Google Docs Format
Students analyze how the characters’ interactions in Stage 4 develop central ideas in the text.
1. Discussion
(Preview the paragraphs of Stage 4 that you did not read during class, pages 243–245 (from “’The time has come to do the Sausalito’” to “As far as I can recollect, that was our last communal howl”). Annotate for words and phrases that establish tone, and discuss the following prompt: How does the author establish tone in the second half of the Stage 4 narrative?)
2. Review Vocabulary
- skulk (v.) – move in a stealthy manner
- lolling (v.) – sitting, lying, or standing in a lazy, relaxed way
- chloroformed (adj.) – treated with a poisonous liquid especially so as to produce anesthesia, insensibility, or death
- communal (adj.) – used or shared in common by everyone in a group
3. Read closely
In this passage, analyze characters’ interactions and how these interactions develop the text’s central ideas.
- Read “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves” by Karen Russell, pp. 243–245 (from “’The time has come to do the Sausalito’” to “As far as I can recollect, that was our last communal howl”). In this excerpt, the second half of Stage 4, Claudette needs help performing the Sausalito dance. Jeanette refuses to help, but Mirabella protects Claudette by tackling her, which disrupts the dance and ultimately leads to Mirabella’s expulsion from St. Lucy’s.
4. Answer questions
Answers can be simple phrases, you do not need to use full sentences — I’m primarily assessing your comprehension of the text.
-
How does Claudette react when it is time to do the Sausalito?
-
Why does Claudette describe herself as a “terrified animal”?
-
What details does the author use to reveal how Claudette feels when it is time to do the Sausalito? How do these descriptions establish mood?
-
How does the interaction between Claudette and Jeanette on pages 243–244 develop each character?
-
How does the interaction between Claudette and Jeanette develop a central idea?
-
What does Claudette mean when she says a howl was “clawing its way up [her] throat” (p. 244)? What does this figurative language suggest about Claudette’s development during Stage 4?
-
How does Mirabella react when Claudette needs help with the Sausalito, and why?
-
How does Claudette want to react to Mirabella? How does Claudette actually react to Mirabella?
-
What happens to Mirabella as a result of helping Claudette? How does this develop a central idea?
-
How does Claudette’s treatment of Mirabella in this excerpt contribute to her development as a character?
- Considering the events at the end of Stage 4, what is the meaning of communal as Claudette uses it (p. 245)? What word or words similar to communal help you to make sense of the meaning of communal?
-
How does the “last communal howl” develop a central idea of the text?
5. Short essay response (quick write)
- Lesson 12. How do the interactions among the girls develop a central idea in this excerpt?
Include this lesson’s vocabulary wherever possible to develop the topic through the use of well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient evidence. Use your Short Response Rubric and Checklist to guide your written responses. Send in your responses to eharris@tec-coop.org!
6. Independent Work
Reread Stage 4, pages 240–245 (from “Stage 4: As a more thorough understanding of the host culture is acquired” to “As far as I can recollect, that was our last communal howl”), and respond to the following prompt:
The Stage 4 epigraph states, “As a more thorough understanding of the host culture is acquired, your students will begin to feel more comfortable in their new environment.” How accurate is this statement? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
Use this lesson’s vocabulary wherever possible in your written responses. Use the Short Response Rubric and Checklist to guide your written responses.