FINAL Exam Overview

Below are terms you should be able to define and identify in

excerpts of literature. Use your Reading binder as a resource.

DEFINE each and give EXAMPLES! When it asks for examples,

they must be from the literature we’ve read this year.

Remember to use the packets from the

binder quiz to help you prepare!

Genre A type or kind of literature

6th

Grade

Lit.

“Tuesday of the Other

June”

“All Summer in a Day”

“Problem With Bullies”

Lightning

Thief

Number the Stars

Maniac Magee

Genre

REALISTIC

FICTION

SCIENCE

FICTION NON- FICTION

OR

INFORMATIONAL

FANTASY

FICTION Historical Fiction

Realistic fiction

with some Tall Tale mixed in

Setting: The time or place the story happens.

It also talks about the time period: past,

present or future. Examples: “Tuesday of the Other June”-

present day; pool, school

Number the Stars- WWII, Copenhagen, Denmark

Lightning Thief- present; NY, Camp Half-Blood,

Denver, St. Louis, Las Vegas, California

Conflict: The problem or struggle in a work of

literature.

4 Types of Conflict

1. Character vs. SELF

Having an internal struggle. Possibly about a decision or

within your own mind.

4 Types of Conflict (continued)

2. Character vs. Character

Two characters are opposing each other in the

story. They are struggling either verbally or

physically with each other. Think: protagonist and

antagonist.

3. Character vs. NATURE

Having a struggle with an act of the natural world or a

person who is battling a disease. It is something they can

not control.

4. Character vs. SOCIETY

When the character has a different view on a topic than

a larger group of people.

Examples: Margot vs. her classmates in “All Summer

in a Day”; Maniac versus the East Enders who refuse

to allow a white person to live in their section of town

in the novel Maniac Magee

Plot The series of events that make up a story,

play or novel. The sequence or order they happen in.

Climax The turning point in the conflict of a story.

The most intense part of the story; the highest point

of the action. Usually where character has to make a

change or transform.

Example: ”TOTOJ”- when OJ came after Junie with pencils

and tried to stab her with them.

Resolution Reveals how the conflict was solved- ties up

loose ends in the story.

Irony: When the opposite of what you think is going

to happen takes place. Examples:

The Lightning Thief When Grover turns out to be Percy’s protector even though

Percy believes he is always helping to protect Grover!

Maniac Magee When Mars Bar saves Russell off the tracks and winds up

taking him to the EAST end, the very place no McNab would

ever go. It is also ironic that Mars Bar saves him because the

McNab’s made him feel so unwelcome in their house!

Foreshadowing: When we are given hints or clues to

suggest what will happen in the future of the story. Examples:

“Tuesday of the Other June” When she sees OJ in the new neighborhood. Later she is in

school and even in class with Junie!

The Lightning Thief

When Percy looks at the barn and thinks he sees something

moving. We later find out that it was the Oracle.

Mood: feelings the reader gets from reading the

story. Ex. “All Summer in a Day” made us feel

depressed due to all the bullying and the constant

rain.

Tone: The AUTHOR’s feelings about the topic or characters. We can tell based on how the words they use to describe, what the characters say, and how they act.

Theme: The lesson we learn, the moral of the story. The Central idea and message in a work of literature that the author leaves us with at the end. Example from Maniac Magee:

Home and family make us who we are.

Treating people equally and giving them respect is

important to the human race.

Flashback character relives a memory from the past

to let the reader know more information.

Example from The Lightning Thief- when Percy talks

about what happened in previous fieldtrips and why he

is a troubled kid.

Imagery: The use of word and phrases that appeal to

a reader’s five senses. There will be many adjectives

that explain or describe a scene.

Symbolism An object that represents more than just

the object itself. Examples:

The Lightning Thief: Riptide, water

Maniac Magee: Cobble’s Knot; Hector Street Number the Stars: Jewish Star of David; Swastika

Characterization Who a character is on the

INSIDE. Their character traits reveal their

personality. Traits are used to describe a character

based on what they Say, think, their effect on

others, their actions and how they look.

