GRA: Gary Paulsen – “It Could Happen”

I. BEFORE READING

Preview the title and sub-title (pull quote). Study the pictures. Write three questions that you want answered during your reading of the story.

1.

2.

3.

II. DURING READING

Refer to the “Active Reading Strategies” sheet and mark the text at least 3 times with symbols that reflect your thinking as you read. (You may use a symbol more than once.) What symbols did you use? Be prepared to share with the class why you used a particular symbol.

III. AFTER READING — CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Use the information in Gary Paulsen’s essay to correct each of the statements below. Write in complete sentences and be sure to refer to details in the story. Be sure to quote a line from the story to support your answer.

1. Gary was an excellent student who found school interesting and rewarding.

2. Curiosity and the love of reading brought Gary into the library.

3. The support Gary received from his parents is one of the main reasons he succeeded as a writer.

4. When it came to free time, Gary was pretty lazy. (Don’t jump to conclusions. Take time to think about this question.)

5. Gary was a gifted reader and read book after book in no time at all.

6. Gary gladly accepted the free library card from the librarian.

IV. VOCABULARY

What do these words mean? Use context clues (how a word is used in a sentence or paragraph) or a dictionary to give the meaning of each of the words below...

1. terrain (9b)

2. chronically (10a)

3. truant (10a)

4. bush (10a)

5. musty (11b)

6. varnished (11b)

7. setting pins (12b)

8. drudgery (13a)

9. compelled (13a)

10. tenement (13a)

11. What is Paulsen referring to when he mentions the Iditarod (14a)? (You may need to go online to find out.) What is the Iditarod?

V. WRITING STYLES?

Review the “Writing Styles” sheet. This selection, “It Could Happen”, is an example of which writing style? ______Explain why —

VI. THEME

1. What is the theme of this essay? That is, what is the main point or “big idea” Gary Paulsen is trying to get across to you, the reader?

2. Gary Paulsen uses some powerful lines in this essay. Copy any line (a sentence or two) then write your own short essay (7+ lines) telling how Paulsen’s words connect with your life. Your feelings, attitudes, experiences, interests, etc

AUTHOR RESEARCH ACTIVITY

1.  Create a graphic organizer on a separate sheet of paper using the model below. You can use information from the Gary’s essay that you read in class, but you must also find at least two facts about his life not mentioned in the READ magazine article.

2. Use your web browser (Google or Yahoo, for example) to find at least two sources of information about Gray Paulsen. To properly cite these sources in your essay, enter them into a “citation maker” such as easybib or noodletools.

3. Use your graphic organizer to write a 1-2 paragraph Gary Paulsen biographical sketch. Include a properly formatted bibliography.

GRA: Gary Paulsen 4

Revised 7/2011