Grade 5: Module 1

Grade 5: Module 1
Overview
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GRADE 5: MODULE 1: OVERVIEW

Module 1 Introduction:
Becoming a Close Reader and Writing to Learn:
Stories of Human Rights
What are human rights, and how do real people and fictional characters respond
when those rights are challenged? Students will develop their ability to read and
understand complex text as they consider this question. Students will begin to build
knowledge about human rights through a close read of the introduction and selected
articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), paired with short
firsthand accounts of people around the world who currently face human rights
challenges. In Unit 2, students will do an extended study of Esperanza Rising (740L)
by Pam Muoz Ryan, applying their new learning about human rights as one lens
through which to interpret the character and theme in this rich novela complex
coming-of-age story set in Mexico and rural California during the early 1930s.
Through close reading, interpretation, and analysis of fiction and nonfiction texts,
students will synthesize their understanding of human rights. The specific literacy
focus is on supporting understanding through quoting directly from text, inferring
theme, and comparing and contrasting how different texts address the topics and
themes of human rights. Students will write an analytical essay in which they
describe how a character in the novel responds to challenges. In Unit 3, students
will continue to revisit the text and themes of the UDHR and Esperanza Rising as
they read, write, and ultimately perform Readers Theater. Students will compare
novels and Readers Theater as two forms of narrative writing. They will then select
specific articles of the UDHR that relate thematically to the novel and reread key
passages of the novel with that theme in mind. They will write individual and small
group scripts based on these key passages and on phrases from the UDHR. Students
will revise, rehearse, and ultimately perform their group Readers Theater scripts for
their class and/or school or community members. This performance task
centers on NYSP12 standards W.5.3, W.5.4, W.5.5, and W.5.11.
Guiding Questions And Big Ideas

What are human rights?
What lessons can we learn about human rights through literature and life?
How can we tell powerful stories about peoples experiences?
We learn lessons about human rights from the experiences of real people and fictional characters.
Characters change over time in response to challenges.
People respond differently to similar events in their lives.
Authors conduct research and use specific language in order to impact their readers.
Performance Task
Students will work in small groups to analyze passages from Esperanza Rising that relate to one of five articles from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Based
on the UDHR article the group chose, each student will write his or her own scene of a Readers Theater script from selected pages/passages of Esperanza Rising. For the
final performance task, students will collaborate in their small groups to combine their individual scripts into a longer, single script based on their common UDHR
article. They will refine their group script with a focus on narrating the themes of the UDHR and on smooth transitions between individual script scenes. Students will
choose props, rehearse, and then perform their Readers Theater scripts for the class and/or the school or community. This task centers on NYSP12 standards
W.5.3, W.5.4, W.5.5, and W.5.11.
2012 Expeditionary Learning, New York, NY. All Rights Reserved.
NYS Common Core ELA Curriculum G7:M1: Overview March 2014

Module 1 Introduction:
Becoming a Close Reader and Writing to Learn:
Stories of Human Rights
Content Connections
This module is designed to address English Language Arts standards and to be taught during the literacy block of the school day. However, the module intentionally
incorporates Social Studies and Science content that may align to additional teaching during other parts of the day. These intentional connections are described below.
NYS Social Studies Core Curriculum

The rights of citizens in the United States are similar to and different from the right of citizens in other nations of the Western Hemisphere.
Constitutions, rules, and laws are developed in democratic societies in order to maintain order, provide security, and protect individual rights.
Different people living in the Western Hemisphere may view the same event or issue from different perspectives.
The migration of groups of people in the United States, Canada, and Latin America has led to cultural diffusion because people carry their ideas and way of live with
them when they move from place to place.
Connections and exchanges exist between and among the peoples of Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States. These
connections and exchanges include social/cultural, migration/immigration, and scientific/technological.

