Week 10

Reading Handouts

Readthenexttwoselections.Thenchoosethebestanswertoeachquestion.

StageFrightbyLeeBennettHopkins

Iwantedtherole.ThePrince.

ThePrince.

I gotit.

5Knewit.

Iwastotallyconvinced.

Imemorizedeachline.Learnedthembyheart.Istudiedandstudied

10myperfectPrince-part.

But—

whenItookcenterstageIstammeredstuttered

15hemmedhawed

suddenlyshuddered.

Myheartskippedabeat.Faceturnedbrightred.

20Untilfinally

Prince-wordspoppedbackinmyhead.

ThoughI’llalwaysknowmymindsimplysnappedIstillgotathrill

25whenItookmylastbowasmyclassmates

stoodupshoutedand

30clapped.

Copyright©2005byLeeBennettHopkins.FirstappearedinOhNo!WhereAreMyPants?andOtherDisasters:PoemseditedbyLeeBennettHopkins,publishedbyHarperCollins.ReprintedbypermissionofCurtisBrown,Ltd.

Fear Takes Center Stage

KidsToday—AMagazineforYouthJanuary2011

1Imaginethatyouareanactorperforminginaplayforthefirsttime.Youhavelearnedallyourlines,youknowwheretowalkonstage,andyourcostumefitsperfectly.Waitingbehindtheclosedcurtain,youcanhearpeopleintheaudiencewhisperingandtakingtheirseats.Thenyourbigmomentarrives!

2Thecurtaingoesup,andthecrowdfallssilent.Allyoucanseeisthespotlightshiningdownonyou.Youtrytospeakyourlines,butnothingseemstocomeout.Theinsideofyourmouthis dry,andyourpalmsarewet.Theicychillofpanicstartstospreadfromyourstomachtoyourarmsandlegs.

3Ifyouhaveexperiencedamomentlikethis,youknowalltoowellwhatitmeanstohavestagefright,alsoknownasperformanceanxiety.Itisoneofthemostcommontypesoffearandtendsto strikepeoplewhentheyfindthemselvesatthecenterofattention.You don’thavetobeonstagetogetstagefright.Peopleexperiencethisfearwhenplayingsports,givingabusinesspresentation,orevenspeakinginclass.Apersonwhosuffersfromstagefrightmaygetsweatyhands,adrymouth,atightthroat,orshakyknees.Stagefrightisactuallyaformofpanic,andthesefeelingsareveryreal.

4Stagefrightispartofthebody’sreactiontostress.Theexperiencediffersfrompersontoperson,butthesamechemicalprocessoccursineachofus.Inreactiontoanxiety,ourbodiesproduceachemicalcalledadrenalinethatpreparesustoeitherfightorrunaway quickly.Scientistsrefertothisasourbodies’“fightorflight”reaction.Asaresult,wefeelaboostofenergythatmakesourpalmssweat,ourheartsrace,andourkneesshake.

Thegoodnewsaboutstagefrightisthattherearewaystocopewithit.Practicingyourperformanceandfollowingsomesimpletipscanhelpcalmnervesandmanagethefeelingscausedbyanxiety.First,dresscomfortablyandappropriately.Second,beforetheperformance,takedeepbreathsandstretchtohelprelaxyourbody.Third,stayawayfrombeveragesthatcontaincaffeine.Thesemight makeyourheartraceevenfaster.Instead,tryabanana!Somedoctorsbelievethateatingabananacanhelpcalmyourheartandtherestofyourbody.Finally, whenyoulookintoacrowd,trytofocusonparticularpeopleinsteadofthewholegroup.Thesetipshavehelpedmanyfamouspeoplelearntodealwiththeirfears.

