Applied Practice the Giver

Applied Practice

The Giver STAAR Writing

By Lois Lowry RESOURCE GUIDE

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APPLIED PRACTICE Resource Guide The Giver STAAR Writing Version

Teacher Notes A Note for Teachers ...... 5 Strategies for Writing Practices ...... 6

Student Practices Writing Selections ...... 11 Writing Prompts ...... 41

Answer Key and Explanations Writing Selections Answer Key ...... 47 Writing Selections Answer Explanations ...... 51

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.

When Byron was asked to write about his favorite author, he chose Lois Lowry. Read Byron’s paper and think about ways he should revise it. When you finish reading, answer the questions that follow.

Lois Lowry

(1) Lois Lowry, author of many popular novels, has led a full and interesting life.

(2) Lowry was born Lois Ann Hammersberg on March 20, 1937, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

(3) Her father was a dentist and army officer, so the family lived in several other places

when Lois was growing up. (4) She was a shy child who loved to read, and by the time

she was eight years old, she knew that she wanted to be a writer. (5) After attending

school in Japan for a few years, Lowry moved with her family to New York and

graduated from a New York City high school. (6) She attended Brown University for two

years but then dropped out to marry naval officer Donald Lowry.

(7) Lowry and her husband had four children, and Lowry was a busy mother.

(8) However, when her children were older, Lowry decided to go back to college and

finish her degree. (9) In the early 1970s, she graduated from the University of Southern

20 ©2015 by Applied Practice, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. Maine. (10) Lowry published her first novel, A Summer to Die, in 1977. (11) This novel was based on her own experience of losing her sister at a young age. (12) Two years later, Lowry introduced the main character in what would become a popular series of novels named Anastasia Krupnik. (13) She later launched another series featuring

Anastasia’s brother Sam.

(14) In 1989, Lowry published her highly successful historical novel Number the

Stars. (15) This novel is set in Denmark during World War II. (16) The young narrator,

Annemarie Johansen, and her family hide a Jewish friend of Annemarie’s. (17) They do this when the Nazis begin rounding up Jewish citizens. (18) They later help the friend and her family escape from Denmark. (19) For this novel, Lowry received the prestigious

Newbery Award. (20) Four years later, Lowry published The Giver. (21) Although the novel was somewhat controversial because of its disturbing themes, The Giver was highly praised, and Lowry was also awarded the 1994 Newbery.

(22) Sadly, in 1995, Lowry’s son, a U.S. Air Force pilot, was killed in a plane crash.

(23) His daughter was only a toddler at the time. (24) Lowry decided to write a book for her granddaughter, describing her life with the child’s father. (25) Sorting through old photographs inspired Lowry to write a memoir, and in 1998 she published Looking Back.

(26) After writing The Giver, Lowry continued to be intrigued with the idea of a dystopian future, and in 2000, 2004, and 2012 she published three more novels dealing with this theme. (27) She launched yet another successful children’s book series with

Gooney Bird Greene. (28) The series follows an adventurous elementary school girl named Gooney Bird.

(29) In accepting the Newbery Award for The Giver, Lois Lowry said, “The man that I named the Giver passed along to the boy knowledge, history, memories, color, pain, laughter, love, and truth. (30) Every time you place a book in the hands of a child, you do the same thing.”

Source: “Lois Lowry.” Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2015.

F Change father to dad

G Change officer to official

H Change other to different

J Change places to locations

______

13 What is the most effective revision to make in sentence 12?

A Two years later, Lowry introduced the main character in what would become a popular series of novels, her name was Anastasia Krupnik.

B Two years later, Lowry introduced Anastasia Krupnik, the main character in what would become a popular series of novels.

C Two years later, Lowry introduced Anastasia Krupnik although she is the main character in what would become a popular series of novels.

D Lowry, two years later, introduced the main character in what would become a popular series of novels, named Anna Krupnik.

______

14 What is the BEST way to combine sentences 16 and 17?

F The young narrator, Annemarie Johansen, and her family hide a friend of Annemarie’s when they begin rounding up Jewish citizens.

G Although the young narrator, Annemarie Johansen, and her family hide a Jewish friend of Annemarie’s, the Nazis begin rounding up Jewish citizens.

H The young narrator, Annemarie Johansen, and her family hide a Jewish friend of Annemarie’s, the Nazis begin rounding up Jewish citizens.

J The young narrator, Annemarie Johansen, and her family hide a Jewish friend of Annemarie’s when the Nazis begin rounding up Jewish citizens.

22 ©2015 by Applied Practice, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. 15 Byron would like to add a transition word or phrase to help readers move from sentence 26 to sentence 27. Which of these is the most effective transition to add to the beginning of sentence 27?

