Warm – Up Think of something you’ve seen that you can’t explain and write a paragraph about your experience. Maybe it was oddly shaped footprints in an empty lot, or a bright shape flying through the sky. We will share our experiences and together brainstorm possible explanations. Then tell what proof you’d need to determine which explanation is the right one.

Is seeing believing? Occasionally, something happens so quickly or unexpectedly, you can’t be sure what you’ve seen. Was that a rabbit racing through the field, or was it just wind in the grass? Did you see a man hiding in the alley, or did you see only a shadow? To be convinced that something is real, you need proof, or solid evidence. In The Hitchhiker, a man is desperate for proof that what he’s seeing can be explained.

By: Lucille Fletcher

Lucille Fletcher Violet Lucille Fletcher (March 28, 1912 – August 31, 2000) was an American screenwriter of film, radio and television. Her credits include The Hitch-Hiker, an original radio play written for Orson Welles and adapted for a notable episode of The Twilight Zone television series. Lucille Fletcher also wrote Sorry, Wrong Number, one of the most celebrated plays in the history of American radio, which she adapted and expanded for the 1948 film noir classic of the same name

Hearing Is Believing Sound effects were an important part of a radio play. They were often produced in the radio studio. Sheet metal, shaken up and down, replicated rolling thunder. A wooden match, broken close to the microphone, sounded like a baseball bat striking a ball. Coconut halves clapped against wood imitated the sound of horses’ hooves.

Vocabulary Lark (n.):a carefree or spirited adventure. Junction (n.): A place where two roads meet. Sinister (adj.): Suggesting or threatening evil. Assurance (n.): A guarantee or pledge. Monotony (n.): Tedious sameness; boring repetition. Nondescript (adj): Lacking unique qualities.

Vocabulary Dialogue, or the words spoken by the actors Stage directions, which include instructions to the actors about how dialogue should be spoken and instructions to the crew about sounds effects

Vocabulary Practice Column A Column B 1. lark a. guarantee 2. junction b. carefree adventure 3. sinister c. evil 4. assurance d. sameness 5. monotony e. place of joining

Idea Development Topic- personal experience, original, personally important Focus-clear, steady, narrow and straight Details-rich, interesting, memorable, quality beats quantity Makes Sense- easy to follow, ideas connect, all pieces fit together Ownership- research is in own words, personal insight shown, writes uniquely

Ideas What is my message? Is my message clear? Do I have enough information? Did I include details? Are the ideas new and interesting? Do I have too much information? Are my ideas something others can relate to?

Ideas

Brainstorm Brainstorm

Tuesday

By: Lucille Fletcher

Radio Play A radio play is a play written for radio broadcast, which means that it is primarily meant to be heard, not seen. Since listeners can’t see the actors, radio playwrights give information about the characters through dialogue and stage directions. As you read The Hitchhiker, notice what these elements suggest about the personality and state of mind of the protagonist, or main character. Also notice what these elements suggest about the appearance and actions of the antagonist, or the force working against the main character.

Radio Play Stage directions or instructions, for the actor will help you know how a line is spoken. Sound effects are often used to suggest what is happening in the play. They help a listener “see” the action. the term music will indicate when and sometimes what kind of music is used to mark a change of scene or show the passing of time.

Background Radio Plays Though the television was invented in the 1920s, most American households did not have television sets until the late 1950s. Before then, families gathered around the radio to listen to their favorite radio plays. These plays took the form of dramas, mysteries, or comedies. Actors at the radio station read their lines into the microphone with dramatic flair. Background music helped set the mood.

Model the Skill reading a radio play Driver: Where are you going, buddy? Hitchhiker: I’d love a lift to Amarillo. Driver: I’m going that way, too. Get in. playwrights try to make dialogue sound like natural speech. GUIDED PRACTICE Have students explain what stage directions for the actors might work with the dialogue.

Setting

Route 66 In lines 30–31, Ronald Adams describes his location as an “auto camp on Route Sixty-six.” In the 1940s, Route 66 was the primary highway connecting the Midwest with the West Coast. Its approximately 2500 miles ran from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles and later Santa Monica, California. It opened in 1926 and was finally rendered obsolete in 1985 when new interstates bypassed the last section in use. Featured in songs, ads, novels, and other elements of popular culture, Route 66 is now considered an important part of the country’s history.

Brainstorm Brainstorm

NARRATIVE WRITING A narrative essay is a story written about a personal experience.  provides an opportunity to get to know and understand yourself better.  One of the best ways to reveal who you are is to write about how you became aware of something, gained a new way of seeing the world, a new insight. During the process of writing a narrative, you will learn ways to articulate personal experience to inform and entertain others. Narratives provide human interest, spark our curiosity, and draw us close to the storyteller.

