PSSA - Central Dauphin School District
Table of Contents:
Rational………………………………………………………………… 3
Keystone Exam Content Overview …………………………………. 3
Keystone Exam Scoring Guide Link………………………………… 3
Skill Set #1: Vocabulary ……………………………………………… 4 – 7
Skill Set #2: Theme …………………………………………………… 8 – 11
Skill Set #3: Inference ………………………………………………… 12 – 15
Skill Set #4: Author’s Style …………………………………………… 16 – 18
Practice Materials ……………………………………………………… 19 – 47
Bloom’s Leveled Question Guide …………………………………….. 48
Keystone Exam Related Links
Pennsylvania Department of Education (SAS) – contains standards, practice items, exam overview and other official informational links pertaining to the Keystone Exam
– contains an overview of test content, scoring procedures and goals
Keystone State Education Coalition – blog containing current updates and news articles pertaining to the Keystone Exam
PDEA Summary Reports – contains links to state summary reports and scoring guides
RATIONAL:
The information contained in this review packet is geared towards strengthening students’ reading in writing skills in connection to the identified standards on the Pennsylvania Keystone Exam. The testable content is divided by skills. Each skill is broken into review notes and lessons. Furthermore, CDHS 11th grade curriculum based practice tests are contained after the review activities for additional review.
PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
The following bulleted points are from:
KEYSTONE EXAMS GENERAL INFORMATION
• The Keystone Exams are end-of-course assessments designed to assess proficiency in the subject areas of Algebra I, Algebra II, Biology, Chemistry, Civics and Government, English Composition, Geometry, Literature, U.S. History, and World History. They will be offered in both paper/pencil and online formats.
• The Keystone Exams are one component of Pennsylvania’s new system of high school graduation requirements. To receive a diploma, students must also meet local district credit and attendance requirements, complete a culminating project, and pass any additional district requirements.
• For the graduating classes of 2015 and 2016, students must demonstrate successful completion of secondary level course work in Algebra I, Biology, English Composition, and Literature for which the Keystone Exams serve as the final course exams. Students’ Keystone Exam scores shall count for at least one-third of the final course grade.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
• Under the new regulation and beginning with the class of 2015, students can meet graduation requirements through any of the following options determined by the district.
• In addition to taking the Keystone Exams, students must also successfully complete the courses needed for high school graduation. No student will be denied a high school diploma based on test scores alone as teacher assigned grades will constitute a majority (about 67%) of the course grade.
• The regulation also responds to calls for reduced testing in Pennsylvania’s high schools. Pending approval from the U.S. Department of Education (for the 2012–13 school year), the Algebra I, Biology, and Literature Keystone Exams will replace the 11th grade Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) tests. This change will reduce annual testing time by approximately 18 hours, which is equivalent to three school days. The PSSA will be retained for use in the elementary and middle school grades.
FOR KEYSTONE EXAM INFORMATION, EXAMPLE TESTS AND SCORING GUIDES VISIT:
Skill #1: Vocabulary in Context
Note: When you come across an unfamiliar word you should use the following vocabulary
in context clues to determine its meaning.
1. Word Parts – Does the unfamiliar term contain a prefix, root word or suffix that is familiar?
➢ Ex: immoral – You know the root word ‘moral’ means ‘good’ and you know the prefix ‘im’ means ‘not’; therefore, you would be able to determine the word immoral signifies something or someone that is ‘not good’ or ‘bad’
2. Context – take a look at the sentence or the paragraph in which the unfamiliar word occurs.
Figure out the overall mood and main idea. Then, evaluate the multiple choice
answers to find the term that most nearly connects to the mood and main idea you
have identified.
➢ Ex. After receiving a Nintendo Wii for his birthday, Frederick was in a jovial mood. What does the word jovial most nearly mean?
o A. angry B. confused C. sad D. happy E. irritated
➢ If you did not know the meaning of the word jovial, you could evaluate the main idea and mood of the sentence. The main idea is related to a boy receiving a gift on his birthday. The gift is an expensive and popular video game; therefore, you can determine the mood of the passage is an upbeat or happy one. Knowing the mood and main idea you are able to choose the word ‘happy’ to correctly identify the synonym of jovial.
Additional Types of Context Clues
Directions: View the outlined notes in the chart below from
Montgomery College.edu.@
|Type of Context Clue |Definition |Signals |Examples |
|Antonym or Contrast Clue |Phrases or words that indicate |but, in contrast, however, instead |Unlike his quiet and low key family, Brad is|
| |opposite |of, unlike, yet |garrulous. |
|Definition or Example Clue |Phrases or words that define or |is defined as, means, the term, [a |Sedentary individuals, people who are not |
| |explain |term in boldface or italics] set |very active, often have diminished health. |
| | |off with commas | |
|General Knowledge |The meaning is derived from the |the information may be something |Lourdes is always kissing up to the boss, |
| |experience and background knowledge |basically familiar to you |even in front of others. That sycophant just|
| |of the reader; "common sense" and | |doesn't care what others think of her |
| |logic. | |behavior. |
|Restatement or Synonym Clue |Another word or phrase with the same |in other words, that is, also known|The dromedary, commonly called a camel, |
| |or a similar meaning is used. |as, sometimes called, or |stores fat in its hump. |
Skill #1: Vocabulary in Context Guided Practice
Directions: Apply your understanding of context clues to correctly complete the following questions.
1. The thought of eating a rat is abhorrent to most people. What does abhorrent probably mean?
A) fun, lively B) horrible, repugnant C) delicious, tasty D) sweet, sugary
2. Petra has so many friends because she is a gregarious person. What does gregarious probably
mean?
A) introverted, self-contained B) shy, quiet C) friendly, outgoing D) rude, hostile
3. The hill was too arduous for us to climb. We had to walk our bicycles up the hill. What does
arduous probably mean?
A) tall, sharp B) fun, exciting C) easy, not challenging D) difficult, steep
4. The pianist is quite adept. He plays beautifully. What does adept probably mean?
A.) few skills B.) wealthy C.) highly skilled D.) poor
5.) I think you can understand even though the point is tacit. What does tacit probably mean?
A.) unspoken B.) following soon after C.) made clear D.) selfish
6.) Your response to her question was rather terse. You could practice patience. What does terse
probably mean?
A.) brief B.) unspoken C.) made clear D.) full of meaning
7.) Joseph always dropped the names of the famous people his father knew as a way to
aggrandize his personal stature. What does aggrandize probably mean?
A.) increase B.) deflect C.) describe D.) belittle
8.) For some reason, Chuck loved to help his mother whenever he could. Therefore, when his
mother asked him to set the table he did so with alacrity. What does alacrity probably mean?
A.) complaining B.) eagerness C.) ease D.) carelessness
9.) The sign hung upon the edifice to signal the restaurant’s entryway. What does edifice probably
mean?
A.) post B.) string C.) structure D.) worker
10.) When the tightrope began to break on opening night, the tightrope walker found himself in yet
another precarious situation. What does precarious probably mean?
A.) fun B.) miserable C.) confusing D.) unsteady
Some practice questions adapted from:
• “Words-In-Context.” @
• “The Longman Vocabulary Website.” @
Skill #1: Common Word Parts (Prefix, Root, Suffix)
Directions: Visit: to complete the chart below for
10 root words of your choice.
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Skill #1: Vocabulary in Context Independent Application
Directions: Apply your mastery of context clues to complete the following activities.
Activity #1:
1) Select a newspaper article(s) and identify at least five new words from the article(s).
2) After you have selected your vocabulary words, construct a vocabulary in context quiz that contains questions for each of your selected terms.
o Copy the article sentence in which the word occurs and make four multiple choice answers underneath the quoted sentence of possible meanings for your word.
o Make an answer key on the back of your quiz that indicates the correct answers.
(3) Be prepared to challenge your partner with your quiz (
Activity #2:
(1) Makeup five brand new words (!
(2) Give each new word a definition
Ex. Mubgub – (noun); complaint or dissatisfaction
(3) Write a creative one page short story, letter, or essay that uses your five new words and clearly
conveys their meaning through context.
(4) Review your notes for vocabulary in context and types of context clues to clearly convey the
meaning of your new words in your written text.
(5) In your written text, underline each of your new words.
(6) On the back of your text, list your words. Next to each word, write its intended definition.
You also must write a 1-3 sentence explanation of the context clue you used to convey your
fictional term’s meaning in the text.
(8) Be prepared to share your story and challenge the class (
Possible Writing Ideas
You may choose to respond to one of the following prompts or create your own original creative text to successfully complete Activity #2
#1: Imagine you were challenged to spend $10,000 dollars in one day. How would you do it?
#2: Imagine you woke up and saw a dinosaur in your backyard. Write a story telling what you see
and what you do.
#3: Imagine you opened your own restaurant. Explain its name, décor and menu.
#4: If you could have lunch with any famous person who would it be? Describe your lunch.
#5: Write a story entitled, “My Day on a Spaceship”.
#6: Invent a new kind of sandwich. Describe what’s on it and how to make it.
#7: Begin your story with, “When you follow your heart…”
#8: Begin your story with, “It was a dark and stormy night…”
#9: Begin your story with, “Once upon a time…”
#10: Begin your story with, “They use to be best friends…”
Skill #2: Determining Theme
Theme Notes
(1) the abstract concept explored in a literary work
(2) frequently recurring ideas, such as enjoy-life while-you-can
(3) repetition of a meaningful element in a work, such as references to sight, vision, and blindness
Skill #2: Theme Guided Practice
Directions: Complete the questions listed to the right of each paint.
Skill #2: Theme Guided Practice
Directions: (1) Read the following poems and determine each poem’s theme.
(2) Answer the questions listed to the right of each poem to identify the poem’s theme
and defend your theme identification.
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.
Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.
Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.
Fire and Ice by Robert Frost
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
Skill #2: Theme Independent Application
Directions: Apply your mastery of identifying themes to complete the following activities.
Activity #1: Label the Theme
Directions: (1) Read the following poems and determine each poem’s theme.
(2) Answer the questions listed to the right of each poem to identify the poem’s theme
and defend your theme identification.
The Chimney Sweeper) by William Blake
When my mother died I was very young,
And my father sold me while yet my tongue,
Could scarcely cry weep weep weep weep,
So your chimneys I sweep & in soot I sleep.
There’s little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head
That curled like a lambs back was shav'd, so I said.
Hush Tom never mind it, for when your head's bare,
You know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair
And so he was quiet. & that very night.
As Tom was a sleeping he had such a sight
That thousands of sweepers Dick, Joe, Ned, & Jack
Were all of them lock'd up in coffins of black,
And by came an Angel who had a bright key
And he open'd the coffins & set them all free.
Then down a green plain leaping laughing they run
And wash in a river and shine in the Sun.
