Language techniques

 How many of these do you know?  (adapted from BBC bite size guides)

Alliteration

This is where the first letter of a word is repeated in words that follow. For example, the cold, crisp, crust of clean, clear ice.

Assonance

This is where the same vowel sound is repeated but the consonants are different. For example, he passed her a sharp, dark glance, she shot a cool, foolish look across the room.

Colloquial language

This is language used in speech with an informal meaning. For example, chill, out of this world, take a rain check

Dialect

This is a version of a language spoken by people in a particular geographical area.

Dialogue

This is a conversation between two or more people - sometimes an imagined conversation between the narrator and the reader. Dialogue is important in drama and can show conflict through a series of statements and challenges, or intimacy where characters mirror the content and style of each other's speech. It can also be found in the conversational style of a poem.

Dissonance

This is discordant combinations of sounds. For example, the clash, spew and slow pang of grinding waves against the quay.

Enjambment

This is device used in poetry where a sentence continues beyond the end of the line or verse. This technique is often used to maintain a sense of continuation from one stanza to another.

Hyperbole

This is exaggerating for a purpose – it is not meant to be taken literally. For example, we gorged on the banquet of beans on toast.

Imagery

This is where strong pictures or ideas are created in the mind of the reader. Similes, metaphors and personification can all be used to achieve this - they all compare something 'real' with something 'imagined'.

Irony

This is where words or ideas are used humorously or sarcastically, to imply the opposite of what they mean.

Metaphor

This is where a word or phrase is used to imply figurative resemblance, not a literal or 'actual' one. For example, he flew into the room.

Monologue

An uninterrupted monologue can show a character's importance or state of mind. Monologue can be in speech form, delivered in front of other characters and having great thematic importance, or as a soliloquy where we see the character laying bare their soul and thinking aloud.

Onomatopoeia

This is a word that sounds like the noise it is describing. For example, splash, bang, pop, hiss.

Oxymoron

This is where two words normally not associated are brought together. For example, cold heat, bitter sweet.

Pathos

This is language that evokes feelings of pity or sorrow.

Personification

This is where a human quality is attributed to a thing or idea. For example, the moon calls me to her darkened world.

Repetition

This is where a word or phrase is repeated to achieve a particular effect.

Rhyme

Poems often have a fixed rhyme scheme. For example, sonnets have 14 lines with the fixed rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Try to comment on what contribution the rhyme scheme is making to the text as a whole. Why do you think the poet has chosen it? Does it add control or perhaps imitate the ideas in the poem in some way?

Rhythm

Many poems contain a repetitive beat or metre. Tennyson's poem The Lady of Shalott uses a strong internal rhythm to build up the sense of unrelenting monotony in the poem.

There she weaves by night and day/A magic web with colours gay./She has heard a whisper say,/A curse is on her if she stay/To look down to Camelot./She knows not what the curse may be,/And so she weaveth steadily,/And little other care hath she,/The Lady of Shalott."

Simile

This is where a phrase establishes similarity between two things. Similes usually involve the words 'like' or 'as'- he is as quick as an arrow in flight, as white as snow, like a burning star.

Symbolism

Objects, colours, sounds and places may work as symbols. They can sometimes give us an insight into the themes. So, snakes are often symbols of temptation as in the story of Adam and Eve, white usually symbolises innocence and a ringing bell can be a symbol for impending doom.

Tone

Tone is the creation of mood in a text, such as sadness, gloom, celebration, joy, anxiety, dissatisfaction, regret or anger. Different elements of writing can help to create these moods. For example, long sentences or verses, with assonance, tend to create a sad, melancholic mood. But short syllabic, alliterative lines can create an upbeat and pacy atmosphere.

Word choice

This can also be referred to as 'register'. It refers to an author's choice of language. Authors may use words commonly associated with a certain subject, experience or state of mind.

Using 3-4 of the language teachniques, describe the weather today.  You can also include the five senses.  Your goal is to bring to life your unique experience with the cold today.

