Grade 8 Intensive Reading - Mr. Suarez
Remembering the March on
Washington, and King's historic speech
By McClatchy Washington, adapted by Newsela staff on 08.26.13
Word Count 798
Frecpie lisien to ::,I')[::31-(;'r;> dUJ":!1(J the 501h anniversary or th e ['ilaI'C fl on \,f,!a"hrnqlOr1 and Dr. Mw lin Lu th", r i, in9 ,Jr.'s 'I tlclli t,)
c ,.' Ie )1' ( ~O£'C:'>1 21 !l le linc/Jl ll Mernorla l In Was!iif, gton . DC " l\UCj, 24 201 ::l. Pi ;oto: Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/MCT
WASHINGTON - Tens of thousands of people from across the United States gathered in
the nation's capital on Aug. 24 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the March on
Washington, Yet they were not just there to remember the past. They rallied for what they
believe is the unfinished business of the historic civil rights battle.
The group assembled under blue skies around the base of the Lincoln Memorial. Fifty
years ago on that spot, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech .
Speaker after speaker implored them to become active participants in the quest for racial
equality and harmony.
Rep , John Lewis, D-Ga., was the only speaker from the 1963 march . He fired up
Saturday's crowd by pushing them to fight against the recent Supreme Court decision that
struck down a key part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
," he told the crowd,
a litHe blood on that bridge in
1
ratarrinr<
Sunday" march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala. Protesters were
"I
then on the Edmund Pettus
fight,
40 times during
, am ready to fight
bloodied and unconscious. But I'm not
you must fight."
to
"Our Quest For Justice"
Eric Holder echoed his
He said Saturday's event was
reflecting on our past."
morning, we must
our
for justice -
this struggle must, and will,
until
on in
American has the chance to
right to vote." He added that it
cause
his or
are treated equally
fairly in
the eves of the law."
District of Columbia officials said they
out
town. The director of the NAACP's
bureau estimated that more
were on the Mall by noon on
around the Lincoln memorial were celebrating. But the mood was
People sat on
Many
or on lawn chairs and cheered as
people and
or buttons. Some carried
in
acquittal of George
shooting death of Florida teenager
protesting the
Martin.
appeared.
Martin's mother was cheered loudly
The Right To Assemble
with buttons from
to where she and other
of
church stood 50
made the bus journey to Washington.
"I wanted my children to
same feeling that I had -
came out here to march for
going forward,
slow, but
nr.t'f'!C>ti
a
we
change,"
stay home. We've seen a lot of
moving forward."
Saturday than in the Aug.
march. She
an air of concern then. Many of
people who were
through a seareaated
being stopped by
enforcement officers along the way.
"This is so much more
when we came up -
Melanie Marshall, Daniels'
"We
like a family
event
1963,
000
feared
said.
appreCiation
for the right to assemble.
"In Egypt, people are fighting and killing each other in the street,"
be able to come
like this, in a peaceful way."
to
Obama To Speak On Aug. 28
Amber Brown, 43, made the five-hour drive from North Carolina with her two children. She
said she wanted her children to learn "that there are people who fought and died to give
them the opportunity to do whatever they want to do, and be whatever they want to be."
Darryl Simmons, 21, made the bus journey to Washington with fellow students from South
Carolina's Claflin University. He said he "just wanted to relive history."
He added, "We're not exactly dealing with what happened 50 years ago, but there's stuff
going on and we're here for justice." Simmons is president of Claflin's Young Democrats.
Wednesday is the March on Washington's official anniversary. Another large crowd is
expected at the Lincoln Memorial on Aug. 28. President Barack Obama will speak at the
spot where King made history.
The nation's first African-American president is expected to discuss the progress and
problems the nation has faced as it tries to live up to King's dream. A dream , King said in
hi s speech (http/lwww.archives.g ov/p ress/exh ibits/dream-speech.pdf) , that his children
"will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by
the content of their character."
Quiz
In the section 'Our
to fight for justice?
(A) For Justice," why does Eric Holder believe
because voting is an important American right because he doesn't think that everyone
2
need to continue
treated the same (C) because
(D) because he believes things in America will get worse in the future
need to think about what happened in the past
Read the section »The Right To Assemble.' According to Emma
which 01 the following
BEST explains how the mood 01 the most recent gathering in Washington was different than it
was 50 years ago?
