1. Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings

2. Three Focus Areas As We Read
Figurative language: Identify it and determine WHY author used it
Characterization: Personality traits of each character
Subject and Theme: The story’s main idea and message to its readers

3. Differences Between a Canoe and a Kayak
Canoes have open tops and sit high in the water.
Kayaks have closed tops and sit low in the water. 

4. The Novel’s Setting: A Small Town in Maryland

5. The Chesapeake Bay Area

6. The Corsica River

7. Crab Fishing in Maryland

8. A skiff is a shallow, flat-bottomed open boat with sharp bow (front) and square stern (rear).

9. Browse the Book Read the teaser on back cover Examine the cover art
Look at title page: title, author, publishing
company
Locate copyright symbol and date
Dedication page
Quote by Sophocles, Greek philosopher

10. Chapter 1: Post-Reading What Are Italics?
Italics are characters (letters, numbers, and symbols) set in type that slant to right like this: ITALICS
They’re used to distinguish certain words from others within the text.

11. Chapter 1: Post-Reading When to Use Italics
p. 3: After all this time, I still ask
myself: Was it my fault?
p. 4: I keep asking myself, What if
this, what if that?
*When it comes to internal dialogue, quotation marks are unnecessary. Italic font is enough to differentiate it.

12. We Begin to Learn Who Brady Is
Work with your partner to come up with three adjectives that characterize Brady.

13. Similes Used by Cummings
With your partner, locate the two similes that describe the beauty of the Corsica River on page 5.

14. Similes Used by Cummings
“…make the river shimmer like a million jewels were strewn on the surface.”
“…the same water can seem as smooth as glass.”
A simile compares two seemingly different things using the words like or as

15. Another Type of Comparison
What if the author had just written, “the water WAS glass”?
This comparison does not use the words like or as.
What would this type of direct comparison be called?

16. Which type of figurative language is used in this line?
p. 5: “It’s a pretty river, the Corsica. But it doesn’t have a heart.”

17. Personification is giving a non-human thing the quality or ability of a human or person.
Why would the author have Brady personify the river? Why might Brady see the river as a person?
How is Priscilla Cummings’ use of personification effective here? What does it show the reader about Brady’s relationship with the river?

18. Chapter 1 Plot Summary
Brady remembers a terrible event that happened on the Corsica River and wonders if he could have prevented it.

19. Chapter 2 Pre-Reading
What literary and film device takes the reader or audience back in time?
It begins with the word FLASH.

20. OXYMORONS ARE…
…figures of speech that put contradictory terms side by side and present a seemingly contradictory idea or paradox. Examples: 1. random order 2. adult children 3. student teacher 4. small crowd 5. seriously funny

21. DIALECT
Dialect is the way a particular geographical region of people use the English language.
Example: How ya’ll doing?
It varies from Standard Formal English.
Mr. Parks (Brady’s dad) will speak in dialect in this chapter. See if you can notice it during the reading on p. 8.
Begin Chapter 2.

22. Chapter 2: Post-Reading

23. Descriptive Explanatory Expressions
p. 7: Dialogue on bottom half of page
He said
J.T. warned
Digger retorted
J.T. quipped
Digger demanded
How does the author’s choice of verbs enhance (improve) the dialogue?
How could it assist actors?

24. Hyperbole
Hyperbole is exaggeration used for dramatic or comedic effect.
Examples:
My backpack weighs a ton.
I can smell pizza from a mile away.
It was so cold I saw polar bears wearing parkas.
She’s thinner than a toothpick.
Grandpa is older than dirt.

25. Mine the Text for Hyperbole
Mine the text (search) for italicized hyperbole in the middle of page 10.
How does the author’s use of hyperbole here add a sense of urgency and danger to the situation?
Next, find the hyperbole used in the middle of p. 12.

26. Hyperbole
What does the author’s use of hyperbole show us about the history of the friendship shared by the three boys?
Does this make it easier to see why Digger is upset about his grandfather’s property being sold?

27. Characterization of Brady, J.T., and Digger
Angry
Resentful
Hard-hearted
Which boy fits this character description best?

28. Characterization of Brady, J.T., and Digger
Loves technology
Easy-going
Family owns a chicken farm
Which boy fits this character description best?

