Close Reading
Weekly Reading Close Objectives
NONFICTION UNIT CLOSE READING OBJECTIVES
Close Reading Objectives: Week One in Nonfiction
Beyond standard annotation requirements, please complete the following:
"Wolves"
1. Annotate the word choices and portions of the text which contribute to people's impression of wolves.
2. Annotate the word choices and portions of the passage that communicate how the author feels about wolves.
3. Highlight the part of the passage which most closely communicates the author's central idea.
"Amy Tan"
1. Cite specific portions of the text which communicate how the author feels about Amy Tan.
2. Cite specific textual evidence to support how the author feels about each of Tan's novels.
Close Reading Objectives: Week Two in Nonfiction
Beyond standard annotation requirements, please complete the following:
“Earthquake Damage”
1. Highlight and summarize significant details.
2. Write the number of the questions beside the portion of the text that best supports your response. Then, highlight the text.
"Leading Women"
1. Chunk the text.
2. Highlight Golda Meir’s comment to the King of Jordan in the third paragraph. In the margin, explain her tone and summarize what you think she meant be her comment.
3. Highlight and annotate diction and details which support how the author feels about Golda Meir.
4. Highlight significant information detailing Golda Meir and Aung San Suu Kyi. Choose three most important details for each woman and record the three details in the margin.
5. After analyzing and synthesizing your annotations, compose a sentence which states the author’s central idea.
Close Reading Objectives: Week Three in Nonfiction
Beyond standard annotation requirements, please complete the following:
"Charles Dickens"
1. Write the number of the questions beside the portion of the text that best supports your response. Then, highlight the text.
2. Annotate the word choices and portions of the passage that communicate how the author feels about Charles Dickens.
3. Highlight the act of “listening to the rats” mentioned in the fourth paragraph. In the margin, explain the image created and summarize why this is important to the passage.
"Will's Journal"
1. Annotate components of tone. After each entry, briefly summarize the entry and use a tone word to capture how Will feels. Then examine tone consistencies/changes. Compose a statement which identifies a connection among the tones.
2. At the bottom of the passage, compose a sentence which explains how Will feels about saving energy. Annotate portions of the text that specifically support your statement. Connect these portions to the statement by drawing arrows from the evidence to the statement.
Close Read Objectives: Week Four in Nonfiction
Beyond standard annotation requirements, please complete the following:
"San Pietro" pg 82 - 84
1. Highlight the topic sentence of each paragraph. Jot down a quick summary in the margins.
2. Using those summaries, compose a sentence which states how the author connects those sentences to form a central idea. The sentence should answer the question "How does the author connect/organize the information to shape the central idea.
3. Highlight the sentence that states, or most contributes to, the central idea.
4. Compose one short sentence stating the author's point of view or purpose. Before composing this sentence, write "Point of View:" or "Purpose:."
Close Reading Objectives: Week Five
Beyond standard annotation requirements, please complete the following:
"Editor" pp. 85-87
FICTION UNIT CLOSE READING OBJECTIVES
Close Reading Objectives: Week Four in Literature
Excerpt from “Ethan Frome”
1. Highlight and annotate diction that reveals Ethan's motivation for his change in behavior. Compose a sentence describing this motivation.
3. Chunk the sections of the text where the author employs flashback. What event is Ethan watching in the present day?
Excerpt from “Snake Boy”
1. Highlight and annotate details that characterize Anpao. Explain how he differs from the brothers, and circle details that illustrate this difference.
2. Underline details of the setting. In a short paragraph, explain the significance of the desert to the theme.
3. Describe the mood of the folk-tale in one word. Circle diction from the passage that the author uses to establish the mood.
Close Reading Objectives: Week Three in Literature
Excerpt from “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”
1. Underline the sentence that most closely functions as the central idea in each paragraph. Summarize this sentence in the margin. If the paragraph does not contain a clear sentence relating the central idea to the reader, compose a short central idea in the margin.
2. Highlight and annotate specific details which characterize Mr. Utterson, Mr. Enfield, and the man who knocks down the girl. Write a brief character description for each character in the margin.
