Grade 6 Lesson 3

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Lesson Plan

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Student Activity Handout 1 (Descriptive and Figurative Language Handout)

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Student Activity Handout 2 (12 Cool Things about Marlins Stadium Article)

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Student Activity Handout 3 (Connotation and Denotation)

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PowerPoint Presentation (Go to View->Full Screen)

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Marlins Think Tank: Sixth Grade Language Arts Lesson Plan #3

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OBJECTIVE. What is your objective?

KEY POINTS. What knowledge and skills are embedded in the objective?

Student will be able to:

1. RL.6.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone. (figurative and connotative language)

1. A simile is the comparison of two unlike

things using like or as. 2. A metaphor is the comparison of two unlike

things not using like or as. 3. Personification is giving human qualities to

an inanimate object (something that does not have life).

4. Tone is the author’s attitude toward a subject in the text.

5. Denotation is the dictionary definition of a word.

6. Connotation is the cultural perspective of the definition of a word. For example, “home” connotes warmth, comfort, and love.

ASSESSMENT. Describe, briefly, what students will do to show you that they have mastered (or made progress toward) the objective.

Students will be able to identify the figurative and connotative language present in the article “12 Cool Things about Marlins Stadium” Article and will explain the function of descriptive and figurative language in making literature more engaging. They will also identify the function of denotative and connotative meanings in a short piece by Maya Angelou.

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OPENING (10 min.) How will you communicate what is about to happen? How will you communicate how it will happen?

How will you communicate its importance? How will you communicate connections to previous lessons?

How will you engage students and capture their interest?

MATERIALS.

Finish these sentences:

1) I am as hungry as a ___________________________. 2) I am as mad as a _______________________. 3) My sheets are soft like _______________________. 4) My heart is beating like a _______________________. 5) The wind sighed, “______________________.” 6) The chair whined, “________________________.”

When you are done, compare your answers with a partner! After students have written for five minutes, the teacher will begin: Let’s share some of your ideas! (Calls on hands) Beautiful! Does anyone know what you just created? That’s right! You created similes, metaphors, and examples of personification. Our Do Now was all about SIMILE, METAPHOR, and PERSONIFICATION. These are examples of descriptive and figurative language, which are incredibly important in developing interesting writing! Today you are going to learn how to find the descriptive and figurative language of a piece of writing. You are also going to learn how to use a tool to compare and contrast, which is important in analyzing characters and relationships in and between texts.

PowerPoint Student Notebooks

INTRODUCTION OF NEW MATERIAL (20 min.) How will you explain/demonstrate all knowledge/skills required of the objective, so that students begin to

actively internalize key points?

Which potential misunderstandings do you anticipate? How will you proactively mitigate them? How will

students interact with the material?

Students will complete the “Marlins Think Tank: Sixth Grade Descriptive and Figurative Language Practice” handout, while the teacher reads the following from the PowerPoint:

A simile is a comparison of two unlike things using the words like or as.

Let’s read the examples as a class, before you create your own!

A metaphor occurs when an author compares two unlike things, but does not use like or as. It is a direct comparison.

For example, “Her home is a prison.” We are comparing the home to a prison, without like or as.

Personification is giving human qualities to an inanimate object (something that does not have life).

For example: The rain kissed the girl; The toaster slapped the bread red; Her backpack pulled her down.

After each definition is given, students will be given a series of practice questions for which they will create their own similes, metaphors, and examples of personification. Students will likely only need about five minutes to write down definitions; they may use the remaining fifteen minutes to create their own examples. If there is time to spare, students may share their answers whole-group.

PowerPoint “Marlins Think Tank: Sixth Grade Descriptive and Figurative Language Practice” handout

GUIDED PRACTICE (15 min.) How will students practice all knowledge/skills required of the objective, with your support, such that they

continue to internalize the key points? How will you ensure that students have multiple opportunities to practice, with exercises scaffolded from

easy to hard?

Let’s read the “12 Cool Things About Marlins Stadium” article. As we read, look at the chart on the “Marlins Think Tank: Sixth Grade Descriptive and Figurative Language Practice” sheet. First, give the definition of the literary device. Then, locate examples of the literary device in the article. If there isn’t something present in the poem, simply write “not present.”

PowerPoint “Marlins Think Tank: Sixth Grade Descriptive and Figurative Language Practice” handout “12 Cool Things About Marlins Stadium” article

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE (10 min.) How will students independently practice the knowledge and skills required of the objective, such that they

solidify their internalization of the key points prior to the lesson assessment?

Now you will have the opportunity to identify connotative and denotative meanings. The denotation of a word is the formal meaning of a word. It is the dictionary definition of a word. The connotation of a word is the emotional or cultural associations that people make when they read or hear a word. The connotation of a word may be different for each person, depending on his/her environment, culture, and language. What is the denotation of home? That’s right: the place where someone lives. What is the connotation of home? That’s right: home connotes warmth, comfort, and love. To practice connotation and denotation, read the short piece by Maya Angelou and respond to the questions that follow. Additionally, underline any examples of simile, metaphor, and personification that you find.

