When he didn’t understand the instructions, the student asked the teacher to clarify them.

Cold rain fell all day, making it a dismal Saturday afternoon.

The mood was somber at the funeral of the former president

When her kitten gets stuck in trees, Laura puts food out and speaks softly to COAX him to come down.

When the Pilgrims landed in what is now Massachusetts, they were afraid that the Indians would attack them.  However, the Indians that they ENCOUNTERED were a peaceful and generous tribe.

The thought of eating a rat is ABHORRENT to most people.

Sydney's dad took her stuffed animal away because Sydney had misbehaved.  Sydney PLEADED with her dad to give her the stuffed animal back.

Your plan looks good.  It's time to IMPLEMENT it and see if works.

Over the holidays, families can show their GENEROSITY by donating food to the homeless.

Gently, I dragged my hairbrush through Sable's matted fur.

John was bewildered when his new pet hamster that he thought was a boy had babies.  

Bobby thought that Clyde's theory about their substitute teacher being an alien was absurd.

I can't wait until this weekend! We’re going to my grandparents’ house and my entire family will be there. I will spend most of my time playing games with my cousins. We always have such a good time together! The day goes by so fast, and by the end we are all exhausted... but we still don’t want to leave!
What is the main idea?

If you are feeling sad, you can make yourself feel better by doing a few simple things. You can take a walk (or get another form of exercise), you can talk to a friend, or you can write down your feelings. Writing down the good things in your life will help too. Doing something good for someone else will also help you feel better. If you still feel a little sad, act happy. It works like magic to make you feel better!
What is the main idea?

Mark wanted to be a great skater. But he didn't want to spend the hours practicing. He wished he could just do the tricks easily. Mark's dream was to have everyone stop and stare when he entered the skate park. He  wanted them to say, "Mark is the best skater in the whole world."
What is the main idea?

Mary has a new pet.  Her pet is a baby kitten.  It is soft and cuddly.  The kitten likes to sleep a lot.  Mary put a soft blanket in a box for its bed.  Mary plays with her kitten when it is awake.  She never forgets to feed her kitten.
What is the main idea?

Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Brown are bakers.  They work at a store called Bake Goods to Go.  Mrs. Jones works nights.  She bakes cakes, cookies, and pies.  Mrs. Brown works in the daytime.  She bakes bread and rolls.  Both Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Brown are very good bakers.
What is the main idea?

Soccer players learn many skills when playing soccer.  Soccer players learn how to dribble and pass the ball.  They also learn how to control the ball so they can eventually score.  Most importantly, soccer players learn how to work together with their teammates.
What is the main idea?

What is the best question to ask yourself when you are trying to find the main idea?

What is the term for the words that appear below a picture? 

What graphic feature is shown in this example?

This is an example of a ___________?

What is this text feature called?

What is the function of an italicized word in a text? 

Which type of text structure describes an issue and at least one way to solve it?

Which type of text structure answers the questions what happened and why?

Which type of text structure shows how two or more things are alike and different?

Which type of text structure describes events in sequential order?

It seemed like an ordinary day when she got up that morning, but Lynda was about to embark on the worst day of her life. First, she fell in the bathtub because her mother forgot to rinse out the bath oil. Then she spilled orange juice on the outfit she had spent hours putting together for school pictures. When she changed, she messed up the French braid her mother had put in her hair. As she walked out the door, she dropped all of her school books and her math homework flew away. Once she made it to the car she thought everything would be all right. She was wrong; her father didn't look before he backed out of the driveway and ran into the neighbor’s truck. Lynda’s side of the car was damaged the most, and she ended up with a broken arm. That night, she cried herself to sleep.

Because toys have become electronic devices, some children today are unable to entertain themselves. Gone are the days when children invented their own adventures and used sticks as swords. cookie sheets as armor, and refrigerator box as a fortress to defend. The electronic age has delivered children all sorts of gadgets and gizmos that are supposed to be realistic. Some toys even have buttons to push so prerecorded messages can be played to begin scripted adventures that require no imagination. No imagination? No wonder some children today have short attention spans.

Several students receive poor grades on writing assignments, not because they lack the ability to communicate, but because they can not seem to manage their time when it comes to a large project. They do not know where to begin, and therefore put things off until the last minute. To solve this problem, students need to develop a timeline for completing the project. If they divide the assignment into manageable “chunks” or parts and then set a schedule for completing each part, they will be able to finish the entire project before the deadline. Without the pressure of not knowing where to begin, the students will be able to focus on the assignment and communicate their ideas effectively.

Lightning and thunder are related events. Lightning is a sudden, violent flash of electricity that occurs between a cloud and the ground or between two clouds in the sky. A lightning bolt can be several miles long and can be straight or forked. Lightning bolts are extremely hot. They have an average temperature of 20,000 degrees Celsius. Thunder is the sound that is caused by lightning. The heat from lightning causes the air to expand rapidly. This creates the sonic wave that we hear as thunder. The sound can be a loud crack or a slow rumble.

Tsunamis are very long waves in the ocean, sometime 100 miles long. Usually a tsunami starts suddenly. It will be as a normal wave, but quickly change into a very large, strong wave. The wave travels at a great speed across the ocean. Tsunamis can be very damaging when they come into contact with land. The can remove sand from beaches, destroy trees, damage houses, destroy entire towns, and take the lives of people.

A look back to an earlier event...

A hint of something happening later on...

