Texas
Teacher Guide
STAAR
TM
Test Practice
& Instruction
ple Lesso
m
a
Teacher
Guide
n
S
8
Reading
• Table of Contents
• Correlation Charts
• Sample Lesson
Table of Contents
STAAR Ready™ Program Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5
STAAR Ready Instruction and Test Practice
Ways to Use STAAR Ready Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A6
Getting Started with STAAR Ready Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A7
Testing with STAAR Ready Test Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A8
Teaching with STAAR Ready Instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A10
STAAR i-Ready Going Online with STAAR i-Ready . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A12
Ways to Use STAAR i-Ready and STAAR Ready Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A14
Getting Started with STAAR i-Ready and STAAR Ready Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A15
Features of STAAR Ready Instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A16
Supporting Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A26
Correlation Charts
Correlations to the STAAR-Assessed TEKS in Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A29
STAAR Ready Test Practice Questions by TEKS Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A32
STAAR Ready Test Practice Scoring Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A39
Lesson Plans (with Answers)
TEKS
Lesson 1 Affixes and Words in Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
8.1.2.A, 8.1.2.B, 8.1.2.E
Lesson 2 Comparisons and Contrasts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
8.1.3.A, 8.1.3.B,
8.1.9.A, 8.1.11.A
Lesson 3 Intertextual Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
8.1.19.F
Lesson 4 Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
8.2.3.C, 8.2.5.A,
8.2.6.B, 8.2.6.C
Lesson 5 Poetic Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
8.2.4.A
Lesson 6 Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
8.2.6.A
Lesson 7 Literary Devices, Figurative Language,
and Media Literacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
8.2.7.A, 8.2.8.A,
8.2.13.A, 8.2.13.C
Lesson 8 Summaries and Inferences in Literature . . . . . . . . 50
8.2.19.D, 8.2.19.E
Lesson 9 Summaries and Inferences in Expository Texts . . . . 57
8.3.10.A, 8.3.10.C
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TEKS
Lesson 10 Claims and Connections in Expository Texts . . . . . . 64
8.3.10.B, 8.3.10.D
Lesson 11 Rhetorical Fallacies and Media Literacy . . . . . . . . 71
8.3.11.B, 8.3.13.A,
8.3.13.C
Lesson 12 Graphics in Procedural Texts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
8.3.12.B
Lesson 13 Synthesizing Information in Texts . . . . . . . . . . . 85
8.3.19.D, 8.3.19.E
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Correlation Charts
Correlations to the STAAR-Assessed TEKS in Reading
• The chart below correlates each test question in STAAR Ready™—Reading Test Practice, Grade 8 to a TEKS
standard that is eligible for assessment on the Reading STAAR.
• The chart also indicates the corresponding lesson in STAAR Ready—Reading Instruction, Grade 8 that
provides comprehensive instruction for that TEKS standard.
• Use this chart to determine which lessons your students need.
STAAR Reading Reporting Categories
and TEKS Standards
STAAR Ready™ Instruction and Test Practice
Test Practice Item Numbers
Practice
Test 1
Practice
Test 2
Practice
Test 3
Instruction
Lesson(s)
Reporting Category 1: Understanding and Analysis Across Genres
The student will demonstrate an ability to understand and analyze a variety of written texts across
reading genres.
Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing. Students are
expected to
8.1.2.Adetermine the meaning of grade-level academic English
words derived from Latin, Greek, or other linguistic roots
and affixes. Readiness Standard
28
36
1, 31
Lesson 1
8.1.2.Buse context (within a sentence and in larger sections of
text) to determine or clarify the meaning of unfamiliar or
ambiguous words or words with novel meanings. Readiness
Standard
5, 10, 36
11, 22, 41
4, 23
Lesson 1
8.1.2.Euse a dictionary, a glossary, or a thesaurus (printed or
electronic) to determine the meanings, syllabication,
pronunciations, alternate word choices, and parts of speech
of words. Readiness Standard
1
28
6
Lesson 1
Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme
and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their
understanding. Students are expected to
8.1.3.Aanalyze literary works that share similar themes across
cultures. Supporting Standard
49, 50
–
50, 51, 52
Lesson 2
8.1.3.Bcompare and contrast the similarities and differences in
mythologies from various cultures (e.g., ideas of afterlife,
roles and characteristics of deities, purposes of myths).