PowerPoint “Marlins Think Tank: Sixth Grade Connotation and Denotation Exit Slip”

Lesson Assessment: Once students have had an opportunity to practice independently, how will

they attempt to demonstrate mastery of the knowledge/skills required of the objective?

Teachers will utilize the exit slips (the independent practice) and the “12 Cool Things About Marlins Stadium” charts to determine if students mastered the objective: identifying descriptive and figurative language, and identifying connotative and denotative meanings.

CLOSING (5 min.) How will students summarize and state the significance of what they learned?

Today we covered two very important topics: descriptive and figurative language, and connotation and denotation. You need to turn in your Connotation and Denotation Exit Slip, along with your “Marlins Think Tank: Sixth Grade Descriptive and Figurative Language” practice sheet. Great job today!

PowerPoint

Marlins Think Tank: Sixth Grade

Descriptive and Figurative Language Practice

Name: _____________________________ Date: _________________________

What is a simile? ________________________________________________________________________________

For example:

Happy as a little puppy getting fed.

Happy as kids at Disney World.

Happy as winning a new car.

Happy as a dog with a dozen bones.

Happy as a car getting a car wash.

Happy as a person in a country full of money.

Happy as a waffle when he sees syrup coming

Now you try:

Fast as ______________________________________________________________.

Trees move like ______________________________________________________.

My street sounds like ___________________________________________________.

Happy as ____________________________________________________________.

The sun looks like _____________________________________________________.

Red sounds like _______________________________________________________.

The moon seems like ___________________________________________________.

The wind whispers like __________________________________________________.

Michael Jordan plays basketball like ________________________________________.

Silent as _____________________________________________________________.

Rich as _____________________________________________________________.

Poor as _____________________________________________________________.

Small as ______________________________________________________________.

Big as _______________________________________________________________.

Grandma’s faced is lined like _____________________________________________.

Rain falls like __________________________________________________________.

Disappointed as _______________________________________________________.

Night is like ____________________________________________________________.

Day begins like _________________________________________________________.

Careful as ____________________________________________________________.

My grandfather snores like ______________________________________________.

What is a metaphor? ________________________________________________________________________________

For example, “Her home is a prison.” We are comparing the home to a prison, without like or as.

Now you try:

Homework is ______________________________________________________________________.

Spring is ______________________________________________________________________.

Silence is ______________________________________________________________________.

My future is ______________________________________________________________________.

What is personification? ________________________________________________________________________________.

For example:

The rain kissed the girl

The toaster slapped the bread red.

Her backpack pulled her down.

Now you try:

My socks _______________________________________________________________________.

The clouds _______________________________________________________________________.

The toilet paper ______________________________________________________________________.

The lipstick ______________________________________________________________________.

Name: _____________________________ Date: _________________________

Finding Literary Devices in the “12 Cool Things About Marlins Stadium” Article Directions: 1. Give the definition of the literary device. 2. Locate an example of the literary device in the “12 Cool Things About Marlins Stadium” article. If there isn’t something present in the article, simply write “not present.”

Literary Device Definition Example (write the actual verse here)

Simile

1) 2) 3)

Metaphor

1) 2) 3)

Personification

1) 2) 3)

Posted on Sat, Mar. 31, 2012

12 cool things about the Marlins’ new stadium

By Hannah Sampson

hsampson@MiamiHerald.com

The giant structure has loomed like some kind of flying saucer hovering over Miami for more than a year now,

its domed roof gleaming from afar.

And now the $634 million Marlins Park is getting ready to host its season opener in Little Havana on

Wednesday, following exhibition games Sunday and Monday. Built mostly with public money, the ballpark

seeks to pay homage to Miami’s sights, tastes, cultures and beauty.

We scoped out the park to find 12 features that should make fans — and even vaguely interested visitors — take

note.

Enjoy it, Miami. After all, you’re paying for it.

• Popcorn, peanuts, Cracker Jacks … ceviche? In addition to ballpark staples (there will be nachos), the Taste of

Miami section in the left field area of the Promenade Level features South Florida specialties from local

restaurants: pan con lechon from Papo Llega y Pon, Latin American Grill’s croquetas con jamon and ceviche

from Don Camaron. Outside the special Miami area, even the hot dogs — they’re called Sobe hot dogs, topped

with mango slaw — represent the 305.

• You like to eat but hate waiting in line for food? Turns out there’s an app for that. Through a partnership with

Major League Baseball, you can use MLB’s “At Bat” app on your smartphone to order food from one of seven

concessions, pay from your seat and find out when it will be ready at the closest location. An express line for

pick-up gets you to the food fast. The service starts out free, but will carry a nominal fee by June — and should

gradually expand to about 20 locations inside the park.

• Here’s one place where no one will be able to keep their head on straight. The Bobblehead Museum (actually

more trophy case than museum) on the Promenade Level, boasting 588 nodding dolls that represent every team

in the league, is set up to keep heads at a constant bobble. A touchscreen information kiosk lets you look up your

favorite player to find their spot.

