Formative close reading plan - CDN

Formative close reading plan For The War Prayer by Mark Twain 11th grade Standards: RL.11-12.1, RL.11-12.4, RL.11-12.6

Created by Michelle Morton, 2014 Delaware Dream Team teacher

Formative close reading plan for “The War Prayer”

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Directions for teachers: How to use this document

The text-dependent questions below should be administered as a formative checkpoint to students after they have read Mark Twain’s “The War Prayer”. In addition to collecting written responses (in a reading journal or on a separate piece of paper), student work could also be recorded as the product of observation or interview. Use the response guide beginning on page 2 to evaluate each response and determine if student “Exceeds”, “Meets” “Approaches” or “Struggles” with the given question. Use the corresponding close reading follow-up mini-lessons to provide targeted and close-reading based intervention to students in the “Approaches” and “Struggles” group.

Text and standard details

Text and author Mark Twain “The War Prayer”

Where to access the text:

http://www.antiwar.com/orig/twain1.html

Grade-level: 11th Grade

Target Common Core State Standards:

RL.11-12.4 , RL11-12.6 Analyze a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g. satire, sarcasm, irony or understatement)

Formative text-dependent questions

1. How does Twain describe the “visions” of war at the start of the story?

2. What textual evidence exists regarding the presence of a religious philosophy in the town? How is this belief system paradoxical to the town’s attitude

about war?

3. What language does Twain use to contrast the attitudes of the townspeople with the attitude of the aged man about war?

4. Why does Twain contrast these attitudes?

5. What is satirical about the final sentence of the story? Explain its impact.

6. How does Twain use satire through his use of diction to illuminate a theme? What theme is illuminated?


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Formative text-dependent question 1

Question #1 1. How does Twain describe the “visions” of war at the start of the story?

Standard(s) covered:

RL.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)

Response Guide

Example student response Indicators

Exc

eed

s

Patriotism burned brightly in the townspeople. They glorified the yearning to be part of its bloody cause. They adored the thought of war and thought dying for it was the noblest death possible.

Exceeds response must include strong examples from the text.

Responses show an understanding of the inferences of a text.

Responses show an understanding of nuance and language as evidenced through the analysis or synthesis in the answer.

Meets

Twain uses vivid imagery to describe the “visions” of war such as “the drums were beating, the bands playing, toy pistols popping and firecrackers hissing” to show the patriotism of the people.

Meets response uses strong examples from the text

Response shows and understanding of the inferences in the text through an analysis or synthesis statement/phrase

Intervention

Ap

pro

ach

es

Twain says the war was met with “great and exalting excitement.”

Approaches response chooses a strong support from the text

Response does not show a clear understanding of inference

Response lacks analysis

See Close reading follow-up lesson #1

Str

ug

gle

s

He describes war to be quite graphic and explicit.

Struggles response does not use direct support from the text

Response chooses weak or inappropriate supports

Response fails to show an understanding of inference.


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Question #2 In the first paragraph of the text what diction is used to show the belief system of the town? What’s paradoxical about the townspeople beliefs?


RL.11-12.6 Analyze a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g. satire, sarcasm, irony or understatement)

Response Guide


Exc

eed

s

He uses very loaded words such as “cyclones of applause” and talks about how intensely everyone is listening to the preachers. This shows how they believe in God and country and are willing to go to war for their country and ask for God’s help. God teaches us not to kill, but they believe God is on their side to kill their enemies. But to defend God and country they must kill their enemies.

Chooses the words that show the belief system of the town of both religion and patriotism/war

Identifies the paradox between war and religion

Explicitly ties the paradox to the diction chosen.

Meets

“Invoke the God of battles” This shows how dark prayer can be. Religion should be for peace while war seems to be for “pain” but the town believes in both. This belief is paradoxical.


Identifies the paradox between war and religion

Shows the paradox

Intervention

Ap

pro

ach

es

“It was a time of great and exalting excitement,” is the start of the town’s belief that going to war was great and a time to celebrate. The belief system of town is that war should be celebrated. However war is cruel and causes a lot of grief. Despite the fear of a loved on getting killed at war, serving the army and America is a great honor.


