English I Through ESOL
Poetry: “Casey at the Bat” Ernest Lawrence Thayer
FCAT Reading/Writing Focus: Distinguishing Facts and Opinions
FCAT Support Skills:
Hyperbole, Imagery, Rhyme, Rhythm, Simile, Repetition,
Symbolism, Alliteration
Language Focus:
Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement: Subject & Object Pronouns
Text:
Prentice Hall Literature: Gold Level
English
awed
bearing
charity
clenched
cruel
curled
defiance
despised
eternal
fake
former
fraud
gladdened
glanced
grandeur
haughty
hurtled
inning
mighty
multitude
pallor
pitcher
rattled
rebounded
roared (rumbled)
scornful
sneer
sphere (spheroid)
stern
strain
sturdy
tumult
umpire
unheeded
vengeance
wonderment
wreathe (v)writhing
Spanish
intimidado
relación
caridad
apretar
cruel
despreciar
Haitian Creole
entimide, admire
relasyon
charite
mare, sere
kriyèl
vire, woule
desafío
menospreciado
eterno
farsante
anterior
fraude
regocijado
miró
esplendor
arrogante
volaba
entrada
poderoso
muchedumbre
palidez
lanzador
desconcertado
rebotado
bramó
rebelyon
meprize
etènèl
fent, fo
ansyen
magouy
rejwi
koudèy, devye
grandè
oten
avanse ak vitès
manch
puisan
anpil, pakèt
pal
lansè
sonnen
rebondi
rele, begle, kriye
meprizan
souri
sfè, domèn
fèm, solid
tansyon, presyon
solid
timilt, tapaj
abit, jijdeliy
inyore
vanjans
emèveye
kowone, degou
desdeñoso
sarcasmo
esfera
firme
esforzarse
fuerte
tumulto
árbitro
no hizo caso
venganza
asombro
retorcer, retorcido
Portuguese
admirado (adj.)
no context (?)
caridade
apertou, apertava
cruel
“Casey, com um
sorriso sarcástico...”
desafio
menosprezado
eterno
falsear, falsificar
anterior, precedente
fraude
alegrou, alegrou-se
olhou
grandeza
altivo, arrogante
no context (?)
rodada, entrada
poderoso
multidão
palidez
arremessador
soou, vibrou
repercutiu
rugiu
desdenhoso, zombador
sorriso sarcástico
esfera
severo
esforçar-se (v.)
robusto
tumulto
árbitro
ignorado, negligenciado
vingança
assombro, espanto
trançar, coroar
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
Page 1
English Summary
“Casey at the Bat” Ernest Lawrence Thayer
The poem “Casey at the Bat”, by Ernest Lawrence Thayer, was based on a real
baseball game played Saturday, September 3, 1887. The Mudville Nine was the home
team, and was losing 4 runs to 2 runs. It was the bottom of end of the ninth and final
inning of the game. The Mudville Nine Team needed their star right fielder to win the
game. Brian Kavanaugh Casey, age 28, was born in Mudville, and he was the star right
fielder. Casey’s batting average was 504 with 200 runs scored and 99 homeruns hit.
However, Casey was the fifth batter due up in the inning so it was not certain that
he would get to the plate and have a chance to bat. The first two men up were the
shortstop Scooter Cooney, and first baseman Otis Barrows. They both struck out
quickly. Flynn and Blake were still ahead of Casey, so there was little hope that Casey
would get to bat. Casey's chances to be the hero didn’t look very good. Flynn was called
a “pudding”, or an unintelligent fool, and Blake was a “fake”. That’s why the multitude of
fans was silent. There was little chance of Casey getting up to bat now.
The third batter up was left fielder Peter "Roughouse" Flynn. Everyone was in
wonderment when Flynn hit a single. The next batter was third baseman and danceband leader James Elmer "Bobo" Blake, also known as Blakey. Blakey was despised by
the fans. He hit a double, tearing the cover off the ball, and made it to second base. The
multitude of fans yelled so loud, it roared. Blakey’s hit put Flynn on third base, and
meant that Casey was at bat.
Mighty Casey now had his turn. The crowd let out a joyous yell when mighty
Casey stepped with ease into his place at bat. Casey was proud and smiling, doffing his
hat to the crowd of ten thousand eyes. Centerville's pitcher, James Riley "Fireball"
Snedeker, threw the first pitch to Casey. A sneer curled Casey’s lip as the pitcher’s ball
hurtled through the air. When the ball passed close to him, Casey looked at it and never
moved his bat. “It’s not my style,” Casey said arrogantly. “Strike One”, said the umpire,
and the crowd roared like waves of a storm beating a boat. Casey smiled and raised his
hand to still the tumult of people. Then Casey signaled to the pitcher, but when the ball
flew, Casey did not raise his bat again. Buttenheiser, the umpire called, “Strike Two”.
The crowd was maddened, but Casey was stern, and he clenched his teeth in hate.
The score was no balls and two strikes. Casey pounded the plate with his bat,
and the pitcher let the third ball go. Mighty Casey swung his bat, and the force of
Casey’s blow shattered the air. Casey tried to hit the ball squarely, but the ball crossed
the plate. Somewhere, people were laughing and light-hearted, but there was no joy in
Mudville that day, because mighty Casey had struck out!
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
Page 2
Spanish Summary
“Casey at the Bat” Ernest Lawrence Thayer
El poema “Casey al bate” de Ernest Lawrence Thayer, se basa en un juego de béisbol
real, que se llevo a cabo el sábado, 3 de septiembre de 1887. La novena de Mudville era el
equipo local y estaba perdiendo 4 carreras a 2; el juego estaba en la segunda parte de la
novena entrada y para ganarlo, el equipo necesitaba a su estrella el jardinero derecho Brian
Kavanaugh Casey de 28 años de edad, quien había nacido en Mudville y cuyo promedio de
bateo era de 504, con 200 carreras y 99 jonrones anotados.
No obstante, Casey era el quinto bateador de la entrada, así que no era seguro que
llegara a salir y tuviera la posibilidad de batear. Los dos primeros eran el torpedero Scooter
Cooney y el jugador de primera base Otis Barrows, que fueron ponchados rápidamente.
Flynn y Blake todavía estaban delante de Casey, así que había una pequeña esperanza de
que bateara. Las posibilidades de Casey para ser el héroe del juego no parecían ser muy
buenas. A Flynn lo llamaban “el mentecato” o un ‘tonto poco inteligente’ y a Blake, “el
farsante”; por eso la multitud de aficionados estaba en silencio. Había una pequeña
posibilidad de que Casey llegara a batear ahora.
El tercer bateador era el “jardinero” izquierdo Meter, "el brusco". Flynn y todos los
demás se asombraron cuando bateó un sencillo. El siguiente bateador era el jugador de
tercera base y director de una orquesta de baile, James Elmer, "el bobo”, Blake, también
conocido como “Blakey”, quien era menospreciado por los aficionados. “Blakey” bateó un
doblete, rasgando la cubierta de la pelota, y corrió hasta segunda base. La muchedumbre
de aficionados gritó tan fuerte que pareció un bramido; su batazo puso a Flynn en tercera
base y eso significaba que a Casey le tocaba batear.
Ahora, era el turno del poderoso Casey. La muchedumbre emitió un alarido cuando
éste se paró con tranquilidad en su sitio de bateo, estaba orgulloso y sonriente, y se quitó la
gorra para saludar a los cinco mil espectadores. James Riley Snedeker, "el dinámico",
lanzador de la novena de Centerville, le tiró la primera pelota a Casey, quien con una
sonrisa sarcástica, observó como ésta volaba por los aires. Cuando la pelota pasó cerca de
Casey, éste la miró y nunca movió su bate y arrogantemente dijo: “esa no es la mía”.
“Primer strike”, dijo el árbitro, y la multitud bramó como las olas de una tormenta al golpear
un barco. Casey sonrió y levantó la mano para calmar la confusión de la gente, luego le
hizo señas al lanzador, pero como la pelota venía muy alta, otra vez no levantó su bate.
“Segundo strike” gritó el árbitro Buttenheiser, la muchedumbre de aficionados ya estaba
exasperada, pero él estaba firme y apretó sus dientes con odio.
El marcador era de cero bolas y dos “strikes”. Casey golpeó la meta con el bate, y el
lanzador tiró la pelota por tercera vez. El poderoso Casey dio un batazo con tal fuerza que
cortó el aire con un sonido seco, intentó pegarle de lleno a la pelota, pero ésta pasó de
largo por la meta. En otros lugares las personas estarían alegres y riéndose, pero ese día
no hubo júbilo en Mudville porque al poderoso Casey ¡lo habían ponchado!
The Department of Multicultural Education Spanish Translation Team certifies that this is a true and faithful translation of the original
document. (561) 434-8620 – September 2005 – SY 05-12288
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
Page 3
Haitian Creole Summary
“Casey at the Bat” Ernest Lawrence Thayer
Ernest Lawrence Thayer te ekri powèm ki rele “Casey at the Bat” la sou yon vrè
match bezbòl ki te jwe samdi 3 septanm 1987. Mudvill Nine se te non ekip la, epi li t ap
pèdi match la pa 4 a 2. Se te finisman nevyèm ak dènye manch la nan match la. Ekip
Mudville Nine la te bezwen pi gwo jwè yo a ki te jwe elye dwat la pou genyen match la
pou yo. Brian Kavanaugh Casey,28 an, te fèt Mudville epi se li ki te pi gwo jwè a.
Mwayèn frap Casey te 504 ak 200 pwen ak 99 frap homerun.
Men, Casey te senkyèm frapè ki te gen pou monte nan manch la, kidonk se pa te
sèten li t ap monte disk la epi gen chans pou l frape. De premye nèg ki te monte yo se
te arèkou Scooter Cooney, ak premye bi Otis Barrows. Yo te mete tou de deyò byen
rapid. Te toujou gen de lòt jwè devan Casey, Flynn ak Blake, kidonk pa te gen anpil
espwa Casey t ap gen opòtinite pou l monte sou disk la. Li te sanble ke Casey pa te
gen anpil chans pou l te sove lapatri. Yo te bay Flynn vye non “pudding” oswa egare,
epi yo te rele Blake yon “fake”. Se pou sa majorite fanatik yo te ret an silans. Pa te gen
anpil chans pou Casey monte sou disk la kounye a.
Twazyèm frapè ki te monte a se te Peter “Roughouse" Flynn. Tout moun te
emèveye lè Flynn te frape yon senp. Frapè ki te vini apre l la se te James Elmer "Bobo"
Blake, alyas Blakey, ki te jwe pozisyon twazyèm bi epi ki te lidè gwoup dans la tou.
Fanatik yo te meprize Blakey. Li te frape yon doub, kote pa te gen advèsè pou gen tan
pran boul la pou jis li te rive sou dezyèm disk la. Fanatik yo te eklate stad la ak bri. Frap
Blakey a te mete Flynn sou twazyèm disk la epi sa te vle di tou Casey te monte sou disk
la pou frape.