3. Annotate the uses of simile in the last paragraph. Compose a brief statement in the margin explaining the impact of the simile.
4. Stevenson places clear emphasis on establishing irony in the text. In nearly every paragraph, the author provides details about settings, characters, and events that seem to contrast what the reader might expect.
a. Highlight as many examples of irony as you can find. Jot the contrast in the margin (“dusty, dreary” yet “lovable” -from the first sentence)
b. Compose a sentence at the end of the narrative which suggests what the impact of irony might be.
Close Reading Objectives: Week Two in Literature
"The Magic Shop"
1. Compose a sentence next to the first paragraph which explains the allure of the shop.
2. Annotate examples of figurative language and label them in the margins.
3. Annotate the details or events that reveal the central idea.
4. Compose a theme statement and circle the statement.
5. Highlight diction used to characterize the shopman.
6. Compose a short summary of the events below the passage.
Close Reading Objectives: Week One in Literature
"The Tortoise and the Hare"
1. Annotate diction used to characterize the Hare.
2. Annotate examples of figurative language and label them in the margins.
3. Annotate the statement or action that leads to a shift in the advancement of the narrative.
4. Highlight the line that most closely identifies the central idea.
5. Compose a short summary of the events below the passage.
"As His Head Sank Deep"
1. Annotate the plot components (exposition, rising action, climax, etc.) in the margins.
2. Annotate examples of figurative language and label them in the margins.
3. Compose a sentence explaining how the boy began to feel at the end of the passage. Draw arrows to the evidence that supports your statement.
4. Summarize the action of this short fiction in the space below the passage.
POETRY UNIT CLOSE READING OBJECTIVES
Close Reading Objectives: Week Four in Poetry
Beyond standard annotation requirements, please complete the following:
"Wings"
1. Annotate diction used to establish tone. Define unfamiliar terms in the margins.
2. After examining the tone of the author/speaker, compose a tone statement below the poem.
3. Highlight the repetition. Compose a short statement in the margin analyzing the impact of the repetition on the tone.
4. Compose a sentence which analyzes the meaning of the last line of the poem.
"Some simple measures in the American idiom and the Variable foot" by William Carlos Williams
1. Highlight the author's use of paradox. In the margin, compose a sentence which paraphrases the meaning behind the paradox.
2. Compose a sentence that offers your explanation of why the paradox "Gives man assurance".
Close Reading Objectives: Week Three in Poetry
Beyond standard annotation requirements, please complete the following:
"When I heard the learn'd astronomer"
1. Annotate diction used to establish tone. Define unfamiliar terms in the margins.
2. After examining the tone of the author/speaker, compose one tone statement below the poem.
3. Highlight the repetition in lines 1-4. Compose a short statement in the margin analyzing the impact of the repetition on the tone.
4. Annotate examples of alliteration.
5. Highlight the line which most contributes to the theme of the poem. Compose a theme statement below the poem.
Close Reading Objectives: Week Two in Poetry
Beyond standard annotation requirements, please complete the following:
"A Narrow Fellow in the Grass" by Emily Dickinson
1. Annotate similes and personification. Paraphrase their purpose in the margin.
2. Annotate examples of alliteration.
3. Define unfamiliar terms in the margins
4. Annotate line which provides information about the speaker. Paraphrase this information in the margins.
5. Compose a sentence which communicates the theme of the poem.
Close Reading Objectives: Week One in Poetry
Beyond standard annotation requirements, please complete the following:
"The Years" By Sarah Teasdale
1. Annotate diction used to establish tone. Define unfamiliar terms in the margins.
2. Annotate examples of alliteration.
3. After examining the tone of the author/speaker, compose one tone statement below the poem.
4. Annotate personification. Paraphrase the purpose of the personification in the margin.
5. Compose a sentence which communicates the theme of the poem.
NONFICTION UNIT CLOSE READING OBJECTIVES
Close Reading Objectives: Week One in Nonfiction
Beyond standard annotation requirements, please complete the following:
"Wolves"
1. Annotate the word choices and portions of the text which contribute to people's impression of wolves.
2. Annotate the word choices and portions of the passage that communicate how the author feels about wolves.
3. Highlight the part of the passage which most closely communicates the author's central idea.
"Amy Tan"
1. Cite specific portions of the text which communicate how the author feels about Amy Tan.
2. Cite specific textual evidence to support how the author feels about each of Tan's novels.
Close Reading Objectives: Week Two in Nonfiction
Beyond standard annotation requirements, please complete the following:
“Earthquake Damage”
1. Highlight and summarize significant details.
2. Write the number of the questions beside the portion of the text that best supports your response. Then, highlight the text.