3
(A) The more recent march was less tense than the first one, (B)
The more recent march was more violent than the first one. (Cl
The more recent march was more enthusiastic than the first one. (D) The more recent march was more tense than the first one, Read the following from the introduction [paragraphs 1
group aSSemfJleG under blue skies around the base of
Lincoln
Memorial. Fifty
on that
Or. Martin Luther King Jr.
delivered his "/ Have a Dream"
Speaker
speaker
implored
to become
participants in
for racial
equality and harmony
Rep. John Lewis,
, was
only speaker from the
march.
them to
against
He
up Saturday's crowd by
recent Supreme Court decision that struck down a
part of
Voting Rights Act of 1965,
Which
from the selection is most helpful in showing that John Lewis excited
his
delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech
(B) (C) he fired up Saturday's crowd
against the recent Supreme Court decision struck down a key part of the Voting
Act with
4
Read the following from the section "Obama To Speak On Aug. 28."
Brown, 43, made the five-hour drive from North Carolina with
her
children. She
wanted
children to learn "that there
are people who fought and died to
them
opportunity to do
to do, and
whatever they want to
whatever they
In this
what did Amber Brown mean when she said that people "fought and died" to
her children opportunity?
(A) used to fight each other because
treatment
(8) Some
were
used to use weapons in order to fight for their
In the past, people had to go to war in order to gain more
the U.S.
(0) about unequal
for
When people in the past were trying to get more rights, some of them were
killed.
in
Ms. Washington - Ms Martin
KE STE ENS
IDDLE SCH
WIN ER RECESS P CKET
L NGUA
TH
ARTS
GRA
TUD NT ACKET ·
ANUARY 4 v 016
STUDENT
PARENT L
Read the historical account. Then answer the questions that follow.
The Fight for the Right to Vote
by Rosa Hernandez
.. \
Members of the suffrage movement fought hard for equal voting rights.
1
The right to vote is something that many American citizens take for granted. Few people consider the
fact that our ancestors fought long and hard to guarantee this right. In particular, the women who led the
suffrage movement in the United States should be remembered for helpLT1g to secure the right to vote for women.
TI1.e Suffrage Movement Starts
::
2
"By the early 1800s, voting rights had been extended to most white men. Still, women and African
AmeriCans were not granted the vote until much later. Some men argued that ~,yomen should concern
themselves only with household and family matters.
3
Although many vwmen had been advocating for voting rights for years, the vyomen's suffrage
movement began to pick up steam in the mid-nineteenth century.-A major milestone for the movement
occurred in 1848, when Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott organized the nrst convention for women's
rights in Seneca Falls, New York. The two women also supported the abolition of slavery. They came up with
the idea for the women's rights convention after women were barred from participating in the 1840 'vV-orld
Anti-Slavery Convention in London.
"ALmost two hundred women attended the Seneca Falls convention. There, a number of women's dghts
4
issues were discussed and a proclamation of demands, which included the right to vote, was written. i'~bout
forty men also attended the convention. One of these men was the famous abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
5
Just as Mott and Stanton supported the abolitionist movement, Douglass supported the "women's
rights movement. Douglass even helped form the American Equal Rights Association with Stanton and Susan
B. Anthony in 1866. However, the group split up due to disagreements concerning the Fifteenth Amendment.
The Great Divi.d.e
6
Many women's rights advocates also supported the abolitionist movement and the right of African
Americans to Yote. After the Civil Vhr and the emancipation of slaves in the United States, the Fifteenth
~rml:7H~~~5~~~-~~-~~:·~:,-~·:;~ :~:;~:~~t;~~~~"-~-<~;~.~~J::.;:;':: -:~/~~~~:.~~~:ij::; -"~.-'
©CD.niculum f.5soc:a.tes, Ll.C
:.d;':~~',-=-,","
Amendment, 'which would give African American men the right to vote, was proposed. This caused a great
divide between women suffragists. Some Ivomen, including Stanton and Anthony, would not support the
amendment because they "felt that it should extend voting rights to all American citizens. Other women,
including Lucy Stone and Julia \!\lard Howe, supported the amendment. They believed that once African
American men had the vote, women would be next.