Identifies the paradox of life and death in war

Does not tie the paradox to the diction chosen See Close

reading follow-up lesson #2

Str

ug

gle

s

Words like: “the holy fire of patriotism, the pastor’s preached devotion and invoking the God of Battles”. The town most likely is very passionate about freedom and helping to advance the country. In their system was something to be celebrated and volunteered for. It was considered something that was bring you respect and honor. In reality, war is not something that you would be thrilled to be involved in, but it makes sense to celebrate victory and homecomings.

Chooses the words that show the belief system

Does not identify a real paradox

Not able to tie it to the paradox of religion and war


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Question #3 What language does Twain use to contrast the attitudes of the townspeople with the attitude of the aged man about war?



Response Guide


Exc

eed

s

He represents the townspeople’s belief with the preacher’s prayer that the soldiers will win and bring home honor and glory and uses positive while he contrasts the old man with the realistic negatives that they were going to wish for their own success to make others suffer.

Answer refers to both the aged man and the townspeople

Answer shows the difference in the attitudes of each and ties those attitudes together to show how one reveals the other

Answer uses specific references to the text with exact language from the text.

Meets

The townspeople were proud and happy while the aged man spoke of the realities of war and how their opponents deserved brutal punishment. The townspeople have “voices choked with happy emotion” while the aged man’s voice is filled with sadness about the reality of war.


Answer shows the difference in the attitudes of each

Answer uses specific references to the text with exact language from the text.

Intervention

Ap

pro

ach

es

Twain indicated that the soldiers would be encouraged in their patriotic work and make them strong and confident, he referred to the aged men as slow and noiseless and unnaturally pale even to ghostliness.


Answer shows the difference in each one, but expounds upon irrelevant contrasts, instead of focusing on the attitudes.

Answer uses specific references to the text


Str

ug

gle

s

Welcoming of them that God will protect them in war. He was very detailed in describing them.

Answer only discusses one: either aged man or the townspeople

Answer does not clearly describe any “attitudes”

Answer speaks in generalities and does not cite the text.


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Question #4 Why does Twain contrast these attitudes?



Response Guide


Exc

eed

s

He contrasts these attitudes to show how the view of war in a home country can be dramatized positively and people can be so eager and full of pride that they don’t think of how their victories and wishes/prayers of defeating the enemy is killing/destroying other human beings.

Answer shows an understanding of the reasons why Twain contrasts the attitudes.

Answer references the text explicitly

Answer shows an understanding of the text beyond what is being explicitly questioned. (In this case ties the attitudes being contrasted to the paradox of the story as a whole.)

Meets

He contrasts them to show the two different perspectives: wanting victory at all costs, and understanding that victory for you means failure for your opponent.

Answer shows an understanding of the reasons why Twain contrasts the attitudes.

Answer references the text explicitly.

Intervention

Ap

pro

ach

es

Twain does this to show that even though the old man was quiet and noiseless, he could still portray a strong message.

Answer does reference the text directly.

Answer is specific but references the incorrect portion of the text.


Str

ug

gle

s

To see the different thoughts and points people had on war

Answer does not reference the text directly

Answer is too vague and general

Answer does not have a strong reason why Twain contrasted the attitudes


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Question #5 What is satirical about the final sentence of the story? Explain its impact.



Response Guide


Exc

eed

s

The final sentence “It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said’” is satirical because everything the aged man said was true. The town is saying he is a lunatic because they don’t want to deal with the truth, and it’s easier to chalk the man off as crazy then to face reality. Twain is trying to create a commentary on war, by saying that people only see the one side, the side of glory and patriotism, and they ignore the harsh realities of the violence of war. The impact of the sentence makes it clear that the town will never change; even in the light of truth they will remain blindly patriotic.

Answer shows an understanding of satire

Answer shows the impact of the sentence

Answer references the text explicitly

Answer ties author into the explanation, and extends to the theme of the overall text

Meets

The final sentence is satirical because the town says that the aged man was a lunatic, which is their way of dealing with what the man said. They know that war is cruel but they want to only focus on the positives. The impact is that the reader understands that the aged man was ignored by the town because the town couldn’t deal with the reality of war.

Answer shows an understanding of satire

Answer shows the impact of the sentence

Answer references the text

Intervention

Ap

pro

ach

es

The last sentence shows how the town ignored the aged man. It’s satirical because it’s the opposite of the truth.

