Monday and Tuesday
Complete writing prompt. - Writing prompt is to work on your Membean! (1 hour due by Friday)
Putting Connotation into Practice - Analyzing Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" Speech
(Diffuse the text first!)
In this connotation exercise, use what you have learned so far to review the speech and find meaning packed phrases and identify how the author used them to manipulate the listener/reader. You will have to read the speech multiple times, diffuse the speech, and review it in pieces to find the phrases. Work with your table to analyze this.
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vDWWy4CMhE
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.
We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.
We cannot turn back.
There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities.*We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: "For Whites Only."* We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."¹
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."2
This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:
My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.
And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that:
Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:
Free at last! Free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!3
Read 30 minutes. Summary of week's reading is due Friday.
http://blog.flocabulary.com/i-have-a-dream-speech-analysis-lesson-plan/
Tuesday
Complete writing prompt. - Writing prompt is to work on your Membean! (1 hour due by Friday)
Read 30 minutes. Summary of week's reading is due Friday.
Wednesday
Complete writing prompt. - Writing prompt is to work on your Membean! (1 hour due by Friday)
Holiday! No School!
Read 30 minutes. Summary of week's reading is due Friday.
Thursday
Complete writing prompt after test. - Writing prompt is to work on your Membean! (1 hour due by Friday)
Test – Connotation, Denotation, TPCASTT, Context Clues
After the test....
Look over the "I Have a Dream" handout.
Explain the connotation and word selection of the following:
sweltering with heat
vicious racists
mountain of despair
manacles of segregation and chains of discrimination
island of poverty
quicksands of racial injustice
What did you find most moving or inspiring in this speech and why?
Read 30 minutes. Summary of week's reading is due Friday.
Friday
Complete writing prompt. - Writing prompt is to work on your Membean! (1 hour due)
Library Visit
Define Context Clue!
(Context clues are hints that an author gives to help define a difficult or unusual word. The clue may appear within the same sentence as the word to which it refers, or it may follow in a preceding sentence.)
How Can I Figure Out That Connotation?
Using Context Clues....Word Detective
Flocabulary - Context Clues Word Detective
Word Detective: On the Case Activity (See Notes/Handouts Section)
Read the example sentences below and hunt for clues: synonyms, antonyms, explanations and examples. Look closely at the bold word. Then take your best guess at what the word means, and write a short definition.
1. Elijah was really happy when he found out that he got an A on his exam. He felt elated!
2. Ian was so irate that he wanted to throw something, but he took a deep breath and then he felt better.
3. I didn’t think his outfit was plain at all! I actually thought it was quite ornate.
4. My pet guinea pig is an herbivore, so I only feed him plants, never meat.
5. Maria was being so antagonistic yesterday. I think she was trying to pick a fight!
6. When Lana put on her queen costume — a long robe, a fancy necklace and a big crown — she looked regal.
7. “No,” Mark said, “I don’t think these flowers are dying. In fact, they’re totally thriving!”
8. Erica was feeling really lethargic on Sunday. She didn’t have any energy left after the amusement park trip.
9. Elephants and hippos have a pewter color to their skin.
10. My dad always tells me to stop dawdling and hurry up, or we’ll be late!
Context Clues Quick Quiz (See Notes/Handouts Section)
Read 30 minutes. Summary of week's reading is due today.
Review context clues!
(Context clues are hints that an author gives to help define a difficult or unusual word. The clue may appear within the same sentence as the word to which it refers, or it may follow in a preceding sentence.)
http://study.com/academy/lesson/context-clue-definition-examples.html
Directions: read each sentence and determine the meaning of the word using cross sentence clues or your prior knowledge. Then, explain what clues in the sentence helped you determine the word meaning.
1. Universal: Jim wanted to ask Janet to the dance, but he felt it a universally acknowledged truth that popular girls like her didn’t go with unpopular guys like him.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?
2. Extraordinary: Kevin may know how to layup a basketball, but my jump shot is extraordinary.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?
3. Establish: Even though peace between the two formerly warring nations had been established for years now, the solider still woke cold from dreams of battle.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?
4. Scrupulous: I wanted to just set the table and be done with it, but my mother scrupulously arranged each napkin, dish, and utensil until they were in perfect alignment.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?
5. Consent: Jake asked his mother for permission to go to his friend Rodney’s dance party, stating that his grades had improved, and he was quite pleased when she consented.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?
6. Vexed: When Jose found out that his little brother Emilio carelessly broke Jose’s Xbox disc tray, Jose was vexed and sure let Emilio know it.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?
7. Tact: Jane could have easily offended Bertha when she informed her that the dress did not fit her well, but Jane used tact and consideration when choosing her words, so Bertha understood without being hurt.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?
8. Emphatic: Her parents really wanted her to attend the local university, but Shaniqua argued her case so emphatically and with such great passion, that her parents gave Shaniqua their consent
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?
9. Amends: After Brian broke Darcy’s heart this last time, he will have to make some serious amends if he ever wants to win her back.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?
10. Conjecture: Stanley tried to determine the meaning of the vocabulary word, but there were so few clues in the sentence all he could do was hopelessly conjecture as to what the word might mean.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?
11. Ascertain: The clues in the sentence were so helpful, Stanley was able to ascertain the meaning of the word beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?
12. Defer: Kyle really wanted to play basketball, but since it overlapped with the volleyball season (and since Carrie played volleyball), he would just have to defer his hoop-dreams until next year, when his relationship with her would be secure.
Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________
What clues in the sentence lead you to your definition?
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word's position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., precede, recede, secede).
Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.
Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in context.
Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words.
Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., bullheaded, willful, firm, persistent, resolute).
Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.