"Leading Women"
1. Chunk the text.
2. Highlight Golda Meir’s comment to the King of Jordan in the third paragraph. In the margin, explain her tone and summarize what you think she meant be her comment.
3. Highlight and annotate diction and details which support how the author feels about Golda Meir.
4. Highlight significant information detailing Golda Meir and Aung San Suu Kyi. Choose three most important details for each woman and record the three details in the margin.
5. After analyzing and synthesizing your annotations, compose a sentence which states the author’s central idea.
Close Reading Objectives: Week Three in Nonfiction
Beyond standard annotation requirements, please complete the following:
"Charles Dickens"
1. Write the number of the questions beside the portion of the text that best supports your response. Then, highlight the text.
2. Annotate the word choices and portions of the passage that communicate how the author feels about Charles Dickens.
3. Highlight the act of “listening to the rats” mentioned in the fourth paragraph. In the margin, explain the image created and summarize why this is important to the passage.
"Will's Journal"
1. Annotate components of tone. After each entry, briefly summarize the entry and use a tone word to capture how Will feels. Then examine tone consistencies/changes. Compose a statement which identifies a connection among the tones.
2. At the bottom of the passage, compose a sentence which explains how Will feels about saving energy. Annotate portions of the text that specifically support your statement. Connect these portions to the statement by drawing arrows from the evidence to the statement.
Close Read Objectives: Week Four in Nonfiction
Beyond standard annotation requirements, please complete the following:
"San Pietro" pg 82 - 84
1. Highlight the topic sentence of each paragraph. Jot down a quick summary in the margins.
2. Using those summaries, compose a sentence which states how the author connects those sentences to form a central idea. The sentence should answer the question "How does the author connect/organize the information to shape the central idea.
3. Highlight the sentence that states, or most contributes to, the central idea.
4. Compose one short sentence stating the author's point of view or purpose. Before composing this sentence, write "Point of View:" or "Purpose:."
Close Reading Objectives: Week Five
Beyond standard annotation requirements, please complete the following:
"Editor" pp. 85-87
- Highlight the sentence that most contributes to the central idea.
- Highlight the thesis statement. Re-state the thesis in the margin.
- Highlight the author's use of appeal. Identify the type of appeal in the margins.
- Highlight diction used specifically to appeal to the reader's emotion. Summarize the likely effects of this diction in the margins.
- Is this thesis statement re-stated in the conclusion? If so, highlight it and draw a line connecting it to the thesis statement.
- Compose a statement evaluating this letter's effectiveness. Cite textual evidence to support your critique.
FICTION UNIT CLOSE READING OBJECTIVES
Close Reading Objectives: Week Four in Literature
Excerpt from “Ethan Frome”
1. Highlight and annotate diction that reveals Ethan's motivation for his change in behavior. Compose a sentence describing this motivation.
- Underline diction that reveals Zeena's feelings about this change. Briefly summarize why she feels this way.
- Based on the narrative, do you believe Mattie is knowledgeable about Ethan's feelings? Explain your reasoning.
3. Chunk the sections of the text where the author employs flashback. What event is Ethan watching in the present day?
Excerpt from “Snake Boy”
1. Highlight and annotate details that characterize Anpao. Explain how he differs from the brothers, and circle details that illustrate this difference.
2. Underline details of the setting. In a short paragraph, explain the significance of the desert to the theme.
3. Describe the mood of the folk-tale in one word. Circle diction from the passage that the author uses to establish the mood.