Supporting Standard
51, 52
–
–
Lesson 2
Comprehension of Informational Text/Culture and History. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about
the author’s purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their
understanding. Students are expected to
8.1.9.Aanalyze works written on the same topic and compare
how the authors achieved similar or different purposes.
Supporting Standard
–
50, 51
–
Lesson 2
Comprehension of Informational Text/Persuasive Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about persuasive
text and provide evidence from text to support their analysis. Students are expected to
8.1.11.Acompare and contrast persuasive texts that reached different
conclusions about the same issue and explain how the
authors reached their conclusions through analyzing the
evidence each presents. Supporting Standard
–
49, 52
–
Lesson 2
Reading/Comprehension Skills. Students use a flexible range of metacognitive reading skills in both assigned and independent
reading to understand an author’s message. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly
more complex texts as they become self-directed, critical readers. The student is expected to
8.1.19.Fmake intertextual links among and across texts, including
other media (e.g., film, play), and provide textual evidence.
Readiness Standard
8, 47, 48
29, 37
14, 27, 37
Lesson 3
A29
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STAAR Reading Reporting Categories
and TEKS Standards
STAAR Ready™ Instruction and Test Practice
Test Practice Item Numbers
Practice
Test 1
Practice
Test 2
Practice
Test 3
Instruction
Lesson(s)
Reporting Category 2: Understanding and Analysis of Literary Text
The student will demonstrate an ability to understand and analyze literary texts.
Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme
and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their
understanding. Students are expected to
8.2.3.Cexplain how the values and beliefs of particular characters
are affected by the historical and cultural setting of the
literary work. Supporting Standard
40
12, 20
13
Lesson 4
Comprehension of Literary Text/Poetry. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and
elements of poetry and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to
8.2.4.Acompare and contrast the relationship between the purpose
and characteristics of different poetic forms (e.g., epic
poetry, lyric poetry). Supporting Standard
–
–
45, 49
Lesson 5
Comprehension of Literary Text/Drama. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and
elements of drama and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to
8.2.5.Aanalyze how different playwrights characterize their
protagonists and antagonists through the dialogue and
staging of their plays. Supporting Standard
45
30
–
Lesson 4
Comprehension of Literary Text/Fiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and
elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to
8.2.6.Aanalyze linear plot developments (e.g., conflict, rising
action, falling action, resolution, subplots) to determine
whether and how conflicts are resolved. Readiness Standard
23, 42, 44
19, 32
12, 15, 17
Lesson 6
8.2.6.Banalyze how the central characters’ qualities influence the
theme of a fictional work and resolution of the central
conflict. Readiness Standard
7, 29, 39, 46
21, 33, 34
22, 47, 48
Lesson 4
8.2.6.Canalyze different forms of point of view, including limited
versus omniscient, subjective versus objective. Supporting
Standard
30
17
11, 46
Lesson 4
Comprehension of Literary Text/Literary Nonfiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the
varied structural patterns and features of literary nonfiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding.
Students are expected to
8.2.7.Aanalyze passages in well-known speeches for the author’s
use of literary devices and word and phrase choice
(e.g., aphorisms, epigraphs) to appeal to the audience.
Supporting Standard
31
23
24
Lesson 7
Comprehension of Literary Text/Sensory Language. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about how
an author’s sensory language creates imagery in literary text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding.
Students are expected to
8.2.8.Aexplain the effect of similes and extended metaphors in
literary text. Supporting Standard
9, 24, 27
18, 31
16, 30
Lesson 7
Reading/Media Literacy. Students use comprehension skills to analyze how words, images, graphics, and sounds work together
in various forms to impact meaning. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly more
complex texts. Students are expected to
8.2.13.Aevaluate the role of media in focusing attention on events
and informing opinion on issues. Supporting Standard
33
24
25
Lesson 7
8.2.13.Cevaluate various techniques used to create a point of view in
media and the impact on audience. Supporting Standard
34
25
26
Lesson 7
Reading/Comprehension Skills. Students use a flexible range of metacognitive reading skills in both assigned and independent
reading to understand an author’s message. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly
more complex texts as they become self-directed, critical readers. The student is expected to
8.2.19.Dmake complex inferences about text and use textual
evidence to support understanding. Readiness Standard
(Fiction) / Supporting Standard (Literary Nonfiction, Poetry,
Drama)
25, 41
13, 15
18, 20
Lesson 8
8.2.19.Esummarize, paraphrase, and synthesize texts in ways that
maintain meaning and logical order within a text and across
texts. Readiness Standard (Fiction) / Supporting Standard
(Literary Nonfiction, Poetry, Drama)
26, 43
14, 16
19, 21
Lesson 8
A30
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STAAR Reading Reporting Categories
and TEKS Standards
STAAR Ready™ Instruction and Test Practice
Test Practice Item Numbers
Practice
Test 1
Practice
Test 2
Practice
Test 3
Instruction
Lesson(s)
Reporting Category 3: Understanding and Analysis of Informational Text
The student will demonstrate an ability to understand and analyze informational texts.
