TEKS Analysis of Genres & Literary Texts

1. TEKS Analysis of Genres &Literary Texts STAAR Success for English EOCs

2. Prefixes& Roots & Suffixes • Orthography : ortho is the prefix; graph is the root; and y is the is the suffix • Ortho means straight or correct, graph means written or drawn, and y means state or condition • Adding a y to a word makes it a noun • Therefore, orthography means writing words with proper letters • Hypersensitive: hyper is a prefix meaning very; sensitive is the root meaning touchy • Therefore, hypersensitive means overly touchy

3. Prefixes& Roots & Suffixes • Reconstruction: re is a prefix meaning again: construct is the root and means to build; and the suffix is ion meaning condition or action • Therefore, reconstruction means the action of building again • YOUR TURN: Look up ten words in the dictionary and indicate their prefix, root, and suffix

4. Denotation & Connotation • Denotation is the dictionary meaning, while connotation adds an emotional dimension • Cheap and inexpensive mean not costing a lot; however, cheap implies low quality whereas inexpensive does not • In the Wizard of OZ, for example, Dorothy says, “ There’s no place like home,” she is referring to the security she feels when she is there. • Other examples: (1) That rat tried to get me to loan him my iPhone. (2) If he weren’t such a snake, we could trust him to bring the party materials. • YOUR TURN: Find five examples of connation from our text or Google.

5. Theme • Theme is the controlling idea of a piece of literature, not to be confused with plot which is what the characters do in a novel. Themes are about human nature, society, or life in general. • Two major themes of To Kill A Mockingbird are the importance of a moral education and social justice. • Two major themes of Separate Peace are codependency and identity (Finny & Gene) the conflict of enmity and empathy in humans ( War & Peace). • Two major themes of Huckleberry Finn are the importance of an intellectual moral education and slavery as an institution of racism.

6. Theme • Two major themes of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet are the forcefulness of romantic love and tragic fate. • Two major themes of Steinbeck’s Of Mice & Men are naturalistic predatory existence as a weakness and fraternity as a nobler goal than the individualistic American Dream of wealth. • YOUR TURN: Find 10 major novels and write two major themes they address. Did you find some that might interest you in future reading?

7. Depth of Detail • Example of No Depth of Detail • A man came into the room about twenty minutes after the tardy bell rang. He stayed for about fifteen minutes and left the room. I think he knew the teacher. • Example of Good Depth of Detail • After about fifteen minutes when we were already taking our final exams, a well-dressed man with a beige suit and tie came in and sat down with us. He did not look at the teacher, but the teacher was not really surprised to see him there. He got out his laptop and took some notes, glancing around the room, now looking at the board, now the walls, and then the bulletin boards. Gracefully and quietly he left our room, respectfully acknowledging the teacher’s work. • YOUR TURN: Do the following three writing activities using depth of detail • *Describe the Georgetown HS Cafeteria • * Describe the Georgetown Library • * Describe the Georgetown Main Square

8. Bread & Butter of LiteraryWRITING • Simile: a comparison of two things by usinglikeandas • Metaphor: a comparison of two unlike things • Identify the simile and the metaphor below that are used by Edgar Allan Poe from “The Raven.” What are the two things compared and what is the meaning of the simile and metaphor? • Till I scarcely more than And the raven, never • muttered “Other friends flitting, still is sitting, still • have flown before---- is sitting • On the morrow he will leave me, as On the pallid bust of Pallas • My hopes have flown before.” just above my chamber • Then the bird said, door; • “Nevermore.” And his eyes have all the • seeming of a demon’s that • is dreaming

9. YOUR TURN • Using critical thinking find the “S”, “M,” or “N.” If “S” or “M,” indicate the two things that are compared. • 1. Wendy is like the wind, changing her mind all the time. (Unknown) • 2. As a true American, John waves his flag, wears the red, white, and blue, and pledges allegiance every day. (Unknown) • 3. All religions, arts, and sciences are all branches of the same tree. • ( Albert Einstein ) • 4. Warmish-cool , with a faint taste like the hot July wind in cedar trees smell. ( William Faulkner) • 5. Happiness is the china shop; love is the bull. (H.L.Mencken)

10. YOUR TURN • 6. Like it or not, I’m going to fail this stinky, stupid subject called Algebra II. • (Unknown) • 7. She was a pale blonde with a skin like clean polished bone. • (John Steinbeck) • 8. It was gone. The town she was now seeing was like a baby grown overnight into a busy, sprawling giant. ( Margaret Mitchell) • 9. Hot July is sweat turned into steam. (Unknown) • 10. Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face. • ( Victor Hugo)