Close Reading Objectives: Week Three in Literature
Excerpt from “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”
1. Underline the sentence that most closely functions as the central idea in each paragraph. Summarize this sentence in the margin. If the paragraph does not contain a clear sentence relating the central idea to the reader, compose a short central idea in the margin.
2. Highlight and annotate specific details which characterize Mr. Utterson, Mr. Enfield, and the man who knocks down the girl. Write a brief character description for each character in the margin.
3. Annotate the uses of simile in the last paragraph. Compose a brief statement in the margin explaining the impact of the simile.
4. Stevenson places clear emphasis on establishing irony in the text. In nearly every paragraph, the author provides details about settings, characters, and events that seem to contrast what the reader might expect.
a. Highlight as many examples of irony as you can find. Jot the contrast in the margin (“dusty, dreary” yet “lovable” -from the first sentence)
b. Compose a sentence at the end of the narrative which suggests what the impact of irony might be.
Close Reading Objectives: Week Two in Literature
"The Magic Shop"
1. Compose a sentence next to the first paragraph which explains the allure of the shop.
2. Annotate examples of figurative language and label them in the margins.
3. Annotate the details or events that reveal the central idea.
4. Compose a theme statement and circle the statement.
5. Highlight diction used to characterize the shopman.
6. Compose a short summary of the events below the passage.
Close Reading Objectives: Week One in Literature
"The Tortoise and the Hare"
1. Annotate diction used to characterize the Hare.
2. Annotate examples of figurative language and label them in the margins.
3. Annotate the statement or action that leads to a shift in the advancement of the narrative.
4. Highlight the line that most closely identifies the central idea.
5. Compose a short summary of the events below the passage.
"As His Head Sank Deep"
1. Annotate the plot components (exposition, rising action, climax, etc.) in the margins.
2. Annotate examples of figurative language and label them in the margins.
3. Compose a sentence explaining how the boy began to feel at the end of the passage. Draw arrows to the evidence that supports your statement.
4. Summarize the action of this short fiction in the space below the passage.
POETRY UNIT CLOSE READING OBJECTIVES
Close Reading Objectives: Week Four in Poetry
Beyond standard annotation requirements, please complete the following:
"Wings"
1. Annotate diction used to establish tone. Define unfamiliar terms in the margins.
2. After examining the tone of the author/speaker, compose a tone statement below the poem.
3. Highlight the repetition. Compose a short statement in the margin analyzing the impact of the repetition on the tone.
4. Compose a sentence which analyzes the meaning of the last line of the poem.
"Some simple measures in the American idiom and the Variable foot" by William Carlos Williams
1. Highlight the author's use of paradox. In the margin, compose a sentence which paraphrases the meaning behind the paradox.
2. Compose a sentence that offers your explanation of why the paradox "Gives man assurance".
Close Reading Objectives: Week Three in Poetry
Beyond standard annotation requirements, please complete the following:
"When I heard the learn'd astronomer"
1. Annotate diction used to establish tone. Define unfamiliar terms in the margins.
2. After examining the tone of the author/speaker, compose one tone statement below the poem.
3. Highlight the repetition in lines 1-4. Compose a short statement in the margin analyzing the impact of the repetition on the tone.
4. Annotate examples of alliteration.
5. Highlight the line which most contributes to the theme of the poem. Compose a theme statement below the poem.
Close Reading Objectives: Week Two in Poetry
Beyond standard annotation requirements, please complete the following:
"A Narrow Fellow in the Grass" by Emily Dickinson
1. Annotate similes and personification. Paraphrase their purpose in the margin.
2. Annotate examples of alliteration.
3. Define unfamiliar terms in the margins
4. Annotate line which provides information about the speaker. Paraphrase this information in the margins.
5. Compose a sentence which communicates the theme of the poem.
Close Reading Objectives: Week One in Poetry
Beyond standard annotation requirements, please complete the following:
"The Years" By Sarah Teasdale
1. Annotate diction used to establish tone. Define unfamiliar terms in the margins.
2. Annotate examples of alliteration.
3. After examining the tone of the author/speaker, compose one tone statement below the poem.
4. Annotate personification. Paraphrase the purpose of the personification in the margin.
5. Compose a sentence which communicates the theme of the poem.