Analyzing Characters in Fahrenheit 451

As a warm-up/drill activity, eighth-graders offered creative responses to such questions as "How is Millie like an airplane?".  Each question used a simile which forced students to make unusual yet insightful connections.  Their responses demonstrated an understanding of character motivation and development.  I've included some of their ideas below.

How is Guy Montag like an oven?

  - An oven  is where things process; Montag is the "processor" of the rebellion (Allison R.).
  - In the beginning of the book, Guy's feelings were cold, but he begins to heat up (Josh D.).

How is Mildred like a television?
 
  - She speaks a lot of nonsense (Hannah R.).
  - She talks at you, but she doesn't hear your response (Orly K.).

How is Faber like a book?

  - He holds a lot of knowledge, and he is helpful (Chloe N.).
  - He provides the foundation, but the rest is up to you (Lauren B.).

How is Clarisse like a mirror?

   - She likes to reflect on her feelings (Ezra S.).
   - She makes Guy reflect and see his true self (Zack L.).
   - She can make others see who they really are (Haviva G.).
   - She makes you want to improve yourself (Sammy C.).
   - She is the opposite of the people in her society (Josh D.).

Character Foils & Student Foils

Last week, seventh-graders were introduced to the literary term "foil."  A foil is a secondary character who serves to highlight the traits of the main character through contrast.  A foil often has similar circumstances as the main character but he/she acts differently, showing more clearly the main character's traits.

To help explain this idea, students identified ways in which Squidward serves as a foil for SpongeBob.

Then students put their new knowledge to work by identifying characters who serve as a foil for Tom in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Grace's handout: (click on picture to enlarge)

Finally, to cement this new learning, each student created a foil for her/himself.  For this assignment, students were given the task of creating a "character" that shared some traits in common with the student but that was also a contrast. Students had a lot of fun sharing their finished foils with the class.

Hailey G.'s foil:

Jason S.'s foil:

Jaclyn's foil:

 

Leah's foil:

Josh S.'s foil:

 

Readbox & Short Story Trailers

Lego figurines, masks, dolls, and toy food.  Could this be English class?  Yes!!  Over the last week, students have been busy filming trailers using the iMovie app.  The process began with each group selecting a short story (from the five stories that were read for class) and creating a trailer that would establish the story's setting, protagonist, and primary conflict.  By selecting a complementary trailer template and music, students also demonstrated their understanding of the story's mood. Throughout the process, students were collaborating, problem-solving, and using technology in a meaningful way.  Upon completion, each trailer was assigned a QR code.  These codes are displayed on our "Readbox," giving students and parents the opportunity to link to all of the trailers.  I've included a few of the trailers below.  Enjoy!

Noa and Celia's trailer for the short story, "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell.

Hannah and Skylar's trailer for the story, "The Sniper" by Liam O'Flaherty.

Personal Narratives

                                           
Last week, seventh graders were given the task of writing a "slice-of-life" narrative.  We discussed how, often, the smallest moments in our lives make the best stories. For instance, do you remember your first rollercoaster ride?  Or your first time swimming in the ocean? Do you remember driving home with your first pet?  Students brainstormed narrative topics that would allow them to both reflect on an experience and showcase their skill at descriptive writing.

They worked hard to make their narratives interesting for a reader. This required including enough sensory details so a reader could accurately picture the event. 
We used the metaphor of looking at something through binoculars.  The students needed to give enough details --the best details--so readers could "zoom in" on the action.

Below, I've included some excerpts from their work.


Here is the beginning of Jack's story about a childhood game of hide-and-seek or "manhunt".  He does a really nice job of hooking his reader.

"I was more alert than a mouse hiding from a cat; my palms were sweaty and there were only two of us left.  I shivered as I heard them walking by, searching. "


In David D.'s story, titled "Leap of Faith," he describes landing a ski jump. His story is filled with great sensory details like the "cold air whistling through [his] helmet."  Moreover, he includes a nice reflection: "I felt victorious, like I could do anything.  Now that I look back on it, I know not to go that way again; however, I also know not to worry about things I think I can't do."


Brooke's story, titled "Salt in the Air- Sand in My Hair," describes the experience of being knocked down by a wave and dragged along the ocean floor.  When Brooke finally emerged from the water, her hair had "flipped on top of [her] head and was sticking up." Later, this detail is used to comic effect in her reflection: "I learned never to turn my back on the ocean and never to go swimming when the waves are so rough.  I also learned to wear my hair up when I'm in the ocean."

Nice work, everyone! 

Tracing Literary Patterns

In preparation for reading and analyzing The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, seventh graders created a tool for tracing literary patterns. Each student was given a manila folder, two library pockets, and two index cards.  In order to set up the folders, students adhered the library pockets inside and then put an adhesive note on the front of each library pocket.

Then, from the list shown below, students selected two patterns to trace throughout the novel.

