Table of Contents Table of Contents iii Introduction: Detecting Deeper Meanings, Bias, and More Complex Meanings iv Common Core State Standards Matrix 1 Resources for Teachers Author s Purpose 2 or 3 Just the s: Filtering Out Bias 4 The 5 Ws Graphic Organizer Point of View 5 Point of View in Fiction 6 It s Just How I Feel: The First Person Point of View 7 You and Yours: The Second Person Viewpoint in Fiction 8 Practice With Second Person Point of View 9 He Said, She Said, They Said, Too: The Third Person Point of View 10 Seeing Things Differently 11 Point of View Writing Topics: Teacher Page 12 Graphic Organizer: Points of View Narration 13 Tense Effects 14 Call Me Unreliable 15 Fiction Analyzer: A Graphic Organizer Inference and Connotation 16 Inference: Between the Lines 17 What s the Tone? 18 Pitch Perfect 19 Connotation/Denotation 20 Positive and Negative Connotations 21 Using Connotations 22 Private s: Loaded Words Exaggeration 23 Hype and Other Fascinations 24 Really? Overstated Statements 25 Under the Magnifying Glass: A Graphic Organizer Bias 26 Emotional Trigger Words: Teacher Page 27 Examples of Weasel Words and Phrases: Teacher Page 28 Weasel Words Advertising 29 Piece: Advertising Is Great! Advertising Is Harmful! 30 Buy it! Now! 31 Pitches 32 Targeting the Audience 33 Be a Value Detector Informal Debate 34 This Is What I Think 35 Debate Worksheet 36 Informal Debate Evaluation Form Propaganda 37 Believe Me! Propaganda Techniques 38 That s Propaganda! Graphic Organizer 39 B. Smart for Mayor! 40 Such a Worthy Cause 41 Act Now or Else 42 Glossary of Technical Terms 43 Answer Keys ii
or or Directions: Read each sentence. Circle or. 1. The state of New York remained in the Union during the Civil War. 2. George Washington was the greatest president in U.S. history. 3. Geologists classify sandstone as a sedimentary rock. 4. Chocolate is the most delicious flavor of ice cream. 5. Devil s food is a kind of chocolate cake. 6. Edgar Allan Poe was America s greatest author.. 7. Edgar Allan Poe wrote short stories, novels, and poetry. 8. Callisto, one of Jupiter s moons, was named after a nymph in Greek mythology. 9. EF5s are the most powerful tornados. 10. Tornados are the most terrifying disasters on Earth. 11. Abraham Lincoln was the President of the United States during the Civil War. 12. Jefferson Davis was the President of the Confederate States of America during the War Between the States. 13. If Lincoln had not been assassinated, the South would be more prosperous today. 14. Violence in books, movies, and television causes violence in society. 15. Coeducational schools distract students from their studies. 16. Like Earth, Mars is a terrestrial, or rocky, planet. 17. Some schools require students to wear uniforms. Challenge: Make your own quiz. List five facts and five opinions. Trade lists with a partner. Discuss: Talk about why each statement in the exercise is a fact or an opinion. Offer examples and specific information to support your ideas. Cite your sources. 2
Just the s: Filtering Out Bias Just the s: Filtering Out Bias A biased story or article is filled with opinions not marked with such signal phrases as I think or In my opinion. In a biased text, opinions are presented as facts. Biased texts are everywhere. They often try to convince people to take action. Readers must be careful. They must think about the information they read. The process of filtering fact from opinion is known as critical thinking. Whether in fiction or nonfiction, a good way to uncover bias is to look for the 5 Ws of journalism. These simple questions will strip away most slanted vocabulary and point toward the facts. Directions: Choose an article from a newspaper. Using information from the selection, answer each question. 1. Who was telling the story, or who was the story about? 2. What happened? 3. When did it happen? 4. Where did it happen? 5. Why or how did it happen? Challenge: Use the 5 Ws to write a short article about something that happened in your class or at your school this week. Discuss: What kinds of lies, errors, and partial truths will not be uncovered by answering the 5 W questions? What additional steps can you take to make sure that the information is correct? Give examples of times when having the wrong information could change a person s life. 3
The 5 Ws Graphic Organizer The 5 Ws Graphic Organizer Directions: Write the title of the article or story, the author, and the publication (if it is from a newspaper or magazine). Fill in each of the 5 Ws. Title: Author: Publication, Site, or Anthology Title: Who?: What?: When?: Where?: Why? or How?: 4
Point of View in Fiction Point of View in Fiction In fiction, the author has opinions, and each character does too. Often, the characters opinions are different from the author s. The storyteller is usually, but not always, the main character. He is the narrator. The reader experiences the story through his eyes. This viewpoint character chooses which actions, words, and details to share. Readers should always remember that other characters would tell the same story differently. Directions: Read the sentence. Then, use the 5 Ws and your own experience to answer the questions. Because he hadn t read the chapter, Ted cringed when Mr. Eden called his name in class. 1. Who had the problem? 2. What was the problem? 3. Where did he have the problem? 4. When did he have the problem? 5. Why did he have the problem? 6. How did he feel about having the problem? 7. What word tells you he felt that way? 8. Who is probably the narrator in this story? 9. Why do you think so? Challenge: Choose a point of view and write a story based on this situation. This scene could be at the beginning, in the middle, or even near the end. Picture the action as a video in your mind. Why didn t Ted read the chapter? What will happen next? Discuss: After reading a short story, picture book, folk tale, myth, or novel, discuss it using the 5 Ws as a guideline. How would the story have been different if one of the other characters had been the narrator? What would have stayed the same? Why do you think so? 5