Enkwayab Casey te gen chans li kounye a. Foul la t ap sote ponpe lè enkwayab
Casey te monte sou teren an kè kal pou l te vin frape. Casey te fyè epi l t ap souri, retire
kaskèt li pou salye milye fanatik yo. Lansè ekip Centervill la, James Riley "Fireball"
Snedeker, te voye premye lanse a bay Casey. Pandan boul la ap avanse ak tout vitès
nan lè, Casey te gen yon ti souri sou lèv li ki te montre kè l pa sote. Lè boul la pase pre
l, Casey gade l san li pa janm deplase baton l. “Sa pa stil mwen” Casey te di ak tout
awogans. Jij deliy nan te di “Frap en”, epi foul la te rele tankou se lam lanmè k ap bat
yon bato nan yon tanpèt. Casey te souri epi li te leve men l pou te kalme emosyon
moun yo. Apresa Casey te bay lansè a siyal, men lè yo te voye boul la, Casey pa te
leve baton l ankò. Jij deliy nan Buttenheiser te rele “frap de”. Foul la te kòmanse ap
mande anraje, men Casey te rete fèm, epi li te sere dan l ak raj.
Jiska prezan li te bal nil ak de frap. Casey te frape disk la ak baton an, epi lansè
a te lanse twazyèm boul la. Enkwayab Casey te voye baton l nan, epi fòs kout baton
Casey te fann nan lè. Casey te eseye frape boul la dirèk, men boul la te travèse disk la.
Te gen kote moun t ap ri ak rejwi, men jou sa pa te gen yon gout jwa nan Mudville,
paske yo te mete puisan Casey deyò!
Translated by the Creole Translation Team of the Multicultural Education Department School District of Palm
Beach County – November 2006- SY051226- Phone (561) 434-8620
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
Page 4
Portuguese Summary
“Casey no Bastão” de Ernest Lawrence Thayer
O poema “Casey no Bastão”, de Ernest Lawrence Thayer, originou-se de um
jogo de beisebol que realmente aconteceu num sábado, 3 de setembro de 1887. O time
local era Os Nove de Mudville e estava perdendo de 4 a 2. Era a segunda parte da
nona e última rodada e eles precisavam que o jardineiro direito, que era a estrela do
time, fizesse o ponto decisivo para a vitória. Brian Kavanaugh Casey, de 28 anos,
nasceu em Mudville e era o melhor jardineiro direito. Casey conseguiu obter uma média
de 504 tacadas, com 200 pontos acumulados e 99 rebatidas com volta à base.
No entanto, Casey era o quinto rebatedor a atuar na rodada, portanto não era
certo que ele chegaria à base principal e teria a chance de rebater. Os dois primeiros
eram o inter base Scooter Cooney e o 1a base Otis Barrows. Ambos erraram as
tacadas rapidamente. Ainda haviam Flynn e Blake na frente de Casey, por isso havia
pouca esperança de que ele pudesse rebater. As chances de Casey se tornar um herói
não eram muito boas. Flynn era conhecido como o “Moleza” ou um idiota sem
inteligência e Blake, o “Farsante”. Por este motivo a maior parte dos fãs estava em
silêncio. As chances de Casey poder rebater agora, eram muito poucas.
O terceiro rebatedor era o jardineiro esquerdo Peter Flynn, o “Pesado”. Todos se
espantaram quando Flynn rebateu um arremesso simples. O próximo rebatedor era o
3a base e líder do conjunto de música para festas James Elmer Blake, o “Bobo”,
também conhecido como Blakey. Blakey era menosprezado pelos fãs. Ele rebateu um
duplo, rasgando a cobertura da bola e conseguiu chegar à segunda base. A multidão
de fãs gritava tão alto que soava como um rugido. A rebatida de Blakey colocou Flynn
na 3a base, o que significava que Casey iria rebater.
O poderoso Casey agora teria a sua vez. O povo soltou um grito de alegria
quando ele pisou com tranqüilidade no local em que iria rebater. Casey se sentia
orgulhoso e sorria, tirando o chapéu para a multidão de cinco mil espectadores. James
Riley Snedeker, o arremessador “bola de fogo” de Centerville, atirou a primeira bola a
Casey que, com um sorriso sarcástico, apenas observou-a voar. Quando a bola passou
por Casey, ele olhou para ela e nem sequer moveu o seu bastão. “Esta não é uma das
minhas”, disse ele de maneira arrogante. “Primeiro arremesso”, disse o árbitro e o povo
rugia como as ondas de uma tormenta arrebentando-se sobre um barco. Casey sorriu e
levantou a mão para acalmar o tumulto. Casey então fez um sinal ao arremessador,
mas quando a bola foi atirada, ele mais uma vez nem levantou o seu bastão.
Buttenheiser, o árbitro, gritou “segundo arremesso”. O povo estava enlouquecido, mas
Casey continuou firme e cerrava os dentes com ódio.
O placar marcava zero bolas e dois arremessos. Casey batia na base com o seu
bastão e o arremessador lançou a terceira bola. O poderoso Casey preparou o seu
bastão num movimento que cortou o ar. Ele tentou rebater a bola de reta, mas esta
cruzou a base. Em algum outro lugar as pessoas riam e se sentiam aliviadas, mas não
houve nenhuma alegria em Mudville naquele dia porque o poderoso Casey não foi
capaz de acertar o arremesso!
The Department of Multicultural Education Translation Team certifies that this is a true and faithful translation of
the original document. January 2006 - (561) 434-8620 - SY 05-1228
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
Page 5
Beginning Listening Activities
Minimal Pairs
Objective: Auditory discrimination of confusing sounds in words
Procedure: Write a word pair on the board. (Example: there-dare) Write #1 above the first, #2
above the second. The teacher models by pronouncing one of the words without indicating
which. Teams guess which word they heard, #1, or #2. Pronounce both words in the pair.
Teams guess the order they heard (1-2, 2-1). Call out the numbers 1 or 2. Teams respond with
the word (Can be done with sentences). Use both words in the pair in otherwise identical
sentences. (Example: The Constitution is the heart of US government. The contribution is the
heart of US government.) Teams decide which sentence has meaning, and which is silly.
(Award points for correct responses.)
Casey at the Bat: Minimal Pairs Activity:
pitch/pit
teeth/teethe roar/role
crowd/cloud
shatter/chatter
lip/rip
Bingo
Objective: Auditory comprehension of vocabulary from the lesson
Procedure: Choose vocabulary words or phrases from the lesson summary list or from
students' classroom texts. Give each team a blank Bingo card. Each team writes vocabulary
words/text phrases you provide on the board in the spaces of their choice. Randomly select
sentences from the text and read them aloud. Teams mark their Bingo spaces when they hear
the word or phrase.
Intermediate Listening Activities
Team Spelling Test
Objective: Listen for lesson vocabulary words & collaborate with others to spell them correctly.
Procedure: Place ten vocabulary words (or fewer depending on time) in a pocket chart or on a
chalk tray. Teams get 3-5 minutes to study the words. Hide the words from view. Each team
uses one pencil and one sheet of paper. (Team name at top; numbers 1-10 down the left
margin) Read the spelling words as you would during a traditional spelling test. The first team
member writes word number one with the team's help, and then passes the paper and pencil to
the second team member who will write word number two, etc. Students on each team take
turns. Teams exchange papers. Place the 10 words back in view. Teams check each other's
tests. A team gets one point for each word spelled correctly.
Options: Ask for additional information. For example, you may ask teams to write a sentence
with the word in it. You might ask for a specific tense, plural form, opposite, etc.
An alternative technique is to have each team member complete all spelling items on his/her
own paper. Team members are allowed to help each other. On completion, collect the one
paper of your choice. The grade on that paper will count for each team member.
Casey at the Bat: Team Spelling Activity: Use the following words for the test.
The teacher provides the present form of the verb. Students respond with the past form.
clench, hurtle, roar, shatter, sneer, stern, still (v), strike, madden, strike
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
Page 6
Follow Directions
Objective: Listen for the purpose of following spoken directions.
Procedure: With one piece of paper and one pencil, team members take turns writing on paper
what the teacher directs to complete a task.
a) For example, there might be a list of dates. The teacher might say the following: Draw a
circle around 1492. Make a star in front of 1546. Connect 1322 and 1673 with a line.
b) The teacher might direct teams to make changes to a sentence. Example: He sailed to
the Americas in 1492. The teacher says, “Circle the verb. Put a box around the
preposition”.
c) Another example: Change the verb to the present tense. Add 505 years to the date.
Change the subject to the third person plural.
d) The teacher might also direct teams to complete a drawing, or draw the route of an
explorer on a map. Teams that complete the exercise correctly get a point.
Casey at the Bat: Follow Directions Activity: Provide teams with the verses of the poem,
highlighted on the beat. Students follow directions to practice rhythmic patterns of spoken verse.
There are six stressed syllables per line in each stanza of “Casey at the Bat”.
Directions:
a) Snap your fingers (or clap your hands) on the beat:
One, two, three, and four, five, six
One, two, three, and four, five, six
One, two, three, and four, five, six
One, two, three, and four, five, six
b) Now repeat each line, snapping your fingers (or clapping your hands) on the beat:
(Rhythm: Meter is iambic heptameter) (7 stressed syllables per line): Example:
Stanza 1:
“It looked extremely rocky for the Mudville nine that day;
The score stood two to four, with but an inning left to play.
So, when Cooney died at second, and Burrows did the same,
A pallor wreathed the features of the patrons of the game.”
Stanza 12:
“The sneer is gone from Casey’s lips, his teeth are clenched in hate.
He pounds with cruel vengeance his bat upon the plate:
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey’s blow.”
c) Now read the lines out loud together, and snap (or clap):
d) Now read the lines out loud together quietly and slowly without snapping (or clapping).
When you read, still put the emphasis on the stressed syllables:
e) This time, say the same stanzas, paying attention to the end rhyme. The pattern for the
end rhyme is AA-BB in each stanza of four lines.
Stanza 1:
“It looked extremely rocky for the Mudville nine that day;
A
The score stood two to four, with but an inning left to play
A
So, when Cooney died at second, and Burrows did the same,
B
A pallor wreathed the features of the patrons of the game.”
B
Stanza 12:
“The sneer is gone from Casey’s lips, his teeth are clenched in hate.
A
He pounds with cruel vengeance his bat upon the plate:
A
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
B
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey’s blow.”
B
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
Page 7
Dictation
Objective: Listen to discriminate words in sentences and reproduce them in writing.
Procedure: Dictate sentences from the lesson, saying each sentence only two times (once if
listening skills allow) Team members take turns writing the sentences, assisting each other.
(Teams can write sentences on the board to correct them in class, or collect as a quiz.)
Option: An alternative technique is to have each team member complete all dictation items on
his/her own paper. Team members are allowed to help each other. On completion, collect one
paper of your choice. The grade on that paper will count for each team member.
Option: Dictate a sentence with an important word left out. Offer four choices for teams to write.
Example: Columbus landed in… a) Boston b) Haiti c) Argentina d) England
Option for Dictating Dates or mathematical concepts/formulas: Can be written in number
form or in word form (fourteen hundred and ninety-two) (All sides are equal in an equilateral
triangle.) Dictate the question, so teams can write them down. Then each team answers the
question in the group. (What kind of polygon has two parallel sides?)
