Sentry Assignment Page

Please complete tasks 1 and 2 on a separate sheet of loose-leaf, and label them clearly.

Part 3 will be on a separate sheet as well. Please hand in quality work.

1.  Brainstorm title

  1. What does it mean
  2. What do we know before reading
  3. What do we think it means

2.  Direction/Misdirection

  1. In what parts of the story did the Author misguide the reader Make a bulleted list of actual sentences [there are a lot, read carefully, must have at least 5]

EXAMPLE: “Like this damned planet of a star he’s never heard of until they’d landed him there.”

  1. Explain beside each sentence why you believe it was a misguiding sentence.

EXAMPLE: By using the word “heard” this sentence makes the reader believe the character can hear. Also, the planet is a strange place that the Character was sent to, making the reader believe the character is on a distant planet.

3.  Character study

  1. Make a list of everything you know about the character from the story?
  1. Use the facts we KNOW about the character, and combine it with things you imagine to be part of that character’s life as well – Make a second list - start simple with age, race, occupation, family structure etc., and then move to more complicated things like favourite things, music taste, relationships, things that come easily or are difficult for the character etc.
  1. Create a character description that is at least one page in length and accompany your GOOD COPY with a portrait of the character you have described. Please note this is for marks and should show quality of presentation [effort].

SENTRY

Fredrick Brown

He was wet and muddy and hungry and cold and he was fifty thousand light-years from home.

A strange blue sun gave light, and gravity, twice what he was used to, made every movement difficult.

But in tens of thousands of years this part of war hadn’t changed. The flyboys were fine with their sleek spaceships and their fancy weapons. When the chips are down, though, it was still the foot soldier, the infantry,that had to take the ground and hold it, foot by bloody foot. Like this damned planet of a star he’s never heard of until they’d landed him there. And now it was sacred ground because the aliens were there too. The aliens, the only other intelligent race in the Galaxy…cruel, hideous and repulsive monsters.

Contact had been made with them near the centre of the Galaxy, after the slow, difficult colonization of a dozen thousand planets; and it had been war at sight; they’d shot without even trying to negotiate, or to make peace.

Now, planet by bitter planet, it was being fought out.

He was wet and muddy and hungry and cold, and the day was raw with a high wind that hurt his eyes. But the aliens were trying to infiltrate and every sentry post was vital.

He stayed alert, gun ready. Fifty thousand light-years from home, fighting on a strange world and wondering if he’d ever live to see home again.

And then he saw one of them crawling toward him. He drew a bead and fired. The alien made that strange horrible sound they all make, then lay still.

He shuddered at the sound and sight of the alien lying there. One ought to be able to get used to them after a while, but he’d never been able to. Such repulsive creatures they were, with only two arms and two legs, ghastly white skins and no scales.


Sentry Assignment Rubric

Outcome / Below Level / Emerging / Skilled / Insightful
Brainstorm
3.1.1 USE PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE - Determine depth and breadth of personal knowledge of a topic to identify possible areas of inquiry or research / Shows a thoughtful analysis of prior knowledge and experiences connected to the word Sentry.
Direction/Misdirection
2.1.1 PRIOR KNOWLEDGE - Analyze and explain connections between previous experiences, prior knowledge, and a variety of texts / Exhibits an excellent understanding of how to use personal experience and knowledge to make sense of information.
Character List
1.1.1. EPRESS IDEAS - apply personal viewpoints to diverse situations or circumstances / Created an extraordinary list of both appearance and deeper character traits exhibiting a meaningful understanding of the character.
Portrait
4.2.5 ENHANSE PRESENTATION- Prepare compositions in a meaningful order and with adequate detail for audience understanding / Clearly spent time creating an outstanding picture with a clear connection to what was written.

Positives Working Towards