Mood and Tone

Learning Objective Today we will analyze a passage to identify the mood and tone. CFU: What does analyze mean? What are we going to analyze today? What are we going to identify today? To look at carefully and in detail. CFU = check for understanding question

Activating Prior Knowledge What are some words that you use to describe the way you feel or your mood? What are some words you use to describe someone’s tone of voice? Students should pair / share with a partner, then call on a few students to share with the class.

Importance By the end of this lesson, you will be able to answer the following questions: What is the mood of the passage? What is the author’s tone? Being able to answer these questions will help you: -score higher on the state test. -improve your grade in your regular language arts class.

Concept Development Definition of Mood: The way a piece of writing makes the reader (you) feel. Definition of Tone: The way an author feels about what they are writing. CFU: What is the difference between mood and tone? CFU = check for understanding

Mood Concept Development Almost any word that you can use to describe your mood (the way you feel) can be used to describe the mood of a passage or a story. EX: happy, sad, delightful, depressed, excited, etc. CFU: Can you and your partner think of some other mood words? CFU = check for understanding

Mood Concept Development An author uses descriptive words and phrases to create a certain mood when they write. Ex: “And then I feel my weight coming back just behind my knees then down to my feet then into the earth and the pistol shot explodes in my blood and I am off and weightless again…” -Raymond’s Run pg 28 The underlined words help create a mood of excitement in this passage.

CFU Read the following passage from Raymond’s Run: “And by the time he comes over I’m jumping up and down so glad to see him – my brother Raymond, a great runner in the family tradition. But of course everyone thinks I’m jumping up and down because the men on the loudspeaker have finally gotten themselves together and compared notes and are announing ‘In first place – Miss Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker.’ (Dig that.)” pg 30 What mood do you get after reading this passage? What words and phrases help to give you that mood? CFU = check for understanding

Tone Concept Development Almost any word that you could use to describe someone’s tone of voice can be used to describe the tone of a passage. Ex: angry, humorous, annoyed, serious, etc. Can you and you partner think of any other tone words?

Tone Concept Development To decide on the tone of a passage, imagine what tone of voice the author would have if they read the passage out loud. Ex: “But of course when I pass her house on my early morning trots around the block, she is practicing the scales on the piano over and over and over and over. Then in music class, she always lets herself get bumped accidentally on purpose onto the piano stool…”- Raymond’s Run pg 23 The tone of this passage is annoyed. *Just like with mood, the author uses descriptive words and phrases to help create tone. The underlined words in the passage help the reader understand that the tone is annoyed.

CFU Read the following passage from Raymond’s Run: “Sometimes I slip and call him my little brother Raymond. But as any fool can see he’s much bigger and he’s older too. But a lot of people call him my little brother cause he needs looking after cause he’s not quite right. And a lot of smart mouths got lots to say about that too… But now, if anyone has anything to say to Raymond, anything to say about his big head, they have to come by me.” – pg 21 What is the tone of this passage? What words and phrases help create that tone?

Skill Development Step 1: Preview the questions. Step 2: Read the passage or story. Step 3: Ask yourself how you feel after reading the passage (mood) and how the passage would sound if read out loud (tone). Step 4: Choose the best mood and tone words to describe the passage. (If you don’t know the definition of a word in the answer choices, look it up!) Step 5: Justify your answer by underlining the words and phrases that helped develop the mood or tone.

Guided Practice Read the prologue to the story “Zaaaaaaaap!” The description of the earth in the first paragraph of the prologue is intended to create what mood? A. Joy B. Hope C. Despair Underline the words and phrases that help create this mood.

Guided Practic The description on organic engineering in the third paragraph is intended to create what mood? A. Loneliness B. Hope C. Sadness Underline the words and phrases that help create this mood.

Guided Practice The overall tone of the author in the prologue can best be described as… A. Humorous B. Serious C. Sarcastic Underline the words and phrases that help create this tone.

Closure What is the difference between mood and tone? What is an example of a mood word? What is an example of a tone word?

Independent Practice Read the story Zaaaaaaaap! Answer the questions on the Independent Practice Sheet. Be sure to follow all of the skill development steps!