English Language Arts Outcomes
CCS Standards: ReadingLiterature
Long-Term Learning Targets
RL.5.1. Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says
explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
I can explain what a text says using quotes from the text.
RL.5.2. Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text,
including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the
speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
I can determine a theme based on details in the text.
RL.5.3. Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a

story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters
interact).
I can compare and contrast literary elements using details from the text (two or
more characters points of view, settings, events).
RL.5.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text,
including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.
I can determine the meaning of literal and figurative language (metaphors and
similes) in text.
RL.5.5. Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to

provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem.
can explain how a series of chapters, scenes of stanzas fit together to create a
larger literary text.
RL.5.6. Describe how a narrators or speakers point of view influences how

events are described.
I can describe how a narrators point of view influences the description of events
RL.5.9. Compare and contrast stories in the same genre (e.g., mysteries and
adventure stories) on their approaches to similar themes and topics.
I can compare and contrast stories in the same genre for approach to theme and
topic.
RL.5.11 Recognize, interpret, and make connections in narratives, poetry and

drama, to other texts, ideas, cultural perspectives, eras, personal events, and
situations.
I can make connections between texts and ideas to comprehend what I read
(RL.5.11)
I can make inferences using quotes from text.
I can summarize a literary text

CCS Standards: Reading Informational Text
RI.5.1. Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly
and when drawing inferences from the text.
RI.5.2. Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are
supported by key details; summarize the text.
I can determine the main idea(s) of an informational text based on key details.
RI.5.3. Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more

individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text
based on specific information in the text.
I can explain important connections between people, events, or ideas in a

historical, scientific, or technical text accurately.
RI.5.4. Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words

and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
I can determine the meaning of academic words or phrases in an informational

text.
I can make inferences using quotes from the text.
I can summarize an informational text.
I can support my explanation using specific details in the text.
I can determine the meaning of content words or phrases in an informational

text.
RI.5.9. Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to
write or speak about the subject knowledgably.
I can accurately synthesize information from multiple texts on the same topic.

CCS Standards: Reading Foundational Skills
RF.5.4. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
I can read fifth-grade level texts accurately and fluently to make meaning.
Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
I can read fifth-grade texts with purpose and understanding.
Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and
expression.
I can read fifth-grade texts with fluency.
Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding,

rereading as necessary.
I can use clues in the text to check my accuracy.

I can reread to make sure that what Im reading makes sense.
CCS Standards: Writing
W.5.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas

and information clearly.
I can use the 6+1 traits to write informative/explanatory texts.

I can write an informative/explanatory text that has a clear topic.
Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group
related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings),
illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
I can group supporting facts together about a topic in an

informative/explanatory text.
Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other
information and examples related to the topic.
I can develop the topic with facts, definitions, details, and quotations.
Link ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases,
and clauses (e.g., in contrast, especially).
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or
explain the topic.
Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or
explanation presented.
I can use text, formatting, illustrations, and multi-media to support my topic.

I can use linking words and phrases to connect ideas within categories of
information (e.g., in contrast, especially).
I can use contextually specific language/vocabulary to inform or explain
about a topic.
I can construct a concluding statement or section of an
informative/explanatory text.

W.5.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using

effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
I can use the 6+1 traits to write narrative texts.
Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator

and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to
develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to
situations.
Use a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses to manage the
sequence of events.
Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences
and events precisely.
I can introduce the narrator/characters of my narrative.

I can organize events in an order that makes sense in my narrative.
I can use dialogue and descriptions to show the actions, thoughts, and
feelings of my characters.
I can use transitional words, phrases, and clauses to show passage of time in a
narrative text.
I can use sensory details to describe experiences and events precisely.
I can write a conclusion to my narrative.
Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

W.5.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and
organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
I can produce clear and coherent writing that is appropriate to task, purpose,
and audience.
W.5.5. With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and
strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying
a new approach.
I can use the writing process to produce clear and coherent writing (with
support).
W.5.8. Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant

information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase
information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.
I can document what I learn about a topic by sorting evidence into categories.

W.5.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,

reflection, and research.
I can choose evidence from fifth-grade literary or informational texts to support

analysis, reflection and research.
Apply grade 5 reading standards to literature (e.g., Compare and contrast

two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or a drama, drawing on
specific details in the text [e.g., how characters interact]).
(e.g., Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a

story or a drama, drawing on specific details in the text [e.g., how characters
interact].)
Apply grade 5 reading standards to informational texts (e.g., Explain how an

author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text,
identifying which reasons and evidence support which point[s]).
(e.g., Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular
points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which
point[s].)
W.5.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research,
reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or
two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
I can write for a variety of reasons.
CCS Standards: Speaking and Listening
SL.5.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in

groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts,
building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly.
I can effectively engage in a discussion with my peers.
Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material;

explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the
topic to explore ideas under discussion.
Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.
I can prepare myself to participate in discussions.

