ELA Unit 7 G7

By the following week, all that was left to do was choose the kitten. Order of events is clear
25 Amy decided on a female kitten with white paws, smoky black and gray and logical. Sensory
language helps the
fur, and eyes like deep pools of crystal-clear water. It was that same day reader imagine the
that her parents made the announcement. kitten.

I was over at her house in the front room; we were plotting about Uses the active voice.
our secret kitten when her parents came in. Her mom had an expression Dramatic questions
30 of suppressed joy, and her dad looked quite proud of himself. help make the narrative
suspenseful.
“Well, Amy,” her mom started. “We’ve made a decision.”
Had they found out about our plan? Did they find homes for both Concludes with a
kittens already? So many thoughts raced through my head. It seemed as reflection on the
though the moment would never end. event’s significance.
35 Her dad continued, “We’ve decided that you may keep one more
kitten!”
Amy and I looked at each other in wonderment. Amy was happy,
sad, and frustrated all at once. Somehow she managed a smile. I felt like
crying and laughing at once.
40 We had done all that work and planning for nothing, but Amy got
what she wanted. Looking back, I realize that our plan never would
have worked, but it would have been fun trying!

2
844 unit 7: biography and autobiography

Writing Workshop

Part 2: Apply the Writing Process

prewriting What Does It Look Like?

What Should I Do? writing prompt Write a narrative that
describes a special event in your life. Include
1. Analyze the prompt. details that help your reader understand
Read the prompt carefully. Circle the word what the event was like. Be sure to explain
that names the type of writing you must why the event was important to you.
produce. Underline words and phrases that
tell what you must include.

2. Think of an event to share. Memory Triggers Specific Memory
This writing has to come from your own past, summers at Camp learning to swim
so make notes about memory triggers: people, Far Winds
places, times, and events that might bring my best friend, Amy our secret kitten
back the stories of your life. my grand slam
baseball teams when Muffin ran away

our family pets

3. Consider your audience and purpose. Audience Purpose Significance
Make a chart to show who you think will
read your narrative and what your purpose classmates, describe a seemed so
for writing is (stated in the prompt). Then teacher special event important at
summarize what the event meant to you. the time, but
didn’t matter
4)0 Is the event you chose too personal in the end
to share with your teacher or classmates?
Choose a new event from the list you cleared out Hiding the made a
generated in Step 2. toys and games Kitten soft bed

4. Use your descriptive powers.
Use descriptive words and phrases to help
your reader understand important parts
of your narrative.

fixed the window so
that kitten could get

in and out

writing workshop 845

drafting R3.2
86A>;DGC>6
What Should I Do?
What Does It Look Like?
1. Plan your narrative.
An engaging autobiographical narrative Title: The Secret Kitten
often has many of the same elements Setting: Amy’s house
as a terrific short story, such as plot, Characters: Amy, her parents, me
characters, dialogue, and suspense. To Plot Summary: Amy and I make plans to hide a kitten,
make sure that your narrative is well and then her parents give her the kitten after all.
organized, make a story map. Be sure it Sequence of Events:
includes your characters and the setting. 1. We decide to hide one kitten in the closet.
Be sure, too, that you have a clear 2. We clean and prepare.
sequence of events. Most narratives 3. We decide which kitten to keep.
are told in chronological order, also 4. Amy’s parents announce she can have one more kitten.
called time order. If you want, you can Significance: We couldn’t believe that we had done
work in a flashback (an event that took all that for nothing!
place before the start of the story).

See page 26: Plot at a Glance

2. Set the scene in your introduction. From prewriting notes . . .
Use your introduction to tell basic
information, such as who, where, and My friend Amy got an idea.
when. Every reader requires a little . . . to draft
background, but not every story has
to give the same kind of background. My friend Amy and I were sitting in the front room
Here the writer vividly relates how of her house, bored stiff. It was a hot summer day,
Amy came up with the idea of the and Amy’s bellyaching about giving up her cute, cuddly,
secret kitten. purring kittens had gotten her wheels turning.

3. Tell who said what to whom. From prewriting notes . . .
Be sure to include dialogue to make your
characters sound like real people taking We talked over places to keep the kitten.
part in real events. . . . to draft

4)0 Before revising, look back at “I know! How about underground?” I suggested playfully.
the key traits on page 842 and at the “No!” she replied passionately. “Cave-ins would be bad!
criteria and peer-reader questions on What about in my shed?”
page 848.

