Reading Literary Text 4 (RL 4): Anchor Standard: Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning and tone. Grade 6: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone. Grade 7: Determine the meaning of words/ phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama. Grade 8: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts. RL 4: Analyze Figurative Language Students use this organizer to record examples of figurative language from their reading. This is a great page to use in student literature logs during a novel study. RL 4,RI 4: Word Choice and Author s Tone Students identify the tone of a text and then supply words and phrases that create that tone in their reading. RL 4: Word Choice and Mood Students identify the mood of a text and then supply words and phrases that create that mood in their reading. RL 4: Analyzing Connotative Language Students will complete this organizer during reading. They will record words and phrases that have either a positive connotation or negative connotation. This organizer can be used over a period of time during novel study or for a single poem. Additional Items: Positive and egative Mood Words List Word Choice and Mood Activity Words that Describe Mood Poster Words that Describe Tone Poster
RL 4: Analyzing Figurative Language DIRECTIOS: As you read, record examples of figurative language in the story. Identify the type of figurative language and also explain the meaning of the excerpt in your own words. Excerpt Example: The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. Type of Figurative Language Simile Your Explanation August is the part of summer when it is really hot. The heat moves up like a Ferris wheel until it reaches the hottest part of summer.
RL 4: Analyzing Figurative Language DIRECTIOS: As you read, record examples of figurative language in the story. Identify the type of figurative language and also explain the meaning of the excerpt in your own words. Excerpt from Hatchet The drone and the sea of green trees that lay before the plane s nose and flowed to the horizon, spread with lakes, swamps, and wandering streams and rivers. The plane went into a glide, a very fast glide that ate altitude, and suddenly there weren t any lakes. He felt like a prisoner, kept in a small cell that was hurtling through the sky at what he thought to be 160 miles per hour But between the seventeenth and eighteenth radio transmissions, without a warning, the engine coughed, roared violently for a second and died. The memory was like a knife cutting into him. Slicing deep into him with hate. Type of Figurative Language Metaphor and Imagery Your Explanation This is the beautiful scenery that Brian sees from the airplane. The metaphor sea of green trees emphasizes how big the forest is. Personification The plane is eating altitude meaning Simile that is dropping fast. Brian feels like a prisoner because he is trapped or caged into this airplane that s about to crash and he can t get out. Personification The plane s engine had a heart attack Simile and died just like the pilot! Brian is thinking about what his mom has done and it hurts as bad as being stabbed. Be asleep, his mind screamed at the pilot. Personification Brian is panicked and hoping that the pilot is asleep and not dead. He was dirty and starving and bitten and hurt and lonely and ugly and afraid and so completely miserable that it was like being in a pit, a dark, deep pit with no way out. I have a friend, he thought - I have a friend now. A hungry friend, but a good one. I have a friend named fire. Simile He feels trapped and hopeless as if he had fallen into a pit and could never get out. Personification The fire is Brian s friend because it will keep the mosquitos away and now he can heat up food.
RL 4: Word Choice and Tone DIRECTIOS: Complete the following organizer by first identifying the author s or narrator s tone. Then fill in the surrounding circles with words or phrases from the text that contribute to that tone. Tone:
RL 4: Word Choice and Mood DIRECTIOS: Complete the following organizer by first identifying the text s mood. Then fill in the surrounding circles with words or phrases from the text that contribute to that mood. Moo d:
RL 4: Word Choice and Mood Chapter 3 of Hatchet DIRECTIOS: Complete the following organizer by first identifying the text s mood. Then fill in the surrounding circles with words or phrases from the text that contribute to that mood. brain screamed ate altitude death trees spiraling out into nothing Moo d: wrenching tight animal screams of fear and pain ripping shattered blinded RL 4: Analyzing Connotative Language
DIRECTIOS: As you read, record interesting words and phrases that have either a strong positive connotation or a strong negative connotation. Words and Phrases from the Text a ghastly smile The sun was scorching hot Positive or egative Connotation Effect on Meaning or Tone The character is smiling, but it s a mean smile. The word scorching makes the sun s heat unpleasant. RL 4: Analyzing Connotative Language
(examples from Gary Soto s story Seventh Grade ) DIRECTIOS: As you read, record interesting words and phrases that have either a strong positive connotation or a strong negative connotation. Words and Phrases from the Text Victor stood in line half an hour before he came to a wobbly card table. A tinny, three-beat bell propelled students the crackling loudspeaker Positive or egative Connotation Effect on Meaning or Tone The story begins with a negative image of the school. It makes it sound like the bell is an annoying sound that makes the kids go to class. The author uses language that makes the reader think the school is old and run down. the students squirmed in their chairs and ignored him The kids don t like school and don t respect the principal the students herded noisily through the door The word herded is a negative way to talk about people they aren t cows! the students herded noisily through the door The word herded is a negative way to talk about people they aren t cows! looking back, admiring how gracefully she walked Mr. Lucas, a portly man, waddled down the aisle P The words become positive when the narrator is talking about Teresa because she is the one thing about school that Victor loves. These words make the reader think that he s not a good teacher. She smiled and pushed wisps of hair from her face. P These words show the reader how much Victor likes Teresa. Everything she does is pretty.
