ENGLISH

ELEVENTH GRADE

Module 1 Lesson 1

Welcome!

Throughout this module, you will be able to use reading strategies, literary analysis, and critical thinking skills to construct meaning and develop understanding as well as an appreciation of a variety of genres of both fiction and nonfiction. Reading is a dynamic interactive process of constructing meaning using your existing knowledge and the information provided by the text.

This module contains information and material which will improve your reading skills. You will learn by using the best way nowadays to work individually without the straight directions of a teacher; but remember, read very carefully the instructions given.

Instruction:

You will first take a pretest to assess your knowledge of the skill. Information regarding the skill will be given. Explanations and examples will be provided. Read the information carefully. Afterwards, you will find practice exercise to challenge your comprehension.  Read the information, study the example and complete the exercises, quizzes and tests.

Table of Contents

Introduction and instructions

Lesson 1-Context Clues

Lesson 2-Dictionary skills

Lesson 3-Character traits

Lesson 4-Setting

Lesson 5-Point of view

Lesson 6-Plot

Lesson 7-Conflict

Lesson 8-Predicting outcomes

Lesson 9-Drawing conclusion

Module 1

Objective:

After the studying this module, the students will:

•  Analyze context clues

• Uses reference sources

• Uses vocabulary expansion strategies to assess word meaning and to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words using prior knowledge

• Analyze character traits

• Identify setting

• Classify point of view

•  Identify plot

• Classify and analyze conflict

• Make predictions

• Draw conclusion

Pre diagnostic test

In this moment, you will answer a pre- diagnostic test. 

Context Clues I

Pretest

I. Choose the best meaning of the underlined word.

1. The first review on the Harry Potter movie was favorable. Many people attended and enjoyed the movie. Some people even saw the movie three times!

a. negative
b. uncertain
c. positive
d. clear

2. Her quiet, timid ways made us guess at her true feelings about the story because she kept her ideas to herself and never spoke in the class.

a. shy
b. boisterous
c. kind
d. seriously

3. He was found running down the street after curfew, and his parents were penalized. The ticket read: "Illegally in the streets at 1:00A.M." Now he would have to pay the ticket with his own money.

a. crooked
b. fined
c. delicate
d. informed

4. The woman crossed her fingers as her daughter did the cheer. She was hoping that everything would work out for her daughter as she vied for a position on the squad. Her daughter wanted to be a cheerleader.

a. shouted
b. enclosed
c. expanded
d. tried

5. The boy knew that the lake was teeming, and overflowing with bass, so he brought a big net to help get the fish in the boat.

a. rare
b. enclave
c. full
d. sparse

6. It was difficult to listen to Tommy speak because he droned on and on just like a buzzer that won't stop buzzing.

a. ideal
b. same tone
c. lively
d. scared

7. The lithe girl was perfect for the basketball team because she was all muscle and could play well.

a. lean
b. cubed
c. thick
d. eerie

8. Thomas went to the apex of the mountain, and because it was so high, he had to take a tank of oxygen with him.

a. bottom
b. breathe
c. top
d. clear

9. The apparatus that Jill used to connect the fabric was similar to a sewing machine, but this one did all of the work while she just pushed a button.

a. idea
b. zipper
c. instrument
d. singular

10. The frigid air seemed to suck his breathe away as he attempted to finish his first snowman of the season

a. deficient
b. sappy
c. thick
d. cold             

Pretest-Key

Context Clues I

Pretest Answers

1. C

2. A

3. B

4. D

5. C

6. B

7. A

8. C

9. C

10. D

What are context clues?

Context Clues-Definition

Text book writers usually know when they must use a word that will be new to their readers. So they often include other words or phrases to help with the understanding of the new word. These words or phrases are referred to as context clues. They are built into the sentences around the difficult word. If you become more aware of the words around the difficult words you encounter in your reading, you will save your self many trips to the dictionary. You will be able to make logical guesses about the meanings of many words.

Types of context clues

There are different types of context clues:

A. Definition

The unknown word is equated to a more familiar word or phrase; usually a form of to be is used.