846 unit 7: biography and autobiography

Writing Workshop

revising and editing What Does It Look Like?

What Should I Do? Her mom had an expression of suppressed joy.
I was over at her house in the front room; we were
1. Make sure the sequence is clear. plotting about our secret kitten when
• Ask a peer reader to underline parts Her parents came in.
of your narrative that are out of order
or that do not lead clearly from one step a female
to the next. Amy decided on the kitten she wanted. with white
• Add transitions, move text, or revise the paws, smoky black and gray fur, and eyes like deep
narrative to make the sequence clear. pools of crystal-clear water.

See page 848: Ask a Peer Reader We cleared out
Old toys and games got cleared out.
2. Add sensory language or other descriptive We made
details. A schedule to exercise and groom the kitten was
• Circle words that tell how something made.
looked, sounded, felt, tasted, or smelled. Had they found out about our plan?
• If you have few or no circles, revise to Had our plan been found out about by them?
make your response more detailed.

3. Use the active voice.
• Draw a box around sentences in the
passive voice (The kitten was hidden by us).
• Change inappropriate uses of the passive
voice to the active voice (We hid the kitten).

4. Reflect on the experience. We had done all that work and planning for
• [Bracket] parts of your narrative that tell nothing, but [Amy got what she wanted.] Looking
what you learned from the experience, back, I realize that our plan never would have
why you chose it, or even why—as the worked, but it would have been fun trying!
writer of the student model concluded—it
seemed more important than it really was.

• Be sure that your narrative explains what
the experience meant to you.

writing workshop 847

Preparing
to Publish Autobiographical Narrative

Consider the Criteria Check Your Grammar

Use this checklist to make sure your • When you write dialogue, enclose each
narrative is on track. speaker’s exact words in quotation marks.
Ideas Begin a new paragraph each time the
speaker changes.
focuses on one experience
uses descriptive details and “ Amy, dear, sharp objects and kittens
dialogue don’t mix, ” I shot back.
Organization
gets the reader’s attention with “ Okay, ” she said meekly. “ How about
an intriguing introduction in my closet? ”
has a logical order of events and
uses transitions to make them • Use a comma to separate a speaker’s words
clear from a description of who is speaking. If the
summarizes the significance of speaker’s words end with a question mark
the event in a solid conclusion or an exclamation point, no comma is needed.
Voice
uses the active voice “Well, Amy , ” her mom started.
Word Choice “Now that’s an idea ! ” I said.
includes sensory language
Sentence Fluency See pages R49–R50: Quick Reference: Punctuation
varies sentence types
Conventions • Use the same verb tense to show two or
uses correct grammar, spelling, more actions that occur at the same time.
and punctuation
We cleared out old toys and make made
Ask a Peer Reader room for the litter box and food dishes.

• What kinds of descriptive details See page R56: Verb Tense
or dialogue should I add?
publishing options
• What could I do to make the
sequence clearer? For publishing options, visit the
Writing Center at ClassZone.com.
• Where in my conclusion do
I reflect on why the experience assessment preparation
is important to me?
For writing and grammar assessment practice,
848 unit 7: biography and autobiography go to the Assessment Center at ClassZone.com.

speaking and listening W1.2, LS1.2, LS1.4, LS1.5, LS1.6
86A>;DGC>6

Presenting an Anecdote

In this unit, you read some big stories about fascinating lives.
Now you can tell a little story, or anecdote, from your life.

Preparing the Anecdote

1. Choose part of your narrative to share. Find the part of your
autobiographical narrative that’s funniest, most dramatic,
or most surprising. Pull it out for shaping into an anecdote,
which is a brief story that you might tell a friend.

2. Organize information so your audience gets the
message. Near the beginning, identify where and when
the event took place. If your anecdote has a surprise ending,
make sure that you include enough details so that the ending
makes sense. Also consider listeners’ background knowledge
and interests. Should you explain that slang term? Do you
need to describe the park if everyone hearing the story has
been there? Some audiences need supporting details, reasons,
descriptions, and examples that others do not.

3. What’s your attitude? Audience members should be able
to determine your feelings toward the subject, so let them
show in your voice, facial expressions, movements, and
gestures. You can change your inflection of certain words—
making your voice loud or soft, high or low. The phrase “Amy,
dear” can sound sweet or impatient or sarcastic, depending
on your inflection.

