The Jabberwocky
* A nonsense poem by Lewis Carroll.
* A young hero is warned about the dangerous Jabberwock.
* He goes on a quest and kills the monster.
* Theme: bravery and heroism.
* Important: The poem uses many made-up words, but readers can still understand the story through context.
⸻
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
* Christopher Boone investigates the death of a neighbor’s dog.
* He discovers family secrets, including that his mother is alive.
* Christopher struggles with social situations and change.
* Theme:
* Truth vs. lies
* Independence
* Family relationships
* Narrator:
* Usually reliable because he tells facts.
* Sometimes unreliable because he misunderstands emotions and social situations.
⸻
All Gold Canyon
* A prospector discovers gold in an untouched canyon.
* He carefully mines it.
* Another man tries to steal it and shoots him.
* The prospector survives and defeats the thief.
* Themes:
* Hard work
* Greed
* Nature’s beauty
⸻
The Thousand Dozen
* David Rasmunsen transports 1,000 dozen eggs hoping to make a fortune.
* Faces harsh weather and obstacles.
* Egg prices drop before he can profit.
* Themes:
* Ambition
* Greed
* Risk
⸻
To Build a Fire
* A man travels alone in freezing weather.
* Ignores warnings from experienced people.
* Cannot start a fire and dies.
* Theme:
* Man vs. Nature
* Lesson:
* Nature is stronger than humans.
⸻
The Tell-Tale Heart
* Narrator murders an old man.
* Hides the body.
* Imagines hearing the dead man’s heartbeat.
* Confesses.
* Theme:
* Guilt
* Madness
* Narrator is unreliable.
⸻
The Raven
* A man mourns Lenore.
* A raven repeatedly says “Nevermore.”
* He becomes increasingly emotional.
* Themes:
* Grief
* Loss
* Madness
⸻
The Veldt
* Parents give children a virtual-reality nursery.
* Children become obsessed with it.
* Technology replaces family relationships.
* Theme:
* Man vs. Technology
⸻
Fahrenheit 451
Plot
* Guy Montag burns books.
* Meets Clarisse, who makes him question society.
* Begins reading books.
* Escapes after turning against the government.
Themes
Distraction vs. Happiness
People are constantly entertained but not truly happy.
Mass Media
Television controls people’s thinking.
Knowledge vs. Ignorance
Books contain knowledge; society wants ignorance.
Conformity vs. Individuality
People are expected to think the same.
Action vs. Inaction
Montag changes because he acts instead of remaining passive.
⸻
Maus
Plot
Art Spiegelman tells his father Vladek’s Holocaust story.
Characters
* Vladek = survivor
* Artie = son
Themes
* Trauma
* Survival
* Family conflict
⸻
Death of a Salesman
Plot
Willy Loman believes success comes from popularity.
His dreams fall apart.
He dies hoping insurance money will help his family.
Themes
* American Dream
* Reality vs. illusion
* Family expectations
⸻
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Plot
Lovers run into a forest.
Fairies use magic.
Everyone falls in love with the wrong person.
Magic is fixed.
Multiple marriages occur.
Themes
* Love
* Appearance vs. reality
* Imagination
⸻
POETRY TERMS
Haiku
* 3 lines
* 5 syllables
* 7 syllables
* 5 syllables
Example:
Summer sunlight shines
Waves crash softly on the shoreline
Warm sand hugs my feet
⸻
Concrete Poem
A poem shaped like its subject.
⸻
What is a Meme?
A piece of media shared online that spreads an idea, joke, or trend.
⸻
Phone Manner Unit
Likely covered:
* Answering politely
* Speaking clearly
* Leaving messages
* Professional communication
⸻
Iambic Pentameter
10 syllables per line.
Pattern:
da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM
Used by Shakespeare.
⸻
Couplet
Two rhyming lines.
Example:
The moon shines bright above the sea.
Its silver light belongs to me.
⸻
Meter
The rhythm pattern of poetry.
⸻
Imagery
Language that appeals to senses.
Example:
The warm chocolate smell drifted through the kitchen.
⸻
Dystopia
A society with oppression or major problems.
Example:
Fahrenheit 451.
⸻
GRAMMAR
Nouns
Person, place, thing, idea.
Verbs
Action or state of being.
Adverbs
Describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
Example:
* He ran quickly.
⸻
RELIABLE VS UNRELIABLE NARRATORS
Reliable
Tells truth accurately.
Example:
Christopher from Curious Incident.
Unreliable
Lies, misunderstands, or is mentally unstable.
Example:
Narrator from The Tell-Tale Heart.
