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Welcome to the class blog. Communication is the key to a successful classroom, and this blog was set up to improve communication. I hope that you utilize this resource because this blog will be receiving regular updates on information regarding your assignments and tests.

Mr. Whitehead

Monday, July 18, 2011

Jabberwocky and Context Clues

Read the following poem, which is famous for using nonsense words:





Jabberwocky
 
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! and through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.



Now that your finished reading the poem, think about the nonsense words that you just read. Did you understand any of them? If so, how? What was the poem about? How do you know? If you can answer any of these questions then you are utilizing context clues, and you might not even know. We use context clues in reading anytime we come across a word that we don't know. For example, If I left out a ***** in a sentence, your mind will try and fill in the blank. This is an important reading skill because many of the hard texts that you will come across will be full of words that you might not have ever seen before.


Assignment:
Pick out two of the nonsense words from this poem, and post the words and their definitions in the comments sections.


Extra Practice:


Context clue quiz-show game.





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