Then naked & white, all their bags left behind.
They rise upon clouds, and sport in the wind.
And the Angel told Tom, if he'd be a good boy,
He'd have God for his father & never want joy.
And so Tom awoke and we rose in the dark
And got with our bags & our brushes to work.
Tho' the morning was cold, Tom was happy & warm
So if all do their duty, they need not fear harm.
The Unknown Citizen by W. H. Auden
(To JS/07 M 378
This Marble Monument
Is Erected by the State)
He was found by the Bureau of Statistics to be
One against whom there was no official complaint,
And all the reports on his conduct agree
That, in the modern sense of an old-fashioned word, he was a
saint,
For in everything he did he served the Greater Community.
Except for the War till the day he retired
He worked in a factory and never got fired,
But satisfied his employers, Fudge Motors Inc.
Yet he wasn't a scab or odd in his views,
For his Union reports that he paid his dues,
(Our report on his Union shows it was sound)
And our Social Psychology workers found
That he was popular with his mates and liked a drink.
The Press are convinced that he bought a paper every day
And that his reactions to advertisements were normal in every way.
Policies taken out in his name prove that he was fully insured,
And his Health-card shows he was once in hospital but left it cured.
Both Producers Research and High-Grade Living declare
He was fully sensible to the advantages of the Instalment Plan
And had everything necessary to the Modern Man,
A phonograph, a radio, a car and a frigidaire.
Our researchers into Public Opinion are content
That he held the proper opinions for the time of year;
When there was peace, he was for peace: when there was war, he went.
He was married and added five children to the population,
Which our Eugenist says was the right number for a parent of his
generation.
And our teachers report that he never interfered with their
education.
Was he free? Was he happy? The question is absurd:
Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard.
Activity #2: Create a Series of Poems or a Poem with a Collage
Directions: (1) Decide upon a theme (sports, love, friendship, technology, hope, etc…)
(2) Choose one of the following creative extension projects and complete
Choice #1 - Create a journal that contains five original poems that deal with the same theme
Choice #2 – Create one poem and a companion collage that clearly conveys your chosen theme
Remember all content and/or images must be school appropriate
Skill #3: Inference
Inference Notes
(1) Inference - the act or process of deriving logical conclusions from premises known or assumed
to be true; the act of reasoning from factual knowledge or evidence.
(2) When you infer, you must evaluate the novel’s context, theme, direct characterization and
indirect characterization to make a correct conclusion concerning a given question about the text.
(3) Example inference questions are: “Why did the character…?”or “What will happen next?”
Skill #3: Inference Guided Practice
Directions: Complete the target inference graphic organizer listed below.
(1) Select a text and a character from that text.
(2) Place your character in the center of the target
(3) Find six quotes from or about your character that reveal his or her character. Then in
the outer strand, explain what they mean. Be sure to include citation information
|Text: |
|Character |
Skill #3: Inference Independent Practice
Activity #1: Independent Analysis
Directions: Individually, complete the target inference graphic organizer listed below.
(1) Select a text and a character from that text.
(2) Place your character in the center of the target
(3) Find six quotes from or about your character that reveal his or her character. Then in
the outer strand, explain what they mean. Be sure to include citation information
|Text: |
|Character |
Activity #2: What Would They Do?
Directions: Work with your partner to complete the following steps.
(1) Make a list of any five characters we have studied this year.
(2) Complete the following chart for each character you have listed.
(3) Be prepared to share and defend your response(
|Character’s Name |Situation |Character’s Reaction |Explanation of Inference |
| |Your character is standing in line when two | | |
| |individuals rudely cut in front of them. | | |
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| |Your character is put in charge of planning a | | |
| |school assembly. | | |
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| |Your character wins $100 on an instant lottery | | |
| |ticket. | | |
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| |Your character discovers they have a super | | |
| |power (You decide the power (). | | |
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| |Your character knows an important secret that | | |
| |could ruin the reputation of the individual | | |
| |that told them the secret if it is revealed? | | |
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Activity #3: What Would They Listen To?
Directions: Work with your partner to complete the following steps.
(1) Choose a character we have studied this year.
(2) Create a playlist for your character in the provided IPOD organizer
(3) Underneath each listed song explain the relevancy of your selection
(4) For your top rated song (#1), include one verse of relevant lyrics
(5) Be prepared to share and defend your response(
Skill #4: Elements of Style
© 2004 Jim Burke. For more information, visit .
Style Analysis Notes from:
|Domain |Questions to Ask |
|Imagery |What sensory information do I find in the language: color, scents, sounds, tastes, or textures? |
|Sensory Details |What is the author trying to convey or achieve by using this imagery? |
|Symbols |Are these images part of a larger pattern or structure within the text (e.g., does it connect to one of the major themes)? |
|Allusions |What figures of speech––metaphors, similes, analogies, personification––does the writer use? How do they affect the meaning |
|Words/Phrases |of the text? What is the author trying to accomplish by using them? |
|Effect/Intent | |
| | |
|Connection to: | |
|o Mood/Tone | |
|o Theme | |
|o Plot | |
|o Character | |
|Diction |Which of the following categories best describes the diction in the passage or text? |
|Types |Low or informal (e.g., dialect, slang, or jargon) |
|Slang |Elevated or formal language |
|Colloquial |Abstract and concrete diction |
|Jargon |Denotation and connotation |
|Dialect |What effect is the author trying to achieve through the use of a specific type of diction? |
|Concrete |What does the author’s use of diction suggest about his or hear attitude toward the subject, event, or character? |
|Abstract |What are the connotations of a given word used in a particular context? (To begin, you might ask if the word(s) have a |
|Denotation |positive or negative connotation, then consider them in the specific context.) |
|Connotation |What words would best describe the diction in a specific passage or the text in general? |
|Syntax |Punctuation: How does the author punctuate the sentence and to what extent does the punctuation affect the meaning? |
|Sentence structure |Structure: How are words and phrases arranged within the sentence? What is the author trying to accomplish through this |
|Sentence patterns |arrangement? |
|Declarative |How would you characterize the author’s syntax in this text? |
|Imperative |Changes: Are there places where the syntax clearly changes? If so, where, how, and why? |
|Interrogative |Sentence length: How many words are in the different sentences? Do you notice any pattern (e.g., a cluster of short sentences|
|Exclamatory |of a particular type)? |
|Simple |Devices: How would you describe the author’s use of the following: |
|Compound |Independent and dependent clauses |
|Complex |Coordinating, subordinating, or correlative conjunctions |
|Comp-Complex |Repetition |
|Loose/Cumulative |Parallelism |
|Periodic |Fragments |
|Balanced |Comparisons |
|Inversion |Sentence beginnings: How does the author begin his or her sentences? (Does the author, for example, consistently begin with |
|Interruption |introductory phrases or clauses? |
|Juxtaposition |Language: What use does the author make of figurative language or colloquial expressions? |
|Parallelism | |
|Repetition | |
|Attitude (Tone) |How does the author’s use of words, imagery, or details such as gesture or allusions reveal the author’s attitude toward a |
|Word Choice |character or event in the story? |
|Details |What words best describe the author’s attitude toward this subject, character, or event? |
|Imagery | |
|Literary Elements |How does the author’s use of these different elements contribute to the text’s meaning? |
|Setting |Do the different elements interact with or otherwise affect the meaning of the others? |
|Characterization |Do you notice any significant shifts in any of the elements at any point? If so, what changes, how, |
|Plot |and why? What is the importance and meaning of this change? |
|Theme |What words best describe the different use of these elements? For example, how would you describe the point of view and the |
|Point of View |effect it has on the meaning of the text? |
|Tone/Attitude | |
|Organization |Which organizational pattern does the author use? |
|Compare/Contrast |Why does the author choose to use that particular organizational strategy? |
|Importance |Are there places where the author blends or alternates between different organizational patterns? If so, what is the author |
|Chronology |trying to accomplish by mixing them in these ways? |
|Cause-Effect |To what extent and in what ways do you think the author’s organizational strategy is effective? Why? |
|Order of Degree | |
|Classification | |
|Spatial | |
|Types of Writing |Exposition: Is the author defining, comparing, classifying, analyzing (a process), describing, or narrating? |
|Narrative |Persuasion: Is the author arguing about what something means, whether something is true, which alternative is the best (or |
|Persuasive |most important), or what course of action someone should take? |
|Expository |General: What is the author trying to accomplish? How is the writer using e.g., narrative to solve that problem? |
|Descriptive | |
Skill #4: Elements of Style
Activity #1: Literary Style Parody Construction
(1) Choose a poem or short story
(2) Use the Elements of Literary Style Checklist on the next page to identify and assess the writing
style used by your chosen author.
(3) Construct an original poem in the style of your chosen text. Note: Your poem should mimic /
parody the style of your chosen author.
(4) Use the provided rubric from to ensure accurate completion of the above writing challenge!
|Yes |No |Poem Criteria |
| | |Focuses on a subject/topic that contributes to the parody |
| | |Chooses words that mock the original poet’s style |
| | | Maintains similarity to the original poem (the connections between the two are clear and obvious). |
| | |Contains creative details and shows imagination. |
| | |Has no spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. |
Elements of Literary Style Checklist from:
|1. Sentence Structure |Are the sentences long or short? Why do they change? |
| |Do they contain many subordinate clauses, or are they often fragments? |
| |Are there any digressions or interruptions? |
| |Is the word-order straightforward or unconventionally crafted? |
|2. Pace |Is the writing heavily descriptive, with emphasis on setting and atmosphere, or does it focus on action and plot |
| |movement? |
|3. Expansive/Economical Diction |Is the writing tight and efficient, or elaborate and long-winded? |
| |When does the author use one or the other mode, and why? |
|4. Vocabulary |Are the words simple or fancy? Are they technical, flowery, colloquial, cerebral, punning, obscure (and so on...)? |
| | |
|5. Figures of speech |Are there any metaphors, similes, or symbols? |
| |Are there any other uses of figurative language (personification, metonymy, and so on)? |
|6. Use of Dialogue |How often does dialogue tell the story? |
| |Do we see whole conversations or just fragments? |
| |Does the conversation use slang or is it formal? Does it appear natural or contrived? |
| |Does the dialogue give a sense of pacing, of pauses, of the unsaid? |
| |How much does it substitute for narration? |
|7. Point of View |Possibilities: first, second, third, omniscient, limited omniscient, multiple, inanimate, free indirect discourse. |
| | |
|8. Character development |How does the author introduce characters, and how do we see their evolution in the story? What is their function and|
| |motivation? |
| |What kinds of characters are they? Full/round? Stock characters? Stereotypes? Caricatures? |
|9. Tone |What is the author’s attitude? What is the mood of the story? |
| |Does the author seem sarcastic? Aggressive? Wistful? Pessimistic? In love? Philosophically detached? Hopeful? |
| | Ironic? Bitter? (And so on...) |
| |Whatever the tone, where is it visible in the narrative? |
|10. Word Color, Word Sound |How much does the language call attention to or depend on the quality of its sound, e.g. through alliteration, |
| |assonance, consonance, dissonance, rhythm, unusual word choice, and so on? |
|11. Paragraph / Chapter Structure |Are paragraphs very short, or are they enormous blocks running across many pages? |
| |Are the chapters short or long? How many are there, how are they organized, and why is this important? |
|12. Time Sequencing / Chronology |How has the author organized the chronology of events? To what effect? What is the work’s structural “rhythm”? |
|13. Allusions |How and how often does the author refer to other texts, myths, symbols, famous figures, historical events, |
| |quotations, and so on? |
|14. Experimentation in Language |Are there any unusual techniques, such as stream-of-consciousness, mixing styles and genres, unusual layout on the |
| |page, breaking rules of grammar and form, odd or unstable narrative perspectives, onomatopoeia, aporia, and so on? |
|15. Metafictional techniques |Does the author call attention to his or her own process of narration? |
| |Are the narrator’s position, role, and thoughts as a storyteller mentioned explicitly in the text? What function |
| |does this serve? |
“iCub the robot helps scientists understand humans”
Lucien Libert - LYON, Francem - Mon Sep 7, 2009 10:18am EDT
LYON, France (Reuters) - Robots that can make their own decisions have so far been confined to science fiction movies, but a child-sized figure with big eyes and a white face is trying hard to turn fiction into reality.
