If+You+Come+Softly

Assignment # 1

Characterization How does Woodson use characterization to develop Elisha?

Reread Key Paragraph Page16: I sighed and lay back on my bed. Some people had friends surrounding them all the time. Sometimes when groups of girls passed by me, giggling and holding hands, my stomach tightened. I wanted that. But I didn’t want that. Marion says it’s because I was born so long after everybody else. The twins, Anne and Ruben, were already ten by the time I was born—and my older brother, Marc, and my sister, Susan, were ing raduate school…And this house—with all its empty rooms and quiet. Some days I walked through it slowly, touching the walls of my sisters’ and brothers’ old rooms, wondering what it would be like to grow up in a house full of people.

EXTEND Write a short paragraph tied to the reading

Do you think it makes a difference to grow up with brothers and sisters in the house while you are growing up? What is your situation? Would you have changed anything? Why? Are there advantages to being the only one home?

Assignment # 2 FLASHBACK

Complete an open Mind Portrait of Ellie based on the flashback about when Ellie’s mother left the family. Then in another Open Mind Portrait show what Ellie feels about it today.


 * [[image:http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/crc/webquest/aquamarine/images/Open-mindedpic.gif width="530" height="534"]] ||

Directions for an Open-Mind Portrait: Choose a favorite character from the book (a character which you relate to) and create an open-mind portrait. Below are the steps: a. Make a portrait of a character. Draw and color a large portrait of the head and neck of the character. b. Cut out the portrait and open-mind pages. Cut out the character’s portrait and trace around the character’s head on one or more sheets of paper. Make an open-mind portrait with “mind” pages to show what the character is thinking at important points in the story or in each chapter of the book. Then cut out the mind pages and attach the portrait and mind pages with a staple or brad to a sheet of heavy construction paper or cardboard. The portrait goes on top. It is important to place the staple or brad at the top of the portrait so that there will be space to write and draw on the mind pages. c. Design the mind pages. Lift the portrait and draw and write about the character, from the character’s viewpoint, on the mind pages. Focus on what the character is thinking and doing during specific points in the story.

Assignment #3 Directions: Answer key questions and write a paragraph about the prompt.

Key Questions
 * Why does Marion seem like a stranger to Ellie sometimes?
 * What important fact did we learn about Ellie’s family when we found out that they celebrated Hannukkah?
 * When does Marion want Ellie to start dating?
 * Why did Ellie’s mother leave?

Page 29: “You know what it made me realize, Marion? That you wouldn’t always be there. That I can’t take anything or anyone for granted ‘cause there’s no guarantee.”

EXTEND

Write a short paragraph tied to today’s reading

How do you think Ellie feels about having a mother that has left so many times? What did that do to Ellie’s trust level? Do you think it’s hard to trust someone again after they have hurt you? How can the notion of forgiveness help us? Is there a time in your life you were glad you forgave someone?

Assignment # 4 SENTENCE STRUCTURE Direcitons: Copy and paste the following into a Word document and complete the assignment. Part A  1. In order to express a ** complete thought **, what ** two ** things does a sentence need? 2. Define subject: 3. Define predicate: 5. Henry waved when he saw me. 6. I smiled at Henry. Part B   1. Define in your own words what the ** simple subject ** is: (Be careful…some of them are tricky!) 2. Although they lived in Seattle, they came east once a year at Hanukkah. 3. My sisters and brothers had all moved on a long time ago. 4. “Things were different then,” she said slowly. 5. “You don’t know that,” I said, getting angry. 6. Outside, the rain was falling steadily, drumming against the windowpane.
 * Circle the subject and underline the predicate in each sentence. ** 4. I met Jeremiah.
 * Underline the simple subjects in the following sentences: **