• Bringing a South Beach party vibe to baseball, the Clevelander at Marlins Park transports its Ocean Drive

atmosphere to left field on the Field Level. Tickets starting at $50, depending on the game, get you a seat to

watch the game and access to the swimming pool. Standing-room-only tickets will also be available at the box

office on game day (though not on opening day) and should eventually be sold online. Admission is free once

games are over. The menu includes tater tachos — think nachos, but with tater tots — and beer-poached

bratwurst.

• There are no marlins inside the tanks, but the aquariums behind home plate do have actual fish. Each 450-

gallon tank is about 20 feet wide and will hold as many as 50 tropical fish. Thick fiberglass and a substance used

in bulletproof windows will protect the fish from impact, the team says. “We threw baseballs at it,” said Claude

Delorme, executive vice president for operations and events.

• When the team owner — Jeffrey Loria — is also an art dealer, some culture is to be expected. Outside the park,

the East Plaza looks like the scene of an alphabetic explosion. The letters in “Miami Orange Bowl,” in whose

footprint the ballpark was built, are strewn around as if they fell out of the sky. Miami-raised artist Daniel

Arsham created the Orange Bowl tribute, as well as the illumination of columns that support the giant retractable

roof. The West Plaza’s rainbow-like mosaic walkways are the work of Venezuelan artist Carlos Cruz-Diez.

• Art can be found inside the park too, including an effusive, giant painting by Kenny Scharf, a ceramic tile

representation of work by Spanish artist Joan Miró and reproductions of baseball-related art by Roy Lichtenstein

and Niki de Saint Phalle. The 73-foot home run sculpture by Red Grooms, bedecked in flamingos and marlins

and palm trees and flashiness, is already grabbing attention.

• Inspired by Miró’s work, the park is sectioned off in red, blue, yellow and green quadrants — and a confetti-

like blending of two where they meet. The coding helps you figure out where you are inside and outside the park,

as the colors carry over into parking garages.

• The Budweiser bar in left field provides a prime viewing location and doesn’t require a special ticket for entry.

It also gives an up-close view of the workings of the home run sculpture, if you’re interested.

• It’s no secret parking is at a premium at the ballpark. Options include buying a spot in advance, lucking out at

a nearby Walgreens for more than $30 a spot or taking public transportation. Or you could always go old-school

and haul out the bike. As part of its quest to earn LEED certification as a green facility, the park can

accommodate as many as 1,900 bicycles, both out in the elements and inside the four-wheel lots.

• While baseball is the point of this whole endeavor, the real star could end up being the wide view of Miami’s

skyline in the background. A designated "picture spot" on the Promenade Level guides you to a Kodak moment,

but photo ops exist throughout.

• With downtown vistas, the Clevelander scene and of course the home run sculpture, you’ll have a lot to post on

Facebook. (Or, if you’re at the game instead of work, you might have some emails to write.) Luckily, Wi-Fi is

free throughout the park. While the service was fast during a media tour, opening day could be a different story.

Delorme said the Wi-Fi can accommodate about a quarter of capacity, or roughly 10,000 users at once.

© 2012 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved.

http://www.miamiherald.com

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/31/v-print/2725407/12-cool-things-about-the-marlins.html#storylink=cpy

Name:__________________________ Date:___________________________

Denotations v. Connotations Exit Slip

From I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou:

The mourners on the front benches sat in a blue-serge, black-crepe-dress gloom. A funeral hymn made its way around the church tediously but successfully. It eased into the heart of every gay thought, into the care of each happy memory. Shattering the light and hopeful: "On the other side of Jordan, there is a peace for the weary, there is a peace for me." The inevitable destination of all living things seemed but a short step away. I had never considered before that dying, death, dead, passed away, were words and phrases that might be even faintly connected with me.

But on that onerous day, oppressed beyond relief, my own mortality was borne in upon me on sluggish tides of doom.

No sooner had the mournful song run its course than the minister took to the altar and delivered a sermon that in my state gave little comfort. Its subject was, "Thou art my good and faithful servant with whom I am well pleased." His voice enweaved itself through the somber vapors left by the dirge

1. In a monotonous

tone he warned the listeners that "this day might be your last," and the best insurance against dying a sinner was to "make yourself right with God" so that on the fateful day He would say, "Thou art my good and faithful servant with whom I am well pleased." . . .

1. In paragraph 3, the author uses the word vapors to imply that: a. The church where the funeral is being held is humid. b. The music of the dirge has drifted through the church. c. The people in the church are crying. d. The sounds of the sermon have drifted through the church.

2. In paragraph 1, the author utilizes the phrase “Shattering the light” to describe: a. The funeral’s nighttime setting. b. The hymn’s ability to ruin hope. c. How the Author is affected by the gloom of the mourners. d. The inevitability of death.

3. How does understanding Angelou’s use of connotations help us understand the passage?

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1 A slow, mournful musical composition.