Unit 1 – “The Last Dog”

1. Unit 1 – “The Last Dog”

2. Learning Goals Read for comprehension and analysis, with a focus on plot, setting, conflict and vocabulary.

3. Unit 1 Objectives • • identify stages of plot • • analyze plot development • • identify internal and external conflict • • analyze and evaluate setting

4. Review - What drives a story? Review: • Setting • Characters • Conflict

5. Review - What drives a story? Review: • Setting is the time and place of the action. • Characters are the people, animals, or imaginary creatures that take part in a story. • • Conflict is a struggle between different forces. • A conflict can be external or internal.

6. Stages of Plot • Exposition • Rising action • Climax • Falling action • Resolution

7. Stages of Plot • Exposition

8. Stages of Plot • Exposition • • Introduces the setting and the characters • • Sets up or hints at the conflict

9. Stages of Plot • rising action

10. Stages of Plot • rising action • • Shows how the conflict unfolds and becomes more complicated • • Builds suspense • (suspense is a feeling of growing tension and excitement)

11. Stages of Plot • Climax

12. Stages of Plot • Climax • • Is the most exciting moment and the turning point • • Often results in a change for the main character

13. Stages of Plot • falling action

14. Stages of Plot • falling action • • Reveals how the main character begins to resolve the conflict • • Eases suspense (What’s suspense?)* • (suspense is a feeling of growing tension and excitement)

15. Stages of Plot • Resolution

16. Stages of Plot • Resolution • • Ties up loose ends • • Sometimes offers an unexpected twist before the story ends

17. Stages of Plot • Plot diagram • http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/plot-diagram/

18. Share

19. Literary Terms • Setting • Flashback • Science fiction

20. Literary Terms • Setting – time and place of the action • Flashback – a scene from an earlier time • Science fiction – combines real scientific information with imagination to create an altered universe.

21. Reading Strategy • Identify Sequence – the order of events.

22. Reading Strategy Identify Sequence

23. Read “The Last Dog” Page 48 Remember to “identify sequence” and capture details for the “setting”.

24. Avoiding Run-Ons • Run-on – Consists of two or more sentences written as if they were one sentence • End mark – punctuation that separates one sentence from another by ending a complete thought • Comma – shows a slight pause, and avoids confusion, but does not signal the end to one thought and the start of another.

25. Avoiding Run-Ons • Fuzed Sentence – is a word group containing two or more sentences that are run together without any punctuation. • Comma Splice – consists of two or more sentences separated by a comma instead of a period or semicolon (:).

26. Analyze Visuals 1. look at the painting on pg. 49. Describe the setting depicted. The barren landscape, purple sky, and the odd dome building make the setting appear futuristic and somewhat eerie. . . .continued

27. Setting 2. What is the setting? The setting of this story appears to be a post apocalyptic future, post environmental wasteland of Earth. The characters live in an environmentally controlled dome, believing that Earth remains uninhabitable after an earlier disaster destroyed much of the population (lines 171–175). As with many works of science fiction, there is much truth to this story: polluted air, land, and water are a serious problem, and it increases as technology, industry, and the world’s population continue to grow. . . .continued

28. Setting (lines 1-22) 3. Where does Brock live (line 22)? In a dome. 4. What does the unusual technology in the dome suggest about the time in which the story takes place? The story may be set in the future or in an advanced society. 5. What is Brock wearing (line 12)? dry suit, helmet, gloves, boots 6. What is Brock taking with him (lines 14-19)? scanner, limited water supply, food tablets . . .continued

29. Setting (1-22) 7. How does Brock feel about his journey (lines 17-19? He is excited about leaving the dome. 8. What inference can you draw about conditions on the “outside” based on details in lines 1-17? There is possibly no oxygen, food, or water. It could be contaminated or radioactive. 9. What do these lines (1-22) introduce? This passage introduces the main character. 10. What does it build for the reader? It builds understanding of the futuristic setting. . . .continued

30. Setting (lines 23-53) 11. What other things did you recognize in the reading of lines 23-53 that you can add to your Setting? Technology: universal locator (gps), hologram, virtual lessons Environment outside dome: alien sun, purplish mountains . . .continued

31. Plot Sequence 12. What happens after Brock goes through the customs gate? Lines 30-38 Brock leaves the dome. He sees the sun for the first time.

32. Setting (lines 54-70) 13. In lines 54-70, what do these details tell you about the place where the story is set? The story seems to be taking place on Earth, in the United States. (line 61) The characters Brock meets in the “ancient fictions” are from real books written by Mark Twain and Virginia Hamilton.

33. Plot Sequence (Flashback) 14. What is a flashback? A description of events that happened before the main action of a story when a character is not just remembering an event, but is reliving it through memories that include details and dialogue. 15. Why do authors use flashback? to show the causes of present events . . .continued

34. Plot Sequence (lines 59-70) 16. Lines 59-70 describe a Flashback. Envision the relationship between this earlier event and what Brock is doing now by adding this information to the sequence chart. Place this box in front of the first one already filled in. Envision the relationship between this earlier event and what Brock is doing now by adding this information to the sequence chart. Place this box in front of the first one already filled in.

35. Setting (lines 71-75) 17. (Flashback) Why does Brock leave the dome? Brock becomes curious about the outside world after experiencing “ancient fictions,” or novels from the past. These stories show him a world that is much more exciting than life in the dome.

36. Flashback (lines 76-97) 18. Note that the main action of the story is told in the past tense, but past perfect verb forms are used to signal a flashback sequence. “hadn’t known” (lines 84–85), “had voiced” (line 85), and “had brought” (line 92). Record these events in the sequence chart as you read. 19. In lines 81-97, What information is revealed in the flashback that helps you to better understand Brock and his present actions? The flashback reveals that Brock told a researcher that he wanted to go outside the dome because he was interested in scientific research. In the flashback, the reader also finds out how Brock learned about scanners and how a researcher brought him one.