Comprehension of Informational Text/Expository Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about
expository text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to
8.3.10.Asummarize the main ideas, supporting details, and
relationships among ideas in text succinctly in ways that
maintain meaning and logical order. Readiness Standard
8.3.10.Bdistinguish factual claims from commonplace assertions and
opinions and evaluate inferences from their logic in text.
Supporting Standard
8.3.10.Cmake subtle inferences and draw complex conclusions
about the ideas in text and their organizational patterns.
Readiness Standard
8.3.10.Dsynthesize and make logical connections between ideas
within a text and across two or three texts representing
similar or different genres and support those findings with
textual evidence. Readiness Standard
3, 12, 32
2, 5, 26, 47
3, 29, 38
Lesson 9
35
27
39
Lesson 10
6, 16, 37, 38
1, 7, 35, 46
2, 34, 35
Lesson 9
21, 22
3, 40, 43
5, 36, 40
Lesson 10
Comprehension of Informational Text/Persuasive Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about persuasive
text and provide evidence from text to support their analysis. Students are expected to
8.3.11.Banalyze the use of such rhetorical and logical fallacies
as loaded terms, caricatures, leading questions, false
assumptions, and incorrect premises in persuasive texts.
Supporting Standard
20
42, 45
28, 41
Lesson 11
Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Texts. Students understand how to glean and use information in procedural
texts and documents. Students are expected to
8.3.12.Bevaluate graphics for their clarity in communicating
meaning or achieving a specific purpose. Supporting
Standard
2, 4
38, 39
32, 33
Lesson 12
Reading/Media Literacy. Students use comprehension skills to analyze how words, images, graphics, and sounds work together
in various forms to impact meaning. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly more
complex texts. Students are expected to
8.3.13.Aevaluate the role of media in focusing attention on events
and informing opinion on issues. Supporting Standard
19
44
7
Lesson 11
8.3.13.Cevaluate various techniques used to create a point of view in
media and the impact on audience. Supporting Standard
17
48
8
Lesson 11
Reading/Comprehension Skills. Students use a flexible range of metacognitive reading skills in both assigned and independent
reading to understand an author’s message. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly
more complex texts as they become self-directed, critical readers. The student is expected to
8.3.19.Dmake complex inferences about text and use textual
evidence to support understanding. Readiness Standard
(Expository) / Supporting Standard (Persuasive)
8.3.19.Esummarize, paraphrase, and synthesize texts in ways that
maintain meaning and logical order within a text and
across texts. Readiness Standard (Expository) / Supporting
Standard (Persuasive)
11, 14, 15
6, 8, 10
9, 42, 43
Lesson 13
13, 18
4, 9
10, 44
Lesson 13
A31
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STAAR TEKS
Lesson 5
8.2.4.A Compare and contrast the
relationship between the purpose and
characteristics of different poetic forms
(e.g., epic poetry, lyric poetry).
Poetic Forms
(Student Book pages 33–40)
TAP STUDENTS’ PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
Poetry uses the sounds, rhythms, and meanings of language to present ideas
and generate feelings. There are many forms of poetry, each with its own
purpose and characteristics. Poetic forms are defined partially by the length and
number of their lines and partially by their patterns of rhyme and rhythm.
Here are some of the characteristics that a poetic form may include.
Copying is not permitted.
There was an old woman of Harrow,
Who visited in a wheelbarrow;
And her servant before,
Knocked loud at each door,
To announce the old woman of Harrow.
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•
Rhyme scheme: The pattern of rhymes at the ends of lines, typically marked
by letters. Suppose a poem has a rhyme scheme abab. This means that the
first and third lines rhyme, and the second and fourth lines rhyme.
