Page 328 - SpringBoard_ELA_Grade8_Flipbook
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aCTIVITy 4.9
continued
Setting a Purpose for Reading
• As you read the poem, underline words and phrases that demonstrate hyperbole.
• Circle unknown words and phrases. Try to determine the meaning of the words
by using context clues, word parts, or a dictionary. Chicle is a gummy substance
• Mark lines you find humorous or strange with an exclamation point.
El Chicle
by Ana Castillo
Mi’jo and I were laughing
ha, ha, ha— when the gum he chewed
fell out of his mouth and into my hair which, after I clipped it,
flew in the air,
on the back
of a dragonfly that dipped in the creek
and was snapped fast by a turtle that reached high and swam deep. Mi’jo wondered what happened to
Word CoNNeCTIoNs
obtained from trees and used to manufacture chewing gum. In Spanish, el chicle, means “gum.”
my Notes
Cognates
About the Author
Ana Castillo is a celebrated Chicana poet, activist, novelist, and translator. Her commitment to human rights, free expression, and cultural exchange has shaped her career as a writer and scholar. Castillo’s work in poetry and prose is highly innovative and is based on oral and literary traditions.
Unit 4 • The Challenge of Comedy 301
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