Casey at the Bat: Dictation Activity:
a) The crowd was maddened, but Casey was stern, and he clenched his teeth in hate.
b) Casey pounded the plate with his bat, and the pitcher let the ball go.
c) Mighty Casey swung his bat, and the force of Casey’s blow shattered the air.
d) Casey tried to hit the ball squarely, but the ball crossed the plate.
e) A sneer curled Casey’s lip as the pitcher’s ball hurtled through the air.
Proficient Listening Activities
Interview
Objective: Role play a verbal interaction in the form of an interview
Procedure: You play the role of an informative person relative to the topic of the unit.
Choose a representative from each team and distribute the questions among them. These
students play the role of journalists. Provide students with these questions to interview you in
your new role. Teams must coach their representative, and take notes of the answers for
Writing Activity #1, Language Experience Story.
Casey at the Bat: Interview Activities:
You play the role of Casey. Choose several students to play the role of a newspaper writer.
Provide these students with the questions below. They take turns asking you questions.
Students not asking questions must take notes of Casey’s answers. Students should save notes
for Writing Activity #1, Language Experience Story.
a) What is your full name?
b) Why do they call Flynn a “puddin’”?
c) Did you expect Blakey to hit the ball?
d) How did you feel when you didn’t think you would have a chance at bat?
e) Why did you pass up the first two balls?
f) Why did you strike out? What happened?
g) What was your batting average before the game?
h) Do you think you will beat Centerville in the next game? Why?
i) Why do your fans love you so much, Casey?
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
Page 8
Beginning Speaking Activities
Intentional Intonation
Objective: Auditory discrimination and oral production of intonation/stress patterns in spoken
English
Procedure: Write the sentence on the board and then say it, stressing one word. Teams take
turns explaining the special meaning the emphasis brings to the sentence. Repeat this process
several times with the same sentence, each time emphasizing a different word.
Example:
All for one and one for all! (not none) …..(not, “None for one and one for all!)
All for one and one for all! (not from) …..(not, All from one and one for all!)
All for one and one for all! (not three) …..(not, “All for three and one for all!)
All for one and one for all! (not or) …..(not, “All for one or one for all!”)
All for one and one for all! (not everyone) …..(not, “All for one and everyone for all!”)
All for one and one for all! (not to)….. (not, “All for one and one to all”!)
All for one and one for all! (not nobody) …..(not, “All for one and one for nobody!”)
Casey at the Bat: Intentional Intonation Activities:
“Hitting the easy balls is not my style,” Casey said arrogantly. (not passing up)
“That’s not my style,” Casey said arrogantly. (not his)
“That’s not my style,” Casey said arrogantly. (not game)
“That’s not my style,” Casey said arrogantly. (not Flynn)
“That’s not my style,” Casey said arrogantly. (not whispered)
“That’s not my style,” Casey said arrogantly. (not humbly)
Backwards Build-up
Objective: Auditory discrimination and oral reproduction of rhythmic patterns of spoken English
Procedure: Students practice the intonation, stress, and punctuation of sentences by repeating,
by teams, the increasingly larger fragments of a sentence modeled by you. Repeat each line (as
necessary) until teams can pronounce the segments well. Continue to build up to the complete
sentence. Teams completing the exercise correctly get a point. Example:
…in fourteen hundred and ninety-two
…blue in fourteen hundred and ninety-two
…the ocean blue in fourteen hundred and ninety-two
…sailed the ocean blue in fourteen hundred and ninety-two
Columbus sailed the ocean blue in fourteen hundred and ninety-two.
Casey at the Bat: Backward Build-up Activity:
a) The next batter was third baseman and dance-band leader James Elmer "Bobo"
Blake, also known as Blakey.
b) When Blakey hit a double, tearing the cover off the ball, and made it to second base.
c) “Strike One”, said the umpire, and the crowd roared like waves of a storm beating a
boat.
d) The crowd was maddened, but Casey was stern, and he clenched his teeth in hate.
e) Somewhere, people were laughing and light-hearted, but here was no joy in
Mudville that day, because mighty Casey had struck out!
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
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Intermediate Speaking Activities
Charades
Objective: Oral production to determine word meaning and context of new lesson vocabulary
Procedure: Team members guess who/what the teacher (or student) is silently role-playing.
(Ex: famous person, geometric shape, scientific theory) The team guessing correctly gets point.
Casey at the Bat: Charades Activity: Suggestions:
haughty, defiant, mighty, roar, sneer, clenched, maddened, pitcher, sneer, stern, strike
Mixed-up Sentence
Objective: Each team consults to give spoken directions to correct a “mixed-up” sentence.
Procedure: Write a sentence on the board that contains lesson vocabulary and grammar, but
scramble the order of the words and put a capital letter or two in the wrong places(s). Tell the
class the way the sentence should read. Example sentence: A dicot seed has two parts. You
might write on the board: “tWo a seed dicot hAs parts”. The person whose turn it is must
verbally give directions to make a correction after consulting with the team. The teacher follows
the exact directions given and, if correct, gives the team a point. Then s/he calls on next team.
Example: “Move the A to the front”. You might decide to erase letter “a” in “part” and put it at
the beginning of the sentence. Perhaps you erase an “a” and rewrite it on the wall somewhere in
front of the classroom. In both cases, you were not given the detailed instructions necessary to
complete the task, and you would move on to the next group without awarding a point. You are
looking for a response something like, “Remove the first capital A and replace it with a lower
case A.” Directions like these get teams points. Continue until the sentence is reorganized, with
a capital at the beginning and a period at the end.
Notes: This activity is very difficult and takes several weeks to master. Students will prefer to
show you what to do, but do not let them. The idea is to tell you, not show you. The first time
you use the activity do not spend more than five minutes. Stop and discuss the kinds of
directions they need to give in the future. Do not give up on this activity, no matter how
immature the students.
Proficient Speaking Activities
Twenty Questions
Objective: Ask oral questions about a photo or picture to determine meaning of vocabulary
words.
Procedure: A student from one team selects a photo or picture without showing it to members
of teams. Teams take turns asking YES/NO questions about the picture. The picture holder can
only answer yes or no. If a team guesses correctly, it receives 20 points minus the number of
questions that have been asked divided by two. Ex: Is it from the fifteenth Century? Is it a boat?
Casey at the Bat: Twenty Questions Activity: Photo or picture suggestions:
crowd, pitcher, umpire, grandeur, multitude, pitcher, sphere, umpire
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
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FCAT FOCUS READING SKILL: Distinguishing Facts and Opinions
Teacher-Student Grammar Notes are provided as a teaching resource or student study notes.
DISTINGUISHING FACTS AND OPINIONS
What to do and what to watch for. A FACT is information that can be verified or PROVEN.
You can’t argue facts. An OPINION is information that CANNOT BE PROVEN or verified.
Opinions are someone’s belief or personal judgment. You can agree or disagree with an
opinion.
FACT!
Here is the
PROOF!
OPINION:
Agree or
disagree?
POINT
OF
VIEW
RECOGNIZE FACTS. Read, Stop, and Think.
Just because something is printed on the FCAT test, that doesn’t make it a fact! A FACT CAN
BE PROVEN. A fact is either true or false. You can’t argue facts. Decide if the statement can be
proven or verified. Can you check it out in a reference book? Can you prove it? Is your source a
reliable or scientific source? Individual feelings or emotions do not influence facts. That means it
doesn’t make a difference if you agree or disagree. It’s a FACT. That also means it doesn’t
matter if you like or don’t like the fact. It is still a FACT! If the fact is proven false, it is still a
statement of untrue FACT!
RECOGNIZE OPINIONS. Read, Stop, and Think.
Opinion statements are different from facts. If the writer is trying to convince you of his point of
view, it may sound like a fact, but it is still just an opinion, because you can agree or disagree.
OPINIONS CANNOT BE PROVEN or verified by an impartial source, because they only
express an individual point of view. Opinions argue one point of view, and you can disagree with
an opinion. Opinions evaluate, judge or express feelings and emotions. Statements about the
future are always opinions, because you cannot prove the future. It didn’t happen yet!
Look for opinion signal words.
OPINION SIGNAL WORDS
believe
best/worst
expect
feel
in my opinion
least/most
may/may not
might/might not
my impression is…
my perspective is..
my point of view is...
my sense is…
possibly
probably
should
should not
think
Refer to next page for more on Fact & Opinion.
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
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Distinguishing Facts and Opinions (Continued from previous page.)
Put it to the test! Can you prove or disprove the statement? Can it be verified by a reliable
source? Can you check it out in a reference book? Can you prove it? Is your source a reliable or
scientific source? Does it express an individual’s feelings, thoughts, beliefs, judgments,
argument, agreement, disagreement or advice? Examples:
a) Special Vitamin Cereal is the best cereal because it has more vitamins.
(Opinion: Signal word “best”; cannot be proven; a point of view)
b) Scientists believe that the world is billions of years old.
(Opinion: signal word “believe”; cannot be proven and is only a theory)
c) There are nine hundred students in this school.
(Fact: can be proven by checking school records)
d) Brazil is the largest country in South America.
(True Fact: can be proven by checking reference books)
e) Paraguay is the largest country in South America.
(False Fact: can be proven to be false by checking reference books)
f) You should work at least one week before quitting your job.
(Opinion: signal words, “at least”, “should”; cannot be proven; advice)
g) The thinking of medical doctors is that the disease is not curable.
(Opinion: signal word, “thinking”; has not been proven beyond doubt.)
h) There are eight million people in the city of New York.
(Fact: can be proven true or false by checking census records)
i) The United States will always be a democracy.
(Opinion: future tense “will-” can never be proven; it didn’t happen yet)
Use a graphic organizer. It helps you to find proof for facts and opinion signal words.
STATEMENT
Fact or
Opinion?
PROOF (Facts Only)
OPINION Signal Words (Opinions Only)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
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Beginning Reading Activities
Pre Reading
Objective: Listen to a short series of oral sentences in order to answer simple questions.
Procedure: Use the short summary paragraph below (5-10 sentences). Read the paragraph to
the class two times. Then read the paragraph a 3rd time, stopping at the end of each sentence to
ask questions. Ask several questions for each sentence, and ask a variety of types of questions
(i.e. yes/no, either/or, and “wh-“). Ask the questions at a quick pace, and if the group cannot
answer quickly enough, move on to the next group.
Example: Columbus sailed to America in 1492. Sample Questions: Did Columbus sail to
America? Did Columbus sail to Europe? Did Columbus sail to Europe or America? Where did
he sail? Did King Ferdinand sail to America? Did Columbus or King Ferdinand sail to America?
Who sailed to America? Did he sail in 1942? Did he sail in 1492 or 1942? When did he sail?
Option: Read the paragraph a 4th time. Ask questions again. End the activity by dictating the
paragraph to the teams. Allow collaboration within the team. Collect/grade one dictation from
each team. Each student on the team receives the same grade.