I can follow our crew norms when I participate in a conversation.
I can ask questions so Im clear about what is being discussed.
I can connect my questions to what others say.
I can explain what I understand about the topic being discussed.
Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute

to the discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others.
Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of information
and knowledge gained from the discussions.

CCS Standards: Speaking and Listening
SL.5.2. Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse

media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
I can adapt my speech for a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English
when appropriate.
CCS Standards: Language
L.5.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar

and usage when writing or speaking.
I can use conventions to send a clear message to my reader.
Explain the function of conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections in

general and their function in particular sentences.
Form and use the perfect (e.g., I had walked; I have walked; I will have
walked) verb tenses.
I can what conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections are and how theyre
used in sentences.
I can use the perfect verb tenses. (e.g., I had walked; I have walked; I will have
walked)
Use verb tense to convey various times, sequences, states, and conditions.
I can use verb tense to convey various times, sequences, states, and
conditions.
Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense.
I can identify an inappropriate shift in verb tense.
Use correlative conjunctions (e.g., either/or, neither/nor).
I can correct an inappropriate shift in verb tense.

I can use correlative conjunctions. (e.g., either/or, neither/nor)
L.5.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English

capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Use punctuation to separate items in a series.*
Use a comma to separate an introductory element from the rest of the
sentence.
Use a comma to set off the words yes and no (e.g., Yes, thank you), to set off a
tag question from the rest of the sentence (e.g., Its true, isnt it?), and to
indicate direct address (e.g., Is that you, Steve?).
Use underlining, quotation marks, or italics to indicate titles of works.
Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.
I can use conventions to send a clear message to my reader.

I can use punctuation to separate items in a series.
I can use a comma to separate an introductory word or phrase from the rest of
the sentence.
I can use a comma to set off the words yes and no (e.g., Yes, thank you).
I can use a comma to set off a tag question from the rest of the sentence (e.g.,
Its true, isnt it?).
I can use a comma to indicate direct address (e.g., Is that you, Steve?).
I can use underlining, quotation marks, or italics to indicate titles of works.
I can spell grade-appropriate words correctly.
I can consult reference materials to check and correct my spelling.

L.5.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking,
reading, or listening.
I can my knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking,

reading, or listening.
Expand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning, reader/listener interest,

and style.
Compare and contrast the varieties of English (e.g., dialects, registers) used in
stories, dramas, or poems.
L.5.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning
words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from
a range of strategies.
Use context (e.g., cause/effect relationships and comparisons in text) as a clue
to the meaning of a word or phrase.
Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to
the meaning of a word (e.g., photograph, photosynthesis).
Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both
print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the
precise meaning of key words and phrases.
L.5.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships,
and nuances in word meanings.
I can use a variety of sentence structures in my writing.

I can compare and contrast the varieties of English (e.g., dialects, registers)
used in different kinds of texts (e.g., stories, dramas, poems).
I can use a variety of strategies to read grade appropriate words and phrases I
dont know.
I can use what the text says (e.g., cause/effect relationships and comparisons
in text) to help me understand the meaning of a word or phrase.
I can use common Greek and Latin affixes (prefixes) and roots as clues to help
me know what a word means. (e.g., photograph, photosynthesis)
I can use resource materials (glossaries, dictionaries, thesauruses) to help me
determine or clarify the pronunciation and meaning of key words and
phrases.
I can analyze the meaning of figurative language.

I can interpret the meaning of simple similes in context.
Interpret figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in context.
I can interpret the meaning of simple metaphors in context.
Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.
I can explain the meaning of common idioms.
Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms,

homographs) to better understand each of the words.
I can explain the meaning of common adages.

I can explain the meaning of common proverbs.
I can use relationships between words (synonyms, antonyms, and
homographs) to help me understand words.

