Model Selection - McKissack

Model Selections

“The 11:59” by Patricia C. McKissack and The Baker Heater League by Patricia C. and Fredrick McKissack

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​Model Selection: Fiction

​Fiction is prose that tells a story about characters or events from the author’s imagination. The characters in a work of fiction are the people or animals who take part in the story’s action. Characters have traits, or characteristics, that can affect the story’s events. In “The 11:59,” for example, Lester is a spellbinding storyteller. Through his stories, the reader learns about events that will happen to Lester later on.

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​Model Selection: Fiction

​A story’s series of events is its plot. A plot usually begins with a problem, or conflict, and ends with a conclusion, or resolution. The plot of “The 11:59” hinges on the conflict between Lester’s story about a mysterious train and the reality of his physical condition.

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Suddenly [Lester] felt a sharp pain in his chest. At exactly the same moment he heard the

mournful sound of a train whistle, which the wind seemed to carry from some faraway

place. Ignoring his pain, Lester looked at the old station. He knew nothing was scheduled

to come in or out till early morning. Nervously he lit a match to check the time. 11:59!

“No,” he said into the darkness. “I’m not ready. I’ve got plenty of living yet.”

Fear quickened his stop. Reaching his small apartment, he hurried up the steps. His heart

pounded in his ear, and his left arm tingled. He had an idea, and there wasn’t a moment to

waste. But his own words haunted him. Ain’t no way to escape the final ride on the 11:59.

“But I’m gon’ try!” Lester spent the rest of the night plotting his escape from fate.

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Open Ended

What is Lester's conflict?

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What character traits is Lester shown to have in this passage?

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How do these character traits set the rest of the story in motion?

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Tell what resolution ends Lester’s conflict—and the story itself.

​Model Selection: Nonfiction

Nonfiction is prose in which authors present people, events, and ideas from real life.

Nonfiction works can report facts and present ideas. They also might present the

author’s opinions.

A work of nonfiction can sometimes refer to fictional, or imaginary, ideas. For example, The Baker Heater League describes some of the legends surrounding famous railroad men. Many details in these legends are fictional. However, it is a fact that Pullman porters liked to tell and retell these fanciful legends.

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​Model Selection: Nonfiction

When deciding what kinds of facts and details to include in a nonfiction work, an

author thinks about his or her purpose.

•To persuade readers, an author may use forceful facts and opinions.

•To entertain readers, an author may include amusing or unusual facts and

details.

•To inform readers, an author may use a wide range of facts about a single topic.

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The real John Henry, believed to be a newly freed slave from North Carolina, joined the West Virginia steel-driving team hired to dig out the Big Bend Tunnel for the C. & O. Railroad, circa 1870. Many stories detail the life and adventures of this two hundred-pound, six-foot man who was so strong he could drive steel with a hammer in each hand. John Henry’s

death occurred after competing with a steam drill, winning and then dying.

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Open Ended

What real-life person does this passage describe?

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What did this person do for a living?

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List two facts from the passage.

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Why do the authors include both facts and legends in The Baker Heater League?

Multiple Choice

Which statement is true about nonfiction?

• It is told from the author’s perspective.

• It includes only imaginary events.

• It includes only opinions.

• Its narrator is a character in the story.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best defines the literary term setting?

• the early events of a story

• the point of view from which a story is told

• the author’s reasons for writing a work

• the time and place of a story’s action

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a part of a story’s plot?

• setting

• novella

• conflict

• narrator

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is an example of nonfiction?

• a short story

• a novel

• a fairy tale

• a textbook

Multiple Choice

In a nonfiction work, what is atmosphere?

• where the action takes place

• the overall feeling of the work

• the time period covered in the work

• the author’s style

Multiple Choice

Which phrase best describes Lester Simmons in “The 11:59”?

• superhuman character

• good storyteller

• retired train engineer

• superstitious fool

Multiple Choice

What is the “11:59”?

• the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters

• the time to tell stories of the old days

• the Death Train

• a passenger who tips poorly

Multiple Choice

While locked in his apartment, Lester looks back over his life. Why does he do this?

• He is bored.

• He is looking for a new story idea.

• He is trying to remember what the 11:59 really is.

• He is preparing to die.

Multiple Choice

Which event is the resolution of “The 11:59”?

• Lester hears the train whistle.

• Lester locks himself in his apartment.

• Lester meets his old friend Tip.

• Lester dies.

Multiple Choice

What happens to Lester’s watch at the end of “The 11:59”?

• It stops.

• It gets crushed.

• It gets stolen.

• It disappears.

Multiple Choice

What message about death is conveyed in “The 11:59”?

• No one can escape death.

• Only cowards try to avoid death.

• Everyone dies at the same time.

• Dying is like a story.

Multiple Choice

Who belonged to the Baker Heater League?

• heater repairmen

• train engineers

• sleeping car porters

• steel-drivers

Multiple Choice

From whose point of view is “The Baker Heater League” told?

• Daddy Joe

• a retired railroad worker

• a member of the Baker Heater League

• the authors

Multiple Choice

Which sentence best describes the heroes of the railroad, such as Casey Jones

and John Henry?

• They were fictional characters who never really existed.

• They had qualities the railroad workers valued.

• They were admired for their storytelling skills.

• They never had a chance to show their strength and bravery.

Multiple Choice

Why did the authors write “The Baker Heater League”?

• to entertain readers with a fictional story about railroad workers

• to teach readers the rules of the railroad

• to inform readers about early railroad workers

• to convince readers that railroad men are the best storytellers