Before Reading "The Lake Isle of Innisfree"
Begin to Make Mind Pictures
Preview the selection by reading the About the Selection on page 906, thinking about the title, and examining the art on page 907. Begin to picture in your mind what the selection will be about.
During Reading
Keep Making Mind Pictures as You Read
1. Listen as your teacher reads the first stanza aloud. Picture what the speaker describes. Does this place sound appealing to you?
2. Read the rest of the selection on your own. Keep making mind pictures as you read. Include sights, sounds, smells, and feelings in these pictures. Think about the mood and feelings these images evoke in you.
Fix-Up Idea: Read Aloud
The mood of this poem is reflected in its sounds. Take turns reading the poem aloud with a partner. What kinds of sounds do you notice? What effect do these sounds have?
After Reading
Sketch or Summarize Your Mind Pictures
Make some quick sketches or write a summary of the pictures you created in your mind. With a partner, discuss the mood of the poem and whether you would like to go to the place the speaker describes.
Before Reading "Adam's Curse"
Think About What You Know
Respond in writing to the Reader's Journal prompt on page 909. Then discuss your response with two or three of your classmates. As you read the poem, think about the work it takes to reach any goal.
During Reading
Use What You Know as You Read
1. Listen as your teacher reads the first stanza aloud. Think about the work the speaker describes. Do you think the work is worth it? Does the speaker think it's worth the effort? Answer the Guided Reading Question.
2. Read the rest of the poem on your own. Answer the other Guided Reading Question and think about what else requires work.
Fix-Up Idea: Use Text Organization
The first three stanzas of this poem each focus on something that requires hard work. As you read, look for the three things. Then read the last two stanzas which focus on the effects this discussion has on the speaker and his companions. Write down the main idea of each stanza.
After Reading
Summarize What You Learned
With your group from the Before-Reading activity, discuss the Respond to the Selection question. After your discussion, write a paragraph summarizing your ideas.
Before Reading "The Second Coming"
Make a Symbol Chart
Read about symbols in Literary Tools on page 912. In your notebook, create a symbol chart like the one shown there. Use the chart to track symbols you encounter as you read.
During Reading
Complete the Chart
1. Listen as your teacher reads the first eight lines of the poem. Reread the lines yourself. Use the footnotes and the Guided Reading Questions to help you understand the speaker's meaning. Identify the symbol in this stanza. What do you think the symbol means? Write the symbol in your chart.
2. Continue reading the poem on your own. Continue to use the footnotes and the Guided Reading Questions to help you understand references in the poem. As you find additional symbols, add them to your symbol chart.
Fix-Up Idea: Reread
Read through the poem once. Then read through the footnotes carefully. They will help you understand allusions and symbols in the poem. Begin reading the poem again, slowly. The first stanza is one long sentence. Stop at each semicolon to make sure you understand what you've read. Each section of the sentence builds on the same idea. Keep rereading, pausing occasionally to make sure you understand what you've read.
After Reading
Summarize What You Wrote
With a partner, compare what you wrote in your symbol charts. How do these symbols relate to the overall theme of the poem?