Its name is iCub and scientists are hoping it will learn how to adapt its behavior to changing circumstances, offering new insights into the development of human consciousness. Six versions of iCub exist in laboratories across Europe, where scientists are painstakingly tweaking its electronic brain to make it capable of learning, just like a human child.
"Our goal is to really understand something that is very human: the ability to cooperate, to understand what somebody else wants us to do, to be able to get aligned with them and work together," said research director Peter Ford Dominey.
iCub is about 1 meter (3.2 feet) high, with an articulated trunk, arms and legs made up of intricate electronic circuits. It has a white face with the hint of a nose and big round eyes that can see and follow moving objects.
"Shall we play the old game or play a new one?" iCub asked Dominey during a recent experiment at a laboratory in Lyon, in southeastern France. Its voice was robotic, unsurprisingly, though it did have the intonation of a person asking a question.
The "game" consisted of one person picking up a box, revealing a toy that was placed underneath. Then another person picked up the toy, before putting it down again. Finally, the first person put the box back down, on top of the toy. Having watched two humans perform this action, iCub was able to join in the fun. "The robot is demonstrating that it can change roles. It can play the role of either the first person in the interaction or the second," said Dominey, who receives European Union funding for his work with iCub.
MOTHER'S LITTLE HELPER
While such simple pastimes may seem disappointing to fans of C-3PO, the robot in Star Wars movies who boasts he is fluent in more than six million forms of communication, they are at the cutting edge of robotics and of clear interest to science.
"These robots will be a huge tool for analytical philosophy and philosophy of mind," said Dominey, whose background is in computational neuroscience -- in layman's terms, building computer models for different brain functions. Dominey said after years of research he had understood that such models needed to be "unleashed into the world" and given vision and motor-control in order to interact with humans.
"Is perception consciousness? The ability to understand that somebody has a goal, is that consciousness?" he asked. "These kinds of questions, we will be able to ask with much more precision because we can have a test bed, this robot, or zombie, that we can use to implement things," he said, describing working with iCub as "an outstanding pleasure."
Away from such highbrow concerns, the aim is also to develop iCub so that it can have practical applications. In the short term, that could mean using it in hospitals to help patients in need of physiotherapy by playing games with them. In the longer term, iCub could gain enough autonomy to help around the house, making its own assessments of needs.
"People have their habits, loading their dishwasher, putting away their dishes ... The goal is that the robot can become like a helper ... just like a polite apprentice visitor would come into your house and begin to help you," said Dominey.
Anyone looking to cut down on their household chores will need to be patient, however.
"It won't be for tomorrow. It's maybe in the next decade we will begin to see this kind of thing," said the scientist.
(Writing by Estelle Shirbon, editing by Paul Casciato)
Keystone Exam Reflection Guide
Directions: Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper. Record the letter of your response.
1. Why have scientists built iCub?
A. They have been commissioned by the United States Marines to create a new type of weapon.
B. A British philanthropist donated a large sum of money towards the development of robotics.
C. They are hoping to achieve a medical breakthrough in physical therapy.
D. They are hoping it will offer insights into the development of human consciousness.
2. The intonation most nearly means…
A. physical mannerisms B. pitch of voice C. rate of speech D. emotional context
3. Why are scientists impressed with iCub’s participation in the “game”?
A. He was able to change roles.
B. He was able to win.
C. He was able to anticipate his opponents every move.
D. Both C and D
4. How may iCub be used to advance science?
A. He will serve as a substitute for live infantry.
B. He will be used to replace damaged human limbs.
C. He will help alleviate the average individual’s work load.
D. He may help researchers better understand brain functions.
5. What makes iCub different than all other robots?
A. He is the first infant robot design.
B. He is perception conscious.
C. He is able to play games.
D. He is able to feel human emotions.
6. The author’s tone is best described as….
A. persuasive B. argumentative C. informative E. fearful
7. When do scientist project iCub will be available to the general public?
A. iCub is a complex research investigation; therefore, there is no known estimated date of release.
B. iCub is already available for government and military use.
C. Bill Gates has bought the rights to iCub and plans to market him next year.
D. iCub will be available for consumer purchase within the next decade.
Keystone Exam Open Ended Prompt
Directions: Construct an in-depth, focused and well-written response to the following prompt.
Record your answer in the provided space.
Good Morning America World News Tonight 20/20 Primetime Nightline Up-Close WNN This Week
August 26, 2002
Do attractive people have it easier?
A series of hidden-camera experiments revealed that good looks can make a big difference in life. () The Ugly Truth About Beauty: Like It or Not, Looks Do Matter
Commentary
By John Stossel
Aug. 23 — We like to think of America as a meritocracy. A lot of us think we value people because of what they accomplish, or their character, or generosity, or intelligence — that's what we thought mattered, but are we just putting blinders on?
More often than not it seems qualities other than skill, intelligence or character pay off. Here's an example. Anna Kournikova is ranked 37th in women's tennis, and has never won a major singles championship. So, why is it that Kournikova makes millions more dollars from endorsements than players ranked higher?
Looks don't only make a difference for women. Does New York Giants' cornerback Jason Sehorn get so much attention just because he's a top athlete? Is that why he was featured in Sports Illustrated for Women?
You probably know about the famous Kennedy-Nixon debates — people listening on the radio thought Richard Nixon had won. Those watching TV thought the handsome John F. Kennedy won.
When Texas Sen. Phil Gramm sought the Republican nomination for president in 1996, he said: "The real question is whether someone as ugly as I am can be elected." Within months, Gramm dropped out of the race.
Did the press cover JFK Jr. so relentlessly solely because he was the son of a president? Would we have cared so much about Princess Di if she had looked like, say, Princess Margaret?
Beauty and the Brain
It may seem obvious to most of us that people would prefer to look at beautiful faces. While beauty itself may be only skin deep, studies show our perception of beauty may be hard-wired in our brains.
In studies conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers Itzhak Aharon, Nancy Etcoff, Dan Ariely, Christopher F. Chabris, Ethan O'Connor, and Hans C. Breiter have used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology to look at the activity in men's brains when they were shown pictures of beautiful women's faces. Breiter and his colleagues found that the same part of the brain lights up as when a hungry person sees food, or a gambler eyes cash, or a drug addict sees a fix. Essentially, beauty and addiction trigger the same areas in the brain.
Some researchers link this addictive pursuit of good looks to evolution. Anthropologist Helen Fisher, suggests that primitive man might have unconsciously thought that a pretty woman had a better chance of bearing healthy children.
The Long and the Short of It
Women will tolerate a lot of shortcomings in men, but it seems shortness isn't one of them. ()
Likewise, evolution may have led women to prefer taller men.
Women will take just about any shortcoming in a man, except in the height department, according to Andrea McGinty, who founded the San Diego-based dating service It's Just Lunch.
McGinty helped ABCNEWS put together an experiment to test just how willing women are to date shorter men. We brought together several short men and asked them to stand next to taller men. We invited groups of women to look at the men and choose a date.
To see if the women would go for short guys who were successful, ABCNEWS' Lynn Sherr created extraordinary résumés for the shorter men. She told the women that the shorter men included a doctor, a best-selling author, a champion skier, a venture capitalist who'd made millions by the age of 25. Nothing worked. The women always chose the tall men. Sherr asked whether there'd be anything she could say that would make the shortest of the men, who was 5 feet, irresistible. One of the women replied, "Maybe the only thing you could say is that the other four are murderers." Another backed her up, saying that had the taller men had a criminal record she might have been swayed to choose a shorter man. Another said she'd have considered the shorter men, if the taller men had been described as "child molesters.” The desire for tall men begins very young, apparently. ABCNEWS gave elementary school students a test, asking them to match a small, medium or large figure of a man with a series of words. The kids overwhelmingly linked the tall figure to the words strong, handsome and smart. The linked the short figure to the words sad, scared and weak. More than half of the kids also chose to link the short figure to the words, dumb, yucky and no friends.
Add 'Lookism' to the List
To conduct an experiment, 20/20 hired actors — some great looking, some not — and put them in situations to gauge how often the "lookers" would get preferential treatment. In the first test, we put two women next to cars without gas in Atlanta. The women wore the same outfit. Both Michelle and Tracey stood helplessly by cars with their hoods up. For the average-looking Michelle, a few pedestrians stopped but only made suggestions as where she could walk to get gasoline. But for the beautiful Tracey, cars came screeching to a halt. More than a dozen cars stopped and six people went to get Tracey gas. The two actresses helped with our second test, at an Atlanta shopping mall where both women set up a table and sold calendars and teddy bears to raise money for charity. Overall, it looked as if both women were doing well with their sales. Then we counted the money and found Tracey collected 50 percent more.
What if we tested something requiring qualifications, like getting a job? Looks shouldn't matter then but would they?