Casey at the Bat: Pre Reading Activity:
There was one inning left to play in the Mudville baseball game, with the score at four to
two. The first two men up to bat both struck out quickly. Flynn and Blake were still ahead of
Casey. Casey's chances to get to bat and be the hero didn’t look very good. The third batter up
was Flynn. Everyone was in wonderment when Flynn hit a single. The next batter was Blake,
also known as Blakey. Blakey was despised by the fans. However, Blakey tore up the ball,
made it to second, and put Flynn on third. The crowd let out a joyous yell when mighty Casey
stepped up to bat. After two strikes, the force of Casey’s blow shattered the air. However, there
was no joy in Mudville because mighty Casey struck out!
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
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Intermediate-Proficient Reading Activities
Total Recall
Objective: Read a text in order to ask and answer short questions.
Procedure: Teams prepare 3 (or more) questions and their answers from the text. Teams are
allowed to write notes about the text. Teams take turns asking each other their questions, and
challenging incorrect responses. Responding teams are not allowed to raise hands. The team
asking the question chooses which team answers. The same question cannot be asked twice. If
a team does not answer correctly, it loses a point and the team asking the question gets a point.
When a team does not agree with the answer that the questioner deems correct, it can
challenge that team. The challenging team must prove that it is also correct or that the
questioning team is incorrect. It does not need to prove both. All teams can join a challenge on
either side (questioner's side or respondent's side), but they must do so immediately. (Teams
may wait to see how many teams are joining each side, which is unfair.). Once the teams have
taken sides on a challenge, they look up the answer in the book. All teams siding with the
correct answer get 2 points, and losers lose 2 points.
Story Grammars
Objective: Identify a common organizational pattern or “grammar” of a reading text.
Procedure: Introduce story grammars by using the Language Experience Approach. The
second time, have each group prepare one. Once groups have mastered story grammars,
individuals can prepare their own, but include incentives for the group to help individual
members. For example, you might want to give a team a point for each member who receives a
grade of B or higher.
Example: Setting:___, Characters:___, ___,Problem:___, Goal:___, Events Leading to goal
(list in order):___, ___, ___,Resolution: ___(Three possibilities include: character solves
problem, character learns to live with problem, problem defeats character)
Note: Story grammars help students understand that most stories have a common organization,
and they help students to write reports, evaluate the quality of stories, and write their own
stories.
Judgment
Objective: Read a text for the purpose of identifying facts and opinions.
Procedure: On five separate strips of paper, each team writes (or copies) 5 sentences from the
text that show facts and opinions. Teams write their team name on the backs of the 5 strips, and
swap their sentences. Teams read the sentence strips they have, and place them in either a fact
basket or opinion basket in front of the room. The teacher reads each sentence strip from the
two baskets. For each, the teams decide if the sentence was correctly placed. If correct, the
team with its name on the strip gets a point. If not correct, that team loses a point. (This
encourages effective writing.)
Option: This activity may be adapted to focus on cause/effect, reality/fantasy or inferred/explicit.
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
Page 14
True or False
Objective: Read a text passage for the purpose of making true and false statements about it.
Procedure: Teams make a “T” chart (2 columns with titles--one side is for true, the other side is
for false). Teams make three true or false statements about the text. A representative from the
first team reads one statement aloud. The other teams listen and place their token on the
appropriate side of their True/False chart. The questioning team decides which choices are
correct. Each correct answer earns a team a point. In a disagreement, follow the challenge rules
of Total Recall.
Scan
Objective: Scan a text for the purpose of asking and answering simple questions.
Procedure:
1. Teams write 3 questions about an assigned text. Next to each question, they write page
number and paragraph number where the answer is located.
2. A representative from each team asks the team’s questions. The other teams get 60
seconds for each question to scan the text, find the answer, page and paragraph numbers,
and write them on a sheet of paper. Any team not getting the answer within that time loses a
point.
3. Any time a responding team loses a point, the questioning team gets a point. The responding
teams take turns reading out their page and paragraph numbers. Then the questioning team
reads its page and paragraph numbers.
4. Team respondents who have the same answer as the questioner get an automatic point.
Respondents who do not have the same answer as the questioner are not automatically
wrong. Both the questioner and respondent read aloud their chosen paragraph. The
questioner then decides if the respondent is also correct (Many times the answer to a
question can be found in more than one place in a text). If the respondent is also correct, the
respondent gets a point.
5. If the questioner says that the respondent is incorrect, the respondent may challenge (as in
Total Recall). The responding team must prove that it is also correct or that the questioner is
incorrect. It does not need to prove both. Other teams may join one side or the other. The
teacher then decides who wins. Winning teams get 2 points and losers lose 2 points.
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
Page 15
Beginning- Writing Activities
Language Experience Story
Objective: Use student-created writing as a text as a model for individual student writings, for
rereading or other written activities, including Story Grammars, RAFT, and Spool Writing.
Procedure: Language Experience instruction involves asking students to talk about some item
of relevance to the class. You may use information from Listening Activity “Interview” or
information learned in other unit activities. Individual team members and teams take turns
offering sentences to be added to the text. You write individual contributions on the board,
including non-standard forms or word order. Then ask teams to correct or change the text to
standard English grammar and syntax and to decide on an organizational format. Assist teams
in making necessary adjustments. After the text is corrected, students copy it in their notebooks,
or you can type and distribute it.
Indirect Speech
Objective: Write a familiar dialog in paragraph form, using indirect or reported speech.
Procedure: Use the dialog in this lesson written for Presenting Activity “Dialog”. After teams
have completed presenting their dialogs (see Presenting Activities), have each group write the
dialog in a paragraph format using indirect speech. Example:
COLUMBUS: “I need money to buy ships to sail west.”
Columbus asked the queen for some money to sail to the west.
Teams use one piece of paper and one pencil only. Each member takes a turn writing a line of
the dialog. Other team members can offer help, but they cannot write it for the individual whose
turn it is to write. Collect and grade. Each member of the team gets the same grade.
Casey at the Bat: Indirect Speech Activity: Use the dialog in this lesson written for Presenting
Activity “Dialog”.
Example:
The fans to the umpire:
The mighty Casey has struck out!
The fans told the umpire that the mighty Casey had struck out!
Intermediate-Proficient Writing Activities
Language Experience Story
Objective: Create a collaborative writing text to use as a model for re-reading, individual
student writing or other written activities (including Story Grammars, RAFT, and Spool Writing)
Procedure: Language Experience Story instruction involves asking students to talk about some
item of relevance to the class. (You may use information from Listening Activity 6, the Interview,
or information learned in other unit activities.) Teams take turns, through individual members,
offering sentences to be added to the text. You write their contributions on the board, including
non-standard forms and word order. Ask groups to change the text to standard English
grammatical and lexical forms and to decide on an acceptable organizational format. Help the
groups when they cannot make all of the necessary adjustments. After the text is corrected,
students copy it in their notebooks, or you can type and distribute it.
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
Page 16
Framed Paragraphs
Objective: Use a “frame” (outline or template) for writing a paragraph that contains a main idea
(topic sentence), supporting details, and a summary statement (conclusion).
Note: Framed paragraphs are most useful in preparing students for exam questions. In fact,
framed paragraphs make very good exam questions.
Procedure: Introduce framed paragraphs to the class by creating a story collectively using the
language experience approach. The second time you assign framed paragraphs, have each
group prepare one. Once the groups have mastered framed paragraphs, each student prepares
his/her own. Include incentives for the group to help individual team members. For example,
give a team one point for each member who receives a grade of B or higher. After constructing
a model paragraph with the class, groups, pairs, or individuals find examples in text.
Social Studies Example: There are many cultures of people living in Florida. First....
Second.... Third.... These groups and others....
Language Arts Example: ..., a character in the novel... by... is.... An example of this behavior
is... Another example is.... Finally.... Therefore, this character is...
Science Example: OBSERVATION: After observing... HYPOTHESIS: I think... MATERIALS:
1…2…3… PROCEDURE: 1…2…3… DATA: 1…2…3… ANALYSIS: The results of the
experiment show.... This was caused by.... Therefore, my hypothesis was/was not correct
because....
Casey at the Bat: Framed Paragraphs Activities:
Suggested Topics: The poem “Casey at the Bat” contains literary devices to write about.
Students may write about one or several literary devices found in one poem. Use the following
as starters for the sample formats that follow:
Sample #1: (Hyperbole) Use the following as a starter hyperbole:
Hyperbole-Exaggeration:
a. Ridiculous comparisons:
The losing crowd was “…upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat…”
“…Then from the gladdened multitude went up a joyous yell;
It bounded from the mountaintop, and rattled in the dell;
It struck upon the hillside, and recoiled upon the flat;
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.”
b. Exaggerated diction-every minor detail is a grand expression.
The baseball is called, “spheroid” and “leather-covered sphere.”
In the poem, “_____” by _____, the writer uses hyperbole as a literary device for
entertainment, to get attention or to convince the reader of something. (Topic Sentence) One
example is _____. Hyperbole in this line (phrase, word) has an emotional effect by exaggerating
_____ because_____. (Detail #1) Another example of hyperbole for a convincing, emotional
effect and emphasis is _____. The reader responds to this hyperbole because_____. (Detail #2)
A third example is _____. The reader’s response is _____ because_____. (Detail #3) The
writer creates his/her own special effect by using hyperbole of important ideas throughout the
poem to appeal to our willingness to be convinced and for our entertainment. This is an
appealing and pleasing device. (Conclusion)
Refer to next page for more Casey at the Bat: Framed Paragraphs Activities:
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
Page 17
Casey at the Bat: Framed Paragraphs Activities (Continued):
Sample #2: (Imagery) Starters for imagery (Describe picture/image left in the reader’s mind):
Imagery:
a. Casey-sneer on his lips, his lips curled, “…teeth clenched in hate,
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate…”
b. Sensory appeal to hear the sound of the crack of the bat.
“…the air is shattered by the force of Casey’s blow…”
c. This is the image of confidence and adoration, a hero who will succeed:
“…There was ease in Casey’s manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Casey’s bearing, and a smile on Casey’s face;
And, when responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt ‘twas Casey at the bat.”
In the poem, “_____”, by _____, the writer uses imagery to create pictures in the
reader’s mind (Topic Sentence). The writer _____ compares _____to _____. In this comparison
of_____ to_____, the poet creates an image in the reader’s mind of_____ (Detail #1). This
image _____ (creates a real sense or sensation of an experience, place or person/appeals to
the senses of sight, taste, touch, hearing and smell). Another example is the writer_____
comparing _____ to_____. The poet leaves an image in the reader’s mind of_____ (Detail #2).
This image_____ (creates a real sense or sensation of an experience, place or person/appeals
to the senses of sight, taste, touch, hearing and smell) In a third comparison in the poem_____,
the writer_____ compares _____ to_____. The writer creates a picture of_____. (Detail #3) This
image_____ (creates a real sense or sensation of an experience, place or person/appeals to the
senses of sight, taste, touch, hearing and smell). In a fourth example from the poem,
_____comparing _____ to_____, the poet creates an image in the reader’s mind of_____
(Detail #4). This image _____ (creates a real sense or sensation of an experience, place or
person/appeals to the senses of sight, taste, touch, hearing and smell). By using the literary
device of imagery, the writer makes comparisons that create powerful word pictures in the
reader’s mind. (Conclusion).
