ELA Unit 3 G8

i COMMONCORE L4 Petrie's house was different from those of his neighbors, most of which
LanguageGoach
were small brick row houses, or rundown clapboard houses that had deep
Multiple Meaning
Words Multiple porches flush with the street. His was set far back in the lot, and had a
meaning words
have more than one self-possessed air about it. Near the fence, in what must have been the
meaning. For example,
flush may mean "to driveway, the hoods of two submerged cars and a truck could be seen.
redden," "next to or
closely alongside," or "to 20 I was seated in the back of a four-person Yamaha \TaveRunner that
clean by pouring water
through something." was piloted by Shawn Alladio, an energetic woman in her forties, with
Which meaningof flush long blond hair, from \Thittier, California. Eight days had passed since
makes the most sense in
line 17? Hurricane Katrina made landfall, and Alladio was out on a search for
trapped survivors and for what rescuers were calling "h6ldsu15"-residents
o AUTHOR',S PURPOSE who didn't want to leave their homes-in one of the poorest and worst-hit
What do you learn about parts of the city, the Ninth \Vard, in eastern New Orleans.
Petrie's situation and his
attitude toward it? Alladio maneuvered the tWaveRunner so that we were alongside Petrie's
:; fence, and, after calling out a greeting to him, she asked him if he wanted

lrl

l.i to leaye; he waved politely in response, but shook his head. She told him
i.. 30 that the floodwater was toxic and that he would soon become sick. He said
l. something in reply, but we couldn't hear him because of the rumble of the
il \TaveRunner's idling engine. Alladio turned the ignition key off.

Petrie explained that his wife and son and daughter had left the city by
car, heading for Baton Rouge, the day before Katrina hit. He didn't know
where his family was now, and, if he left, they wouldn't know where he

was. He said that he intended to wait for them to come back, and for the

waters to go down.

Alladio told him that the authorities were not allowing people to return

to this part of New Orleans, and that it might be a month before the waters

+o receded. He listened carefully, nodded, and replied that he had stocks of food

and some water; that he'd be all right-he'd wait. He patted his dog's head.
"Thank you, but I'll be fine," he said. Alladio tried again. "I can promise you
that you will not see your family if you stay here," she told him; it was much

likelier that he would pass out and die from the fumes from the water. @
He asked whether she would promise that he would be able to join

his family.

Alladio paused, and said to me quietly, "I can't promise him that. If I
turn him over to the authorities, like the other evacuees, he could end up

anywhere in the country."

50 Tirrning back to Petrie, she asked, "If I drive you to Baton Rouge myself,

will you come with me?"
"You would take me yourself?" he asked.
"Yes," she said. "I promise. Today, when I am done with my work, I will

take you there."

Petrie took a step back on his porch. He raised his head thoughtfully

and asked, "Can I take my dog with me?"

42O uNrr r: sETTING AND MooD

"Oh, God," Alladio said under her breath. "I hate this." Then she said o AUTHOR'S PURPOSE
to him, "I am so sorry, Mr. Petrie, but, no, they won't allow us to take out
animals. You will have to leave him here." Reread lines 5o-67.
What does the
60 Petrie gripped the railing of the porch and leaned over again, in a kind
conversation between
of slow, sustained forward lurch, his head down. Then he nodded and
said, "O.K." Alladio and Petrie reveal

Alladio told Petrie to prepare a small bag with his essential belongings, to about the kind of person
say goodbye to'his dog and, if he wanted, put out some food and water for Alladio is?
him. She would be back in an hour to pick him up; in the meantime, she
needed to see if there were more people who needed evacuating. He said,
"O.K.," and waved, and went back inside the house. The dog followed him. @

lladio had arrived in New Orleans on Saturday, September 3rd, with
a team of California rescue workers and a small flotilla2 of donated
zo \(/aveRunners. She and her team were loosely attached to a task force sent
by the State of California, but were mostly on their own. \7e had met at a
staging area underneath an elevated section of Interstate 10. As I arrived,
evacuees were being brought out of the water to a slightly raised stretch
of land where railroad tracks ran under the highway. A boat came up and
deposited an elderly black couple. Rescuers carried the woman, who was
wearing a denim skirt, a T-shirt, and gold earrings, and sat her down on
a fallen telephone pole. She rocked back and forth, with one hand raised,
and murmured, "l just want to tell you-thank you, Jesus." Her husband
walked over unsteadily to join her. They had stayed at home until just
so before the hurricane, and then gone to their church. As the water rose, they
took refuge in the choir loft. They stayed there for eight days, drinking the
water the storm washed in. "\7e were down to our last two crackers," she
said. Another man was brought over, shaking, and speaking incoherently.
The only words I could make out were "I'm still alive."
After putting on chest waders to protect ourselves from the fetid3

floodwaters-which Alladio warned me were "really gnarly"-*. set off

by boat from Interstate 10. . . .

\(e passed cargo yards, electrical pylons,a and houses with tar-paper

roofs that had water halfway up the windows, and other houses that
e0 were completely submerged. tVhen we came to the intersection of Louisa

Street and Higgins Boulevard, the street signs were at eye level and the
traffic lights were barely above the surface of the water. \7e passed a house
with a shattered plate-glass window. Peering down into the living room,

2. flotilla (flo-til'e)r a smallfleet of ships.
3. fetid (f6'tYd): having an offensive odor.
4. electrical pylons {pi'l6nz'): steel towers supporting electrical wires.

LETTER FRoM NE\r oRLEANS 421

intermittently I saw a sofa floating near a framed photo of Muhammad Ali standing
triumphantly over Sonny Liston. At a community swimming pool, a
(Yn'ter-mYt'nt)61 adv.
stopping and starting lifeguard seat poked just above the waters. \7e passed a rowboat cartying
at intervals two white men and being towed by a black man with dreadlocks, up to his
neck in water. Later, we saw them again; all three were in the boat now,
o AUTHOR'S PURPOSE and were paddling with broken street signs.
What sights, sounds,
and smells does the 100 It was a clear, hot day, and the floodwater smelled strongly of oil and
author describe?
Rememberto note on raw sewage, and stung the eyes. There were other smells, from islands of
your chart any details or rorringoogarbagae' , and, intermittently, as elsewhere in the city, the smell
images that have a big of death. Helicopters had been clattering overhead all morning, some
impact on you. of them dumping buckets of water on house fires that had broken out
everywhere. Scudding'columns of brown and gray smoke shot up from
half a dozen points around the city. The towers of downtown New Orleans
were visible in the distance. @

i.i

1.1

i.'

tt[i3," '

ln what way does
this image help you
understand the
seriousness of Lionel
Petrie's situation?

A New Orleans neighborhood lies under severalfeet of water.

Until the nineteenth century, the Ninth \Mard was a swamp, and, even
after it became home to a black and immigrant white community, and
r10 was drained (in that order), it was periodically devastated by flooding.
During Hurricane Betsy, in 1965, it was hit harder than most of the city,
and was underwater for days. The neglect of the Ninth \fard by the city
government was notorious; well into the twentieth century, it lacked
adequate sewers and clean water. The Norman Rockwell image that the
Ninth \Ward inspired was that of the first grader Ruby Bridges, a tiny black

5. scudding (skU'dYng): skimming along swiftly.

422 UNIT SETTING AND MOOD
':

girl in a white dress, who was led to school by federal marshals Past jeering disconcert (dYs'ken-s0rt')
white crowds-a chapter in a violent desegregation struggle that divided v. to ruffle; to frustrate
the city in the nineteen-sixties. In the next decades, many of the white by throwing into
residents of the Ninth \7ard left; by the time Katrina hit, almost all the disorder
rzo students in the school that Ruby Bridges integrated were black.
o AUTHOR'S PURPOSE
frt 2037 Desire, a block past Petrie's home, three people stood on the What event has this
article focused on so far?
#flsecond-floor porch of a large wooden house: a bulky young woman iot this down as well as
in a white blouse, with dyed orange hair, and tattoos on one arm; ayoung any powerful details or
man with copper skin in a lilac polo shirt . . . and an old man who was bare- images.

chested except for a pair of red suspenders. The ground floor was flooded and
a sign above it said, "\Tinner Supermarket-ATM Inside." Alladio hailed
them and repeated the argument that she had made to Petrie. The young
man said that his name was Theron Green, and that he and his father, Alfred

Green, the old man, and his fiancde--:Tiinell Sanson, the aftooed woman-

r30 were fine, and were planning to stay. They also had a friend inside the house,
they said. Theron Green spoke in a thick local accent, and his eyes were alert
and suspicious. He was clearly anxious for us to leave. "\7e feel comfortable,
safe in our own house here," he said. 'Anyway, I dont want no looters coming
here." Alladio told him that there would soon be forced evacuations, but

Green was adamant. "I'll wait till they force me out, then," he said. tinell

Sanson said, "\fete fine. If it gets too bad, we'll catch the helicopter.". . .

lladio warned me not to get spattered by the floodwater. "The people
who have been in this are going to get sick " she said. The Environmental
Protection Agency had teams out taking water samples to check for toxins,
rao and the rumor-apparently unfounded-was that entire districts were so
contaminated that they would have to be razed, along with hundreds of
thousands of vehicles. The people who lived there might not realize it, she
said, "but once they leave they are never going to see their homes again.". . .
\When we returned to Petrie's house, he was packed and waiting for us
on the second-floor porch, dressed in slacks, a fresh unbuttoned shirt over
a T-shirt, and a Marine Corps baseball cap. He leaned down to his dog,
took both its ears in his hands and caressed them, and then told the dog
to go inside. Petrie climbed into the canoe and began paddling over to us.
The dog reemerged on the balcony, appearing disconcerted and watchful.
ro Petrie did not look back. He came alongside the fence and we helped him
first with a bag and then with a little black case that he said had his wife's
Bible in it. "I know she'd want me to bring that," he said. He climbed onto
the \TaveRunner behind me. Alladio gave the vessel a little power, and we

Ibegan moving off.