•
Meter: The rhythm produced by a poem’s words, lines, and stanzas.
A poem’s meter can be regular and predictable or irregular and varied.
The best-known meter is iambic pentameter, comprising five “feet” of two
syllables each, with the second syllable stressed. William Shakespeare’s
famous sonnets use this meter.
•
Stanza: A group of lines in a poem, similar to a paragraph in prose
•
Couplet: Two successive lines that rhyme and have the same meter
The table below lists some of the many forms of poetry. Some are used primarily
to express a poet’s emotions, while others are used to tell stories. Types of lyric
poetry include forms such as sonnets, ballads, and odes.
Form
Elegy
Purpose
Common Characteristics
mourns the dead
length, rhyme scheme, and meter can vary
Epic
tells a story of mythic or
national heroes
long and serious in tone; usually doesn’t
rhyme; regular meter; from oral tradition
Lyric
expresses poet’s feelings short stanzas and rhyming lines; heartfelt
Ballad
tells a popular folk story,
often about a local hero
Ode
speaks directly to an
idea, thing, or person
uses lofty, grand language to describe the
subject of the poem
Sonnet
varies; often love poetry
14 lines long; ends in a couplet
short stanzas and couplets, often with a
refrain; like a song, from oral tradition
©
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To the left of each line, write the number of syllables
(9, 9, 6, 5, and 10). To the right of each line, write the
rhyme scheme (aabba). Discuss the common patterns
that make this poem a limerick, and explain that
limericks are generally written to amuse. Explain that
other poetic forms also tend to be used for specific
purposes and rarely go outside of those purposes.
©
8.2.4.A Compare and contrast the
relationship between the purpose and
characteristics of different poetic forms
(e.g., epic poetry, lyric poetry).
Introduction
Write this nursery rhyme on the board:
L5: Poetic Forms
Introduction
33
TEKS 8.2.4.A
Epic—Ask students if they have ever heard the word
epic applied to movies, such as Star Wars or The Lord of
the Rings. Explain that an epic is a long poem about a
brave hero who goes on a quest.
At a Glance
Read and discuss the introduction on page 33.
Lyric—Ask students if, when they hear the word poetry,
they think of feelings expressed in fancy language. If a
few agree, tell them that this is just one type of
poetry—lyric poetry—but not the only kind.
STEP BY STEP
With students, read the information about poetic terms.
Point out that poems can be grouped by shared
characteristics. For example, most ballads are about
popular heroes and consist of couplets with memorable
rhymes and refrains. Other poem types are below.
Ode—Ask students if they’ve ever written a poem
speaking to anything non-human—animals, things,
even ideas. If so, they’ve written an ode.
Sonnet—Tell students that a sonnet, more than the
other poetic types, has a very rigid form. If a poem has
two stanzas, one with eight lines and the other with six
lines, they are reading one type of sonnet.
Elegy—Ask students if they know what a eulogy is.
Explain that a eulogy is a speech honoring the memory
of a dead person. Similarly, an elegy is a type of poem
meant to mourn a person.
L5: Poetic Forms
STAAR TEKS
Lesson 5 PoeticForms
Tell students they are about to review some of the forms
of poetry. Remind them that many poems, especially
classical poetry, follow traditional rules of length,
rhyme, and rhythm. Ask students if they can name any
poetry forms, such as haiku or limerick. Discuss the
qualities that make a haiku, namely its pattern of three
lines of five, seven, and five syllables. Explain that other
poetry forms have more requirements, including rhyme
schemes and rhythm patterns.
29
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TEKS 8.2.4.A
Modeled Instruction
AT A GLANCE
With the class, read and discuss the poem and the
question on page 34. Model the process used to answer
the question as outlined in the bullet points.
Modeled Instruction
Read this poem. Think about what type of poem it seems to be. Then answer the
question below.
“A Song in Spring” by Thomas S. Jones, Jr.
STEP BY STEP
O little buds all burgeoning with Spring,
You hold my winter in forgetfulness;
Without my window lilac branches swing,
Within my gate I hear a robin sing —
5 O little laughing blooms that lift and bless!
Before Reading
So blow the breezes in a soft caress,
Blowing my dreams upon a swallow’s wing;
O little merry buds in dappled dress,
You fill my heart with very wantonness —
10 O little buds all burgeoning with Spring!
Tell students they are going to read a poem. Challenge
them to use the terms provided on the prior page to
identify the type of poem it is.