Sample #3: (Sound Effects-Repetition) Starters for repetition sound effects:
Repetition:
b. “somewhere” is repeated to create a mood of suspense for the unexpected ending.
“…Oh! Somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout,
But there is no joy in Mudville – mighty Casey has struck out!”
b. “And now…” is repeated to create a mood of suspense and anticipation.
“And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey’s blow.”
In the poems, “_____” by _____, “and “_____” by _____, the writer uses repetition as a
literary device for emotional effect and to give emphasis to certain words and ideas. (Topic
Sentence) One example is _____. Repetition of these words has an emotional effect by
emphasizing_____ because_____. (Detail #1) Another example of repetition for emotional
effect and emphasis is _____. The reader responds to this repetition because_____. (Detail #2)
A third example is _____. The reader’s response is emotional because_____. (Detail #3) The
writers create their own musical effects by using repetition of important words and phrases
throughout the poem to appeal to our emotions. This is an appealing and pleasing device.
(Conclusion)
Refer to next page for more Casey at the Bat: Framed Paragraphs Activities:
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
Page 18
Casey at the Bat: Framed Paragraphs Activities (Continued):
Sample #4: (Sound Effects-Rhyme) Use the following as a starter for rhyme:
End Rhyme:
a. Each stanza has 2 rhymed couplets (AABB)
“The outlook wasn’t brilliant for the Mudville nine that day;
The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play;
And so, when Cooney died at first, and Burrows did the same;
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.”
In the poem _____ by _____, the writer uses end rhyme (and/or internal rhyme, end
rhyme, etc) for special sound effects. (Topic Sentence) First, in the poem, “_____”, rhyming
words include _____, which rhymes with___, _____, which rhymes with _____, and _____,
which rhymes with _____. (Detail #1) It is important to point out that the poet also uses _____
rhyme, including _____ and _____. (Detail #2) Another example of rhyme is in the poem,
“_____”. Rhyming words include _____which rhymes with___, _____, which rhymes with
_____, and _____, which rhymes with _____. (Detail #3) In addition, _____the poet uses
_____ rhyme. _____ rhymes with____, _____ rhymes with _____, and _____ rhymes with
_____. These rhyming words occur (in the middle of the lines, at the end of the lines, etc.) giving
a special effect. (Detail #4) The writer creates his/her own effective musical pattern(s) of sound
effects with _____ (end and/or internal) rhyme repeated _____ (throughout the poem, in the
middle of lines, etc.). This is an appealing and pleasing device. (Conclusion)
Sample #5: (Sound Effects-Rhythm) Use the following as starter for rhythm.
Rhythm: Meter is iambic heptameter (7 stressed syllables per line)
“The outlook wasn’t brilliant for the Mudville nine that day;
The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play;
And so, when Cooney died at first, and Burrows did the same;
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.”
In the poem, “_____”, the poet _____ (uses rhythm as a literary device for special sound
effects) (Topic Sentence). First, _____ (In all four stanzas of the poem, the poet uses the same
pattern of rhythm by stressing four syllables per line, with unstressed syllables in between.
(Detail #1). For example _____ (In the first line of the first stanza), _____ (the stressed syllables
are…example - “I wandered lonely as a cloud”.). (Detail #2). The pattern I repeated again in
the second line, _____ (the stressed syllables are “_____”.) (Detail #3). . In the third line, _____
(the stressed syllables are “_____”.) (Detail #4). . In the fourth line, _____ (the stressed
syllables are “_____”.) (Detail #5). The Poet Wordsworth creates his own effective musical
pattern of sound effects and rhythm repeated line by line throughout the poem. This is an
appealing and pleasing device. (Conclusion)
Refer to next page for more Casey at the Bat: Framed Paragraphs Activities:
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
Page 19
Casey at the Bat: Framed Paragraphs Activities (Continued):
Sample #6: (Alliteration). Use the following as starter for alliteration.
Alliteration:
“…So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat…”
“…Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip…”
In the poem, “_____” by _____, the writer uses _____ (alliteration) to enhance the mood
of his story (Topic Sentence). One example is _____. The use of _____ (alliteration) _____
(creates an interesting sound effect for, mimics the sound of, makes the reader think of,
emphasizes, etc.) _____. (Detail #1) Another example of _____ is _____. This example _____
(illustrates an interesting sound effect for, mimics the sound of, makes the reader think of,
emphasizes, etc.) (Detail #2). A third example of _____ is _____. This example _____ (creates
an interesting sound effect for, mimics the sound of, makes the reader think of, emphasizes,
etc.) (Detail #3). The poet’s skillful use of the literary device _____ in the poem is (creates)
_____ (Conclusion).
Sample #7: (Simile) Use the following as starter for simile:
Simile: The sound of the crowd is compared to the waves beating on the shore in a storm.
“…there went up a muffled roar, like the beating pf the storm waves on a stern and distant
shore…”
In the poem “_____”, the author _____ uses a series of similes to create images in the
reader’s mind (Topic Sentence). The writer compares _____ to _____, _____to _____ and
_____ to _____. In the first comparison of_____ to_____, the poet creates an image in the
reader’s mind of_____ (Detail #1). This simile _____ (creates a real sense or sensation of an
experience, place or person/appeals to the senses of sight, taste, touch, hearing and smell). In
the second simile comparing _____ to_____, the poet leaves an image in the reader’s mind
of_____ (Detail #2). This simile _____. (creates a real sense or sensation of an experience,
place or person/appeals to the senses of sight, taste, touch, hearing and smell) In the third
comparison of_____ to_____, the writer creates a picture of_____. (Detail #3) This simile _____
(creates a real sense or sensation of an experience, place or person/appeals to the senses of
sight, taste, touch, hearing and smell). By using the literary device of simile, the writer makes
comparisons that create powerful word pictures in the reader’s mind. (Conclusion).
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
Page 20
Opinion/Proof
Objective: Organize ideas/information to find supporting evidence for an opinion. (pre-writing)
Procedure: Introduce the concept by having students read a selection from which opinions can
be formed. Draw a “T” chart on the board. On the left side of the “T”, write OPINION and on the
right, PROOF. Under OPINION, write the students’ opinion(s) of the selection. For each opinion,
students must find factual statements from the text that support the opinion.
Example: OPINION: Napoleon was a great leader. PROOF: He ended the revolution. He drew
up a new constitution. He made taxation fair. He chose government workers for their ability.
Option: Opinion/Proof may be used for several written activities described in this document,
including Story Grammars, RAFT, and Spool Writing. It can also be used by students as a
format for note taking from books, videos, and lectures.
Option: Teams can write their opinions and support with proof. (think/pair/share activity).
Casey at the Bat: Opinion/Proof Activity: Opinion/Proof may be used for several written
activities described in this document, including Story Grammars, RAFT, and Spool Writing.
Students can also use it as a format for note taking from books, videos, and lectures. Allow
teams to write their own opinion to support with proof if they are at a proficient level. This can be
used as a think/pair/share activity. Use the following as a starter for less proficient students:
Opinion
Casey is a sports hero who is not perfect.
Proof
Casey is calm and has a nice manner.
He is proud and has a charitable smile.
The crowd loves him.
He responds to the crowd.
Everyone has confidence in his abilities.
Casey is arrogant, haughty and scornful.
He sneers and curls his lips.
He pounds the bat violently on the plate.
He has a temper.
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Spool Writing
Objective: Write a “spool” (5-paragraph essay with an introduction, 3-paragraph body of
supporting arguments with evidence, and a concluding paragraph.
Procedure: Use graphic organizers, the summary, modeled writing, and guided writing to plan
prewriting activities for developing a “spool”. A spool is a five-paragraph essay in which the first
paragraph is an introduction (controlling idea, or thesis). The next three paragraphs make up the
body of the essay. Each of these paragraphs begins with an argument sentence to support the
thesis and has three supporting sentences for the argument sentence. The weakest argument
should be presented in the first paragraph of the body, and the strongest argument in the last
paragraph of the body. The final (5th) paragraph is the concluding paragraph, which begins with
a restatement of the thesis sentence, and is followed by a restatement of the three argument
statements of the body. Introduce the spool essay by creating a story collectively using the
Language Experience Approach. The second time you use spool writing, each group prepares
one. Once the groups have mastered the spool essay, each student prepares his/her own, but
include incentives for the team to help individual members. For example, you might want to give
a team one point for each member who receives a grade of B or higher.
DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN FACTS AND OPINIONS
SAMPLE FORMAT FOR IDENTIFYING FACTS
In the story/piece/poem _____, by ____, the author presents several interesting facts
(Topic sentence/introduction). Examples include _____, _____, and _____(summarize three
important facts from reading). These facts can be proven or verified when put to the test. They
may be true facts or untrue facts. Nevertheless, they are facts that can be verified as either true
or untrue.
One fact that can be proven or verified in the reading is _____. This can be checked in a
reliable source such as _____ or _____. This factual information is important to the main idea.
The author provides verifiable evidence of this fact in the reading. You know that this is a fact
because _____ (detail #2 evidence from information in the reading)
Another fact in the reading that can be proven is _____ (Topic sentence). You cannot
argue with_____(fact). It is either true or false. This fact can be proven or disproved by _____.
A third important fact in the reading that can be verified is _____ (Topic sentence). You
know this is a fact because _____. One way to prove or disprove this fact is _____. Another
reason this is a fact is _____. It is not a personal judgment or opinion.
The author uses a series of facts to make the _____ (plot/poem/character/main idea)
more interesting and credible to the reader. (Topic sentence/conclusion). Some of these facts
are _____, _____ and _____ (summarize three facts chosen). The facts lead you to _____
(state main idea). All three facts can be proven or disproved.
DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN FACTS AND OPINIONS Spool Writing Activities are
continued on next page).
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DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN FACTS AND OPINIONS (Continued)
SAMPLE FORMAT FOR IDENTIFYING OPINIONS
In the story/piece/poem _____, by ____, the author presents opinions on several things
(Topic sentence/introduction). Examples include _____, _____, and _____ (summarize three
opinions chosen). The author presents his/her opinions as if they were facts. They are not facts,
however, because they cannot be proven as facts when put to the test.
The author gives his/her opinion about _____ (Topic sentence). This is an opinion
because _____ (detail #1). You can agree or disagree with this point of view _____ (detail #2).
Signal words for opinion such as _____ and _____(detail #3) are used.
It is evident that the writer is trying to convince the reader of his/her point of view about
_____(Topic sentence). For example, the writer _____ and_____ (details #1 and #2 – the writer
evaluates, judges, argues or expresses emotion about something.) Another point to note is
_____ (detail #3). This is the writer’s personal judgment or opinion.
The third opinion expressed in the reading is _____ (Topic sentence). The writer uses
signal words like _____ and _____(detail #1) to show that this is his/her opinion. This is an
opinion because it cannot be verified or proven to be true or false. You could agree or disagree
that _____ (detail #2). In addition, the writer makes a statement about the future, _____ (detail
#3). This cannot be proven, because it didn’t happen yet.
