WELCOMEAMERICAN LITERATURE

Semester TwoJanuary 13, 2014

DAY ONE

CORE OBJECTIVESUnderstand and appreciate a

classic short story; Recognize and interpret allegory; Clarify meaning

in a short story

INTEGRATED SKILLSParticiples and Participle Phrases;

Past and Present Participles; Context Clues; Latin Root Words

STANDARDS COVEREDWriting 2.03, Reading 3.09, Writing 2.03, Reading 1.01, Reading 1.02,

Reading 3.09, Reading 2.01, Written and Oral Language 1.01,

Reading 2.06,

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

SUMMARIZE THE MEANING OF THE SENTENCE

(Using Context Clues)

In the 14th century the deadly bubonic plague pervaded the

population, quickly spreading from one person to another.

EXERCISES1. The lack of restrictions at the academy

allowed students the license to act according to their own judgment

2. She felt the tiny hairs raise suddenly on the back of her neck, making her fear tangible.

3. Unafraid of the threat to his reputation, the dauntless courtier told the truth before other members of the royal court.

Connect to Your LifeFacing an Epidemic

Imagine that your city or town has been struck by an epidemic of a deadly disease that seems

to be incurable. The disease spreads rapidly but has not yet reached your neighborhood.

How do you think you, other members of your family, and your neighbors would react? With a

small group of classmates, discuss some actions that you could take in the crisis, both to

protect yourself and to help other people.

BUILD BACKGROUNDPlague

A deadly disease seems just the thing to inspire Poe's haunted imagination. Before the advances of 20th-century medicine, when people had no antibiotics and little knowledge about

how diseases spread, an outbreak of disease could be a source of great terror. Poe's story may have been inspired by an

outbreak of bubonic plague that killed about 25 million people in Europe (more than a quarter of the continent's population)

in the mid-14th century. Victims experienced high fever, vomiting, pain, and swellings that oozed blood, and they were usually dead within three to five days. In "The Masque of the

Red Death," Poe's characters try to find a place of refuge from a similar disease.

What I already know:

What I just learned (new knowledge):

VOCABULARY WORDS

• Contagion• Courtier• Dauntless• Grotesque• Impetuosity

• License• Pervade• Sagacious• Tangible• Untenanted

CONTAGION

• Noun• : the process by which a disease is passed

from one person or animal to another by touching

• : a disease that can be passed from one person or animal to another by touching

• : a contagious disease

COURTIER

• Noun• : one in attendance at a royal court• : one who practices flattery

DAUNTLESS

• Adjective• : very brave• : fearless

GROTESQUE

• Adjective• : very strange or ugly in a way that is not

normal or natural• : extremely different from what is expected or

usual

IMPETUOUS

• Adjective• : acting or done quickly and without thought • : controlled by emotion rather than thought• Noun– impetuosity

LICENSE

• Noun• : permission to act • : freedom of action

PERVADE

• Transitive verb• : to spread through all parts of (something) • : to exist in every part of (something)

SAGACIOUS

• Adjective• : having or showing an ability to understand

difficult ideas and situations and to make good decisions

TANGIBLE

• Adjective• : easily seen or recognized• : able to be touched or felt

UNTENANTED

• Adjective• Not occupied

FOCUS YOUR READING This story can be read as an allegory, a work with two layers of meaning. In an allegorical

tale, most of the persons, objects, and events stand for abstract ideas or qualities.

For example, a bird might represent freedom. As you read the story, take note of the

characters, objects, and events that Poe describes.

Think about what each might represent.

ACTIVE READINGClarifying Meaning

• In "The Masque of the Red Death," Poe uses unusual, archaic vocabulary, partly to reinforce the story's setting in the past.

• The following strategies can help you clarify the meanings of particular words and passages:* Use the Guide for Reading notes, which explain difficult words and passages.* Reread difficult sentences or passages slowly and carefully. Try to paraphrase them--that is, to restate them in your own words.* Summarize difficult passages.* Use context clues--clues in the surrounding phrases--to help you figure out the meanings of unfamiliar words.

HOMEWORK

CONNECT TO THE LITERATURE• What Do You Think?

How did you react to the masked figure's first appearance?

• Comprehension Check* Why does Prince Prospero close himself and his courtiers off in the abbey?* Why does the masked figure's presence cause such a sensation?* What happens to the prince and the revellers?

READ THE

SELECTIONPage 455

WELCOMEAMERICAN LITERATURE

Semester TwoTuesday, January 14, 2014

CORE OBJECTIVESUnderstand and appreciate a

classic short story; Recognize and interpret allegory; Clarify meaning

in a short story

INTEGRATED SKILLSParticiples and Participle Phrases;

Past and Present Participles; Context Clues; Latin Root Words

STANDARDS COVEREDWriting 2.03, Reading 3.09, Writing 2.03, Reading 1.01, Reading 1.02,

Reading 3.09, Reading 2.01, Written and Oral Language 1.01,

Reading 2.06,

DAY TWO

ACTIVITY ONELiterary Analysis

"The Masque of the Red Death" can be read as an allegory, a

literary work in which most of the people, objects, and events stand

for abstract qualities. Here are some important things to know

about allegories:

• * An allegory usually has a second level of meaning in addition to its literal meaning.