4. Practice and refine. Try learning your anecdote by heart so
you don’t have to rely on notes.

Presenting the Anecdote

1. Act it out. Consider changing stances, gestures, and facial
expressions for different parts of the story.

2. Watch your tempo—not too fast, not too slow. You might
pause once or twice to make your anecdote suspenseful.

3. Finish with confidence. Afterward, ask audience members
if your message, purpose, organization, and attitude were
clear. Then listen carefully as your classmates present their
anecdotes.

See page R80: Evaluate a Descriptive Speech

writing workshop 849

Assessment Reading Comprehension
Practice
DIRECTIONS Read the following selection and then answer the questions.

assess The world-famous pilot Amelia Earhart worked as a volunteer nurse in
The practice test items Toronto, Canada, during World War I. There, she developed her lifelong
on the next few pages interest in flying.
match skills listed
on the Unit Goals from East to the Dawn: The Life
page (page 745) and of Amelia Earhart
addressed throughout
this unit. Taking this Susan Butler
practice test will
help you assess your When Amelia had spare time, she headed for the stables, and it was
knowledge of these through her riding that she got her first exposure to airplanes. She
skills and determine was riding a horse named Dynamite, whom she had “gentled” with a
your readiness for the combination of horsemanship and apples, when she was joined by three
Unit Test. air force officers. They were so impressed by how well she controlled her
mount—famous for bucking off a colonel—that they asked her to go out
review to Armour Heights, an airfield at the edge of the city, to watch how they
After you take the controlled their planes.
practice test, your
teacher can help you Amelia had seen planes before. She saw her first at a fair in Des Moines
identify any skills you 10 when she was ten, but “it was a thing of rusty wire and wood and looked
need to review.
• Biography not at all interesting.” The chances are, it was the same first plane that
• Chronological Order Clarence Chamberlin, who also grew up to be a crack pilot, saw in his
• Make Inferences home town of Denison, Iowa, at about the same time—an old-style
• Summarize pusher, with the pilot sitting out front “on a sort of birdcage seat,” and the
• Latin Words and propeller and engine in the rear. He too had been “frankly unimpressed . . .
quite willing to let anyone take such fool chances who would.”
Roots
• Base Words But ten years had passed. These planes were a different generation;
• Proper Nouns now they were beautiful: “They were full sized birds that slid on the hard-
• Italics and Quotation packed snow and rose into the air with an extra roar that echoed from the
20 evergreens that banked the edge of the field.” She stood close to them—so
Marks close that the propellers threw snow in her face, and “I felt a first urge to
fly.” She tried to get permission to go up, but failed—“not even a general’s
assessment wife could do so—apparently the only thing she couldn’t do.” So she did
online “the next best thing” and got to know the fliers.

For more assessment
practice and test-taking
tips, go to the Assessment
Center at ClassZone.com.

850 unit 7: biography and autobiography

One day she had a chance to test her faith in planes, not by flying but
by standing in the path of one. It was at a Toronto fair, and the pilots,
war aces, were giving exhibitions of stunt flying. She and a girlfriend
were standing in the middle of a clearing off by themselves in order to see
better. The pilot began diving at the crowd. She would never forget what
30 happened next.

“He was bored. He had looped and rolled and spun and finished his
little bag of tricks, and there was nothing left to do but watch the people
on the ground running as he swooped close to them.” Then he started
diving at the two girls off in the clearing. “I remember the mingled fear
and pleasure which surged over me as I watched that small plane at the
top of its earthward swoop. Common sense told me that if something
went wrong with the mechanism, or if the pilot lost control, he, the
airplane and I would be rolled up in a ball together. I did not understand
it at the time but I believe that little red airplane said something to me as
40 it swished by.” Her friend ran off. Amelia didn’t; she was fascinated.