Whenever one of the patterns appears in the novel, students will note its context and page number on the index card.  Below, you see Evyatar's folder.  He is tracing Tom's acts of courage and Tom's traits as a leader.  He has already noted one example of Tom demonstrating a leadership trait. (Click on the picture to enlarge.)

The search for these patterns helps students to read actively.  Moreover, at the novel's conclusion, students will use their notes to help them write an essay on one of the literary patterns.

Since we will be reusing these folders, for different novels, throughout the year, students had the opportunity to decorate the covers.  Below, you'll find some examples of their wide range of interests.

Tali's folder:

Hailey F.'s folder:

 David's folder:

Literature in a New Light

According to author Thomas C. Foster, "When readers first read a piece of fiction, they focus on the story and the characters: who are these people, what are they doing, and what wonderful or terrible things are happening to them?  They will respond emotionally...This is what every author hopes for.  But when an English teacher reads, though he/she will respond emotionally as well, a lot of his/her attention will be fixed on other things" (How to Read Literature Like a Professor: For Kids).

During the past two weeks, the eighth graders have been practicing identifying and analyzing an author's use of "other things," such as archetypes and/or irony.  Part of this process required students to read several short stories and then write an analytical response in which they "fixed on" the tools an author uses. As students become more aware of what to look for in a story, they will read and understand literature in a new light.

In Josh D's response (an excerpt is typed in red below), he explains how the author's use of irony helps to highlight a character's change in perspective.

In Richard Connell's short story, "The Most Dangerous Game," the author uses irony to portray the protagonist's change in opinion.  As the story begins, Rainsford, the main character, is sailing on a yacht in search of adventure.  When Rainsford, an expert hunter, remarks, "Who cares how a jaguar feels?" a reader learns of his callous attitude toward animals (1).  Later, Rainsford falls from the yacht and swims to a nearby island where another hunter, General Zaroff, lives.  General Zaroff says to Rainsford, "We do our best to preserve the amenities of civilization here" (5).  This is an example of irony because the General reveals to him that he intentionally traps sailors on his island in order to hunt them.  The next day, Zaroff supplies Rainsford, his next victim, with hunting equipment and a head start.  This displays situational irony because Rainsford, the hunter, becomes the hunted.  As a result, Rainsford learns how it feels to be a jaguar or any hunted prey. 

Picturing Irony

Recently in class, the eighth-graders reviewed the three types of irony (verbal, situational, dramatic) in preparation for reading and analyzing several short stories with ironic situations and/or endings.  In order to demonstrate their initial understanding of irony, the students created visual aids.  Their pictures needed to include an image as well as original text (in the form of a caption or a speech bubble).  The students shared their creations in class (so fun!) which helped to reinforce their learning. 

I hope you enjoy their work as much as I do! (Click on pictures to enlarge.)

Andrew's visual aid for dramatic irony (the audience knows something that the character does not):

 Noah's flyer for situational irony:

 


Kayla O.'s humorous example of situational irony:

 Caleb Z.'s "comic"-al take on situational irony:

Covering Vocabulary

"The limits of my language are the limits of my universe." --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"The more words you know, the more clearly and powerfully you will think...and the more ideas you will invite into your mind."  -- Wilfred Funk

Frequent repetition is usually key to learning new vocabulary.  However, there tends to be a gap between memorizing/reciting definitions and being able to use vocabulary correctly in speech and writing.  In order to close this gap, seventh graders completed several assignments that allowed them to use their vocabulary in creative, yet purposeful ways.

Writing Prompts - Students were given several prompts such as "If a special holiday were established in your honor, what would people do on that day?" These assignments produced some interesting (and often humorous) responses; however, they also gave students the perfect opportunity to try out new vocabulary. 

Here is Josh S.'s response to the above prompt (vocabulary words are underlined):

"If they named a holiday in my honor, I would have Congress work more as a monolith so that things would get done more quickly.  In addition, I would have all bosses duplicate their employees' paycheck value for that week.  I do not want to be so unfair about what people would have to do, so I would have there be a bilateral agreement between me and the President of the United States."

Vocabulary Magazine Covers - Students also created headlines for existing or invented magazine covers.  Each headline includes a vocabulary word. 

Chanan's magazine cover (click on picture to enlarge):

Cover created by Rivi G. and Zohar N.:

Joshua C.'s magazine cover:

Cover created by Harris and Bradley:

Don't you feel inspired by their work?  Let's go learn a new word (or 2!) and expand our own minds/universe.

Archetypes in Poetry

After discussing the origins and meanings of many archetypal symbols (such as water, snow, fog, the sea, the seasons, etc.), students made their first attempts to analyze a poem's use of archetypes.  The goal is to have students move beyond a surface reading of a text by looking for symbols that provide a deeper understanding.  This process requires close reading and purposeful annotation as students search not only for archetypes but for patterns as well.   This important work scaffolds students' thinking and helps them with the more difficult task of identifying a work's theme.  Take a look at some of their annotated poems; you'll see great minds at work!

