ELA 7 Study Guide

1. ELA 7 Study Guide Mrs. Cooper

2. 1.) Oral tradition - traditions, stories, and history that are passed down by word of mouth Examples: fables, legends such as Pocahontas, myths

3. 2.) biography - a story about a person's life that is written by another person Ex. Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan (read in class)

4. 3.) non-fiction - the genre of writing that is about real people, events and experiences Ex. Woodsong

5. 4.) autobiography - when an author writes about his/her personal experiences throughout their entire life Ex. The Story of My Life by Helen Keller

6. 5.) memoir - a person that writes a story about one specific part of his or her own life Ex. Woodsong

7. 6.) theme - the central message or lesson learned in the story Ex. Gary's love and passion for dogs

8. 7.) characterization - the author's way of describing both the character's personality and appearance Ex. Paulsen characterizes Charley as terrified of war and that he no longer wants to be a man

9. 8.) direct characterization - when the writer states the character's traits or characteristics Ex. "He could read and write, Charley could, though he hadn't had much schooling." page 8 Soldier's Heart

10. 9.) indirect characterization - when thewriter depends upon the reader to draw conclusions based upon dialogue and actions between the characters Ex. "... until he was there, in thetrees, a large maple at his back, and finally, sucking air until his lungs seemed to be on fire, finally he stopped and leaned over, his hands on his knees, and vomited, heaving until he was ampty and then heaving more..." page 26 Soldier's Heart

11. character - a person or animal in the story Ex. Charley in Soldier's Heart, Obeah in Woodsong

12. 11.) setting - when and where the story takes place Ex. Winona, Minnesota, beginning of the Civil War

13. 12.) point of view - the perspective from which the story is told Ex. Soldier's Heart is told in third person

14. 13.) first person p. of v. - when a character within the story is telling the story Ex. Tim tells My Brother Sam is Dead and therefore it is first person

15. 14.) third person p. of v. - when a story is told by an outside narrator Ex. Soldier's Heart is told in third person

16. 15.) antagonist - a character that is in opposition to the main character Ex. Gahko and Makwa from Echohawk

17. 16.) protagonist - the main character in the story Ex. Tim Meeker or Charley

18. 17.) genre - how a work of writing is classified Ex. nonfiction, fiction

19. 18.) historical fiction - when a fictional story is mixed with true events, places, or characters in history Ex. My Brother Sam is Dead

20. 19.) conflict - the problem in the story Ex. the Civil War is an example in Soldier's Heart

21. 20.) internal conflict - a problem within a character Ex. Tim Meeker can't decide if he is a Patriot or Loyalistor whether he sides with his brother, Sam or his father

22. 21.) external conflict - a problem between a character and an outside force Ex. when Gary Paulsen fallsover the waterfall and injures his knee

23. 22.) round/dynamic character - a character that changes throughout the story and you see many different sides of them Ex. Tim Meeker goes from being confused and interested about the war to being the head of the household and just wanting the war to end because he sees it as a waste

24. 23.) flat/static character - a character that is one dimensional and does not change during the story Ex. George Hunter remains a ruthless businessman throughout Kavik

25. 24.) flashback - when a story or play interrupts the present and takes you into the past Ex. When Anne remembersher brother James in The Miracle Worker

26. 25.) drama - a piece of literature that tells a story and is performed on stage Ex. The Miracle Worker

27. 26.) dialogue - the words that the character's speak Ex. Keller: "I'll see you to your buggy, Doctor."

28. 27.) playwright - a person that writes a drama Ex. Gibson and Shakespeare

29. Life as We Knew It

30. Miranda • typical teenager • does well in school • loves her family • brave/courageous • determined • caring

31. Mrs. Nesbitt • like a Grandma to her Miranda and her brothers • caring • enjoys celebrating • intelligent • selfless (saves food for Miranda and her family) • elderly

32. Mom • gives up her own food and eats less • injures her ankle • loving and thoughtful • has a desire to make birthdays and holidays special even in difficult times • wants her children to learn • works hard

33. Dad • loving • brings food for Miranda and her brothers • helps chop the wood • distant from his kids to some degree

34. Matt • in college at Cornell • hard worker (chops wood) • "man of the house" • protects his siblings • Miranda finds him easy to talk to • calm and collected

35. Johnny • youngest at 13 • loves baseball • self-centered • helps chop wood • wants life to be normal again

36. Megan and Sammi • Megan - ultra religious, believes in giving up her food which means she starves herself for God, has values • Sammi - boy crazy and runs off with an older man to the south

37. Horton • cat • Johnny loves him • runs away at one point • makes sure he gets food

38. The Miracle Worker

39. Annie Sullivan • determined to teach Helen • 21 • inexperienced • inventive • stubborn • strict • likes things her way

40. Helen Keller • deaf and blind • learns to communicate • stubborn • throws fits • spoiled • frustrated that she can't communicate

41. James Keller • older half-brother • believes Helen is spoiled • thinks they need to do something about Helen • argues with his father

42. Kate Keller • mom • spoils Helen • pities Helen because she is blind and deaf • frustrated that she can't communicate with her own daughter • determined to find help for her daughter • willing to do anything to help her daughter

43. Captain Keller • strict • argues with James • has a belief in the way women should be treated and behave • disapproves of Anne and doesn't think she can do it

44. Jimmy Sullivan • Anne's brother • disabled • in an asylum and died

45. What is the first word that Annie teachesHelen? • Doll • Water is the first word Helen learns and has a letter/name association for

46. What is an asylum? Who spent time there? What happened there? • asylum - is a place where disabled people were sent • James and Annie • James ended up dying

47. What happens at the garden house? • Anne takes Helen there so that H. has to rely on her for everything. She teaches H. manners, how to behave and hopes to reach her in order to teach her how to communicate.

48. Why does Annie take Helen to the garden house? • Annie takes Helen to the garden house so that Helen has to rely on her for everything. She also thinks it is the only way that she will be able to get through to Helen.

49. Woodsong

50. Obeah • saves Paulsen after he goes over the water fall • brings the dog sled team to Gary through the brush and down the bank • loves and respects Gary