Jan 30th

Read Aloud:

Take notes as you listen to “Strange Fruit.”

What is the main idea?What is the main metaphor?

Daily Writing: “Strange Fruit”

After listening to the song, discuss the lyrics with your group. Finally, figure out the message, mood, and tone of this song. Write a paragraph critiquing the song.

”The Man Who Was Almost a Man”

Decisions, Decisions: Brainstorm a list of decisions Dave makes.

Questions to Consider:1) Does owning a gun give Dave what he wants?2) Do you feel sorry for Dave? Why or why not?3) What might Dave’s life be like in the future?

Right There“Right There” questions require you to go back tothe passage and find the correct information toanswer the question. These are sometimes calledliteral questions because the correct answer can befound somewhere in the passage. “Right There”questions sometimes include the words “Accordingto the passage…” “How many…” “Who is…” “Whereis…” “What is…”

Think and Search“Think and Search” questions usually require you to think about how ideas or information in the passage relate to each other. You will need to look back at the passage, find the information that the question refers to, and then think about how the information or ideas fit together. “Think and Search” questions sometimes include the words “The main idea of the passage…” “What caused…” “Compare/contrast…”

Author and You“Author and You” questions require you to use ideas and information that is not stated directly in the passage to answer the question. These questions require you to think about what you have read and formulate your own ideas or opinions. “Author and You” questions sometimes include the words “The author implies…” “The passage suggests…” “The speaker’s attitude…”

On My Own“On My Own” questions can be answered using yourbackground knowledge on a topic. This type ofquestion does not usually appear on tests of readingcomprehension because it does not require you torefer to the passage. “On My Own” questionssometimes include the words “In your opinion…” “Basedon your experience…” “Think about someone/somethingyou know…”

QUESTIONANSWER

RELATIONSHIPS

LITERAL

INFERENTIAL

http://web000.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ela/6-12/Tools/Qar.pdf

Level One:Can be answered explicitly by the facts contained in the text or by information accessible in other resources.

Level Two:Textually implicit, requiring analysis and interpretation of specific parts of the text.

Level Three:Are much more open-ended and go beyond the text. They are intended to provoke a discussion of an abstract idea or issue.

LEVELS OF QUESTIONS

RESEARCH PAPER-THESIS CHECK1. Can my thesis be supported given the requirements of this assignment? That means the thesis will take

research to support, but will be adequately addressed in 6-10 pages.

2. Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it's possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument. For instance, "people should avoid driving under the influence of alcohol," would be unlikely to evoke any opposition.

3. Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like "good" or "successful," see if you could be more specific: why is something "good"; what specifically makes something "successful"? A strong thesis proves a point without discussing “everything about …” Instead of music, think "American jazz in the 1930s" and your argument about it.

4. Does my thesis pass the "So what?" test? If a reader's first response is, "So what?" then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.

5. Does my thesis pass the "how and why?" test? If a reader's first response is "how?" or "why?" your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

http://www.sdst.org/shs/library/thesis.html

http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/thesis.html

With the Hughes thesis statements:

1.check your statement 2. With a partner make comments on everyone else’s3. Make changes again to your thesis statement

Historical Benchmarks & Literary Works

Purpose: Identify possible events/documents from history as well as possible literary pieces that could be used to support your thesis

Finding Pieces

1. Look in your history textbook for ideas about historical events/documents that may be pertinent (don’t forget photos, maps, political cartoons, etc).

2. Look in your literature textbook for ideas about shorter literary pieces. Don’t forget to first think about whether or not your theme fits with literary pieces we have already read (e.g., Huck Finn, “The Crucible”).

3. Use the links posted on the website for more ideas.