The document provides an agenda for a class that will discuss themes in The Hunger Games, frequently misused words, analyzing writing strategies, and forming a thesis statement. Students will do an in-class writing exercise focusing on the climax of an event using different sentence structures and answer reflection questions. The class will also consider themes of friendship, family, survival, freedom and oppression, and materialism and class.

2. AGENDA
The Hunger Games: Themes
Presentation: Frequently Misused Words
Discussion:
Wolff: “Analyzing Writing Strategies” #3: p31: Sentence length.
Reflecting on the Event's Significance pp 48-49 Thesis Statement 49-50
In-Class Writing
1. Focus on the climax of your event. Write a paragraph describing the
action using short and long sentences to control the intensity of your
narrative.
2. Answer the questions on pp 48-49
3. Formulating a Tentative Thesis Statement

3. THEMES TO CONSIDER
FRIENDSHIP
FAMILY
SURVIVAL
FREEDOM AND OPPRESSION
MATERIALSIM AND CLASS

4. Dude, the
right No, you’re
word is wrong. The word
affect, w should be
ith an a. effect, with an
e.
Frequently Confused and Misused
Words

5. To, Too, Two
• Use to as a preposition.
Jonathan drove to the seafood shop.
• Use to to begin an infinitive.
He hoped to buy fresh squid.
• Use too to show degree.
The squid was too expensive to purchase.
• Use too as a synonym for also.
So too was the fresh octopus.
• Use two when you mean the number.
Jonathan bought two flounder filets instead.

6. There, Their, They’re
• Use there as an expletive, a placeholder to
delay the subject.
There is a turtle in the road.
• Use there to indicate place.
Across the road is a lake. The turtle hopes to get
there before a car hits him.
• Use their as a possessive pronoun.
Most drivers don’t see the turtle; their eyes are glued
to their cell phones.
• Use they’re as a contraction for they are.
They’re also distracted by other devices, like the
radio and navigation system.

7. Recognize misspelled/correctly spelled
words and phrases.
Alright ● All right
Alot ● A lot
Rite ● Right, write
Should of ● Should have
Suppose to ● Supposed to
Spelled Spelled
wrong! correctly!

8. Recognize the distinctions among
related words.
3 or more;  Among ● Between  2 only;
Among my Between
friends Fred and me
Noncount;  Amount ● Number  Count;
Amount of Number of
butter cookies
Adjective;  Good ● Well  Adverb;
A good essay He writes
well.
Evident,  Explicit ● Implicit  Implied,
unambiguous ambiguous
Know these
differences!

9. Know the difference that a single new
letter can make.
Before a word  A ● An  Before a word
beginning with a beginning with a
consonant [sound] vowel [sound]
Before  Already ● All ready  Completely
prepared
A thought or  Idea ● Ideal  The concept of
conception something
perfect
To suffer the  Lose ● Loose  Free from
deprivation of restraint
Verb; past tense of  Were ● Where  A place
are
More to
learn!

10. Know the difference that an apostrophe
can make.
Possessive  Its ● It’s  Contraction for
pronoun; it is or it has
belonging to it
Possessive  Whose ● Who’s  Contraction for
pronoun; who is or
belonging to who has
whom
Possessive  Your ● You’re  Contraction for
pronoun; you are
belonging to
you
Possessive Contractions do
pronouns never contain an
contain an apostrophe.
apostrophe.

11. Know the difference a change to a single
letter can make.
Noun form  Advice ● Advise  Verb form
Usually a verb  Affect ● Effect  Usually a noun
City, wealth,  Capital ● Capitol  The building for
important lawmaking
To quote  Cite ● Site  A location
Rough  Coarse ● Course  Path, route
Praise  Compliment ● Complement  Goes well with
Put in place  Set ● Sit  Be seated
Unchanging  Stationary ● Stationery  Paper
Indicates  Than ● Then  Next
comparison
Why is English so
complicated?

12. Don’t let these homonyms [sound alike
words] confuse you.
Agree to or receive  Accept ● Except  Leave out
Plural present of the  Are ● Our  Possessive pronoun;
verb be belonging to us
Past tense of pass  Passed ● Past  Gone, by
Go before  Precede ● Proceed  Carry on
Chief [person], main  Principal ● Principle  Truth or rule
Correct, a just claim, a  Right ● Write  Make letters with an
direction instrument
Sight, touch, hearing,  Sense ● Since  Adverb, conjunction,
smell, taste or preposition
View, glimpse  Sight ● Site  A location
Past tense of throw  Threw ● Through  Beyond
State of the  Weather ● Whether  Introduces an
atmosphere alternative

13. Quick Test
Directions: In the items that follow, choose
the option that corrects an error in the
underlined portion(s). If no error exists, choose
“No change is necessary.”
Your Let’s see
turn! what you
can do!

