Do It Now Day 1 Independent Writing Prompt

Do It Now - Day 1 Independent Writing Prompt ■ ■ ■ Open to the next blank page in your DIN binder section Write today’s date at the top of the page Respond to the prompt, writing for at least 6 minutes He was sure his leg was broken. There was no way he could climb out of the well. He was miles from anywhere and all alone. With a deep breath, he. . . Word Play of the Day married rodent (1) ------■ Skip a line after your written response ■ Label it “Word Play of the Day” ■ Write your best guess to today’s Wordy Gurdy

Do It Now - Day 2 Independent Writing Prompt ■ ■ ■ Open to the next blank page in your DIN binder section Write today’s date at the top of the page Respond to the prompt, writing for at least 6 minutes A strange noise outside awakens you one night. You look out the window and see a spaceship. The door of the spaceship opens, and out comes a space creature. It looks at you and says. . . Word Play of the Day evil priest (3) -------■ Skip a line after your written response ■ Label it “Word Play of the Day” ■ Write your best guess to today’s Wordy Gurdy

Do It Now - Day 3 Independent Writing Prompt ■ ■ ■ Open to the next blank page in your DIN binder section Write today’s date at the top of the page Respond to the prompt, writing for at least 6 minutes One day on the playground at school, you see a large green egg. Suddenly, the egg begins to shake and roll around. The shell starts cracking a bit. Out of the tiny hole, you can just barely see a. . . Word Play of the Day skinny boxer (2) -------■ Skip a line after your written response ■ Label it “Word Play of the Day” ■ Write your best guess to today’s Wordy Gurdy

The Hitchhiker This is your presentation title By Lucille Fletcher

Author Talk A story doesn’t have to appeal to the heart, it can also appeal to the spine. Sometimes you want your heart to be warmed… and sometimes you want your spine to tingle! Orson Welles, 1915 -1985

Essential Questions How do authors create interesting characters? How do compelling characters contribute to a suspenseful plot?

Learning targets I can analyze the central idea and supporting details in information presented in diverse formats (audio file). I can analyze how particular elements of a story interact (i. e. , characters and plot) I can cite evidence to support my analysis of the text I can write a short answer response using RACES

Anticipation/Reaction Guide Directions: Read each statement below BEFORE listening to the radio play of “The Hitchhiker”. Decide whether each statement is true or false. Place a “T” or an “F” in the appropriate box to indicate your choice. Be prepared to share your thoughts. Before Listening T/F T Statement from Text Death cannot be avoided. It comes for everyone eventually. Seeing is believing. After Listening T/F

Go ahead and finish the Anticipation/Reaction Guide on your own… Let’s go over it. . .

Words To Know Word mad Example Sentence I know I’m at this moment--I’m perfectly sane, that it’s not me that’s gone mad--but something else, something utterly beyond my control. Predicted Definition I think this word means: crazy, insane My sentence: The doctors believed that Larry’s bizarre behavior indicated that he had lost his grip on reality and gone mad.

Go ahead and finish the Words to know section on your own… Let’s go over it. . .

Lucille Fletcher, 1912 -2000 ■ an American screenwriter of film, radio and television. ■ Wrote The Hitchhiker, an original radio play written for Orson Welles which aired in 1942 ■ turned into a famous episode of The Twilight Zone ■ Also wrote Sorry, Wrong Number, another suspenseful radio play, which was turned into a classic movie in 1948. ■ Wrote 9 mystery novels

A radio play was written for radio broadcast, which means that it was originally meant to be heard, not seen.

Ronald Adams says goodbye to his mother, gets in his car, and sets out on a cross-country journey to California. Soon, he sees a man on the Brooklyn Bridge. The man appears to be waiting for a lift. Adams sees the man again an hour later, hitchhiking at the Pulaski Skyway. At various stops along the way, Adams repeatedly sees the same hitchhiker, despite the fact that, logically, there is no possible way the mysterious man could have gotten ahead of him… What is going on? The Hitchhiker By Lucille Fletcher

Check For Understanding 1. Where is Ronald Adams when the story begins? What does he look like? 1. What dangers does Adams’ mother warn him about? How is this foreshadowing? 1. When Adams speaks to the gas station attendant, he learns that it has not rained in the area for quite some time. How does this knowledge contribute to the overall suspense of the story? 1. How does the repeated vision of the hitchhiker affect the plot of the story? 1. Once Adams picks up the girl, he tries to convince himself that the hitchhiker is real. What is the girl’s reaction to Adams? 1. Explain the purpose of the repeated monologues in the story? Why does the author include them? 1. Who does Adams call right before the end of the story? Why? 1. What really happened on the Brooklyn Bridge? 1. Who do you think the hitchhiker really is?

Go back and finish the Anticipation/Reaction guide on your own… Have any of your impressions changed?

Check For Understanding What is the mood of the story? What helps create this mood as you listen? Explain specific words, phrases, or sounds the writer used to create the mood. The mood of this story is __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Character Analysis Chart Think about the 2 main characters - Ronald Adams and the Hitchhiker - that Lucille Fletcher has created in her short story, “The Hitchhiker. ” For each character, fill in the chart below listing specific words, actions, thoughts, appearance, and ways the characters affects others. Protagonist (hero) “If I tell it, maybe it'll help me -- it’ll Words & Quotes -- it’ll--keep me from going crazy. I (What the character must tell this quickly. I'm not says) crazy now - I feel perfectly well, perfectly well… I know I'm at this moment--I’m perfectly sane, that it's not me that's gone mad -- but something else, something utterly beyond my control. ” (p. 1) Antagonist (villain) “ Hellooo!” (p. 2)

Go ahead and finish the Character Analysis Chart on your own… Let’s go over it. . .

R. A. C. E. S. R A C Cite (text) 2 Restate the Answer the pieces of question evidence E S Elaborate or explain your evidence Sum it all up! *Did you include all required info?

Short Answer Response Answer the following question by stating a claim and supporting that claim with at least two details from the story. Follow the guidelines for short answer responses using the RACES strategy. In Lucille Fletcher’s short story, “The Hitchhiker” Ronald Adams keeps running into the same hitchhiker during his road trip out West. How does the constant vision of the hitchhiker affect Adams and his decisions? Use at least two details from the story to support your response. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________