Writing Prompt ~
“Was being a child better than being
a teenager? Why or why not? In
what ways is it better/worse to be
older?” (Describe in what ways it is hard to be
in-between childhood and adulthood).

Students complete anticipation guide
questions for Monster and the literary terms
definition sheet for the novel unit.
List the part of speech and the definition and synonym for each of
these terms on your notes.
1) contend
2) judicial
3) legal
4) Prosecutor
5) Defense
6) dispensary
7) grainy
8) grim
9) felony murder
10) screenplay
1)
2)
3)
4)
v. to struggle; compete (syn: challenge)
adj. relating to fairness or equity (syn: justice)
adj. relating to rules of law (syn: lawful)
n. lawyer who works to prove the person accused
is guilty (prosecuting attorney; DA)
5) adj. kind of lawyer who attempts to prove the
person accused is innocent (syn: protective)
6) n. hospital (syn: medical center)
7) adj. not clear (syn: blurry)
8) adj. sad, lonely (syn: bleak)
9) n. to kill someone while committing a serious
crime (syn: most serious offense)
10) n. the written form of a movie (syn: movie script)
List the definition for each of the following Screenplay terms:
1) Close Up (CU)
1)
2) Cut To
2)
3) Fade In
4) Fade Out
3)
5) Flashback
4)
5)
A camera shot taken close to a person. The
person appears very large.
The point when one camera shot immediately
changes to another camera shot. The viewer sees
one scene stop and another begin.
The screen goes from complete black to a full
detailed picture
The screen goes from a fully detailed picture to
complete black
A segment of film that occurs in the past and
interrupts the time order of the plot
List the definition for each of the following Screenplay terms:
6) Long Shot (LS)
7) Medium Shot (MS)
8) Pan
9) Point-of-View (POV)
10)Voice- Over (VO)
6) A camera shot taken far from a
person. The person appears very
small.
7) A camera shot of a person from
the waist or knees up.
8) A horizontal shot of the setting.
9) A camera shot made from the
perspective of one of the characters.
10) A recorded voice that provides
narration to the film.
Journal ~
Today’s Objectives:
SOL 9.3
SOL 9.6
SOL 9.7
“What would you do if you
were charged with a crime that
you didn’t commit?
The Novel Unit:
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
“…all I ask of you, the jury, is that
you look at Steve Harmon now
and remember that at this
moment the American system of
justice demands that you consider
him innocent. He is innocent
until proven guilty.”
(Page 31).
Plot – Provides a “framework” (or the backbone) for a
story. Plot holds the story together.
3.
Climax
Conflicts are introduced
(internal and external)
in the novel. 
2.
Rising Action
1.
Exposition
We learn about the
characters & the setting.
Most intense and
emotional part of
the novel.
Conflicts are
beginning to be
resolved…
4.
Falling Action
5.
Resolution
(Denouement)
Denouement means
“untying the knot.”
Theme vs. Subject:

The subject of a story is simply the topic (a
brief description of ‘what the story is about’).

The theme of a story is the overall central or
main idea that runs throughout the story. In a
novel, there are generally multiple themes,
whereas, the subject of the novel can be stated in
one or two words. The theme helps to provide
meaning for the reader.
The 3 themes of the novel:
1)
2)
3)
Peer Pressure
Growing Up
Introspection and Persona l
Responsibility
The way an author describes a character for us
is known as indirect characterization.
S-T-A-A-R:
S - Speech
T - Thoughts
A - Appearance
A - Actions
R - Reactions (of others)
You will be responsible for describing characters from the
novel using these five methods.
Language that appeals to our senses is known as Imagery.
Through the use of imagery, the author sets the mood
(or atmosphere) of the story.
The mood is the story’s atmosphere or the
feeling it creates. It is the emotion of the story.
Mood is often created by the tone of the narrator or
author. The tone is their attitude or feeling toward a
character. The author’s word choice, diction, also affects
the mood of the story.
Just like people in real life, characters in a novel can be
very different.
•A character that does not change (stays the same) is
known as a static character.
•A character that develops/grows and changes
throughout the course of the novel is known as a
dynamic character.
•A flat character is one that shows only one trait.
•A round character is one that has many different
traits
The setting of our novel is Manhattan
Detention Center (New York City)

The way an author tells the story is through
Point-of-View
There are three points of view:
First person
• Omniscient (“all-knowing”)
• Third Person limited
Our story is told through the
narrator, Steven Harmon using
the first person pronoun, I, in the
present tense.
This narration will allow us to
see and experience the events of
the novel “through Steve’s eyes.”
Writing Prompt ~
“Was being a child better than being
a teenager? Why or why not? In
what ways is it better/worse to be
older?” (Describe in what ways it is hard to be
in-between childhood and adulthood).

We will now begin reading Monster. Look for
examples of the literary devices we just covered.
Be prepared to answer the following questions:
 What are some examples of characterization?
 What are some examples of irony and symbolism
in the novel?
 What is the importance of justice and equality in
the novel?
 What are some examples of each of the four
themes at work in the novel?