20/20 hired two men and two women to apply for jobs. The clearest difference between them was looks while they shared similar education and work experience backgrounds. To match them up more closely, we rewrote their résumés to match. Mark, who was our more attractive applicant, and Mike, the more ordinary-looking one, both had corporate experience and had run their own companies. Donia, our more attractive female applicant, and her counterpart, Amy, both had been secretaries and saleswomen. A consultant trained them so their behavior matched. Hidden cameras captured interviewers being warmer and friendlier to the better looking applicants and being less friendly to the other applicants. With Amy and Donia, for example, one job interviewer told Amy employees got a 45-minute lunch break but with Donia the interviewer said there was a flexible policy about lunch. Who got the job offer? Donia. Amy never even got a call back. We ran similar tests using Mike and the especially good looking Mark. Would looks make less of a difference when the interviewers were judging men? Apparently not. On the first interview, for a sales job, the interviewer told Mike he'd call him later but he never called. With Mark, the interviewer was eager to have him return for a tryout day.
"It's a non-conscious process," said Tom Cash, a psychologist at Old Dominion University. "They assume that more attractive people have an array of valued characteristics."
We should add the bias of "lookism" to sexism and racism. It's just as bad but we don't need a federal program.
Copyright © 2002 ABCNEWS Internet Ventures.
Keystone Exam Reflection Guide
Directions: Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper. Record the letter of your response.
1. The meaning of the word ‘meritocracy’ in the article’s first sentence most nearly means…
A. a democratic nation B. using generosity and kindness C. intelligent citizens D. system based on ability
2. The article suggests Anna Kournikova’s rank as 37th is…
A. Justly deserved since she has played in almost every major tennis tournament
B. Largely founded on her looks; rather than, her talent
C. Debated since she has never won a championship
D. Not deserving of endorsements
3. The reaction to the Nixon-Kennedy debates suggests…
A. People are visual learners
B. Important decisions can be impacted by looks
C. People understand a message more clearly if it is only given through auditory channels
D. People don’t really care about political issues
4. Breiter and his colleagues…
A. used MRI to gauge men’s reactions to looks
B. took a scientific approach to the social concept of attractiveness
C. found that the same part of the brain involved with addiction is also connected to beauty
D. Only B and C
E. All of the above
5. Helen Fisher’s evaluation of Breiter’s findings suggests the pursuit of beauty is …
A. an evolutionary trait B. necessary for survival
C. a primitive trait D. necessary for the survival of the species
6. Studies suggest women may have an evolutionary intolerance towards…
A. aggression B. shortness C. plumpness D. stupidity
7. True or False: Studies suggest assumptions connected to lookism; such as, taller men are assumed to be
smarter, do not develop until an individual’s teenage years.
A. True B. False
8. When 20/20 hired actors to test the reality of lookism in America, their experiment found…
A. Race was the strongest contributing factor
B. The individuals’ severity of needs outweighed the influence of looks
C. Individuals that were more attractive did not have any advantage
D. Individuals that were more attractive were consistently treated better
E. Both A and B
9. When looks were tested to see if they played a role in formal decisions; such as, job acquisition, 20/20
found…
A. Gender appeared to create bias; rather than, looks
B. An individual’s level of attractiveness appeared to be an influential factor
C. An individual’s prior work experience was the most important factor
D. Less attractive candidates were more frequently hired
E. More attractive applicants were consistently offered a higher salary
10. The central theme of the article is best described as…
A. Americans tend to value looks more than other cultures
B. Lookism is not as severe an issue as racism
C. Lookism is a subconscious issue that exists
D. Women are treated differently based upon their looks more often than men
Keystone Exam Open Ended Prompt
Directions: Construct an in-depth, focused and well-written response to the following prompt.
Record your answer in the provided space.
| |[pic] |
| | |
| | |
| |[pic] |
| |Should we be cloning around? |
| |Breakthrough raises exciting |
| |-- and scary -- possibilities |
| |February 24, 1997 |
| | |
| |(CNN) -- The announcement that a team of British scientists had successfully cloned an adult sheep has touched off a new wave of |
| |discussion over the ethical implications of such a feat. |
| |The achievement announced Sunday by a team of scientists at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh, Scotland, marks the first time anyone has|
| |successfully cloned an adult mammal. |
| |"There are a number of genetic diseases for which there is no cure ... and this will enable us to carry out research into the causes of |
| |those diseases and perhaps develop methods to treat them," Dr. Ian Wilmut of the Roslin Institute said following the announcement. |
| |While some scientists hail the cloning as a major breakthrough for research in agriculture, aging, medicine and genetics, others worry |
| |what it may portend. If sheep can be replicated, they ask, are humans far behind? |
| |Suddenly the stuff of science fiction doesn't seem so fanciful anymore as one considers the possibility of dictators cloning themselves, |
| |dead geniuses brought back to life, or beloved family pets resurrected. |
| |Sheep, cattle, pigs ... what next? |
| |At the center of the controversy is a cuddly 7-month-old lamb named Dolly, an exact copy of a 6-year-old ewe born through a process called|
| |"nuclear transplantation." Specifically, the Roslin scientists put genes from the ewe into unfertilized eggs then implanted them in other |
| |sheep. |
| |Grahame Bulfield, director of the Roslin Institute, told CNN Monday his team has previously cloned mammals at various stages of |
| |development. What makes Dolly different, he said, is that she was cloned not from sex cells, but from mature mammal cells with no |
| |reproductive function. |
| |"I expect in the fullness of time, we will be trying to do the same experiments on cattle and pigs," he said. |
| |What about humans? Maybe such experiments are under way in other parts of the world, but not in Scotland. Due to ethical concerns, Britain|
| |has banned human cloning, and research using human embryos is strictly regulated. |
| |Such experiments are not banned in the United States, although some American ethicists are calling for federal laws prohibiting the |
| |practice and an immediate international moratorium on human cloning. |
| |"One of the prospects should not be, perhaps should never be, the extension of this technique to human beings," said Carl Felbaum, |
| |president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization, in an interview with CNN. "Now that it may be possible we would say it should be |
| |prohibited if necessary by law." |
| |"We're going to be facing this issue with humans," said Stephen Grebe, an associate professor of biology at American University in |
| |Washington. "With that possibility open, I'm concerned without adequate safeguards this will become a reality. It may very well already |
| |be." |
| |Don't go there, ethicists warn |
| |But even if humans could be cloned, they would not necessarily be identical, according to Grebe who noted that human twins may appear to |
| |be exactly alike, but have distinct personalities. While the prospects of cloning may open exciting possibilities like the replication of |
| |an Albert Einstein or a Mother Teresa, it brings with it some terrifying prospects. |
| |"Do we want necessarily Einsteins and are we willing to accept the costs of so-called bad copies?" Grebe asked. "What about failed |
| |experiments? These are really horrific issues and I think there's a moral chasm between the technological ability at this point and the |
| |public understanding of the purpose of this." |
| |Felbaum is uncomfortable with such speculation. With regard to cloning Einsteins, he said, "I would assert this is not a line we want to |
| |cross. I would say this is not even a line we want to approach.” |
| |Correspondent Siobhan Darrow contributed to this report. |
| |[pic] |
| |[pic] |
| |© 1997 Cable News Network, Inc. |
| |All Rights Reserved. |
| |Terms under which this service is provided to you. |
[pic]
Should We Be Cloning Around Reading Guide
Background: Huxley’s satire takes a critical view at the development, use and societal goals related to technology. His 1930s audience may have found the idea of cloning and genetic engineering to be pure science fiction; however, in our modern American society such issues are at the forefront of ethical debates.
Directions: Read the following article from CNN Sci-Tech and correctly respond to each of the following
questions. Record your answers on the provided Scantron Sheet.
Questions:
1. The tone of the article is best described as…
A. creative B. persuasive C. informative D. satirical E. allegorical
2. What is the most accurate meaning of ‘portend’ in this article?
A. foretell B. clone C. ethical D. fake E. detrimental
3. Who is Dolly and how was Dolly ‘born’?
A. Dolly is a British child that was the first successful case of invitro-fertilization.
B. Dolly is a sheep that was created through stem cell research.
C. Dolly is a lamb that was created through nuclear transplantation.
D. Dolly is a lamb that was created through a long process known as cell manipulation.
4. Why is Dolly unique?
A. She is the first cloned mammal. B. She is the only successful example of cloning.
C. She is the first legal clone. D. She is the first clone from mature, non-reproductive cells.
5. True or False: Britain has banned the use of human embryos in connection to cloning.
A. True B. False
6. What is the United State’s stance on cloning?
A. banned B. progressive C. debated D. regulated
7. What is the most accurate meaning of the word moratorium in this article?
A. law B. increase C. ban D. freeze
8. From the scientists’ opinions reported in the article, we can most clearly infer…
A. Scientist believe human cloning is unethical. B. Scientists believe human cloning will never be legal.
C. Scientists believe human cloning is possible D. Scientists believe human cloning is too complex.
9. According to the article, which of the following is not a warning issued by ethicists.
A. bad copies B. failed experiments C. varying personalities D. moral implications
10. The theme of the article is most clearly…
A. technology related to cloning B. ethical issues surrounding cloning
C. Britain’s use of technology D. breakthroughs is science
BNW Ch. 14 Keystone Exam Style Reflection Guide
Directions: Record the letter of the most correct response to each question on your Scantron.
1. Which of the following is not an accurate description of the setting for Ch. 14
A. brightly colored rooms
B. multiple floors
C. cold, sterile and metallic
D. constant stimulation of the senses
E. aromatic (perfumed)
2. Which of the following is an example of situational irony contained in Ch. 14?
A. the nurse’s reaction to John’s discomfort
B. serving ice cream to celebrate death
C. the reader’s knowledge concerning John’s love for Lenina
D. Bernard’s refusal to accompany John to the Slough Crematorium
E. Both A and B
3. John’s reaction to the group of Delta children wearing khaki is best described as…
A. excited B. confused C. sad D. infuriated E. Both A and B
4. The word moribund in the statement, “At the foot of every bed, confronting its moribund occupant, was a
television box” (198). most nearly means…
A. excited B. terrified C. hurt D. dying E. miserable
5. From the context developed in Ch. 14, the reader must infer Linda’s calls for Pope are a result of …
A. the true love she experienced during her marriage
B. a soma induced dream-like state
C. the hatred she wishes to express towards John
D. her belief that Pope is the only man that can protect her
E. her desire to return to the Savage Reservation
6. Linda’s disposition during her final moments of life are best described as…
A. happy B. calm C. uneventful D. terrified E. Both B and C
7. The word interminable in the statement, “What seemed an interminable stream of identical eight-year-old
male twins was pouring into the room” (201). most nearly means…
A. dying B. never-ending C. powerful D. organized E. young
8. Why does John say, “I’ve killed her.”?
A. He believes her death resulted from his violent outburst.
B. He believes her death occurred because he wanted to go to the World State.
C. He believes her death occurred because he did not help her escape when they had the chance.
D. He believes her death occurred because he did not stop the nurse from ending the soma drip.
E. He believes her death occurred because he allowed the Deltas to disturb Linda’s rest.
9. John’s statement, “I’ve killed her.” Is most clearly an example of…
A. verbal irony B. situational irony C. dramatic irony D. allegory E. symbolism
10. The word imploringly in the statement, “’But Linda!’ The Savage spoke imploringly, ‘Don’t you know
me?’” (204). most nearly means…
A. to beg B. to be confused C. to curse D. to cry E. to believe
BNW Chapter 16 Questions: Open Book Quiz
1. The word that best describes John’s disposition upon being taken into Mond’s study is…
A. inquisitive B. afraid C. angry D jovial E. inconsolable
2. The word that best describes Helmholtz’s disposition upon being taken into Mond’s study is…
A. jovial B. inquisitive C inconsolable D. angry E. afraid
3. Why does Bernard sit in the most uncomfortable seat?
A. He is told to sit in the chair by his police escort
B. Helmholtz took the only comfortable seat.
C. He hopes it will cause Mond to pity him.
D. He is small and it is the only chair his size.
E. Both B and C
4. The word Idly in the sentence, “Idly he turned the pages, read a sentence here, a paragraph there…” most nearly means.