“A Song in Spring” is an ode. What are two qualities of this poem that make it an ode?
▶
▶
Read the poem aloud with students or have them read it
silently. Remind students that understanding stanzas,
rhyme schemes, and so on can help them better
comprehend the poem and the poet’s intentions.
▶
▶
What is one quality of an ode? An ode speaks directly to an idea, thing, or person.
Does the poem have this quality? Yes. Line 2 says, “You hold my winter in
forgetfulness.” Line 9 says, “You fill my heart with very wantonness.” In both cases,
the poet is directly addressing the buds that come out in spring.
What is another quality of an ode? An ode uses lofty, grand language to describe the
subject of the poem.
Does the poem have this quality? Yes. The buds are “burgeoning,” they “lift and
bless,” and they appear in “dappled dress.” These words describe the buds in a way
intended to make them seem truly wonderful.
ANSWER: The poem “A Song in Spring” is an ode because it directly addresses its
After Reading
Read the question that follows the poem. Model the
process used to answer the question by discussing each
of the bulleted points. Pause as students follow the
instructions given in the bullets.
Try
It!
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subject (the buds) and uses lofty, grand language to describe them.
Copying is not permitted.
During Reading
Reread the poem to answer this question.
What is the rhyme scheme of the ode “A Song in Spring”?
©
abaab babba
• What is one quality of an ode? An ode speaks
directly to an idea, thing, or person.
TEKS 8.2.4.A
• Does the poem have this quality? Yes. Line 2 says,
“You hold my winter in forgetfulness.” Line 9 says,
“You fill my heart with very wantonness.” In both
cases, the poet is directly addressing the buds that
come out in spring.
34
L5: Poetic Forms
Direct students to answer the related Try It! question.
Read the question aloud with students to make sure
they understand it. Have students, individually or in
pairs, answer the question and write the answer on the
lines provided. (abaab babba)
• What is another quality of an ode? An ode uses
lofty, grand language to describe the subject of the
poem.
Then discuss their answers. Line 1, ending with the
word Spring, should be marked with an a. Lines 3, 4, 7,
and 10 end in words rhyming with Spring, so they
should also be marked with an a. Line 2, ending with
the word forgetfulness, should be marked with a b. Lines
5, 6, 8, and 9 end in -ess, so they should also be marked
with a b. The final pattern is abaab babba.
• Does the poem have this quality? Yes. The buds
are “burgeoning,” they “lift and bless,” and they
appear in “dappled dress.” These words describe
the buds in a way intended to make them seem
truly wonderful.
©
• Make sure students understand how these details
lead to the answer: The poem “A Song in Spring”
is an ode because it directly addresses its subject
(the buds) and uses lofty, grand language to
describe them.
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Try It!
TEKS 8.2.4.A
30
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L5: Poetic Forms
Guided Instruction
AT A GLANCE
Guide students as they read the selection and answer
the multiple-choice question on page 35.
Guided Instruction
Read the selection. Use the Think About It to guide your reading.
Then answer the question. Use the Hint to help you.
STEP BY STEP
Before Reading
Tell students the selection they will read is a poem in
which the speaker discusses a woman who seems to
have left his life. Ask students if, based just on that
information, they can infer the type of poem it is.
ThinkAboutIt
“She’s Somewhere” by Richard Le Gallienne
What is the poet writing
about? Where is “she,”
the subject of the poem?
She’s somewhere in the sunlight strong,
Her tears are in the falling rain,
She calls me in the wind’s soft song,
And with the flowers she comes again.
Hint
Notice the length and
meter. Do they match a
poetic form? What
about the purpose?
During Reading
What kind of poem is “She’s Somewhere,” and how can you tell?
A a ballad, because it tells a story
B an ode, because it addresses its subject
c a sonnet, because it has the correct number of lines for a sonnet
D an elegy, because it mourns a death
CORRECT ANSWER Answer choice D is correct.
Encourage students to use the Think About It as they
read. Explain that the Think About It questions
provide clues that will help them understand the type
of poem they are reading.
Copying is not permitted.
SUPPORTING DETAILS The poet sees evidence of his lost loved one in the world around him.