29. Characterizations of Brady, Digger, and J.T.
Responsible
Thoughtful
Concerned
Which boy fits this character description best?

30. What’s a Reference?
A reference is when you mention or refer to a well-known person, place, or thing.
Example: Digger calls Mr. DiAngelo the Italian Stallion, which is a reference to the Rocky movies.
Why does Digger give Mr. DiAngelo this nickname?
P. 10, middle
Does this paint a picture of Mr. DiAngelo and show another reason why Digger dislikes him?

31. Chapter 2 Plot Summary
While waiting for Carl to pick them up for school in his ambulance, Brady, J.T., and Digger see Mr. DiAngelo’s new red kayak out on the river headed into bad weather and rough currents, but they fail to call out a warning even though Brady thinks they should.

32. Chapter 3 Pre-Reading: Onomatopoeia
When words sound like or echo what they mean
Examples: buzz, hiss, crack, sizzle, coo, click
Listen for onomatopoeia in this chapter.

33. We Get to Know Cousin Carl
In Chapter 3, Carl is developed more fully as a ROUND character.
Round characters are characters that the author fully describes and develops.
The readers get to know round characters well because the author shows us so many of his or her thoughts, feelings, and actions.

34. We Don’t Get to Know Mindy
The opposite of a round character is a FLAT character.
Carl’s girlfriend Mindy is a flat character; we don’t get to know much about her because Priscilla Cummings doesn’t share with us Mindy’s thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Read Chapter 3.

35. Ch. 3—Post-Reading
With your partner, describe Carl now that Priscilla Cummings has more fully developed and rounded out his character for us.

36. Ch. 3—Post-Reading p. 17: Re-read the first full paragraph.
Based upon this excerpt, what can we infer about Digger’s home life?

37. Onomatopoeia
p. 13—With your partner, find two examples of onomatopoeia in the first paragraph.

38. Context Clues and an Idiom
p. 14: “Ever since we got called on the carpet by the principal for riding in the ambulance, Carl avoided the school driveway. Instead, he dropped us off behind the 7-Eleven, next door to the school.”
Use context clues to determine what the idiom “called on the carpet” means.

39. Idioms
Idioms are expressions that do not make sense if taken literally or word-for-word. Examples:
It’s raining cats and dogs. (to describe heavy rain)
Break a leg out there! (said to actors before they go on stage)
The kids are driving me up the wall! (the kids’ behavior is extremely annoying)

40. Idioms
With your partner, come up with two more idioms that you’ve heard people use.

41. An Unexpected Plot Twist
At the end of Chapter 3, Priscilla Cummings throws an unexpected plot twist at us. What is it?
How might this complicate things for Brady and the rest of the rescue team?
Do you think Digger and JT would have been more likely to call out a warning if they had known it wasn’t Mr. DiAngelo in the red kayak?
How does this plot twist add suspense?

42. Chapter 3 Plot Summary Carl drops the boys off at school.
Brady remembers babysitting for Ben, the DiAngelo’s four-year-old son.
Mr. Parks comes to take Brady out of school so that he can assist in the search for Ben and Mrs. DiAngelo, who had been out kayaking on the Corsica River that morning.

43. Chapter 4—Pre-Reading
Identify a variety of figurative language used throughout the chapter.
Learn about Brady’s little sister and how his mother copes with this issue.
Recognize the continuing building of suspense.
Read chapter 4.

44. Chapter 4: Post-Reading
Discuss with partner:
Why is the Parks’ boat called the Miss Amanda?
Why did Brady spend so much time at the fire station with Carl for about half a year?
Why is it so important that Tilly “insisted” on going with Brady?

45. Chapter 4: Post-Reading
Teacher-led hunt for a variety of figurative language used throughout the chapter:
Personification
Simile
Metaphor
Onomatopoeia
Idiom

46. Chapter 4 Plot Summary
Brady and Tilly search the smaller creeks off the river and eventually find Ben floating in his yellow lifejacket.

47. Chapter 5 Pre-Reading Focus
Priscilla Cummings’ use of repetition to build suspense

48. Chapter 5: Post-Reading
Re-read pp. 31(middle) –33 (bottom)
What kinds of effects are created by the author’s use of REPETITION in this passage?

