Monday - August 31,

2015
Objective: I will close read a text to
analyze purpose and tone and
determine the connotative meaning
of words and phrases.
Warm-Up: What different strategies
can you use to understand the
meaning of unfamiliar words?
Homework: By Thursday, read
chapters 1-3 of Battle of the
Labyrinth

Close Reading
Workshop
Informational/Literary Nonfiction Texts

First Reading Directions

1. Read the entire passage silently.
2. Diffuse the underlined words by
replacing them with synonyms or
definitions on the left side.
3. Work slowly, just try to understand
the basic meaning of the passage.

Connotation
noun
1. the associated or secondary meaning of a word
or expression in addition to its explicit or primary
meaning: A possible connotation of home is a
place of warmth, comfort, and affection..
the act of connoting; the suggesting of an
additional meaning for a word or expression, apart
from its explicit meaning.
2. something suggested or implied by a word or
thing, rather than being explicitly named or
described: Religion has always had a negative
connotation for me.

Second Reading
Directions
1. I will read the text aloud and you will follow
along with me.
2. This time, circle words that you do not know and
that you feel are important to the meaning of
the passage.
3. Check Your Understanding: Working with the
person next to you, use context clues or a
thesaurus to find synonyms for important words
you circled. Write the words and synonyms down
in the space underneath #1. Be prepared to
share.
4. We will write a summary explaining the central
ideas in the passage, using two or three of the
new words we learned.

Background Information
Shared reading of background information on pg.
4
Watch Frederick Douglas mini Bio video.

Third Reading Directions

You will read the passage a third time, silently.
This time, go through and answer the Key Ideas and
Details questions on the margins.
1. Why does Douglas compare slaves going to the Great
House Farm to politicians? How does this comparison
contribute to your understanding?
2. What is the contradiction between the meaning and
the tone in the slaves songs? How could this
contradiction confuse an outside observer?
3. How does Douglass choice of words help reveal his
feelings about the institution of slavery? Which
examples of powerful diction best reveal his tone?
4. According to Douglass, what mistaken conclusion do
people make from the singing of slaves? What simile
does he use to illustrate his point?

Check Your Understanding

With your partner, choose a
sentence from the text that you
feel is very important to
understanding the text.
Copy the sentence, with
quotations.
Write one sentence explaining in
your own words what the quote
means.

Tuesday September 1,
2015
Objective: I will use
several pieces of textual
evidence to support
analysis of a text and
visual media.
Warm-Up: Look
carefully at the map on
the overhead. Describe
at least one thing that
catches your attention.
Homework: Ch.1-3
BOTL
Answer discussion
questions

Synthesizing Your
Understanding
We will discuss and answer the next three questions
together. Make sure you WRITE the answer.
1. Who is the speaker and what is the subject of the passage?
What is the speakers perspective on the subject? What
experiences or beliefs contribute to his point of view?
2. What is the purpose of the passage? Now that you have
identified the subject and speaker of the passage, explain
Douglasss reasons for writing these paragraphs. What does
he hope to communicate to the audience about his subject?
3. What is the authors attitude toward the subject of the
passage? Tone describes the attitude of the author about
the subject being discussed. Now that you have identified
the subject and the purpose, explain how Douglass feels
about this subject.

Writing Prompt
Based on your current understanding of the
passage, summarize Douglasss point of view
and tone about slavery. Write a paragraph
that explains your interpretation of his
perspective on this topic. Be sure to:
Identify the subject, speaker, purpose and
tone of the passage in a topic sentence.
Provide several pieces of textual evidence
that support your statement
Explain how the evidence supports your
topic sentence.

Proper Paragraph
1. Topic sentence a sentence that states the main idea
of your paragraph. You should always address the
author and text you are talking about and clearly
answer the question.
2. Supporting detail/textual evidence phrases from the
text that support what your topic sentence is saying.
You can paraphrase what the text is saying or you can
use direct quotes.
3. Commentary/Analysis explain how the textual
evidence supports your topic sentence. YOUR OWN
THOUGHTS AND IDEAS
4. Supporting detail/textual evidence
5. Commentary/Analysis
6. Concluding Sentence wrap up your paragraph in a
sentence that rewords your topic sentence.
In conclusion, _________________.

Activity 2
Look carefully at the map that
follows. It depicts the Underground
Railroad, a network of safe houses
and secret routes that existed in the
19th-century United States. With the
aid of abolitionists and sympathetic
allies, an estimated 100,000
escaped slaves had gained their
freedom by 1850 via the
Underground Railroad.

First Reading First

Impressions
As you look at the map, what catches your eye?
What details do you notice?
How would you describe the details in this map to
someone who could not see it?
To answer this question, keep your responses only
on what you can see in the map.
Write down answers on the blank spaces around
the map.
* Afterwards, share with your group the detail you
wrote down.

What I noticed . . .
A legend or key explains the meaning of the
shaded states and the white arrows; names of
cities are included; rivers are noted by dark,
squiggly lines; arrows indicate movement - some
indicate movement northward, some lines are on
the ocean, some are going south; one escape
route goes to Canada; another goes south to the
Caribbean; the arrows seem to get thicker at
certain points in the middle.

Second Reading What

does it mean?
Now that you have examined the map carefully,
what inferences can you make?
How do you interpret what you see? In other
words, what might you say about the states or
routes that goes beyond what is explicitly shown
on the map?
Work with your group to write down in COMPLETE
SENTENCES inferences that you can make about
the map.

