Explain the mood the author creates in paragraph 7. In your response, use examples from the paragraph that show how the author creates this mood. Write your answer on your answer document.

Annotation: The reader answers that the mood is "the mood of a mama aligator trying to protect her young." and the "mood of suspence." In the third sentence the student attempts to explain the suspense by noting "you really don't know what's going to happen and things jump out one after another." To improve this response, the reader could be more specific about what things jump out or how the author makes the reader think about what's going to happen.

Annotation: The reader answers that the mood is "frightening or scared." Three scary events in the text are referenced: hearing the hiss of and seeing the alligator, the raccoon jumping at the baby alligator, and the heron trying to eat the baby alligator. The response lacks an explanation why these events are scary or frightening.

Annotation: The reader states "The mood in the story is exiding." "Exciting" could be supported from the text with references to the sounds of activity in the swamp, the sudden appearances of a number of swamp animals, and the repeated efforts of the mother alligator to protect her baby. Then the reader could clarify how those elements create a feeling of excitement to improve the response.