• * Some allegories are intended to teach moral lessons. – In the fable of the tortoise and the hare, for

example, the actions of the tortoise--the slow, focused, character--are shown as more admirable than those of the cunning but easily distracted hare.

• * Stories that are not formal allegories may nevertheless contain some allegorical elements--some objects, people, or events that stand for abstract ideas or qualities.

Paired Activity • Review the story to find elements that might

have allegorical meanings.• Explain what you think is the meaning of

each element, as well as how Poe used the elements to convey a moral lesson.

• You might use a chart like this one to record your interpretations.

• Compare charts with a partner, and defend your interpretations.

Literary AnalysisAllegory

• You should also consider the allegorical role color plays in the story,– with scarlet representing blood, – the Red Death, a warning, and – black representing death, doom, and mourning.

Person, Object, Event

Possible Meaning Possible Lesson of Story

The Prince

The abbey

The series of seven rooms

The clock

The stranger

ACTIVITY TWOVocabulary in

Action

In the chart shown here, the Words to Know are grouped under headings that refer to elements in the

story.Use each group of words to write three sentences about the person or thing named by its headings.Write sentences that contain context clues so that someone unfamiliar with a word can figure out the

meaning.

Read Death Masked Ball Prince Prosperocontagion courtier dauntlesspervade grotesque sagaciousuntenanted license impetuositytangible

ACTIVITY THREE

Grammar: Using Past and Present Participles

Instruction: A participle is a verb form that can function as part of a verb phrase or as an adjective. Present tense

participles always end in -ing. Past participles often end in -ed;

however, they can take other forms as well.

Identify the present participle and the past participle:

The dancing guests felt safe from the Red Death.

The enraged Prince Prospero attacked the mysterious stranger.

Exercises: Identify the tense of each underlined participle.

1. The invited guests arrived in elaborate costumes. (______ participle)

2. Whispering behind their masks, the guests wondered about the identity of the mysterious stranger. (______ participle)

HOMEWORK

Writing Options• 1. Newspaper Editorial Prospero and his friends escape to

the abbey after half the people in his lands have died. Pretend that you are a newspaper editor in the prince's domain, and write an editorial giving your opinion of this action.

• 2. Poetic Retelling In a ballad or another type of narrative poem, retell the story of the prince and his friends. Make sure that you include all the key events.

• 3. Archaeological Report In the role of an archaeologist who has excavated the remains of Prospero's abbey, write a descriptive report about the remains you have found and the conclusions you have drawn from them.

Writing Options• 1. Newspaper Editorial Your editorials should explain their

opinions regarding the action taken by Prospero and his friends. Students should support their opinions with evidence from the text.

• 2. Poetic Retelling Your retellings should demonstrate an understanding of the key events of the narrative. Volunteer to read your poem aloud to the rest of the class. How does the poetic form affect the drama of Poe's story?

• 3. Archaeological Report Your report should draw conclusions about the remains of the abbey based upon details from the story.

WELCOMEAMERICAN LITERATURE

Semester TwoWednesday, January 15, 2014

CORE OBJECTIVESUnderstand and appreciate a

classic short story; Recognize and interpret allegory; Clarify meaning

in a short story

INTEGRATED SKILLSParticiples and Participle Phrases;

Past and Present Participles; Context Clues; Latin Root Words

STANDARDS COVEREDWriting 2.03, Reading 3.09, Writing 2.03, Reading 1.01, Reading 1.02,

Reading 3.09, Reading 2.01, Written and Oral Language 1.01,

Reading 2.06,

DAY THREE

ACTIVITY ONEGrammar: Participles and

Participial Phrases

A participle is a verb form that can function as part of a verb phrase or as an

adjective.

A participial phrase contains a participle

plus any complements or modifiers.

[A] The guests had danced all night.[B] We saw the guests dancing at the abbey.[C] The dancing guests swirled about the

room.Identify:

[1]the participle that functions as part of a verb phrase [A] [B] [C]

[2]the participle that functions as an adjective [A] [B] [C] and

[3]the participial phrase [A] [B] [C]

Exercises Identify the participle or participial phrase

and its function in each sentence.

1. We watched the courtiers securing the gates.

1. Prince Prospero had invited one thousand guests.

Exercises Identify the participle or participial phrase

and its function in each sentence.

1. We watched the courtiers securing the gates. (securing the gates; adjective modifying courtiers)

2. Prince Prospero had invited one thousand guests. (had invited; verb phrase)

ACTIVITY TWOAPPLYING MEANINGS OF

LATIN ROOT WORDS

You can apply meanings of root words in order to comprehend

meanings of other words based on these roots.

The word license, for example, is based on the Latin root licere,

which means "to be permitted."

When the narrator describes the "masquerade license of the night" as "nearly unlimited," he is saying

that there is virtually no restriction on or limit to the behavior allowed.

Other words in this story that have Latin roots are contagion,

dauntless, impetuosity, pervade, sagacious, and tangible.

Work in pairs to research the word origins and find the roots of

these words. [p444] Use each word in a sentence.

ACTIVITY THREE

SELECTION TEST