ACTIVITY 1 SCRUTINIZE ME

Directions: Read the poem “Design” by famous American poet Robert Frost and
answer the questions that follow.

Design
I found a dimpled spider, fat and white,
On a white heal-all, holding up a moth
Like a white piece of rigid satin cloth—
Assorted characters of death and blight
Mixed ready to begin the morning right,
Like the ingredients of a witches’ broth—
A snow-drop spider, a flower like a froth,
And dead wings carried like a paper kite.
What had that flower to do with being white,
The wayside blue and innocent heal-all?
What brought the kindred spider to that height,
Then steered the white moth thither in the night?
What but design of darkness to appall?—
If design govern in a thing so small.

Comprehension Check:

1. What is the subject of the literary text?

-It’s about a daily observation of a spider
2. What image does it describe?
-A white spider holding a moth on a white flower.

3. How does the poem start?

The poem starts with something unpleasant, a spider
4. What point is the poet trying to convey?
God plays a role in the design of nature and the world around us.
5. Why do you think the title is appropriate for this poem?
Yes, for it leads us to the realization that there is God who must have
designed and controlled everything.

ACTIVITY 2 SKETCH ME
Directions: Read the poem again and illustrate your understanding of the literary
text.
ACTIVITY 3 READTHINKWRITE

Directions: Read the passage by anthropologist and naturalist Loren Eiseley. It's
from his essay called "The Hidden Teacher." Write a close and critical analysis of
the text you have just read.
. . . I once received an unexpected lesson from a spider. It happened far away on a
rainy morning in the West. I had come up a long gulch looking for fossils, and
there, just at eye level, lurked a huge yellow-and-black orb spider, whose web was
moored to the tall spears of buffalo grass at the edge of the arroyo. It was her
universe, and her senses did not extend beyond the lines and spokes of the great
wheel she inhabited. Her extended claws could feel every vibration throughout that
delicate structure. She knew the tug of wind, the fall of a raindrop, the flutter of a
trapped moth's wing. Down one spoke of the web ran a stout ribbon of gossamer on
which she could hurry out to investigate her prey.
Curious, I took a pencil from my pocket and touched a strand of the web.
Immediately there was a response. The web, plucked by its menacing occupant,
began to vibrate until it was a blur. Anything that had brushed claw or wing
against that amazing snare would be thoroughly entrapped. As the vibrations
slowed, I could see the owner fingering her guidelines for signs of struggle. A pencil
point was an intrusion into this universe for which no precedent existed. Spider
was circumscribed by spider ideas; its universe was spider universe. All outside
was irrational, extraneous, at best raw material for spider. As I proceeded on my
way along the gully, like a vast impossible shadow, I realized that in the world of
spider I did not exist.