A. interested and curious B. slowly and aimlessly
C. frustrated and confused D. shocked and appalled
5. Why does John decide to tell Mond the truth?
A. He does not care about Bernard or Helmholtz
B. He wants justice for his mother’s death
C. He makes it a point to never lie or deceive
D. He is reacting to Mond’s inviting and intelligent disposition
E. He wants to hurt Mond and criticize society.
6. The word abject in the sentence, “A look from Mustapha Mond reduced him to an abject silence” (218) most nearly means…
A. hopeless B. quiet C. confused D. pleasant E. restless
7. Why has Mustapha Mond read Shakespeare?
A. He must read everything in order to effectively implement censorship.
B. He was raised on the Savage Reservation.
C. He is not held to the same rules and regulations due to his government position.
D. Anyone can read it. Most simply choose not to read Shakespeare.
E. Both B and C
8. The word impunity in the sentence, “But as I make the laws here, I can also break them. With impunity…(219).” most nearly means…
A. with anger B. without anger C. with punishment D. without punishment
9. How does Mond explain the World States stance on Shakespeare?
A. It is useless because it contains outdated concepts like mothers and fathers.
B. It is dangerous because it may attract people to outdated or old concepts.
C. It is too difficult for the conditioned citizens to understand; therefore it is ignored.
D. It contains emotional topics the citizens cannot fully comprehend.
E. All of the above
10. From Bernard’s reaction to Mond’s decision the reader is able to infer….
A. He regrets his actions, but is prepared for a new life.
B. He blames Helmholtz for everything that occurred.
C. He desires to stay in the World State.
D. He desires to leave the World State.
E. He recognizes his flaws and is thankful for an opportunity to atone.
11. The word obstinately in the sentence, “’All the same, “he insisted obstinately, “Othello’s good…’” (220)
most nearly means…
A. quietly B. loudly C. stubbornly D. confused E. angrily
12. When questioned about happiness, Mustapha Mond explains…
A. It is the main component of any successful civilization.
B. It is never grand.
C. It can only be maintained through censorship.
D. It can never really be achieved.
E. It is only achieved through stimulation of one’s senses.
13. Why don’t they make all the World State citizens Alphas?
A. the technology is not available
B. some jobs require less intelligence, but are still necessary.
C. a civil war would ultimately erupt
D. it takes too long to make Alphas; therefore the population would dwindle.
E. Both B and C
14. Mond’s explanation that everyone resides in a ‘bottle’ is an example of…
A. simile B. allusion C. situational irony D. verbal irony E. metaphor
15. Which of the following statements does NOT accurately describe the Cyprus Experiment?
A. a colony of 22,000 Alphas
B. It began in A.F. 473
C. all the people given low-grade work wanted a higher-grade job
D. it was strictly managed by an elite ruling government
E. it resulted in a devastating civil war
1. Why does the monster long to join the cottagers?
A. He had previous mishaps with humans. B. They have food and he is hungry.
C. Their cottage is warm and it is winter. D. He feels trapped
2. The word ‘venerable’ in the sentence, “Nothing could exceed the love and respect the young cottagers
exhibited towards their venerable companion.” most nearly means…
A. ill B. respected C. kind D. old E. powerful
3. Why are the cottagers unhappy?
A. Their patriarch (father figure) is ill. B. They are forbidden to enter town.
C. They must endure financial struggles. D. They recently lost their mother.
4. The word ‘enigmatic’ in the sentence, “…time explained to me many appearances that were at first
enigmatic.” most nearly means
A. puzzling B. despondent C. content D. serious E. threatening
5. Why does the monster eat berries, nuts and roots?
A. He does not know how to procure and eat meat. B. He has no access to meat.
C. The cottagers do not have any meat to steal. D. He cares about the cottagers.
6. The monster’s tacit (non-spoken) interaction with the cottagers is BEST described as…
A. uneventful B. creepy C. admirable D. educational E. helpful
7. Agatha is BEST described as…
A. courteous B. emotionally unstable C. beautiful D. intelligent E. meticulous
8. Felix is BEST described as…
A. optimistic B. strong C. forgetful D. considerate E. apprehensive
9. The monster is BEST described as…
A. self-critical B. gifted C. alarmed D. dominant E. malevolent
10. The monster’s plan to meet the cottagers is BEST described as…
A. foolish B. ghastly C. strategic D. superior E. precarious
In Moulmein, in lower Burma, I was hated by large numbers of people – the only time in my life that I have been important enough for this to happen to me. I was sub-divisional police officer of the town, and in an aimless, petty kind of way anti-European feeling was very bitter. No one had the guts to raise a riot, but if a European woman went through the bazaars alone somebody would probably spit betel juice over her dress. As a police officer I was an obvious target and was baited whenever it seemed safe to do so. When a nimble Burman tripped me up on the football field and the referee (another Burman) looked the other way, the crowd yelled with hideous laughter. This happened more than once. In the end the sneering yellow faces of young men that met me everywhere, the insults hooted after me when I was at a safe distance, got badly on my nerves. The young Buddhist priests were the worst of all. There were several thousands of them in the town and none of them seemed to have anything to do except stand on street corners and jeer at Europeans.
All this was perplexing and upsetting. For at that time I had already made up my mind that imperialism was an evil thing and the sooner I chucked up my job and got out of it the better. Theoretically – and secretly, of course – I was all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British. As for the job I was doing, I hated it more bitterly than I can perhaps make clear. In a job like that you see the dirty work of Empire at close quarters. The wretched prisoners huddling in the stinking cages of the lock-ups, the grey, cowed faces of the long-term convicts, the scarred buttocks of the men who had been Bogged with bamboos – all these oppressed me with an intolerable sense of guilt. But I could get nothing into perspective. I was young and ill-educated and I had had to think out my problems in the utter silence that is imposed on every Englishman in the East. I did not even know that the British Empire is dying, still less did I know that it is a great deal better than the younger empires that are going to supplant it. All I knew was that I was stuck between my hatred of the empire I served and my rage against the evil-spirited little beasts who tried to make my job impossible. With one part of my mind I thought of the British Raj as an unbreakable tyranny, as something clamped down, in saecula saeculorum, upon the will of prostrate peoples; with another part I thought that the greatest joy in the world would be to drive a bayonet into a Buddhist priest's guts. Feelings like these are the normal by-products of imperialism; ask any Anglo-Indian official, if you can catch him off duty.
One day something happened which in a roundabout way was enlightening. It was a tiny incident in itself, but it gave me a better glimpse than I had had before of the real nature of imperialism – the real motives for which despotic governments act. Early one morning the sub-inspector at a police station the other end of the town rang me up on the phone and said that an elephant was ravaging the bazaar. Would I please come and do something about it? I did not know what I could do, but I wanted to see what was happening and I got on to a pony and started out. I took my rifle, an old 44 Winchester and much too small to kill an elephant, but I thought the noise might be useful in terror. Various Burmans stopped me on the way and told me about the elephant's doings. It was not, of course, a wild elephant, but a tame one which had gone "must." It had been chained up, as tame elephants always are when their attack of "must" is due, but on the previous night it had broken its chain and escaped. Its mahout, the only person who could manage it when it was in that state, had set out in pursuit, but had taken the wrong direction and was now twelve hours' journey away, and in the morning the elephant had suddenly reappeared in the town. The Burmese population had no weapons and were quite helpless against it. It had already destroyed somebody's bamboo hut, killed a cow and raided some fruit-stalls and devoured the stock; also it had met the municipal rubbish van and, when the driver jumped out and took to his heels, had turned the van over and inflicted violence upon it.
The Burmese sub-inspector and some Indian constables were waiting for me in the quarter where the elephant had been seen. It was a very poor quarter, a labyrinth of squalid bamboo huts, thatched with palm leaf, winding all over a steep hillside. I remember that it was a cloudy, stuffy morning at the beginning of the rains. We began questioning the people as to where the elephant had gone and, as usual, failed to get any definite information. That is invariably the case in the East; a story always sounds clear enough at a distance, but the nearer you get to the scene of events the vaguer it becomes. Some of the people said that the elephant had gone in one direction, some said that he had gone in another, some professed not even to have heard of any elephant. I had almost made up my mind that the whole story was a pack of lies, when we heard yells a little distance away. There was a loud, scandalized cry of "Go away, child! Go away this instant!" and an old woman with a switch in her hand came round the corner of a hut, violently shooing away a crowd of naked children. I rounded the hut and saw a man's dead body sprawling in the mud. He was an Indian, a black Dravidian coolie, almost naked, and he could not have been dead many minutes. The people said that the elephant had come suddenly upon him round the corner of the hut, caught him with its trunk, put its foot on his back and ground him into the earth. This was the rainy season and the ground was soft, and his face had scored a trench a foot deep and a couple of yards long. He was lying on his belly with arms crucified and head sharply twisted to one side. His face was coated with mud, the eyes wide open, the teeth bared and grinning with an expression of unendurable agony. (Never tell me, by the way, that the dead look peaceful. Most of the corpses I have seen looked devilish.) The friction of the great beast's foot had stripped the skin from his back as neatly as one skins a rabbit. As soon as I saw the dead man I sent an orderly to a friend's house nearby to borrow an elephant rifle. I had already sent back the pony, not wanting it to go mad with fright and throw me if it smelt the elephant.
