Facing Calamity: Climate Change Facts and Fictions

Lesson 5
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ELA

Unit 5

8th Grade

Lesson 5 of 23

Objective


Explain how Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner specific words and phrases develop tone in a poem and how tone impacts meaning.

Readings and Materials


  • Article: “Statement and Poem” by Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner 

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Target Task


Writing Prompt

What tone does Jetñil-Kijiner develop in lines 60 through 88? Select at least three words and phrases that help develop tone and explain how this tone reinforces the overall message of her poem.

Sample Response

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Key Questions


Close Read Questions

  • What is the tone of the first six lines of this poem? Provide at least two specific words and phrases that help to develop this tone.

  • What are the connotations of the verbs Jetñil-Kijiner uses in lines 11 through 19, and how do they develop the mood of these lines?

  • Jetñil-Kijiner writes in line 25, "no greedy whale of a company sharking through political seas." What is the meaning of this metaphor? What are the connotations of these words and how do they develop her tone?

  • How does the use of repetition in lines 30 through 37 help to develop the tone in these lines? Carefully explain your thinking.

Discussion Questions

  • Why do you think Jetñil-Kijiner has chosen to structure this poem as a kind of letter to her young child? Does this decision change the impact of the poem? How would it be different if she had not written the poem using this structure?

Vocabulary


Literary Terms

mood

n.

the emotional “atmosphere” of a scene in a text, which often evokes feelings in the reader.

metaphor

n.

the comparison of two unlike things in order to provide the reader with a deeper understanding of one of those things

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.

While reading, answer the following questions.

  • What is Exxon?

  • What does this new report claim about Exxon?

  • What specifically did Exxon scientists discover about climate change in the 1970s?

  • What did they do to combat climate change after that discovery?

  • Why do some people compare the fossil fuel industry to the tobacco industry?

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Common Core Standards


  • 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.8.5
L.8.5.a
L.8.5.b
L.8.5.c
L.8.6
RL.8.1
RL.8.2
RL.8.10
SL.8.1
SL.8.6
W.8.1
W.8.1.a
W.8.1.b
W.8.4
W.8.9
W.8.9.a
W.8.10

Next

Write objective summaries and determine central ideas in informational articles.

Lesson 6
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