Identifying Main Idea and Purpose
This activity will help you meet these educational goals:
You will use textual evidence to support your analysis; determine main ideas; identify the meaning of words and phrases; and determine the author’s point of view and purpose in a text.
Directions
Read the instructions for this self-checked activity. Type in your response to each question, and check your answers. At the end of the activity, write a brief evaluation of your work.
Activity
You’ll examine Patrick Henry’s speech "Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death." Refer to your responses in the Notebook tool () while answering these questions.
Part A
Identify two or more ideas that Patrick Henry expresses about the need for society to change. What types of change does Henry note? Cite supporting information from the text in your answer.
Characters used: 0 / 15000
Part B
Think about the broader issues of the American Revolution that you have learned about in this lesson, including the video. Identify and explain how at least one of the perspectives you identified in the speech points to the causes of the war.
Characters used: 0 / 15000
Part C
Tone is one indication of the author’s attitude toward his or her subject. Examples of tone include somber, playful, serious, and condescending. Identify the tone in Patrick Henry's speech. What words or group of words help create this tone?
Characters used: 0 / 15000
Part D
In any piece of writing, the author's point of view shows his or her feelings and opinions about the topic. What is Patrick Henry’s point of view? How does he respond to people who have an opposing viewpoint?