Monday, August 31st:
1st Period:
BIC:
“The Sniper”;
please do “Verbs” in your packet, "The Sniper" vocabulary, grammar, irony packet.
Exercise 1: “Identifying Verbs”; 1 – 10.
Underline the verbs in each sentence.
Exercise 2: “Writing with Vivid Verbs”, please do 1 - 4
On your paper, fill in the blanks with vivid verbs.
Example: The wedding cake splattered as Nester
furiously smashed it with
his fist.
For homework tonight:
Do Exercise 3: “Revising Paragraphs”
Rewrite the paragraph using more interesting verbs.
“The Sniper” packet is due tomorrow, Tuesday, September 1
st.
8:20
“The Sniper”: Discussion Questions (Due Thursday)
Please do questions 2 and 3. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WRITE THE QUESTIONS, BUT YOU HAVE TO INCORPORATE THE
QUESTIONS IN YOUR ANSWERS.
Question:
2. (Page 10) What risk did the sniper take? Why do you think he took the risk?
How to incorporate question into answer:
The Sniper took many risks throughout the story. The first
risk the sniper took was when he…………. He took these risks because………
Question:
3. (Page 11) Why did the sniper shoot the unarmed woman? Was
he justified? Explain why or why not.
How to incorporate the question into the answer:
The sniper shot the unarmed woman because she was…… Yes, I
do think the sniper was justified in shooting the unarmed woman because…….
No, I do not think the sniper was justified in killing the
unarmed woman because……..
Situational Irony: is when you think a situation is going to
turn out one way, but it turns out completely opposite.
Two improvs showing situational irony.
Period 3:
You can mail your homework to me at the following e-mails:
jkatbridge2004@gmail.com - google docs.
Please open your “Sniper” packet to the “Verbs”
section, read the instructions and do 1 – 10.
Exercise 1: “Identifying Verbs”; 1 – 10.
Underline the verbs in each sentence.
Exercise 2: “Writing with Vivid Verbs”, please do 1 - 4
On your paper, fill in the blanks with vivid verbs.
Example: The wedding cake splattered as Nester
furiously smashed it with
his fist.
For homework tonight:
Do Exercise 3: “Revising Paragraphs”
Rewrite the paragraph using more interesting verbs.
The entire "Sniper" packet is due tomorrow.
“The Sniper”: Discussion Questions (Due Thursday)
Please do questions 2 and 3. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WRITE THE QUESTIONS, BUT YOU HAVE TO INCORPORATE THE
QUESTIONS IN YOUR ANSWERS.
Question:
2. (Page 10) What risk did the sniper take? Why do you think he took the risk?
How to incorporate the question into the answer:
The Sniper took many risks throughout the story. The first
risk the sniper took was when he…………. The sniper took these risks because………
Question:
3. (Page 11) Why did the sniper shoot the unarmed woman? Was
he justified? Explain why or why not.
How to incorporate the question into the answer:
The sniper shot the unarmed woman because she was…… Yes, I
do think the sniper was justified in shooting the unarmed woman because…….
No, I do not think the sniper was justified in killing the
unarmed woman because……..
B. Killing the unarmed woman reveals the sniper to be ………
Go onto question 4. Expand question 4 to include the
entire short story and to include figurative language, including metaphor,
simile, personification, and imagery.
A metaphor is comparing two unlike objects not using like or
as.
In the water, he is a fish.
A simile is comparing two unlike objects using like or as.
My pajamas are as soft as the fur of a bunny – Paola.
Asiah: “…..machine guns and rifles broke the silence of the
night, spasmodically, like dogs barking on lone farms.” This is a simile
because it is comparing the sound and the rhythm of the guns to dogs
barking.
"The Sniper":Discussion Questions will be due on Thursday, September 3rd.
Began discussion on the rewriting of "The Sniper" from the viewpoint of the different characters.
Tuesday, September 1st:
1st Period:
"The Sniper" packet will be due today.
Work on your “The Sniper” vocabulary, grammar, and irony
packet. It will be due at 8:20 or if you are finished with your homework, pair up
with the person you are sitting the closest to and work on #4 on “The Sniper: Discussion
Questions”.
“The Sniper: Discussion Questions”: On #4, we expanded the
question to include all figurative language throughout the short story.
Figurative language includes: metaphor, simile,
personification, and imagery.
Metaphor: Dalicia says that it is a comparison between two
unlike things not using like or as. Example: Jonathan is a fish in the water.
Simile: Dalicia says that a simile is a comparison between two
unlike things using like or as. Example: Anselmo swims like a fish in the water.
Personification is giving human characteristics to an
inanimate. Example: The trees danced in the wind. The chair danced in the earthquake.
Imagery: writing that appeals to all five senses.
