Module 2A - Unit 1, Lesson 2:

Figurative Language and Word Choice:

A Closer Look at Bud, Not Buddy (Chapter 2)

An important component
of this novel introduced
in Chapter 2 are Bud
Caldwells Rules and
Things for Having a
Funner Life and Making a
Better Liar Out of
Yourself. These rules
are another way the

Think-Pair-Share
According to their name,
what are the two
purposes for Buds rules?
Think

Pair

Share

The rules are for having

a funner (more fun)
life and for making a
better liar out of himself.
The word funner is not
an actual word. The use
of this word signifies
more about the narrator:
his young age and lack of
consistent education.

Think-Pair-Share

Why might Bud need

to learn to be a
better liar?
Think

Pair

Share

Think-Pair-Share
How is the purpose of
becoming a better liar
different from the
purpose of having a
funner
life?
Think
Pair
Share

Turn to page 18 in your

book. Follow along as I read
Rule 118 aloud.
Rules and Things Number 118: You Have to
Give Adults Something That They Think They
Can Use to Hurt You by Taking It Away. That
Way They Might Not Take Something Away
That You Really Do Want. Unless Theyre Crazy
or Real Stupid They Wont Take Everything
Because if They Did They Wouldnt Have
Anything to Hold Over Your Head to Hurt You
with Later.

In your triad,
complete the three
columns on your
Tracking Buds Rules
graphic organizer.
You have five
minutes.

What is our learning

target for today?

I can determine the meaning of

figurative language in Bud, Not
Buddy.
I can explain how the authors word
choice affects tone and meaning in
the novel.

Think-Pair-Share

What is
figurative
language?
Think

Pair

Share

Remember that the

narrator is the one who
tells the story.
Who is the narrator
of this story?
Bud

Think-Pair-Share
How might having Bud
tell the story affect the
language of the novel?
Think

Pair

Share

Think-Pair-Share
How might having Bud
tell the story affect a
reader?
Think

Pair

Share

Having a character, like Bud, as

narrator means we, as readers,
hear the story in the particular
way that character talks. In this
story, we hear the voice of a tenyear-old boy in a particular time
period, and in a particular region
of the country. His age, his
experiences, his personality, and
his setting all affect the way he
speaks, the way he tells a story,
and the words he chooses.

All of this adds

to the concept
of a storys
tone. Where
have you heard
the word tone?

You have probably

encountered this word in
music, or in the phrase tone
of voice. The use of the
word tone when discussing
literature is more like tone
of voice because, as with
our voices, tone in writing
conveys feelings. In the
absence of an actual voice,
authors use words to create

Tone is defined
as
the feelings a
narrator has
toward a
character or

Because Bud is the

narrator, over the
next few lessons we
will be looking
closely at Buds
language and the
impact that his
language has on the

Take a look at
your Figurative
Language in
Bud, Not Buddy
graphic
organizer.

Fill in your name

Give an example
of figurative
language used in
the text. Be sure
to note the page
number.

State what the actual

meaning is of the
figurative language
used.

and
date.
What does this use
of figurative
language tell me
about Bud?

Listen as I read a sentence

found on page 1.
All the kids watched the woman as she
moved along the line, her high-heeled
shoes sounding like little firecrackers
going off on the wooden floor.

How does Buddy

describe the womans
walk in this excerpt?

He compares
her shoes to
firecrackers
going off on
the wooden
floor.

Figurative language
is just one way in
which authors affect
the tone of a scene
in a novel. Another
way is through
character word
choices.

Listen as I read an excerpt

found on page 4 beginning
with
Its at six that grown folk
dont think youre cute
and ending with The first
foster home I was in taught
meis
that
real
quick. in
What
Bud
explaining

this excerpt?

Bud is
explaining
how things
change when
you turn six.

In your triad, discuss the

following questions. You have
five minutes. Be prepared to
share your thoughts with the
class.
What do swat and tap mean?
What is the meaning of the word
slug?
What is the difference between a
swat and a tap and a slug?

Think-Pair-Share
How does the use of
these three words
affect the tone? What
does this show about
Bud?
Think

Pair

Share

Take a look at your

Suggested Response
Questions worksheet.
All the questions are
from an excerpt of the
novel on pages 14 and
15.

Trade papers
with a
partner.
Follow along
as we review

Complete
your exit
ticket. If you
do not finish,
it is