(Think of the acronym STEAL)

Examples of Character Traits

Character

Name

June Maniac Annemarie Percy

Trait Timid/shy; obedient

Daring; selfless;

respectful; helpful/caring; smart; athletic

Brave; Daring; Strong; athletic; hopeful

Heroic; smart;

fearless; motivated

Prove IT!

She let OJ continue to bully her b/c she didn’t want to

He helped the young kids by doing feats and helping them to make good

She lied to the Nazis to protect the Jewish people; She

He fought off many monsters to complete his quest; he was

disobey her mom or cause trouble.

choices; he doesn’t judge anyone based on their race.

ran the handkerchief all the way to the boat as quick as she could.

motivated to bring his mom back.

Literary Devices/Figurative Language:

Simile a phrase that compares two things using the words like

or as.

Example: Sydney’s shirt was as bright as the sun.

Metaphor makes a direct comparison between two unlike

things that doesn’t use the words like or as. It usually states one

thing IS something else.

Example: Caleb is a pig when he eats pizza!

Alliteration a group of words that share the same beginning

sounds.

Example: The bait is white, wiggly worms!

Onomatopoeia words that imitate how things sound naturally.

Example: Bam! Evan smacked the ball out to center field.

Hyperbole Using exaggeration and humor to emphasize a strong

emotion. This is used a lot in tall tale stories.

Example: My dog Max can smell chicken from a mile away.

Personification Giving human qualities, feelings, actions, or

characteristics to animals or inanimate (non-living) objects.

Example: The wind whistled at my door.

Point of View Think: Who is the SPEAKER of the piece of literature? Identify example of pronouns/nouns we

see in each perspective.

1st person: We are telling the story! We (or the

character) were there.

Pronouns: I, me, my, us, we, myself (Junie told her

story and so did Percy)

2nd person: Someone is speaking to YOU! Or it is

“understood” they are talking to you– used in

commands. 2nd person POV is also used in directions

and instructions.

“Take out the trash!”- no you in the sentence, but it

is UNDERSTOOD someone is asking/telling you to do

something!

Pronouns: YOU, YOURS

3rd person: A story is being told about someone else.

An outside narrator is telling the story.

Pronouns: She, he, them, they, their and specific

names are used (Maniac, Annemarie).

Poetry Terms Rhyme Scheme: a pattern of rhyme. Explain what a free verse poem would look like. It would have no rhyme pattern. Repetition: a word sentence that is being repeated for emphasis or importance.

Stanza: a paragraph or verse of a poem or song.

Complete this on a separate sheet of looseleaf paper if

you need more space.

6th Grade Literature

Main

Character

Point of View the story is

told from

Did the character have a transformation (change) during the

story? Explain How!

“Tuesday of the Other June” by

NORMA FOX

MAZUR

JUNIE

1st person- Junie tells us her story

Yes- she went from being a shy & obedient victim to a confident and brave hero. She eventually to stood up to OJ who was bullying her.

The

Lightning Thief by

RICK RIORDAN

PERCY

1st person- Percy tells us his story.

Yes- he began as a troubled kid. He went on to learn that he was a Half-Blood and to complete a HERO’s JOURNEY where he was able to stand up to challenges and overcome obstacles to win in the end.

DEFINE TRANSFORMATION- a character

undergoes a CHANGE- they transform from the

beginning of the story until the end. They grow

in some way.

GOOD READERS ALWAYS LOOK BACK!

Strategies for Success If you are given a piece of literature or non-fiction that has questions

after it, these steps will help you get all the points!

Passages with Multiple Choice questions:

1. Read the directions and the title

This helps give us clues about the main idea and the genre.

2. Pre-Read Questions & Underline Key Words

We can be better reading detectives because now we know what to

look for! This helps us set a purpose for reading.

3. Read the Text

Read once for overall meaning. Then read it closely as you search for

proof to answer the questions.