Open your book to page five, skim the short story, “The
Sniper”, looking for examples of metaphor, simile, personification, and
imagery, and write them down. You will get points for each example you provide
for the class.
Metaphors:
“…machine guns and rifles broke the silence of the night,
spasmodically, like dogs barking on lone farms.”
Imagery:
Anselmo and Jonathan:
“…the eyes of a man used to looking at death.”
Personification:
Dalicia:
“…the heavy guns roared…”
Imagery:
Bri:
“The long June twilight faded into night. Dublin lay
enveloped in darkness but for the dim light of the moon that shone through
fleecy clouds, casting a pale light as of approaching dawn over the streets and
dark waters of the Liffey.”
This is how you do ellipsis: “The long June twilight faded
into night…..and enveloped in darkness…dim light of the moon….shone through
fleecy clouds, ...a pale light…approaching dawn…dark waters of the Liffey.”
Simile:
Jasmine:
“…his right arm was paining him like a thousand devils.”
Imagery:
Jelani:
“…but his eyes had the cold gleam of a fanatic.”
Use the examples above and/or find some more of your own
examples, and write a brief paragraph showing how O’Flaherty’s use of
figurative language reveals what the sniper is experiencing. Make sure you have a minimum of four
examples of figurative language, one from each category: metaphor, simile,
personification, and imagery. Write a brief paragraph explaining how the
writer’s use of figurative language shows the reader what the sniper is feeling
and experiencing.
New Assignment:
We will divide up into groups of approximately four people,
choose a character from “The Sniper” and rewrite the story from the perspective
of that character.
1. How
many characters are there in the short story, “The Sniper”?
Two snipers, the informant, the soldier in
the turret, and the driver of the armored truck, and the omniscient narrator.
Omniscient: means all knowing. Omni = all
Scient = knowing
Backstory (exposition): It is the person’s
past which leads up to the present day conflict of the story.
Because the informant, the turret soldier,
or the driver are so briefly featured in the story, the group assigned to these
characters must provide a backstory (a past to these characters).
If you are assigned the limited perspective of one character, you can only write what the
character knows.
Here are some questions for you to consider
and answer if you are doing the “informant”:
Why is she an informant?
When did
she become an informant?
Why did she risk almost certain death to
reveal the location of the sniper?
Period
3:
Turn in “The Sniper” vocabulary, grammar
and irony packet today!
Ways
to contact me:
On
the website hollywoodhighschool.net
If
you want to send me work through
jkatbridge@aol.com,
make sure you make it a PDF first.
You
can also send me work through google docs which is jkatbridge2004@gmail.
Work
on #4 and #5 today in “The Sniper: Discussion Questions”.
“The Sniper: Discussion Questions”: On #4, we expanded the
question to include all figurative language throughout the short story.
Open your book to page five, skim the short story, “The
Sniper”, looking for examples of metaphor, simile, personification, and
imagery, and write them down. You will get points for each example you provide
for the class.
Metaphors:
“…machine guns and rifles broke the silence of the night,
spasmodically, like dogs barking on lone farms.”
Cooper:
Hyperbole: an exaggeration
“The sniper thought the noise would wake
the dead.”
Sharon:
Imagery:
His face was the face of a student, thin
and ascetic, but his eyes had the cold gleam of a fanatic.
Kristina:
Personification:
“The bullet flattened itself against the
roof.”
Asiah:
Imagery:
“His bullets would never pierce the metal
of the green monster.”
Isabel and Asiah:
Imagery:
“The long June twilight faded into night. Dublin lay
enveloped in darkness but for the dim light of the moon that shone through
fleecy clouds, casting a pale light as of approaching dawn over the streets and
dark waters of the Liffey.”
This is how you do ellipsis: “The long June twilight faded
into night…..and enveloped in darkness…dim light of the moon….shone through
fleecy clouds, ….a pale light….approaching dawn…dark waters of the Liffey.”
Isabel:
Imagery:
“…the machine guns roared…”
Tyler:
Simile, imagery, and hyperbole
“His right arm was paining him like a
thousand demons.”
Kimberly:
Simile:
“…machine guns and rifles broke the silence
of the night, spasmodically like dogs barking on lone farms.”
Use the examples above and/or find some more of your own
examples, and write a brief paragraph showing how O’Flaherty’s use of
figurative language reveals what the sniper is experiencing. Make sure you have a minimum of four
examples of figurative language, one from each category: metaphor, simile,
personification, and imagery. Write a brief paragraph explaining how the
writer’s use of figurative language shows the reader what the sniper is feeling
and experiencing.
For homework tonight, please finish
answering question 4 and press on to question 5 on “The Sniper”: Discussion
Questions.
New Assignment:
We will divide up into groups of approximately four people,
choose a character from “The Sniper” and rewrite the story from the perspective
of that character.
1. How
many characters are there in the short story, “The Sniper”:
Two snipers, the informant, the soldier in
the turret, and the driver of the armored truck.
