Page 83 - SpringBoard_Writing_Workshop_Grade8_Flipbook

Writing Workshop 7 (continued)
4 SpringBoard® Writing Workshop with Grammar Activities Grade 8
5. Where are some moments where the writer directly tells his audience the lessons of his experience?
Students might respond with textual evidence such as the following: “I would find a way around this brick wall;” “Have something to bring to the table, because that will make you more welcome.” and/or “if you can find an opening, you can probably find a way to float through it.”
6. Writers often use dialogue to help capture a scene and depict the characters in a narrative, balancing direct (word-for-word, in quotation marks) and indirect (paraphrased, no quotation marks) quotes. What are some examples of direct and indirect quotes in Pausch’s narrative? How does the dialogue add to the telling of the experience?
Direct - “What are you going to fax us?”
Indirect - I explained: my resignation as the faculty advisor and my application as the journalist.
They help to show scenes, capture the speakers’ voices, and create a sense of authenticity.
7. What are several things the narrator does that engaged you as a reader? Answers will vary, but may include the following:
He uses humor and shares his feelings.
He includes vivid language like “Vomit Comet” and “I didn’t really want the whole astronaut gig, just the floating.”
He varies his sentence length and sentence structure, including fragments (“Floating!”) all the way to long, compound-complex sentences (in the next to last paragraph).
He shows how he felt at the time and reflects on what he learned from the experience.
Check Your Understanding
8. Explain one technique Pausch uses to engage his readers. Include several
examples or quotes that show how he does this.
Sample response:
Pausch uses reflections to make the lessons of his story very clear. He starts the essay by explaining, “It is important to have specific dreams.” His story then tells how one of his dreams came true thanks to his perseverance. He also explains that you should “Have something to bring to the table, because that will make you more welcome.” He showed
how this was true when he made his clever deal with NASA. Pausch’s perseverance paid off and he tells his readers, “It just proves that if
you can find an opening, you can probably find a way to float through
it.” This is a positive message to send to his audience—and a nice way to end the narrative.
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