March 16, 2011

Literature: “All Summer in a Day”New Story: The Possibility of Evil

Housekeeping

• Spring Break

“All Summer in a Day”

Before Reading• Author: Ray Bradbury– American– Born in 1920, still living!! (90 years old)– “All Summer in a Day” published in 1959– Mostly writes Science Fiction concerned with the

impact of technology on everyday life

“All Summer in a Day”

After Reading

Briefly: Think about the title. How does it relate to the story?

How might Margot’s experiences be similar to yours or mine?

“All Summer in a Day”Vocabulary Activity

1. Work with your partner to complete “Understanding the Words in the Story (Multiple Choice).”

2. You may use a dictionary and the story to help you answer the questions. Explain your choices to each other.

You have 10 minutes. We will go over the answers together.

Understanding the Words, p. 100

1. concussion h. disturbance2. consequence e. importance3. muffling j. deadening (softening)4. repercussions a. reflections of sound (repetitions)5. resilient g. leaping back (springing back)6. savored b. enjoyed7. slackening c. slowing down8. solemn f. serious9. suspended d. held in position 10. tumultuously i. in a riotous way (in a stormy or

chaotic way)

Understanding the Words, p. 100

I will assign each table a word. Work together to look up the word and write a sample sentence for your assigned word. You have approximately 5 minutes to do this.

1. resilient (adj.)2. savoured (v.)3. solemn (adj.)4. consequence (n.)5. tumultuously (adv.)

Sample Sentences

1. resilient (adj.) resilience (n.)— The resilient soccer player came back better than ever.— My sister is so moody, but fortunately she is resilient.— After coming back from a war zone, his resilience

impressed all his friends.

1. savoured (v.) savour (savor)— When the weather is sunny, Vancouverites savour the

sun on the beach.— The children savoured the chocolate cake.

Sample Sentences

3. solmen (adj.)— When the queen awards Canadian soldiers the

Victoria Cross, they are very solemn.— I have a friend who is very solemn in his business.

4. consequence (n.)— Decisions of great consequence have been made

during the last UN summit in Geneva.— The consequence of cheating on a test is zero!

Sample Sentences

1. tumultuously (adv.)— At some point, regardless of status, we are all

tumultuously affected by world crisis.— I usually didn’t like to cross a tumultuous area.— I usually didn’t like to cross an area tumultuously.

BREAK

“All Summer in a Day”Reviewing Story Elements

• In pairs, share your ideas *BRIEFLY*• You have approximately 30 minutes to do this• We will review together

Reviewing Story ElementsPoint of view Is the story told from first person or third person? Does this affect how we view the protagonist? How?

• It is told from third person – the narrator tells the story using “he/she.”

• The narrator describes the characters actions and behaviour, so we can judge the characters by what they say and do.

• We understand the characters from the narrator’s opinion or point of view.

Reviewing Story ElementsSetting Where and when is the story set? • The story is set on Venus – as the author imagines it – in an underground city, in a

school, a classroom, and a closet

• It takes place on the day the sun comes out after 7 years

How does this setting affect the story? Does the story have to take place in this setting?• No - The theme of this story (seeing is believing) could be developed in other

settings.

• Yes – The events of the story must take place in an extreme environment or situation – or it wouldn’t be as believable or dramatic if it took place on Earth

• Yes/No – It needs to be in a setting without any diversity – a place where everyone /the culture is “the same”

Reviewing Story ElementsCharactersIs the main character • flat or round? (Do we know much about the character?)

– She’s calm, she’s isolated, she’s depressed, she’s sensitive, she’s creative, she’s stubborn

– if we see these as very similar traits we might say she is flat; but if we see them as separate and different, she is round.

– She seems to be a mix of positve and negative characteristics so she could be considered round

• dynamic or static? (Does the character undergo a change in their beliefs or outlook?) – We don’t have enough information – according to what we know about her

(i.e., stubborn) she probably doesn’t

What about other characters in the story? – The words and actions of the other children at the end of the story show they

regret what they did. It is likely that they have been changed by this experience and will treat Margot differently in the future.

Reviewing Story ElementsConflict What kind of conflict(s) is/are present in the story? Internal or External? What type (character vs. . . .)

External Margot vs. society – Margot does not feel part of the society on Venus, others do not accept her eitherMargot vs. her classmates - Margot vs. her parents – hinted at, but not very developedMargot vs. environment – Margot feels depressed by the lack of sunshine and the difference between Venus and her home town of Ohio

InternalMargot vs. herself – she doesn’t want to be there but she has to be there -she doesn’t feel like she belongs but she has to try to fit in

Reviewing Story ElementsForeshadowingDoes the writer give any clues or hints about what might happen at the end of the story (outcome)? What are they?

— “They hated her difference and possible future” foreshadows the children doing something mean to her – locking her in the closet

— “What are you waiting for, you won’t see anything” – one of Margot’s classmates says this to her and it turns out to be true because she is locked in the closet

Reviewing Story ElementsOutcomeIs the ending positive or negative for the main character?

Negative — she was bullied into the closet— doesn’t get to see the sun — she misses a very rare opportunity to see something she’s wished for

Positive — nothing dangerous or life-threatening happened— the other children realize they were wrong about her and can change the

way they treat her; she might not be alone, she might have friends afterwards and be able to tolerate her situation

— she was right and the children know it and will probably treat her better

Reviewing Story ElementsThemeWhat is the author’s message about people who act like the main character? What is he saying about people who act like the other characters?

— People often need to experience something themselves to believe it.— We shouldn’t make judgements in ignorance/ when we don’t have

knowledge/information— If somebody has additional knowledge and states it and stands on his or her idea

she/he may be penalized or in a closed atmosphere (isolated).— Sometimes people have an opportunity in life but don’t understand the value of

their position and lose their personality in front of the others and feel stubborn or selfishness. [If someone insists on their idea(s) they may become isolated.]

— In society you have to stand up for yourself or you may be bullied or isolated.— Sometimes people persecute others because of their differences or opinions.— Persecuting people for their differences can be negative for everyone involved.

Homework1. For Monday, March 28th

Writing • Assignment #2, p. 185 – Read the Instructions carefully, and to do each

step: pre-writing, rough draft, and revision. Hand in all stages of writing. Your work will be graded according to the “Four Bases Checklist” on p. 188 /20

2. For Wednesday, March 30th “All Summer in a Day,” • For Discussion, p. 99 - Complete Questions 2 and 5. (5 marks each).

Your answers should be approximately 3-6 sentences long.• Write a vocabulary paragraph for the following words from “All Summer

in a Day”: resilient (adj.), savoured (v.), solmen (adj.), consequence (n.), tumultuously (adv.)

“The Possibility of Evil”• Read the story and complete the “Reviewing Story Elements” handout.