7
The divide led to ~he formation of tvvo separate women's groups that took different approaches to
getting the vote. Stanton and Anthony established the National Woman Suffrage Association, which worked to
change federal voting laws. Meanwhile, Stone formed the American \!\loman Suffrage Association, an
organization that petitioned state legislatures to get the vote. Eventually, the tvw groups set aside their
differences and united as the National American Woman Suffrage Association in 1890.
The Continued-Struggle
'.!
8
\,yhile some saw the Fifteenth Amendment as a setback for the women's suffrage movement, this did
not discourage activists in their fight to win the vote. As women's organizations continued to work on getting
new laws passed, individuals also took a stand to bring attention to the issue.
9
In the early 1870s, Virginia Louisa Minor and Victoria \!\loodhull attempted to use the Fourteenth'
Amendment, vv-hich granted. citizenship to all persons born in the United States, to secure the vote for women.
Myra Bradwell also attempted to use the amendment to earn the right to practice law. Unfortunately, these
attempts were all defeated in court. If women were citizens, and the Fifteenth Amendment said that citizens
had the right to vote, why couldn't women vote? It was like sitting in a row boat without any oars.
10
A major breakthrough in the struggle for the vote came in 1890, when \IVyoming entereci,the Union.
TI'le new state's constitution gave female citizens the right to vote. This jumpstarted campaigns acro,ss the
country to get state legislatures to amend their constitutions to give women equal voting rights. Still, it would
.
take more than thirty years for vwmen across the country to get the vote.
Winning ilie Vofre
11
In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, several states in the \Vest extended voting
rights to women. However, states in the South and the North were reluctant to do the same. The fact that
countries such as New Zealand and Australia had recently granted women the right to vote encouraged
vI/omen in the United States to keep fighting.
12
The battle for women's suffrage died down a bit when \!\lorld War I broke out in 1914. Even so,.
women's participation in the war effort helped change people's opinions concerning suffl~age. Some women
worked as nurses and helped the troops. Others joined the vvorkforce and took over jobs usually held by men,
often working for the same wages as men. Public opinion started to change once women had proven that they
were equal to men. By the time the \lvar was over in 1918, the country's two major political parties supported
tr
vv-omen's.suurage
at12S L.
k
13
Finally, after almost one hundred years of struggle, women were granted the right to vote "'ivhen the
Nineteenth Amendment was accepted on August 26, 1920. Some believed it was the nation's way of saying
thank-you for participating in the war effort. In any case, it was a right that \lvas long overdue.
©CurricWw.m A.ssoclE.tes LLC
l
/"': :-.­
..... --.::.---- -'--
---.~-~
..-.~-~
"Answer Form
Answer the questions. Mark your answers to
questions 1-4 on the Answer Form to the right.
lA ® ® ©
lB.® .® © ®
2 ® ® ©®
3 ® ® © ® NlUmoeD'
/
©
®
Correct
/
5 "
4 ® ®
Answer Parts A and 8 below.
Based on the article, which inference can the reader make about women's voting rights before the Nineteenth Amendment was passed? A
Each state determined the voting rights of its women. B
In the North and the South, all women had voting rights. C
Women never had voting rights anywhere inthe nation. !D
Women had voting rights if they met certain conditions, Which detail from the article best supports the answer to Part A?
A. "Some men argued that women should concern themselves only with household and
family matters."
IE "If women were citizens, and the Fifteenth Amendment said 'that citizens had the right to
vote, why couldn't wOlT\en vote?"
C "A major breakthrough in the struggle for the vote came in 1890, when Wyoming
entered the Union."
D "In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, several states in. the West
extended voting rights to women."
i· _ ;;-''"''---';:
Which sentence from the passage best supports the inference that some men supported the
women's suffrage movement?
"Voting rights had been extended to most white men by the early 18005,"
B
"Some men argued that women should on!y concern themselves with household and
family matters."
C
"About forty men also attended the convention."
lD
"However, the group split up due to disagreements concerning the Fifteenth
Amendment."
