8th Grade Accent Study Guide

Final Exam Wednesday, 12/5/12

Fiction and Nonfiction (TB pgs 4-5)

1.  Fiction- ______

2.  Setting- ______

3.  Plot- ______

4.  Resolution- ______

5.  Characters- ______

6.  Character traits- ______

7.  Point of view- ______

  1. First-Person POV- ______
  2. Third-Person POV- ______

8.  Theme- ______

Types of Fiction

1.  Short stories- ______

2.  Novels- ______

3.  Novellas- ______

4.  Historical Fiction- ______

Elements of Nonfiction

1.  How do nonfiction works differ from works of fiction? ______

2.  Mood- ______

3.  Author’s Style- ______

Purposes of Nonfiction

1.  What are the three purposes of nonfiction? ______

2.  Describe each purpose and include examples for each:

The Baker Heater League by Patricia C. McKissack and Fredrick McKissack

1.  What was “The Baker Heater League”? ______

2.  Who are three railroad legends celebrated in song and story? Include a brief description for each. ______

3.  What is the storytellers’ purpose on TB pg 10 in including the detail that the worker who set the brake too soon was a college graduate? ______

The 11:59 by Patricia C. McKissack (TB pg 13)

1.  What was unique about Lester Simmons’s union? ______

2.  Why is this story considered historical fiction? ______

3.  Why does the author use a southern dialect when Lester speaks? ______

4.  Why was Daddy Joe a hero to the Pullman car porters? ______

5.  What kind of stories did Lester tell to amuse the new employees? ______

6.  Explain what the phrase “Ain’t no way to escape the final ride on the 11:59” means. ______

7.  Why does the author repeat “ticktock, ticktock” throughout the narrative? ______

8.  What did Lester do to avoid being a passenger on the 11:59? ______

9.  An open ending allows readers to interpret it different ways. Did Lester die of a natural heart attack? Or did he die as a result of the 11:59? Explain your answer. ______

Making Predictions TB pg 24-25

Raymond’s Run by Toni Cade Bambara (TB pg 39)

1.  In the first two paragraphs, what clues help you predict how Squeaky will react to a challenge? ______

2.  What is Squeaky’s special talent? ______

3.  Squeaky’s personality. ______

4.  What details support Squeaky will be tough to beat in a race? ______

5.  What can you infer about Squeaky’s character from her actions? ______

6.  Why does Squeaky dislike Cynthia Procter? ______

7.  What do you think Squeaky will do if Raymond is teased? What details in the story support your prediction? ______

8.  What clues indicate that Gretchen is Squeaky’s main rival in this conflict? ______

9.  What would Squeaky’s mother prefer to that Squeaky do on May Day? ______

10.  What does the dialogue between Mr. Pearson and Squeaky reveal about her? ______

11.  How does Raymond’s actions while Squeaky races change her feelings about the race? ______

12.  What lesson does Squeaky learn? ______

13.  What is the theme of this story? ______

14.  How would the ending of the story be different if Gretchen had won the race? ______

Cub Pilot on the Mississippi by Mark Twain (TB pg 61)

1.  Write a brief description about the selection. (*Try to use only 4 sentences to sum it up!) ______

2.  Describe the main characters and the conflict of the story. ______

3.  Is the conflict in the narrative mainly internal or external? Support your answer with details from the narrative. ______

4.  What details on page 62 support that Brown will treat Twain unfairly? ______

5.  How does Brown treat Twain? Use specific examples from the book (write the textbook page where you found them). ______

6.  How do the difficulties of navigating the river make Brown more likely to find fault with Twain? ______

7.  What does Twain fantasize about? Why? ______

8.  On page 66, how does Brown intentionally set the stage for further conflict? ______

9.  Why does Twain finally stand up to Brown? ______

10.  How does the captain handle the fight? ______

11.  How does the conflict between characters affect the development of the plot? Explain how the setting and characters’ personalities contribute to the conflict. ______

**To review for An American Childhood by Annie Dillard (pg 137) or “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle use the packets your group completed in class.