“The Sniper” is written from the
perspective or point of view (pov) of the Republican sniper.
The omniscient narrator.
Omniscient: means all knowing. Omni = all
Scient = knowing
Backstory (exposition): It is the person’s
past, which leads up to the present day conflict of the story.
Because the informant, the turret soldier,
and the driver are so briefly featured in the story, the group assigned to
these characters, must provide a back story (a past to these characters).
Please be aware that if you are writing
from third person limited perspective (from only one character’s pov) you can only
write what the character knows.
Here are some questions for you to consider
and answer if you are doing the “informant”: Why is she an informant? When did
she become an informant?
“Why did she risk almost certain death to
reveal the location of the sniper?
Wednesday, September 2nd:
1st Period:
Please open your ELEMENTS of LITERATURE
Page 5, “The Sniper”
Please answer #5.
Please find quotations from the short story, “The Sniper”,
to support your answers. Please make sure you include your own thoughts in
these answers.
Why must the sniper leave the roof?
Why can he not leave yet?
Why can he not use his rifle?
Arath onstage -
The Informant
Kaile
Natalie
Angelica
Anselmo – second row - The soldier who is killed in the
turret
Michael
Stephanie
Taylor
Jelani – fifth row by the book case – The tank driver b
Eric
Jonathan
Jayla
Dalicia – seventh row by the white board – The Sniper’s
brother
Regina
Jasmine
Bri
Please open your ELEMENTS of LITERATURE
Page 5, “The Sniper”
Please answer #5.
Please find quotations from the short story, “The Sniper”,
to support your answers. Please make sure you include your own thoughts in
these answers.
Why must the sniper leave the roof?
Why can he not leave yet?
Why can he not use his rifle?
Break into your groups, write down the names of the people
in the group, and then write down the first choice and the second choice of the
character you want to do.
The informant
The Sniper
The soldier in the turret
The driver of the armored car
Arath onstage -
The Informant
Kaile
Natalie
Angelica
Anselmo – second row - The soldier who is killed in the
turret
Michael
Stephanie
Taylor
Jelani – fifth row by the book case – The tank driver
Eric
Jonathan
Jayla
Dalicia – seventh row by the white board – The Sniper’s
brother
Regina
Jasmine
Bri
Break into your groups, write down the names of the people
in the group, and then write down the first choice and the second choice of the
character you want to do.
The informant
The Sniper
The soldier in the turret
The driver of the armored car
Thursday, September 3rd:
1st Period:
"The Sniper" Discussions are due today.
BIC: During Bic
work on questions 6 and 7 in your “The Sniper: Discussion Questions.”
6. A. After
killing the enemy, the sniper’s attitude changes. Describe the reactions – both
emotional and physical – of the sniper.
(Be sure to include a quotation from the short story to support your
writing.)
B. Why do you think he reacted in
this way? What do these reactions reveal about the emotional state of the
sniper?
7. A. Besides curiosity, why does the sniper want to see the
face of his attacker?
B. Identify three qualities that made the two sniper alike beyond being
brothers.
Both are good shots, both have patience, and both are
stealthy (quiet, sneaky) and have self-control (or self discipline).
Break into groups to rewrite “The Sniper”
Conference with the informant’s group:
Jennifer, Nicole, Angelica, Arath, Ki,
Your short story needs to be in a short story format. It needs to look like “The
Sniper”. Your short story is going
to look a little different in that it needs to have dialogue. The short story needs to have a back
story. These are the things your
story needs to have on the first page:
Setting –
place, year, time of year and day (First page)
Description –
Describe how the characters look and act
Describe how the surroundings look
Backstory – what is the character’s past, back story or
history. What is the compelling reason to make the old woman run into the
street to reveal where the sniper is?
Dialogue – character speaking to each other.
Example of exposition or back story: The informant is at
home, a small apartment on a side street in Dublin, where she has lived for twenty-five years. She is a grandmother who has a very
sick four year old grandson with a
high fever. The grandmother needs to get medicine for the little boy, but she
can’t leave her tiny apartment for there is a battle raging outside. A sniper
on the roof of a nearby building has been terrorizing the neighborhood all day.
When you are creating the back story, tell us who she is,
where she lives, and why she decides to run out to the street – risking her
life – to reveal the identity of the sniper.
Include dialogue between the informant and other people:
Example of dialogue:
Her grandson calls to her, “ Na-na, I’m not feeling well.
Na-na!”
She moves to the bundle of quilts on the floor where little
Liam is lying.
The grandmother leans over to whisper to the little boy,
“I’m so sorry, little one. I will try to get something to make you feel
better.”
You need to have dialogue between the grandmother and the
British soldier in the turret.