Which of these is the central idea of paragraph 127
A
Women were helpful to America during World War I, which broke out in 1914.
IE
Because of \f\!orld War I, many Americans changed their opinions about women's roles.
After World War I, American women gained the ~ight to vote with an amendment in
1920.
By the end of V\lorld War I, the major political parties in Amertca agreed on women's
su1irage.
Which important idea connects paragraph 5 and paragraph6?
the cooperation between Lucy Stone and Julia \Nard Howe
~ the important social changes that resulted from the Civil VVar
the partnership
Frederick Douglass and Susan
Anthony
the disagreement over the rights in the Fifteenth Amendment
Summarize why members of the womenls suffrage movement were divided over the Fifteenth
.- Amendment. Use details from the text to support your answer.
How does the author develop the central idea of the section l1ThE! Great Divide"? VVrite a
paragraph that explains your answer. Use details from the passage to support your answer~
How does the author help the reader understand the connections between the women's
suffrage movement and the abolitionist movement? Write a paragraph that explains why
these two movements were categorized together. Use details from the passage to support
your answer.
In the passage, the author makes all analogy betWeen women bei
citizens vJith?,yt the right
to vote and sitting in a row boat without any oars. VVhat connection 1s the author, making
details from the passage
with this analogy? VVrite a paragraph that explains your answer.
to support your answer.
- --..
... -~-
---------~---------------------
Performance Task-Extended Response In the passage, the author discusses the distinctions between several women who fought for
the right to vote. How did these women differ in their approaches to achieving suffrage? In
what way were these women connected? Write an essay of two to three paragraphs
explaining your answer.
In your answer, be sure to
explain how various women differed in their approaches to achieving suffrage
'" explain how the women wer'e connected
" use details from the passage to support your answer
6)
Check your writing for correct spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation.
._' ..
ame ____________________________
Cl1ristmas
~--
?
~
0
(;)
~
/Q
to Z
4...
V)
.-l
ord Search, rnament
')
0
~
T
j
0
R
r­
~
\j
<l.. c..;
::c
\.....
'
11
'v
o
......
,
~
<:(
;;0
0
v
I.J"
\.,:....1 .
-(
'?
1-­
JI
S
-:>
N
i'
?>
"\
J-,...
c.,
1­
,I
~~
\i
d
)
-­\
a
(,.,;
'C)
~
'"
"
~
C'.)
:?"
J ').,.
TCfiS
Sartla's eln eer
(!)
u
a
w
r
w
.
h
c
p
r
k
rt
un
l.
0
$
c
e
z
k
e
y
d
b
z
e
d
t
d
L
e
c
u
L
r
m
l
m
a.
0
e
u
n..
d
p
R
....
L
(;
r
0
S
A
v
i
a
u
u
n
w
k
j
e
c
h
y
r
m
c
t
k
l
q
Il
n.
Ie
e
p
~
A
v
'"
~
s
r
J
e
Ie
n.
.J
~
d
h
p
l
0
d
u
r
10
V
l
"'"
v
e
n
v
e
L
d
r
e
f6
ill
a
d
a
t
s
a
v
w
d
v
n
1l.)
t
;:.:
..
.'
:.;',
..
~\'i"t!
'= ~ '"
D
' h~=
lb? as
I!,,~u
reindeer
Comet
onner
Rudolph
uog
Prancer
Vixen
v
A
II
~.
Uanc
,.
J~
I'rc!9
r.,----;;~
'<.. "" ..,
,-. /
co
A/
/.' f
i'
{
It's Writing Time!!!!!!!!!!!!
110
It' s Writing Ime ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ~ ! !
PROlVlPT WRI
GSITUA
Read all three of the following sources which highlight
watching television, watching movies, a.n.d reading.
effects
Write an informative essay in which you explain how it is healthjer to
learn fi om vlatching television or ,vatching a movie or reading a book.
Manage your @
@
@
®
you can
read Ule passage
plan your response (argumentative map)
vvrite your response
revise and edit yor:.r response
Be sure to
.
~
d
].
