ELA Grade 11 Unit 1 Activity 1.2-1.

4- Print 
#1 ​Read the excerpt from Senator John McCain’s piece titled “A Cause Greater Than Self.” Type the phrases or 
sentences in which Senator McCain uses exemplification to illustrate patriotism. 
 
[Patriotism and the citizenship it requires should motivate the conduct of public officials,] [but it also thrives in the 
communal spaces where government is absent,] [anywhere Americans come together to govern their lives and their 
communities—][in families, churches, synagogues, museums, symphonies,] [the Little League, the Boy Scouts, the Girl 
Scouts, the Salvation Army or the VFW.] [They are the habits and institutions that preserve democracy.] [They are the 
ways, small and large, we come together as one country,] [indivisible, with freedom and justice for all.] 
A. [Patriotism and the citizenship it requires should motivate the conduct of public officials,]  
B. [but it also thrives in the communal spaces where the government is absent,] 
C. [anywhere Americans come together to govern their lives and their communities—] 
D. [in families, churches, synagogues, museums, symphonies,]  
E. [the Little League, the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, the Salvation Army or the VFW.] 
F. [They are the habits and institutions that preserve democracy.]  
G. [They are the ways, small and large, we come together as one country,]  
H. [indivisible, with freedom and justice for all.] 
 

#2 ​Read President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s speech “Address on the Occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Statue 
of Liberty, October 28, 1936” and look at the illustration “An ocean steamer passing the Statue of Liberty. Scene on 
steerage deck.” 

 
What idea from President Roosevelt’s speech is best conveyed in the illustration? 
A. The large number of ships in the harbor in the background conveys the wealth and prosperity of the United States.  
B. The statue’s position off on the horizon conveys the idea that people who enter the United States leave their old 
customs behind and look ahead to the future.  
C. The large number of figures huddled together in the foreground conveys the difficult circumstances experienced 
by many immigrating to the United States.  
D. The expressions and gestures of the passengers represent the eagerness of new immigrants who are excited to 
arrive in the United States. 
 #3 ​Read the excerpt from Walt Whitman’s poem “I Hear America Singing.” 

I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear, 

Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong, 
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam, 
The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work, 
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck, 
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands, 
The woodcutter’s song, the plowboy’s on his way in the morning, or at noon intermission or at sundown. 
The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or the girl sewing or washing, 
Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else. 
 
Which phrases most strongly connote a positive impression of workers in America? 
Choose two that apply. 
A. “I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear”  
B. “The mason singing his as he makes ready for work”  
C. “the plowboy’s on his way in the morning”  
D. “each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong”  
E. “the delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work” 
 

#4 ​Read the poem “I, Too, Sing America” by Langston Hughes. 

I, too, sing America. 

I am the darker brother. 
They send me to eat in the kitchen 
When company comes, 
But I laugh, 
And eat well, 
And grow strong. 
Tomorrow, 
I’ll be at the table 
When company comes. 
Nobody’ll dare 
Say to me, 
“Eat in the kitchen,” 
Then. 
Besides, 
They’ll see how beautiful I am 
And be ashamed— 
I, too, am America. 
 
What best describes the effect Hughes achieves in this poem with his use of simple language and short, terse lines? 
A. It gives the poem a bold, vivid tone that conveys how proud Hughes feels to be an American. 
B. It gives the poem a confident, almost defiant tone as though Hughes is issuing America a challenge.  
C. It gives the poem a casual, humorous tone that reveals the hypocrisy that exists in America.  
D. It gives the poem a shy, quiet feel that illustrates Hughes’ mixed feelings about being an American. 
 
 
 
 #5-8 Literary Terms: Match the term with its definition  
a. what it is not 
b. what it acts like or functions as 
c. examples of it 
d. categorizing by type or kind of 

5. exemplification  
6. function   
7. classification   
8. negation   
 
#9-12 Complete the sentences with the most appropriate vocabulary  
a. patriot 
b. keen 
c. commission 
d. allegiance 
e. patriotism  
9. Mike Christian had a ____________ and deep appreciation for the opportunities this country and our military provide 
for people who want to work and want to succeed.  
10. Mike came from a small town near Selma, Ala. At 17, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He later earned a ____________.  
11. McCain’s definition of a ________________ includes duty, honor, and country.  
12. Those wishing to receive citizenship must swear _______________ to the country.  
 
#13-16 Complete the sentences with the most appropriate vocabulary  
a. steerage 
b. devotion 
c. destiny 
d. rededication 
e. strained 
13. The immigrants not only found freedom in the New World, but by their effort and __________, they made the New 
World’s freedom safer, richer, more far-reaching, more capable of growth.  
14. Roosevelt's “Address on the Occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Statue of Liberty” is a service of 
____________________. 
15. Most of the immigrants came to us-most of them-in _______________.  
16. I like to think of the men and women who, with the break of dawn off Sandy Hook, have ________________ their 
eyes to the west for a first glimpse of the New World.  
 
#17-20 Academic Vocabulary: match the vocabulary with its definition 
a. diction 
b. tone 
c. imagery 
d. denotation 
e. connatation 
17. _________________ refers to the writer’s choice of words; a stylistic element that helps convey voice and tone. 
18. _________________ refers to the descriptive language authors use to create word pictures; words and detail that 
appeal to one or more of the five senses. 
19. _________________ refers to the writer’s or speaker’s attitude toward a subject, character, or audience 
20. _________________ refers to the associations and emotional overtones attached to a word beyond its literal 
definition; it may be positive, negative, or neutral. 
 
#21-25 Writing to Sources: Explanatory Text  
Write a well-developed paragraph comparing and contrasting what the two poems “I Hear America Singing” and “I, 
Too, Sing America” mean in referring to ​singing​. Think about both denotative and connotative meanings of the word 
sing.​   
 
Points will be given to  
21. Begin with a clear thesis that states your position about what the two poems mean by the word ​sing.​  
22. Proper citation when citing the title (T), authors (A), and text-types (t). 
23. Include specific words or phrases from both texts to support your claim. 
24. Include clear transitions between points and a concluding statement that reinforces your thesis.  
25. The writing sample addresses and answers the writing prompt.