LETTER FRoM NElq oRLEANS 42)

As we made our way down Desire, Petrie looked around him at the
devastation, his neighbors' houses submerged in water. He said, "Oh, my

God. I had no idea."

I asked him why he hadn't left earlier. "You tell yourself that the waters
are going to recede, and when they don't one day you say maybe they will

160 the next," he answered.

The waters had subsided somewhat after the initial surge, he said.
Then he had noticed, as the days went by, that there was an ebb and flow

to them, as if a tide were moving in and out. To his mind, the city had

become part of Lake Pontchartrain. He had heard on the radio about the

levees breaking. \7hen the electricity went out, he had listened to the radio

each night, but had turned it off after a little while, to save his batteries.

As we spoke, he seemed to be trying to make sense of his own reaction

ri to the catastrophe. He had understood logically that he was stranded and

til in danger, and yet he had decided that his first priority was to remain and

i,l r70 prepare the house for his familyt return: "Pretty crazy, huh? I even started

t'

! repairing my roof," About a third of the roof had been torn away by the

hurricane, and he had worked for several days patching it up while the city

layunderwater....
\When we passed Theron Green's house, he and his father and his

fiancde waved and smiled at Petrie. . . .

Petrie told me that he was worried about his aunt \flilla Mae Butler:

"She's about eighty-two, and lives on Bartholomew Street. I'm worried that

shet dead, because this time she said she wasn't going."

As we travelled slowly back toward Interstate 10, avoiding debris and

rso downed electrical lines, Petrie began calling out landmarks. He had lived

in the neighborhood his entire life. As a child, he had lived on Louisa

o AUTHOR'S PURPOSE Street. He pointed to a building that he said was th€ primary school he had
How much of New
Orleans is this article attended from kindergarten through eighth grade. . . .O
covering? Tell how
you know. By now, he was reconciled to his rescue. "I think the good Lord sent you

to me," he said. "I am looking forward to seeing my wife!" Her name was

Mildred. He was sixty-four and Mildred was sixty-one. They had married

when she was seventeen and he was twenty. "Everyone said we wouldn't

last, but we've been together forty-five years, and this is the first time we

have been apart.". . .

190 il fter we landed, Shawn Alladio went out on one more tour of the
ft neighborhood to see if there was anyone else to bring in. -While we

waited for her to return, Petrie and I sat in my rented van in the shade
under Interstate 10. Nearby, rescuers stripped down and washed in

solutions of water and bleach. . . .

424 uNrr 3: sErrrNc AND MooD

'tr"$lLIS,"

What details in this
photograph helpyou
understand how deep
the water is?

-*|ffi,. .-+,t:

l

I
il.

J' i COMMONCORE RI5

I AUTHOR,S PURPOSE
What do you learn
I' about Petrie in this
paragraph? Recall the
fo four basic purposes
for writing: to express
A man crosses a flooded New Orleans street. ideas or feelings, to
inform or explain,
Petrie told me about his own children. Lionel, his namesake, forty-three i lii to persuade, or to
years old, had been in the Marine Corps for fifteen years and served in entertain. Which of
the first Gulf \War. He had been an aviation mechanic, but when he got these purposes do
out he couldn't get a job, so he went back to school, at the University of these details help
Anderson achieve?
New Orleans, where he was pursuing an undergraduate degree when the How do they help him
zoo hurricane arrived. Lionel owned two houses, one just blocks away from achieve his secondary
purpose of creating
Petrie's, which he rented out. Petrie's second son, Bruce, who was thirty- empathy for a disaster
eight, had also been a marine, had an accounting degree, and worked as victim?
a shelter supervisor for Girls and Boys Town. Bruce had driven out of the
city with his wife and children before Katrina. Petrie smiled when he spoke
of his daughter, Crystal, who was twenty-one. She was studying nursing in

New Orleans. Lionel had driven her and their mother out of the city. @
Petrie hadn't gone to college; he got hired at a shipyard right after high

school. After a couple of years, he decided to train as a welder. "For a year,
I went to welders' school from 8 A.M. to noon and worked at American
zro Marine from 6 p.vr. until 6 e.rr. Got my certificate as a certified welder
around 1962.I went to several places looking for a job as a welder, but

never got hired." \fhen, in 1965, Petrie went to apply for a job at Equitable

Equipment, near his home, he saw white welders being hired even as

he was told that the only openings were for laborers. He contacted the
local N.A.A.C.P. and filed a complaint with the newly formed Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission. "They took an interest in my
case, and I was the first black to be hired as a skilled worker by Equitable,"
he said. "I would sit down to eat my lunch and the white guys would go

I-ETTER FROM NEw ()RLEANS 425

sit somewhere else. I didn't care-I was just there to do my job." After

zzo working for a decade at Equitable, and then at Kaiser Aluminum until
1983, when it shut down its Louisiana operations, he decided to set up his
own business, Petrie Iron and construction. He didn't have insurance,

though, and he figured that he'd lost everything.

ater that evening, Alladio drove Petrie and me ro Baton Rouge in a
rrented pickup, towing her -waveRunner behind her. she
had been told

o AUTHOR',S PURPOSE that forced evacuarions would begin soon, and that the operation would
What information do shift toward law enforcemenr. She was leaving the next d"y. O
you get about Alladio? In his exhaustion, Petrie had not been able to remembei any t.lephon.

o AUTHOR',S PURPOSE numbers, but, as we drove along, cell-phone numbers for his son Biuce and

Over what span of time zao his daughter came back to him. I handed him my phone, and a minute
did the events in this later I heard him say, "Theyte in Memphis!"
account take place? \il/hen he hung up, he said that his wife and daughter were staying in

Memphis at a cousin's house. Lionel had already found some remporary

factory work. Bruce was staying with his wife's family, in Kentucky. villa
Mae Butler, Petriet aunt, was alive and in Texas. Bruce *", going io look
on the Internet for a flight for his father from Baton Rouge to Memphis.

A little while later, as we drove into the night, petrie r"id r"fl..ti r"ly,

"I don'r know if I want to go back to New oileans-seeing it how it was,
I don't think I do." He doubted, from what he had seen, rhar much of
zao it could ever be rebuilt. "The first thing I picture now is.the water I saw
when I was coming out," he said.

A few minutes afterward, Bruce called back to say that the next available
flight was in three days' time. Alladio suggested that we try the Greyhound
station instead. It was aheady late when we arrived at the scruffy little
bus station in Baton Rouge, full of refugees from New orleans. I joined a

ilot 1h8adlinbearoeflypemopolveewd.aiAtinmgafnorainnfdoramwaotimonananwderteickaertgsu. inHga,lfaannd hour lateq
when the
stationmaster called
for passengers for Houston, I heard ,f,. -r., tell her, ,,I
doni care what you say-I'm getting on that bus." After
he left, the woman

zso leaned against a pillar.and^wiped hereyes. A tall man with a stack of religious

tracts was reciting Psalms from memory, anda woman made subdued so-unds
of agreemenr or said, "Thats right," in a rhythmic cadence. Tho policemen

patrolled the station; there were a number of young men who looked streer-
wise and seemed to be loitering among the waiting passengers.

- Around midnight, Bruce called again. He haJresolrr.J to drive down

from Kentucky to get his father. He would reave shortly with his wife,
Donna. Lionel Petrie would wait for them in the Greyhound station. Bruce
thought that if he and Donna took turns driving they could make the trip

in twelve hours. They were there by noon the next day. g

426 uNrr l: sETTTNG AND MooD

Comprehension i COMMONCORE

t.) Recall How much of San Francisco does Jack London say was destroyed by Rl 1 Cite textual evidence to
the earthquake and the fire that came afterward? support inferences drawn from
the text. Rl 6 Determine an
2: Clarify What span of time does London's account cover? author's purpose in a text.

3. Clarify Why is Lionel Petrie reluctant to leave his home?

Tex! Analysis

O+. Analyze Author's Purpose For one selection, state the author's specific

purpose, and identify three aspects of the selection that help to achieve it.

5. Evaluate Objectivity An objective report is one that is fair, neutral, and
evenhanded. Do you think that Jack London's account is objective? Cite
evidence from the text to support your opinion.