A In the meantime

B As a result

C Nevertheless

D As a matter of fact

______

16 Byron wants to give his paper a better sense of closure. Which of these sentences could follow sentence 30 and most effectively close the paper?

F I love all of Lois Lowry’s books, but The Giver is definitely my favorite of all of them.

G Lois Lowry obviously believes that every one of us has the power to be a Giver, and this is what most of her books are about.

H With her wonderful imagination and creativity, Lowry has ensured that there are plenty of books worthy to be placed in a child’s hands.

J Learning to love reading is what opens children up to history, memories, color, pain, laughter, love, and truth.

Writing Selection 1

1. C Although the term “color blindness” implies that a person with this condition cannot see any color at all, in fact the vast majority of people who are color blind see color but have trouble seeing red, green, blue, or a mix of these colors. [7.17(A)] 2. H Change you to they [7.14(C)] 3. B The color blind person may not see one of the three colors or may see a different shade of a color from what other people see. [7.17(A)] 4. F Seeing the shapes allows a color blind person to react as quickly as a person with normal vision. [7.17(A)] 5. D The good news about color blindness is that it is extremely rare for a person to live in a world of only black, white, and gray, as the people in The Giver did. [7.17(A)]

Writing Selection 2

6. G But how many of us recognize that time spent simply being can be valuable in the midst of all this doing? [7.18(C)] 7. D In fact [7.14(C)] 8. H Change knowing to despite [7.14(C)] 9. A Today, we might consider them unmotivated and label them “slackers.” [7.18(C)] 10. G They discovered that the best violinists, the “elite” group, practiced in concentrated bits of time and then went on to other things. [7.14(C)] 11. A Change it to the week [7.14(C)]

Writing Selection 3

12. H Change other to different [7.14(C)] 13. B Two years later, Lowry introduced Anastasia Krupnik, the main character in what would become a popular series of novels. [7.17(A)] 14. J The young narrator, Annemarie Johansen, and her family hide a Jewish friend of Annemarie’s when the Nazis begin rounding up Jewish citizens. [7.17(A)] 15. A In the meantime [7.14(C)] 16. H With her wonderful imagination and creativity, Lowry has ensured that there are plenty of books worthy to be placed in a child’s hands. [7.17(A)]

Writing Selection 4

17. B Change mothers’ to mother’s [7.20(B)] 18. H Change Queen to queen [7.20(A)] 19. C Change me to I [7.14(D)] 20. G Change they’re to their [7.21(A)] 21. B Change literaly to literally [7.21(A)] 22. J Sentence 27 should not be changed. [7.14(D)] 23. A They have been great playmates for me, teaching me things like how to catch crawdads in the creek behind their house (which Aunt Lorene insists on calling a “ravine”). [7.19(C)] 24. J Change places to placed [7.14(D)]

12. (H) Change other to different. The word “different” is more appropriate than “other,” which suggests that one or more places have already been mentioned. Because her father was in the army, Lowry lived in several different places. Choices F and J are unnecessary changes, and choice G would incorrectly alter the meaning of the sentence.

13. (B) Two years later, Lowry introduced Anastasia Krupnik, the main character in what would become a popular series of novels. As written, sentence 12 says that the series of novels was named Anastasia Krupnik. Choice D retains this error. Choice A is a run-on sentence (comma splice). Choice C, with the word “although” presents an illogical contrast.

14. (J) The young narrator, Annemarie Johansen, and her family hide a Jewish friend of Annemarie’s when the Nazis begin rounding up Jewish citizens. This revision effectively combines the two sentences by eliminating the wordy “They do this.” Choice F omits the fact that the friend is Jewish and uses the vague pronoun “they” instead of the precise “the Nazis.” Choice G incorrectly suggests that the family expected their actions to prevent the Nazis from rounding up Jewish citizens. Choice H is a run-on sentence, and the omission of the word “when” makes the two clauses seem unrelated to each other, losing the cause/effect sense of the original.

15. (A) In the meantime. Without a transition, sentences 26 and 27 seem unrelated to each other. This transition shows that Lowry was creating dystopian novels and a new children’s book series during the same period of time. Choices B and C do not make sense. Choice D would incorrectly imply that sentence 27 emphasizes an idea expressed in sentence 26.

16. (H) With her wonderful imagination and creativity, Lowry has ensured that there are plenty of books worthy to be placed in a child’s hands. This sentence refers back to Lowry’s quote in sentences 29 and 30 and pays a final tribute to how prolific a writer she is and how much the paper’s writer values her works. Choices F and J are too narrow to sum up the paper, and choice G is incorrect in saying that most of Lowry’s books are about being a Giver.