Examples:

• Entomology is the study of insects.

• Archaeology is the scientific study of prehistoric cultures by excavation of their remains.

B. Restatement or synonym

The meaning is usually right after the unfamiliar word and often separated from the rest of the sentence with commas, dashes, or parentheses; sometimes, or that is, or in other words is used.

Examples:

v  Meat eaters, that is carnivores, are at the top of the food chain.

v  The goslings--those fuzzy baby geese--waddled after their mother.

v  She enjoyed biology (the study of living things).

C. Contrast or antonym

The unfamiliar word is shown to be different from or unlike another word, and is often an    opposite; but, however, although, otherwise, unless, instead, on the contrary, on the other hand, while, never, no, or not may be used to signal contrast.

Example:

Ø  Carlos’s parrot was loquacious, but Marta’s said very little.

D. Comparison

The unfamiliar word is shown to be the same as or like another word; too, like, as, similar to, or in the same way may be used to signal the comparison.

Example:

• My brother is enthralled by birds similar to the way that I am fascinated by insects.

 E. Example

The unfamiliar word is cleared up by giving an example; for instance, such as and for example may be used as signals.

Example:

§  The archeologist found different amulets, such as a rabbit’s foot and bags of herbs, near the ancient altar.

F. LIST OR SERIES

The unfamiliar word is included in a series of related words that give an idea of the word’s meaning.

Example:

ü  American predators include grizzly bears, pumas, wolves, and foxes.

G. Cause and effect

The meaning of an unfamiliar word is signaled by a cause-and-effect relationship between ideas in the text.

Example:

ü Due to a dearth of termites, the aardvark starved to death.

H. Description or inference

The meaning of an unfamiliar word can be inferred from the description of a situation or experience.

Example:

ü The student’s vociferous chatter made me wish I had earplugs.

Practicing exercises

  I. Read each sentence or paragraph and circle the correct answer.

1. The archeologist carefully removed the tome from its ancient resting and proceeded to read the pages related to marriage in ancient Greece. What does the word tome probably mean?

a. pencil            b. weapon             c. book            d. sausage

2. The Navajo language is an unwritten language of extreme complexity with no alphabet or symbols, and is spoken only on the lands of the Navajo Nation in the American Southwest. During World War II a Navajo code was created for the U.S. Navy. This code was virtually undecipherable to anyone except Navajo speaking persons. What does the word virtually probably mean?

a. pleasant              b. almost              c. never           d. always

3. Lakes occupy less than two percent of the Earth’s surface, yet they help sustain life. For instance, lakes give us fish to eat, irrigate crops, and generate electrical power. What does the word sustain probably mean?

a. support           b. obstruct           c. prolong           d. destroy

       4.  The ancient Greeks pioneered many of the kinds of writing we consider standard today.       They wrote speeches, plays, poems, books about science and learning, long histories of the things that happened to them. What does the word pioneered probably mean?

a. complicated       b. developed       c. destroyed      d. explored

      5.   Fifty-five mostly prominent, male delegates attended the Philadelphia Convention in 1787.      About seventy-five percent of   the delegates had served in Congress and others were important people in their home states. These men are often referred to as the Framers of the Constitution. What does the word prominent probably mean?

            a. unimportant     b. unknown      c. common      d. important

Practicing exercises-key

1. c
2. b
3. c
4. b
5. d

Remember!

Context clues are bits of information from the text that, when combined with prior knowledge allows you to decide the meaning of unknown words in the story or article you are reading.

Context Clues-Quiz

I.                 Directions: Define the underlined word using context clues.

1. Jorge has been the proprietor of the store for thirty years. His father was the owner before that.

2. The tiny dog looked innocuous, but in fact he was very dangerous.

3. Taylor was never hungry, but after going without food for three days, he was so ravenous that he ate like a dog.

4. Lela is usually very verbose in class. Today, however, she didn’t talk at all.

5. My 75-year-old mother and my 93-year-old grandmother are both in the same geriatric center.

 II.            Use the context, especially the main idea, to help you answer the questions:

Your fifteen year old sister’s manners are deplorable. You should have been there when she ate at our house the other night. She kept reaching across the table for everything without even excusing herself. She burped a dozen times and looked like she was really proud of her achievement. And when we had ice cream sundaes for dessert, she ate hers with her fingers.