The Hate You Give assessment

Response to Text


Task

You are going to write an essay about the novel you read in class: either The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie OR The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

• Choose from one of the prompts below to answer - this will become your central argument.
• Aim to write an introduction, three paragraphs, and a conclusion
• Use evidence from the text such as quotes, descriptions, important moments, themes, and characters.
• You also need to share your own perspective and thoughts on the text; why was it important to learn about? What made it powerful? What did you appreciate about it? What is it trying to teach us?
• You will have three periods for writing and then one more period for final polishing.

Questions.  Write an essay on ONE of the following:

1. In THUG, Starr learns how to use her voice to stand up for herself. Describe how we see a character in the story stand up for themselves. Explain why this is an important lesson for teenagers.
2. Starr and Hailey stop talking after a fight. Describe a key conflict that they have. Explain how this conflict demonstrates the issue of racism.
3. Starr explains to the reader how she feels like a different person whether she is at home or at school. Describe how she changes depending on where she is. Explain the effect that setting has on her character.

The Hate You Give: The Rose the Grew From the Concrete/The Two Talks at Twelve/Your voice is your weapon/essay

“The Rose That Grew From Concrete” by Tupac Shakur

Did you hear about the rose that grew
from a crack in the concrete?
Proving nature’s law is wrong it
learned to walk with out having feet.
Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams,
it learned to breathe fresh air.
Long live the rose that grew from concrete

when no one else ever cared.

 
Literary Term Reminder – Metaphor

A metaphor is a direct comparison not using the words like or as.  e.g. Life is a highway.

Questions
1. What is the rose in Tupac’s poem a metaphor for? 

2. What does the concrete represent? 

3. Who are the “roses” in The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas? Give five examples of “roses” in The Hate U Give, and explain what extra challenges each face while trying to grow.

The Two Talks at Twelve

“When I was twelve, my parents had two talks with me.

One was the usual birds and bees. Well, I didn't really get the usual version. My mom, Lisa, is a registered nurse, and she told me what went where, and what didn't need to go here, there, or any damn where till I'm grown. Back then, I doubted anything was going anywhere anyway. While all the other girls sprouted breasts between sixth and seventh grade, my chest was as flat as my back.

The other talk was about what to do if a cop stopped me.

Momma fussed and told Daddy I was too young for that. He argued that I wasn't too young to get arrested or shot.

"Starr-Starr, you do whatever they tell you to do," he said. "Keep your hands visible. Don't make any sudden moves. Only speak when they speak to you."

I knew it must've been serious. Daddy has the biggest mouth of anybody I know, and if he said to be quiet, I needed to be quiet.

I hope somebody had the talk with Khalil.”

1. What have your parents taught you about the police?

2. Why did Maverick emphasise keeping hands visible?

3. In the film, they show Khalil being less cooperative with the police officer than in the novel.  Why do you think they did this? 

Your voice is your weapon
Once the results come out of the jury trial, and Officer Cruise is not indicted (i.e. does not get charged with a crime), Starr throws the police tear gas canister back from the crowd to the police.  You can find this section on pp.406-7.

1. "The bullhorn is as heavy as a gun" - what language technique is this?  What is suggested about the power of the bullhorn by this technique?

2. Explain in your own words the point Starr makes about criminals.

3. Starr pushes back against the police with more than her words in this scene.  What does she do?

Writing task: 

How does Starr becomes stronger throughout the novel?  Write an essay which traces the development of Starr as a young person finding her voice and standing up for herself.  

Why do we study novels?

 We will look at this question today at the beginning of class.  Our discussion will include:

- Novels help us imagine a world outside our own and then see ourselves in it.

- Novels can help us make sense of the conflicts in our own lives - the places where we feel alone and unsupported, and ways in which we can feel less alone.

- Research on the importance of studying long texts with complex themes and character development for all students (not just students at wealthy, flash schools)

- We learn to show understanding of how characters change over time, and the impact of a setting on a person's life.

- We develop our essay writing skills - introductions, main body paragraphs and conclusions.  We get better at writing by stretching ourselves to write more or more deeply than before on the novel.  If we wrote ten words yesterday, then 20 today.  If we wrote 100 words yesterday, then 200 today.