5ThesingerandactressMariahCareyisagoodexampleofhowstagefrightdoesn’thavetostoppeoplefromreachingtheirgoalsasperformers.Careyisaworld-famoussingerwhohassoldmillionsofalbums,wonmanyawards,andperformedforthousandsoffans.Therewasatime,though,whenstagefrightpreventedherfromevensteppingonstage.Shefearedherperformanceswouldbebad.Shedidn’tgiveup,however.WithpracticeCareylearnedhowtorelaxwhileonstage.Asshegainedconfidence,herfeelingsofanxietydiminished.Shewassoonperformingagain,andallherfanscametocheerforher.Careyshowedthatstagefrightcanwinonlyifyoulet it.

Use “StageFright”(p. 15)to answerquestions 18–22.

Thenfillintheanswersonyouranswerdocument.

  1. Readtheselinesfromthepoem.

Imemorizedeachline.Learnedthembyheart.

Thepoetusesthefigurativeexpression“learnedthembyheart”toemphasizethatthespeaker—

Ahasvolunteeredtobeintheplay

Bpracticesonthestage

Cenjoysplayingtheroleoftheprince

D feelspreparedforhisperformance

19Thepoetusesline11tosignalthatthespeakerchangesfrom—

Acheerfultosad

BinterestedtoboredC confidenttounsureD desperatetohopeful

20Inline3,whydoesthepoetrepeatanditalicizethewordsfromline2?

AToshowthattherolewillbedifficult

BToemphasizethatthisroleisimportanttothespeaker

CToshowthatthespeakerisfamiliarwiththeplay

DTogivethenameoftheplaythespeakerisin

21Thepoemismostlyaboutaspeakerwho—

Aischosenforaroleinaplaythathedoesn’tunderstand

BhastroublewithhislinesafterseeinghisclassmatesintheaudienceCexperiencesproblemsonstagebutisabletofinishhisperformanceD canhardlywaittobeonstagebecausehehaspracticedsomuch

22Thepoetusesfigurativelanguageinline18tohighlightthespeaker’s—

Adeterminationtodowell

Banxietyoncehegetsonstage

Csatisfactioninbeingchosenfortherole

Deagernesstoperform

Use“FearTakesCenterStage”(pp.16–17)

toanswerquestions23–26.Thenfillintheanswersonyouranswerdocument.

23Whichofthesebestexpressesthemainideaofparagraph5?

AEatingcertainfoodscanhelppreventstagefright.

BStagefrightaffectspeoplewhodonotpracticetheirperformance.

CWearingtheproperclothingcanhelprelievestagefright.

DStagefrightcanbeovercomebyusingseveralstrategies.

24Theauthorspeaksdirectlytothereaderinparagraphs1and2inorderto—

Aencouragethereadertotryoutforaplay

Bshareapersonalstorywiththereader

Chelpthereaderunderstandtheexperienceofstagefright

Ddemonstratethatactingrequiresskill

25Readthisdictionary entry.

strike\strık\ verb

1.to hit with a hand or an object

2.tocrash against 3.to affectsuddenly4.to come to an agreement

Whichdefinitionbestmatchesthewordstrikeasitisusedinparagraph3?

ADefinition1

BDefinition2

CDefinition3

DDefinition4

26Theauthor’sopinionthatstagefrightcanbeovercomeisbestsupportedby—

AthereactionofMariahCarey’sfans

BMariahCarey’sexperience

Cthedescriptionofhowabodyreactstostress

Dinformationaboutthesourceofstagefright

Use“Stage Fright” and“FearTakesCenterStage”

toanswerquestions27–30.Thenfillintheanswersonyouranswerdocument.

27Bothselectionssuggestthatstagefrightcan—

Ahappenevenwhenapersonwantstoperform

Bpermanentlyaffectaperson’shealth

Cgetbetterwhenanaudienceshowssupport

Dbeworseforactorsthanforothertypesofperformers

28Whatisonedifferencebetweentheselections?

AThearticledescribeshowstagefrightfeels,butthepoemdoesnot.

BThearticleprovidesascientificexplanationforstagefright,butthepoemdoesnot.

CThepoemindicatesthatapersoncanovercomestagefright,butthearticledoesnot.

DThepoemgivesanexampleofapersonwithstagefright,butthearticledoesnot.