Answer shows a progressing understanding of satire

Answer does not show the impact of the sentence

Answer makes a reference to the text


Str

ug

gle

s

The last sentence says the aged man was a lunatic and so the town ignored him. It’s important because it shows how the town felt.

Answer does not show an understanding of satire

Answer does not show the impact of the sentence

Answer makes a reference to the text


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Question #6 How does Twain use satire through his use of diction to illuminate a theme? What theme is illuminated?



Response Guide


Exc

eed

s

He uses the idea of satire, the humor in the people’s stupidity to show the theme of ignorance. “The messenger of the most high awaits,” “toy guns” “we ask in the spirit of love of him who is the source of love” “ye have prayed it, if ye desire it, speak.” These are all examples of diction that display satire. The theme that is shown is an idea that can be seen as almost the same theory. That we can have a belie and make decisions when all we see is ourselves and the actual enemy is unknown, but when they are put in front of you, you see that you are less likely to have such a powerful desire to fight back because you realize you are hurting someone like you. But the people in the story refused to see this and still ignored the facts and ideas he spoke of and thought he was insane. The main theme is that the ignorance of people can lead to violence.

Answer uses explicit information from the text.

Answer states a theme appropriate to the text

Answer supports theme with directly connected text

Answer illustrates the exact connection between the diction and the theme

Meets

The diction that is used are words like “It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said.” People are willing to throw others under the bus if it means a personal gain for them. The war is turning humans inhumane, they can’t see the pain they can inflict on another society because they are too blinded by the festivities and victories of war. The theme is that war is based in ignorance.

Answer uses explicit information from the text.

Answer states a theme appropriate to the text

Answer illustrates the connection between the diction and the theme

Intervention

Ap

pro

ach

es

Twain shows satirical elements through the violent words used by the aged man to show the underlying message of the prayer. The theme is that you should really think before you speak.

Answer uses information from the text.

Answer states a theme.

Answer fails to illustrate the connection between the diction and the theme



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Str

ug

gle

s

Twain uses sets of words that bring out a comical point that shows the theme. The words that were used contrasted what you would expect. War is biased and skewed towards supporting one’s own country without thinking about the effects it may have about the other.

Answer shows a mistaken inference from the text. (in the answer shown, a comic tone)

Answer states a theme

Answer fails to illustrate the connection between the diction and the theme


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Close Reading Follow-Up Lessons: Understanding Satire

Text Title: The War Prayer by Mark Twain Delaware Dream Team teacher:

Michelle Morton

Grade-level:

11th grade Coach: Margaret Troyer

Standards covered:

RL.11-12.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain RL.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.) RL.11-12.6 Analyze a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g. satire, sarcasm, irony or understatement)

Vocabulary

Tier Two Words (General academic vocabulary)

“Words that are far more likely to appear in written texts than in speech. [They] often represent subtle or precise ways to say relatively simple things—saunter instead of walk, for example.” (CCSS ELA Appendix A)

Tier Three Words (Domain-specific words)

“[Tier Three words]…are specific to a domain or field of study (lava, carburetor, legislature, circumference, aorta) and key to understanding a new concept within a text.” (CCSS ELA Appendix A)

Exalting

Receding

Oratory

intervals

Beseeching

Fervid

Eloquence

illuminated

philosophy

paradox

satirical/satire

diction

theme


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Lesson 1

Formative text-dependent question

How does Twain describe the “visions” of war at the start of the story?

Answer (Meets)

“Twain uses vivid imagery to describe the “visions” of war such as “the drums were beating, the bands playing, toy pistols popping and firecrackers hissing” to show the patriotism of the people.”

CCSS

RL.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)

Objective In this lesson you will learn how to analyze descriptive languages by determining which words in a text are the “best” descriptors.

Foundational knowledge

Students must be able to locate descriptive language in a text, determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings. The must be able to analyze the impact of these words and phrases on the overall tone and meaning of a text. They should be able to recognize and analyze allusions and analogies.


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Close Reading Follow-Up Plan

Steps Model Thinking

1. Re-read the first paragraph to highlight descriptive language.

What diction does Twain use to describe the war? What words is he using to describe how the town feels?

