Grade Seven CLUE English Weekly Focus for Monday, March 23- Friday, April 10, 2015
After returning from Spring Break, your literary focus will concern the selection Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. And because
this selection is not found within your grade seven literature text, I am also providing an online link; however, this selection WILL BE
read in class and an audio recording will accompany our study.
Thus, as we explore such themes as the limits of science, I want each of you to pay careful attention to the following areas:
Examine the genre of realistic fiction as well as an attention to multiple intelligences (TARGET LINK: http://www.niu.edu/facdev/resources/guide/learning/howard_gardner_theory_multiple_intelligences.pdfhttp://www.niu.edu/facdev/resources/guide/learning/howard_gardner_theory_multiple_intelligences.pdf )
Literary Skill- Analyze subplots and parallel episodes (A subplot with cover a whole story related to Charlie's own central tale-that is,
it too will have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Meanwhile, a parallel episode will provide only a brief glimpse of a similar situation or condition.)
"The Treasure of Lemon Brown" also contained both a subplot and parallel episodes.
Pay specific attention to the following points: Charlie's changing relationship with other people; Charlie's changing ideas about himself
Advanced Skill- Analyze diction (or word choice) "Flowers for Algernon" is a story told almost entirely through diction. As the main character, who is also the
narrator, gains intelligence, the diction improves and grows complicated; however, that complexity is lost when the narrator's condition worsens. The author shows the extent of the main character's loss by stressing the misspelling of several important words. Thus, the story's diction is very closely tied to its tone, or the author's
attitude about the events.
Explore the question of whether or not all conflicts can be resolved. Pay careful attention to the following vocabulary terms: (more may be identified)
introspective, tangible, deterioration, verified, crucial, inevitable, provocative, irrevocably, deceive, refute, intellectual, naivete, laboratory, unconscious, contribute,
shrew, maroon, accomplish, advise, petition, acquire, ignorance, justified, equilvalent, impaired, prediction, intelligence, sensation, oversensitive, technique, amnesia
Grammar Focus- TLW correctly identify and classify gerunds and their specific phrases as a verbal phrase. As verbals ARE NOT ACTUALLY VERBS, please remember that gerunds are often confused with present participles. Gerunds, however, function as nouns and may exist in any one of the following four positions:
subject, direct object, predicate nominative, and object of the preposition. (Please refer to the in-class notes that you received about gerunds and their phrases.)
Test Notes- You will have a cumulative test about the three verbal phrase types- participles, infinitives, and gerunds- on Friday, April 10; be sure to review the following websites in order to study for tomorrow's test. :-)
http://www.redwoods.edu/Eureka/ASC/Handouts/Verbal%20Phrases/Verbal%20Phrases%20Complete.pdf
http://shellenbergere220.wikispaces.com/file/view/adjective+and+adverb+phrases.pdf