1. What does “deplorable” mean?

a. awful
b. deeply thoughtful
c. cute or pleasing
d. enjoying good food
e. smart

Shannon has been working hard for Mr. Buchanan. She claims that he’s the most honest man running for president. No matter what doubts we express, she has what she believes is a good answer. She works long hours every day on the campaign. She has also given a lot of money to help him win. Shannon is certainly one of Buchanan’s most ardent supporters.

2. What does “ardent” mean?

a. generous with money
b. able to argue or debate
c. foolish
d. admiring honesty
e. strong or eager

Randolph is certainly resilient. He lost a fortune when his business failed but now he’s wealthy again. After spending a month in the intensive care unit of the hospital, he’s as healthy and strong as ever. And after all those rumors ruined his reputation, he’s managed to once again be a highly respected member of the community.

3. What does “resilient” mean?

a. sneaky
b. having a lot of money
c. free of sickness
d. shaped like a rubber ball
e. able to bounce back or recover

Context Clues-Quiz-Key

I.                 Definitions:

1.      owner

2.      not dangerous

3.      hungry

4.      talkative

5.      old

II.               Answer questions:

1.      a

2.      e

3.      e

Context Clues-Test

A. Properties are special qualities or characteristics that a thing has. Pencils have properties. Some of their properties are shape, size, color, and the hardness of the lead inside of them. We can use these properties to identify an object as being a pencil, or not being a pencil. Identify means to name an object by its correct name. Once we have named the objects we have as pencils, we can classify them. Classify means to group objects by properties they have which are the same. For example, we could group the pencils by their color. We could have blue pencils, red pencils, yellow pencils, and multi-colored pencils. Another way to classify, or group, pencils could be by their size. We could have groups of 4 inch pencils, 6 inch pencils and even 10 inch pencils.

1. What do the word properties mean?
2. What is the definition of identify?
3. What does the word classify mean?
4. What is another word that has almost the same meaning as classify?

B. The earth is composed, or made up of, three main layers. The outermost layer of the Earth which is cracked into large pieces is called the crust. The layer beneath the crust which is made up of hot solid and liquid rocks is called the mantle. The core is the innermost layer of the Earth and is made of very hot, heavy metals.

1. What does the word composed mean?
2. What is the definition of crust?
3. What does the word mantle mean?
4. What is the definition of the word core?

C. Tropical rainforests are forests that receive more than 80 inches of rain a year.  Some rainforests receive as much as 200-400 inches of rain a year!  Rainforests also have large amounts of humidity, or water vapor in the air.

1. What is a tropical rainforest?

2. What is another word for humidity?

D. The temperature in a tropical rainforest does not vary, or change, much during the year.  It ranges between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. Tropical rainforests never get really hot because they receive rainfall almost every day.  Other areas near the equator which do not receive a great deal of rainfall have much higher average temperatures than tropical rainforests. The temperature in rainforests is much the same at night as it is during the day; unlike other places where the temperature at night is much cooler than the temperature during the day. The reason that the annual, or yearly, temperature stays the same is that the lands near the equator receive the direct rays of the sun.

3. What does the word vary mean?

4. What is another word that means the same thing as annual?

Context Clues-Test Key

A.

1. special qualities or characteristics that a thing has
2. to name an object by its correct name
3. to group objects by properties they have which are the same
4. group

B.

1. made-up
2. the outermost layer of the Earth which is cracked into large pieces
3. the layer beneath the crust which is made up of hot solid and liquid rocks
4. the innermost layer of the Earth and is made of very hot, heavy metals

C.

1. forests that receive more than 80 inches of rain a year
2. water vapor

D.

1. change
2. yearly

© Derechos Reservados

Escuela Virtual de Educación Acelerada Proyecto Salón Hogar Inc.