Images such as the returning flowers and the recurring visits of the sun
and moon suggest the cycle of life and death.
After Reading
INCORRECT ANSWERS A is not correct because the poem does not tell a story.
B is not correct because the subject is spoken about, not spoken to.
c is not correct because the poem is not fourteen lines long.
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Have students answer the question, using the Hint to
help them. Remind students to circle the letter of the
answer they choose.
©
Next, tell students to read the correct answer (D).
Then discuss with students the details that support the
correct answer. Readers must infer that the subject of
the poem has died because she is described as being
“somewhere,” but not in a concrete place. Poems about
the loss of a loved one are elegies.
L5: Poetic Forms
35
TEKS 8.2.4.A
Last, discuss the explanations for why the other answer
choices are not correct. These explanations help
students understand precisely why one answer choice is
feasible and the other three choices cannot be justified
or supported by the text.
©
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5 Yon bird is but her messenger,
The moon is but her silver car;
Yea! Sun and moon are sent by her,
And every wistful, waiting star.
L5: Poetic Forms
31
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TEKS 8.2.4.A
Guided Practice
AT A GLANCE
Have each student read the selections on pages 36 and
37. Then have them answer the three multiple-choice
questions on page 38 and provide support details for
the answers.
Guided Practice
Read the selection. Use each Think About It to guide your reading.
STEP BY STEP
adapted from John Dryden’s translation of
Virgil’s The Aeneid
The lines below are from an epic poem more than 2,000 years old about
a military leader named Aeneas. Aeneas is speaking to his weary men, who
have endured many hardships in their search for a new home.
Before Reading
Is there a regular rhyme
scheme?
Tell students that they will compare the selections on
pages 36 and 37 to answer the multiple-choice
questions on page 38. Point out the Think About It
questions next to the selections. Explain to students
that these questions will help them understand the
selections better.
5
10
15
During Reading
20
Have students read the selections independently, using
the Think About It questions to guide their reading.
Latium: Italy; Aeneas is one of the legendary founders of Rome.
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1
“Endure, and conquer! Jupiter will soon make
our past and present woes disappear.
With me, you survived the rocks of Scylla
and defied the monstrous Cyclops.
What worse things are there to fear?
Resume your courage and dismiss your worries,
The hour of pleasure will soon come when
Your sorrows will be past, as benefits of Fate.
Through various hazards and events, we move
To Latium1 and the realms foredoom’d by Jupiter.
We are now called to the seat
Where Trojan kingdoms once again may rise.
Endure the hardships of your present state;
Live, and reserve yourselves for better fate.”
These words he spoke, but spoke not from his heart;
His outward smiles concealed his inward worry.
The jolly crew, unmindful of the past,
set to making a bountiful meal.
Some stripped the skin; some portioned out the meat;
Some tended to the cooking fires.
Stretched on the grassy turf, they dined, relaxing and
Restoring their strength …
Copying is not permitted.
ThinkAboutIt
What elements of the
forms of poetry does
this selection display?
After Reading
©
Have students answer the multiple-choice questions
that follow both selections. Make sure students
understand that they should provide details from each
selection to support their answers.
TEKS 8.2.4.A
Point out the Hints. There is one for each question. Tell
students that the hints provide clues that will help
them respond to the questions. Remind students to
look back at the selections.
36
L5: Poetic Forms
For the Pair/Share activity, have students discuss their
answers with a partner. Encourage students to share the
details from the selections that they used to support
their answers.
A highwayman is a man on horseback who holds
up travelers and robs them. In “Brennan on the
Moor,” the speaker refers to “Turpin and Black
Bess.” Dick Turpin was another famous Irish
highwayman, and Black Bess was his horse.
©
Follow up with a whole-class discussion of answers and
supporting details.
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ELL Support
TEKS 8.2.4.A
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L5: Poetic Forms
Guided Practice
Read the selection. Use each Think About It to guide your reading.
ThinkAboutIt
Does the poet consider
Brennan to be a hero?
How would that affect
the form of the
selection?
Can you imagine putting
the lines of this
selection to music?
Why or why not?
Brennan on the Moor
’Tis of a brave young highwayman this story I will tell.
His name was Willie Brennan and in Ireland he did dwell.
It was on the Kilwood Mountains he commenced his wild career,
And many a wealthy nobleman before him shook with fear.
