Page 49 - SpringBoard_CloseReading_Workshop_Grade7_Flipbook

Close Reading of shakespeare (continued)
Introducing the Strategy: Diffusing
Diffusing is one strategy used in close reading. In this strategy, the reader reads a passage to identify unfamiliar words. The reader uses context clues, dictionaries, and/or thesauruses to discover the meaning of these unfamiliar words. Writing notes about meaning or substituting synonyms for unfamiliar words helps the reader increase his or her comprehension of the text.
ACTIvITy 1
Guided Practice
You will read the text in this activity at least three times, focusing on a different purpose for each reading.
First Reading: First Impressions
Read the following passage silently. Your focus for this first reading should be on understanding the meaning of the passage. Note that underlined words may be unfamiliar to you. As you read, practice diffusing by replacing these words with the synonyms or definitions found in the margin. Words that are important and that you may know are bolded. Try to figure out meanings of other unfamiliar words through context clues before you look them up.
In this passage, Viola, who has disguised herself as a man, has been given the gift of a ring from the Countess Olivia, whom she has just met. The ring is delivered by one of Countess Olivia’s servants. This extends the comic confusion among the main characters about who is in love with whom.
48 SpringBoard® English Language Arts Grade 7
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