lesson 7: making connections€¦ · lesson 7: making connections ccs: ri.6.9, rl.6.10 passage 2...

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Unit 1 – ReadingCCS: RI.6.9

Lesson 7: Making ConnectionsThe same story can be told in very different ways. The same thing is true of factual articles that report the same event. Writers make choices about what to include and what to leave out. These choices affect the voice and attitude of their writing.

As a reader and writer, you will often be using more than one text or source at a time. It is important for you to be able to make comparisons and connections between these sources. How do different sources approach the same topic, for example? Why do they do this? How are you supposed to make the connections between the texts? Do they have the same main idea or do they only share certain details? How can one source contribute to your understanding of another?

In this lesson you will learn some ideas for how to make connections between various types of texts.

Comparing NonfictionIt is often interesting to see how different authors approach the same topic. By reading more than one author’s writing about a topic, you can think more deeply and carefully about the topic yourself.

TIP 1: Compare how different authors present the same idea.Have you ever been really interested in a topic and read different books written by different authors about that topic? Think about the last movie you saw with a friend or sibling. Did you both have the same reaction to that movie? Probably not. Yes, you may both have liked it, but maybe for different reasons. Authors are the same. When they write about a subject, they will usually write about it in a unique way. So, if you ever want to learn about a topic, it is a good idea to read different authors. They may present differing views, accounts, or facts.

For example, if you are studying the Korean War, you might:

• read a chapter in your textbook about the Korean War

• read a memoir by a soldier who fought there

• read a biography of a famous general

• read a newspaper article

Each source provides you with different information and presents different facts and events of the war. Everyone has his own perspective, because everyone experiences events differently. Reading different types of sources will only enhance your understanding of the event.

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Lesson 7: Making ConnectionsCCS: RI.6.9, RL.6.10

Read the following two accounts of the same event. The first passage is about Jim Duncan’s first time skydiving. In skydiving, a person jumps out of an airplane with a parachute that lets him or her float safely to the ground. The second passage is also about Jim’s first skydiving jump, but it is told from a different point of view. Look carefully to see how they are alike and different.

Passage 1The First-Timer

by Jim Duncan

When my brother gave me skydiving lessons for my birthday, I thought it was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me. But this afternoon, a few minutes before making my first solo jump, I thought maybe he was trying to kill me! As the plane rumbled down the runway and struggled to get into the air, I wondered, What kind of idiot jumps out of a perfectly good airplane? Actually, I wasn’t even sure the plane was perfectly good. It was a rickety old heap of metal that looked older than my grandpa. As we crawled up into the sky, the engines actually groaned. The plane was a broken-down horse pulling an overloaded cart. Wedged in the tiny cabin were three of us, waiting to make our first jump. Our jumpmaster, Maggie “Kamikaze”1 Corrigan, was squeezed in with the rest of us. Corrigan is a tough, stony-faced drill-sergeant type. I figured if I didn’t jump out of that plane myself, she’d probably drop-kick me right out the door. The worst part of it was that the other two students looked calm, even cheerful. Was I the only nervous one? My hands were getting sweaty and my stomach was doing barrel rolls inside of me. How could this have happened to me? During the six-hour training session that day, I had been so tough and raring to go. I was sure I was a born skydiver, and I let everyone know it. I hadn’t wanted to start out on the static line;2 I had wanted to free-fall.3 But, of course, I had to follow the FAA4 rules like everyone else. And it was a good thing, too, I decided, waiting for the panic to subside. I had been so confident, so sure I would be the best first-timer who ever jumped from an airplane.

1kamikaze: someone who acts without regard for his or her own physical safety2static line: a device that automatically pulls open a parachute shortly after a jumper leaves the airplane3free-fall: jumping without a static line; pulling open one’s own parachute4FAA: the Federal Aviation Administration, the government agency that regulates flight


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Unit 1 – ReadingCCS: RI.6.9, RL.6.10

