Before Reading
"This is my letter to the World"
"The Soul selects her own Society-"
Think About What You Know
Respond to the Reader's Journal question on page 218. Think about how you view others, how others view you, and how you feel when your work or actions are judged. Discuss these ideas with a partner.
During Reading
Use What You Know
1. Listen as your teacher reads the first poem aloud. Think about a time when you were judged by others. Write down briefly what you were judged on and how it felt to be judged.
2. Read the second poem on your own. Think about how you judge other people and choose friends. Compare your methods with Dickinson's. Jot down a few ideas that compare and contrast your methods.
Fix-Up Idea: Unlock Difficult Words
If you encounter words you do not know, first continue reading to see what sense you can make of the selection without that word. Write the unfamiliar words in your notebook. Try to determine their meaning using context clues. If that doesn't work, try to use word parts, such as prefixes and word roots to guess the meaning of the word. Use a dictionary if none of the other methods work. Add the definition to your vocabulary notebook.
After Reading
Summarize Your Connections
With your partner, compare the ideas you wrote down while you were reading. Then answer the Respond to the Selection questions on pages 219 and 221. Discuss these questions with your classmates and compare the differences in responses.
Before Reading
"Because I could not stop for Death-"
"I heard a Fly buzz-when I died-"
Make a Plan
Make a six-column chart. On the right hand side, make a space for each stanza. Use this chart to track ideas and your reactions as you read.
During Reading
Use Your Plan
1. Listen as your teacher reads "Because I could not stop for Death—". After listening to each stanza, write down important points and vivid images. Then give your reaction to each stanza.
2. Make a new chart for "I heard a Fly buzz—when I died—". Read this poem on your own. Stop and write down important ideas, vivid images, and your reactions.
Fix-Up Idea: Think Aloud
If you are having trouble filling in your chart, work with a partner to read the poem aloud. Read one stanza aloud. Then pause and do a think aloud about what you have read. Say what images stuck out in your head, what you think they might mean, what questions you have, and how certain words or images make you feel. Have your partner read the next stanza. Again stop and think aloud. Do this until you have read the whole poem.
After Reading
Summarize
Share your response chart with a few classmates. Compare the images and reactions you had as you read. Did your reaction to some stanzas change as you read further? Then discuss the Respond to the Selection questions on pages 224 and 226. How does the information in your chart help you answer these questions?