In Bradford H. Robie’s “Into the Rapids,” a boy falls into the river during a rafting trip. In the short story “Black Blizzard”, Maurine V. Eleder explores the experiences of those who lived through the Dust Bowl, a time period of severe dust storms during the 1930s in parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and neighboring states. Reread “Into the Rapids” and “Black Blizzard” and think about the dangerous situations Wyatt and Betty find themselves in. How do Wyatt and Betty react in the face of these dangerous obstacles? How do their actions help them survive the dangers they face?

98 ! use evidence from the text to support each response. complete at least one full paragraph for each question.1. select one of the stories or poems in this unit and identify the author's purpose for writing. then, identify the theme of that same story or poem. what is the difference between the theme and the author's purpose? are they the same, or are they different? 2. what views about what's important do most of the stories and poems in this unit share? how do the selections differ in their views of what's important? 3. name two pieces that share a theme and explain how each story develops this theme. try to answer them all. !