14. Item 1
Even though we warned Jake not to eat a hole
A
Even though we warned Jake not to eat a hole hole
pie at one sitting, he sat at the kitchen table and
A
B
pie at one sitting, he sat at the kitchen table and
sat at the kitchen table and
proceeded to consume slice after slice.
B
C
proceeded to consume slice after slice.
proceeded to consume slice after slice.
C
A.whole
B.set
A.whole
C.preceded
B.set
D.No change is necessary.
C.preceded
D.No change is necessary.

15. Give Jerrod a compliment because his shoe
A
Item 2
Give Jerrod a compliment because his shoe
compliment because his shoe
laces complement the colors in his plaid shirt.
A
B
laces complement the colors in his plaid shirt.
complement the colors in his plaid shirt.
His fashion since is gradually improving.
B
C
His fashion since is gradually improving.
since is gradually improving.
C
A.complement
B.compliment
A.complement
C.sense
B.compliment
D.No change is necessary.
C.sense
D.No change is necessary.

16. If you go by the supermarket, buy a package of
IfItem by the supermarket, buy a package of
A
3 we can grill the sausage for
B
you go by the supermarket, buy a package of
hotdog buns. A Than B
CThan we can grill the sausage for
hotdog buns. Than we can grill the sausage for
dinner. C
dinner.
A.buy
B.by
A.buy
C.Then
B.by
D.No change is necessary.
C.Then
D.No change is necessary.

17. Heed my advice, and don’t loose your receipt.
Itembookstore will not accept any excuse
Heed my A
The college
4 B
advice, and don’t loose your receipt.
advice, and don’t loose your receipt.
A B
The college bookstore will notCaccept any excuse
accept any excuse
if you need to return those books. C
if you need to return those books.
A.advise
B.lose
A.advise
C.except
B.lose
D.No change is necessary.
C.except
D.No change is necessary.

18. The heard of gazelle leaped through the air as
The heard5 gazelle leaped B
Item of gazelle leaped through the air as
Aheard of through the air as
A B
the animals tried to elude the cheetah.
the animals tried to elude the cheetah.
Celude the cheetah.
C
A.herd
A.herd
B.threw
B.threw
C.allude
C.allude
D.No change is necessary.
D.No change is necessary.

19. Maybe Gerald is caught in traffic, or he maybe
A B
Item 6
flirting with Gerald is cafeteria cashier.or he maybe
Maybe Gerald is caught in traffic, or he maybe
the cute caught in traffic, Either way,
A B
flirting with the cute cafeteria cashier. Either way,
don’t accept any excuse for his tardiness.
C
don’t accept any excuse for his tardiness.
accept any excuse for his tardiness.
A.May be C
B.may be
C.except be
A.May
B.may be is necessary.
D.No change
C.except
D.No change is necessary.

20. When there are fewer students in a class, the
A B
Item 7
When there are fewer students in a class, the
there are fewer students in a class, the
professor has less worries that everyone is
A B
C
professor has less worries that everyone is
less worries that everyone is
getting individual attention.
C
getting individual attention.
A. their
B. less
A. their
C. fewer
B. less
D. No change is necessary.
C. fewer
D. No change is necessary.

22. Comparing Short and
Long Sentences
What do they contribute to the
action?
How do their contents differ?
What effect do the short sentences
have on you as a reader?

23. Use Sentence
Length to
Control the
Tension in your
story
1. Focus on the climax
of your event. Write a
paragraph describing the
action using short and
long sentences to control
the intensity of your
narrative.

25. The Goal: Indicate the Event’s
Significance
Show that the event was important
• Dramatize the event so readers can understand
your feelings about it.
• Show scenes from your point of view so readers
can identify with you.
Tell us that the event was important
• Tell how you felt at the time of the experience
• Tell how you feel about it now, in reflection.

26. The Strategy: Recall Remembered Feelings and Thoughts: Answer
These Questions:
• What were your expectations before the event?
• What was your first reaction to the event as it was happening and
right after it ended?
• How did you show your feelings? What did you say?
• What did you want the people involved to think of you? Why did you
care what they thought of you?
• What did you think of yourself at the time?
• How long did these initial feelings last?
• What were the immediate consequences of the event for you
personally?
Pause now to reread what you have written. Then write another
sentence or two about the event’s significance to you at the time it
occurred.

27. HOMEWORK
Read: HG through chapter 12.
SMG p 37 “Commentary: Autobiographical Significance,” and 625-
633.
Write: Post your outline and brainstorming: Long quote;
transition; intro to event, description of place(s), description of
people, a dialogue or two, the climax (with short and long
sentences working to achieve your goal), and a list of answers to
the questions on slide #26; end with framing plan.
(Remember, this is still just drafting.)
Blog Prompt #4
Study: Vocab (Chapters 1-12)
Bring: HG and SMG; draft of your outline/writing