Page 97 - SpringBoard_ELA_Grade6_Flipbook

a 1
CTIvITy .15
In the end
LearNING STraTeGIeS:
Activating Prior Knowledge, Graphic Organizer, Brainstorming, Marking the Text
Literary Terms
Personification is figurative language that gives human characteristics to an animal or nonliving thing. For example, “. . . the beam
of the flashlight danced crazily . . .”
About the Author
Walter Dean Myers (1937–) has been writing since he was a child. He published his first book, Where Does the Day Go?, in 1969. He has since written many books for children and young adults, two of which—Scorpions and Somewhere in the Darkness—have received Newbery Honors. His stories focus on the challenges and triumphs of growing up in a difficult environment. His memoir, Bad Boy, reveals how he overcame racial challenges and his own shortcomings to become a very successful author.
Short Story
mood: a person’s overall state of mind; the way a person is feeling at a given time
stoop: stairway entrance outside of an urban residence
my Notes
Learning Targets
• Analyze the resolution to a story, and transform it to create a different resolution.
• Create a thematic statement about a short story, using textual evidence.
• Identify types of figurative language and how it can be used to create mental images.
Preview
In this activity, you will read a short story to analyze its resolution, as well as the author’s use of figurative language.
Setting a Purpose for Reading
• The author of “The Treasure of Lemon Brown” uses figurative language to conjure mental images that add to the drama of the story. For example, he uses personification to create a visualization of an eerie scene. Do a close reading of the text in which you mark the text (highlight, underline, circle, take notes) to indicate the author’s use of similes, metaphors, and personification in the story.
• Circle unknown words and phrases. Try to determine the meaning of the words by using context clues, word parts, or a dictionary.
70 SpringBoard® English Language Arts Grade 6
“The Treasure of Lemon Brown” by Walter Dean Myers
1 The dark sky, filled with angry, swirling clouds, reflected Greg Ridley’s mood as he sat on the stoop of his building. His father’s voice came to him again, first reading the letter the principal had sent to the house, then lecturing endlessly about his poor efforts in math.
2 “I had to leave school when I was thirteen,” his father had said, “that’s a year younger than you are now. If I’d had half the chances you have, I’d . . .”
© 2017 College Board. All rights reserved.