The orderly came back in a few minutes with a rifle and five cartridges, and meanwhile some Burmans had arrived and told us that the elephant was in the paddy fields below, only a few hundred yards away. As I started forward practically the whole population of the quarter flocked out of the houses and followed me. They had seen the rifle and were all shouting excitedly that I was going to shoot the elephant. They had not shown much interest in the elephant when he was merely ravaging their homes, but it was different now that he was going to be shot. It was a bit of fun to them, as it would be to an English crowd; besides they wanted the meat. It made me vaguely uneasy. I had no intention of shooting the elephant – I had merely sent for the rifle to defend myself if necessary – and it is always unnerving to have a crowd following you. I marched down the hill, looking and feeling a fool, with the rifle over my shoulder and an ever-growing army of people jostling at my heels. At the bottom, when you got away from the huts, there was a metallic road and beyond that a miry waste of paddy fields a thousand yards across, not yet ploughed but soggy from the first rains and dotted with coarse grass. The elephant was standing eight yards from the road, his left side towards us. He took not the slightest notice of the crowd's approach. He was tearing up bunches of grass, beating them against his knees to clean them and stuffing them into his mouth.
I had halted on the road. As soon as I saw the elephant I knew with perfect certainty that I ought not to shoot him. It is a serious matter to shoot a working elephant – it is comparable to destroying a huge and costly piece of machinery – and obviously one ought not to do it if it can possibly be avoided. And at that distance, peacefully eating, the elephant looked no more dangerous than a cow. I thought then and I think now that his attack of "must" was already passing off; in which case he would merely wander harmlessly about until the mahout came back and caught him. Moreover, I did not in the least want to shoot him. I decided that I would watch him for a little while to make sure that he did not turn savage again, and then go home.
But at that moment I glanced round at the crowd that had followed me. It was an immense crowd, two thousand at the least and growing every minute. It blocked the road for a long distance on either side. I looked at the sea of yellow faces above the garish clothes-faces all happy and excited over this bit of fun, all certain that the elephant was going to be shot. They were watching me as they would watch a conjurer about to perform a trick. They did not like me, but with the magical rifle in my hands I was momentarily worth watching. And suddenly I realized that I should have to shoot the elephant after all. The people expected it of me and I had got to do it; I could feel their two thousand wills pressing me forward, irresistibly. And it was at this moment, as I stood there with the rifle in my hands, that I first grasped the hollowness, the futility of the white man's dominion in the East. Here was I, the white man with his gun, standing in front of the unarmed native crowd – seemingly the leading actor of the piece; but in reality I was only an absurd puppet pushed to and fro by the will of those yellow faces behind. I perceived in this moment that when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that he destroys. He becomes a sort of hollow, posing dummy, the conventionalized figure of a sahib. For it is the condition of his rule that he shall spend his life in trying to impress the "natives," and so in every crisis he has got to do what the "natives" expect of him. He wears a mask, and his face grows to fit it. I had got to shoot the elephant. I had committed myself to doing it when I sent for the rifle. A sahib has got to act like a sahib; he has got to appear resolute, to know his own mind and do definite things. To come all that way, rifle in hand, with two thousand people marching at my heels, and then to trail feebly away, having done nothing – no, that was impossible. The crowd would laugh at me. And my whole life, every white man's life in the East, was one long struggle not to be laughed at.
But I did not want to shoot the elephant. I watched him beating his bunch of grass against his knees, with that preoccupied grandmotherly air that elephants have. It seemed to me that it would be murder to shoot him. At that age I was not squeamish about killing animals, but I had never shot an elephant and never wanted to. (Somehow it always seems worse to kill a large animal.) Besides, there was the beast's owner to be considered. Alive, the elephant was worth at least a hundred pounds; dead, he would only be worth the value of his tusks, five pounds, possibly. But I had got to act quickly. I turned to some experienced-looking Burmans who had been there when we arrived, and asked them how the elephant had been behaving. They all said the same thing: he took no notice of you if you left him alone, but he might charge if you went too close to him.
It was perfectly clear to me what I ought to do. I ought to walk up to within, say, twenty-five yards of the elephant and test his behavior. If he charged, I could shoot; if he took no notice of me, it would be safe to leave him until the mahout came back. But also I knew that I was going to do no such thing. I was a poor shot with a rifle and the ground was soft mud into which one would sink at every step. If the elephant charged and I missed him, I should have about as much chance as a toad under a steam-roller. But even then I was not thinking particularly of my own skin, only of the watchful yellow faces behind. For at that moment, with the crowd watching me, I was not afraid in the ordinary sense, as I would have been if I had been alone. A white man mustn't be frightened in front of "natives"; and so, in general, he isn't frightened. The sole thought in my mind was that if anything went wrong those two thousand Burmans would see me pursued, caught, trampled on and reduced to a grinning corpse like that Indian up the hill. And if that happened it was quite probable that some of them would laugh. That would never do.
There was only one alternative. I shoved the cartridges into the magazine and lay down on the road to get a better aim. The crowd grew very still, and a deep, low, happy sigh, as of people who see the theatre curtain go up at last, breathed from innumerable throats. They were going to have their bit of fun after all. The rifle was a beautiful German thing with cross-hair sights. I did not then know that in shooting an elephant one would shoot to cut an imaginary bar running from ear-hole to ear-hole. I ought, therefore, as the elephant was sideways on, to have aimed straight at his ear-hole, actually I aimed several inches in front of this, thinking the brain would be further forward.
When I pulled the trigger I did not hear the bang or feel the kick – one never does when a shot goes home – but I heard the devilish roar of glee that went up from the crowd. In that instant, in too short a time, one would have thought, even for the bullet to get there, a mysterious, terrible change had come over the elephant. He neither stirred nor fell, but every line of his body had altered. He looked suddenly stricken, shrunken, immensely old, as though the frightful impact of the bullet had paralyzed him without knocking him down. At last, after what seemed a long time – it might have been five seconds, I dare say – he sagged flabbily to his knees. His mouth slobbered. An enormous senility seemed to have settled upon him. One could have imagined him thousands of years old. I fired again into the same spot. At the second shot he did not collapse but climbed with desperate slowness to his feet and stood weakly upright, with legs sagging and head drooping. I fired a third time. That was the shot that did for him. You could see the agony of it jolt his whole body and knock the last remnant of strength from his legs. But in falling he seemed for a moment to rise, for as his hind legs collapsed beneath him he seemed to tower upward like a huge rock toppling, his trunk reaching skyward like a tree. He trumpeted, for the first and only time. And then down he came, his belly towards me, with a crash that seemed to shake the ground even where I lay.
I got up. The Burmans were already racing past me across the mud. It was obvious that the elephant would never rise again, but he was not dead. He was breathing very rhythmically with long rattling gasps, his great mound of a side painfully rising and falling. His mouth was wide open – I could see far down into caverns of pale pink throat. I waited a long time for him to die, but his breathing did not weaken. Finally I fired my two remaining shots into the spot where I thought his heart must be. The thick blood welled out of him like red velvet, but still he did not die. His body did not even jerk when the shots hit him, the tortured breathing continued without a pause. He was dying, very slowly and in great agony, but in some world remote from me where not even a bullet could damage him further. I felt that I had got to put an end to that dreadful noise. It seemed dreadful to see the great beast Lying there, powerless to move and yet powerless to die, and not even to be able to finish him. I sent back for my small rifle and poured shot after shot into his heart and down his throat. They seemed to make no impression. The tortured gasps continued as steadily as the ticking of a clock.
In the end I could not stand it any longer and went away. I heard later that it took him half an hour to die. Burmans were bringing dash and baskets even before I left, and I was told they had stripped his body almost to the bones by the afternoon.
Afterwards, of course, there were endless discussions about the shooting of the elephant. The owner was furious, but he was only an Indian and could do nothing. Besides, legally I had done the right thing, for a mad elephant has to be killed, like a mad dog, if its owner fails to control it. Among the Europeans opinion was divided. The older men said I was right, the younger men said it was a damn shame to shoot an elephant for killing a coolie, because an elephant was worth more than any damn Coringhee coolie. And afterwards I was very glad that the coolie had been killed; it put me legally in the right and it gave me a sufficient pretext for shooting the elephant. I often wondered whether any of the others grasped that I had done it solely to avoid looking a fool.
Shooting an Elephant Keystone Exam Style Review
Following activities adapted from: Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston
Revising Fused Sentences and Comma Splices
A run-on sentence is two sentences that are joined as if they are a single thought. There are two
types of run-on sentences. A fused sentence has no punctuation between two complete thoughts.
A sentence with a comma splice has just a comma between two complete thoughts.
• FUSED: He is a British police officer he is hated by everyone.
• COMMA SPLICE: He is a British police officer, he is hated by everyone.
Exercise A Identifying Fused Sentences and Comma Splices
Directions: In the blank before each item, write F for fused sentence, C for comma splice, or OK if the
sentence is not a run-on sentence.
EXAMPLE: The officer is young he is ill-educated. [The sentence is fused because there
are two complete thoughts with no punctuation between them.]
1. Shooting the elephant seems a trivial incident it has great significance for the young police officer.
2. A British officer is expected to act with authority, he does not want to be embarrassed in front of the
Burmese people.
3. He does not want to kill the elephant, but he has no choice.
4. He has mortally wounded the elephant, the elephant’s death is slow and agonizing.
5. The police officer has been taught that the ruling class must always show authority and strength before those they rule, he does not like this age-old code.
Elements of Literature Grammar and Language
Create Two Sentences
Use the following sentence to complete each task: He is a British police officer. He is hated by everyone.
6. Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, for, nor, so, yet):
7. Change one of the independent clauses to a subordinate clause:
8. Use a semicolon and a conjunctive adverb:
Words to Own Shooting an Elephant Synonyms and Antonyms
The first word in each of the following word pairs is a Word to Own. Write S in the blank if the
second word in the pair is a synonym of the Word to Own; write A if the second word is an
antonym. You may need a dictionary or a thesaurus for this activity.
_____ 1. supplant : supersede
_____ 2. labyrinth : tangle
_____ 3. squalid : clean
_____ 4. senility : alertness
_____ 5. pretext : alibi
Context Clues
Directions: Using context clues and definitions of the Words to Own, circle the word that correctly completes
each sentence. Underline any context clues that help you choose the correct word.
• EXAMPLE: European (impression, dominion ) created problems in Southeast Asia that lasted
after the former colonies were free of European rule.
1. Sometimes, after one ruler is defeated, another arises to (labyrinth, supplant) the deposed one.
2. Orwell describes one quarter of the town as being (squalid, supplanted ) and complex, with muddy streets
and ramshackle huts.
3. Orwell compares the behavior of the fallen, wounded elephant to the ravages of (senility, squalid ).
4. The young colonial police officer was glad to find a legal (labyrinth, pretext) for shooting the elephant.
5. The bazaar was a (squalid, labyrinth) of turns and passages.
Correct or Incorrect?
Directions: On the line provided, write C if the italicized word is used correctly or I if it is used incorrectly.