Third Reading How do

you know?
Explain the connection between the details you
notice and your interpretation of these details.
How might you use the details in the map as
textual evidence to support the ideas or
inferences you have made?
For example: You may have made an inference
that the Underground Railroad was spread out in
many parts of the U.S. Well, how do you know
this? Because the arrows showing escape routes
in the map cover many parts of the country.
This might seem obvious to YOU, but it might not be
obvious to others.

Writing Prompt
What does Douglass say about slavery? What
does the map show about slavery? Write a
paragraph comparing the two.
Be sure to:
Write a topic sentence that connects the two
texts.
Include textual details and explain how they
support your connection.
Write a conclusion that follows from your
explanations.
You will work in groups to write your paragraphs,
but each of you must turn in your own copy!
Use the outline we learned today!

Ticket out the Door

Do you feel that your group was
better able to help you
comprehend and analyze the text?
How did your group collaborate
together to complete the writing
prompt?
Please answer in complete
sentences!!!

Wednesday September 02,

2015

Objective: I will independently close

read a text to analyze the tone and
opinion of the speaker.
Warm-Up: What do you know about
Harriet Tubman and the Underground
Railroad? Remember, we talked about the
Underground Railroad yesterday.
Homework: Complete discussion
questions for chapters 1-3. Due
tomorrow!

First Reading: First

Impressions
Read the passage silently.
As you go through, write definitions for
underlined words that you do not understand.
If you finish early, write one sentence
summarizing the passage. What is this
passage about?

Second Reading:
Vocabulary in Context
We are going to read the passage out loud
together.
As we read, circle all the bolded words that you do
not understand and you feel are important.
Check Your Understanding
1. Share the words that you circled with your
shoulder partner. Work together to use context
clues to define the words that you circled. Write
the definitions ON TOP OF THE WORDS.
2. What leadership qualities does Harriet Tubman
demonstrate in this passage? Explain several ways
that her role as a leader is different from the role
of the others in her group. Answer the question in
three to four sentences. (mini-paragraph)

Thursday September 03,

2015
* Take homework out
Objective: I will draw inferences from
informational texts to make and
support my analysis; I will engage in a
collaborative discussion.
Warm-Up: What rules should students
follow when participating in formal
class discussions?
Homework: Read chapters 4-6 from
Battle of the Labyrinth.

Third Reading: TextDependent Questions

Working with your partner, read the passage a third time.
Respond to the Key Ideas and Details questions on pages 13-14.
Write your answers on the margins. Make sure you underline or
highlight the textual evidence that supports your answer.
1. How do the specific examples help illustrate the impact of the
Fugitive Slave Law?
2. How does the author contrast Tubmans internal doubts and
fears with the words of support and encouragement that she
gives her followers?
3. What details does the author include to build suspense and
foreshadow the disappointment that Tubman and her followers
will face at the first farmhouse?
4. Why and how does Tubman maintain a delicate balance so that
her followers will experience just the right amount of fear?
5. How and why does Tubman act differently when approaching
this second farmhouse?

Check Your Understanding

Work together with your partner to ask a question
about the authors purpose or Harriet Tubmans
point of view.
Begin your question with why or how.
Its ok if you dont know the answer, just ask a
question you feel is important.
Copy the question on a sticky note, include both
of your names on it, and stick it on the board.
For example:
Why were the escaped slaves likely to panic during
the trip?

Subject, Purpose, and

Tone
Now that you have read this passage
multiple times and discussed with a
partner, you should be able to answer the
subject, purpose, and tone questions.
Answer questions 1-3 on pg. 15, in
complete sentences.
Remember, the goal is to be able to do this
by yourself. If you are really struggling, you
can turn to the person next to you and
work on the questions together. But I want
you to REALLY TRY to do this by yourself.

Preparing for Discussion

Together we will answer the following questions.
Write answers in your notebook.
1. What is Frederick Douglass doing to take a stand
against slavery?
Frederick Douglass is taking a stand against slavery by
____________________________.

2. What is Harriet Tubman doing to take a stand

against slavery?
Harriet Tubman is taking a stand against slavery by
______________________________.

3. What is the major difference between Douglasss

actions and Tubmans actions?
The major difference between Douglasss actions and Tubmans
actions is __________________________________________.

Preparing for Discussion

Douglass once wrote a letter to Tubman where he stated:
The difference between us is very marked. Most that I have done
and suffered in the service of our cause has been in public, and I
have received much encouragement at every step of the way. You,
on the other hand, have labored in a private way.

In a struggle to change society, which is more effective or

important: public speeches and writing, or private actions?
Think about it on your own and answer the question in your
notebook. Then, find one piece of textual evidence from
Douglasss passage or Petrys passage to support your
opinion.
My opinion: In a struggle to change society ____________________ is
more effective because __________________.
My textual evidence: quote from text to support your opinion

Rules for Discussion

You will have 10 minutes to discuss your ideas with
your group.
Each person must share his or her opinion and textual
evidence.
Once everyone shares, debate with each other and
see if you can come up with one position that
everyone in the group agrees to.
You may only discuss this topic and the passages that
Name of group
One Interesting Point
we read!
member
Brought up by this
person
Take notes of the discussion
in your notebook using
the following table:

Rules for Discussion

This is a polite, formal discussion. You are not
screaming at each other or calling each other
dumb.
Respect everyones opinions and keep an open mind.
Agreement
Your comment points to
the greater theme of
If I can add to your
point
Building off your point
Your idea relates to
I agree with _______
because _______.
I like how you pointed
out that ______, because
___________.

Disagreement/Clarif
cation
Can you clarify what
you meant by
Another
interpretation of the
passage could be
What textual
examples support
your idea?

Ticket out the Door

What conclusion did your group
come to and why? If your group
was not able to agree on one
position, explain why.
In your composition notebook.