6. Make Judgments The authorities forced thousands of people to leave behind
their pets during the evacuation of New Orleans. Was it right to ask people to
abandon their pets? Why or why not?

Evaluate Accounts Think about the two articles you have just read. Which
account do you think is more powerful? Explain your opinion.

Comparing Accounts

! g. Set a Purpose for Reading Now that you've read both articles, finish filling in

your chart. Then add the final question, and answer it, too.

"The Storu of an "Letter {rom Nes,^t
0 r I uts' Leav ia g D csir d'
E4ewitnesil

Wt',at is the wiltels To show how widespreal
the devastatlon is.
speclfi'c purpose?

How uuch of the dlsaster
area does the writer coter?

Wnict, events aM people
does the wrlter focus on?

Which aetals and iuages
have a big rupa.ct on qou?

How does the author
arhieve his purpose?

What is the role of a WITNESS?

Based on the accounts you just read, what do you think an eyewitness to a
disaster should pay attention to and report on?

THE sroRy oF AN EyE\rlrNr,ss / LETTER FRoM NE\iT oRLEANS 427

Vocabulary in Context i coM,toNcoRE

A vocasuIARY PRAcncE L 4b Use common,grade-

Answer each question to show your understanding of the vocabulary words. appropriate Latin affixes as clues
to the meaning of a word.
t. Would a lavishly decorated home be simple or elegant?
2. ls a menace something to avoid or to look forward to? L 6 Acquire and use accurately
3. lf you disconcert people, do you confuse them or calm them?
4. lf you compel people to do something, are you forcing them academic words; gather
vocabulary knowledge when
or inviting them? considering a word important to
5. Would a person who watches vigilantly be alert or distracted? comprehension and expression.
6. Which sound would be heard intermittently-thunder or a steady siren?
o
ACADEMIC VOCABUTARY IN WRITING
THINK
. circumstance . emerge . predominant . rely . technology
central
lmagine you volunteered to help in New Orleans after the hurricane. Using at Go to thinkcentral.com.
least two Academic Vocabulary words, describe the circumstances you might
have encou ntered there. KEYWORD: HML8-428

VOCABULARY STRATEGY: THE PREFlx iNtET-
A prefix is a word part attached to the beginning of a base word or root
word. When a prefix is added, a new word is formed. The vocabulary word
intermittently contains the prefix inter-, which means "between," added to the
Latin word meaning "to let go." lf you know the meaning of a prefix, it can help
you figu re out the mea ning of a n unfa mi I ia r word, especia lly if you consider the
word's context.

PRACTICE The boldfaced words allcontain the prefix inter-. Useyour knowledge
of this prefix and the base word to write a definition for each word. Remember
to use context clues or a dictionary if you need help.

l. The twins looked so similar, they could be interchanged and no one

would know.
2. The puzzle pieces interlock so that they won't come apart.
3. An international commission was established to study world hunger.

4. I have to pass the intermediate course before I can move on to the

advanced level.
5. We took the interstate highway on our drive from New York to Ohio.

428 uNrr 3: sETTTNG AND MooD

Writing for Assessment i coMMoNcoRE Rt 6,W 9b,Wt0

The two articles you've just read cover similar subjects in different ways. ln writing
assessments, you might be asked to compare such texts.

i "Th. Story of an Eyewitness" and "Letter I staarcotEs tN Acrtou
:, from New Odeans: Leaving Desire" are both
i eyewitness accounts of natural disasters, but l. ) need to ideatiftl thespecific purpose

they are written to achieve different goals. State of ear,h artrcle.

, the specific purpose of each account. Then, 2. ) need to state the di$fereaces rn each
a.ut ho r's d is aster covera.ge,

?. ) need to support uq stateneft
with exauples ofthe authors' coverage

of people, places, and events,

To identify each author's specific purpose, referto the lntroductron
instruction on page 4rr. To recall the ways each covers the
disaster, review the chart you completed. ln a thesis statement, Frrst artic/e's
identify three differences in their disaster coverage. Then think
about howyou will set up the body ofyour response. cover4.ge

. Option A: ln one paragraph, describe the scope of the first Second ar-tic/e,s
cwera.ge
article's coverage of people, places, and events. ln the next
paragraph, describe the other article's coverage. Conc/usbn

. Option B: ln one paragraph, contrast the way each article covers

people. ln the next paragraph, contrastthe way each covers

places. ln the third, contrast the number of events covered.

Once you have decided on your approach, create an outline to organize your details.

!ntroduction Provide the titles and authors of both articles, a brief description of
what each article is about, a statement of each author's specific purpose, and your
thesis statement.
Body With your outline as a guide, discuss the differences in each writers'coverage of

people, places, and events.
Conclusion Restate your thesis statement, and leave your reader with a final thought
about the role that purpose plays in each ofthese articles.
Revision Double-check to make sure your thesis statement clearly presents the ideas
you develop in your body paragraphs.

THE sroRy oF AN EyEwrrNEss / LETTER FRoM NEw oRLEANS 429

Mi Madre

Poem by Pat Mora

Canyon de Chelly

Poem by Simon J. Ortiz

'Wfuffi%
6ffi#%m*ffimmre %fo*

EARTH ffi**w€dwff

i COMMONCORE It's not hard to appreciate nature when you're taking a walk on a
sunny day or swimming at a scenic beach. But the earth gives us
R[ 4 Analyze the impact many gifts that we may not always recognize. The gas that warms
our homes, the concrete we use to pave our sidewalks, even the
of specific word choices on paper we write on-these things are all precious resources provided
meaning. RL6 Analyzehow to us by the earth. The poets whose works you're about to read
differences in points ofview share their appreciation for the earth's gifts through words.
create effects.

LIST lT The earth's resources can be used in dirt trees
multiple ways. ln a small group, choose one of water
the resources shown, and brainstorm at least P/A4ts wirtd
rocks
five ways we can use it. Did you discover sun/ight

any new uses for these resources? Share

your list with the class.

tffi: !;

o TEXT ANATYSIS: IMAGERY Pat Mora

The use of description that makes something seem real or easy born r94z
to imagine is called imagery. Poets create imagery by using
words and phrases that appeal to our senses of sight, hearing, Literacy Advocate
smell, taste, and touch. Paying attention to imagery can enable The granddaughter of Mexican immigrants,
you to "experience" a poem as if you were there. For example, Pat Mora realized early in her writing career
look at the following lines from "Mi Madre": that her cultural heritage was "a source of
pride." Her books celebrate family,
I say tease me. the desert in which she grew up,
She sprinkles raindrops in my face on a sunny day. and the Mexican-American
experience. Her children's
The image "sprinkles raindrops" appeals to the sense of touch, books freq uently featu re
while "sunny day" appeals to the sense of sight. lf you combine Latino characters, because
these images in your mind, you can almost share in this scene. she believes that children
As you read "Mi Madre" and "Canyon de Chelly," use a word ofall backgrounds
web to keep track of these and other examples of imagery. should see themselves
reflected in the books
they read.

lrnnq aori)

':*, Q sight . Simon J. Ortiz

'uinoa,;)--a!",D born r94t

(/'\ touch Native New Mexican

:_s/u\_e.l/l ) >SrinH* roina)/ Raised on New Mexico's Acoma Pueblo,

---_ ,, ut| {ace" Simon Ortiz is regarded as one of

today's greatest Native-Americ3fl _;

writers. His work frequently
offocuses on having a sense
/
place. "You have to have it," &
! READING SKITL: UNDERSTAND SPEAKER Ortiz says."Otherwiseyou Y
"
ln poetry, the speaker is the voice that "talks" to the reader and are drifting." Ortiz hopes
relates the ideas presented in the poem from a specific point 1
of view. It is important to understand that the speaker is not that all people can learn from 1
the same as the poet. For example, a poet may choose to write
about a subject from the perspective of a child. ln that case, the his poetry. "l tell you about *L,F
ideas that are expressed are those of the child, not necessarily
the poet. As you read "Mi Madre" and "Canyon de Chelly," look heme and my world," f
for clues that will help you decide who each speaker is and how be isays,"soyou may

he or she feels about the subject of the poem' able to see yourself."

BACKGROUND TO THE POEMS

Arizona's Canyon de Chelly (pronounced sha)

is home to a Navajo tribal community that
has preserved this sacred land for centuries.
The canyon, now a national park, is known for
its stunning landscapes, tribal artifacts, and
rock paintings.

#'*b,

(;p Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

431

M#fuffie'Pa,M.ra

I say feed me. s"$llii,',
She serves red prickly pear on a spiked cactus.
Compare this painting
I say tease me. with your own mental
She sprinkles raindrops in my face on a sunny day. image of the desert.
Are the images similar
I say frighten me. or different?
She shouts thunder, flashes lightning. @
@ IMAGERY
I say comfort me. Reread lines t-6. To what
She invites me to lay on her firm body.
senses do these images
I say heal me. appeal? Recordyour
answers in your word
10 She gives me mdnznnilla, ordgano, dormildn.2 web.