The grandmother desperately runs across the cobblestone
street yelling above the rumbling of the tank to make it stop. The tank slows down and eventually
halts. She hears the metal groaning and squealing of the turret opening. The head of a British soldier suddenly appears beside the round metal
disk of the tank door.
“Are you crazy, lady? You need to get off the street! ” the young British
soldier yells at her over the panting of the huge green car.
“There is a sniper, son! He’s been firing at us all day.
Picking off innocent people!”
She yells back
over the noise and the fear.
The young lad narrows his eyes at her, wrinkling the smooth white skin on his
forehead in a slight frown, “Do you know his location?”
Without thinking, she flings her arm in the direction of a
three story building half a block away.
Structure of the Short Story Rewrite:
¾ of the first page should be the back story.
This should include her past, and the present situation.
She also has to hear the rumbling of the tank in the street
outside, look out the window, and make the decision to run outside to tell the
soldier.
We also have to know how she knows where the sniper is.
¼ of the first page should be about her making the decision to run outside to greet the tank.
The second page should be about:
The old woman dashing outside to stop the tank.
It should include dialogue between her and the soldier in
the tank.
It should include the killing of the soldier.
It should include her reaction to the soldier’s death.
It should include her running to save her life.
The end of the story should include the loss of her life.
PERIOD 3:
First ten minutes of class, finish questions #6 and #7, and
turn in.
6. A. After
killing the enemy, the sniper’s attitude changes. Describe the reactions – both
emotional and physical – of the sniper.
(Be sure to include a quotation from the short story to support your
writing.)
B. Why do you think he reacted in
this way? What do these reactions reveal about the emotional state of the
sniper?
7. A. Besides curiosity, why does the sniper want to see the
face of his attacker?
B. Identify three qualities that made the two sniper alike beyond being
brothers.
Both are good shots, both have patience, and both are
stealthy (quiet, sneaky) and have self-control (or self discipline).
Break into groups to rewrite “The Sniper”
Conference with the informant’s group:
Yulma, Jonathan, Kristina, Ashley, Kimberly
Your short story needs to be in a short story format. It needs to look like “The
Sniper”. Your short story is going
to look a little different in that it needs to have dialogue. The short story needs to have a back
story. These are the things your
story needs to have on the first page:
Setting – place,
year, time of year and what time of day (First page)
Description –
Describe how the characters look and act
Describe how the surroundings look
Backstory – what is the character’s past, back story or history.
What is the compelling reason to make the old woman run into the street to
reveal where the sniper is?
Dialogue – character speaking to each other.
Example of exposition or back story: The informant is at
home, a small apartment on a side street in Dublin, where she has lived for twenty-five years. She is a grandmother who has a very
sick four year old grandson with a
high fever. The grandmother needs to get medicine for the little boy, but she
can’t leave her tiny apartment for there is a battle raging outside. A sniper
on the roof of a nearby building has been terrorizing the neighborhood all day.
When you are creating the back story, tell us who she is,
where she lives, and why she decides to run out to the street – risking her
life – to reveal the identity of the sniper.
Include dialogue between the informant and other people:
Example of dialogue:
Her grandson calls to her, “ Na-na, I’m not feeling well.
Na-na!”
She moves to the bundle of quilts on the floor where little
Liam is lying.
The grandmother leans over to whisper to the little boy,
“I’m so sorry, little one. I will try to get something to make you feel
better.”
You need to have dialogue between the grandmother and the
British soldier in the turret.
The grandmother desperately runs across the cobblestone
street yelling above the rumbling of the tank to make it stop. The tank slows down and eventually
halts. She hears the metal groaning and squealing of the turret opening. The head of a British soldier suddenly appears beside the round metal
disk of the tank door.
“Are you crazy, lady? You need to get off the street! ” the young British
soldier yells at her over the panting of the huge green car.
“There is a sniper, son! He’s been firing at us all day.
Picking off innocent people!”
She yells back
over the noise and the fear.
The young lad narrows his eyes at her, wrinkling the smooth white skin on his
forehead in a slight frown, “Do you know his location?”
Without thinking, she flings her arm in the direction of a
three story building half a block away.
Structure of the Short Story Rewrite:
¾ of the first page should be the back story.
This should include the setting: the place, the time, etc.
This should include her past, and the present situation.
She also has to hear the rumbling of the tank in the street
outside, look out the window, and make the decision to run outside to tell the
soldier.
We also have to know how she knows where the sniper is.
The bottom ¼ of the first page should be about her making
the decision to run outside to
greet the tank.
The second page should be about:
The old woman dashing outside to stop the tank.
It should include dialogue between her and the soldier in
the tank.
It should include the killing of the soldier.
It should include her reaction to the soldier’s death.
It should include her running to save her life.
The end of the story should include the loss of her life.
This should be a minimum of two pages.
Conferences with:
The Informant writing group
The Sniper's Brother writing group