The author gives his/her opinions on several things, including _____, _____ and _____
(restate three opinions). Not one of these opinions can be verified as facts. I agree (or disagree)
about_____ and _____. The author tries to convince (judge, evaluate, etc.) _____.
Casey at the Bat: Spool Writing Activities
Spool Writing Suggestion: Use Sample Format for Identifying Facts and Opinions (above).
Use the following main idea as a starter to identify facts and opinions from the poem, “Casey at
the Bat” by Ernest Lawrence Thayer:
A sports hero finds out his athletic abilities are limited and his character is tested.
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
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RAFT
Objective: Write on a topic in a specific format, understanding role as a writer and audience.
R-A-F-T is a system for students to practice their role as a writer (R), their audience (A), the
format of their work (F), and the topic of the content (T). Examples: persuade a soldier to spare
your life, demand equal pay for equal work, or plead for a halt to coal mining in our valley.
• (R): For role (R), of the writer, the writer considers who s/he is (Examples-a soldier,
Abraham Lincoln, a slave, a blood cell, or a mathematical operation).
• (A): For audience (A), the writer considers to whom s/he is writing (Examples-to a
mother, to Congress, to a child.)
• (F): Format (F) determines what form the communication will take. (Examples-letter,
speech, obituary, conversation, memo, recipe or journal)
• (T): The topic (T) consists of a strong verb as well as the focus.
Procedure: Introduce RAFT by creating a story collectively using the Language Experience
Approach. The second time you assign RAFT, have each group prepare one. Model for
students, explaining that all writers must consider their role as a writer, their audience, the
format, and the topic These four components are critical in every written assignment. Assist
teams to brainstorm ideas about a topic. Work with teams to list possible roles, audiences,
formats, and strong verbs that are appropriate for each topic. Once the groups have mastered
RAFT, have each student prepare his/her own, but include incentives for the group to help
individual members. For example, you might want to give a team a point for each member who
receives a grade of B or higher.
Casey at the Bat: RAFT Activity: Students write according to role, audience, format, & topic.
R:
Your role as writer is a baseball fan of the Mudville Nine Team.
A:
Your audience is Casey.
F:
The format of your writing is a fan letter.
T:
Your topic is to write to encourage Casey to keep up the good work, and not to
let getting struck out of the game get him down.
FCAT Writing
FCAT Writing: Lesson Topic: (Persuasive or Expository Prompt) Distribute the planning sheets
and writing folders containing the prompts to the students. Provide students with the writing
situation and directions for writing. Remind the students to budget their time: approximately ten
minutes on brainstorming and prewriting, twenty-five minutes on drafting, ten minutes on editing.
Record the time and give students the command to begin. After 45 minutes, ask the students to
stop writing and place their planning sheets inside their folders.
Casey at the Bat: FCAT Writing Activity (Expository Prompt):
Writing Situation
Everyone has heroes in their lives, people we learn from, admire and look up to.
Sometimes we even want to be like our hero.
Directions for Writing
Before you write, think about a hero (or heroine) in your life. Why is this person your
hero? What do you admire about your hero? Why? Do you want to be like your hero?
How do you plan to do this?
Now, write to explain who your hero is and why.
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Beginning Presenting Activities
Dialog
Objective: Write a short dialog of 4-6 lines between two familiar characters.
Procedure: A dialog can be between 2 historical characters, 2 fictional characters in a story,
novel, play, etc. or between 2 imaginary characters such as a germ and a white blood cell. The
topic of the dialog should be related to the subject being studied, and the grammar and
vocabulary used in the dialog should reflect the grammar and vocabulary focus of the unit.
Model each line of the dialog, having the entire class repeat after you. Then, say each line and
call on whole teams to repeat the line. Then say each line and call on individual students to
repeat the line. Practice dialog lines using the whole class, a whole team, and individuals until
students can know the lines of the dialog. Example:
Character A: These items are expensive. We are not selling very many.
Character B: We need to sell more of them.
Character A: But, then the price will decrease!
Character B: But, we will still get more money because the volume will increase.
Character A: We do not have enough money to make more than we do now.
Character B: Then we will borrow some money by issuing bonds.
Option 1: You take the part of A and the class takes the part of B. Then you take part B and the
class takes A. Then work with whole teams and you, then individuals and you, then groups and
groups, then individuals and individuals. Move back and forth among these combinations until
you think the majority have adequate intonation, stress, and pronunciation. Option 2: Erase two
words at random from each line during repetition. Then erase two more, two more, and so on
until there are no words left on the board. Option 3: Each group chooses a member to
represent them by presenting the dialog with a member from another group in front of the class.
If the representative can say his/her lines correctly then the group gets a point. Option 4: Have
each group rewrite the dialog from memory. Groups are to use one piece of paper and one
pencil or pen only. Each member takes a turn writing a line of the dialog. Other team members
can offer help but they cannot write it for the individual whose turn it is to write. Collect the paper
and grade it. Each member of the team gets the same grade.
Casey at the Bat: Dialog Activity:
Umpire:
Strike One!
The fans:
Kill him! Kill the umpire!
Pitcher:
Strike Two!
The fans:
That’s fraud! Fraud!
Pitcher:
Strike Three! You’re out!
The fans:
The mighty Casey has struck out!
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
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Intermediate Presenting Activities
Show and Tell
Objective: Present orally on a familiar topic and respond to questions on the topic.
Procedure: A student brings something to class related to the subject at hand and, within 3
minutes, makes an oral presentation about it. Teams take turns asking the student questions
about it. For each question the presenter can answer, his/her team gets a point. For each
question he/she cannot answer, the team loses a point.
Proficient Presenting Activities
Making the News
Objective: Present orally to a group on a familiar academic topic in a news format.
Procedure: Teams take turns developing a 3-4 four-minute news broadcast about the subject
being studied. There may be several related stories. There must be one story (no matter how
short) for each member of the group. The reporting group may refer to notes but not to the text.
Other teams can refer to their texts, and have the opportunity to each ask two questions of the
reporting team. The reporting team members take turns answering questions, but other team
members may help them. The questioning group gets two points for each question the reporting
group cannot answer. The reporting group gets a point for each question it can answer. Follow
the rules for Total Recall when there is a challenge. Examples: Columbus gets the jewels from
the Queen of Spain, the long voyage, Hispaniola landing
Casey at the Bat: Making the News Activities:
Casey Strikes Out
No Joy in Mudville
Mudville Nine Plays Saturday
Intermediate-Proficient Viewing Activities
Total Recall, True or False, Judgment
Objective: View a video or speech for the purpose of asking and answering simple questions,
making true and false statements, and distinguish facts from opinions.
Procedure: Modify reading activities, such as Total Recall, True or False, and Judgment to use
when viewing a video or speech. The effectiveness of a challenge is not as high as with a
written text.
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Beginning Vocabulary Activities
Line of Fortune
Objective: Identify and recreate words and word parts from spelling clues.
Procedure: (This activity is very similar to Hangman, but involves more complex team decisionmaking.) Choose a word from the lesson’s vocabulary and write the appropriate number of
dashes to represent the letters of the word. For example, for the word dicot you would draw five
dashes. A team member guesses a letter. If the letter is not found in the word, write the letter
under the dashes and move on to the next team. If their letter is found in the word, then write
the letter on the appropriate dash. When a team guesses correctly, they have the option to
guess the word. If they choose not to guess the word, call on the next team. If they choose to
guess and successfully guess the word, then they receive ten points minus the number of letters
written under the dashes from incorrect previous guesses, and the game is over. If they choose
to guess and do not guess the word, then they lose points equal to the number of letters written
under the dashes, and you call on the next team. If no team can guess the word before ten
incorrect letters are written under the dashes then all teams lose points equal to the number of
teams in the class.
Concentration
Objective: Identify vocabulary words and their meanings.
Preparation: On twenty 8” x 5” index cards, write the numbers 1-20, one number per card.
Place these cards in order, 3 per line in a pocket chart. On another 20 index cards, write, one
word per card, 10 vocabulary items from the lesson 2 times each. Shuffle these cards and place
them behind the numbered cards.
Procedure: Teams will match the vocabulary words with their meanings. Choose one team to
go first. A member of that team picks two numbers. Remove those cards from the chart, leaving
the words behind them visible to the class. The student reads the words, with the team’s
assistance if needed. If the words match, leave them showing and give the team a point. If they
do not match, replace the numbers and call on the next team.
Option: Instead of writing each noun 2 times, write it once in the singular and once in the plural.
When working with verbs, write one in the present tense and one in the past. Matching
variations such as these helps the students understand that, despite certain differences in the
visible spelling of two words, they are still semantically related at a deeper level.
Casey at the Bat: Concentration Activity #1:
Match vocabulary words with their meanings:
roar
bellow, holler, growl
still (v)
calm down, make quiet
clenched
clamped together
sneer
mock, scorn, laugh at
stern
severe, harsh, uncompromising
shatter
smash, break, blow apart
outlook
viewpoint, attitude
tumult
uproar, commotion, turmoil
mighty
powerful, forceful, strong
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Intermediate Vocabulary Activities
Jeopardy
Objective: Use clues to identify vocabulary words, characters’ names, places, etc. in the story.
Preparation: Place 3 cards across the top of a pocket chart, the first with the letter A printed on
it, the second with B, and the third with C. Down the left side of the chart (one per line), place
three cards with the numbers 2, 3, and 4 respectively. Place three easier vocabulary items (not
visible to the class) next to the number 1 card, and below each of the letter cards, place 3 more
difficult words on line 2 in the same manner, place three of the most difficult words on line three.
Procedure: Choose one team to go first. A member of that team picks the word s/he wants to
guess (“2-C” for example). Give the student a definition of clue for the word (This animal barks.)
The student, with the help of his team, responds with the word presented in question format
(What is a dog?). If the answer is correct, that team gets 2, 3, or 4 points, depending on the
word’s level of difficulty. If the answer is incorrect, the next team tries for the same word but for
one point less than the previous team. For example, if the first team guessed incorrectly for a
word worth 3 points, the next team to try would get 2 points if it answered correctly. If it too
guessed incorrectly, the next team would get one point if it answered correctly. If no team can
answer correctly before the points are reduced to zero, then all teams lose 1 point.
Casey at the Bat: Jeopardy Activity:
Question
Answer
a) What the crowd shouted after strike two
“Fraud! Fraud!”
a) How Casey looked at the plate
defiant
a) Who hit the single
Flynn
b) What Casey did with his lips
sneered
b) Where Casey struck out
Mudville
b) What Casey does with the bat
pounds it on the plate
c) Who referees the baseball game
umpire
c) Who batted right before Casey
Blakey
c) When Casey hit the ball
3rd ball thrown
Wrong Word
Objective: Identify, analyze, and correct errors in vocabulary usage.
Procedure: Teams find the word that is “wrong” and correct it. Teams get a point for each
correction. Read a sentence with a wrong word in it. Examples: The contribution tells us how
the government will operate. (should be Constitution) Many people have moved to Florida for
the arctic climate. (should be tropical)
When teams get good at this activity, embed an
incorrect sentence among other correct sentences. Teams can make sentences with incorrect
words for other teams to correct.