_____ 1. George Orwell’s fear of the crowd supplants his conviction that he should not kill the elephant.
_____ 2. The elephant is well-groomed and squalid.
_____ 3. The crowd believes that Orwell is so confused that he has descended into senility.
_____ 4. On the pretext of killing the elephant, Orwell lifts his gun and shoots.
_____ 5. The gun is a labyrinth of the best German machinery.
Analogies
Directions: For each of the following items ,determine the relationship between the first pair of words. Then, on the line provided, write the letter of the answer choice that best expresses the same relationship as that of the original pair
_____ 1. PRISTINE :SQUALID ::
A scandalized :discouraged B preoccupied :fretful C conventional :unusual
D intentional :deliberate E sprawling :diffuse
_____ 2. AIM :RIFLE ::
A devour :maze B waste : rubbish C slash :bamboo
D swing :ax E confound :information
_____ 3. FORGETFULNESS :SENILITY ::
A richness :sterility B flabbiness :humility C sluggishness : activity
D hostility :compatibility E cruelty :savagery
_____ 4. PRETEXT : PRETENSE ::
A remnant : remainder B agony :ecstasy C elephant : Burma
D hillside :mound E behavior :psychology
Sentence Completion
Directions: Each blank in the following items indicates that a word has been omitted. For each item, choose the word or set of words that best completes the sentence. Write the letter of your choice on the line provided before the number.
_____ 5. According to the subinspector, the elephant is in a __________ state and is __________ the
quarter in a variety of ways.
A jostling . . . experiencing
B feeble . . . upsetting
C frenzied . . . ravaging
D speculative . . . questioning
E devilish . . . invigorating
_____ 6. Already unsure of himself, Orwell is even more __________ by the thousands of spectators who
mysteriously emerge from the labyrinth of huts to watch the shooting.
A praised
B discomfited
C outraged
D offended
E reassured
_____ 7. As the situation becomes more complex, Orwell is increasingly __________ by the crowd’s
__________ desire for slaughter.
A insulted . . . appropriate
B encouraged . . . unsettling
C scrutinized . . . questionable
D dismayed . . . appalling
E comforted . . . disturbing
_____ 8. After he is shot, the elephant’s preoccupied expression is __________ by one of confusion.
A grasped
B compelled
C observed
D determined
E supplanted
Paper Assignment
Task: Choose one of the listed prompts and construct a 5 – 12 paragraph essay that is 2-3 pages in length. Your essay must be typed and adhere to MLA formatting.
Procedure:
1. Choose one prompt from the provided list
2. Devise a three tier thesis statement: must contain a direct answer to the prompt and support it with three clear main ideas. (Note: should be able to tell your chosen prompt by reading your thesis) THESIS DUE: _____________________
3. Construct a graphic organizer ( rough draft, outline, list, three column foldable) to aid in your note collection and organization of ideas (Note: each main point must be supported by a CITED QUOTE) ORGANIZER DUE: _________________
4. Report to the Comp. Lab (you will have assigned seats) – use your graphic organizer to construct your essay in class
5. You will have two days for essay construction and revision
Requirements
• MLA heading, creative title, pagination, double spaced, 12pt font, Times New Roman
• Introduction contains an effective AGD, clear / focused transition sentences, and a three tier thesis as the last sentence
• Three tier thesis is the last sentence of the Intro and clearly / directly answers the prompt; contains 3 main points in the order they will be explained
• Each main point listed in the thesis is fully developed, explained and clearly used to prove the listed thesis through the construction of a focused body paragraph
• Each main point is supported by one CITED QUOTE (3 total – one per body paragraph)
• Connective transitions and clear topic sentences are used to maintain cohesive explanations focused on proving the thesis
• Summative conclusion serves as the final paragraph
• Conclusion contains a transition word / sentence, rephrased thesis, and a clincher related to the AGD
• Higher level vocabulary is used throughout (DO NOT USE so, this, that, etc…)
• No personal pronoun and/or contractions are used
• Final page is a properly formatted works cited containing only one entry, the novel.
• All stylistic, mechanical and/or proofreading errors are corrected and avoided
• ALL QUOTES ARE PROPERLY CITED “quote” (Author #).
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Prompts (choose one):
Psychological Criticism Options:
1. How does war change an individual? (LOD = 1)
2. Research the results of the Stanford Prison Experiment. Explain how Golding’s development of
the novel’s theme correlates with the Experiment’s findings. (LOD = 2)
3. Investigate psychological disorders resulting form battle (ex: post traumatic stress disorder).
Prove the existence of the disorder(s) in the text. (LOD = 3)
Formalist Criticism Options:
4. Identify and explain elements of allegory evident in Golding’s text. (LOD = 1)
5. How does Golding use allegory to develop his theme: man is inherently evil? (LOD = 2)
6. Analyze the novel as Golding’s personal confession (all the characters are part of his identity).
How does he allegorically illustrate the changes he underwent as a result of his tour of duty?
(LOD = 3)
General Criticism Options:
1. Analyze Lord of the Flies from a civic approach and explain three societal lessons Golding reveals through his text? (LOD = 1)
2. How does Golding use archetypes to develop his text’s plot and/or theme(s)? (LOD = 2)
3. Analyze Lord of the Flies from a cultural perspective and explain Golding’s message concerning politics and war. (think about the bigger picture concerning governments, religion, future generations, etc…) (LOD = 3)
Paper Assignment
Task: Choose one of the listed prompts and construct a 5 – 12 paragraph essay that is 2-3 pages in length. Your essay must be typed and adhere to MLA formatting.
Requirements
• MLA heading, creative title, pagination, double spaced, 12pt font, Times New Roman
• Introduction contains an effective AGD, clear / focused transition sentences, and a three tier thesis as the last sentence
• Three tier thesis is the last sentence of the Intro and clearly / directly answers the prompt; contains 3 main points in the order they will be explained
• Each main point listed in the thesis is fully developed, explained and clearly used to prove the listed thesis through the construction of a focused body paragraph
• At least one CITED QUOTE from the novel is used as supporting evidence
• Connective transitions and clear topic sentences are used to maintain cohesive explanations focused on proving the thesis
• Higher level transitions used (Ex: therefore, furthermore, moreover, consequently, subsequently, likewise,…)
• Summative conclusion serves as the final paragraph
• Conclusion contains a transition word / sentence, rephrased thesis, and a clincher related to the AGD
• Higher level vocabulary is used throughout (DO NOT USE so, this, that, etc…)
• No personal pronoun and/or contractions are used
• Final page is a properly formatted works cited containing only one entry, the novel.
• All stylistic, mechanical and/or proofreading errors are corrected and avoided
• ALL QUOTES ARE PROPERLY CITED “quote” (Author #).
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Prompts (choose one):
Cultural Criticism: Research one of the following scientific concepts: Genetic engineering, pharmaceutical development, behavioral conditioning, age regression therapy / plastic surgery / quest for youth
• Explain its current status in modern society
• Explain its representation in Brave New World
• Analyze Huxley’s warning: Were his fears concerning the use of your identified science correct? Why or Why not?
Psychological Criticism:
• Explain the role conformity, group behavior and/or peer pressure play(s) in society
• Research occurrences of revolutions, fads and/or mob behavior and explain the role group behavior and/or peer pressure played in at least one factual occurrence.
• Analyze Huxley’s warning: Were his fears concerning conformity, group behavior and/or peer pressure correct? Why or why not?
Archetypal Criticism: Choose one of the following archetypes commonly found in dystopian satire: star-crossed lovers, the savior, the outcast or identify a formal archetype of your choosing
• Research and define the characteristics of your formal archetype
• Explain the representation of your chosen archetype in the novel
• Compare and contrast Huxley’s use of the archetype with another author’s use (short story, novel, comic, film, etc…)
Marxist Criticism:
• Research and explain Karl Marx’s political ideology
• Explain Huxley’s representation of the above political ideology in the novel
• Consider your above explanation and analyze Huxley’s message for society concerning politics
Reader Response Criticism:
• Explain Huxley’s message concerning technology and social norms (Use textual proof)
• How do technology and social norms influence your life?
• Considering your above explanation, do you agree or disagree with Huxley’s warnings? Explain and support your opinion
Genre Analysis – is an essay structure that requires you to identify elements in a given story to prove the author wrote in a specific style / genre. It is considered Formalist Criticism. Therefore, it is heavily dependent upon specific examples and clear connections to literary / figurative elements. Understanding genre allows the reader to gain insight into the author’s style, tone and society. Furthermore, it enhances a reader’s overall comprehension of a given text.
Remember: Gothic Literature’s Main Characteristics:
|Ethical Dilemmas |Heightened Emotion (sorrow; anger; panic) |Romantic Hero |
|Protagonist Connected to Nature |Women in Distress |Creature of Nightmare |
|Sympathetic Villain |Metonymy of Gloom & Horror |Transgressor |
|Mystery & Suspense |(rain = sorrow; fog = danger, etc…) |Revenge |
|(remote setting; unreliable narrator) |Fear & Terror |Star-Crossed Lovers |
|Supernatural (inexplicable events) |Surprise (irony) |The Wanderer |
Task #1: Select a topic (text) from the chart below or online / library sources
| “The Fall of the House of Usher” |Wuthering Heights | “The Monkey’s Paw” |The Shining |
|“The Pit and the Pendulum” |Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and |The Phantom of the Opera |Shutter Island |
|“The Tell Tale Heart” |Mr. Hyde |“The Lottery” |Lost |
|“The Cask of Amontillado” |The Picture of Dorian Gray |Psycho |Supernatural |
|“Mortal Immortal” |The Turn of the Screw |I Am Legend |The Vampire Diaries |
|“Secret of the Growing Gold” |The Yellow Wallpaper |Rosemary’s Baby |Twilight |
|“Young Goodman Brown” | |Salem’s Lot |Harry Potter |
| | |Interview with the Vampire | |
| | |Edward Scissorhands | |
Task #2: Essay Construction
1. Read and/or research, as well as, analyze your topic to prove it is an example of Gothic Literature
2. Evaluate your topic and identify 3 characteristics of Gothic Literature it contains
3. Construct a Genre Analysis Essay that answers the following prompt:
Prompt: Why is your selected text Gothic Literature?
4. Organize your ideas in the form of a 5 paragraph, MLA formatted and typed essay that is solely
focused on answering the prompt:
5. Your essay must be MLA formatted, typed, double spaced, 12pt font Times New Roman, written in
the present tense and contain a Works Cited as a separate, final page.
6. For this essay, work on your use of college level academic vocabulary
Do not use….
▪ ‘This / That’ as the subject of a sentence = -3 point deduction for each occurrence!
▪ ‘So’ as a transition word or conjunction = -3 point deduction for each occurrence!