CCSS RL 4: Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. Understanding the Effects of Word Choice Activity Procedures: 1. Remind students of what mood and atmosphere mean in literature: the feeling an author creates with words. Tell them that authors control the mood in a story by carefully choosing words in order to produce the effect they want. Recognizing the mood an author is creating can help them better understand a story. For example, Margaret shivered as the train passed over the water. (The author uses shivered to create a mood. People shiver when they are nervous or scared.) 2. Divide students into groups of 2-4. Give each group a set of word cards. Explain that they will sort out the cards according to the mood to which they would contribute. Explain that the 4 moods for this activity are cozy/ restful, energetic/ playful, sorrowful/ sad, and frightening/ scary. Hang a piece of butcher paper on the wall for each of the 4 moods. IMPORTAT OTE: There is no perfect key for this activity. There will be differences of opinion/ different connotations. These discussions will enhance the activity. Cozy, Restful Cuddle Cradle Snug Warm estle Mellow Soft Gentle Soothe Quiet Comfort Calm Energetic, Playful Scamper Scoot Skip Lighthearted Bounce Spirited Giggle Dance Frolic Radiant Sparkle Bubbly Sorrowful, Sad Ache Barren Abandoned Forlorn Grief Wither Gloomy Dreary Alone Bare Weep Heartbroken Frightening, Scary Lurk Shatter Stammer Howl Creep Stalk Dim Clench Thunderous Shriek Claw Shadowy
Cuddle Cradle Snug Warm estle Mellow Soft Gentle Soothe Quiet Comfort Calm
Scamper Scoot Skip Lighthearted Bounce Spirited Giggle Dance Frolic Radiant Sparkle Bubbly
Ache Barren Abandoned Forlorn Grief Wither Gloomy Dreary Alone Bare Weep Heartbroken
Lurk Shatter Stammer Howl Creep Stalk Dim Clench Thunderous Shriek Claw Shadowy
Words that Describe Words that Describe Words that Describe Words that Describe TOE Admiring Admiring Admiring Admiring Amused Amused Amused Amused Angry Angry Angry Angry Anxious Anxious Anxious Anxious Bitter Bitter Bitter Bitter Casual Casual Casual Casual Cheerful Cheerful Cheerful Cheerful Critical Critical Critical Critical Gloomy Gloomy Gloomy Gloomy Hopeful Hopeful Hopeful Hopeful Humorous Humorous Humorous Humorous Inspired Inspired Inspired Inspired Lighthearted Lighthearted Lighthearted Lighthearted Matter Matter Matter Matter-of of of of-fact fact fact fact Mocking Mocking Mocking Mocking egative egative egative egative ostalgic ostalgic ostalgic ostalgic Optimistic Optimistic Optimistic Optimistic Passionate Passionate Passionate Passionate Peaceful Peaceful Peaceful Peaceful Persuasive Persuasive Persuasive Persuasive Playful Playful Playful Playful Proud Proud Proud Proud Respectful Respectful Respectful Respectful Sad Sad Sad Sad Sarcastic Sarcastic Sarcastic Sarcastic Scornful Scornful Scornful Scornful Senti Senti Senti Sentimental mental mental mental Serious Serious Serious Serious Silly Silly Silly Silly Somber Somber Somber Somber Suspicious Suspicious Suspicious Suspicious Sympathetic Sympathetic Sympathetic Sympathetic Whimsical Whimsical Whimsical Whimsical
Words that Describe MOOD Calm Comica Mysterious Fanciful Angry gloom Warm Frightening Suspenseful Joyful