“It was a time of great and exalting excitement. The country was up in arms, the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism; the drums were beating, the bands playing, the toy pistols popping, the bunched firecrackers hissing and spluttering; on every hand and far down the receding and fading spread of roofs and balconies a fluttering wilderness of flags flashed in the sun; daily the young volunteers marched down the wide avenue gay and fine in their new uniforms, the proud fathers and mothers and sisters and sweethearts cheering them with voices choked with happy emotion as they swung by; nightly the packed mass meetings listened, panting, to patriot oratory which stirred the deepest deeps of their hearts, and which they interrupted at briefest intervals with cyclones of applause, the tears running down their cheeks the while; in the churches the pastors preached devotion to flag and country, and invoked the God of Battles beseeching His aid in our good cause in outpourings of fervid eloquence which moved every listener.”

2. Choose best evidence

Look at the words you highlighted.

Which ones create an image about the town sees the war? “every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism”, “nightly the packed mass meetings …which stirred the deepest deeps of the hearts”

3. Tie your evidence back to the question by introducing your evidence with a summarizing idea

How do the quotes from the text support Twain’s description of the visions of war?

Introduce the quote with a summarizing idea…for example “Twain uses vivid descriptions to show the positive way that the town embraces the war effort.” In this example the summarizing idea is that the town embraces, or feels good about, the war.

You would follow the summarizing idea with the quote you chose in step two, and then end your answer with a quick analysis sentence, for example, “The positive words that Twain uses in the first paragraph highlight the town’s pro-war stance.”


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Lesson 2


What diction is used to show the belief system of the town? What’s paradoxical about the townspeople’s beliefs?

Answer (Meets)

“Invoke the God of battles” This shows how dark prayer can be. Religion should be for peace while war seems to be for “pain” but the town believes in both. This belief is paradoxical.

CCSS RL.11-12.6 Analyze a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g. satire, sarcasm, irony or understatement)

Objective In this lesson you will learn how to identify and explain a paradox in a text by identifying opposite concepts in a text and examining how they interact.


Contradictions, contrasts, or knowledge of opposite concepts, and/or ideas, for students to understand this question. Additionally students should be able to analyze the differences in points of view in a text, and how that can be used to create a mood of suspense, or satire.



Step 1: Identify the opposing concepts in the text

The town believes in war and religion.

The text says that the “patriot oratory stirred the deepest deeps of their hearts” and “the church was filled” on “Sunday morning” and during the prayer the pastor says “help them crush the foe, grant to them and to their flag and country imperishable honor and glory-“

Step 2: identify what is opposite about these beliefs

War is generally violent and unforgiving

Religion is founded on forgiveness and compassion

Step 3: Identify how these seemingly opposite beliefs can be contrasted and/or related.

In this case the church in the town is supporting the war and the young men going off to fight, but we know that war is filled with death and desperation. It seems that the church overlooks the violence of the war in the face of patriotism. When you write this answer you need to address the opposite nature of war and religion by discussing how religion believes in peace, but the community needs a sort of moral compass that brings it together and for many of us that comes from religion. In this case in order to bring the town together the church is acting “patriotic”. In order to be patriotic in the time period discussed, the church needs to support war. By supporting the war they are supporting their community. This is how the two ideas can be reconciled.


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Lesson 3


What language does Twain use to contrast the attitudes of the townspeople with the attitude of the aged man about war?

Answer (Meets)

The townspeople were proud and happy while the aged man spoke of the realities of war and how their opponents deserved brutal punishment. The townspeople have “voices choked with happy emotion” while the aged man’s voice is filled with sadness about the reality of war.


Objective In this lesson you will learn how to identify contrasting attitudes by analyzing the diction of an author.


Students must be able to understand opposites, and analysis of grade level texts. They must also have an understanding of how diction creates tone. The previous lessons in this series will help answer build up to this question. Additionally students should be able to analyze the differences in points of view in a text, and how that can be used to create a mood of suspense, or satire.


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Step 1: Re-read the text and highlight for the language that shows the different attitudes

What does Twain say about the attitude of the townspeople regarding war? “that an ever-merciful and benignant Father of us all would watch over our noble young soldiers, and aid, comfort, and encourage them in their patriotic work; bless them, shield them in the day of battle and the hour of peril, bear them in His mighty hand, make them strong and confident, invincible in the bloody onset; help them crush the foe, grant to them and to their flag and country imperishable honor and glory —“

What does Twain say about the attitude of the aged man regarding war? help us tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unfriended in the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames in summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it —

Step 2: How do these attitudes contrast?