@
InclU I'(e a Cialm
@
address counterdaims
@
@
use evidence f:':"om multiple sources
your essay shOUld be in
form of a well=organized, multi
paragraph essay
Source #1
Effects of T.V. \Vatching
It is hard to avoid television if you are a kid. People in the house are usually tuned in to TV ­
siblings as well as parents. In some homes, the television is perpetually "on" even without
anyone watching. It is common for parents and caregivers to use TV as a substitute babysitter.
Also, many parents buy videos that they think can make their kids smart. But how does
watching TV really 3J."I'ect children?
The bad news is, the majority of experts think: that a TV/video-driven culture has bad effects on
kids - and may prevent kids from being smart. They cite the following:
• TV provides no educational. benefits for a child under age 2. Worse, it steals time for
activities that actually develop her brain, like interacting with other people and playing.
A child learns a lot more efficiently from real interaction - with people and things, rather
than things she sees on a video screen.
" TV viewing takes away the time that your child needs to develop important skills
like language, creativity, motor, and social skills. These skills are developed in the kids'
first two years (a critical time for brain development) through play, exploration, and
conversation. Your kid's language skins,
example, do not improve by passively
listening to the TV. It is developed by interacting
people, when talking and listening
is used in the context of real life.
.
Some experts, however, believe that TV is not all that bad. They qualify though that viewing ~V
can be good if it is done moderation, and lithe program being watched is selected:
Some TV shows can educate, inform and inspire. It can be more effective than books or
audiotapes in teaching your kid about processes like how a plant grows or how to bake a
cake.
<l>
Studies show that kids who watch educational and non-violent children's shows do better
on reaclli"1g and math tests than those who do not watch these programs.
Ii!
Kids who watch informative and educational shows as preschoolers tend to watch more
informative and educational shows when they get older. They use TV eftectively as a
complement to school learning. On the other hand, kids who watch more entertainment
program watch fewer informative programs as they get older (J\1:acbeth, 1996).
'" Preschoolers who viewed educational programs tend to have higher grades, are less
aggressive and value their studies more
they reach rugh school, according to a longterm study (Anderson, et. ai, 2001).
Scientists from the University of Siena found that children experience a soothing,
painkilling eftect by watching cartoons. So perhaps, a little entertainment
Cfu'1 be a
source of relief to kids who are stressed or are pain.
Finally, think: about what your crJId could doing ifhe's not watching
It would be
great if the alternative is to read a book, engage in outdoor play, or having an intelligent
talk with you. But if the alternative is simply for
to sit around and do nothing, whine
@
(!)
@
about being bored, or start a fight or a conflict, then letting your child watch TV is a
better option.
Source#2
5 Scientific Ways Watching Movi4es Effects Yon
1. TJl:ney C~rm Rll1!w Y mnr Health
Studies have shown that amenalin junkies get real pleasure out of being scared by horror movies,
but in a variety of ways they may be risking t.~eir physical and mental health without even
knowing it. When we watch an intense scene in a film our hefu""1 rate and blood pressure increase.
This can and does lead to heart attacks, in people who have cardiovascular weak.Ilesses. Those
links are just two examples of people who keeled over dead during The Passion ojthe Christ.
Even if you are young and healthy, watching horror movies can mess with you in ways you
didn't expect. When you get scared, your adrenaline and cortisone levels spike. This in turn can
dredge up repressed traumatic memories. The change in your bra:L.'1 chemistry reminds you of
times when it was in a similar state, even if you had no idea you even had those memories. So if
you have some reaUy horrible event in your past that terrified you, being scared again by a movie
can inadvertently ma.1.ce you relive it.
If your past is trauma-free but you've been depressed before, even tearjerkers should be avoided.
A study found that people who had been depre_ssoo in the past were more li..lcely to ruminate oyer
the tragic parts of movies. This in tum may have been a contributi_g factor if aGd when they
!
•
.
retw.-nea to a aepresslve state.
Okay, you've seen hundreds of movies and you're fine, so it can't all be bad, right? Of course
not, there are also health benefits to watching films. Comedies, for example, help lower your
blood pressure; when you laugh. for extended periods of time your blood vessels dilate. Intense
laughter for 15 minutes durl1lg a film has the same effect on YOUT cardiovascular system as
exercising.