49. Cummings’ Use of Repetition:
Re-creates or imitates the rhythm of administering CPR to a patient
Puts the reader in the thick of the action
Adds suspense and drama to the scene
Conveys the sense of urgency Brady is experiencing
Reveals Brady’s determination (more characterization)

50. Theme/Message
Last paragraph of p. 35: “I knew then I would never be the same person anymore. Because that day on the Corsica River, the day I lifted Ben off the piling, I had straddled the invisible line between life and death that runs down all our lives every second—with every breath we take.”

51. Theme/Message
Stop and think for a moment about “the invisible line between life and death that runs down all our lives every second—with every breath we take.”
How did Brady straddle this line?
What is Priscilla Cummings’ point?
What is she trying to show us or make us think about?

52. Brady prays on his boat in the middle of the river after saving Ben, and he thinks about fate and “the invisible line between life and death.” Which pair of adjectives best describes his mood in this scene?
A. religious and insignificant
B. resentful and insecure
C. grateful and contemplative (deep-
thinking)

53. Chapter 5 Plot Summary
Brady administers CPR to Ben while driving the boat back to Rock Hall where the ambulance is waiting. By the time they arrive, Ben has a pulse and is whisked off to the hospital.

54. Chapter 6: Post-Reading
To INFER means to put two and two together like Sherlock Holmes and draw a conclusion based on evidence and reasoning.
Some synonyms (words similar in meaning) for infer are:
conclude, deduce, surmise, reason, interpret,
or make a well-informed guess.
If you see your mom’s purse on the table, you might infer that she’s home.

55. Chapter 6: Post-Reading
The noun form of INFER is INFERENCE.
An inference is an idea or conclusion that’s based on logical reasoning.
Another way of thinking of it is as an educated guess.
What inferences might you make about someone who owns ten cats?

56. Chapter 6: Post-Reading
When Brady takes the time to visit with Andy, a brain-damaged patient at the nursing home where his mother works, we can infer that Brady is a kind character.

57. Chapter 6: Post-Reading
When Brady turns down the chance to skip school because he would miss his social studies exam, we can infer that he is also:
A. highly intellectual
B. sociable
C. responsible
D. interested in a teaching career

58. Chapter 6 Plot Summary
At home, Brady recovers from his stressful morning.
Carl reports that Mrs. DiAngelo couldn’t stop the water from coming into the kayak and that Ben had begged for a ride that morning.
Brady realizes that Ben could have suffered brain damage from the hypothermia.

59. Chapter 7: Post-Reading Partner Work
Why might Digger and J.T. be avoiding Brady?
Do you consider Brady a hero? Why or why not?
Why does Brady still feel guilty?

60. Chapter 7: Italics
pp : Note the use of italics to distinguish the newspaper article about Ben’s rescue from the rest of the text in Chapter 7.
Italics would also be used to distinguish a letter within the text of a novel.

61. Chapter 7 Plot Summary
Brady is treated as a hero at school, but he feels slighted when J.T. and Digger avoid him.

62. Chapter 8: Post-Reading Using Italics for Emphasis
p. 49: He did have brain damage.
p. 50: Don’t you dare blame yourself. You
tried, Brady.
p. 50: If I’d gotten there five minutes
sooner…
NOTE: Don’t overdo the use of italics for emphasis. If you do, they will lose their effect and your writing will seem like something out of a comic book.

63. Chapter 8: Internal Conflict
Reread the bottom half of p. 50
Discuss Brady’s internal conflict with your partner.

64. Chapter 8: Internal Conflict
When Brady says that an enormous hole opened up in his heart, he means this:
Literally (word-for-word)
Figuratively

65. Chapter 8: Sensory Details
With your partner, name the five senses with which we perceive the world around us.

66. Our Five Senses Smell Taste Touch Hear See
Now make an inference about what sensory details are.

67. A Story Without Sensory Details:
I went to the store and bought some flowers. Then I headed to the meat department. Later I realized I forgot to buy bread.
Now, does this pull you in? Of course it doesn't. There's nothing to bring you into the writer's world.