The townspeople are focusing on only their side of war and its glory for the winner, where the aged man tries to show the horrors of war and the tragedies for the victims

Step 3: Isolate specific text that shows the contrasting attitudes the best.

In the highlighted portion above the townspeople state, “Watch over our noble young soldiers…make them strong and confident.”

The aged man states “help us tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells.”

These two ideas are the same, and yet they illustrate the contrast of the attitudes clearly.


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Lesson 4


Why does Twain contrast these attitudes?

Answer (Meets)

He contrasts them to show the two different perspectives: wanting victory at all costs, and understanding that victory for you means failure for your opponent.


Objective In this lesson you will learn how to find contrasting attitudes in a text by analyzing the different points of view present in a text.


Students must be able to access grade level texts and have an understanding of point of view. Additionally an understanding of how opposite concepts work to create paradox would be useful for this lesson. The previous lessons in this series will help answer build up to this question. Additionally students should be able to analyze the differences in points of view in a text, and how that can be used to create a mood of suspense, or satire.



1. Step 1: Think about the different perspectives.

The townspeople believe in patriotism and glory in war

The aged man sees the violent reality of war

2. Step 2: Why would these perspectives be contrasted?

To show both sides of war

To show the violence imbedded in war

To illustrate the blindness of patriotism

3. Step 3: Start thinking about the larger truth exposed by this contrast

Maybe Twain is trying to discuss the realities of war and create a commentary on patriotism.


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Lesson 5


What is satirical about the final sentence of the story? Explain its impact.

Answer (Meets)

The final sentence is satirical because the town says that the aged man was a lunatic, which is their way of dealing with what the man said. They know that war is cruel but they want to only focus on the positives. The impact is that the reader understands that the aged man was ignored by the town because the town couldn’t deal with the reality of war.


Objective In this lesson you will learn how to distinguish what is stated from what is meant by analyzing a specific section of the text.


Student should have an understanding of the definition of satire. The previous lessons in this series will help answer build up to this question. Additionally students should be able to analyze the differences in points of view in a text, and how that can be used to create a mood of suspense, or satire.



Step 1: re read the portion of the text being questioned.

“It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said.”

Step 2: Think about the satire involved in the portion of the text being questioned.

How is what is being said different than what the author means?

What truth is Twain trying to expose through this sentence and the town’s beliefs about the old man?

The satire is that the aged man spoke the truth, but the town refuses to believe what he says so they’d rather just assume that he is crazy.

Step 3: Think about the impact of the portion of the text being questioned.

The impact of this sentence is that it shows the ignorance of the townspeople, and their inability to face the truth about war because it is too painful.


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Lesson 6


How does Twain use satire through his use of diction to illuminate a theme? What theme is illuminated?

Answer (Meets)

The diction that is used are words like “It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said.” People are willing to throw others under the bus if it means a personal gain for them. The war is turning humans inhumane, they can’t see the pain they can inflict on another society because they are too blinded by the festivities and victories of war. The theme is that war is based in ignorance.


Objective In this lesson you will learn how a theme can be found by analyzing an author’s use of diction.


The previous lessons in this series will help answer build up to this question. Additionally students should be able to analyze the differences in points of view in a text, and how that can be used to create a mood of suspense, or satire.


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Step 1: Re-read the text and highlight words that are being used to show satire

The strongest example of satire is the last sentence of Twain, “It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said.” Some other examples of diction that Twain uses are: “toy guns” “we ask in the spirit of love of him who is the source of love” “ye have prayed it, if ye desire it, speak.” “help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, within in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire.”

Step 2: Think about what all of the highlighted text has in common…what subject could be used to categorize these words/phrases?

Look at the diction and think about what overall subject all of the text could refer to

In this case all of the diction refers to war, the violence of war, the insane (they call the man a lunatic, and if you think deeply about the paradox of the war prayer itself- it, in and of itself, seems insane).

Step 3: Create a sentence about the category in step two making sure that the opinion of the author is voiced in this sentence.

Look at the diction again and think about the subject chosen in the step above.

What lesson do you think Twain is trying to teach us about the real world?

What does Twain think about the subject?

Once you have isolated Twain’s opinion about the subject; create a sentence with this judgment (opinion).

This is your theme.

Formative close reading plan - CDN

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