Embedded Files
Getting to Know the Author:
Knowing background information about an author can often times help us understand the story better because author’s often times, “write what they know.” Read the biography about the author and then do the small assignment below.
Photo:
"Washington Irving Picture." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2013.
Vocabulary:
Being familiar with the vocabulary in a story in important because if you don’t understand the words in the story then you won’t understand the story itself. Complete the vocabulary assignment below so that you are familiar with the words that will appear in the story.
Directions: Read through ALL the vocab words below so that you are familiar with these words and their definitions. Then pick 10 of the ones that you find the most interesting and write them in a sentence. The sentence must include context clues to what the word means.
Example: The loquacious boy ran down the hall making tons of noise.
termagant -a scolding nagging bad-tempered woman
authenticate -establish the authenticity of something
reciprocate -act, feel, or give mutually or in return
urchin -poor and often mischievous city child
uncouth -lacking refinement or cultivation or taste
impunity -exemption from punishment or loss
bilious -relating to or containing bile
corroborate -give evidence for
propitiate -make peace with
obsequious -attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
patriarch -the male head of family or tribe
evince -give expression to
jargon -specialized technical terminology characteristic of a particular subject
harangue -a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion
tribulation -an annoying or frustrating or catastrophic event
chivalrous -being attentive to women like an ideal knight
transient -lasting a very short time
alacrity -liveliness and eagerness
abode -any address at which you dwell more than temporarily
scrupulous -characterized by extreme care and great effort
comely -according with custom or propriety
approbation -official approval
disposition -your usual mood
countenance -the appearance conveyed by a person's face
orator -a person who delivers a speech or oration
tyranny -a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)
antiquity -the historic period preceding the Middle Ages in Europe
vain -characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
zeal -a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause)
flourish -grow vigorously
primitive -little evolved from or characteristic of an earlier ancestral type
siege -the action of an armed force that surrounds a fortified place and isolates it while continuing to attack
Mini Lesson:
Complete these mini lessons below. These mini lessons will cover the concepts that you will be looking for when reading the story.
Theme: Watch the clip on theme and take notes as to what theme really is and how to analyze it: Clip
Symbolism: Watch the clip on symbolism and take notes as what symbolism really is and how to analyze it: Clip
Reading the story:
Read the story and complete the assignment for the story.
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