68. Improved Story with Sensory Details
Upon entering the grocery store, I headed directly for the flower department, where I spotted yellow tulips. As I tenderly rested the tulips in my rusty shopping cart, I caught a whiff of minty dried eucalyptus, so I added the fragrant forest green bouquet of eucalyptus to my cart.

69. Improved with Sensory Details
While heading for the meat department, I smelled the stench of seafood, which made my appetite disappear. I absently grabbed a bloody red hunk of NY Strip and tossed it into my cart. Pushing my creaky shopping cart to the checkout line, I heard an employee announce over the PA that there was a special on shrimp. On the ride home, I realized I had forgotten to buy the crusty wheat bread I like so much.

70. Sensory Details Take another look at the previous two slides.
With your partner, determine which sense each sensory detail is appealing to.

71. Sensory Details
See how the sensory details made the passage come to life?
Which specific images and ideas stuck in your head?
Why is the passage more powerful now?

72. “The water was calm, solid brown because of how the rain had stirred everything up the day before. You could still smell the storm, the wet logs, the damp grass, the muddy riverbank.” The author brings us into this last scene in Chapter 8 by using:
A. foreshadowing
B. figurative language
C. sensory details
Which two senses is the author appealing to?

73. Chapter 8: Sensory Imagery
Teacher-led examination of the sensory imagery and figurative language on the lower half of page 52.

74. In the following line from Chapter 8, which two literary devices are being used together? “The roots to a big sweet gum tree, exposed by erosion in the riverbank, suddenly looked like a swarm of snakes slithering into the water.”
A. onomatopoeia and personification
B. hyperbole and a metaphor
C. alliteration and a simile

75. Chapter 8 Plot Summary
Brady’s mom pulls him out of school to deliver the tragic news of Ben’s death.
Brady takes off in his skiff to do some thinking alone out on the Corsica.
As Brady is screaming hatefully at the river and crying, he looks down and sees the sunken red kayak.

76. Chapter 9: Post-Reading
“Dad liked a country music radio station out of Baltimore, which drove me nuts.” Which literary device is Cummings using?
sensory details
B. idiom
C. symbolism
D. oxymoron

77. Chapter 9: Post-Reading Mining the Text
Working with your partner, dig through page 55 to find some revealing characterization of Mr. Parks.
How does this complicate things for Brady?

78. Chapter 9: Post-Reading Mining the Text
Working with your partner, dig through page 57 to discover how the Parks family has dealt with/coped with/handled the loss of little Amanda.
How does this further characterize Brady’s parents?
What can we infer about the way they deal with tragedy?
How might this impact Brady?

79. Author’s Use of Symbolism
During our Realistic Fiction Unit, we learned that authors use key objects and symbols to provide meaning in their stories.
A symbol is something that stands for or represents an idea.
Many symbols are concrete (touchable) objects, while other symbols are intangible, like colors.

80. Examples of Symbolism Chains might symbolize _________?
A gold band might symbolize _______?
An eagle might symbolize _______?
The color red might symbolize ______?
Springtime might represent _________?

81. The Symbolism of Brady’s Crabs
With your partner, determine the symbolism of Brady choosing to release the dozens of crabs that he and his father catch the day after Ben dies.
Mine page 61 for specific lines that reveal Brady’s motivation for setting those crabs free.

82. Chapter 9 Plot Summary
Brady decides not to tell his parents about finding the red kayak.
They allow him to stay home from school to work through his upset emotions.
Brady “flips out” and sets the crabs free so that they can have the second chance that Ben never had.

83. Chapter 10: Post-Reading
Brady’s parents don’t punish him for setting free the crabs and wasting all that money. What do they do instead?
2. How is Carl developed as an even more
likable character in this chapter?

84. Chapter 10: Post-Reading
3. Digger avoids Brady, and J.T. lies to him about why he can’t hang out. Would this be considered internal or external conflict for Brady? 4. Final line of Chapter 10: “I just didn’t get it.” What doesn’t Brady get?

85. Chapter 10 Plot Summary
Brady’s parents invite Carl to come over to see if Brady will open up to him about his distress over Ben’s death. Brady comes close, yet he doesn’t tell Carl everything that’s bothering him.
Brady struggles when he returns to school and is mystified when he catches J.T. in a lie about why he can’t hang out with Brady.