Literary Terms to Review

Below you will find a list of literary terms with which you should be familiar for the state test.

Here is a link to a reliable website for definitions:

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072405228/student_view0/fiction_glossary.html

Literary Terms to Review:

Character
Characterization
Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution
Dialogue
Figurative Langauge
Flashback
Foreshadowing
Hyperbole
Imagery
Irony
Literal Language
Metaphor
Mood
Narrator
Onomatopoeia
Plot
Point of View (and the different types)
Protagonist
Setting
Theme
Tone

State Test Prep, Part I

Here's a link to all the past English 6 ELA tests.  We've done parts of these in class, but most of the multiple choice will be new to you.  Email me with any questions!

http://www.nysedregents.org/Grade6/EnglishLanguageArts/home.html

Our Food Blog!

Hi 6E,

Below you will find the link to the 6th Grade food blog: "We Are What We Ate".  You will be posting your recipes, "zoomed in paragraph," and eventually, your 2 page "food memoir" here.  You will also have the opportunity to comment on other students' work!

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Here's the link: http://wearewhatweate.edublogs.org

Examples for Giver Essay

Hi 6E,

As requested, here is the example introduction and body paragraph (the intro is for "euthanasia" and the body paragraph is for "control of family structure"--so don't get confused!)


Example Introduction:

Euthanasia, the act of killing someone with an incurable disease or condition, has always been a controversial subject in the United States.  This particular subject is addressed in both Lois Lowry’s novel, The Giver as well as in a recent article in The Times of India, “Woman pleads for mercy killing of son”.  In both texts, euthanasia is seen as an act for the greater good of the “patient.” However, I believe that it is always wrong to take someone’s life.

Example Body Paragraph:

In The Giver, control of family structure is considered a normal part of life, even if it isn’t ideal.  For example, Jonas’ family would prefer to keep Gabriel, the newchild who is having developmental problems.  Jonas’ father has truly taken an interest in him and even Jonas’ sister Lily asks if the family can keep him.  Unfortunately, in the community, only 2 children are allowed per family unit.  While Jonas’ family would love to keep Gabriel, they never question the rules of the community—this is just a normal part of everyday life.

Characterization and Imagery

As we make our way through The Giver, sixth grade students have been exploring concepts of equality and power through their literary analysis.  We have been focusing mostly on characterization and imagery, analyzing how the author employs these devices to enhance her message.  For the former, we are getting into technical discussions about direct vs. indirect characterization and the purpose of each.  As for imagery, we have been exploring not only visual images, but imagery that engages our other senses as well.  Lowry's book, full of vivid description, is the perfect text on which to practice this skill.

In other, perhaps less scintillating news, the NYS ELA test is fast approaching.  The dates are April 17-19.  This means we have only one day after spring break to get back into the swing of things.  All of our work to this point has prepared students for the test, but we will also be doing more targeted test prep in the month of March.  Below you will find the breakdown of the test as well as a link for more information:

For more information visit: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/apda/english/ela-ei.html

Projects and The Giver

While we have wrapped up our Nonfiction unit, I'd like to take a moment to note how impressed I was with the level of work I saw in students' projects.  They were thoughtful, artfully constructed, and meticulously researched.  Reading through them, I learned about topics from the Hubble telescope, to architecture, to NYC history and beyond.  Perhaps you'll experience some of this too by listening to this recording of students sharing their favorite project factoids.

We have now shifted our focus back to literature with our study of The Giver, by Lois Lowry.  We will be continuing to hone concrete skills and knowledge relating to literary elements and devices, but will also be discussing some rather philosophical issues like: is a utopian society possible?  How do we find a balance between the rights of an individual and the good of the community?  How do we perceive the difference between breaking the law and resisting an unjust authority?  This should be a great way to give students the opportunity to consider issues they may not have ever pondered in great depth.

Nonfiction Projects Continued

Happy New Year!

As you can see, I am trying out blogger.com for our English blog.  Though I lose some aesthetic control, it is a bit more convenient than the program I have been using and also will allow more of a dialogue via the comments option.  Hopefully this will work out well.

We have been hard at work on our nonfiction projects as of late.  Students have done an impressive amount of research on their topics and have found some interesting information.  They also had a chance to interact with specialists in their field of study through their interviews.  Overall, I'm excited about how the projects are turning out and am looking forward to seeing the final products.

In a neat twist, students are also making poetry out of their nonfiction research.  So far, they've created a "blackout poem" in which they “blacked out” words and phrases in their research articles, leaving only the most emotive words. These came together for a creative fusion of nonfiction and poetry.  They are also working on new list poems for their topics as well as on poems that incorporate figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, and alliteration).  Look back for examples of student poetry in the next week or so!