▪ ‘Very’ as an adjective = -3 point deduction for each occurrence!
▪ Indefinite Phrases and/or passive language (sort of, like, probably, etc…) = -3 point deduction for each occurrence!
▪ Slang = -3 point deduction for each occurrence!
▪ First or second person pronouns = -3 point deduction for each occurrence!
▪ ‘In Conclusion’ = -3 point deduction for each occurrence!
▪ Repetitive Vocabulary = -3 point deduction for each occurrence!
▪ Internally Cite all quotes = -3 point deduction for each every missing citation!
Vocabulary Tip: Use synonym feature on Word; proof read for vocabulary variation not just mechanics!!!!
Essay Format
Introduction: 7+ Sentences ( - 2 points for each sentence short of required length!)
AGD – unique and original (quote; definition, etc…)
Transition – connects AGD to thesis (may included summary of text)
3-Tier Thesis – directly answers prompt; previews three main points
Example Thesis Statements: #1 Dracula is an example of Gothic Literature due to its characteristic use of
mysterious settings, supernatural events and sympathetic villains.
#2 The wanderer, transgressor and creature of nightmare are three Gothic
Literature archetypes evidenced in the Gothic novel, Dracula.
#3 Dracula displays elements of Gothic Literature through the use of unreliable
narrators, star-crossed lovers and creatures of nightmare.
Body: 3 fully developed paragraphs (one for each main point)
Use at least 1 cited quote (Not required to have 3 but suggested ()
Maintains present tense
All ideas are clearly connected and topic sentences are effectively used to preview each main point
and directly connect it back to the thesis statement
All information is focused, accurate, supported by text / analysis
Information avoids generalities / summary
Conclusion: 2-3 Sentences that effectively utilize a summative transition, addresses thesis statement’s
content and contains a clincher connected to the AGD.
Essay Due: ___________________
Task #3: Power Point Construction
• Construct a Power Point for Class Presentation that outlines the contents of your paper and contains relevant images and creative design. FOLLOW THE PROVIDED DIRECTIONS.
Power Point Project Directions
Slide #1 = Title Slide - story’s name; story’s author; relevant image
Slide #2 = Character / Archetype Slide – outline the main characters of the text (denote archetype when
appropriate); provide relevant image(s)
Slide #3 = Plot Slide – outline and explain the story’s exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and
resolution. (chart or outline form suggested)
Slide #4 = My Favorite Part – provide a quote from your favorite part of the text and explain why you like this
part of the story the most.
Slide #5 = Gothic Characteristic #1 – explain the first element of Gothicism evidenced in the text that
support your essay’s claim that the story is Gothic Literature; provide a
relevant image.
Slide #6 = Gothic Characteristic #2 -
Slide #7 = Gothic Characteristic #3 -
Slide #8 = Connection to Gothic Texts Studied in Class – explain how your chosen text is similar to the
Gothic stories we have investigated or are
currently investigating in class.
Power Point Due: ____________________________________
Presentations Start: __________________________________
Arthurian Legend: Archetypal Criticism
Essay Directions:
1. View the links below that contain definitions of common literary archetypes
Resource Websites:
Definition of Archetypes:
Archetype Cards:
List of Literary Archetypes:
Periodic Table of Archetypes:
2. Review your class notes and assigned texts to identify 3 archetypes that exist in Arthurian legend
3. Construct a 5 paragraph formal MLA essay response that clearly identifies and proves the existence of 3 literary archetypes in Arthurian Legend
4. View the outlined essay format below to aid in your essay construction
Outlined Essay Format (Minimum Requirements):
Introductory Paragraph:
• AGD – unique and interesting opening statement related to prompt’s content
• Transitional Statements – majority of intro paragraph; connects AGD to thesis
• 3-Tier Thesis
Body Paragraph #1:
• Topic Sentence – directly connects Arthurian character(s) to identified archetype
• Definition of literary archetype
• Textual evidence and independent analysis that explains how the identified character(s) fit the archetype’s definition / characteristics
• Closing statement / connective transition to next main point
Body Paragraph #2:
• Topic Sentence – directly connects Arthurian character(s) to identified archetype
• Definition of literary archetype
• Textual evidence and independent analysis that explains how the identified character(s) fit the archetype’s definition / characteristics
• Closing statement / connective transition to next main point
Body Paragraph #3:
• Topic Sentence – directly connects Arthurian character(s) to identified archetype
• Definition of literary archetype
• Textual evidence and independent analysis that explains how the identified character(s) fit the archetype’s definition / characteristics
• Closing statement / connective transition to next main point
Concluding Paragraph:
• Summative Transition: signals essay’s conclusion (Overall, Ultimately, etc…)
• Review of Main Points
• Clincher – final insightful statement that connects concluding thoughts to opening statement (AGD)
Bloom’s Levels: Questions and Prompts
|LEVEL |EXPLANATION |SAMPLE PROMPTS |
|Recall |Cites specific content – remembering; memorizing; |In 1984, What color was Julia’s sash? |
| |recognizing; describing, etc… |How old is the protagonist? |
| |Who, what when, where, how…? |What is the formula for…? |
| | |In what year did…? |
| | |What were the author’s two arguments? |
| | |What are the four steps to…? |
|Comprehension |Conveys understanding and ability to categorize textual |Which actions support the government’s policy in…? |
| |information |Can you explain how…? |
| |Summarize, explain, put into your own words, interpret, |Can you classify the items according to…? |
| |describe, compare, paraphrase, differentiate, demonstrate, |Why did…? |
| |visualize, restate |What is the difference between…? |
|Application |Relate or connect textual information to outside settings, |Predict what would happen if we changed… |
| |scenarios or knowledge |Use the formulas to determine… |
| |Solve, illustrate, use, interpret, relate, modify, put into |Create a proposal for… |
| |practice |Explain how a literary device changed the tone. |
| | |Offer solutions to the conflict between… |
|Analysis |Breakdown topics into component pieces and investigate them |Defend the character’s decision to… |
| |in the context of the whole |What is the function of…? |
| |Organize, deduce, choose, contrast, compare, distinguish |How did the theorist arrive at the hypothesis…? |
| | |Rank the arguments in order of importance… |
| | |Which comment seems the most sincere? |
| | |Which variables had the biggest effect? |
| | |What mistake is made…? |
| | |Compare and contrast the relationship |
|Synthesis |Bring together concepts to create, construct or form |Add a character to the scene and explain how it would change the outcome |
| |something new |Write a song that teaches students about… |
| |Design, hypothesize, support, schematize, write, report, |Create and present a public service announcement that convinces viewers to… |
| |discuss, plan, devise, compare, create, construct |Create a cartoon that depicts… |
| | |Design a better system or process for… |
|Evaluation |Judge the validity, success, or value of something (within |Can you judge the value of…? |
| |specifically assigned criteria) |Which essay succeeds and why? |
| |Choose, estimate, judge, defend, criticize, justify |Did the group meet it’s goal? Explain why or why not |
| | |Which process is most efficient and why? |
| | |Is this lobbying group in compliance with the law? Explain your judgment. |
| | |Could this policy have worked 20 years ago? Why or why not? |
| | |Which decision is unethical? Why? |
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The following articles, practice tests and writing assignments can be used to strengthen students reading comprehension skills. The practice test questions were made to target reading skills necessary for question completion on the Keystone Exams. Practice tests can be used within curriculum based units or as supplemental materials. Furthermore, the essays target various writing styles and requirements needed on the Keystone Exam. Overall, the use of the supplemental texts and tests will help incorporate nonfiction and reading strategies into the 11th grade curriculum.
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1.) What is the painting to the left’s theme?
2.) Why do you believe this is its theme? (Write 1-2 sentences that SPECIFICALLY defend your theme identification.)
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1.) What is the painting to the left’s theme?
2.) Why do you believe this is its theme? (Write 1-2 sentences that SPECIFICALLY defend your theme identification.)
1.) What is the poem to the left’s theme?
2.) Why do you believe this is its theme? (Write 1-2 sentences that SPECIFICALLY defend your theme identification.)
1.) What is the poem to the left’s theme?
2.) Why do you believe this is its theme? (Write 1-2 sentences that SPECIFICALLY defend your theme identification.)
1.) What is the poem to the left’s theme?
2.) Why do you believe this is its theme? (Write 1-2 sentences that SPECIFICALLY defend your theme identification.)
3.) What would be a good alternate title for this poem?
4.) Why would your answer to #3 be an effective new title for the poem? (Write 1-2 sentences that SPECIFICALLY defends your new title selection.)
1.) What is the poem to the left’s theme?
2.) Why do you believe this is its theme? (Write 1-2 sentences that SPECIFICALLY defend your theme identification.)
3.) What would be a good alternate title for this poem?
4.) Why would your answer to #3 be an effective new title for the poem? (Write 1-2 sentences that SPECIFICALLY defends your new title selection.)
Bernard
“He was a man pursued…”(Huxley 63)
The narrator’s description reveals Bernard is defensive because he was followed by a bad reputation.
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CHARACTER: ____________________
List Song & Explanation (2+ Sentences)
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2.
3.
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Prompt:
Why is lookism a serious issue? Support your answer with at least two textual examples.
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Analogy
a comparison between two things that are similar in some way, Often used to explain something or make it easier to understand
like or as indicates a simile, or the use of a basic metaphor
The infernal classroom was as hot as the surface of the sun.
Prompt:
How may your life change if you owned iCub? Support your answer with at least two textual examples.
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Open Ended Prompt
Directions: Record your response to the following prompt on the PSSA Open Ended Template.
Remember: You are graded on focus, content, organization, vocabulary and mechanics.
You should fill but not exceed the entire template.
Your response must contain at least four SPECIFIC supporting references to the text.
Prompt: Do you agree or disagree with Mond’s statement, “The optimum population…is
modeled on the iceberg – eight-ninths below the water line, one-ninth above.” Why or
Why not? Explain your answer in the form of ‘perfect persuasive paragraph’.
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Content adapted from CDHS English Department Meeting 2009
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Directions: (1) Choose the most correct response to each listed question and record the letter of your response on your Scantron Sheet.
(2) After reading Ch. XII and Ch. XIII, complete the Open Ended Response Prompt on a separate sheet of paper.
(3) Be certain your name is on both your Scantron and Open Ended Response.
OPEN ENDED READING RESPONSE
Directions: (1) Read Ch. XIII and compose a ‘perfect paragraph’ response to the following prompt on a separate sheet of paper.
Prompt: The monster states, “I (monster) am a blot upon the earth, from which man fled and whom all men disowned” (85). Is he correct?
➢ Defend your position with at least four supporting examples. One of your supporting examples must be a framed quote. Use ‘perfect paragraph’ formatting.
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