, .0 _.­
... if you're five. This mayor may not extend to adults, but a study showed that young chjldren
who watched short clips from the Harry Potter films, specifically ones that involved the use of
magic, scored significantly higher on a creative thinking test than children who had watched
somethill g else. So if you have the mentality of a child and want to make somethi:lg or tackle a
hard problem, pop in a film with a bit of magic in it and you might fInd yourself beLl1g more
creative than normaL
Thanks to science, directors may soon be able to control when you feel scared or sad during a
film. Thanks to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRl) scientists can now see just how
you react to every second of a film. In one study, paliicipants watched an episode of Curb Your
Enthusiasm; The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly; and an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents
"Bang! You're Dead!" The results showed that 65% of participant's brains reacted the same way
to the Hitchcock dip, while only 18% were the same for Curb Your Enthusiasm. The researchers
concluded that Hitchcock's way of making movies allowed for "tighter control" of what the
viewers experienced.
Maybe Hitchcock just got luck-y that audiences experience his :films the way he wanted them to.
These days, however, it doesn't have to be down to luck. At least on.e producer, Peter Katz, is
using this technology to make sure the people in his audiences all experience the same level of
rear, aU at the same time. Even if directors don't have the money or inclination to use this
technology, other findings could still effect the way films are made. For example, scientist know
may have always
that audiences' brains react strongest to the soundtrack offilms. While
known deep down that that creak of a door was actually mme terrifying that! seeing the monster,
:flVffil's have proven it. Perhaps less expected is that viewers' brains light up almost as much
when following the movement of a character's hands. Both of these things can be utilized by
directors to make Sllie your brain in completely in the moment during certain pa."is of the film,
'
thus ensuring the entire audience reacts in the same manner.
you
You had to know the controversial one was coming. Scientists, politicians, Clll.d p&reuts have
debated for decades if being exposed to violence through entertallulent leads to actual real life
violence. Overall the answer to that is probably still up in the air, but a new study seems to prove
that watching aggression on screen can contribute to being a bully in real life, even if it is just in
the short term. A study of250 women found that when they watched clips of violence, bullyi..l1g,
or even just rna icious gossiping, when tested afterwards the women were more likely to place
importance, subconsciou.sly, on words describing violence or aggression. The people on both
sides oftne argument (those who hate this type of game and movie vs. those who love them)
both seem to overstate the findings of studies like these, one side saying ail violence makes you a
"
.
. ,' :
" .
.'
killer, the other saying it has no effect at aU. As more evidence comes in, the real answer seems
to be somewhere in the middle.
Source #3
8 Benefits of Reading (or Ways Re2tding Makes You Better at Life)
Wow, this may be the most obvious statement of the post, right? Well, it turns out that reading
helps in almost every area of smarts. Those that read have higher GPA's, higher intelligence, fuid
general knowledge than those that don't. In Anne E. Cunningham's paper What Reading does for
the Mind? She found that reading, in general, makes you smarter, and it keeps you sharp as you
age.
No matter what you want to do or become, you can't do it without more knowledge. Reading is
an excellent way to get where you want to go.
When I'm reading a book, my mind shifts gears. \JVhere I might have a had a stressful day, a
book can easily distract me. Fiction is fantastic for this. Reading an awesome fiction book is
perfect right before bed time. Though sometimes it's hard to put the book down if it's really
good. Still, you'll be relaxed ;)
Reading can soothe like no other. Given that I'm a pretty high-energy person, reading forces me
to sit and be still. This daily act of making myself be quiet and still has been nothing short of
miraculous for my amrjety and my "fidgety factor".
That's right, ladies and germs. Cunningham's studies have found that analytical thirLlcing is
boosted by reading. Readers improve their general knowledge, 'Wd more importa:rtky are able to
spot patterns quicker. If you can spot patterns quicker, your analytical skills receive a boost.
It's no secret that reading increases your vocabulary and improves your spelling, but did you
know that reading increases your vocabulary more than talkir~ or direct teacllli'"1g? Reading
forces us to look at words that we might not have seen or heard recently at the pub. In fact,
languages in children's books are likely to be more sophisticated than your average conversation.