Now here I was, so scared I was afraid my lunch would hit the ground before I did! Time seemed to freeze as the plane circled its way up into the sky. I sat with my eyes closed, every muscle tensed, hoping no one would see me shaking. Maybe the plane would never stop going up and we’d never have to jump. Maybe a sudden storm would kick up and the plane would have to land. Maybe . . . “We’re over the drop zone, people!” Kamikaze Corrigan’s voice sent shivers down my spine, as if she had scraped her fingernails on a chalkboard. “Let’s see, who should go first?” I kept my eyes closed and prayed, Not me! Not me! Anyone but me, please! “Duncan, how about you?” she said, as she pushed up the hinged door of the plane. Frigid wind smacked me in the face. Oh, no—that was my name—she was calling me! Corrigan must’ve sensed I was about ready to back out. She knew how scared I was. She just wanted to embarrass the hotshot first-timer in front of everyone. Well, I couldn’t say that I didn’t deserve it. I felt myself begin to move, crawling toward the open door like a child approaching a huge snake. Everything below me was miniaturized, as though a mad scientist’s shrink ray had reduced the world to doll size. I stopped at the open door. I couldn’t do this. No way! As I turned my head to plead with Kamikaze, I saw everyone looking at me—all the people who had seen me acting like a big-shot, professional skydiver. I wouldn’t be able to face them if I didn’t jump; even worse, I wouldn’t be able to face myself. I pulled my goggles down over my eyes and took a deep breath. With superhuman effort, I willed my body to reach into the raging wind and grab the strut.5 It was all I would have to hang onto. My legs were heavy tree trunks as I dragged them one at a time through the wall of air to the small step outside the plane. Slowly, I forced my way further out toward the tip of the wing, moving first my right hand, then my left, and holding onto the strut for dear life. Eighty-mile-per-hour winds shot my feet up behind me. My body sailed like a flag in a gale. I hung by my gloved hands for dear life. What could I do? There really was no turning back now. If I even dared to try—knowing I’d risk losing face forever as the hotshot who got cold feet—I wouldn’t be able to climb back into the plane. The wind would tear me off and fling me savagely who-knows-where. So I arched my back like Corrigan had taught us and looked toward the jump master. Thumbs up. Oh, no! It was time to let go. I closed my eyes and released my grip, praying that the static line would open my chute as Corrigan had promised. As the wind and gravity played tug-of-war with my body, I promised myself—I would never, never do this again!

5strut: a metal bar that extends from the body of the plane to support the wing


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Lesson 7: Making ConnectionsCCS: RI.6.9, RL.6.10

Passage 2The Jump Master

by Maggie Corrigan

At 1600 hours,1 we boarded the Cessna 182. It’s a single-engine, propeller-driven plane perfect for skydiving. This plane is a bit older than some, but our mechanics keep it in top condition. A more reliable workhorse would be hard to find. After a ten-minute ascent, we reached the designated altitude of 4,000 feet to begin the jump. It’s always exciting to take new students on their first jump. The three individuals on board had all caught on quickly during that day’s training session. I’m sure they sensed my enthusiasm; they looked as excited as I was. I attached the static lines, making sure everyone was properly connected. At 1625 hours,2 I opened the gull-wing3 door, and we prepared to jump. I suggested that Jim Duncan make the first jump. He had been the most eager student and seemed the most anxious to go. Unlike his fellow students, he had his eyes closed in meditation, rehearsing every detail of the jump beforehand. That’s a sure sign of a pro. Yes, Jim would set a good example for the rest. As Duncan prepared to jump, the others studied his method. It seemed as if they hoped to get a few last-second pointers from this exceptional student. At 1627 hours,4 Duncan departed the aircraft. He grabbed the strut and crawled through the door, just as he’d rehearsed. Looking like the professional he would someday become, he arched his back in the ready position, and then looked over at me for my signal. When he saw my thumbs-up sign, Duncan released his grip. As he began his descent, he let out a great victory scream. I knew he was a born skydiver.

11600 hours: the military term for 4:00 P.M.21625 hours: 4:25 P.M.3gull-wing door: one of a pair of doors that hinge at the roof and, when opened, look like a seagull’s wings41627 hours: 4:27 P.M.


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TIP 2: Determine how the main ideas are alike or different.When you’re asked to compare passages, first see how each passage deals with its main idea. Both passages above tell about the same event.

1. What are the main ideas of the passages you just read?

a) “The First-Timer”

b) “The Jump Master”

TIP 3: Compare details. Think about how characters, settings, ideas, and so on are alike or different. Look for details that may appear in both passages.