Casey at the Bat: Wrong Word Activity:
a) I saw the parlor of the faces of the patrons. (pallor)
b) The leather-covered spear came hurtling through the air.(sphere)
c) The empire shouted, “Strike three! You’re out!” (umpire)
d) Now the leather-covered spear came hurtling through the air. (sphere)
e) The picture struck mighty Casey out. (pitcher)
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
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Classification
Objective: Classify vocabulary into two or three groups.
Procedure: Model the activity, beginning with several words for teams to classify into groups.
Ask students to identify an appropriate label for the groups they create. Discuss other words
that could go into each group. Each team gets out one pencil and one sheet of paper. The
captain writes team name and divides the paper into the appropriate number of columns
(groups). The captain labels columns for classifications and sets timer for 5 minutes. Team
members take turns writing words in appropriate columns (as in the Team Spelling Test). Note
that words do not have to come from the lesson vocabulary. When the timer rings, collect
papers. Teams get one point for each word they place correctly. Spelling should not count.
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Beginning Grammar Activities
Teacher-Student Grammar Notes are provided as a teaching resource or student study notes.
PRONOUN/ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT
The antecedent of a pronoun is the word to which the pronoun refers. A pronoun must agree
with its antecedent in two ways:
1. The pronoun is singular when the antecedent is singular and plural when the antecedent is
plural.
2. The pronoun is masculine when the antecedent is masculine (he, him, his), and feminine
(she, her, hers) when the antecedent is feminine, and neuter (it, its) when the antecedent is
neither masculine nor feminine. Examples:
a) Mrs. Ramirez did her work. She did hers.
b) The people stayed to discuss their plans. They stayed to discuss theirs.
c) Sergey studied his math book. He studied his.
d) Julia and Lillian ate their lunch together. They ate theirs together.
AN ANTECEDENT CAN BE A AN INDEFINITE PRONOUN:
anyone, anybody, anything
no one, nobody, nothing
someone, somebody,
something
everyone, everybody,
everything
Anybody would want his (her) family to be happy.
Nothing is its own reward. Nobody likes his (her) failures.
Somebody turned in his (her) paper early.
Everyone took his (her) turn. Everyone took his (hers).
FORMS OF SUBJECT & OBJECT PRONOUNS
Subject Object
Examples
I
Me
My name’s Jose. I (subject) am a student. Send me (object) the book.
You
You
You (subject) catch very well. I’ll throw you (object) the ball.
He
Him
Ron is a doctor. He (subject) treats patients. Call him (object) for help.
She
Her
Maria is eating. She (subject) loves milk. Pass her (object) the milk.
It
It
A sunny day! Yes, it (subject) is. I love it (object).
We
Us
Rosita and I are going. We (subject) are late. Pick us (object) up early.
They
Them Georges and Josie are collecting money for the teacher. They (subject)
are in the gym. Give it (object) to them (object).
Word Order Cards
Objective: Identify and use appropriate word order in sentences.
Procedure: Choose some of the more complex sentences of the summary to cut up for this
exercise. After writing a sentence on a sentence strip, cut up the sentence into individual words.
Shuffle the words. With the team's support, one member rearranges the words to reform the
sentence. The team gets a point if the cards are rearranged correctly.
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Modified Single Slot Substitution Drill
Objective: Substitute alternative vocabulary, syntax, and grammatical forms in a familiar
sentence in a single slot.
Procedure: The teacher writes a sentence on the board and underlines one word. Teams take
turns replacing the underlined word with a new word. When students can no longer think of
substitutes, the teacher underlines a different word, and the activity continues.
Example:
The soldiers who surrendered were killed.
Possible substitutions for killed:
butchered, kissed, hugged, spared
The soldiers who surrendered were butchered.
Possible substitutions for surrendered: spared, killed, ran, slept
The soldiers who surrendered were spared.
Possible substitutions for soldiers: people, police, robbers, children
Notes:
• Sometimes, changing one word necessitates changing another word as well.
The queen was dancing when the soldiers arrived. (Substitute
king and queen)
The king and queen were dancing when the soldiers arrived.
• It is not necessary for the sentences to be historically correct, sensible, or even possible. It is
important for the correct part of speech to be used.
Casey at the Bat: Modified Single Slot Substitution:
(a) The crowd (b) was maddened, (c) but Casey (d) was stern.
Possibilities:
a) the spectators, the fans, the rising tumult, the multitude
b) was melancholy, was hopeful, was silent, was in an uproar
c) but the mighty man, but Jimmy Blake, but Cooney, but Flynn
d) clenched his teeth in hate, doffed his hat, sneered, curled his lip
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Intermediate Grammar Activities
Sentence Builders
Objective: Expand sentences by adding new words in the appropriate order in a sentence.
Procedure: The teacher says a sentence, and, after a pause, an additional word or words.
Teams must make a new sentence that adds the new word(s) in the correct place in the
teacher's original sentence. Give a point for each correct answer. Example:
Teacher:
Fish is a food. (healthy)
Team Response:
Fish is a healthy food.
Teacher:
Fish is a healthy food. (fresh)
Team Response:
Fresh fish is a healthy food.
Casey at the Bat: Sentence Builders:
Example:
Casey was the fifth. (batter up) (in the inning) (so it was not certain) (However) (that he would
get to the plate) (and have a chance) (to bat)
Casey was the fifth batter up. (in the inning)
Casey was the fifth batter up in the inning.( so it was not certain)
Casey was the fifth batter up in the inning so it was not certain (However)
However, Casey was the fifth batter up in the inning so it was not certain. (that he would get
to the plate)
However, Casey was the fifth batter due up in the inning so it was not certain that he would
get to the plate. (and have a chance)
However, Casey was the fifth batter due up in the inning so it was not certain that he would
get to the plate and have a chance (to bat)
However, Casey was the fifth batter due up in the inning so it was not certain that he would
get to the plate and have a chance to bat.
Continue with the following:
a) The men were. (first two) (up) (the shortstop) (Scooter Cooney) (and first baseman) (Otis
Barrows)
b) The poem was based on a real game. (“Casey at the Bat”) (by Ernest Lawrence Thayer)
(baseball) (played Saturday) (September 3) (1887)
c) That’s why. (the multitude was silent) (of fans)
d) The next batter was James Elmer. (third baseman) (and dance-band leader) ("Bobo"
Blake) (also known as Blakey)Casey was the fifth. (batter up)
English I Through ESOL: Casey at the Bat
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Multiple Slot Substitution Drills
Objective: Substitute alternative vocabulary, syntax, and grammatical forms in a familiar
sentence in a multiple slots.
Procedure: This drill is often taught together with or right after the single slot substitution drill.
Its organization is similar to single slot substitution, but more that one part of the sentence
changes. Give a point for each correct answer. Example:
Columbus sailed in 1492. (Pizarro)
Pizarro sailed in 1492. (1524)
Pizarro sailed in 1524. (arrived)
Pizarro arrived 1n 1524.
Casey at the Bat: Multiple Slot Substitution Activities:
(a) Somewhere (b) people were laughing, (c) but there was no joy (d) in Mudville.
Possibilities: in baseball, with their friends and family people were light-hearted, in any town,
people were happy, In Florida, but there was no joy, In Centerville, people were gleeful, in
soccer, but there was no happiness, In Jamaica, but there is always joy, In Central America, but
anyone can find happiness, people were joyous, in Centerville
Flesh it Out
Objective: Use key words in the appropriate order in a grammatically correct sentence.
Procedure: The teacher gives the key words of a sentence and teams puts them into a
grammatically correct sentence. Give points for correct answers in the oral format. Give grades
in the written format.
Key words:
he/sail/america/1492.
Answer: He sailed to America in 1492.
Key words:
he/sail/america/? (past)(yes/no)
Answer: Did he sail to America?
Casey at the Bat: Flesh it Out Activities:
a) force/Casey/blow/shatter/ air. (past)
b) Casey/be/proud/smile/doff/hat/to/crowd/ten/thousand/eye. (past)
c) sneer/curl/Casey/lip/as/pitcher/ball/hurtle/through/air. (past)
d) there/be/one/inning/left/play/then/Cooney/Burrows/both/strike/out (past)
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Transformation Exercises
Objective: Change the form or format of a sentence according to the situation.
Procedure: Students change the format of a sentence based on teacher directions or prompts.
Give points for correct answers in the oral format. Give grades in the written format. Examples:
1. Is it raining? (Answer the question, yes.)
Yes, it is raining.
2. It is raining. (Ask a yes/no question.)
Is it raining?
3. Many Indians died from disease.
Many Indians died from starvation.
(Combine 2 sentences into one sentence.) Many Indians died from disease and starvation.
Casey at the Bat: Transformation Exercises: Students respond by using pronouns in place of
the nouns whenever possible.
Example:
The Team needed their star right fielder Casey to win the game.
It needed him to win the game.
a) The Mudville Nine was the home team.
b) You and the fans think Casey is great.
c) Brian Kavanaugh Casey was born in Mudville.
d) Casey’s batting average was 504 with 200 runs scored and 99 homeruns hit.
e) Cooney and Burrows both struck out quickly.
f) Flynn and Blake were still ahead of Casey.
g) Casey signaled the pitcher and the ball flew.
h) Ernest Lawrence Thayer and I are good friends.
Who What, When, Where, How, Why
Objective: Listen to a sentence and respond to “Wh" questions in writing.
Procedure: Read a sentence and then ask the “wh" questions about it. Teams write a short
answer on a numbered sheet of paper. Example: Teacher: The heart constantly pumps blood to
the body 24 hours a day to keep the body alive. What…? (Teams write heart.) Where…?
(Teams write to the body) How...? (Teams write constantly) Why…? (Teams write to keep the
body alive) When…? (Teams write 24 hours a day).
Team members take turns writing answers on the board (for class discussion) or on a
team/individual paper (for a grade). An alternative technique is to have each team member
complete all items on his/her own paper. Team members are allowed to help each other. On
completion of the activity, collect the one paper of your choice. The grade on that paper will
count for each team member.
Casey at the Bat: Who, What, When, Where, How, Why Activities:
a) Casey smiled confidently, raised his hand in the air to still the tumult, and then
signaled to the pitcher.(who, what, where, when, why, how)
b) Somewhere, people were laughing, but here was no joy in Mudville because mighty
Casey struck out! (who, what, where, why)
c) Casey was the fifth batter due up in the ninth inning so it was not certain that he
would get to the plate and have a chance to bat. (Who, What, When, Where, Why)
d) The poem “Casey at the Bat”, by Ernest Lawrence Thayer, was based on a real
baseball game played in Mudville, Saturday, September 3, 1887. (Who, What, When,
Where)
e) That’s why the multitude of fans was silent. There was little chance of Casey getting
up to bat now. (Who, What, How, Why)
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Sentence Stretchers
Objective: Expand grammatically correct sentences by adding new words in appropriate order
Procedure: One team begins by making a sentence orally that contains the language or
content focus of the lesson. (Make the starter sentence as short as possible.) For example, in a
lesson focusing on weather and on adjectives, the first team might say, The cloud is floating.