29Basedoninformationprovidedinbothselections,thereadercanconcludethatstagefrightistheresultof—

Aanunexpectedeventthatshocksaperson

Bmakingamistakeinfrontofothers

Cnotreallywantingtoperform

Dbeingthecenterofattention

30Withwhichstatementwouldthepoetandtheauthormostlikelyagree?

APerforminginfrontofacrowdcanmakeapersonnervous.

BThefoodspeopleeatcanaffecttheirperformance.

CAcrowd’sapplausecandisturbaperformer.

DActingisthemostdifficultkindofperforming.

T-Chart Strategy

Bothselectionssuggestthatstagefrightcan—

A happenevenwhenapersonwantstoperform

v

B permanentlyaffectaperson’shealth

C getbetterwhenanaudienceshowssupport

D beworseforactorsthanforothertypesofperformers

1. After reading the directions for this section, label each question with BOTH.

2. Draw the T-Chart beside the answer choices. Read the question and underline the word BOTH. This tells the reader the idea needs to appear in both selections, or in columns 1 & 2 for this strategy.

THINK ALOUD:This question is asking me for something that is TRUE about stage fright according to both texts, so I’m going to look for text evidence to support each answer choice from selections #1 and #2. If I find evidence in selection #1 that supports the answer choice, then I will put a check √ in my T-Chart in the appropriate box. If I find evidence in selection #2 that supports the answer choice, then I will do the same. The answer choice that has a check √ in both boxes will be the correct answer choice.

3. Read each answer choice and determine if there is text evidence in selection #1 and/or #2 to support each answer choice.

4. Think Aloud:Answer Choice A says “happenevenwhenapersonwantstoperform.” Let’s go back and see if this is true for #1. The poet says he desperately wanted the role and memorized every line. Did he want to perform? Absolutely! *Put a check under #1 beside Answer Choice A.*So, let’s look for text evidence in #2. In the last paragraph it says that “MariahCareyisagoodexampleofhowstagefrightdoesn’thavetostoppeoplefromreachingtheirgoalsasperformers.” If she has a goal of performing, she WANTS to perform! *Put a check under #2 beside Answer Choice A.* Now, it looks like we found the right answer but we need to keep going in case we made a mistake or there is another and then we would have to choose which is best.

5. Talk through the remaining answer choices, modeling going back and looking in each selection and disproving the remaining answer choices and placing x’s in the appropriate columns.

6. Now go to the next question. You will guide them through answering this question with you.

Whatisonedifferencebetweentheselections?

AThearticledescribeshowstagefrightfeels,butthepoemdoesnot.

BThearticleprovidesascientificexplanationforstagefright,butthepoemdoesnot.

CThepoemindicatesthatapersoncanovercomestagefright,butthearticledoesnot.

DThepoemgivesanexampleofapersonwithstagefright,butthearticledoes

not.

7. Draw the T-Chart beside the answer choices. Read the question and tell students to underline the key word(s). Have students share what they underlined and then you will underline the words that are important on your copy. Say…”We are looking for something that is different betweenboth selections, but the answer choices gives you statements about the selections and both parts have to be TRUE. So, the correct answer choice will have a check √ under both 1 & 2.”

8. Now that you have determined what you are looking for, you are ready to guide students through the process of finding text evidence to support the correct answer choice.

9. Read answer choice A aloud. Give students time to work independently to complete the T-Chart for the first answer choice. Have students share text evidence to support or disprove the answer choice. Mark your T-Chart to reflect the correct thinking.

10. Utilize the same process for each answer choice. Make sure you have students use text evidence to support their thinking for each answer choice in each selection.

11. The correct answer is B because both parts of the statement are true.

12. Guide students through the next question in the same manner.

13. Let students independently complete the last question using the strategy on their own.

What it Looks Like on a Test…

Both selections suggest –

What is one difference between the selections?

Based on the information provided in both selections, the reader can conclude that –

With which statement would both authors most likely agree –

Fig. 19F