Name: ______Date: ______
Close-Reading Introduction Mrs. Stephens
Class Period ____
“St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves”
by Karen Russell
2007
Learning Targets (Based on NYSP12 ELA CCSS)
RL.9-10.1
I can cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as draw inferences from the text.
RL.9-10.4
I can determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurativeand connotative meanings; I can analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
What is close reading?
Pre-reading Wonder:
Using the title of the short story and the epigraph (the quotation placed at the beginning of a literary work to suggest its theme), what do you wonder about this short story? Write three questions.
Using clues from the title and epigraph, define “Lycanthropic Culture Shock”.
Vocabulary
Reread the title, epigraph, and first paragraph of “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves”. Annotate the short story by drawing a box around any unfamiliar words. Then, search for clues in the text to the meaning of the words you identified.
WordPage # / Definition / Context Clues:
How did you determine the meaning
of this word?
Cite textual evidence (quotes)!
Lycanthropic
(p. 225) / Relating to the transformation of a person into a wolf
Jesuit
(p. 225) / A member of a roman catholic religious order
What is the “gist” of the first full paragraph of “St. Lucy’s”?
Remember, the “gist” is the general idea or brief summary of what you read.
(Who?; What?; When?; Where?; Why?).
Who is speaking/narrating the story?
What is happening in the story?
When does the story take place?
Where does the story take place?
Whydoes the author include this information? To what effect?
Text-Dependent Questions:
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence (quotations from the short story) to support your answers.
1. Whom is the intended audience of this handbook?
2. What does the word “initial” suggest? Make an inference.
3. Who is the pack?
4. What is the pack doing? Why?
5. What is the pack doing to the bunks? How do you know?
Post-Reading Predictions:
Using the title of the short story, the epigraph, and the first full paragraph, what do you expect to read next? Why? Make two predictionsand explain why you think this by citing evidence (quotations) from the text.
Assessment:
Consider the point of view of this story. What specific words and phrases does Russell use to characterize the narrator? Be sure to cite textual evidence in your response. Write at least 6 sentences.