Mrs. Judd's 8th Grade : September 2014

Directions: Use your OWN paper to answer the complete the following activities.

Context Clues Review Activity #1

Harry wondered what the disposition of his new teacher would be. His last one was quite strict. As soon as Ms. Molaver walked in, Harry sensed she might be strict, but also fun. She said one day a week the kids could give her a homework assignment!

1 In the passage, disposition means -

A mood

B belief

C title

D disposal

The Verillo family was driving to a theme park when a storm surprised them. Even with the windshield wipers on top speed, the raid obscured Mr. Verillo’s view of the road. He slowed down until the rain let up and he could see more clearly.

2 In the passage, obscured means -

F blocked

G cleaned

H improved

J obtained

The judge on the reality TV show told the aspiring singer that she sounded like a confused donkey. Backstage, she said she felt like the judge wanted to demean her. Another contestant reminded her that the judge made harsh comments to all of them at one time or another.

3 In the passage, demean means -

A flatter

B humiliate

C anger

D discipline

Mr. Stevens told his class that they would simulate a moon landing. Everyone walked funny and pretended they could jump higher than usual. They collected rocks he had placed out for them. They looked at a photo of Earth as it would be seen from space.

4 In the passage, simulate means -

F watch

G discuss

H copy

J study

Grace and her friends watched a romantic movie about a boy who loved a girl but had to move 1,000 miles away. At the end of the movie, they were all crying – and hungry. They had been so engrossed with the movie that they hadn’t touched their popcorn.

5 In the passage, engrossed means -

A disturbed

B depressed

C captivated

D captured

On the prairie, Jack needed to buy a new horse. He headed to a nearby ranch and picked out a mare he liked. The rancher named a price and said he hoped Jack found that amenable. Jack said it was a fair price and bought the horse.

6 In the passage, amenable mean -

F agreeable

G superior

H predictable

J amended

Context Clues Review Activity #2

Scott watched his toddler cousin Jane scamper around the room. Once, Jane tumbled over and Scott was worried. Jane, however, picked herself up and began to run around again without a tear. Scott’s aunt said kids are resilient at Jane’s age.

1 In the passage, resilient means -

A small

B clumsy

C tough

D pretty

My family had no plans for the weekend. After breakfast Saturday morning, my dad said, “Let’s be spontaneous. How about going cross-country skiing?” Next thing I knew, we were all in the car heading to the ski rental place.

2 In the passage, spontaneous means -

F impulsive

G energetic

H careful

J special

Eddie and Carlos build a fort in the woods. They brought magazines there to read on long summer days. As winter approached, they forgot about their fort. In the late spring, Eddie went back to find that the weather had caused the magazines to disintegrate.

3 In the passage, disintegrate means -

A freeze

B fall apart

C blow away

D multiply

Peter borrowed a CD from Wendy. When she asked for it back, he searched everywhere in his room but could not find it. He tried to pacify her by offering to buy her a replacement. Just then, Peter’s sister Emily came in holding the CD.

4 In the passage, pacify means -

F calm

G distract

H entertain

J patient

Bill’s father was an inspector for the city. His job was to make sure buildings and other structures were safe. He went to the dam at the reservoir and noticed that it had a fracture. The city fixed it promptly.

5 In the passage, fracture means -

A fraction

B stain

C crack

D patch

Several archaeologists were exploring an ancient Egyptian pyramid. They were looking for the burial tomb of a certain pharaoh. One said, “I surmise that the tomb is behind the smallest door.” They gently tried every door there and found that she was correct.

6 In the passage, surmise means -

F hope

G guess

H promise

J surprise

_______________________

Interactive Review Activities

http://www.english-zone.com/vocab/vic02.html

http://www.quia.com/pop/35971.html

http://www.shsu.edu/~txcae/Powerpoints/prepostest/contextclues1pretest.html

http://www.toonuniversity.com/flash.asp?err=191

Fact and Opinion

Directions: For this activity, you will need to write your answers for activity 1 on your notebook paper.

1. http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/reading-worksheets/fact-and-opinion-worksheet.pdf

Making Inferences Practice

Excerpt from “The Fuller Brush Man”

by Gloria D. Miklowitz

Purpose: read for clues to make inferences

#1 indications that Donald works

#2 indications that something is wrong with his mother

1 Donald leaned into the car trunk to find the box holding the giveaways. He had to pay for each letter opener, shoehorn, and vegetable brush, money out of his own commission, but it was worth it. Why else would people listen to his sales spiel if it wasn’t because they felt indebted the second they reached for a sample?