The first team gets a point. Other teams take turns expanding the sentence, getting a point each
time something is added successfully or until teams run out of expansions.
The white cloud is floating.
The fluffy white cloud is floating in the sky.
The fluffy white cloud that looks like a boat is floating in the sky. Etc.
Casey at the Bat: Sentence Stretcher:
Begin with the sentence: People were laughing.
Somewhere, people were laughing.
Somewhere, people were laughing and light-hearted.
Somewhere, people were laughing and light-hearted, but there was no joy.
Somewhere, people were laughing and light-hearted, but there was no joy in Mudville.
Somewhere, people were laughing and light-hearted, but there was no joy in Mudville that day.
Somewhere, people were laughing and light-hearted, but there was no joy in Mudville that day,
because Casey had struck out!
Somewhere, people were laughing and light-hearted, but there was no joy in Mudville that day,
because mighty Casey had struck out!
Look it Up
Objective: Identify specific grammatical structures and change them according to the situation.
Procedure: Teams look up sentences in their text that have a specific grammatical structure.
As an oral practice, teams get a point for a correct answer. As a written exercise, it can be
graded. Version One: Discuss the grammar point with the students then have them find
example sentences in their texts. You might want to limit the pages they are to search.
Version Two: Write sample sentences on the board in a tense not usually used in the text. Ask
students to find similar sentences in the text and to determine the difference between the text
sentences and the sentences on the board. In history books, for example, most sentences are
in the past tense, so the sentences you write on the board would be in the present tense. During
a discussion of the difference between the text sentences and your sentences, you would help
the class discover why the text uses past tense sentences so often.
Version Three - Students locate sentences in the text with a specific grammatical structure and
then restate or rewrite the sentence in a new form specified by you. Example: change
statements into questions, affirmative to negative, past to present or passive voice to active.
Casey at the Bat: Look it Up: Teams locate examples of Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement
(Subject and Object Pronouns) in the text and in the summary.
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Rewrite the Paragraph
Objective: Identify specific grammatical structures and change them according to the situation.
Procedure: Use a paragraph based on the text, and language focus structures of the lesson.
Teams read and discuss necessary changes. Members work together to rewrite a grammatically
correct paragraph with the changes. Collect one paper from each team for a grade. (Examples:
Change one verb tense to another, nouns to pronouns, adverbs to adjectives, etc.)
Casey at the Bat: Rewrite the Paragraph Activity:
Teams will rewrite the paragraph in the present.
There was one inning left to play in the Mudville baseball game, with the score at four to
two. The first two men up to bat both struck out quickly. Flynn and Blake were still ahead of
Casey. Casey's chances to get to bat and be the hero don’t look very good. The third batter up
was Flynn. Everyone was in wonderment when Flynn hit a single. The next batter was Blake,
also known as Blakey. Blakey was despised by the fans. However, Blakey tore up the ball,
made it to second, and put Flynn on third. The crowd let out a joyous yell when mighty Casey
stepped up to bat. After two strikes, the force of Casey’s blow shattered the air. However, there
was no joy in Mudville because mighty Casey struck out!
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Name _____________________________________ Date _____________
Casey at the Bat: Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks with the correct word.
mighty
shattered
hero
joyous
wonderment
strikes
inning
quickly
batter
despised
There was one __________ left to play in the Mudville baseball game, with the
score at four to two. The first two men up to bat both struck out __________. Flynn and
Blake were still ahead of Casey. Casey's chances to get to bat and be the __________
didn’t look very good. The third batter up was Flynn. Everyone was in __________
when Flynn hit a single. The next __________ was Blake, also known as Blakey.
Blakey was __________ by the fans. However, Blakey tore up the ball, made it to
second, and put Flynn on third. The crowd let out a __________ yell when mighty
Casey stepped up to bat. After two __________, the force of Casey’s blow __________
the air. However, there was no joy in Mudville because __________ Casey struck out!
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Name _____________________________________ Date _____________
Casey at the Bat: Exercise 2
Read each sentence and decide if it is true or false. If it is true, write the word “true” on
the line. If the sentence is false, rewrite the sentence to make it a true.
1. Mighty Casey swung his bat, and the force of Casey’s blow shattered the air.
______________________________________________________________________
2. Everyone was in wonderment when Flynn hit a single.
______________________________________________________________________
3. “It’s not my style,” Blakely said arrogantly.
______________________________________________________________________
4. Blake was called a “pudding”, or an unintelligent fool, and Flynn was a “fake”.
______________________________________________________________________
5. When the ball passed close to him, Casey looked at it and never moved his bat.
______________________________________________________________________
6. Blakey hit a double, tearing the cover off the ball, and made it to second base.
______________________________________________________________________
7. When the third ball flew, Casey did not raise his bat again.
______________________________________________________________________
8. The umpire, named Casey, was stern, and he clenched his teeth in hate.
______________________________________________________________________
9. Casey pounded the plate with his bat, and the pitcher let the ball go.
______________________________________________________________________
10. People were laughing and light-hearted, because mighty Casey won the game!
______________________________________________________________________
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Name ____________________________ Date __________
Unit 4: Lesson 3: Exercise 3 (FCAT Practice/Reading Comprehension)
Read the summary of “Casey at the Bat” by Ernest Thayer. Then complete the chart by
identifying the significant details.
Where
Who
What
How
The score was 4 to 2 against the
Mudville nine, with one inning left to play.
Cooney and Burrows both struck out. Flynn
drove a single and Blake tore up the ball,
making it to second base, and putting Flynn
on third. The crowd let out a yell when
mighty Casey stepped up to bat. Casey
was proud and a sneer curled his lip as the
pitcher’s ball hurtled through the air. “Strike
One!” Casey signaled to the pitcher. “Strike
Two!” The crowd was maddened, and
Casey clenched his teeth, pounding the
plate. The pitcher let the ball go, and the
force of Casey’s blow shattered the air.
Mighty Casey struck out!
Why
When
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Name ____________________________ Date __________
Casey at the Bat: Exercise 4 (FCAT Practice/Reading Comprehension)
Use signal words to identify or state positive and negative opinions about the poem,
“Casey at the Bat” by Ernest Lawrence Thayer. Is the glass half full or half empty?
1_____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
2_____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
1_____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
2_____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
OPINION
SIGNAL WORDS
Believe
Best/worst
Expect
Feel
In my opinion
Least/most
May/may not
Might/might not
My impression is…
My perspective is…
My point of view is...
My sense is…
Possibly
Probably
Should/should not
Think
Identify (3) possible facts from the poem, “Casey at the Bat” by Ernest Lawrence
Thayer, and suggest how/where to find proof. Fact & proof always go together.
1.
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
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Name ____________________________ Date __________
Casey at the Bat: Exercise 5
Fill in the blanks.
The poem “Casey at __________ Bat”, by Ernest Lawrence __________, was based on
a __________ baseball game played Saturday, __________ 3, 1887. The Mudville __________
was the home team, __________ was losing 4 runs __________ 2 runs. It was __________
bottom of end of __________ ninth and final inning __________ the game. The Mudville
__________ Team needed their star __________ fielder to win the __________. Brian
Kavanaugh Casey, age __________, was born in Mudville, __________ he was the star
__________ fielder. Casey’s batting average __________ 504 with 200 runs __________ and
99 homeruns hit.
__________, Casey was the fifth __________ due up in the __________ so it was not
__________ that he would get __________ the plate and have __________ chance to bat. The
__________ two men up were __________ shortstop Scooter Cooney, and __________
baseman Otis Barrows. They __________ struck out quickly. Flynn __________ Blake were still
ahead __________ Casey, so there was __________ hope that Casey would __________ to
bat. Casey's chances __________ be the hero didn’t __________ very good. Flynn was
__________ a “pudding”, or an __________ fool, and Blake was __________ “fake”. That’s why
the __________ of fans was silent. __________ was little chance of __________ getting up to
bat __________.
The third batter up __________ left fielder Peter "Roughouse" __________. Everyone
was in wonderment __________ Flynn hit a single. __________ next batter was third
__________ and dance-band leader James __________ "Bobo" Blake, also known
__________ Blakey. Blakey was despised __________ the fans. He hit __________ double,
tearing the cover __________ the ball, and made __________ to second base. The
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__________ of fans yelled so __________, it roared. Blakey’s hit __________ Flynn on third
base, __________ meant that Casey was __________ bat.
Mighty Casey now __________ his turn. The crowd __________ out a joyous yell
__________ mighty Casey stepped with __________ into his place at __________. Casey was
proud and __________, doffing his hat to __________ crowd of ten thousand __________.
Centerville's pitcher, James Riley "__________" Snedeker, threw the first __________ to
Casey. A sneer __________ Casey’s lip as the __________ ball hurtled through the
__________. When the ball passed __________ to him, Casey looked __________ it and never
moved __________ bat. “It’s not my __________,” Casey said arrogantly. “Strike __________”,
said the umpire, and __________ crowd roared like waves __________ a storm beating a
__________. Casey smiled and raised __________ hand to still the __________ of people.
Then Casey __________ to the pitcher, but __________ the ball flew, Casey __________ not
raise his bat __________. Buttenheiser, the umpire called, “__________ Two”. The crowd was
__________, but Casey was stern, __________ he clenched his teeth __________ hate.
The score was __________ balls and two strikes. __________ pounded the plate with
__________ bat, and the pitcher __________ the third ball go. __________ Casey swung his
bat, __________ the force of Casey’s __________ shattered the air. Casey __________ to hit
the ball __________, but the ball crossed __________ plate. Somewhere, people were
__________ and light-hearted, but there __________ no joy in Mudville __________ day,
because mighty Casey __________ struck out!
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Name ____________________________ Date __________
Casey at the Bat: Exercise 6
Complete the sentence with the correct pronoun to agree with its antecedent.
Example:
A sneer curled Casey’s lip, and ________ made him look mean.
A sneer curled Casey’s lip, and ___it____ made him look mean.
1. Somewhere, people were laughing and __________ were light-hearted.
2. Ernest Lawrence Thayer and I are good friends. ________ are good friends.
3. The Mudville Nine was the home team. ________ was the home team.
4. Casey smiled and __________ signaled to the pitcher.
5. You love Casey, and the fans do too. ________ think Casey is great.
6. Flynn and Blake were still ahead of Casey. Both batted before ________.
7. Cooney and Burrows both struck out quickly. ________ didn’t help the team.
8. Brian Kavanaugh Casey was born in Mudville. ________ was 28 years old.
9. Casey was stern, and __________ clenched his teeth in hate.
10. The force of Casey’s blow was so strong __________ shattered the air.
Read each sentence. Then underline the pronoun once and the antecedent twice.
Example:
A sneer curled Casey’s lip, and it made him look mean.
A sneer curled Casey’s lip, and it made him look mean.
1. Casey signaled the pitcher and the ball flew. It hurtled through the air.
2. Everyone was in wonderment when Flynn hit a single. He surprised us all.
3. Casey smiled at the people, and he doffed his hat to them.
4. The crowd let out a joyous yell, but it was disappointed when Casey struck out.
5. There was little hope, but Casey would revive it.
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