 “Remember, Cinderella,” warned her fairy godmother, “you must leave the ball at midnight. If you stay later, everything will turn back as it was. Your coach will become a pumpkin again. Your gown will become rags. Promise me you will remember.”
“Of course, I’ll remember,” said Cinderella, but as her coach carried her toward the ball, the warning was replaced in her mind with images of dancing and music.

 Now that she was a princess, Cinderella often thought back to the events that brought her to the castle. In particular, she remembered the day her father first brought the woman who would become her stepmother to their home.
It was a dreary November day when Cinderella met the cold, haughty woman. “Darling,” said Father, speaking to Cinderella, “this is your new mother. I want you to love her dearly and do everything she says.”

I thought I saw a bee, but it was only a fly.

She wants to ride bikes, but I want to play basketball.

Penelope walked across the street to the bakery.

She liked ice cream, but he liked cake. So they bought both.

To make toast you need to put two slices of bread in the toaster. Press the button. When the toast pops up it is finished and you are ready to eat it. Put butter, jelly, or peanut butter on it for a delicious treat!

What POV(Point of view) is this passage an example of?
You run to your friend's house, whispering in amazement of how big his house was. He just moved in.

Crack!  Thunder struck and rain poured.  Max stared blankly out the window, trying to contain his emotions that raged like the weather.  He was beginning to lose it.  Dropping the kite from his hand, Max broke out into full sob.  His mother comforted him, "There, there, Max.  We'll just find something else to do."  She began to unpack the picnic basket that was on the counter and offered him a sandwich.  Max snapped, "I don't wanna sand-mich!"  A flash from the sky lit up the living room.  Boom!  Mom sighed.
What was Mom planning on doing with Max today?

Crack!  Thunder struck and rain poured.  Max stared blankly out the window, trying to contain his emotions that raged like the weather.  He was beginning to lose it.  Dropping the kite from his hand, Max broke out into full sob.  His mother comforted him, "There, there, Max.  We'll just find something else to do."  She began to unpack the picnic basket that was on the counter and offered him a sandwich.  Max snapped, "I don't wanna sand-mich!"  A flash from the sky lit up the living room.  Boom!  Mom sighed.
Why is Max upset?

Every day after work Paul took his muddy boots off on the steps of the front porch.  Alice would have a fit if the boots made it so far as the welcome mat.  He then took off his dusty overalls and threw them into a plastic garbage bag; Alice left a new garbage bag tied to the porch railing for him every morning.  On his way in the house, he dropped the garbage bag off at the washing machine and went straight up the stairs to the shower as he was instructed.  He would eat dinner with her after he was "presentable," as Alice had often said.  
Based on the text, how do you know Paul works in construction?

The story of a teenage boy learning to understand and live with his father, who is an alcoholic Vietnam war veteran.  

A list of the 25 richest athletes in the world.

An article arguing why Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player ever.

An “X-men” comic book.

The story about a young girl with low self-esteem learning to love herself.

A National Geographic article about the eating and breeding habits of the endangered bald eagle.

A website saying that a new shopping mall should not be built because it threatens an endangered bald eagle’s home.  The website also lists other reasons why the mall should not be built.

A magazine ad telling you to buy Nike Hyperdunk shoes because you’ll jump higher.  

A poem about bald eagles.

A sign saying, “Rest Stop Five Miles Ahead.”

Joseph and Caitlin were choosing the players for their teams. It was Caitlin's turn to choose, and only Jason was left. Caitlin said, "Jason."

We can infer that…

Many breeds of dogs are used for work. In many cultures dogs are used to herd sheep. The dogs keep the flock from being attacked by animals such as wolves. They also keep sheep from wandering off. Sheepdogs are known for their loyalty and gentleness. Based on your reading of the text, you can INFER that:

Which sentence from the selection shows that the pet is a cat?

Which sentence from the selection suggests that Suzy likes to play basketball?

Which sentence from the selection supports that the computer was not working properly?

Which sentence suggests that Joanna rode her bike to school?

Which sentence supports that Jack is feeling sleepy?

Which line supports the idea that Mark has changed the way he feels about a girl on the team?

Which line from the play supports the idea that Cara's proud of the work she's done with Grandpa?

Plot is defined as

Rising action is defined as 

Resolution is defined as

Characterization is defined as

Climax is defined as

Falling action is defined as

What is a hyperbole?

What is a metaphor?

Which of the below is an example of personification?

Which of the below is an example of a simile?

The theme of a story is...

When something in the story represents something else

a character who is noble or inspiring; the main character

a character who frustrates the main character

When what happens is the opposite of what we expect

The computer hates me!

She is sunshine that brightens my day

Language that appeals to the five senses:

Giving human like characteristics to non-human things

The essential background information at the beginning of a work of literature-setting and main characters are introduced;

The part of a story when all loose ends are tied up.

The moment of highest interest, emotion, or intensity within a story. The turning point.

Feelings and ideas associated with a word meaning. 

Author's attitude about their subject (Ex. Admiring, critical, nostalgic, sarcastic)

Events that occur after the climax and the loose ends are being tied up and before the end of the story

Extreme exaggeration (Ex. My backpack weighs a ton.)

Tell in your own words what a passage is about including only the central idea and most important supporting details. Does not include opinions or judgement.

Problem the character must resolve

The voice that tells the story

A group of lines in a poem that look like a paragraph

How the text makes the reader feel (Ex. Peaceful, eerie, humorous, sad)