Close Reading of Nonfiction: Focus - Word Choice

Name: _____________________________  Class: ______________

You are going to create a synthesis page on Word Choice for one of the Upfront articles. Choose 1 that you find inspiring, interesting, thought-provoking, and/or complex and controversial.

The Upfront article that had the greatest impact on my thoughts, opinions, and knowledge is:

___________________________________________ by ___________________________ because:

1.

2.

Close Reading of Nonfiction: Analyzing Word Choice and Vocabulary

Reread assigned text.  Annotate the text based on word choice, then create a synthesis page. Look for these features:

1.       Repeated words: What key words or phrases are repeated throughout the text? Why?

2.       Loaded words: Which words show strong opinions or connotations (suggested emotions or associations)? Why are these words used? What do they reveal about the author’s tone and point of view?

3.       New vocabulary, complex and important terms (technical terms, names of people or places): Choose words that are critical to the text and that you want to better understand, and for each word include:

a)      word and sentence from the text; include a citation (page number in parentheses at the end of the sentence).

b)      context clues:  go back 2 sentences, read forward 1. What context clues are provided? What do they show about the possible meaning of the word?

c)       connotation of the word – the association or feeling of a word. Does it have a positive, negative, or neutral-sounding meaning?

d)      word parts:

i)       Root – word part that shows main meaning; can be in the beginning, middle, or end of word.

Ex. –duc-, - duct –

Ex. –duc-, - duct –

Meaning: ____________________________________

Sample words: _________________________________

ii)       Prefix – word part added at the beginning of a word

Ex. Con-

Meaning: ____________________________________

Sample words: _________________________________

iii)     Suffix – word part added at the end of a word; this often alters part of speech

Ex. –ion

Meaning: ____________________________________

Sample words: _________________________________

e)      Use a dictionary and find the denotation of the word as it is used in the text. Write it down.

f)       Include a visual or mnemonic device to help understand and remember the word.

4. Conclusion: What conclusions can you make about the word choice? What does it indicate about the central idea of the text? What overall effects does the word choice have on the text? What does the article make you think and feel about the topic?

Activity: Based on your assigned text, create a synthesis page including at least 4 examples of each section: repeated words, loaded words, and new and complex vocabulary. Be sure to include the above features for each vocabulary word, and finally, write a 1-paragraph conclusion. Also, add any visuals to complement the synthesis page.

Extra credit: Do a creative response to the article; write a:

• skirt/short dialogue - personify people mentioned in the text; include characters with different viewpoints. Plan setting, characters, plot.
• group poem - found poem or other format
• public service announcement
• tableaux vivants
• political cartoon