Mid-term Study Guide Answers

6TH Grade ELA
2nd Nine Weeks Study Guide

Directions: Use textbooks, notes, and discussions to complete your
study guide.

I. Library and Reference Materials: Write a description for each of the following reference items on lines provided.

1. Atlas- a bound collection of maps

2. Thesaurus- a dictionary of synonyms (R72)

3. Dictionary- a book containing word meanings, pronunciations, and etymologies (origins)

4. Card Catalog was replaced by the online library catalog, which lists the library’s holdings. You can search by author, title, or keyword.
5. Periodicals- publications issued at regular intervals of more than one day

6. Almanac- an annual publication containing a calendar for the coming year, the times of such events and phenomena as anniversaries, sunrises, phases of the moon, tides, and other statistical information

7. Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature- a reference guide to recently published articles in periodical magazines and scholarly journals
II. Nonfiction Reading: “The Jacket” a memoir by Gary Soto on page 468 of your literature book. Carefully read the memoir and answer each question. Each * question must be answered in a complete sentence. These questions are to help prepare you for reading nonfiction passages and answering comprehension questions. However, this exact story will not appear on the mid-term.
8. *What is a memoir?
A memoir is a form of autobiographical writing in which a writer shares his or her personal experiences and observations of important events or people (R104).

9. What does Soto mean when he says, “My clothes have failed me?” (Lines 1-14)
He thinks that his clothes have kept him from being popular.

10. Identify the simile in line 25. “…flapped the jacket like a bird’s wings”

11. * Based on question 10, describe Soto’s mood.
Soto feels ridiculous flapping around in an oversized jacket. He’s making fun of himself and how awful he thinks he looks in the jacket.

12. * What is the author’s problem at the beginning of the passage. (Lines 5-14)
His mother gives him a green vinyl jacket instead of the black leather jacket he requested.

13. How does wearing the green jacket affect Soto’s confidence and behavior? (Lines 43-52)
Soto thinks that people treat him differently when he wears his jacket. This is because his confidence is shaky. His confidence comes from what people think about him.
14. What are some things that go wrong for Soto when he wears his jacket? (Lines 61-65)
He does poorly in school (lines 62-64) and he can’t attract girls (lines 64-65).

III. Context Clues: Write the meaning of each underlined word on lines provided.

15. The complexity of the problems made Soto miserable.
The quality or state of being complex

16. I looked in the mirror full front, then profile, to see another view of my jacket.
A head or faced represented in a side view

17. He spun each arm like a propeller to see how silly the jacket looked.
A device with a central hub and radiating blades used to propel a vehicle (i.e. an airplaine)

18. The jacket began to shrivel and no longer fit.
shrink

19. The guacamole’s color reminds everyone of an emerald.

Seasoned and mashed avocado; green in color

20. Soto wants to forget the vicious thoughts he has about his jacket.
Having the nature or quality of vice or immorality; spiteful

IV. Terms to Know: Define each term below on lines provided.

21. Intricate: having many interrelated parts; complex
22. Memoir: see # 8
23. Protest: complain
24. Instinct: a powerful motivation or impulse
25. Author’s Purpose: a writer usually writes for one or more of these purposes: to express thoughts or feelings, to inform or explain, to persuade, or to entertain.
26. Agility: the quality or state of being agile; flexibility
27. Impressive: having the power to excite attention, awe, or admiration
28. Administer: give or apply
29. Dialogue: a written conversation between two or more characters.

V. Rules of Capitalization: Use the Grammar for Writing workbook pages 150-159 (rules) to complete activity sheets. These sheets will be provided


VI. Rules of Punctuation: Complete all activities in the Grammar for Writing workbook pages 160-162.

VII. The following section refers to the story, “The First Skateboard in the History of the World” on page 480 of your literature book. Please refer back to the story to answer the following comprehension questions in complete sentences.

30. What is the author’s purpose in describing what happened to her on the monkey bars?
The author’s purpose was to explain why she was scared on the skateboard.

31. What happened to Betsy when she rode down Magnolia Avenue on the skateboard?
She stopped at the first crack.

32. Why do the kids make sure they hammer the nails flat?
The kids hammer the nails flat, so that they don’t get poked by one and have to get a Tetanus shot.

33. How did Besty ride on the skateboard?
Betsey sat down to ride on the skateboard.

34. Why does the author use “waaay” to describe how she and her friends had to stretch out their roller skates?
The other does this to demonstrate a humorous tone toward the subject.

35. Why did the girls choose Red Hill for skateboarding?
The girls chose Red Hill because it was steep.

VIII. Extended Response: In paragraph form, answer the following question based on your knowledge of the story.

36. Do the kids in the memoir show that their intelligence comes more from formal education or from common sense and their own experiences? Use two to three details from the memoir to support your response.
Possible answers:

Common Sense and Experience
The kids show knowledge gained from common sense and their own experiences when building and riding the skateboard. The kids stretched a skate to use for skateboard wheels (lines 13-14), showing their common sense when trying to invent a new toy. The kids hammered the ends of nails into the board to avoid getting a shot (lines 20-23), illustrating their experience with getting shots. Betsey sat on the skateboard instead of standing on it. This demonstrated common sense because sitting would help her avoid falling off the board.

Formal Education
The kids show knowledge gained from formal education by figuring out how to build a skateboard, how to avoid injury, and how to ride the skateboard, as well as by making references to far-away places. Betsy explains that skateboards had not been invented yet (line 7), illustrating knowledge she has learned through formal education. The kids stretched a skate and used nails to attach the skate to wood (lines 13-17), showing construction knowledge that may have been learned through formal education or by someone’s teaching them. The kids hammered the ends of nails into the board to avoid injury (lines 18-19), again showing that someone taught then construction rules.

~~~Either answer is correct as long as you give two to three details to support your answer.~~~

Good Luck!!!