⸻
IDIOMS
Common examples:
* Break a leg
* Piece of cake
* Hit the books
* Under the weather
Know meanings, not literal definitions.
⸻
AMERICAN DREAM
Belief that hard work leads to success.
In Death of a Salesman:
* Willy misunderstands the American Dream.
* He values popularity over hard work.
⸻
TOXIC MASCULINITY
The belief that men should:
* Never cry
* Never show emotions
* Always be tough
Can cause unhealthy behavior.
⸻
FRAGILITY OF HUMAN LIFE
Life is delicate and can change suddenly.
Examples:
* To Build a Fire
* The Thousand Dozen
⸻
MAN VS NATURE
Human struggles against natural forces.
Examples:
* To Build a Fire
* All Gold Canyon
⸻
MAN VS TECHNOLOGY
Technology creates conflict.
Examples:
* The Veldt
* Fahrenheit 451
⸻
THEATER TERMS
Upstage
Away from audience.
Downstage
Closer to audience.
Stage Left
Actor’s left.
Stage Right
Actor’s right.
Wings
Areas offstage.
Props
Objects used by actors.
Scenery
Background pieces.
Blocking
Actor movement.
Costume
Actor clothing.
Greenroom
Waiting room for performers.
Backstage
Area behind stage.
Apron/Forestage
Part of stage extending toward audience.
Box Office
Where tickets are sold.
Run
Series of performances.
Fourth Wall
Invisible wall between audience and actors.
Cue
Signal to begin action.
⸻
GRAPHIC NOVEL TERMS
Foreground
Closest part.
Midground
Middle section.
Background
Farthest section.
Symbolism
Object representing an idea.
Foreshadowing
Hint about future events.
Flashback
Scene from the past.
Speech Bubble
Shows speech.
Thought Bubble
Shows thoughts.
Caption
Narration box.
Gutter
Space between panels.
Panel
Single comic frame.
⸻
AUTHORS
William Shakespeare
* English playwright
* Wrote A Midsummer Night’s Dream
* Used iambic pentameter
Jack London
* Wrote:
* To Build a Fire
* The Thousand Dozen
* All Gold Canyon
* Themes often involve nature and survival.
Edgar Allan Poe
* Wrote:
* The Raven
* The Tell-Tale Heart
* Famous for horror and suspense. The Jabberwocky
* A nonsense poem by Lewis Carroll.
* A young hero is warned about the dangerous Jabberwock.
* He goes on a quest and kills the monster.
* Theme: bravery and heroism.
* Important: The poem uses many made-up words, but readers can still understand the story through context.
⸻
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
* Christopher Boone investigates the death of a neighbor’s dog.
* He discovers family secrets, including that his mother is alive.
* Christopher struggles with social situations and change.
* Theme:
* Truth vs. lies
* Independence
* Family relationships
* Narrator:
* Usually reliable because he tells facts.
* Sometimes unreliable because he misunderstands emotions and social situations.
⸻
All Gold Canyon
* A prospector discovers gold in an untouched canyon.
* He carefully mines it.
* Another man tries to steal it and shoots him.
* The prospector survives and defeats the thief.
* Themes:
* Hard work
* Greed
* Nature’s beauty
⸻
The Thousand Dozen
* David Rasmunsen transports 1,000 dozen eggs hoping to make a fortune.
* Faces harsh weather and obstacles.
* Egg prices drop before he can profit.
* Themes:
* Ambition
* Greed
* Risk
⸻
To Build a Fire
* A man travels alone in freezing weather.
* Ignores warnings from experienced people.
* Cannot start a fire and dies.
* Theme:
* Man vs. Nature
* Lesson:
* Nature is stronger than humans.
⸻
The Tell-Tale Heart
* Narrator murders an old man.
* Hides the body.
* Imagines hearing the dead man’s heartbeat.
* Confesses.
* Theme:
* Guilt
* Madness
* Narrator is unreliable.
⸻
The Raven
* A man mourns Lenore.
* A raven repeatedly says “Nevermore.”
* He becomes increasingly emotional.
* Themes:
* Grief
* Loss
* Madness
⸻
The Veldt
* Parents give children a virtual-reality nursery.
* Children become obsessed with it.
* Technology replaces family relationships.
* Theme:
* Man vs. Technology
⸻
Fahrenheit 451
Plot
* Guy Montag burns books.
* Meets Clarisse, who makes him question society.
* Begins reading books.
* Escapes after turning against the government.
Themes
Distraction vs. Happiness
People are constantly entertained but not truly happy.
Mass Media
Television controls people’s thinking.
