Questions+&+activities+for+the+Moustache


 * Making Meanings**
 * http://www.nexuslearning.net/books/Holt-EOL2/Collection%202/the%20moustache%20HW.htm **
 * The Moustache **


 * Reading Check **
 * a.** What clues tell Mike that it is //not// one of his grandmother’s “good days”?
 * b.** Who does his grandmother think he is? Why?
 * c.** What event in the past is she sorry about?
 * d**. Why does Mike’s visit give his grandmother her only chance to be forgiven?


 * First Thoughts **
 * 1.** Draw a line down the middle of a blank page. On the left, copy two or three short passages from the text that made a strong impression on you. On the right, jot down your thoughts about each passage.


 * Shaping Interpretations **
 * 2.** Complete the following sentence in at least two ways: //Mike expected . . . but . . . so . . .//
 * 3.** What **inference** can you make about the fact that when Mike returns from the nursing home he does not tell his mother about what happened there?
 * 4.** Mike directly reveals a lot about himself in this story, but he doesn’t tell us why he shaves off his moustache. What did you **infer** about his reasons for the shave?
 * 5.** What do Mike and his grandmother give each other? (What is passed from generation to generation?)


 * Connecting with the Text **
 * 6.** Go back towards the end of the story, and reread the paragraph starting “My grandmother.” Have you ever come to a similar realization about an adult in your life? If so, what event brought you that awareness?

**Writer’s Notebook** A **position statement** is a brief, direct statement of where you stand on an issue. The following are position statements on three issues raised by “The Moustache.” Where do you stand on these issues? Write your own position statement about one of them. Jot down several details you could use to support your position. • It is better to let older people stay at home. • Health care for all elderly people should be free. • We should forgive others instead of judging them.
 * Challenging the Text **
 * 7.** Does Mike do the right thing by saying “I forgive you, Meg”? What would you do if you were Mike?
 * 1. Collecting Ideas for a Persuasive Essay**

A **found poem** is made up of words, phrases, or sentences from a piece of writing that are chosen and arranged to communicate the essence of the piece. Go back to “The Moustache,” and choose the ten words, phrases, and sentences that you feel best communicate what the story means to you. Copy each onto a separate strip of paper. Try out different arrangements of the strips until you find one you like. (You don’t have to use all your strips.) Glue your arrangement onto a sheet of paper, and give your found poem a title. Write a brief **character sketch** of Mike. Skim back over the story for evidence of the following: • what Mike looks like • how Mike acts • what Mike says about himself • what he says to others • what others say about Mike and how they respond to him
 * Creative Writing **
 * 2. Found: A Poem**
 * Character Sketch **
 * 4. What to Make of Mike**

You might want to gather details about Mike in a word web before you begin writing.


 * Language Link: Mini-Lesson **

Words’ connotations can also convey finer shades of difference. //Cute, attractive//, and //gorgeous// are all positive words, but they create very different images in a reader’s mind. One way to find a word with just the right connotations is to look up the word you’re using in a **thesaurus** (book of synonyms and antonyms) and see whether any of the word’s synonyms express your meaning even more precisely. If you’re not sure what the connotations of some of the synonyms are, look up the words in a dictionary. Use thesaurus words in moderation. If you use too many, you’ll drown out your natural voice. Go back to the story, and look for the sentences in which Mike discusses the connotations of the following expressions:
 * Style: Connotations **
 * Connotations** are the feelings or ideas associated with words in addition to their d**enotations**, or literal (dictionary) meanings. //Petite// and //runty// are both words used to describe small people, but one word has positive connotations and the other has negative connotations. As a result, their meanings are different.
 * Try It Out **
 * 1.** “one-man firing squad”
 * 2.** “resident”
 * 3.** “Lawnrest”

Do the words have the same connotations for you as they do for Mike? Explain your responses. sterile lucid conspiratorial regally// || The **root** of every word carries the word’s core meaning. Many English words are based on root words that have their origin in the ancient classical languages of Greek and Latin. Here are six Greek and Latin roots that are found in many English words. ||
 * **WORD BANK** || **Digging into the Past: Greek and Latin Roots** ||
 * //chronic


 * **Greek Roots** || **Latin Roots** ||
 * //chron, chrono//, “time” || //luc, lum//, “light” ||
 * //dem, demos//, “the people” || //rex, regis//, “king” ||
 * //steira//, “barren” || //spirare//, “to breathe” ||

• Match each **Word Bank** word with its **root** listed in the chart. (Look up each word’s etymology, or history, in a dictionary to make sure.) • List other English words that come from the root words in the chart. Include definitions of these words. How many words did you come up with?