.'
..
'
Increased vocabulary is especially crucial for bloggers or ·writers. All successful writers will tell
you that in order to -write well, you need to read. Everyday. You'll be surprised at the words you
start LT1corporating into your writing.
A beefier vocabulary isn't just for writers though. Knowing what other people are saying and
using the perfect words to convey your feelings is a critical part of being a better human. Better
listeners are more successful in life.
(Side note: If you're concerned with your well-being at previously mentioned pub, you might lay
ofIthe more obnoxious terms you've picked up.)
6. Impn-oved memory
I have an awful memory. Just ask my friend. I usually can't remember what I've eaten for
breakfast, let alone tlllilgs like names and address. Yet I've been finding that I can remember
stuff much easier when I've been reading consistently. Do I have any scientific data to match this
up? Not really. But I'd say it's a pretty safe bet that reading has somehow given me memory
mojo, or magic charm.
This isn't much of a stretch, considering that reading improves vocabulary and critical thip~g. I
feel like a better writer, as I'm constfu"1tly surrounding ;nyselfwith works from people who are
better thaIl me. That's why English classes in High School make you read "the classics". That's
why art students learn to copy masterpieces, so they know what creating something incredible,
should feel like.
'.
The more you read, the better of a writer you'll become.
Many times we're certain. we know what we "really want" in life. Yet I've found that activities
like reading show me things 1 didn't know about myself. My mind will drift to things that I'd
really like to do, and it isn't lon.g that these little lapses in reading start to cycle. The same sort of
goals keep popping into my head, allowing me to see what I really want to do.
For example, I've been playing music on a consistent basis, but I've always "l.Nantedto produce
and distribute my own music. As I've been reading, I've found that song ideas and other generai
thoughts on music keep popping i -to my head. It's my tQnes reading that have really pushed me
into giving music a serious go.
. " -.
,"
. :.-.
".
~
.
.
Pianning Sheet ,
I
j
"i
,,'
·
<.
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
j
STUDE NT RESPO NSE FO RM
. Student Nam e:_
_
I
t---:-
.
_ _ _ _ _ __
Date:
-----
- - -_ _ _
Perio d:
--
--=--~I
f--I:_:·=:- -· , -~: ~·-~·-:, --""'· , _ _ _~_ _I
rl
I
~-~~
~
.. ... .
______________
. .._ -
__
~
~
.... .
____
___
~
/.. ,f.
~l--.=-:-------. . n" T-"~
- '- ' :-~~'
-
j
. . " '"
..
_ n
,.
"
'.'
.
!
,"
,
....
..
I
I
WINTER RECESS ACTIVITY TH
8
GRADE LANGUAGE ARTS (NELOMS-BARNES) ADVANCED/GIFTED (Directions can be found on One Drive in the Winter Recess folder and on Edmodo).
Students will write an expository essay about the causes and consequences of the French and
Indian War. Your essay should be based on the information you recorded in your history lab
chart and the four sources. Cite textual evidence by title to support your information. Use the
sample outline on this page to organize your essay.
Introduction: Begin your paper with a opening sentence or "hook" about your topic that
catches the reader's attention. Reference the list on the front for ideas. Include context:
provide the information the reader will need to understand the topic. State your thesis, on the
topic.
Body paragraphs (2-4): Write a general topic sentence that states the main idea of the
paragraph for your first body paragraph, or for one you are having difficulty organizing. Write
down the specific textual evidence or evidence from other sources that you are using to
support your thesis. Analyze your evidence: tell the reader what is significant or important
about this evidence. How does the piece of evidence support your thesis? Why did you choose
to include it? Don't forget a transition sentence: Connect each paragraph with a sentence or
two that demonstrates how each idea leads into the next.
Conclusion: Make connections for the reader in your conclusion. You should refer back to your
thesis, but don't simply restate it. Use some of the following questions to guide you: What
questions still need to be answered? What is the larger significance of the topic you chose to
write about? What should the reader do or think after reading your paper?
Due Date
Completed essays should be forwarded to Mrs. Barnes on One Drive (130523) by January 5
and 6, 2016.