is a judgment or viewpoint about a person, place, event, or idea.

Argument: Evidence and GeneralizationAn argument is a statement of reasons for or against something. The best arguments will have solid evidence. Some arguments will be created from fallacies or generalizations.

California Reading ReviewChapter Six

Notes

Informational Materials

Informational MaterialsAre documents that people must read and understand for many reasons: filing tax forms, planning a bus trip, getting a job, etc. Informational materials are usually designed to inform, to instruct, and to gather information.

Consumer DocumentsForms and materials used in the purchase, maintenance, and conditions for use of products or services.

Workplace DocumentsInformation that most national and state governments expect citizens to record and to report, such as: money matters, business gathering documents, tax forms, identity forms, job applications, insurance forms, work manuals, etc.

Public DocumentsForms and documents that are available to help citizens in everyday business and errands.

California Reading ReviewChapter Seven

Notes

Synthesizing Information

Synthesizing information from sources means bringing different parts together to create something that’s complete.

California Reading ReviewChapter Eight

Notes

Analysis of Literature: Part I Genres and Character

Literary analysis involves the study of genres (types of literature), the development of characters, the use of literary devices, and the building of story structure.

NonfictionWriting which is meant to be true or factual.

FictionNarrative writing which means is to tell a story.

PoetryLiterature written in lines and stanzas, unlike prose, which follow standard grammar rules.

California Reading ReviewChapter Nine

Notes

Analysis of Literature Part II

Time and SequenceTime, in a work of literature, may move straight forward from the first event to the last event, or the author of a work of literature may feel that a story will be better remembered or understood by mixing up time. Sequence is the order in which events happen in a story. The sequence may not go in a straight time order but may go back and forth in time with the use of flashbacks. Foreshadowing is another way that time is changed; however, with foreshadowing, time is bent a little towards the future with clues.

Figurative LanguageIs a way of expressing what is experienced in a story without having to use only plain, dry facts.

Opposites/ContrastsCan be characters or situations within a piece of literature.

Story StructureIs the way that parts of a story are arranged.

California Reading ReviewChapter Ten

Notes

Drama

Tragedy: In the classic form, the hero is often a king, rising above some fault and winning a moral victory over fate. In modern tragedy a common person is the hero, often overcoming dehumanization.

Melodrama shows serious social concerns. It has stage directions settings, and costumes that are overstated and elaborate.

Dramatic Monologue: It is a performance by a single actor speaking the lines that reveal innermost thoughts and feeling to a silent listener.

Comedy: Comedies show the changing fate and uncertainty of life but use those ideas to chase death, the basic fear in our universe, away with laughter. Comedies have happy endings.

Farce: It is an exaggerated form of comedy. Farce shows social concerns using fast, frantic, and physical humor. There are also mistakes in speech that add to the unlikely story lines.

California Reading ReviewChapter Eleven

Notes

Literary Criticism

Literary criticism means simply to talk or write about a work of literature, looking for hidden meanings,

new insights, or a connection to another time and place.

Biographical Approach to literary criticism helps readers understand a literary work by looking at how the author’s life is reflected or followed by the work.

Heritage is something handed down through the right of birth.

Cultural Traditions are customs followed by a people form established social rules.

Attitudes are the strong thoughts or opinions a person or groups of people have regarding a fact or a condition.

Belief is the trust and confidence given to a person or a thing.

Historical Approach to literary criticism is a way of reading a work of literature focusing on either details of the history in the work or on the historical time that the author wrote the work.

Aesthetic Approach to literary criticism is the study of literature focusing on the elements of beauty and art which can be found in text or words.