E4.4.E
Description:
Make connections to personal experiences, ideas in other texts, and society.
Maps to Reading Plus skills:
3B, 7C, 9A, 9A
Exemplars
3B: Analyzing Plot/Character
3B: Analyzing Plot/Character
Description:
Analyzing setting, plot, and character
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
J-17
J-17
Grade level: 10
Word count: 2251 words
Author: Guy de Maupassant
Synopsis: Simple actions may sometimes lead to unexpected, dire consequences.
Excerpt:
Monsieur Hauchecorne, of Breaute, had just arrived at Goderville and was making his way toward the square when he perceived on the ground a little piece of string. Monsieur Hauchecorne, economical as are all true Normans, reflected that everything was worth picking up which could be of any use, and he stooped down, but painfully, because he suffered from rheumatism. He took the bit of thin string from the ground and was carefully preparing to roll it up when he saw Monsieur Malandain, the harness maker, on his doorstep staring at him. They had once had a quarrel about a halter, and they had borne each other malice ever since.
Question:
Before he picked up the piece of string, Hauchecorne's relationship with Malandain can best be described as
- confrontational.
- respectful.
- cordial.
- neighborly.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Imagine you are the main character in a selection you read. Would your emotional reactions to events in the selection be the same as those of the actual character? Explain why or why not.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
7C: Interpreting Images
7C: Interpreting Images
Description:
Intepreting Images and Maps
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
J-31
J-31
Grade level: 10
Word count: 2321 words
Author: Thomas Wentworth Higginson
Synopsis: Harald, son of Viking explorer Erik the Red, led a life full of great adventure, excitement, and danger. This tale mixes fact and fantasy.
Image:
Question:
Which character in the selection is described as owning an animal like this?
- Harald
- Erik the Red
- King Olaf
- Freydis
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Describe how you relate scenes you visualize from reading with real life scenes. Give examples.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
9A: Comparing/Contrasting
9A: Comparing/Contrasting
Description:
Compare, Contrast, and/or Integrate
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
J-31
J-31
Grade level: 10
Word count: 2321 words
Author: Thomas Wentworth Higginson
Synopsis: Harald, son of Viking explorer Erik the Red, led a life full of great adventure, excitement, and danger. This tale mixes fact and fantasy.
Excerpt:
The Vikings discovered and settled lands far from their Scandinavian home. Most experts agree that the Vikings landed in North America long before Columbus set sail for the New World.
The myths and classic tales of Vikings portray these people as aggressive warriors who left destruction wherever they landed, pillaging whatever goods they found. Some of this is true, but there was far more complexity to the Viking culture. For example, most men living in Scandinavia at that time were farmers, fishermen, or craftsmen, not warriors.
When the youth returned to his father, he found Erik the Red directing the construction of one of the great Viking galleys, nearly 80 feet long and 17 feet wide and only six feet deep. The boat had 20 ribs, and the frame was fastened together by ropes made of roots. The oaken planks were held by iron rivets.
The oars were 20 feet long, and were put through oar holes, and the rudder, shaped like a large oar, was not at the end, but was attached to a projecting beam on the starboard side. The ship was to be called a "Dragon," and was painted to look like one, having a gilded dragon's head at the bow and a gilded tail on the stern. The moving oars would look like legs; and the row of red and white shields, hung along the side of the boat, would resemble the scales of a dragon; and the great square sails, red and blue, would look like wings.
The myths and classic tales of Vikings portray these people as aggressive warriors who left destruction wherever they landed, pillaging whatever goods they found. Some of this is true, but there was far more complexity to the Viking culture. For example, most men living in Scandinavia at that time were farmers, fishermen, or craftsmen, not warriors.
When the youth returned to his father, he found Erik the Red directing the construction of one of the great Viking galleys, nearly 80 feet long and 17 feet wide and only six feet deep. The boat had 20 ribs, and the frame was fastened together by ropes made of roots. The oaken planks were held by iron rivets.
The oars were 20 feet long, and were put through oar holes, and the rudder, shaped like a large oar, was not at the end, but was attached to a projecting beam on the starboard side. The ship was to be called a "Dragon," and was painted to look like one, having a gilded dragon's head at the bow and a gilded tail on the stern. The moving oars would look like legs; and the row of red and white shields, hung along the side of the boat, would resemble the scales of a dragon; and the great square sails, red and blue, would look like wings.
Question:
The first excerpt is from the website of a history program on TV, and the second is from the selection you just read. Based on the information provided in them, what conclusion can be drawn?
- Much of the success of Viking explorers can be attributed to the skill of craftsman who never left their home country.
- Viking ship-building was inferior to ship-building in other countries.
- The strength and agility of Viking sailing vessels described in myths is baseless.
- Viking ships were beautiful to look at, but failed miserably when on the open sea.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Describe how the world today compares and contrasts with the setting of a selection that takes place in the past. Include at least three examples.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions
9A: Comparing/Contrasting
9A: Comparing/Contrasting
Description:
Compare, Contrast, and/or Integrate
SeeReader
✓ standard met
Selection:
J-14
J-14
Grade level: 10
Word count: 2066 words
Author: Suzanne Schmaeling
Synopsis: The search for alternative fuels heats up as sources of fossil fuels dwindle.
Excerpt:
Wind power is free and clean, and is especially effective in areas along the coastline, where there is a steady wind stream. Wind power is used successfully in many places, notably Denmark, which produces about 20 percent of its electricity using this method.
Unfortunately, there are many opponents to wind power, most of whom object to the use of the giant wind turbines. Some opponents express concern that wind turbines have an impact on wildlife, specifically as a danger to birds, and others are opposed to the placement of wind turbines near shorelines because they feel the large (and some say ugly) turbines detract from the natural beauty of the coast. There are also objections to the noise generated by the large turbines, which often are erected in large clusters.
Water is another free energy resource. When the energy in free-flowing rivers is harnessed using dams, hydroelectric power is created. Many hydroelectric plants are in use across the United States and in other countries. There is no pollution involved with this energy source and environmental impact is minimal, but only areas with rivers can take advantage of this type of energy. Scientists are investigating the use of ocean tides to produce energy, perhaps by harnessing the power of waves to produce electricity. This is a relatively new idea, but in the future the ocean may be a major source of energy production.
Unfortunately, there are many opponents to wind power, most of whom object to the use of the giant wind turbines. Some opponents express concern that wind turbines have an impact on wildlife, specifically as a danger to birds, and others are opposed to the placement of wind turbines near shorelines because they feel the large (and some say ugly) turbines detract from the natural beauty of the coast. There are also objections to the noise generated by the large turbines, which often are erected in large clusters.
Water is another free energy resource. When the energy in free-flowing rivers is harnessed using dams, hydroelectric power is created. Many hydroelectric plants are in use across the United States and in other countries. There is no pollution involved with this energy source and environmental impact is minimal, but only areas with rivers can take advantage of this type of energy. Scientists are investigating the use of ocean tides to produce energy, perhaps by harnessing the power of waves to produce electricity. This is a relatively new idea, but in the future the ocean may be a major source of energy production.
Question:
Reread these two excerpts describing energy sources that come from the earth. In which two ways are they similar?
- Both are free energy resources.
- Both work better in certain geographic areas than in others.
- Both rely on steam to power a generator.
- Both can harm birds.
- Both convert the sun's energy into electricity.
Writing
✓ standard met
Writing prompt:
Use a Venn diagram to compare two non-fiction selections on the same topic.
Evaluator
Organization:
Certica Solutions