“A Poison Tree”By William Blake

Look at the following cartoon…

Try to determine what is going on in each slide.

• Who do you think isin the picture?• What emotions arebeing expressed ineach picture?• What do you noticeabout the size of thecharacters in eachpicture?• What are the twokinds of violenceportrayed in thecartoon? • What is therelationship betweenthe two types of violence?

“A Poison Tree”by William Blake

“A Poison Tree”

• Go through the poem and circle each time you find the word “it”.

• How many did you find? • What does the word “it” represent?• What does “it” represent

metaphorically?Hint: Metaphorically, it could be

more than one thing…

“A Poison Tree”

• Why are each of the metaphors in the poem appropriate?

• What are the negative effects of wrath in the poem? In the cartoon?

1. Prompt: Do you think the title “A Poison Tree” is appropriately named? Explain your answer and support it with evidence from the selection.

2. Reread the poem “A Poison Tree” and determine if the title is an appropriate one for the poem.

3. Looking at each line of the poem, find evidence for why this is/is not an appropriate title for the poem.

4. In a well-constructed response, state why or why not the title is appropriate citing text evidence (imbedded quotes) for your evidence

5. Then explain why the evidence you have provided proves your point.

Similarly, you will answer open-ended questions on the STAAR test. You must answer the question and provide text evidence (quotes) and an explanation to support your answer.

After reading “Hearing the Sweetest Songs,” do you think the author considers herself disabled? Explain your answer and support it with evidence from the selection.

These questions are NOT a writing assessment, they are a READING assessment. They count a significant portion of the STAAR. Go to this site to see the test schematic:

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/writing/

Selection Score Point 3 — Exemplary Response to the Question Exemplary responses indicate an accomplished reading performance. These responses have the following characteristics.

The idea is perceptive and reflects an awareness of the complexities of the text. The student is able to develop a coherent explanation of the idea by making discerning connections across the text.

The text evidence used to support the idea is specific and well chosen. Overall, the evidence strongly supports the validity of the idea.

The combination of the idea and the text evidence demonstrates a deep understanding of the text.

Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division, April 2014 STAAR English I Reading Single Selection Texas Education

Score Point 3The student offers the perceptive idea that while the author considers her inability to hear a disability, she does not consider herself disabled. The student is able to develop a coherent explanation of this idea by explaining that the author’s lack of hearing is a part of her identity and character, not something that hinders her abilities and makes her disabled. The combination of the idea and well-chosen direct quotations demonstrates the student’s deep understanding of the text in this accomplished reading performance.

Score Point 3In this exemplary response, the student offers the perceptive idea that the author’s attitude toward her disability changes from denial to acceptance. The idea is strengthened by the student’s explanation of this acceptance: the author embraces her disability by admitting she is disabled without feeling ashamed. The discerning connections the student makes as well as the specific text evidence the student uses strongly support the validity of the idea.

Score Point 3The student presents the reasonable idea that the author does not consider herself disabled because she is able to cope with her hearing loss. Additional analysis clarifies the idea, and the specific and well-chosen quotations strongly support its validity. Overall, this response represents an accomplished reading performance.

Score Point 3The student presents the perceptive idea that the author maintains a positive outlook about her life not only despite her hearing difficulties but also because of them. The student makes discerning connections across the text and uses evidence that is particularly well chosen. The combination of the idea and the text demonstrates that the student has a deep understanding of the selection, making the response exemplary.