Critical Thinking Questions

Critical Thinking Questions - April Scope Magazine

“The Girl Who Discovered Dinosaurs”

1.Why is it important for scientists to keep fossils today? Use details from the text in your answer.

2.Why didn’t Mary get credit for her contributions to science? Do you think there is a way to make up for this injustice? How?

3.Why do you think scientists and the public want to learn about the prehistoric world?

Barbara Johns Article- Racial Segregation of Schools - Scope February 2014

This is a paired article taken from Scope Feb 2014.
Read the article then the poem.

Barbara Johns Reaches for the Moon

by Irene Latham 

She steps onto the stage,
makes a bold declaration,

No

      Now

          Strike!

Without hesitation,
she illuminates the situation—
separate but not equal:
cracked toilets, smoke inhalation,
tar-paper shacks packed
with the student population.
Despite danger, despite trepidation,
she clings to the dream with determination,
joins the fight for integration.
Together they march
like constellations
across a midnight sky,
their combined shine
inspiration for a changing nation.
—By Irene Latham


Worksheet with Paired Article
Directions: Follow the directions and answer the questions in the boxes below. You don’t need to write in complete sentences; just jot down your ideas.
Who is “she” (first mentioned in line 1)? How do you know?
1
_What event in Barbara Johns’s life do lines 1-2 refer to? (Use the article “Imagine This Was Your School” to help you answer.) In your own words, what is the declaration referred to in line 2?
3
How does the poet portray Barbara Johns? Which words and phrases from the poem
reveal Barbara’s personality?
4
How is the “declaration” formatted differently than the rest of the poem? What is the effect of this formatting?
Lines 1 and 2 say that “She steps onto the stage,/makes a bold declaration.” Underline the lines in the poem that contain her declaration.
2
PAGE 2 OF 3
SCHOLASTIC SCOPE ACTIVITY • FEBRUARY 2014
SCOPE PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS PAGE FOR USE IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. ©2014 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


POETRY: “Barbara Johns Reaches for the Moon ” • SKILL: Text Analysis
Find and underline the simile in the poem.
Why do you think the poet chose this simile? How does it relate to the poem’s title?
6
Consider lines 18-19: “their combined shine/inspiration for a changing nation.”
What does the poet mean by “their combined shine”? Put this idea into your own words.
7
What is the effect of having a series of words with the same ending sound?
How does it affect the way you read the poem?
Circle the words in the poem that have the same ending sound.
5
PAGE

Boy in the Striped Pajamas Notes and Questions

NOTES
Foreshadowing - hints or clues of what is to come later in the story
Irony - dramatic - seeing the character's mistakes, but the character does not
           verbal - the character says one thing but means another
           situation - a great difference between the purpose of a particular action and the result
Mood - the feeling that the story brings about in the reader or viewer
Theme - a statement about life that the writer is trying to get across to the reader or viewer
Tragedy - a work in which the hero is destroyed by some character flaw or by forces beyond his or her control

FOCUS QUESTIONS - copy the questions and write the answers on paper.

Friday's Questions
Bruno's mom was touched when the Jewish prisoner/servant helped to bandage her son's knee. What internal conflict did she experience at that time?
How is Bruno adjusting to his new home?   

Monday's Questions
What was the internal conflict that Bruno's mother felt after he fell off the swing?
Why did the the soldier at the dinner party become so angry when the servant spilled the wine?
What was Bruno's internal conflict about this incident?
What did the dolls in the basement represent?   What literary/cinematic device is used?

Anne Frank: Worksheet on Conflict

“The Diary of Anne Frank” Worksheet on conflict

1.   Define internal conflict. 

2.   Define external conflict.

3.   Fill out the chart below to describe the conflict that each character is experiencing

Character	Internal Conflict	External Conflict
Anne
Mr. Frank
Mrs. Frank
Peter
Dussell

4. How does the conflict in this play move the plot forward?

 

Anne Frank: Worksheet on Character Development

“The Diary of Anne Frank” Worksheet on character development

1.   Define character development.

2.   Fill out the chart below. What does each character’s behavior reveal about their character?

Character	Behavior – quote the passage and the page number	What does this behavior reveal about the character? What qualities does this character possess based on your quote?
Anne
Mr. Frank
Mrs. Frank
Peter
Dussell

4. What does this mean in relationship to the character development in the play? “Actions speak louder than words.”

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________