go on

assessment practice 851

Comprehension 4. Which words or phrases in the excerpt
help you understand the order in which
DIRECTIONS Answer these questions about the events happen?
excerpt from East to the Dawn: The Life of A spare time, first exposure, one day
Amelia Earhart. B chances, different generation, next
best thing
1. Which statement is a clue that this is a C stood close, in order to, also
biography and not an autobiography? D before, ten years had passed, what
A The author reveals the thoughts and happened next
feelings of Amelia Earhart.
B The author uses the word she to refer 5. Which quotation from the excerpt gives
to Amelia Earhart. you an important clue about Amelia
C The author reveals the thoughts and Earhart’s future?
feelings of other people. A “She was riding a horse named
D The author includes dialogue Dynamite, whom she had ‘gentled’
throughout the excerpt. with a combination of horsemanship
and apples. . . .”
2. Which statement best summarizes lines B “Amelia had seen planes before. She
1–8? saw her first at a fair in Des Moines
A Embarrassed that Earhart could tame a when she was ten. . . .”
wild horse better than they could, C “She stood close to them—so close
three air force officers showed off their that the propellers threw snow in her
flying skills. face, and ‘I felt a first urge to fly.’”
B Impressed with Earhart’s ability to D “She and a girlfriend were standing in
control a wild horse, three air force the middle of a clearing off by
officers invited her to watch them fly. themselves in order to see better.”
C Earhart tamed a wild horse so that she
might be invited to see the newest 6. You learn about Amelia Earhart’s thoughts
planes. and feelings in this excerpt mostly from
D Earhart was afraid of airplanes and A direct quotations from her
decided to tame a wild horse to prove B the author’s opinions of her
that she was brave. C facts about her accomplishments
D quotations from people who knew her
3. Events in this excerpt are presented in
A random order
B mostly chronological order
C the order of their importance to Earhart
D the order in which the author learned
about them

852

Assessment Practice

7. Which statement best summarizes lines 9. Which qualities can you infer Earhart has
17–24? from her reaction to the diving plane?
A pride and defiance
A Ten years after she first fell in love B foolishness and immaturity
with airplanes, Amelia Earhart saw the C level-headedness and reliability
beautiful new airplanes and enjoyed D curiosity and courageousness
the way they roared off the field.
10. Which list presents the main events in
B The latest airplanes were beautiful, this excerpt in chronological order?
large machines that roared when they A Earhart met air force pilots; she saw
took off, kicked up snow with the her first plane; she stood in the path of
propellers, and slid on snow when they a diving plane.
landed. B Earhart tamed a horse; she saw her
first plane; she watched stunt flying.
C Although she was fascinated with the C Earhart saw her first plane; she
latest airplanes, Amelia Earhart knew watched air force pilots; she stood in
she could never fly them because even the path of a diving plane.
a general’s wife could not get D Earhart tamed a horse; she went to a
permission to fly. fair; she met war pilots.

D Amelia Earhart loved watching the
beautiful new planes and wanted to
fly; when she was unable to get
permission to go up in them, she
befriended the fliers instead.

8. Which statement best summarizes lines Written Response
31–40?
SHORT RESPONSE Write two or three sentences to
A The pilot was bored, so he started to answer this question.
do more tricks and scared the two
young women in the field. 11. What can you infer about the biographer’s
opinion of Amelia Earhart?
B The pilot lost control of the plane and
it started to swoop down toward EXTENDED RESPONSE Write a short paragraph to
Earhart, who did not move. answer this question.

C After the pilot had run out of stunts 12. What can you infer from Earhart’s
and started diving at people, he dove at explanation in lines 38–40 that, “I did
the two girls; Earhart stood watching, not understand it at the time but I believe
spellbound, and her friend ran away. that little red airplane said something to
me as it swished by”?
D Earhart’s friend ran away after the pilot
of the stunt plane threatened the crowd go on
at the fair, but Earhart froze in fear as
the plane dove at her.

853

Vocabulary DIRECTIONS Use your knowledge of base words to
answer the following questions.
DIRECTIONS Use context clues and the definitions
of the Latin words and roots to answer the 4. The word exposure is used in line 2.
following questions. What is the base word of exposure?
A espouse
1. The prefix im- means “into,” and the B explode
Latin word premere means “to press.” C expound
What is the most likely meaning of D expose
impressed as it is used in line 5?
A amazed 5. The word combination is used in line 4.
B influenced What is the base word of combination?
C annoyed A combine
D pressured B combat
C combust
2. The Latin root gen means “to be D comb
produced.” What is the most likely
meaning of the word generation as it is 6. The word permission is used in line 22.
used in line 17? What is the base word of permission?
A a group of people born at about the A mission
same time B permeate
B new technology developed from earlier C permit
models D permissive
C a stage in the life cycle of an organism
D time between the birth of parents and
the birth of their children

3. The Latin word surgere means “to rise.” 7. The word pleasure is used in line 35.
What is the most likely meaning of surged What is the base word of pleasure?
as it is used in line 35? A please
A marched in columns B plausible
B increased suddenly C plead
C settled gradually D play
D flowed in waves

854

Assessment Practice

Writing & Grammar

DIRECTIONS Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.