NARRATIVE WRITING Narratives are generally written in the first person, that is, using I. However, third person (he, she, or it) can also be used. Narratives rely on concrete, sensory details to convey their point. These details should create a unified, forceful effect, a dominant impression. Narratives, as stories, should include these story conventions: a plot, including setting and characters; a climax; and an ending.

Narrative Prompt Think of an important event or incident in your life. What lesson did you learn? Write a well-developed personal narrative that describes the experience and reveals why it was important to you.

Wednesday audio

Thursday

Warm- Up What kind of relationship did Ronald Adams have with his mother? Cite evidence to support your answer Adams and his mother seem close. His mother worries about his driving to California and is crying as he says goodbye. He responds kindly to her concern and wants to hear her voice when he is in New Mexico.

Inferences Reread lines 49–77. Describe the relationship between Adams and his mother.

Radio Play Directions: Reread lines 381–419. Then complete the following sentence. Without the sound effects and stage directions, I would not know ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Foreshadowing While reading a story or watching a movie, have you ever gotten a hint about what might happen later on? A device that prepares readers for an event or action occurring later in the plot is called foreshadowing. Anticipating the next event can make you more excited to find out about what happens next.

Foreshadowing At last he had what he needed to prove his theory. Overjoyed, he set the valuable document on his desk. He did not notice the slight breeze from the open balcony door behind him. What is might happen?

Foreshadowing Row 1 Foreshadowing: Mother says I wish you weren’t driving; don’t pick up any strangers on the road. Events that were foreshadowed: A hitchhiker causes Adams to nearly have an accident. Row 2 Foreshadowing: Adams sees the hitchhiker twice in a very short time. Events that were foreshadowed: He will see the hitchhiker again. Row 3 Foreshadowing: The mechanic says hitchhikers would be a sight for sore eyes; no one hitchhikes on the road especially during that season. Events that were foreshadowed: The next time Adams sees the hitchhiker, the figure calls to him. Row 4 Foreshadowing: Adams gets stuck on the train tracks when he tries to run the hitchhiker down Events that were foreshadowed: The hitchhiker just keeps coming back. Row 5 Foreshadowing: The girl can’t see the hitchhiker even though Adams sees him clearly. Events that were foreshadowed: The girl thinks Adams is crazy and incoherent and leaves his car. Row 6 Foreshadowing: Adams thinks that if he calls his mother, he will be all right. Events that were foreshadowed: Something—a Serious illness—has happened to his mother.

Foreshadowing Row 1 Foreshadowing: Mother says I wish you weren’t driving; don’t pick up any strangers on the road. Events that were foreshadowed: A hitchhiker causes Adams to nearly have an accident. Row 2 Foreshadowing: Adams sees the hitchhiker twice in a very short time. Events that were foreshadowed: He will see the hitchhiker again. Row 3 Foreshadowing: The mechanic says hitchhikers would be a sight for sore eyes; no one hitchhikes on the road especially during that season. Events that were foreshadowed: The next time Adams sees the hitchhiker, the figure calls to him. Row 4 Foreshadowing: Adams gets stuck on the train tracks when he tries to run the hitchhiker down Events that were foreshadowed: The hitchhiker just keeps coming back. Row 5 Foreshadowing: The girl can’t see the hitchhiker even though Adams sees him clearly. Events that were foreshadowed: The girl thinks Adams is crazy and incoherent and leaves his car. Row 6 Foreshadowing: Adams thinks that if he calls his mother, he will be all right. Events that were foreshadowed: Something—a Serious illness—has happened to his mother.

Analyze Analyze the Radio Play If sound effects and stage directions were taken out of the play, do you think listeners would fully understand what was happening? Explain your answer.

Summary

Reading-Writing Connection create a pros and cons list and skim the story to find details that illustrate Adams’s sanity and others that seem to prove he is insane Pros Cons

Friday

Warm-Up Short Response: Evaluate Ronald Adams The play opens with Adams telling the listeners, “I am not mad.” On the basis of what you learn in the rest of the play, do you agree with his assessment? Write a one-paragraph evaluation of Adams’s sanity.

Directions: Recall all characters and events in the selection Directions: Recall all characters and events in the selection. Then answer each question in sentences or phrases. 1. What inference would you make about the relationship between Adams and his mother? 2. What is Ronald Adam’s mood as he says goodbye to his mother and sets off on his journey? 3. How does Ronald Adams describe the hitchhiker’s appearance? 4. Why does the girl jump out of Ronald Adams’s car? 5. By the time Ronald Adams is driving the road between Albuquerque and Gallup, where is he seeing the hitchhiker?

Include everything on both sides of the book jacket.