I say caress me. o IMAGERY
Reread lines tr-rz. What
She strokes my skin with her warm breath. 6 feelings does this image
suggest?
I say make me beautiful.
She offers turquoise for my fingers, a pink blossom for my hair. @ B SPEAKER

15 I say sing to me. What type of person is
She chants lonely women's songs of femaleness. the speaker? How do
you know?
I say teach me.
She endures: glaring heat

numbing cold
frightening dryness.

She: the desert
She: strong mother.

1. Mi Madre (me md'dr6) Spanish: my mother. Prickly Pear, Isabel Bronson Cartwright.
2. manzanillo,origano,dormil6n(mEn'za-ne'ya,e-rEg'e-no',d6r-me-l6n')5panishtsweet- Oil on canvas. Private collection.
@ Peter Harholt/SuperStock.
smelling herbs that can be used to make home medicines.

432 uNrr 3: SETTING AND MOOD

,!.

;

Cffiryffi*BW

Simon J. Ortiz

Lie on your back on stone, 'so$lli3,"

the stone carved-to fit ls this a photograph or
a painting? Tellwhat
the shape of yourself. led you to your ariswer,
and why others might
\7ho made it like this, conclude differently.
knowing that I would be along
in a million years and look o SPEAKER
What do you know
at the sky being blue forever? about the speaker of
this poem?
My son is near me. He sits
and turns on his butt
10 and crawls over to stones,
picks one up and holds it,
and then puts it into his mouth.
The taste of stone.
\What is it but stone,
r5 the earth in your mouth.
You, son, are tasting forever. @

434 uNrr 3: sETTTNG AND MooD @ George H. H. Huey/Corbis.





\X/e walk ro rhe edge of cliff o TMAGERY

and look down into the canyon. Reread lines z7-zg.
On this side, we cannot see Add the images in these
lines to your web. What
z0 the bottom cliff edge but looking emotions do these
further our, we see fields, images suggest?

sand furrows, cottonwoods. o SPEAKER

! wiltgr, they are softly gray. Reread lines 4r-46. Why
doyou think the speaker
The cliffs'shadows are diltant, brings his son to the
z: hundreds of feet below;
ca nyon ?
we cannot see our own shadows.
The wind moves softly into us.
My son laughs with the wind;
he gasps and laughs. @

3o Ve find gray root, old wood,

so old, with curious twists

ji*nipit,.rc,urpviifniognb, aocrksionmroetchuirnvges,

with hard, red berries ir, ,p.Ing.

a: You braisttree tththeemb, earnridesthaedye"lirc.a,ciy"..,
and

for bluejays. The plant rooted.

fragilely into a ,andy pla.e

by a canyon wall, the sun bathing

<o shiny, pointed leaves.

My son touches the root carefully,

aware of its ancient quality.

He lays his soft, ,-ril firrg.rs on it

and looks at me for infoniation.

<s I tell him: wood, an old roor,

and around it, the earth, ourselves. @

435 uNrr 3: sETTTNG AND MooD

\& --_-

Comprehension i COMMONCORE

1. Recall ln "Mi Madre," how does the desert heal the speaker? RL 4 Analyze the impact of specific

2. Recall ln "Canyon de Chelly," what two things does the speaker's son taste? word choices on meaning.

3. Represent Reread lines r3-r4 from "Mi Madre" and lines q-zzfrom "Canyon 6RL Analyze how differences in
de Chelly." Choose one of these groups of lines and sketch the image created
in your mind. points ofview create effects.

Text Analysis

4. lnterpret Poem In "Mi Madre," the speaker refers to the desert as a "strong

mother." How is the desert in the poem like a mother?

ts. Make lnferences Reread the first three lines of "Canyon de Chelly." To whom

do you think the speaker is talking? Why do you think so?

le. Compare and Contrast Speakers Using .Mi t*trt \ /Uapa de Chclfi'
a Y-chart like the one shown, fill in the

top part with what you know about each

speaker's relationship to the earth. lnclude the

gifts he or she receives from it and how he or she

feels about it. How are these relationships similar?

Then cross out the similarities and write them in the

bottom part.

tD 7. evaluate lmagery Both "MiMadre" and "Canyon de Chelly" are about real

places the poets have visited. Review the imagery webs you created. Which
poem's imagery best helped you to picture the subject of the poem?

Extension and Challenge

8. Creative Project: Poetry Think of a place in the outdoors that you enjoy. Jot
down notes about how the place looks, smells, feels, sounds, or tastes. Then
write a poem about the place. Be sure to include imagery that appeals to at
least three of the five senses.

Q9. socral STUDIE5 coNtlEcrtoN The Navajo, or Din6, make up the
X largest Native American nation in the United States. Research their

history and traditions, including their preservation of Canyon de Chelly as a
national landmark. Share your findings with a group.

l{Ihat gifts does the EARTH provide?

Now that you have read the poems, what other gifts might you add
to your list?

MI MADRE / CANYON DE CHELLY 437

Com pa rison-Contrast Essay

ln Unit 3 and in your own life, you have encountered people and situations that can
be compared. ldentifying similarities and differences between two subjects can
help you understand both of them more clearly. ln this workshop,you will write a
comparison-contrast essay that examines how two subjects are alike and different.

,rF'b

t;B Complete the workshop activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

|/,/R'IING TASK l. oevetoPMENT oF tDEAs
. clearly introduces the subjects
Write a comparison-contrast essay in which you describe the
similarities and differences between two subjects, such as being compared and contrasted
fictional characters, real people, places, or events.
. includes a controlling idea
ldea Starters
that identifies similarities and
. two literary characters who confront similar conflicts differences
. two friends, siblings, or other relatives
. family rituals from two cultures . develops each point with
. thefirst and last days ofschool
. your neighborhood and a friend's releva nt, wel l-chosen facts,
details, quotations, a nd
THE ES'E,nIT'ALS
Here are some common purposes, audiences, and formats for examples
com pa rison-contrast writing.
. has a concluding section that
to understand classmates essay for class
two subjects and teacher friendly letter or follows from and supports the
better friends e-mail ideas presented
community review in a
to inform members newsletter or 2. onoautzAftoN oF tDEAI
others about Web users newspaper . organizes similarities and
two subjects customers
blog differences in a logicalway
to decide
between two product review . uses transitions to link ideas and
choices Web site
create cohesion

3. tancuacE FActLtrY AND

CONVENf IANS

. maintains a formal style
. uses precise language and

domain-specific vocabulary

. uses parallel sentence structures
. employs correct grammar, usage,

spelling, and punctuation

Go to thinkcentral.com.

KEYWORD: HMLSN-438

438 uNrr j: sETTrNc AND MooD

W 2a-f Write informative/explanatorytexts to examine and

1i .C. OCMOMROEN convey ideas, concepts, and information. W 5 Develop and
strengthen writing as needed by planning.
Planning/Prewriting

CHOOSE YOUR SUB'EC|S ) wxar DoEs rr rooK LrKE?

You will find it easiest to compare and contrast . MV cortsrtil's town ald mine
two people, places, events, or characters that you . ml two dogs
have an interest in or know well. Use the ldea . two Man'fi charatters, Jobq frou"The Druuuer
Starters on page 438 to help you list possible
subjects for your essay. Make sure that you hoq of Shiloti' a.nd San frorn"Ha"llucinatron"
can identify both similarities and differences
between each pair of subjects. rea/lq dilferent lues and srtuatrons

-- soMe o{ the sarnte trats

IHINK ABOUI AUD'ENCE AND PURPOSE > ASK YOURSETFS

After you choose your subjects, consider your . Who is my audience and what subjects will they
purpose and audience. These two considerations
will affect every decision you make, from how find interesting?
much background information to include to
which similarities and differences to explore. . What background information will my audience

need to understand my points?

. Will I need to define any domain-specific, or

specialized, vocabulary so that my readers can
follow my writing?

NOTE S'MILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES . Cui/War in. lues on Enera)ttt

Use a graphic organizer, such as a Venn diagram, druuner botl P/atet
to record similarities and differences between distattt future
your subjects. lf you have trouble thinking . about to faru
of interesting, important similarities and {lrst battle . needs to solve
differences, try a new approach by choosing two
new subjects. . scared about ur1sterLl

STATE YOUR CONrROLL'NO IDEA ) wnar DoEs rr tooK UKE?

Review the similarities and differences that Subjuts' Jobr1 frorn"The Druumer borl of ShiloLi'
you have identified. What do they help you and Sau from " H al / ucinat ion"
understand about your subjects? What
new insight have you gained? Express this Main idea' Theq both far.e cha.llenges with courage.
understanding in a controlling idea, or thesis Coftrolliag idu.' A/though Joby and Sau,the ma"tn
statement. This sentence should identify your chararters ofthese storres, ltve on dtfferent planets
two subjects and your main idea. during dtfferent centuries, both successfu/lt1 faru

t r euend o us ch al I enges.

livRrrrNc,iroRKSHoP 439

Pla n nin glPrewriting conti n ued

COLLECT EVIDENCE l@or similartttq, both boqs face chdlenges braveltl.
Support, After ta/kng to the general, Jobq feels
To help your audience understand your subjects braver, He wats to march ifto battle calu/q. He
more clearly, you need to illustrate their
differences and similarities with relevant, well- turns his drum ba.ck up.
chosen evidence that strongly supports your
ideas. Evidence can be details, examples, facts, Support, Sau uses hls iftellt'gence to solve the
and quotations. For example, explaining how u,4sterq of the ha.llucinatrons. He keeps ax open
Joby took the general's words to heart shows arnd to help hin understand the insects.
how brave he was in the face of war.