Knowledge vs. Ignorance
Books contain knowledge; society wants ignorance.
Conformity vs. Individuality
People are expected to think the same.
Action vs. Inaction
Montag changes because he acts instead of remaining passive.
⸻
Maus
Plot
Art Spiegelman tells his father Vladek’s Holocaust story.
Characters
* Vladek = survivor
* Artie = son
Themes
* Trauma
* Survival
* Family conflict
⸻
Death of a Salesman
Plot
Willy Loman believes success comes from popularity.
His dreams fall apart.
He dies hoping insurance money will help his family.
Themes
* American Dream
* Reality vs. illusion
* Family expectations
⸻
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Plot
Lovers run into a forest.
Fairies use magic.
Everyone falls in love with the wrong person.
Magic is fixed.
Multiple marriages occur.
Themes
* Love
* Appearance vs. reality
* Imagination
⸻
POETRY TERMS
Haiku
* 3 lines
* 5 syllables
* 7 syllables
* 5 syllables
Example:
Summer sunlight shines
Waves crash softly on the shoreline
Warm sand hugs my feet
⸻
Concrete Poem
A poem shaped like its subject.
⸻
What is a Meme?
A piece of media shared online that spreads an idea, joke, or trend.
⸻
Phone Manner Unit
Likely covered:
* Answering politely
* Speaking clearly
* Leaving messages
* Professional communication
⸻
Iambic Pentameter
10 syllables per line.
Pattern:
da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM
Used by Shakespeare.
⸻
Couplet
Two rhyming lines.
Example:
The moon shines bright above the sea.
Its silver light belongs to me.
⸻
Meter
The rhythm pattern of poetry.
⸻
Imagery
Language that appeals to senses.
Example:
The warm chocolate smell drifted through the kitchen.
⸻
Dystopia
A society with oppression or major problems.
Example:
Fahrenheit 451.
⸻
GRAMMAR
Nouns
Person, place, thing, idea.
Verbs
Action or state of being.
Adverbs
Describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
Example:
* He ran quickly.
⸻
RELIABLE VS UNRELIABLE NARRATORS
Reliable
Tells truth accurately.
Example:
Christopher from Curious Incident.
Unreliable
Lies, misunderstands, or is mentally unstable.
Example:
Narrator from The Tell-Tale Heart.
⸻
IDIOMS
Common examples:
* Break a leg
* Piece of cake
* Hit the books
* Under the weather
Know meanings, not literal definitions.
⸻
AMERICAN DREAM
Belief that hard work leads to success.
In Death of a Salesman:
* Willy misunderstands the American Dream.
* He values popularity over hard work.
⸻
TOXIC MASCULINITY
The belief that men should:
* Never cry
* Never show emotions
* Always be tough
Can cause unhealthy behavior.
⸻
FRAGILITY OF HUMAN LIFE
Life is delicate and can change suddenly.
Examples:
* To Build a Fire
* The Thousand Dozen
⸻
MAN VS NATURE
Human struggles against natural forces.
Examples:
* To Build a Fire
* All Gold Canyon
⸻
MAN VS TECHNOLOGY
Technology creates conflict.
Examples:
* The Veldt
* Fahrenheit 451
⸻
THEATER TERMS
Upstage
Away from audience.
Downstage
Closer to audience.
Stage Left
Actor’s left.
Stage Right
Actor’s right.
Wings
Areas offstage.
Props
Objects used by actors.
Scenery
Background pieces.
Blocking
Actor movement.
Costume
Actor clothing.
Greenroom
Waiting room for performers.
Backstage
Area behind stage.
Apron/Forestage
Part of stage extending toward audience.
Box Office
Where tickets are sold.
Run
Series of performances.
Fourth Wall
Invisible wall between audience and actors.
Cue
Signal to begin action.
⸻
GRAPHIC NOVEL TERMS
Foreground
Closest part.
Midground
Middle section.
Background
Farthest section.
Symbolism
Object representing an idea.
Foreshadowing
Hint about future events.
Flashback
Scene from the past.
Speech Bubble
Shows speech.
Thought Bubble
Shows thoughts.
Caption
Narration box.
Gutter
Space between panels.
Panel
Single comic frame.
⸻
AUTHORS
William Shakespeare
* English playwright
* Wrote A Midsummer Night’s Dream
* Used iambic pentameter
Jack London
* Wrote:
* To Build a Fire
* The Thousand Dozen
* All Gold Canyon
* Themes often involve nature and survival.
Edgar Allan Poe
* Wrote:
* The Raven
* The Tell-Tale Heart
* Famous for horror and suspense
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