Poem analyzed by Jacob K., Jacob A., Ryan L., and Nathan F.

Poem analyzed by Olivia, Hannah, and Elana O.

 

Poem analyzed by Orly, Lauren, and Haviva

I Beat the Odds by Michael Oher

So far, in the first four chapters of the book, the reader experiences Michael Oher explaining his childhood.  Oher and his eight siblings had an extremely hard childhood living in the inner-city ghettos of Memphis, TN.  He called where he lived "hurt village" because, as he describes in the book, everything and everyone seems to be hurt.  He didn't have a stable home; his mother was a drug addict, and his family was very poor.  During this time, his family was the most precious thing to him.  No matter what the circumstances, all of the Oher children would look out for each other.  What he feared the most was losing his family.  As a result, he thought his biggest enemy was the Tennessee Department of Childcare Services.  He always had one thing in the back of his mind, leaving the ghetto and entering a world of opportunity.
     Immediately, when I started reading this book, I felt very connected.  As I read about Michael Oher and his childhood, it made me think about the way I am growing up and the house I live in.  It made me think about how wonderful my life is and how much I have.  It reminds me that I have the opportunity to go and do things that are great.  So far, I have gotten so much out of this book, and I've learned so much about the world that I'm not accustomed to.

Jonas and "The Journey"

It's great to be able to analyze a book for theme, conflict, or character development.  This is something that we practice regularly throughout the school year.  However, I often find that the best student writing comes when they are given the task of making text-to-text connections.  In order to facilitate this type of thinking and analysis, we've been reading a couple of poems and analyzing each for its possible connections to Jonas in The Giver.   We started with Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken."  We discussed how this poem can serve as a metaphor for decisions we make in life.  (We go down one path, but we may always wonder how life would be different if we had chosen a different path.)  Next, we read Mary Oliver's poem "The Journey."

In case you aren't familiar with this poem, here's the full-text to "The Journey." (It's worth the read.)

 

Students worked with a partner to identify possible connections between the narrator of the poem and Jonas.  As you can see, they had a lot of ideas!  Next, students will choose one of the poems and write a brief essay of the connections they found.   

Allusion in The Giver

In Lois Lowry's The Giver, Jonas, the main character, plays a game of catch using an apple.  Initially, this scene may seem unimportant; however, if we take the time to go deeper, we can recognize and appreciate Lowry's use of allusion.  When given the chance to pause and think about what the apple could symbolize, it didn't take too long for one or more students to see the allusion to the biblical Tree of Knowledge and its forbidden fruit.  This was the starting point for a discussion of all the "forbidden" knowledge that Jonas receives from the Giver.  Students worked with a partner to list examples which were then shared with the class and displayed on the board.

Vanity License Plates

As a way of getting to know my seventh-graders, I ask each student to design a license plate which reveals something personal, such as an interest or hobby, a career goal, etc.  This is such a simple assignment, but as students share and explain their license plates, I know it is worthwhile.  We display the license plates (all year), and the students have fun deciphering each other's letter/number designs. 

This year's most popular theme?

Sports!!!! (LOL)

See if you can decipher the following license plates which showcase talents and career aspirations...

Making text-to-text connections

It's been a busy couple of days, filled with the practice of deep reading and making important textual connections.  After I modeled how to annotate a difficult text, students practiced annotating a brief excerpt from Viktor Frankl's book Man's Search for Meaning.  This book is rich with important life lessons, including how your attitude (especially in the face of adversity) influences everything you do and achieve.  Once we shared and discussed the students' questions and notes, they began the task of connecting Frankl's words/philosophies to a character in Animal Farm.  I've included the full-text of one student's response as well as several excerpts from other student responses.  I think you'll agree that their responses are very insightful.

 

Mila S. writes, "Boxer often did extra work and volunteered to do more, even when he was injured.  He had a personal goal (to build the windmill), and he worked each day to achieve that goal.  This attitude embodies an outlook or ideal that Frankl observed in others who have endured great adversity--'There is only one thing I dread: not to be worthy of my sufferings'."

Zachary L. writes, "I think Napoleon would react (to Frankl's work) by saying it is not true that your mind is the last place of freedom.  In the book (Animal Farm), Napoleon doesn't allow the animals the independence of mind they deserve.  He tricks their minds, so they always think he is right and that he is working for their best interest, even when he takes control of the farm."

Three Words to the World

For this year's summer reading assignment, the eighth graders read George Orwell's Animal Farm.  As a way to begin our discussion of the novel, I asked students to select a character and create that character's motto or "three words to the world."  For instance, Boxer's three words might be "Always work harder," whereas Benjamin's three words would be "Nothing ever changes."  This is a great way to not only review character traits and motivation, but also to get students thinking about their own life mottoes.  As a follow-up activity, students designed a butterfly and included their "three words to the world." The butterflies are displayed in the classroom (all year) and provide a source of inspiration. What would be your three words to the world?