1a. What kind of knowledge did Malcolm X gain when he started copying the dictionary?
2a. How did people perceive inmates who read many books?
3a. What did Malcolm X do at night to be able to read?
1b. Why would this knowledge help him understand the books he was reading?
2b. Why did people think this way about well-read inmates?
3b. What do these actions suggest about Malcolm X's character?
4a. Categorize Malcolm X's views about his experience in prison. Are his views mostly negative or positive?
4b. Explain in your own words Malcolm X's statement about reading books: "In fact, up to then, I never had been so truly free in my life." How could he feel free in prison?
5a. How effectively does Malcolm X tell his story? How well does he convey information? How well does he express his thoughts and beliefs about reading and writing? Explain.
5b. Explain how your opinions on the importance of reading and writing are similar to or different from Malcolm X's opinions.
Autobiography. What important event in Malcolm X's life is related in this selection? What else do you learn about the life of Malcolm X in this selection? What do you learn about his motivation and characteristics?
Aim. What aim(s) do you think Malcolm X had in writing this part of his autobiography? What does this reveal about this selection? What generalizations can you make about the aims of writers of autobiography?
1. Make up a word, and write a dictionary definition for it. Include the word's pronunciation and part of speech with the definition.
2. Write a memo from a prison employee to the prison director, requesting funding for the prison library and explaining the importance of your request.
3. Propose an incentive plan to your principal that explains how to encourage more students at your school to read and tells why this is important.
Using Prefixes. Choose a prefix from the left column and a root word from the right column to form a word to match each of the definitions below. The prefixes and root words may be used more than once. You may have to change the tense of the words.
1. My mom bought ______________ stickers for the children.
2. Myron the Magician _______________ right in front of our eyes!
3. Should Tyler _____________ a table for four at 7:00 PM?
4. Our teacher, Mr. Fox, is _______________ when it comes to cheating and lying.
5. Figlio ______________ Marissa because she got a better score on the mile-run.
6. I read a book _______________ that praised Finding Makeba by Alexs Pate.
7. The Jackson family _______________ the stray cat that roamed around their house.
8. Gwilan had to ________________ her paper because she lost all her computer files.
9. The custard pie is ________________ because we found a roach inside it.
10. The ______________ I saw was misleading; the movie was not "filled with action and excitement."
Reviewing Irregular Verbs. When you write about something that happened in the past, you use verbs in the past tense. Most past-tense verbs are formed simply by adding –ed or –d to the verb's base form. But some irregular verbs require different past-tense forms. See the Language Arts Survey 3.9, "The Verb To Be" and 3.44, "Using Irregular Verbs." You may also wish to consult a dictionary for further assistance. Review the past-tense forms of common irregular verbs by rewriting the sentences below in the past tense.
1. Malcolm is frustrated with his poor writing skills.
2. He decides he will educate himself.
3. Malcolm begins to copy the dictionary.
4. A sense of pride comes from his accomplishment.
5. As his vocabulary grows, he reads more books.
6. Malcolm chooses to read rather than sleep.
7. Malcolm sits on the floor in order to have enough light to read.
8. What Malcolm does is something most people would not do.
9. Malcolm writes a million words while in prison.
10. Malcolm becomes an influential leader.