ORGANIZE YOUR IDEAS COiiPARISON-COilTRAsT ESSAY

There are two methods for organizing a logical Subj?at btl Subjat
a nd coherent compa rison-contrast essay: SuQ'ect A

. Subject-by-subject organization-Presents l. Discussiort of fr'rst point
Z Discussion o{ second portt
all the points about one subject and then
all the points about the other subject. For Sublect b
example, you would discuss the appearance,
personality, and actions of one character. l, Discussron of fi'rst point
Then you would move on to describe those Z. Discussron of second potnt
same points for the second character.
?oint fiPoift
. Point-by-point organization-Discusses
?oirt l, Discussion of Subl'ect A
one point at a time, as it applies to both Discussr'ofl of Subl'ect b
subjects. For example, you would compare
the appearances of both characters, then their ?oint Z' Discussion of Sublect A
personalities, and finally their actions. This
pattern allows you to examine differences Discussion of Subject b
and similarities as you go along.
Try both patterns of organization to see which
works better for the content ofyour essay.

@M, Share with a classmate a key point and the evidence you will use to support it.
Ask: What additional support might I need to back up my point?

YOUR ln your Reader/Writer Notebook, identifyyour subjects. Then complete a Venn

@ diagram similar to the one on page 43g,identifying key similarities and differences
between your two subjects. Write a controlling idea and collect the evidence that
TURl{ most strongly supports your ideas.Then choose an organizational pattern.

440 UNIT 3; SETTING AND MOOD

j comaloH W4 Produce clear and coherent writingappropriate
:. CORE
to task, purpose, and audience. W 9a (Rt 1) Cite textual
Drafting evidence that most strongly supports an analysis.
L 3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions
when writing.

The following chart shows how to organizeyour draft effectively.

INTRODUCf ION

. Capture your audience's attention with a lively "hook," such as an interesting quotation.
' State your main idea in a controlling idea that highlights the points of comparison

and contrast.

V

BODV

' Organize your similarities and differences in subject-by-subject or point-by-point order.
' Use appropriate and varied transitions, such as in addition to, also, however, and unlike,to clarify

similarities and differences between subjects and create cohesion.

. Establish and maintain a forma! style by avoiding casual language and contractions.
. Support key points with well-chosen examples, facts, or quotations.

V

CONCLUDING SECTION

. Summarize the similarities and differences you discussed.
. Explain why the subjects are important to you.

One way to make sure that your audience can clearly follow your key points is to use parallel
structure. Parallel structure is the use of more than one word, phrase, or sentence with the
same Srammatical form. Read the examples in the chart. Not only are sentences that use
parallel structure clearer to understand, but they also flow more smoothly.

sk€ixe# $fvcctrfsr* *Fsr€sf $*f $*rcrs*c.6 fl

Sau ls confident a"nd has Sau is confldent and deterurned
deterwnation.

There's not uuch he can do except ii; Therds not uuch he can do except
worrq and wa-it for morning to coue
worrq and wa.ft for uorning to coue
and the beqinning ofthe battle. and battle to beqin.

YOUR Develop a first draft of your essay, following the plan outlined in the
chart above. As you write, use your knowledge of parallel stucture to link
ffi related ideas so that you make them easier to understand.

TURN

NrRrrrNG woRKsHoP 441

Revising

The revising stage allows you to make changes to your draft that will improve its
content and organization. Your goal is to determine if you have shown your audience
how your two subjects are alike and different, and why they are important to you. This
chart can help you revise or rewrite your draft.

1. Does the introduction grab quotations, or details Add a surprising or interesting detail
the audience's attention? that would interest the to the beginning of the introduction.
audience. Rearrange sentences to place the most
attention-grabbing sentence first.
a )2. Does the introduction have Underline the controlling
idea. Ask a peer to read it Add a controlling idea, or rewrite
clear controlling idea? and summarize the main the existing controlling idea to more
idea ofyour essay. precisely describe the main idea of your

3. Does the essay discuss several Write an 5 over ways in essay.
similarities or differences? Do which the subjects are
they support the controlling similar; write a D over their Eliminate similarities or differences that
differences. do not support the controlling idea.
idea? Add others that do.

4. ls each key point supported Circle evidence that Add evidence as needed to strongly
with relevant, well-chosen supports each simila rity support each similarity or difference.
evidence? or difference.
lf necessary, try a new approach to
5. Does the essay have a logical ln the margin,labelthe
and coherent organization? orga nization as subject-by- achieve a more logical organizational
su bject or point-by-poi nt. pattern.
Write I above each point
about the first subject and Revise your concluding section to clarify
2 above each point about the importance of your subjects.
the second subject.

show why the subjects are Put a check mark next to
important to the writer? the sentences that explain
the su bjects' sign ifica nce.

YOUN I'IfT,{,tilW, Exchange essays with a classmate. Provide a brief comment

@ sheet, referring to revision strategies from the chart that might help improve
the essay. Point out parts that may need to be revisited or reworked.
TURN

uNrT 3: SETTING AND MOOD

ANATYZE A STUDENT DRAFT W 5 Develop and strengthen writing as

Read this student's draft and the comments about it. Use it as a i COMMON needed by revising, editing, rewriting, or
:.. CORE trying a new approach, focusing on how
model for revising your own comparison-contrast essay.
well purpose and audience have been

addressed-

Different'Worlds, Similar Challenges Tyler! first sentence
simply states the titles
by Tyler Kurcewski, ti7est Fairview Intermediate School and authors ofthe
stories he will compare'
o I am comparing the main characters of the short stories "The Dru*-..]-
x#nl:Jtroduction
,r"".;;;J ---l-Boy of Shiloh" by Ray Bradbury and "Hallucination' by
Although these characters, Joby and Sam, live on different planets during -l he needs to add an
attentimn grahh*r"
o different centuries, they both successfully face rremendous challenges. --[ \
Tyler ends his
The situations that these characters encounter are quite different, at
introduction with a
least on the outside. Joby is a drummer boy in rhe army during the Civil strong controlling idea'
war. His unit is camped on rhe field near where the battle will take place

the next day. As a drummer boy, he could be hurt or even killed in the

battle. In contrast, Sam, the main character of "Hallucination," is on a

futuristic planet somewhere in the universe. He has been sent there by the

Central Computer. His own life is not in danger, but he must solve the

mystery of the hallucinations if the project is to succeed.

o first.The way they handle their problems is also very different at I

th.Joby seems weak and frightened. Hes afraid to die and lies .ryir,g i., II For his essay,Tyler has

dark. Theret not much he can do except worry and wait for morning to L_ chosen a point-by-point

come and battle to begin. Unlike Joby, Sam is confident and determined. I organization.

He ignores the assignment he's been sent to work on and investigates the

hallucinations on his own.

@reIEEf Llse AttentEsm Crabbers to Add lnter*st Tyler's first sentence states

his purpose, but it does not necessarily make the audience want to read further.
To interest his readers, Tyler needs to add an attention grabber, such as a telling
quotation, a thought-provoking question, or a universal statement. Notice how
Tyler rewrote his introduction below.

TYLER'5 REVISTON TO PARAGRAPH O
Nobodq ever said li{e was east1. )n fact, lt's reallq about provnq that

qou ca-t1 face cha.llenges.

^@emaincharactersoftheshortstories..ThedDemrounsmtramte ethris point

Boy of Shiloh" by Ray Bradbury and "Hallucination' by Isaac Asimovn

lrRrrrNc !(/oRKSHoP 443

ANATYZE A STUDENT DRAFT CONtiNUEd

o By the end of the stories, though, both Joby and Sam face their To show the audience
Joby's change of heart,
challenges with courage. The general stops to talk to Joby, telling him that Tyler includes well-

1he is "the heart of the army." This encouragement changes Joby's attitude.
Turning his drum to face the slcy shows that he is no longer afraid of the chosen examples and a

sound of falling peach blossoms that earlier reminded him of bullets. He __l quotation from the story.

knows he will march calmly and bravely into battle. Sam, too, thinks about

stuff. He uses his brains to communicate with the planet's insectlike things 1 Tyler's explanation
of Sam's conflict is
and realizes that "previous attempts at communication had failed because somewhat vague. He
the people . . . had been frightened." He does well in the end. needs to use more
prerise language to
O The two characters in "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh" and convey his meaning.