2. Find two important details that are given in both passages and record them below.


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Lesson 7: Making ConnectionsCCS: RI.6.9

TIP 4: Compare the writers’ point of view.An author’s point of view is the way he or she feels about the topic. Does the writer of one passage feel the same as the writer of another? Do the different points of view reveal new information about the topic? Ask yourself what those similarities reveal. Keep in mind the writers’ points of view as you make comparisons.

3. Think about the details you wrote about in Number 2. It is a fact that the plane is old and that Jim’s eyes are closed. What does that information reveal about the points of view in these two passages?

4. How does the point of view help you to better understand what really happened?


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Use your responses to Numbers 1–4 to respond to Number 5.

5. Compare and contrast the authors’ presentations of the events. Use two details from the passages to support your response.


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Lesson 7: Making ConnectionsCCS: RI.6.9, RI.6.10

Comparing Literature PassagesAs you know, no two authors write about a topic in exactly the same way. It is often interesting to see how different authors approach the same theme or topic. Comparing literature passages is similar to comparing nonfiction. Sometimes you will compare a piece of literature with a piece of nonfiction. The rest of this lesson includes tips for comparing literature.

Read the following passages. They will be used to help you understand the tips in this part of the lesson.

Passage 1Waging Peace

by Alicia Monroe

Humans have been fighting since the beginning of time. You might say that war is one of our basic instincts. But fighting does not have to be the solution to our problems. In fact, fighting rarely solves problems, and it usually causes new ones. One person who has “waged peace” for most of his life is former President Jimmy Carter. During his administration (1977–1981), Carter helped negotiate peaceful agreements between the United States and several other countries. Under Carter’s leadership, the United States peacefully transferred control of the Panama Canal to Panama as a result of the Panama Canal Treaty. The SALT II Treaty set limits on the number of nuclear weapons held by the United States and the Soviet Union (although the treaty was never ratified by the Senate). And the United States finally established full diplomatic relations with China during Carter’s term. After leaving the White House, President Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, founded the Carter Center in Atlanta. They want it to be “a place where people from all walks of life and all religious and ethnic backgrounds [can] come to seek peaceful resolutions to troubling and complicated problems.” The Carter Center strives to advance peace around the globe by bringing warring peoples to the negotiating table, monitoring elections, safeguarding human rights, and helping to build strong democracies through economic development. The center also promotes peace by fighting disease, increasing crop production, and promoting healthcare around the world. In his book Talking Peace: A Vision for the Next Generation, Carter says, “Everyone on earth should be able to live in peace.” He goes on to say that when ending a conflict, “If one side forces undesirable concessions from the other . . . peace is not likely to last. If both contenders feel that they have gained more from the process, the outcome is a win-win settlement.”


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Unit 1 – ReadingCCS: RL.6.10, RI.6.9, RI.6.10

Carter wrote Talking Peace for young people as an introduction to world affairs. He also addressed the fact that young people have their own frustrations, and that “Most of the youth in my community feel as if society is their greatest enemy.” President Carter cautions, “Somehow, there must be more talking, sharing, and listening, so that emotions can be voiced.” Young people, he urges, should communicate their concerns to others. They can also apply conflict resolution principles to situations that arise in their own families, schools, and neighborhoods. Peace depends not only upon our world leaders, but also upon individuals who help create a peaceful society by their actions every day.

Passage 2Heracles and Athena

a fable by Aesop

The strongest man who ever lived was Heracles,1 the son of the Greek god Zeus and a mortal woman, Alcmena. Once, journeying along a narrow roadway, Heracles came across a strange-looking animal that reared its head and threatened him. The hero gave it a few hardy blows with his club and thought to go on his way. The monster, however, much to the astonishment of Heracles, was now three times bigger than it was before, and even more threatening. Heracles thereupon made stronger his blows and laid about it fast and furiously; but the harder and quicker the strokes of the club, the bigger and more frightful grew the monster, which now completely filled up the road. Athena, the goddess of reason, then appeared upon the scene. “Stop, Heracles,” said Athena. “Cease your blows. The monster’s name is Strife.2 It is the spirit of disagreements and quarrel. Let it alone, and it will soon become as little as it was at first. But if you strike it, see how it grows!”

