Units 15-17: Historical Fiction: Significance of Setting Masada: The Last Fortress by Gloria D. Miklowitz Literature for Units 15-20

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1 T h e A r t i o s H o m e C o m p a n i o n S e r i e s L i t e r a t u r e a n d C o m p o s i t i o n Units 15-17: Historical Fiction: Significance of Setting Masada: The Last Fortress by Gloria D. Miklowitz Literature for Units Author s Spotlight Gloria D. Miklowitz has written over 45 books. Her teen novels have won both national and international awards. In interviews, Miklowitz admitted that she had always wanted to be a writer. As a young girl she would hold readings of her latest works, charging admission of a marble or a safety pin to lure her eager audiences. She was an English major at the University of Michigan who got married after graduation and headed to California where she became the writer of instructional films for the Navy. She felt the experience made her writing concise. She thinks that is the secret to what young adults love about her books. She has written historical novels as well as stories focused on social issues. Sometimes, Miklowitz uses her own family members as models for her characters. For more information about her work, check out this interview: -illustrators/detail/1744#.vzn3grnviko. Unit 15 Assignments Read Unit 15 Assignment Background. Read Chapters 1-9 of Masada: The Last Fortress. Read: Page 422

2 Activity While Reading: Define the vocabulary words below in your reading journal. Be As you examine the mission of Zealots and learn about the characters in the story, make notes about how Zealots are viewed in the novel, in History, and in Scripture. (Pay close attention to the Bible references listed in the link.) casemate garrison impregnable parapet quell proficiency contemplation intricate rivulets Unit 15 Assignment Background As you study the story of Masada, several resources are provided, including Through these units, you will be researching the people and story of Masada as the facts reveal it while you enjoy the fictional details that Miklowitz provides in her novel. As you research this story, it is important to keep track of Scriptures that can be connected to the fate of the residents of Masada. Carefully consider these scriptures and, perhaps, you will find more Scriptures that support or reject their decision. After you have read the novel and done the research, you will write a paper on the significance of Masada. Unit 16 Assignments Read Unit 16 Assignment Background. Read Chapters of Masada: The Last Fortress. Read: Activity While Reading: Define the vocabulary words below in your reading journal. Be As you examine the mission of Zealots and learn about the characters in the story, make notes about how Zealots are viewed in the novel, in history, and in Scripture. (Pay close attention to the Bible references listed in the link.) disperse melancholy cistern opportunist impede lax enmesh explicit haggard Page 423

3 Unit 16 Assignment Background As you study the story of Masada, several resources are provided. This week, take a close look at Carefully consider the Scripture references listed in this article. You may find other Scriptures that you feel connect to Masada. How does the article line up with the fictional details that Miklowitz provides in her novel? In your paper, you will address some or all of these questions: What is important to the characters in the story? What was important to the people who were there? What insight does Scripture provide into this story? Write down a few thesis statements that might introduce a paper on the subject of Masada. In the next unit, you will build an outline around one thesis statement, so think about which one you see growing into a full-length research paper. Unit 17 Assignments Read Unit 17 Assignment Background. Read Chapters of Masada: The Last Fortress. Activity While Reading: Define the vocabulary words below in your reading journal. Be don fabrication inevitable preoccupied mutual thrombus mute saturate insolent Using sources discussed throughout these units, write a paper about the significance of Masada. Unit 17 Assignment Background Masada is important both as a cautionary tale and as a plan for the trapped defenders. Using your research of the Bible, the happenings at Masada, and the Zealots themselves, write a research paper explaining similarities and differences between the known details of Masada and the fictional situation in this story. Remember that your paper should also address these questions: What is important to the characters in the story? What was important to the people who were there? What insight does Scripture provide into this story? Using a formal outline, organize the topics you will cover in your paper. The order in which you cover them and how much detail you include is connected to the thesis statement you developed in the last unit. Your outline should include headings and subheadings as suggested in this example: Page 424

4 I. Introduction Thesis II. Who were the Zealots? a. Fact? b. Fiction? III. How did the people get to Masada? Why were they there? a. History b. Scripture c. Key players IV. How is the Roman Empire connected? a. Fact? b. Fiction? c. Scripture? V. Conclusion What lesson does the event at Masada teach? OR Why is this part of history significant? (Please remember this is only an example to show the format for the outline. This is not necessarily the RIGHT way to organize this paper.) Aerial view of Masada (Hebrew,(מצדה in the Judaean Desert (Hebrew: ה מ ד ד מ,ה ה וד Arabic: هودا صحراء,(ي with the Dead Sea in the distance (By Godot13 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Page 425

5 Artios Academies Research Report Rubric - Middle School (Scale: 4=Excellent; 3=Acceptable; 2=Below Average; 1=Unaccepable_ Traits Clear, Well-Oranized, Well Developed Ideas Main idea (thesis) is clear. Each paragraph has a clear topic and concluding sentence. Topic sentences and concluding sentences are used in body paragraphs. Supporting details clearly support topic sentences. Transitions are used to connect paragraphs. Sentence Variation in Paragraphs Introduction, body, conclusion provide logical sequencing of ideas. Lead sentence captures the reader s attention. Sentence patterns used in the paper include: o Introductory participial phrase, o Two independent clauses separated by semicolon, o Compound sentence, o Appositive phrase, o Introductory prepositional phrase, o Introductory adverb clause Word Choice and Figurative Language Strong verbs are used; passive voice and to be verbs are not overused. No vague, overused, repetitive language is used. Writer uses or identifies such figurative language as o Metaphor, o Simile, o Personification. Research Paper Requirements 3 or more sources used (At least one should be a printed or hard copy source). Information was compiled through formal research process, including use of various library resources. Notes were taken to organize information from sources. Prewriting (outlining, webbing, etc.) was done to organize information. Works cited page was included. Quotations and other information borrowed from research sources were cited as dictated by MLA style. Grammar, Usage, Mechanics Score No run-on sentences No sentence fragments Subject/verb agreement Correct and consistent verb tense usage No use of contractions Punctuation is correct Capitalization is correct Spelling is correct Page 426