Poetry Study Guide

Here is the poetry study guide that you can use to help prepare for the test.  Remember that it will be part matching and part multiple-choice.

Alliteration:  repeating sounds at the start of words.
                     Dirty dog, frigid frog, white whale, drab door

Sensory details:  any details that a writer uses that evoke or bring about the senses in the writing.  Remember, writers can make you see, feel, smell, hear, or taste.

Personification:  when a nonhuman object/animal is given human traits, abilities, or actions.
                           The kettle yelled at me, signaling that the water was ready.
                           The mosquito sucked away at my blood in anger, cursing at me the whole time.

Simile: a comparison of two unlike things using like, as, or than.
            Your smile is brighter than the sun.
            Frodo is smaller than a grain of sand.

Metaphor:  a comparison of two unlike things.  DO NOT use like, as, or than!
            Your smile is the shining sun
            The tree is an empty barren desert

Mood:  the emotions that a poet tries to bring out in his/her poem.

Stanza:  a "paragraph" for poetry

Line:  the most basic units of poetry.  Series of lines make up stanzas.

Hyperbole:  when a writer exaggerates something that isn't really that important for comical effect.
            Ah, this paper cut.  My finger's about to fall off!
            Selena Gomez's songs are more beautiful than a chorus of angels.

Understatement:  when a writer makes something seem not important when it actually is.
            I lost a couple of limbs in the accident, whatever.
            It was just an 8.5 earthquake, that's all.

Perfect/exact rhyme:  when most of a pair of words rhyme with each other.
            Berry/very    Tough/rough      House/mouse

Near/half rhyme:  when only a small part of the end of a pair of words rhyme with each other.
            Proud/thud   Dog/fog

Eye rhyme:  when a word looks like it should rhyme but it actually does not.
            Rough/bough    

Rhyme scheme:  a pattern of rhymes at the end of lines of poetry.
            AA BB CC DD EE FF is an example of rhyme scheme.
            ABAB CDCD EEFF GG is another example of rhyme scheme.

Cool sites to make timelines and charts/graphs

Site to make timelines

http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/materials/timeline/

Site to make charts and/or graphs

http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/

Editing mistakes in our guidebook

Today we fixed up our writing before we had a chance to format.  Here are the steps to take:

1) Click under TOOLS in the Word menu, then click on SPELLING AND GRAMMAR.  Fix any mistakes that the computer catches.

2) Click under EDIT in the Word menu, then click on FIND.  Then, search for:

A) It's.  The only proper way to use it's is when you want to say it is.
B) You're:  the only proper way to use you're is when you want to say you are.
C) They're:  the only proper way to use they're is when you want to say they are.
D) Their:  the only proper way to use their is when you are using it to show possession or ownership.
E)  Too:  too can mean more than needed or can mean also or in addition.

Nonfiction Guidebook Grading Rubric

Here is the link to the rubric for the Nonfiction Guidebook Grading Rubric.  Just click here and you'll be able to see the rubric.  Use this to check against your paragraphs and to improve your writing.


https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AqJcvTC-pxUQdGI2YTJhQkpfSzJ4aWpCVzFLNmoxSVE

Revising for vocabulary and I/me/my

1) You want to be able to have a great vocabulary in your writing.  Begin by picking the most appropriate word that really explains what you are trying to get across.  Also, be sure to use specific subject-related vocabulary in your paragraph.

2)  Remove I/me/my from your paragraphs.  This will make your writing more professional and fits better with the genre.

DDF

Headlines and headings for nonfiction guidebooks

Here are some great ideas for headlines and headings:

• Make them funny, clever, and witty
• Use alliteration/assonance
• Create a play on words
• Short and sweet
• Draws the reader in

Here are some of my ideas:

A Man of Many Talents
Determined Dali
The Dali Way
Cheesy Dali
Salvador Dali:  the myth, the man, the legend

What paragraphs to include in your nonfiction guidebook

Here are the seven paragraphs that you need to have completed for your nonfiction guidebook:

1) Compare and contrast

2) Cause and effect

3) Argument

4) Problem and solution

5) Two paragraphs, written any way, about two different subtopics
6) General introductory paragraph

Notes on how to write paragraphs 1-4 are up on this site.  Just keep looking at all the posts.  :)

General introduction to our guidebook

Most nonfiction guidebooks have a paragraph, a page, or a chapter devoted to a general introduction about the topic.  We are going to have the same thing because it will tie all our subtopics together.  Make sure you:

• Make your intro exciting
• Think about making a joke or being light-hearted
• Possibly ask an interesting question
• In the last sentence or two introduce your topics (remember those 6 paragraphs you wrote in class?)

Here's my intro:

     Did you know that Salvador Dali was famous for his crazy mustache?  Although this is true, he was even more famous for the amazing art that he created during his lifetime.  Few people can disagree about how much of an influence his art had on the world.  This guidebook will focus on his kinds of art, how others influenced him, his "paranoiac-critical" style, his use of clocks, and why he's one of the most amazing artists of all time. 

Problem/Solution for nonfiction guidebook

Life is full of problems.  When we watch movies we sometimes get the wrong impression that there is always one perfect solution to every problem.  In life, though, we discover that there are often more solutions to problems.  Sometimes, also, solutions don't always fix the problem.

We focused in on one problem from our nonfiction topic, created a box and bullets to go with it, then wrote out a paragraph.  Here's mine:

Problem:  Help!  I don't know what the soft clocks mean in Dali's paintings.  Can you help?


Solution 1: Dali was served a warm cheese at a restaurant that melted.  EUREKA!  
Solution 2:  Soft things don't last forever.
Solution 3:  Time is relative.

     You have probably looked at Salvador Dali's "The Persistence of Memory" and wondered, "What's going on with those melting clocks?"  Actually, there's an interesting start to this.  Dali was served a warm cheese that was melting and he became inspired.  He believed that soft things in the world like clocks or skin are only temporary and don't last forever.  This is shown in sharp contrast to the Earth and sea that are solid and forever lasting in his paintings...

Arguing about your nonfiction topic!

Thinking back to when we argued about a school-related topic, we followed a procedure to help us.  To start off, we had to create an argument.  Then, we broke down the argument into misconceptions and then truths.  From there we turned all of this into a paragraph.  Here's my sample:

Argument:  Dali is one of the most creative artists of all time.

Misconception:  Salvador Dali was just weird and had no actual talent.

     Truth:  Dali also drew classical paintings and portraits with incredible detail.

Misconception:  Salvador Dali's work is too hard to understand.

     Truth:  Dali's art makes you feel a certain way and that's the key.

     Truth:  Dali painted with symbols that were repeated in his work.

     Although some people might disagree, Salvador Dali is one of the most creative artists.  The first reason is that he had a very detailed and classical style.  This didn't always show through because people just concentrated on how weird he was and how strange his paintings could be...