5 A brace of loaded pistols he carried night and day;
He never robbed a poor man upon the King’s Highway;
But what he’d taken from the rich, like Turpin and Black Bess,
He always did divide it with the widow in distress.
And it’s Brennan on the moor, Brennan on the moor.
10 Bold, brave, and undaunted was young Brennan on the moor.
One day upon the highway, as Willie he went down,
He met the Mayor of Cashell a mile outside the town.
The mayor he knew his features. He said, “Young man,” said he,
“Your name is Willie Brennan, you must come along with me.”
15 Now Brennan’s wife had gone to town, provisions for to buy,
And when she saw her Willie, she commenced to weep and cry.
He said: “Hand me that tenpenny.” As soon as Willie spoke,
She handed him a blunderbuss from underneath her cloak.
The poet refers to himor herself in different
parts of the selection.
Does this also mean the
poet is expressing his or
her feelings?
Now with this loaded blunderbuss, the truth I will unfold:
He made the mayor tremble, and he robbed him of his gold.
One hundred pounds was offered for his apprehension there,
So he, with horse and saddle, to the mountains did repair.
25 Now Brennan being an outlaw upon the mountains high,
With cavalry and infantry, to take him they did try.
He laughed at them with scorn until at last, ’twas said,
By a false-hearted woman he was cruelly betrayed.
And ’twas Brennan on the moor, Brennan on the moor.
30 Bold, brave, and undaunted was young Brennan on the moor.
©
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Copying is not permitted.
And it’s Brennan on the moor, Brennan on the moor.
20 Bold, brave, and undaunted was young Brennan on the moor.
37
TEKS 8.2.4.A
©
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L5: Poetic Forms
L5: Poetic Forms
33
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TEKS 8.2.4.A
Guided Practice
ANSWERS AND SUPPORTING DETAILS
FOR DISCUSSION
Guided Practice
With the class, discuss each answer, the supporting
details, and the reasons that those details support the
answer.
Hints
Do Aeneas and Brennan
play the same role in
their societies? In what
ways are the two
men different?
1 Answer: B, people whom some consider heroic.
Supporting Details: Only Aeneas founds a city, only
Brennan is betrayed, and only Aeneas travels far to
reach home. Both poems, however, concern men
whom others consider heroic.
1
Supporting Details: Responses will vary.
What qualities do most
epics share? What
qualities do most
ballads share?
2
2 Answer: C, The Aeneid tells a story of a mythic hero.
“Brennan on the Moor” has a rhyming, song-like
structure.
Supporting Details: Throughout the excerpt from
The Aeneid, the poet presents Aeneas as a hero
through such lines as “These words he spoke, but
spoke not from his heart / His outward smiles
concealed his inward worry.” “Brennan on the
Moor,” on the other hand, uses such lines as “And
it’s Brennan on the moor, Brennan on the moor /
Bold, brave, and undaunted was young Brennan on
the moor” to create a steady, song-like rhythm.
If a poem doesn’t
rhyme, does that also
mean it has no meter?
Are rhyme and meter
the same thing?
3
What formal characteristic does “Brennan on the Moor” have that
The Aeneid lacks?
A couplets
B meter
c lines
D tone
Supporting Details: Responses will vary.
PAIR
SHARE
With your partner,
share and discuss
your answers and
supporting details.
TEKS 8.2.4.A
Copying is not permitted.
Supporting Details: Responses will vary.
3 Answer: A, couplets
38
L5: Poetic Forms
Supporting Details: Both The Aeneid and “Brennan
on the Moor” possess meter, lines, and tone. The
correct answer choice notes that “Brennan on the
Moor” consists of rhyming couplets, whereas The
Aeneid does not.
©
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Which of these correctly states what makes The Aeneid an epic and
“Brennan on the Moor” a ballad?
A The Aeneid speaks directly to the subject of the poem. “Brennan
on the Moor” expresses the author’s feelings about the subject.
B The Aeneid has lines that do not rhyme. “Brennan on the Moor”
tells the story of a popular hero.
c The Aeneid tells a story of a mythic hero. “Brennan on the Moor”
has a rhyming, song-like structure.
D The Aeneid tells a story about a popular hero. “Brennan on the
Moor” mourns a dead person.
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The Aeneid is similar to “Brennan on the Moor” in that both poems
tell stories about
A founders of great cities.