"Hallucination" live in different times and places. They have different

personalities and appear to be dealing with different problems. However,

they are very much alike in the ways that count. Both Joby and Sam learn to
face the challenges in their lives. Their courage inspires us. It teaches us to

face our own challenges, whatever it is.

Ifry,fiEEilf Use Freeise Languagc Although Tyler is veryfamiliar with his

subject, his audience may not be. For example, the audience may wonder what

"stuff" Sam is thinking about. To help them understand exactly what he means,

Tyler must replace some of his vague words with more precise terms and phrases.

ln his revision, he also replaces weak verbs with more powerful ones.

TYLER,S REVISION TO PARAGRAPH O

con{ronts hls probleu. g aluost superhuuan intelligence

Sam.' too.Attrin*sa$ocur+esua*tful/Hree suses his bminJto communicate with
A

the planet's insect-like'tH+r*/and realizes that "previous attempts at

communication had failed because the people . . . had been frightened."

discwers the mr4stert4 behrnd the halluctnations, helps to cure the Comuander,
Heffi
a-nd savesthe power station.

A

YOUR Use feedback from your peers and your teacher as well as the two "Learn
How" lessons to revise or rewrite your essay. Evaluate whether your work
@ achieves the purpose of a comparison-contrast essay and maintains a
formal style for its audience.
TURI{

444 UNIT ]: SETTING AND MOOD

Editing and Publishing COMMON W 2d Use precise language. W5 Develop
CORE
and strengthen writing as needed by revising,
When you edit, you look over your essay to make sure there are
no mistakes, such as grammar or usage errors. Also, be sure to editing, and rewriting. Ll Demonstrate
check your spelling after doing a word-processing spell-check.
Though a spell-checker is useful, it can miss spelling errors that command of standard English grammar and

result in real words, such as misspelling from asform. These types usage when writing. L 2c Spell correctly.
of errors diminish the quality of your work.

An antecedent is the noun or pronoun to which a pronoun refers. For
instance, in the following sentence, the pronoun their refersto the antecedent
they: They watked their dog oround the neighborhood. Pair singular pronouns
with singular antecedents. Pair plural pronouns with plural antecedents.

As Tyler proofread his essay, he realized that his pronouns did not always
agree with their antecedents in number. His revisions in blue show how he
fixed the problem.

ourTheir couraqe rnspires us. )t tearhes us to fare a

own challenges,whateve1@ theq are l

I

[Courageistheantecedentofit. Botharesingularandagreeinnumber. However, ,

theantecedentchallenges(plural)doesnotagreewithit(singular).Tylerfixed

are.lthis error by replacing lt ls with they

fl

PUBLISH YOUR WRITING

Share your comparison-contrast essay with an audience.

. Create a photo essay, inserting photographs or other illustrations into

your text. Display your essay on a bulletin board.

. Develop your essay into an article for an appropriate school or

community publication.

. Create a discussion blog, or Web log, on which you discuss the similarities and

differences you highlighted in your essay. lnvite other classmates to participate
in the discussion.

YOUR Correct any errors in your essay by carefully proofreading it. ldentify and
fix any capitalization, punctuation, and spelling errors. Make sure that
@
your pronouns have clear antecedents and agree with them in number.
TURN Then publish your final essay where your audience is likely to see it.

rorRrrrNc woRKsHOP 445

Scoring Rubric

Use the rubric below to evaluate your comparison-contrast essay from the Writing
Workshop or your response to the on-demand task on the next page.

Development Clearly introduces the subjects being compared and contrasted; states
an effective controlling idea; strongly supports similarities and differences with
relevant, well-chosen evidence; ends strongly and insightfully
Organization Arranges ideas in a clear, logical order; effectively uses appropriate and
varied transitions to link ideas and create cohesion
Language Consistently maintains a formal style; effectively uses precise language;
shows a strong command of conventions

Development Competently introduces the subjects being compared and contrasted;
states a clear controlling idea; supports most similarlties and differences with relevant,
well-chosen evidence; ends strongly
a Organization Arranges ideas logically; uses appropriate transitions to link ideas
a Language Maintains a formal style; uses precise language; has a few errors in
conventions

Development Sufficiently introduces the subjects being compared and contrasted;
states a controlling idea;could choose better evidence to support similarities and
differences; has a satisfactory concluding section
a Organization Arranges ideas fairly logically; could vary transitions more
a Language Mostly maintains a formal style; needs more precise language at times;
includes a few distracting errors in conventions

Development States a controlling idea but lacks a clear introduction; lacks enough
relevant, well-chosen evidence; has an adequate concluding section
Organization Has some organizational flaws; needs more transitions to link ideas
Language Frequently lapses into an informal style; uses some vague language; has
some critical errors in conventions

Development Has a weak introduction and controlling idea; lacks relevant, well-
chosen evidence; has a weak concluding section
Organization Has orga n izationa I flaws; lacks tra nsitions th roughout
a Language Uses informal style and vague language; has many errors in conventions

Development Has no introduction, controlling idea, and evidence; ends abruptly
Organization Has no organization or transitions
Language Uses an inappropriate style and vague words; has major problems with
conventions

446 uNrr J: sETTTNG AND MooD

Preparing for Timed Writing W10 Writeroutinely
over shoder time frames
for a range oftasks,

purposes, and audiences.

Read the task carefully. Then read it again, underlining words that tell the
topic, the audience, and the purpose.

WRITIIUG TASK g.---?u,u,"nrpn.oose _ rToprc i

'Write a review for your school newspaper that compares and conffasts r*o -Xi.i*s, bands, ,i
*hi@ ffiartists, movies, books, or other subjects in

Audtence

Onceyou have chosen your subjects, ,l i
ask yourself: What do I want to show
i both'
by comparing and contrasting these
subjects? Then identify the similarities

and differences that will help you
make your point. List all that you can
think of, and then select the two or
three that are most important.

As you draft your essay, keep these guidelines in mind:

. Write a controlling idea that establishes which subjects you are comparing or

contrasting and why.

. Decide on an organizational pattern (either subject-by-subject or point-by-point)

and use it consistently throughout your essay.

. ln the concluding section, restate your major points and clearly explain why these

subjects are important to you.

Revising Co back over key aspects of the essay. ls your introduction engaging? Do
you offer significant similarities and differences backed up by relevant examples? Do
you tell why these subjects are meaningful to you?
Proofreading Correct errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
Make sure your edits are neat and the essay is legible.
Checking Your Final Copy Before you turn in your essay, read it one more time to
catch any errors you may have missed and to apply any finishing touches.

I$(/RITING IiTORKSHOP 447

,l',,'l,rll,,ii tll,l::ir l'ilillllJlll | '.iirtil:tl.

Creating a Story Discussion Blog

Discussing or writing about elements of short stories can help you appreciate them
more fully. A blog, or Web log, enables you to share your ideas with a broader
audience and benefit from others'insights into various literary texts.

W Complete the workshop activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

TASK A SIRONG CLASS BLOG . . .

Create a blog in which you and your . presents content that encourages discussion
classmates share ideas about characters, . maintains a respectful tone
themes, and other elements of literary . uses a structure that allows for easy navigation
texts that you have read. With a team, . integrates multimedia and visualdisplays
plan and build your blog. Then add . has coherent posts that pose questions, offer
posts, or messages, to spark discussion
among your online community. responses, and connect ideas

i COMMONCORE Plan and Produce the Blog

W6 Usetechnologyto The following guidelines can help you create your blog:

produce and publish writing. . Decide on your topics. Think about stories you've read recently that were
SLla-d Engage in collaborative
group discussions. SL4 Present interesting, challenging, or meaningful. Collaborate with your team to decide
claims and findings in a focused, which stories to discuss in your blog. Provide enough choices to encourage your
coherent manner. 515 Integrate readers to participate, but not too many to keep track of.
multimedia and visual displays
into presentations. . Determine your discussion threads. Create a separate discussion thread-chain

of related posts-for each story. Use labels to indicate what readers should

expect.

. Map out your home page. Decide how your home page should look and what

information it should include. Create a sketch of your home page, visually
representing how users will link to each thread.

. Define roles. Plan an agenda with the work divided equally. One person might

research Web sites that can host your blog. Another might create a logo for the
home page. Make sure any images you plan to include are not copyrighted. ln
addition, each person should be responsible for writing the first post within one
thread. Track your progress by setting specific deadlines.

. Build the blog. With the assistance of your schooltechnology coordinator,

produce and publish your blog using the Web site you chose.