2 What a mess, he thought, getting grease on his hand. Ever since Mom stopped driving. Ever since she …Well, there was no use dwelling on that. When he had time he’d try to get rid of some of the junk. He dropped a dozen plastic shoehorns into his sample case, snapped the lock, and glanced at his watch.

3 Man, he was hungry. He’d been working steadily since right after school, four hours. All he’d eaten was a doughnut left in the breadbox at home, running out the door with Ava calling after him to get a glass of milk first.

4 He’d sold enough brushes to call it quits for the day, but maybe he’d work another hour. If he went home now, even though it would mean a real meal, not McDonald’s, Ava would be there. Their newest housekeeper, she’d sit there at the kitchen table, arms folded, watching him, and she’d go into her usual song and dance.

5 “Go in to your mother. Just for a minute. Say hello. Say something.”

6 “Later.”

7 “Now. She’ll be asleep later.”

8 “Why? She can’t talk. She probably doesn’t even know who I am. What difference does it make?”

9 “Donnie, Donnie. You love her. I know you do. Do it for you, if not for her.”

10 “Leave me alone…”

11 He crossed the street and was nearly knocked down by a kid on a two wheeler, shooting out of a driveway, wobbling his way down the road. When had he learned to ride a bike? Eight, nine years ago? Yes. In the Apperson Street schoolyard, even now, and for a second he felt the same surge of fear and exultation he’d felt then gripping the handlebars.

12 “I can’t! I can’t! I’m falling! Mom, Mom! Help me!”

13 “You can! You can! Keep going! That’s right! You’re doing it!”

14 Running alongside, face sweating and flushed, red hair flying about her eyes and cheeks, she was laughing with joy. And when he finally managed to stop she threw her arms around him and cried, “See? You did it! I knew you could!”

15 He swallowed a lump in his throat and marched briskly up the walk to the door of a small, wooden house.

Questions from “The Fuller Brush Man”

by Gloria D. Miklowitz

Directions: Make inferences to answer the following questions.

1 Why do you think Donnie is working so hard?

_________________________________________________

2 a What clues in the passage helped you make the inference?

__________________________________________________

b What did you already know that helped you decide?

__________________________________________________

3 How do you think Donnie feels about Ava?

_________________________________________________

4 What clues helped you make this inference?

_________________________________________________

5 How do you think Donnie feels about his mother?

_________________________________________________

6 What clues helped you make this inference?

__________________________________________________

1. Which question is NOT answered in paragraphs 2-3?

A How many shoehorns does Donald have?

B How long has Donald been working?

C What did Ava tell him that morning?

D What is wrong with Donald’s mother?

2. In paragraph 4, what is meant by the phrase “usual song and dance”?

F the usual music Ava plays in the kitchen

G Ava’s regular fussing about Donald and his mother

H the entertaining stories Ava tells Donald about his mother

J Donald’s sales pitch when he is selling the products

3. The author uses what phrase to relate a feeling of sadness?

A “no use dwelling on that”

B “the same surge of fear and exultation”

C “swallowed a lump in his throat”

D “threw her arms around him and cried”

4. Based on the information in paragraphs 11-14, the reader can conclude that Donald –

F cherishes the memories of his mother

G never learned to ride a bike

H does not have a father

J inherited his mother’s red hair

5. What can the reader conclude about Donald in this story?

A he hired Ava to care for his mother

B he is working to save money for college

C he avoids going home as much as he can

D he wishes he had learned to ride a bike

6. What point of view is used in this passage?

F first person, Donald

G first person, Ava

H third person, Donald

J third person, Ava

Independent Inference Activities

1.http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4/o/makinginferencep.cfm

2.http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4/o/makinginferencel.cfm

3.http://www.philtulga.com/Riddles.html

4.http://www.english-zone.com/reading/elefants.html

5.http://ereadingworksheets.com/reading-worksheets/online-inference-practice-1.htm

6.http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4/h/inferchar.cfm

Mrs. Judd's 8th Grade

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Spelling Test

Plot and Story Elements

Friday, September 19, 2014

Testing

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Context Clues /Fact and Opinion/ Making Inferences Review