- We learn to show our understanding of how the obvious (Khalil died) is shaped by the less obvious (that many US police believe all black men are dangerous) and make our own lessons (that when we try to understand the lives of others by walking in their shoes, we become stronger and build a better world).  We can link it to our own experiences - what do we know about people in our class who we don't usually talk to?  How can building new relationships build a better class?

How will you go outside of your comfort zone and learn something new today?

Chapter 23: rioting time

 "I told the truth.  I did everything I was supposed to do, and it wasn't -------- good enough.  Khalil's death wasn't horrible enough to be considered a crime." [Starr]

• Chris decides to stay with Seven and Starr as they head out to the riot.  He looks obviously white and people stare.  He clicks that this is what it feels like at school for Starr and Seven.  We see him learning from being in this new environment.

1. On page 384, find an example of Starr's anger.  Copy the quote down - you will want it for your paragraph.

2. On page 384, find an example of Chris being cautious (definition of cautious here).  Write the example in your own words (this is called paraphrasing).

3. In chapters 22 & 23, we see Chris take a leap into Starr's world, out of his safe zone.  Why is this so important for their relationship?

Extension: 

• this article about code-switching in The Hate You Give explains why the novel and the film are so important for educating people about racism and the negative effects it has.  
• Do you 'see colour'?  This article explores the idea that if you don't see how colour shapes a person's life, then you miss an opportunity to understand them.

Act to Protect: chapter 22

This term our year 10 theme across the school is "Act to Protect."  Today we see some unorthodox methods of protecting loved ones.

• In chapter 22, we see Iesha, Seven's momma who has often let Seven and his sisters down, take action to protect De Vante, Seven, Kenya, Starr and Chris.  
• King and his men have found De Vante and bashed him already, and "when the sun goes down," they plan to kill him.  
• Kenya lets Seven know what has happened, and Seven arrives with Chris and Starr to the house where Iesha, King and Kenya live.
• Iesha walks in, and sees several people who King would like to kill/hurt/beat up.
• When she orders them all out of the house, and Seven's sisters as well, Seven doesn't click as to why.
• Later, when he realises it is so she can take the rap (beating) and the kids are safe, he wants to turn around and protect her.
• Kenya points out that their momma knew what she was doing, that she wanted to protect her kids and that they need to let her do just that.

At the end of the chapter, we are dealt a serious blow - the jury have decided not to indict (charge) the policeman who killed Khalil.  Garden Heights is about to catch fire with anger....

Questions: 

1. What do you think of Iesha?  Give examples from the novel to support your answer.
2. Is anyone all good or all bad in this novel?  Who comes close?

Fight at Williamson! Students stood down

 Today we are going to read pp.333-345.

After all the tension that has built up, things finally boil over into a fight between Hailey and Starr.  What does Hailey say that breaks Starr?

1. Retell the fight -  who-what-when-where-how-why the fight broke out at lunchtime at Williamson.  You can set it up as a newspaper report, or a snapchat story or using a different method of your choice.

The Hate You Give: preparing for the court case

Questions 

1. There are some strong stereotypes about the kinds of lives black people in poor neighbourhoods live in America.  Based on your own impressions from the media, what are some of those negative stereotypes?
2. In the section we read yesterday (pp300-314), there was a big focus on Starr's family - how they watched basketball together, the fun they had, the way they teased each other, how much her parents loved each other.  Why do you think Angie Thomas (the author) puts so much emphasis on this loving, supportive family?
3. Read page 315-319.  Why does Maverick think the police may have thrown the brick?
4. Summarise the argument that Maverick and Carlos had on pp318-9 in your own words.
5. Why do you think Carlos and Maverick don't get along?
6. Read pp.320-330.  
7. On page 327, Lisa (Mum) says to Starr: "Brave doesn't mean you're not scared, Starr... It means you go on even though you're scared.  And you're doing that."  Explain what this means in your own words, and give an example of where this idea has or could help you in your own life.
8. Copy the last line of page 320.  Then take some paper (or use google drawings) to create a poster of Starr saying this.  What colours would you use?  How could your poster and Starr's words inspire other people to stand up against injustice?