B people whom some consider heroic.
c leaders who are betrayed by their followers.
D travelers who journey long distances to reach home.
©
Use the Hints to answer the questions below. Circle the correct
answers and provide supporting details from both selections.
TEKS 8.2.4.A
34
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L5: Poetic Forms
STAAR Practice
STAAR Practice
STAAR Practice
1
Read the next two selections. Then answer the questions that follow
them.
from When Lilacs Last
in the Door-yard Bloom’d
A
It is about mourning a person’s death.
B
It is written in a lofty, formal tone.
C
It conforms to a rigid pattern of meter.
F
O ever-returning spring! trinity sure to me
you bring;
Lilac blooming perennial, and drooping star
in the west,
And thought of him I love.
F
Whitman uses a musical rhythm, but
Shakespeare does not.
G The lines are written in iambic
pentameter, which is only used in a
sonnet.
G Whitman avoids a pattern of meter and
rhyme, but Shakespeare follows one.
H They are a rhyming couplet, which
traditionally forms the end of a sonnet.
H Whitman uses beautiful imagery, but
Shakespeare writes in simple terms.
J
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature’s changing course untrimm’d;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st,
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st;
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
3
J
Whitman follows a pattern of rhyme,
but Shakespeare follows a pattern of
rhythm.
5
How does the form of Sonnet XVIII serve
its purpose?
A
The rhyme and meter of the sonnet
create the musical tone the poet wants.
B
The common use of the form helps
readers expect what the poem will be
about.
C
The speaker addresses his subject,
which is a defining part of the form.
The lines concern the desire for the
subject’s life after death, a typical
sonnet topic.
A topic that both poems explore is —
A
how beauty fades in time
B
the return of spring
C
thinking about death
D how people deal with aging
Answer Form
The effort needed to follow the sonnet
form proves the poet’s love is real.
1
2
3
4
5
A
F
A
F
A
B
G
B
G
B
C
H
C
H
C
D
J
D
J
D
Number
Correct
5
©
D The patterns of length, rhyme, and
meter give order to the poet’s feelings.
©
Copying is not permitted.
How do these lines identify the poem as
a sonnet?
How does the form of Whitman’s poem
differ from that of Shakespeare’s?
by William Shakespeare
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So long as men can breathe, or eyes
can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to
thee.
Copying is not permitted.
2
Sonnet XVIII
10
Read these lines from Sonnet XVIII.
39
L5: Poetic Forms
TEKS 8.2.4.A
TEKS 8.2.4.A
At a Glance
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Step by step
L5: Poetic Forms
1 The answer is A. The speaker uses the word mourn’d
and describes what led him to reflect on the subject.
2 The answer is G. The elegy has no regular pattern,
but the sonnet is written in iambic pentameter and
follows a traditional rhyme scheme.
3 The answer is D. Following the format of a sonnet is
an exercise in the poet’s control of language. It
imposes a certain order on the poet’s emotional
expression.
4 The answer is H. The Shakespearean sonnet is
characterized by its 14-line length, its meter, and its
rhyme scheme (ababcdcdefefgg).
5 The answer is C. Whitman’s poem explicitly
mourns a lost loved one. In Shakespeare’s poem,
lines 11 and 12 mention how even death cannot
claim the loved one mentioned in the poem.
First, explain to students that the selections and
multiple-choice questions 1–5 are similar to those they
will encounter on the STAAR. Then have students read
the directions and complete the practice independently.
Tell students to fill in the correct answer choices on the
answer form at the bottom of page 40.
After students have answered the questions, review and
discuss the answers. See the answers and explanations
for discussion that follow. Have students record the
number of correct answers in the box provided.
ANSWERS AND SUPPORTING DETAILS
FOR DISCUSSION
Answer Form
1 ● B C D
2 F ● H J
L5: Poetic Forms
40
Answer Form
3 A B C ●
4 F G ● J
5  B ● D
Have each student read the selections on page 39 and
answer the five questions on page 40.
©
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When lilacs last in the door-yard bloom’d,
And the great star early droop’d in the
western sky in the night,
I mourn’d—and yet shall mourn with
ever-returning spring.
5
4
D It follows a regular rhyme scheme.
by Walt Whitman
5
What characteristic of “When Lilacs Last in
the Door-Yard Bloom’d” makes it an elegy?
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