POW ER REV IEW for the 2008 Kansas Reading Assessment

POWER REVIEW Author’s Purpose * “Best Answer” Main Idea * Persuasion * Protagonist Static / Dynamic Characters

Author’s Purpose Why do people write? –To express themselves –To inform, explain, or explore –To persuade –To create literary works

Author’s Purpose Forms of Writing –Self-expressive : journal, letter, personal essay –Expository (Informative, Explanatory, or Exploratory) : technical report, news article, biography, essay, brochure –Persuasive : essay, letter to the editor, poster, pamphlet, advertisement, political speech –Literary Works : short story, poem, play, novel

Author’s Purpose Ask yourself … Have I learned something I didn’t know before? (to explain) Did I enjoy the selection? Did it make me want to keep reading? (to entertain) Have I changed my mind because of what I read? If not, why not? (to persuade) Did the topic make me think about something in a new way, or give me some new insights? (to enlighten)

“Choose the Best Answer” Test Strategy Look for key words in questions such as EXCEPT, NOT, or ALWAYS. The wording of answers is important, too. You are choosing the best answer, which may mean that several answers could appear to be correct.

“Choose the Best Answer” Test Strategy Preview – skim the questions to see what you’re hunting for Read the Passage – highlight (don’t overdo it), notes & key words, notice the first and last sentences Read the Questions – read ALL possible answers carefully, and watch for key words Skim for Answers – answers often reword or paraphrase … watch for keywords

Main Idea Look at the TOPIC SENTENCE – it will limit the scope of the article SUPPORTING SENTENCES give details and facts that will tell you about the topic The CLINCHER SENTENCE will be at the end, and it will emphasize and / or sumamrize the main idea or draw a conclusion

Main Idea Use the “Five W’s & the H” questions to quickly gather information when reading: –Who –What –When –Where –Why –How

Main Idea Read with a Focus –Give the information a “once-over.” Look for key words, tables and charts, headings, sub- headings, etc. –After reading the selection, skim it again for important facts.

Static vs. Dynamic Characters STATIC Remain the same through a story Things happen TO them, but not WITHIN them Sometimes stereotypes, one- dimensional “cardboard cutouts” DYNAMIC Change as a result of their experience in the story More realistic (?) Often are “round” characters – complex In many stories, this is the protagonist …

Protagonist The main character in a story (the antagonist is working against them) This is the person you watch when you read. To help understand them, ask “What does this character want more than anything else?” – Minor characters won’t always have this information.

Protagonist Make a character map! What character says and does What others think about the character How the character looks and feels How I feel about the character Character Name

Protagonist To find clues about a character, look for –Physical appearance and personality –Speech, thoughts, feelings, actions, and desires –Interactions with other characters –Direct comments by the author about a character –Personal history or other background information

8 Persuasive Techniques Appeal to Ignorance – Suggesting that if no one has ever proved a particular claim, then it must not be true: “Show me a study that proves violence on TV is bad for children.” Either / Or – Analyzing a complex situation as if it has only two sides: “Either we buy a dishwasher today, or we live with dirty dishes for the rest of our lives.” Bandwagon Appeal – Suggesting that if everyone does it or believes it, it must be right or good: “If everyone is fooling around in class, it must be okay for me to do it, too.”

8 Persuasive Techniques Loaded Words – Using emotionally charged words that will produce strong positive or negative feelings: “Our miraculous new vitamin will change your life forever.” Broad Generalization – Making a sweeping statement that something is true about all members of a group: “Kids who don’t play a sport are lazy.”

8 Persuasive Techniques Red Herring – Changing the subject to distract you from the real argument: “Too much TV is bad for you, but video games are even worse.” Circular Thinking – Beginning with the very point you’re trying to prove: “That’s a stupid idea because it makes no sense.” Straw Man – Exaggerating or oversimplifying the other side so that it can be rejected as ridiculous: “Those citizens who oppose the war care nothing about democracy.”

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