(1) Throughout the years, women have excelled in the field of aviation.
(2) In 1912, harriet quimby became the first woman to fly across the english
channel. (3) Nine years later, Bessie Coleman became the world’s first licensed
African-American aviator. (4) In 1935, amelia earhart became the first person
to fly solo across the Pacific ocean. (5) Women reached another milestone on
june 17, 1983, when astronaut Sally Ride became the first U.S. woman in
space. (6) The book At the Controls: Women in Aviation has more on this
subject. (7) Also check Aviation History magazine for an article entitled Lady
Lindy: The Remarkable Life of Amelia Earhart.

1. Which nouns should be capitalized in 4. Choose the correct way to punctuate the
sentence 2? title in sentence 6.
A harriet, quimby A At the Controls: Women in Aviation
B harriet, quimby, woman B “At the Controls: Women in Aviation”
C english channel C “At the Controls”: Women in Aviation
D harriet, quimby, english channel D “At the Controls: Women in Aviation”

2. Which nouns should be capitalized in 5. Choose the correct use of italics and
sentence 4? quotation marks for the titles in sentence 7.
A amelia, earhart, person A Aviation History and Lady Lindy: The
B amelia, earhart, ocean Remarkable Life of Amelia Earhart
C amelia B Aviation History and “Lady Lindy: The
D person, ocean Remarkable Life of Amelia Earhart.”
C “Aviation History” and “Lady Lindy:
3. Which noun should be capitalized in The Remarkable Life of Amelia
sentence 5? Earhart”
A june D “Aviation History” and Lady Lindy:
B woman The Remarkable Life of Amelia Earhart
C astronaut
D space STOP

855

unit Ideas for Independent Reading

7More Which questions from Unit 7 made an impression on you?
Continue exploring them with these books.
Great Reads

What is your duty toward others?

Lyddie Across Five Aprils The Greatest:
Muhammad Ali
by Katherine Paterson by Irene Hunt
by Walter Dean Myers
When her family loses This historical novel
their farm, 14-year-old centers on the divided This biography traces the
Lyddie Worthen risks loyalties of the Creightons life of boxer Muhammad
everything and takes a job during the Civil War. Ali from his childhood
in a Massachusetts mill. Jethro is left behind to run through his present-day
Under the worst possible the family farm, but he is struggles with Parkinson’s
working conditions, she not spared the horrors of disease. Along the way, he
succeeds in overcoming war as experienced from fights racism, stands up for
adversity through the the home front. his beliefs, and becomes a
strength of her character. hero to millions.

When is there dignity in silence?

Touching Spirit Bear On the Way Home Homeless Bird

by Ben Mikaelsen by Laura Ingalls Wilder by Gloria Whelan

Families have rules, schools Finding strength in writing, What is it like to live in a
have rules, and societies Laura Ingalls Wilder society where how you
have rules. Fifteen-year- captures in her diary the are treated depends on
old Cole Matthews has landscapes, cultures, and your gender? In modern-
always had trouble with people she encounters as day India, 13-year-old Koly
those rules. Can he her family travels from must marry a 16-year-old
change his destructive South Dakota to Missouri boy from a distant village.
path while living alone on in the late 1800s. When he dies, Koly is alone
a remote island? in an unfamiliar city.

How can we change what’s wrong?

Beyond the Burning The Golden Compass Under the Blood-
Time Red Sun
by Philip Pullman
by Kathryn Lasky by Graham Salisbury
Fairy tales and legends
What would it take to allow you to imagine Life is normal for 13-year-
make you stand alone? yourself saving the world. old Tomi Nakaji. Then, on
In a New England village In the first book of a December 7, 1941, Japanese
during colonial times, trilogy, the adventurer planes bomb Pearl Harbor
12-year-old Mary Chase Lyra holds the future of and Tomi’s world turns
must defend her mother the world and all of its into a nightmare.
against the community’s inhabitants in her hands.
accusations of witchcraft.

856 unit 7: biography and autobiography