Close Reading
NONFICTION: “The Evil Swirling Darkness” pages 4-10
October 2015
®
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: __________________
Close-Reading Questions
“The Evil Swirling Darkness”
1. Reread the first four sentences of the article. How does the fourth sentence differ from the
first three? Why might author Lauren Tarshis have started her story this way? (author’s craft)
2. In the section “Tornado Mysteries,” why does the author describe tornadoes as “stubbornly
mysterious”? (interpreting text, figurative language)
3. W
hen the author describes tornadoes as “stubbornly mysterious,” she is personifying
tornadoes—assigning a human characteristic to them—by suggesting that they intentionally
remain unpredictable. Where else in the article does the author personify tornadoes? What
effect does this use of personification create? (figurative language, author’s craft)
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PAGE 1 OF 2
Close Reading
NONFICTION: “The Evil Swirling Darkness” pages 4-10
October 2015
4. Rain-wrapped tornadoes are especially hard to recognize, yet Jeff Piotrowski knew one
when he saw it. Which details in the article help explain why Piotrowski was able to identify
the tornado? (inference, text evidence)
5. What mood does Tarshis create in the final paragraph of “Vicious Attack”? How does she
create this mood, and why do you think she creates it? (mood, author’s craft)
6. In the section “Healing a City,” what do the stories of the Piotrowskis and the Satterlees
have in common? (compare and contrast)
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PAGE 2 OF 2
Critical Thinking
NONFICTION: “The Evil Swirling Darkness” pages 4-10
October 2015
®
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: __________________
Critical-Thinking Questions
“The Evil Swirling Darkness”
1. The life of a storm chaser seems quite dangerous. Why might someone choose to study
extreme weather up close?
2. W
hy do you think the author included the stories of both the Satterlees and the
Piotrowskis?
©2015 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS.
Close Reading
NONFICTION: “The Evil Swirling Darkness” pages 4-10
October 2015
®
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: __________________
Close-Reading Questions
“Joey, 4th grade, 1992”
1. What object is the poem about? How can you tell? (inference)
2. W
hy is the poem’s title set inside quotation marks? (text feature)
3. What does the line “a small reminder of the whirling aftermath” tell you about how the
tornado affected Joplin? (interpreting text)
©2015 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS.
Critical Thinking Thinking
NONFICTION: “The Evil Swirling Darkness” pages 4-10
October 2015
®
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: __________________
Critical-Thinking Question
“The Evil Swirling Darkness” and “Joey, 4th grade, 1992”
1. What are the similarities and differences between the content of the article and the poem?
©2015 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS.