Close Reading Activity Chap 2- Group 1 Of Mice and Men English 10 Block

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Close Reading Activity Chap 2- Group 1 Of Mice and Men English 10 Block"

Noah Carroll
6 years ago
Views:

1 Name: Date: Hour: Close Reading Activity Chap 2- Group 1 Of Mice and Men English 10 Block DIRECTIONS: Based on the specific questions your group is assigned, read the passage (identified below) and respond to the questions INDIVIDUALLY. When prompted, share your findings with your group. Then, craft a paragraph discussing what you found. PASSAGE: To a Mouse Robert Burns (Whilst ploughing on a November day, Burns ruined the nest of a field mouse. He ponders why the creature runs away in such terror) 1 Oh, tiny timorous forlorn beast, Oh why the panic in your breast? You need not dart away in haste To some corn-rick I'd never run and chase thee, With murdering stick. 2 I'm truly sorry man's dominion Has broken nature's social union, And justifies that ill opinion Which makes thee startle At me, thy poor earth-born companion, And fellow mortal. 3 I do not doubt you have to thieve; What then? Poor beastie you must live; One ear of corn that's scarcely missed Is small enough: I'll share with you all this year's grist, Without rebuff. 4 Thy wee bit housie too in ruin, Its fragile walls the winds have strewn, And you've nothing new to build a new one, Of grasses green; And bleak December winds ensuing, Both cold and keen.

2 5 You saw the fields laid bare and waste, And weary winter coming fast, And cosy there beneath the blast, Thou thought to dwell, Till crash; the cruel ploughman crushed Thy little cell. 6 Your wee bit heap of leaves and stubble, Had cost thee many a weary nibble. Now you're turned out for all thy trouble Of house and home To bear the winter's sleety drizzle, And hoar frost cold. 7 But, mousie, thou art not alane, In proving foresight may be in vain, The best laid schemes of mice and men, Go oft astray, And leave us nought but grief and pain, To rend our day. 8 Still thou art blessed, compared with me! The present only touches thee, But, oh, I backward cast my eye On prospects drear, And forward, though I cannot see, I guess and fear. QUESTIONS: (First Impressions) 1. What is the first thing you notice about the passage? 2. What is the second thing? 3. Do the two things you noticed complement each other? Or contradict each other? 4. What mood does the passage create in you as a reader? Why? 5. Why is it important for the reader to know what you have just analyzed and explained? How does the passage you have chosen help us understand the story, poem, or play more completely? Response: Please record your response on a separate sheet of paper. Kyle Boswell Mattawan Consolidated School 2015

3 Name: Date: Hour: Close Reading Activity Chap 2- Group 2 Of Mice and Men English 10 Block DIRECTIONS: Based on the specific questions your group is assigned, read the passage (identified below) and respond to the questions INDIVIDUALLY. When prompted, share your findings with your group. Then, craft a paragraph discussing what you found. PASSAGE: To a Mouse Robert Burns (Whilst ploughing on a November day, Burns ruined the nest of a field mouse. He ponders why the creature runs away in such terror) 1 Oh, tiny timorous forlorn beast, Oh why the panic in your breast? You need not dart away in haste To some corn-rick I'd never run and chase thee, With murdering stick. 2 I'm truly sorry man's dominion Has broken nature's social union, And justifies that ill opinion Which makes thee startle At me, thy poor earth-born companion, And fellow mortal. 3 I do not doubt you have to thieve; What then? Poor beastie you must live; One ear of corn that's scarcely missed Is small enough: I'll share with you all this year's grist, Without rebuff. 4 Thy wee bit housie too in ruin, Its fragile walls the winds have strewn, And you've nothing new to build a new one, Of grasses green; And bleak December winds ensuing, Both cold and keen.

4 5 You saw the fields laid bare and waste, And weary winter coming fast, And cosy there beneath the blast, Thou thought to dwell, Till crash; the cruel ploughman crushed Thy little cell. 6 Your wee bit heap of leaves and stubble, Had cost thee many a weary nibble. Now you're turned out for all thy trouble Of house and home To bear the winter's sleety drizzle, And hoar frost cold. 7 But, mousie, thou art not alane, In proving foresight may be in vain, The best laid schemes of mice and men, Go oft astray, And leave us nought but grief and pain, To rend our day. 8 Still thou art blessed, compared with me! The present only touches thee, But, oh, I backward cast my eye On prospects drear, And forward, though I cannot see, I guess and fear. QUESTIONS: (Vocabulary and Diction) 1. Which words do you notice first? Why did they stand out from the others? 2. How do the important words relate to one another? Does a phrase here appear elsewhere in the story? 3. Do any words seem oddly used to you? Why? Is that a result of archaic language? Or deliberate weirdness? 4. Do any words have double/triple meanings? What are all the possible ways to read it? 5. Look up any unfamiliar words. Look up interesting, but very common words as well, since they often have several possible meanings. 6. Why is it important for the reader to know what you have just analyzed and explained? How does the passage you have chosen help us understand the poem more completely? Response: Please record your response on a separate sheet of paper. Kyle Boswell Mattawan Consolidated School 2015

5 Name: Date: Hour: Close Reading Activity Chap 2- Group 3 Of Mice and Men English 10 Block DIRECTIONS: Based on the specific questions your group is assigned, read the passage (identified below) and respond to the questions INDIVIDUALLY. When prompted, share your findings with your group. Then, craft a paragraph discussing what you found. PASSAGE: To a Mouse Robert Burns (Whilst ploughing on a November day, Burns ruined the nest of a field mouse. He ponders why the creature runs away in such terror) 1 Oh, tiny timorous forlorn beast, Oh why the panic in your breast? You need not dart away in haste To some corn-rick I'd never run and chase thee, With murdering stick. 2 I'm truly sorry man's dominion Has broken nature's social union, And justifies that ill opinion Which makes thee startle At me, thy poor earth-born companion, And fellow mortal. 3 I do not doubt you have to thieve; What then? Poor beastie you must live; One ear of corn that's scarcely missed Is small enough: I'll share with you all this year's grist, Without rebuff. 4 Thy wee bit housie too in ruin, Its fragile walls the winds have strewn, And you've nothing new to build a new one, Of grasses green; And bleak December winds ensuing, Both cold and keen.

6 5 You saw the fields laid bare and waste, And weary winter coming fast, And cosy there beneath the blast, Thou thought to dwell, Till crash; the cruel ploughman crushed Thy little cell. 6 Your wee bit heap of leaves and stubble, Had cost thee many a weary nibble. Now you're turned out for all thy trouble Of house and home To bear the winter's sleety drizzle, And hoar frost cold. 7 But, mousie, thou art not alane, In proving foresight may be in vain, The best laid schemes of mice and men, Go oft astray, And leave us nought but grief and pain, To rend our day. 8 Still thou art blessed, compared with me! The present only touches thee, But, oh, I backward cast my eye On prospects drear, And forward, though I cannot see, I guess and fear. QUESTIONS: (Discerning Patterns) 1. Which words do you notice first? Why did they stand out from the others? 2. How do the important words relate to one another? Does a phrase here appear elsewhere in the story? 3. Do any words seem oddly used to you? Why? Is that a result of archaic language? Or deliberate weirdness? 4. Do any words have double/triple meanings? What are all the possible ways to read it? 5. Look up any unfamiliar words. Look up interesting, but very common words as well, since they often have several possible meanings. 6. Why is it important for the reader to know what you have just analyzed and explained? How does the passage you have chosen help us understand the poem more completely? Response: Please record your response on a separate sheet of paper. Kyle Boswell Mattawan Consolidated School 2015

7 Name: Date: Hour: Close Reading Activity Chap 2- Group 4 Of Mice and Men English 10 Block DIRECTIONS: Based on the specific questions your group is assigned, read the passage (identified below) and respond to the questions INDIVIDUALLY. When prompted, share your findings with your group. Then, craft a paragraph discussing what you found. PASSAGE: To a Mouse Robert Burns (Whilst ploughing on a November day, Burns ruined the nest of a field mouse. He ponders why the creature runs away in such terror) 1 Oh, tiny timorous forlorn beast, Oh why the panic in your breast? You need not dart away in haste To some corn-rick I'd never run and chase thee, With murdering stick. 2 I'm truly sorry man's dominion Has broken nature's social union, And justifies that ill opinion Which makes thee startle At me, thy poor earth-born companion, And fellow mortal. 3 I do not doubt you have to thieve; What then? Poor beastie you must live; One ear of corn that's scarcely missed Is small enough: I'll share with you all this year's grist, Without rebuff. 4 Thy wee bit housie too in ruin, Its fragile walls the winds have strewn, And you've nothing new to build a new one, Of grasses green; And bleak December winds ensuing, Both cold and keen.

8 5 You saw the fields laid bare and waste, And weary winter coming fast, And cosy there beneath the blast, Thou thought to dwell, Till crash; the cruel ploughman crushed Thy little cell. 6 Your wee bit heap of leaves and stubble, Had cost thee many a weary nibble. Now you're turned out for all thy trouble Of house and home To bear the winter's sleety drizzle, And hoar frost cold. 7 But, mousie, thou art not alane, In proving foresight may be in vain, The best laid schemes of mice and men, Go oft astray, And leave us nought but grief and pain, To rend our day. 8 Still thou art blessed, compared with me! The present only touches thee, But, oh, I backward cast my eye On prospects drear, And forward, though I cannot see, I guess and fear. QUESTIONS: (Discerning Patterns) 1. Does an image here remind you of an image elsewhere in the book? 2. How does this pattern fit into the pattern of the book as a whole? 3. How could this passage symbolize something in the entire work? Could this passage serve as a microcosm, a little picture, of what's taking place in the whole narrative or poem? 4. What is the sentence rhythm like? Short and choppy? Long and flowing? Does it build on itself or stay at an even pace? How does that structure relate to the content? 5. Look at the punctuation. Is there anything unusual about it? What about capitalization? 6. Why is it important for the reader to know what you have just analyzed and explained? How does the passage you have chosen help us understand the story, poem, or play more completely? Response: Please record your response on a separate sheet of paper. Kyle Boswell Mattawan Consolidated School 2015

9 Name: Date: Hour: Close Reading Activity Chap 2- Group 5 Of Mice and Men English 10 Block DIRECTIONS: Based on the specific questions your group is assigned, read the passage (identified below) and respond to the questions INDIVIDUALLY. When prompted, share your findings with your group. Then, craft a paragraph discussing what you found. PASSAGE: To a Mouse Robert Burns (Whilst ploughing on a November day, Burns ruined the nest of a field mouse. He ponders why the creature runs away in such terror) 1 Oh, tiny timorous forlorn beast, Oh why the panic in your breast? You need not dart away in haste To some corn-rick I'd never run and chase thee, With murdering stick. 2 I'm truly sorry man's dominion Has broken nature's social union, And justifies that ill opinion Which makes thee startle At me, thy poor earth-born companion, And fellow mortal. 3 I do not doubt you have to thieve; What then? Poor beastie you must live; One ear of corn that's scarcely missed Is small enough: I'll share with you all this year's grist, Without rebuff. 4 Thy wee bit housie too in ruin, Its fragile walls the winds have strewn, And you've nothing new to build a new one, Of grasses green; And bleak December winds ensuing, Both cold and keen.

10 5 You saw the fields laid bare and waste, And weary winter coming fast, And cosy there beneath the blast, Thou thought to dwell, Till crash; the cruel ploughman crushed Thy little cell. 6 Your wee bit heap of leaves and stubble, Had cost thee many a weary nibble. Now you're turned out for all thy trouble Of house and home To bear the winter's sleety drizzle, And hoar frost cold. 7 But, mousie, thou art not alane, In proving foresight may be in vain, The best laid schemes of mice and men, Go oft astray, And leave us nought but grief and pain, To rend our day. 8 Still thou art blessed, compared with me! The present only touches thee, But, oh, I backward cast my eye On prospects drear, And forward, though I cannot see, I guess and fear. QUESTIONS: (Point of View and Characterization) 1. How does the passage make us react/think about any characters/events within the poem? 2. Are there colors, sounds, physical description that appeals to the senses? Does this imagery form a pattern? Why might the author have chosen that color, sound or physical description? Is it symbolic? Foreshadowing? 3. Who speaks in the passage? To whom does he or she speak? Does the narrator have partial or omniscient viewpoint? How does that viewpoint help or hinder the reader's comprehension? 4. Why is it important for the reader to know what you have just analyzed and explained? How does the passage you have chosen help us understand the poem more completely? Response: Please record your response on a separate sheet of paper. Kyle Boswell Mattawan Consolidated School 2015

11 Name: Date: Hour: Close Reading Activity Chap 2- Group 6 Of Mice and Men English 10 Block DIRECTIONS: Based on the specific questions your group is assigned, read the passage (identified below) and respond to the questions INDIVIDUALLY. When prompted, share your findings with your group. Then, craft a paragraph discussing what you found. PASSAGE: To a Mouse Robert Burns (Whilst ploughing on a November day, Burns ruined the nest of a field mouse. He ponders why the creature runs away in such terror) 1 Oh, tiny timorous forlorn beast, Oh why the panic in your breast? You need not dart away in haste To some corn-rick I'd never run and chase thee, With murdering stick. 2 I'm truly sorry man's dominion Has broken nature's social union, And justifies that ill opinion Which makes thee startle At me, thy poor earth-born companion, And fellow mortal. 3 I do not doubt you have to thieve; What then? Poor beastie you must live; One ear of corn that's scarcely missed Is small enough: I'll share with you all this year's grist, Without rebuff. 4 Thy wee bit housie too in ruin, Its fragile walls the winds have strewn, And you've nothing new to build a new one, Of grasses green; And bleak December winds ensuing, Both cold and keen.

12 5 You saw the fields laid bare and waste, And weary winter coming fast, And cosy there beneath the blast, Thou thought to dwell, Till crash; the cruel ploughman crushed Thy little cell. 6 Your wee bit heap of leaves and stubble, Had cost thee many a weary nibble. Now you're turned out for all thy trouble Of house and home To bear the winter's sleety drizzle, And hoar frost cold. 7 But, mousie, thou art not alane, In proving foresight may be in vain, The best laid schemes of mice and men, Go oft astray, And leave us nought but grief and pain, To rend our day. 8 Still thou art blessed, compared with me! The present only touches thee, But, oh, I backward cast my eye On prospects drear, And forward, though I cannot see, I guess and fear. QUESTIONS: (Symbolism and Other Literary Devices) 1. Are there metaphors, similes, figures of speech? What kinds? Why might the author have chosen them? 2. Is there one controlling metaphor? If not, how many different metaphors are there, and in what order do they occur? How might that be significant? 3. What other literary devices are present? How do they impact the plot and/or characterization? Be specific. 4. Why is it important for the reader to know what you have just analyzed and explained? How does the passage you have chosen help us understand the poem more completely? Response: Please record your response on a separate sheet of paper. Kyle Boswell Mattawan Consolidated School 2015

Seminar XII Pre-romantic Poetry

Seminar XII Pre-romantic Poetry Seminar XII Preromantic Poetry Robert Burns (1759 1796) His poetry glorifies the Scottish peasant and the past of the country. It is based on Scottish folklore not only in matter, but also in form which