448 UNIT 3: SETTING AND MOOD

Participate in an Online Discussion

Discussing stories in a blog is different from writing an essay about them' Here
are some tips for participating in a meaningful online discussion:

. Clearly state your main idea. At the beginning of each post, present your

most salient, or important, point. Then support it with relevant evidence,
sound reasoning, and well-chosen details. lf appropriate, you may want to add

multimedia or visuals to strengthen your claims and

findings. End by posing a question to encourage

others to share their opinions, interpretations, or W TEAVE A ME''AGE

ideas. ,irrr4jr:rt: Courage in "The Drummel Boy of Shiloh" :
and "Hallucination"
. Make it easy to read. Use text features, such as i(.tr
Date: ttl24
bullets or numbered lists, in your post. Boldface 3*if ,r, ll said ... ry{
key points. This will keep your ideas organized and
qsfl
make the Post easier to read. ,s

. Use a respectful tone. Your audience cannot see Reading "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh" and
"Hallucination" made me think about the different
you face-to-face and observe your reactions to their kinds of courage that people can show. Both Joby
ideas. That is why it is important to be courteous' and Sam are courageous but in different ways'
You don't have to agree with every idea proposed,
but you should show that you are open to other . Joby faces the upcoming battle calmly' He
perspectives. Use the points that others make as a
springboard for deeper analysis of the subject' might die, but he has accepted that' His job is
to encourage the other soldiers by his own
. Keep the discussion focused. Check the threads examPle as well as bY his drumming'

frequently and respond to new questions as soon . Sam is not in dangerof his life,but he hasto
as possible. Respond to others' questions with
stand up to authority figures and fight for what
he believes in. That takes a lot of courage because

he might be wrong or make people angry'

relevant evidence, observations, and ideas' lf a I can't decide if Joby is more courageous than Sam
post reveals an idea or point of view that you never
considered, acknowledge the new information in a or vice versa. Or, can courage really be measured?
comment. This will help keep the discussion going' Maybe all courage is equal. What do you think?

. lnvite other classmates into your blogosphere'

Send e-mails with your blog link to other

classmates. Try to generate excitement and

different Points of view.

Y()UR With your team, plan and produce a blog, using the guidelines on these
prg"i. once you have launched your blog,take turns posting messages
t€<:Ji
several times a week, After a few weeks, evaluate what you might add or
IU RH change to make your blog more user-friendly and current'

TECHNoLoGYwoRKSHoP 449

Assessment Practice

AS5E5S DIRECTIONS Read the two selections and the viewing and representing piece.
Taking this practice test Then answer the questions that follow.
will help you assess your
knowledge of these skills fro*Year of the Black Pony
and determine your bywattMorey
readiness for the Unit Test.
It seemed like I traveled a long time hunched down inside my coat. A kind
REVI EW
After you take the practice of numbness came over me and I just sat there. Then I began to think I should
test, your teacher can help
you identify any standards be getting near home. I tried to fight myself into alertness by shaking my head
you need to review.
and rubbing a mitten across my face. The house, the barn, should be coming
i COMMONCORE
out of this white wall at me any minute. At least I should hit a fence I could
RLI Citetextual evidenceto
support inferences drawn from follow or something familiar.
thetext. RL2 Determinea
theme or central idea of a text :2 The driving push of the storm kept clawing at me. I felt drowsy and dull.
and analyze its relationship to
the characters and setting. i I remembered that IU heard this was the first indication of freezing. That
')
RL 4 Detelmine the meaning of
frightened me into becoming more alert. I considered getting offand walking
words and phrases as they are
used in a text, including figurative to restore circulation. But if I did I wouldnt be able to get on again. Sometime
meanings; analyze the impact of
specific word choices on meaning. later I became aware that something had changed. I stopped Lucifer and tried

IRl Cite textual evidenceto to reason it out. Then I knew. The wind was no longer hitting me on the right

support inferences drawn from side. It was almost at my back. Had the wind shifted or were we heading in

thetext. Rl 5 Determine an another direction? Had I unconsciously turned Lucifer to get away from the

author's purpose in a text. wind, or had he done it? Had whatever happened just taken place or was it
L 1 Demonstrate command of
grammar and usage. L4b Use some minutes ago? I decided to retrace my tracks to see if I d turned.
common, grade-appropriate Latin 'S7ithin a couple of hundred feet the tracks were filled with blowing snow.
roots as clues to the meaning of
a word. I stopped and looked about completely awake now. In a few feet I could see

there was nothing familiar, nothing to give me a clue as to which direction I d

been heading or was headed now. I put the storm on my right side again. Then

I sat there. I'd been traveling with the storm almost at my back for some time.

So even if I was now headed in the right direction I was so far off course I

could miss the house as much as half a mile or even a mile. That could be fatal.

I was confused. In this freezing, savage storm I was utterly lost.

For a minute I almost panicked and whipped Lucifer up to drive him

straight into the storm and ride and ride. All I could think was that I was

going to freeze to death. I remember stories of people getting lost between the

house and barn and freezing to death. Then I got hold of myself. The only way

I d get out of this alive was to keep my head. I had probably the best horse in

the valley under me. Frank had said that if I got lost wandering around Lucifer

would bring me home. Cats and dogs and horses had that homing instinct.

But if I let Lucifer have his head could he find his way in this storm? And

would he go to our place or back to his old home at Fletcher's? It didnt matter,

I decided, just so he got someplace where there was shelter.

450 UNIT 3: SETTING AND MOOD

I tied the reins around his neck, then lay down flat along his back to get
all the warmth I could from his body, put my arms around his neck, and said,
"Itt up to you, Lucifer. Lett go. Thke us home, boy."

Lucifer turned partially into the wind and started off as if he knew exactly

where he was going.

I lost track of time. I began to wonder if I was beginning to freeze because
I didnt seem quite so cold, or was the heat from the pony's body getting
through to me. I was conscious of the constant rhythm of his walking, the cut
of the wind and the endless driving snow. Sometimes I lifted my head to try to
spot something familiar. I recognized nothing. I passed brush clumps almost
buried by drifting snow, crossed several shallow gullies, and once skirted a low
hill. They were all sffange. Finally I put my head down, shut my eyes, and gave
myself completely into my ponyt keeping. He plodded straight ahead never
faltering. How long we traveled that way I dont know. I began to wonder,
vaguely, if he, too, was wandering in a circle, lost. Then I was aware he'd
stopped. I raised my head and we were right in front of the barn.

.fi,* Never Get Lost on the Thail
by Joanrue Meszoly

Follow these simple steps to get back on track
if you lose your bearings on a trail outing.

Some people are blessed with an innate directional sense; blindfold them
and drop them off in the woods, and they ll find their way out in no time.
Others become disoriented in shopping malls.

Horses (and dogs, if onet along for the ride) usually have excellent senses
of direction, but turning all the directional decisions over to your horse
when you're lost is risky. The path he chooses toward home may not be easily
negotiated, and rough terrain may force him to head the wrong way; even
horses can get lost and discouraged. "Horses do have a homing instinct, but
home may not be where you parked your trailer, says Montana wilderness rider
Dan Aadland. "In snowstorms and in flatter parts of the country, horses have
saved lives by getting people home. But in the backcountry, your horse may
not get you to the trailhead."

The best strategy when lost on the trail is to turn around and head back the
way you came. "Your horse has done you one big favor," says Aadland. "He's
made some tracks getting you where you are. Unless it's a loop where

ASSESSMENT PRAcTICE 451

itt essential that you complete it, you can probably backtrack. "Tirrning

around on a trail may trigger your horsest mental compass, and he may help
you decide which path to choose at trail junctions.

Prevention: Not getting lost comes down to good planning and taking

some general safety measures. Before you set out, tell someone where you

are going-the trail name/color code (if so-marked) or the general direction
you plan to ride-as well as the estimated length of time you'll be away. This
routine practice could be a life-saver if youre injured while riding alone and
have to wait for help. Carrying a map, a compass, or a global positioning
system (GPS) receiver also greatly reduces your likelihood of becoming lost.
Practice map-reading skills and familiarize yourself with the navigational tools

before setting out.
"Many of the new GPS tools are not difficult to use," says California

competitive trail-riding judge Jamie Dieterich. "It's like a visual bread-crumb

trail, and you can follow your way back home. "However you keep track of

your position, look frequently behind you to take a "mental picture of the
terrain, especially at intersections and forks. Note any landmarks that will jog
your memory when you return to them. Also count how many right- or left-
hand turns you make as you go along. Remember, it's the rearview going out
that becomes the return vista.

Some hunters, hikers, and riders mark trails and trail intersections with
surveyort tape as they go along, but it's a practice that spoils the wilderness
unless the tape is removed on the way back. "I can see having the tape in your
ffail kit," says Aadland. "If someonet hurt, you may need it to mark the trail,
but when it's used frequently and left all over the place, it's unsightly."

Trailtip: If riding after sunset disorients you, dismount and lead your horse.

Rely on natural light, when possible, rather than a flashlight. "It takes about
20 minutes to develop your night vision' says Aadland, "but you lose it in just
a second by striking a match or turning on a light. If you must use a light to

study a map, close one eye to speed the return of your night vision."

452

'i_{{aii'i ..