4. Underline Proof and Mark the # of the

question

This helps to PROVE why the answer choice is correct. It also helps

get rid of the distractors. Don’t forget to ELIMINATE the TRASH!

5. Go Back and CHECK!

At end of all passages, if there is time, check over your work.

REREAD each selection and go over the answers you chose to make

certain they are the best.

Author’s Purpose Fact vs. Opinion Cause and Effect Genres

Identifying

Unfamiliar Words

Main Idea/

Details

Drawing

Conclusions &

Inferencing

Interpreting text

excerpts

Grammar and Usage Review Read carefully. There is one error in each sentence. Locate it and write down the letter on the line provided. There are no errors in spelling. 1. Maria Michta competed in the London Olympics A B in the summer, did you go cheer her on at Sachem North? C D

C (there should be a semi-colon ; after the word summer. This is a

compound sentence. It is joining two sentences that are related.) 2. My flight may be delayed for it is raining in the New York area. A B C D

B (a comma , is needed before the word for. It is a

FANBOY/Conjunction and it is joining two compound sentences)

3. Sagamore Day were very challenging, and students A B seemed to enjoy competing with their teams. C D

(A, this is an issue of subject-verb agreement. The sentence doesn’t make sense. The word were should be replaced with WAS since Sagamore Day is singular-only one day ) _____ 4. The Lin’s humiliated themselves at the Gleason’s house; no A B one else there ate celery quite so loudly. C D (A, Lins –should NOT be possessive. In this sentence they are speaking of multiple Lins, or multiple members of the family - it should be plural. ) _____ 5. A few years ago, Johan Santana pitch the Mets first A B no-hitter, and fans were so excited! C D (B, this is a tense issue. This already happened, so the answer should be

pitched)

_____ 6. Mariano Rivera, a Yankee, had decided to play another season A B since he injured himself an did not want to retire on the Disabled List.

C D

(C, and is the correct word here to make the sentence make sense. )

_____ 7. If you won’t be in Writing today, please let Mrs. Shannon or I A B know, so we can get you the information you missed.

C D (B, This is one that doesn’t make sense grammatically. If we are putting a person in a sentence along with a personal pronoun, you must remove the other person’s name and say the sentence to yourself slowly to see which pronoun works better. In this sentence, it should be ME. ) _____ 8. Keith Zeier, a wounded marine and former Sachem athlete, A B was very inspirational when he spoke last year. C D (A, Marine-needs capitalization since it is a proper noun) _____ 9. Since American Idol tryouts will be at Madison Square garden A B next month, you should avoid going into the city that week. C D (B, Garden needs capitalization since it is a proper noun)) _____ 10. “Who’s fish is this?” asked Mr. Parkinson; he retrieved it from A B C his desk and couldn’t stop laughing! D (A, Grammatically incorrect. This contraction Who’s means Who is. When we read the sentence again using this longer form it doesn’t make sense. In this case we need to use WHOSE to show possession as in who owns the fish? )

Parts of Speech/Grammar: Be able to define and IDENTIFY the following:

Noun words that name people, places,

things or ideas. Common nouns- teacher, students, school,

park, books, happiness

Proper Nouns- words that name specific people, places or things (MUST BE CAPITALIZED)

Ex. New York Yankees, Sagamore Middle

School, Addidas

Possessive Nouns- nouns that show that

something belongs to someone/something ( pay attention to singular or plural for apostrophe) Ex. The team’s equipment or the teams’ equipment

The musician’s instrument or the musicians’ instruments

Verbs- words that show action or state of being (linking)

Ex. Gasp, sigh, rained, slid, took, will look is, are, was, were, am, be, been, being

1. Verb tense- verbs show when something

occurs

a) Past- touched, laughed, created b) Present- touch, laugh, create c) Future- will touch, will laugh, will create

2. Helping Verbs- using the state of being or linking verbs to assist with the action Ex. will run, could be going, should help

3. Linking Verbs- link the subject to words that describe what the subject is doing (verb) Ex. is, am, are, was, were, seem, been, be, become.