Rubrics:
Literary Analysis Writing Rubric

Skill Area 6 5 4 3 2 1
Responses Response Response Response Response Respons
at this level: s at this s at this s at this s at this es at
level: level: level: level: this
level:
Meaning Offer Offer Convey Convey a Convey a Provide
insightful accurat an partly confused no
Sound accurate or largely
interpreta e accurate evidenc
understa inaccurat
tions of interpr although e
nding, unders
the text etation somewha e
interpret tandin of
with s of the t
ation, g of understa unde
analysis text basic
and the nding of rstan
that goes with understa
analysis text the text ding
well analysi nding of and and offer and
beyond a s that
the text offer unclear make
literal goes
and offer few or interpret no
level. beyond
 a partially superfi ations. inter
literal explained cial preta
level. interpr tions.
and/or
etation
somewh
s with
at literal
a
interpret
tenden
ations.
cy to
retell.
Develop Develop Develop Develop Develop Contain Do not
ment ideas ideas some ideas textual include
clearly, clearly, ideas briefly or evidence textual
Specific elaborate on more partially, that is eviden
explain
and specific fully than using vague, ce and
key
relevant textual some reveal
textual
details evidence, others, textual irrelevant no
evidence using
that and reveal evidence ,
, and relevant underst
support an but w/o repetitive
reveal textual much anding
the insightful and/or
an evidence elaborati of the of
thesis understandi unjustifie
underst and on and the
ng of the d
anding reveal reveal a author’s
author’s and
of the some vague use of
use of reveal a
literary author’s understa understa confused literary
use of nding of nding of understa
elements literary the the nding of element
and element author’s author’s the of the s and
techniques. s and use of use of author’s techniq
techniq literary use of ues.
elements elements
ues. and and literary
techniqu techniqu elements
es. es. and
techniqu
es.
Organiza Contain a Contain Contain Fail to Establis Fail
tion compellin a clear a clear maintai ha to
g thesis thesis thesis n focus confuse inclu
Thesis statement statemen on the
stateme d or de a
stateme , use t but thesis
nt, use irrelevan thesi
nt and insightful ideas stateme
topic t thesis. s.
organiza analytical nt.
and within Exhibit Exhi
tion of Exhibit
concludi paragrap some bit a
key topic and a basic
ng hs may attempt comp
elements concludi structur
sentence be to lete
of ng e but
s, and inconsist provide lack
support sentence lack
make ently a of
and s, and coherenc
use of organized beginnin organ
paragrap make e. Make
transitio . Make g, izatio
hing skillful
n words some an middle, n.
use of
 transitio and attempt in and an Make
n words phrases. to use co end. no
and basic ns Make atte
phrases. transitio ist little mpt
ns. en attempt to
t to use use
att transitio trans
e ns. itions
m .
pt
to
us
e
tra
ns
iti
on
s.
Languag Use Use Use Rely on Use Use
e language langu approp basic langua lang
that is age riate vocabul ge that uage
Word precise, is that
that langua ary and
choice engaging, impreci is
is ge and rely on
and and se or inco
origin make a
sentence sophisti unsuit here
al and some limited
variety cated able nt or
incor attemp range of
and and inap
porat t to syntacti
incorpo reveal prop
e use c
rate a riate
some senten structur a
wide and
varied ce es. confus
range sente variety inclu
ed
of nce but de a
unders
varied patter with prep
tandin
sentenc ns. uneven onde
g of
e succes ranc
how to
pattern s. e of
write
s. sent
in
comple ence
te frag
senten ment
ces. s
and
run-
ons.
Conventi Demonstra Demons Demons Exhibit Exhibit Exhibit
ons te control trate trate frequent frequent numer
of the control partial errors errors ous
Spelling, control, that
convention of the that errors
punctuat exhibiti make
s with conventi somewh of
 ion, essentially ons, ng at compreh several
capitaliza no errors. exhibiti occasio hinder ension kinds.
tion, ng nal compre
errors difficult
usage occasio hension
that do (e.g.
nal (e.g.
not subject
errors agreeme
hinder verb
only nt of
compre agreemen
when pronou
hension t).
using (e.g. ns and
sophisti anteced
cated incorrect ents,
languag use of spelling
e (e.g. homony of basic
punctua ms). words,
tion of errors
complex in verb
sentenc tenses).
es).

Reflection:
There are many reasons why you read. You read for enjoyment, to gain knowledge,
and inspiration. When you read a work of literature in an English class, however,
you’re being asked to read in a special way: you’re being asked to perform literary
analysis. To analyze something means to break it down into smaller parts and then
examine how those parts work, both individually and together. Literary analysis
involves examining all the parts of a novel, play, short story, or poem—elements
such as character, setting, tone, and imagery—and thinking about how the author
uses those elements to create certain effects. Why do you think there is an
importance in writing a close analysis of a literary text?
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References:
https://www.sierracollege.edu/_files/resources/student-services/academic-
support/writing-center/documents/LitCrit.pdf
https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/assignments/closereading/
https://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/how-do-close-reading.Copyright
1998, Patricia Kain, for the Writing Center at Harvard University
https://2.files.edl.io/YpIyNlPBimohZ47dMvEIiLlNgapBF685rlV59xEkocx1WkZg.pdf

Answer Key:
Activity 1
1. It’s about a daily observation of a spider
2. A white spider holding a moth on a white flower.
3. The poem starts with something unpleasant, a spider.
4. God plays a role in the design of nature and the world around us.
5. Yes, for it leads us to the realization that there is God who must have
designed and controlled everything.
Activity 2 & 3 Students outputs vary.

Author: Analyn M. Pamesa Reviewers: 1.

School/Station: Agusan NHS 2.
Division: Butuan City 3.
email address: 4.