The Last Lesson

The Last Lesson
Alphonse Daudet

Theme: Loss, Loss of the strict school teacher that children learned to like.

Text Evidence: "My children this is the last day I shall teach you."

Summary: When Berlin gives orders that the children of Alsace, France are to quit teaching French and are to start teaching German. An old school teacher gives one last lesson that all the students are sure to remember even his most troublesome.

Characters: Monsieur Hamel, Author, Wachter, villagers, authors class mates.

Setting: School in Alsace, France.

Conflict: Person v.s. Society. Berlin takes over Alsace, France and changes the school against the characters will.

Figurative Language: The story uses a lot of metaphors.

Point of View: First person 

Text Evidence: "But I mustered up the strength to resist temptation, and hurried on to school."

A Student's Prayer

A Student's Prayer

John W. Peterson

Theme: Religious discovery, Discovering what the lord wants us to learn and your own relationship with God.

Text Evidence: "But we need Thy hand to guide us In the studies we pursue, And the presence of Thy Spirit To illumine all we do.

Summary: A Students Prayer is used to give us encouragement to ask God for help but to be selfless while asking. 

Character: Author

Conflict: Finding your path to God.

Figurative Language: Alliteration, the poem uses some rhyming scheme.

Point of View: Third Person

Text Evidence: "To illumine all we do."

Four-Ring Circus

Four-Ring Circus

B. J. Chute

Theme: Ambition, Ted is ambitious about teaching the boys to play.

Text Evidence: "Okay" Ted said briskly. "Suppose we start again"

Summary: When Ted an ace basketball player goes to help out Trenton when their coach is out. Only then does he realize that he may have bitten off more then he could chew. Now he must get this energetic team to learn the basics and some skill instead of just pure luck.

Characters: Ted, Rusty, Sandy, Red, and Carrots.

Setting: Trenton's Gymnasium.

Conflict: Character v.s. Character. Trying to get the hyper red-heads to calm down.

Figurative Language: Similes, metaphors, and alliteration. The boys rhyme and compare things in "limericks".

Point of View: Third person.

Text Evidence: "But Ted was serious, and it obvious by the expression he didn't like that Tortoise tag."

School Days

School Days

Maltbie D. Babcock

Theme: Ambition to complete goals for school and life.

Text Evidence: Lord, let me make this rule: To think of life as school,And try my best To stand each test. And do my work And nothing shirk.

Summary:  This poem is used to make us think as life as school to try and do our best.

Character: Author

Conflict: Is the struggles of trying to do your best.

Figurative Language: Alliteration the poem rhymes a lot.

Point of view: First Person

Text Evidence: "I cast a wistfull look."

The Kiskis

The Kiskis

May Vontver

Theme: Isolation, the Kiskis children isolate themselves from the other children.

Text Evidence: "The Kiskis children were painfully shy,"

Summary: This is a story about the Kiskis children and their shyness it's not until a small white box arrives that they breakout of their shells.

Characters: Miss Smith, Rudolph, Margaret, Johnny, Mr. and Mrs. Kiski, and the other children in the class.

Setting: A rural classroom.

Conflict: Character v.s. fate. Is the teacher trying to help the children breakout of their shyness.

Figurative Language: Metaphors are used  to compare the Kiskis children to themselves.

Point of View: Third person

Text Evidence:"Miss Smith decided not to urge the Kiskis again to eat in the schoolhouse."

In School Days

In School Days

John Greenleaf Whittier

Theme: "Love is everlasting."

Text Evidence: "Still memory to the gray-haired man That sweet child-face is showing. Dear girl! The grasses on her grave. Have been forty years growing!

Summary: This poem is a memory this man had of a little girl who beat him at a spelling bee. Soon after the spelling bee ended she confessed her love for him.

Characters: The boy, girl, and the grey-haired man.

Setting: The school yard and grave site.

Conflict: Character v.s. character. The girl beating the boy.

Figurative Language: Metaphors were used to describe the girls and boy actions and reactions. 

Point of View: Third person.

Text Evidence: "He lives to learn, in life's hard school.

Toby and "The Gettysburg Address"

Toby and "The Gettysburg Address"

Margaret Cabel Self

Theme: Ambition, Courage, and Discovery are all in this story. Toby doesn't give up and with his brothers help he finds a creative way to conquer his fear.

Text Evidence: "I was glad, seeing  old Tobe up there spouting his piece as peaceful as if was in the stall working on Betsy, with cats sitting around waiting."

Summary: Toby has to recite a speech in front of a large crowd. He can only recite the piece when he's milking his cow Betsy. When his brother and him find a way for Toby to recite the piece their only trouble is a mirror.

Characters: Toby, Miss MacIntyre, Mr. Crawford, Betsy, Woof Woof, Toby's brother, Toby's parents, and Toby's classmates.

Setting: The barn, classroom, and Auditorium.

Conflict: Character v.s. fate. Toby facing his fear but having his courage "mirrored back" as a silly habit. 

Figurative Language: Metaphor the author compares Toby and his habit to a lot of things.

Point of View: Third person.

Text Evidence: "So when Friday came Toby went off with his piece of rope."

My Struggle for an Education

My Struggle for an Education

from Up from Slavery

Booker T. Washington

Theme: Ambition by not giving up Booker got not only to Hampton but he also got the education he desired, and every task you do do it whole heartedly 

Text Evidence: "I was one of the happiest souls on earth. The sweeping of that room was my college examination." 

Summary: This story is about Booker T. Washington and his struggle he faced as he tried to receive the education he so desired.

Characters: Booker T. Washington, Lewis Ruffner, Mrs.Viola Ruffner, The Captin, and Head Teacher.

Setting: East and West Virginia around the 1850's

Conflict: Person v.s. Society. "He was a black man in a white mans world" He was faced with segregation as he tried to earn his education.

Figurative Language: Metaphor Booker compared himself and others lives a lot.

Point of view: First person.

Text Evidence: "I must have walked the streets till after mid-night."