1Heracles: ancient Greek hero commonly known by the Roman version of his name, Hercules2strife: conflict

TIP 5: Find an idea that the passages have in common.Begin by asking yourself what the passages have in common. The two passages you just read are very different, but they address something similar. Think about the general idea of each passage, and then answer the question below.

6. What idea do Passages 1 and 2 both address?


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TIP 6: Summarize the main idea of each passage.Once you see how the passages are related to a topic or theme, go one step further. What does each author have to say about the topic? What is each passage mostly about? In other words, look for the main idea.

7. Which of the following questions describes the main idea of both passages?

A. How should we resolve conflicts in our lives?B. Where can we turn for help in addressing problems?C. What is the best way for people to defeat their enemies?D. What is the role of international conflict in today’s world?

Once you summarize the main ideas in the passages, you can start to compare the ideas. A good way to compare the ideas in passages is to imagine the authors together in a room, discussing the common topic. What would they talk about? What questions might they have different answers to? What might they agree on?

TIP 7: Compare the text structure of both passages.Writing can be organized or structured in many ways. Authors usually choose a text structure based on their topic and purpose. An author who wants to inform readers about a subject might begin with a main idea and then give details to support that idea. Or an author who wants to explain why a situation exists may present a series of causes and effects. In “Heracles and Athena,” Aesop tells a narrative in chronological order to both entertain readers and teach them a lesson. When comparing passages, pay attention to how the authors organize their text.

8. Describe the text structure of “Waging Peace.” What is Alicia Monroe’s purpose for writing?


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9. How do the text structures of the passages compare? What about the authors’ purposes for writing?

TIP 8: Compare the themes of both passages.Even when authors treat their topic in roughly the same way, by agreeing, for instance, that conflict is a bad thing, they may arrive at different conclusions about what to do about it. By determining the theme of each passage—what each author wants the reader to come away from the passage with—and comparing them, you can see the similarities and differences between the authors’ opinions on the topic.

Notice that theme is more specific than treatment. You may think of treatment as the effect of the author’s general attitude toward a subject, and theme as a statement of the author’s message.

10. What is the theme of “Heracles and Athena”?

A. When threatened, we should match force with force.B. In troubled times, we should appeal to the gods for help.C. Conflicts can only be settled by talking with our enemies.D. Fighting only deepens conflict, so we should avoid it.

11. What is the theme of “Waging Peace”?

A. When threatened, we should match force with force.B. In troubled times, we should appeal to the gods for help.C. Conflicts can only be settled by talking with our enemies.D. Fighting only deepens conflict, so we should avoid it.

12. How do these ideas differ?


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TIP 9: Compare the scope of each passage.Scope is the extent to which the author examines the topic. It may be broad and general, such as an overview of a complex situation, or it may be very limited and specific, such as a detailed description of one aspect of a situation.

In “Heracles and Athena,” the scope may appear to be limited to the actions of Heracles, Strife, and Athena. But the topic of the story is conflict in general. The scope—the degree to which the subject is examined—is very broad. The lesson of the fable can be applied generally to all forms of conflict, not just to one particular kind.

13. How does the scope of “Heracles and Athena” compare with that of “Waging Peace”?

A. Both describe general approaches to various forms of conflict.B. “Heracles and Athena” is general; “Waging Peace” is limited to international

conflict.C. “Heracles and Athena” is limited to personal conflict; “Waging Peace” is

general.D. Both are limited to discussions of particular forms of conflict.

TIP 10: Compare the genre of each passage.Think about the genre that the authors chose to use for their writing. Why did the author choose to use mythology? Historical fiction? A poem? Sometimes the topic or theme will dictate which genre to use. Is the author teaching a lesson? If so a myth or fable may be appropriate. Is the author describing the effects of war? If so, maybe historical fiction or a firsthand account would be more appropriate. As you read texts that touch on the same theme, think about the genre of each passage, and which genre you think works best at portraying that theme.

14. Which genre do you think best discusses the theme of conflict—the historical essay or the fable? Explain your choice.

Lesson Practice begins on the following page.


lesson 7: making connections€¦ · lesson 7: making connections ccs: ri.6.9, rl.6.10 passage 2...

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