453

Reading Comprehension

IJse "Year of the Black Pony'' (pp.45O45t) 5. In paragraph 4, the phrase "have his head"

to answer questions l-8. means -

A. get something to eat

1. The event described in this excerpt takes B. wander aimlessly

Apla.celanindsaca-ped suburban communiry with C. turn around

grassy yards D. go where he wants

B. large city park with trees and meadows 6. In paragraph 5, the narrator says, "Thke us
C. tropical forest with dense undergrowth home, boy." 'Mhat mood is created by. this
D. farming area with pastures and barns
statement?
2. By setting the episode over an unknown
.d Carefree
period of time, the author shows that the - B. Hopeful
wants to live C. Somber
A. horse D. \Weary

B. storm has become more severe

C. narrator has become disoriented 7. \X/hich image appeals to the reader's sense
oftouch?
D. region is very large
A. blowing snow (paragraph 3)
3. In paragraph3, the narrator says, "In a few
feet I could see there was nothing familiar, B. fight myself into alertness (paragraph 1)

nothing to give me a clue as to which C. this white wall (paragraph 1)
D. heatfrom the pony's body (paragraphT)
direction I'd been heading or was headed

now." That statement creates a mood of - 8. By using the phrase "kept clawing at me" in

A. calmness paragraph 2, the narrator creates an image of

B. fearfulness ths 51s1rn 25 -
alive
C. happiness A.

D. weariness B. peaceful

4. In paragraph 4, the phrase "keep my head" C. serious

Ame.aanssk-questions D. wet
B. become lost
C. stay calm
D. turn around

454

(Jse "Never Get Lost on the Thail" -13. The author most likely wrote this article to

(pp.451452) to answer questions 9-14. A. show that getting lost is easy
B. explain ways to prevent getting lost
9. The Latin word negotiar, means "to transact C. describe how to use a GPS
business." In paragraph 2, what does the word D. compare a horse to a GPS

negotiated mean? 14. The author uses information in paragraph

"The path he chooses toward home may not 5to-
be easilv nesotiated . . ."
A. show why bread crumbs make a good
,d tansferred to
B. Settled with reminder

C. Tiaveled over B. illustrate why planning ahead is very

D. Suggested to important

10. The Latin word uideri means "to see" or C. describe the advantages of a GPS
"to look." In paragraph 5, what does the D. show easy ways to keep track of your route
word uista mean?
Use both selections to answer questions
"Remember, it's the rearview going out that
becomes the return vista." t5-r6.

A. Mirror 15. \X/hich conclusion about a horse's homing
B. Tiip instinct is supported by information in both
C. View
D. Vision selections?

11. Based on this article, you can conclude that A. A horse can always find its way home,
when you rely on a horse's homing instinct, B. Horses' homing instincts have saved lives.
C. A GPS is more reliable than a horse's
-you will
homing instinct.
A. always get home safely
B. take the longest route home D. A horse's homing instinct is not always
C. take a chance
D. retrace your route reliable.

12. Based on this article, you can conclude that 16. \7hich line from "Never Get Lost on the
when people are going to go on a trail ride,
tail" applies to the final decision the narrator
-they should
made in "Year of the Black Pony''?
A. not be concerned about getting lost
B. worry about getting lost A. Turning around on a trail mqt triger yur
C. take plenty of water
D. plan ahead and take precautions horse's mental compass, and he may help you
decide which Pdth to choose . . .

'B. Practice map-reading skilk andfamiliarize

yourself with the nauigational tools before

)/ou set out.

C. If riding afier sunset disorients !0u,

dismount and lead your horse.

D. In snuustorms andflatter parts of the

455

Use the visual representation on page 453 to SHORT CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE
answer questions 17-18. 'Write a short constructed response to each
question using text evidence to support your
17. \X/hy is the word "Intelligence" larger than the
word "Horse" on the cover of the magazine? answef.

A. To show that horses are smarter than 19. V&at do you think is the turning point in this
excerpt from Year ofthe Blach Pony? Stppotr
other animals your answer with evidence from the selection.

B. To emphasize how smart horses are 20. Vhat is the most important advice given
C. To encourage readers to choose intelligent
in the article "Never Get Lost on the Tiail"?
horses as pets Use evidence from the text to support
your response.
D. To indicate that the magazine is about
Write a short constructed response to the
the intelligence of horses following question using text evidence from
both selections to support your .rnswer.
18. Showing a horse going somewhere by itself on
the cover suggests that the magazine articles 21. How is the importance of problem-solving
supported in both Year of the Blach Porytand
focus on - "Never Get Lost on the Tlail"? Support your
answer with evidence from both selections.
A. horse shows

B. diseases of horses

C. horses' inborn abilities

. D. costs of horse ownership

455

Revising and Editing

DIRECTIONS Read this passage and answer the questions that follow.

(1) People regarded the cat in ancient Egypt as a sacred animal. (2) Of grain cats
were the protectors, killing any animals that might eat this staple of Egyptian diet.
(3) Anyone who purposely or accidentally killed a car was put ro death. (4) Egyptians
so revered the animal that many Egyptian goddesses took the form of a cat. (5) Mafdet,
Sekhmet, and Bastet is examples of ancient Egyptian cat goddesses. (6) Neither
Mafdet nor Sekhmet were quite as celebrated as Basrer, though. (7) Beauty, fertiliry
and motherhood was three of the qualities for which Egyptians worshipped Bastet.
(B) In the city of Bubastis, Egyptians would hold a yearly festival to celebrate her.
(9) In Bubastis and Memphis, large cemeteries were devoted to the burial of
mummified cats.

1. lVhat is the BEST way ro improve the 3. \7hat change, if any, should be made in
placement of modifiers in sentence 1?
sentence 5?
A. The cat people regarded in ancient Eglpt
A. Change rc to was
as a sacred animal. B. Change z's to has been
C. Change rc to are
B. People regarded in ancient Egypt the cat D. Make no change

as a sacred animal. 4. \7hat change, if any, should be made in

C. In ancient Egypt people regarded the cat sentence 6?

as a sacred animal. A. Change toere to was
B. Change urere to afit
D. The cat as a sacred animal the people C. Change utereto have been
D. Make no change
regarded in ancient Egypt.
5. \fhat change, if any, should be made in
2. \X/hat is the BEST way to improve the
placement of modifiers in sentence 2? sentence 7?

A. Cats were of grain the protectors, killing A. Change wastowere
B. Change taasto has been
any animal that might eat of Egyptian C. Change uas to arrn
diet this staple. D. Make no change

B. Of grain cats were the protectors, killing

any animal of Egyptian diet that might
eat this staple.

C. Cats were the protectors of grain, killing

any animal that might eat of Egyptian
diet this staple.

D. Cats were the protectors of grain, killing

any animal that might eat this staple of

Egyptian diet.

457

ldeas for lndependent Reading

Which questions from Unit 3 made an impression on you?
Continue exploring them with these books.

How do you find your purpose?

i COMMONCORE The Boxer FullTilt Olive's Ocean

RLIO Read and comprehend by Kathleen Karr by Neal Shusterman by Kevin Henkes
literature. RllO Read and
comprehend literary nonfiction, ln r88os New York, r5-year-o1d Focused, steady Blake has had Soon after Olive's death.
Johnny is the one who has to one purpose his whole life: Martha is given a page frorn
work to feed his family. One Olive's journal. The two girls
night he sees a sign o'omi.ing to keep his impulsive brother were never friends, but when
five dollars to anyone willing Quinn out of trouble. When Martha realizes they had a lot
to fight, and suddenly he's a Quinn steals Blake's ticket for in common, she begins to see
boxer. Will he win enough a mysterious carnival, Blake lrfe different y. She spends
to get his family out of the the summer at the ocean,
tenements? goes [o save hic b.other- trying to fulfill Olive s dream.
ag.:in BuL maybe Blake i.

the one who needs help.

What is the role of o witness?

fffli Run, Boy, Run lqbal Fish
by UriOilev by L 5. Matthews
, by Francesco D'Adamo
Srulik is only eight when he Tiger's famly moved from
&w@ manages to escape from Everything changes at the therr home country to a
the Nazi-controlled ghetto carpet factory when t3-year- drought stricken village to run
into the Polish countryside old lqbal is chained to a loom a clinic They stay untll the
Hls fathertells him he must next to Fatima. lqba tells the civil war forces them to leave,
forget who he is and do children their owner will never but the borders have closed,
anyth -g ,rer e>sEry Lo t t ,n and only a rreachcrouc trio
and survive. But forgetting release rher, buI he proriser
comes at a cost. wover the mou'Lairs bting
to escape. lf lqbai does get
free, shou ld he try to help his them to safety
friends and rlsk recapture?

What gifts does the earth provide?

Four Wings and a Prayer Saving the Planet Tofu and T. rex

by Sue Halpern and Stuff by Greg Leitich Smith

Every fall, millions of by Gail Gauthier Freddie was protesting
the treatment of her new
butterflies form an orange As an intern at an school's mascot, a ive bull,
and black wave that rolls environmental magazine when the footballfield
down from Canada or New in Vermont, Michael must caught fire. She's been sent
York all the way to Mexico. live wiLhoilt a car, lV, or air back to Chicago to live with
Every spring a new generation conditioning. He thinks about her cousrn and grandfather.
of butterflies returns to thelr quitting, but instead he stays Can a vegetarian survive life
parents' homes. How do the and learns about business, with two meat-eaters?
butterflies know where to go? Lompost ng. ard himsel'.