37. Setting (lines 98-125) 20. Compare and contrast the setting outside the dome with the natural setting where you live. Grass, brooks, and trees can also usually be found in our own natural settings. 21. How familiar does the setting outside the dome seem to you? One difference might be the absence of people in the area outside of the dome. . . .continued

38. Setting (lines 126-137) 22. Notice how Brock reacts to nature. In what ways has the setting inside the dome influenced Brock’s reactions? Living in the dome has made Brock fearful of nature and of new situations. He suppresses his desire to dip his finger in the brook (lines 129–130) and to breathe the outside air (lines 133–134). 23. What event may have caused the supposed poisoning of Earth? Add these as possible causes of the outside environment. . . .continued

39. Analyze Visuals 24. Look at the painting on pg. 53. What do the details in the painting tell you about the setting? Life is evident in the flowing stream, growing trees, and shining sun. . . .continued

40. Entry Card 25. Connect: Have you ever visited a place that is very different from your home? Was the experience more exciting or more fearsome? 26. Analyze: In what way is nature outside the dome different from what Brock has been taught? He has been taught that the world outside cannot support life. However, he has found living trees (line 115) and a flowing brook (line 126) outside. 27. Evaluate: Why do you think dome scientists and leaders have not updated their information about the outside environment? The dome leaders do not want to lose members of their population to the outside world. The dome dwellers are imprisoned by their fear of the outside. They are too comfortable inside the dome. . . .continued

41. Setting (lines 147-167) Remember that setting is where and when a story happens, and that it can influence a story’s plot. As you read about Brock’s exploration of the world outside the dome, notice the sights and sounds that he discovers. 28. Where is Brock, and how is this influencing his actions? Brock responds with curiosity to the world outside the dome. He gets braver as he spends more time outside. 29. What is he thinking about the sights and sounds that he is experiencing? When Brock hears “little crying sounds,” he discovers that the sounds come from a puppy. If Brock had not felt safe and curious outside the dome, he might not have investigated the sounds and found the puppy. . . .continued

42. Setting (lines 147-167) 30. In what way does this setting influence what happens next? Explain and add details to your Setting. There are no other people or robots to control what Brock does; even the scanner has less power over his decisions as he spends more time outside. Brock begins to feel the difference between the dome’s virtual world and the real world. 31. Notice how the following descriptive phrases emphasize the idea that there is a difference between the setting of the dome and the real world: o “He struggled to his feet”; o “dry suit from storage was certainly awkward”; o “Nothing on the scanner indicated danger”; o “Brock could guess the puppy was ‘sad’.” . . .continued

43. Grammar in Context (lines 168-192) 32. Notice that Paterson uses punctuation marks and the coordinating conjunctions “but” and “and” to make her sentences clear and easy to understand. o Brock had never seen a dog, of course, but he’d seen plenty of dog breed descriptions on the science/history virtuals. o It was looking for food, and plasticine gloves weren’t going to satisfy. Keep this in mind as you read along and identify similar sentences with coordinating conjunctions. Grammar lessons in the following week will include this material as well. . . .continued

44. Revisit the Big Question (lines 193-202) Why are pets good companions? 33. Discuss: What details in lines 198–202 suggest that Brock is already enjoying the companionship of the puppy? o He laughs when the puppy wrinkles its nose at the pellet (lines 198–199). o He feels pleasure when the puppy licks his hand and looks at him (lines 199–201). o He talks to the puppy (line 202). . . .continued

45. Plot Sequence (lines 188-202) 34. What sequence of events leads to Brock’s touching the puppy? Add these things to your Sequence graphic organizers. o The puppy is hungry but doesn’t like the smell or taste of Brock’s glove (lines 191–192). o Brock takes off his glove and holds out a food pellet (lines 195–197). o The puppy licks Brock’s hand (line 198). . . .continued

46. Setting (lines 203-220) 35. How is finding the puppy changing what Brock has always believed about the outside? Brock realizes that living creatures still exist outside the dome and that the world outside may not be as poisonous as the dome dwellers believe. 36. To discuss what the dome dwellers believe about the world outside and what Brock is discovering, list the beliefs of the dome dwellers and Brock’s discoveries on a chart. . . .continued

47. Setting (lines 203-220) . . .continued

48. Grammar in Context (lines 209-213) 37. Note the use of commas, periods, and question marks. Read a sentence without pausing for the comma to understand the importance of commas. Coordinating conjunctions connect words, phrases, and clauses. Make a list of coordinating conjunctions that are used. o The puppy turned momentarily at the sound, then went back to drinking, as though it was the most normal thing in the world. o Well, it was, for the dog. o If the streams were not all dried up, they must have learned to tolerate the water. But then, it was breathing the poisoned atmosphere, wasn’t it? . . .continued

49. Targeted Passage (lines 221-236) 38. This passage presents a turning point in the story: Brock decides to take the puppy back to the dome. 39. Break into small groups to discuss the following questions: o What does Brock fear will happen to the puppy if he leaves it? (lines 223–229) o What is Brock already starting to feel toward the puppy? (lines 226–229) o What does Brock decide to do with the puppy? (lines 234–236) . . .continued

50. Targeted Passage (lines 221-236) o What does Brock fear will happen to the puppy if he leaves it? (lines 223–229) • The puppy would starve and die. o What is Brock already starting to feel toward the puppy? (lines 226–229) • Brock is starting to care about the puppy, love and affection. o What does Brock decide to do with the puppy? (lines 234–236) • Brock decides to take the puppy to the dome because he thinks that he can take better care of it there. . . .continued