Facing Calamity: Climate Change Facts and Fictions

Lesson 8
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ELA

Unit 5

8th Grade

Lesson 8 of 23

Objective


Explain how writer Abby Geni uses imagery and figurative language to establish mood and meaning in a short story.

Readings and Materials


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Target Task


Writing Prompt

What central message does writer Abby Geni communicate in this story about the relationship between climate change and social inequity? How does she use imagery to emphasize this central message? Provide at least two examples from the short story to support your answer.

Sample Response

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Key Questions


Close Read Questions

  • How does Geni use imagery to introduce and develop the setting in paragraphs 1–4? Provide at least two examples from the text and carefully explain your thinking.

  • How does Geni use imagery to develop the mood of paragraph 5? Identify the mood of these paragraphs and at least two specific words, phrases, and images that help to develop it.

  • How does Geni use figurative language and imagery to develop the reader’s understanding of the home in the wealthy neighborhood? Provide at least two examples from paragraphs 8 and 9 to support your answer.

  • Consider the figurative and descriptive language the author uses when describing water. How does this reveal the complex role of water in the boys’ lives? Provide at least three examples from the text to support your thinking.

Discussion Questions

  • Based on what you know about climate change, does this story seem plausible? Explain your thinking.

Exit Ticket

Assess student understanding and monitor progress toward this lesson's objective with an Exit Ticket.

Vocabulary


Literary Terms

imagery

n.

a literary device where an author includes vivid sensory details.

figurative language

n.

language that goes beyond the literal meaning of words and phrases and is used with the intention of creating an image, feeling, or deeper understanding for the reader.

Homework


To ensure that students are prepared for the next lesson, have students complete the following reading for homework. Use guidance from the next lesson to identify any additional language or background support students may need while independently engaging with the text.

  • Article: “Notes from a Bottle” by James Stevenson 

While reading, answer the following questions.

  • When and where does this story take place?

  • Who is the narrator of this story?

  • Who are the other characters in the story?

  • What is the primary problem that these characters face?

  • What do they do to try and solve this problem? Are they successful?

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Common Core Standards


  • RL.8.2 — Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
  • RL.8.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.

Supporting Standards

L.8.6
RL.8.1
RL.8.10
SL.8.1
W.8.1
W.8.1.a
W.8.1.b
W.8.4
W.8.9
W.8.9.a
W.8.10
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