Close Reading Practice Passages: High School
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In this YouTube video (7:00), author John Green explains the value of close, critical reading. A great activity to establish a rationale for close reading.
This exercise in close reading includes background information, a printable student handout, and an interactive activity.
This close reading strategy is discussed in the context of "A Modest Proposal" but will work with any piece of satire.
A thorough unit plan with text, discussion questions and commentary, related links, vocabulary. Designed for grades 9, 10. 29 pages; word processor required.
Students annotate and analyze a passage. The model uses an excerpt from
The Things They Carried
but will work with other passages, too.
Students will discover the rich language and life lesson embedded in Dillards text. By reading and rereading the passage closely and focusing their reading through a series of questions and discussion about the text, students will be equipped to unpack Dillards essay. When combined with writing about the passage, students will learn to appreciate how Dillards writing contains a deeper message and derive satisfaction from the struggle to master complex text. Includes text. Designed for grades 11, 12. 20 pages; word processor required.
Students discover and evaluate the "new English" that has made Achebe "the father of African literature" and has placed
Things Fall Apart
on high school reading lists worldwide. This close reading exposes students to a unique point of view and foreign cultural experience and serves to expand their base of world literature. Students identify the linguistic and literary techniques Achebe uses to convey a sense of Igbo culture. They analyze the impact of the traditional oral elements to unlock the meanings and messages of the novel.
Links to 9 printable passages. Adobe Reader required.
Links to 29 printable passages with skill development indicated. Adobe Reader required.
Students observe how Hurston creates a unique literary voice by combining folklore, folk language, and traditional literary techniques. They will examine the role that folk groups play in their own lives and in the novel. They will undertake a close reading of passages in the novel that reveal Hurstons literary techniques and determine their impact on the novel.