We walked to the field, to throw the ball around. Some kids said, Want to play? We need someone to pound. Big D and I smirked; we both had game and knew it. I hiked the ball and he went deep, and then you know I threw it. The ball went high and D was cheetah fast. He was streaking by them all, stepping on the gas. A spiral came down as D put out his hands. He jumped up and caught it, girls were screaming from the stands. He ran to me. I ran to him. We cracked a high five. The bell rang. We bolted back and in time arrived. We stepped inside the room, chatty wearing smiles. The teacher took a look at us and dropped his files. When you boys left, you were after each other. Now you come in my class smiling like you re brothers. I m not sure what you did, or how all this happened, but as for now get pencils out. It s time to do some rappin. We all sat down with paper out, poetry the style. D and I and partnered up with a kid named Kyle. Stanza after stanza, we were breezy like the wind. We wrote a page of rap and rhyme. I looked at D he grinned. The three of us walked up to teacher and we said, We ve got a song that s sure to stick in everybody s head. All right perform it now let s see what you can do. Kids heads were bobbing, till the song was through. The kids cheered, they all stood up, a standing ovation. Our teacher said, Well boys you ve found
your occupation. D and I were big dogs, not little pups. Our teacher said, Someone else come out and rip it up! Next was Ray. I think he played the sax. He strolled up, looking smooth and relaxed. The words rolled right off his tongue with crazy style. Our fists were pumping as he flowed like the Nile. The clock hit towards the end. My teacher looked at me. I d like to keep you after class, you ll be home by three. I gave a shrug. What else could I do? The class lined up, and out they flew. My teacher approached. I didn t know what he d do. You re not in trouble Sam my friend, the opposite is true. To start this day, you and D did burn. I kept you here to ask about the lesson that you learned. My face got red, embarrassed and surprised. There was silence for a minute, and then I realized, that what I learned could be told in rhythm and in rhyme. My foot started tapping and my thoughts came out fine. What I learned is this. I passed today s test. When D came in I saw him, he looked mean and distressed. I didn t like him by the clothes and look he wore, but now I realize that my judgment was poor. His day started out, dark and thunder cloudy. Now I understand when he came in why he was rowdy. We all have things happen, at home and in our life. You never know who s working through the pain and the strife. So from this day on, I ll try to recollect, That when someone s looking rough, I should not disrespect, because you never know the path that they are walking. Just walk up, shake a hand and listen to their talking. My teacher looked at me, all thoughtful and reflective. The word for what you ve just explained, it is called perspective. No matter who you are, if you see someone looking blue, you cannot know how they feel unless you re in their shoes. Remember that every day a lesson can be learned, and with that my day was done, so for home I turned.
Figurative Language Multiple Choice 1. Which line form the story infers that D was running at a high speed? a. D was cheetah fast. b. He was stepping on the gas. c. He was streaking by them all. d. A, B, and C 2. Which of these forms of figurative language is a simile? a. We were breezy like the wind. b. His day was dark and thunder cloudy. c. The words rolled off his tongue. d. You cannot know how they feel unless you re in their shoes. 3. What does the author tell us by saying, His day started out dark and thunder cloudy? a. He was feeling a surprised excitement, like hearing thunder in the sky. b. It was a cold, cloudy and overcast. c. The day did not begin well and he was in a bad mood. d. The thunder and rain was putting everyone in a bad mood. 4. Look back in the story. Why does the author describe words as, breezy like the wind? a. Some words require a lot of breath, and wind comes out of your mouth when you say them. b. The author is telling us that the words were smooth and cool. c. Some words describe breezes, and that s what they were trying to do. d. None of these 5. According to the story, if you see someone looking blue a. you cannot really know how they feel unless you have to go through the same experience. b. you should avoid them, because they are probably in a very bad mood. c. you can try and be a good listener, and understand the problem they are facing. d. both a and c
Figurative Language Constructed Response 1. Nick s mother said he could not go to the birthday party until he solved the last problem on his homework, but he just could not wrap his head around the solution! What does this mean? Be sure to explain your reasoning. 2. Take two examples of figurative language from the story, and use them in your own way. Example 1: Example 2:
KEY Main Idea: 1 - D 2 - A 3 - C 4 - B 5 - D Depth of Knowledge 2 Constructed/Short Response Rubric +0 The student does not answer any of the question, writes something unrelated, or leaves it blank. +1 The student writes an answer that touches on the question/s, but does not show or explain complete understanding. +2 The question or questions are answered completely and there is supporting evidence or explanation to support the answer.