4. Subject Verb Agreement- having the verb or predicate agree with the subject Ex. The puppy barks./ The puppies bark. The child climbs./ The children climb. I am./We are.

Adjectives- words that describe NOUNS (what kind, how many, which ones)

Ex. blue shoes, fourteen candles, that ball Proper Adjectives- nouns are turned into adjectives

Ex. French class, Chinese food, Congressional meeting

B. Adverbs- words that describe VERBS, ADJECTIVES, or other ADVERBS. They often end in –ly and answer the following questions:

When?- The train stopped yesterday. Where?- The train stopped nearby. How?- The train stopped suddenly. To what extent?- The train never stopped.

1. Modifying a verb-We waved slowly. 2. Modifying an adjective- Kangaroos are extremely fast. 3. Modifying an adverb- Our guest left quite abruptly.

C. Prepositions- words that show a relationship between a noun/pronoun and some other word; They BEGIN a prepositional phrase, which acts like an adjective or adverb telling where, when and sometimes who. Common prepositions follow:

beneath from throughout about below in to above across beside under between near on up among down over upon around during past with

Conjunctions- words that join groups of words (and, but,

or, nor)

1. and- depicts both or a combination of two things 2. but- shows an exception 3. or- depicts a choice between two things 4. nor- shows neither of two choices is acceptable 5. *when a conjunction joins two sentences, it must have a comma before it

Pronouns- replace a noun in a sentence. Personal pronouns- you, he, she, it, they Objective pronouns- a pronoun used to replace an object. Possessive pronouns- hers, his, theirs (shows possession)

Building Blocks to a Strong Vocabulary We have studied many Word Parts this year in order to understand unfamiliar words and help build our vocabulary. When joined together, we can create many new words.

Prefix: a word part that is placed before the root or base word to change it’s meaning in some way. Example: dis means not; distrustful means NOT trustful Disorganized- NOT organized

Base Word: A complete word that can be used to build other words. Sometimes, when we add another word part to a base word, the original spelling may change a little. Example: Beauty is the base word in the word. Beautiful= full of beauty. Notice how beauty dropped the “y” and added an “i” before the suffix.

Root Word: the main part of most words. It is usually not a complete word. It typically comes from Greek or Latin. Example: Mot means move. Promote means to move ahead. Suffix: a word part that is added to the end of a base or root word. Suffixes change the meaning of the word in some way! They can even change the tense or part of speech. Example: -ative means tending to; talkative means tending to talk!

1. Prefix il and un= not

Examples:

illiterate (NOT literate= not able to read or write) illegal (NOT) legal or not allowed) unforgettable- unable to forget unfortunate- not having good fortune or luck

2. Prefix trans- across, through, over, CHANGE

Examples:

transportation, translucent, transatlantic, transform, transit (trains, buses)

3. Prefix re- to do or use again

Examples:

recycle- to use again renewable- to make new again restate- to say again

4. Root word port- carry

Examples:

portable, reporter, transport

5. Root word fer - bring, bear(grow), yield

Examples:

fertile, coniferous

6. suffix ite – native of, quality of, mineral product

Examples:

favorite, graphite

7. suffix ion, sion, tion – act of, state of, result of

Examples:

celebration, suspension

8. suffix ible – result of

Examples:

forcible, accessible, responsible

9. suffix ness – quality of being

Examples:

awareness, kindness

Now, Let’s Practice!

On INDEX CARDS , please write all nine word parts above. Tell the word part based on what you’ve studied above. Then give a new example of a word you know or find in the dictionary. Be sure to find its exact meaning and use it in a sentence.

Use the format below to create an index card for each of the nine word parts listed above.

1. FRONT OF CARD Word part PREFIX il

BACK OF CARD

Meaning ____________________________ Examples given: ___________________________________________ Example found in dictionary used in a sentence _________________________________________________________