L.5.6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and

domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal contrast,
addition, and other logical relationships (e.g., however, although, nevertheless,
similarly, moreover, in addition).
I can accurately use fifth-grade academic vocabulary to express my ideas.
Central Texts
1. Pam Muoz Ryan, Esperanza Rising (New York: Scholastic, 2002) ISBN: 978-0-439-12042-5.
2. United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution
217 A (III) of 10 December 1948, from www.un.org/events/humanrights/2007/.../declaration%20_eng.pdf (last accessed June 18, 2012)
3. Aaron Shepard, Readers On Stage (Shepard Publications, 2004); ISBN 978-0-938497-21-9.
10

Calendared Curriculum Map:
Week at a Glance
Week
Instructional Focus
Long-Term Targets
Assessments
I can effectively engage in a discussion with

my peers. (SL.5.1)
Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Human Rights

Vocabulary and Common Prefixes (L.5.4,
L.5.6, and W.5.10)
Unit 1: Building Background Knowledge on Human Rights

Weeks 1-2
(11 sessions)
Building background knowledge about

human rights and the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights
Vocabulary regarding human rights
Close Reading: articles from the UDHR

Analyzing firsthand accounts of human
rights
I can determine the meaning of academic

words or phrases in an informational text.
(RI.5.4)
I can explain what a text says using quotes
from the text. (RI.5.1)
I can determine the main idea(s) of an
informational text based on key details
(RI.5.2)
End of Unit 1 Assessment: On-Demand

Analysis of a Human Rights Account (RI.5.1,
RI.5.2, RI.5.3, RI.5.9 and W.5.9)
I can explain important relationships

between people, events, and ideas in a
historical, scientific, or technical text using
specific details in the text. (RI.5.3)
I can accurately synthesize information from
multiple texts on the same topic. (RI.5.9)
I can choose evidence from literary or
informational texts to support analysis,
reflection and research. (W.5.9)
11

Week at a Glance
Week
Instructional Focus
Long-Term Targets
Assessments
I can use quotes to explain the meaning of a literary text.

(RL.5.1)
Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Analyzing

Sections of Esperanza Rising on
My Own (RL.5.1, RL.5.2, RL.5.3,
and RL.5.4)
Unit 2: Esperanzas Story

Weeks 3-6
(18 sessions)
Connecting information with

literature: building background
knowledge about Mexican
immigration, California, and the
Great Depression
Point of view in a literary text and
learning new vocabulary
Figurative language and themes in
Esperanza Rising
Blending informational text with
literature: Should the farm workers
in Esperanza Rising go on strike?
Gathering evidence to create a twovoice poem
I can determine the main idea(s) of an informational text based

on key details. (RI.5.2)
I can summarize an informational text. (RI.5.2)
I can explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fit
together to create a larger literary text. (RL.5.3)
I can determine the meaning of literal and figurative language
(metaphors and similes). (RL.5.4)
I can explain important connections between people, events, or
ideas in a historical text accurately. (RL.5.3)
I can use quotes to support my inferences in literary texts.
(RL.5.1)
(metaphors and similes). (RL.5.4)
I can describe how a narrators point of view influences the
description of events. (RL.5.6)
12

Week at a Glance
Week
Instructional Focus
Long-Term Targets
Assessments
Weeks 3-6,
continued
Planning, writing critiques,

reflection, and revision
I can make inferences using quotes from text. (RL.5.1)
End of Unit 2 Assessment:

Comparing and Contrast How Two
Characters Respond to Challenges
(RL.5.1, RL.5.2, RL.5.3, W.5.2,
W.5.4, W.5.5, and W.5.9)
I can determine a theme based on details in a literary text.

(RL.5.2)
I can summarize a literary text. (RL.5.2)
I can compare and contrast literary elements using details from
the text (two or more characters points of view, settings,
events). (RL.5.3)
I can write informative/explanatory texts that convey ideas and
information clearly. (W.5.2)
I can produce clear and coherent writing that is appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience. (W.5.4)
With support from peers and adults, I can use a writing process
to produce clear and coherent writing. (W.5.5)
I can choose evidence from literary or informational texts to
support analysis, reflection and research. (W.5.9)
13

Week at a Glance
Week
Instructional Focus
Long-Term Targets
Assessments
Unit 3: Culminating Project: Readers Theater: Esperanza Rising, From Novel to Script
Weeks 7-8
(12 sessions)
Narratives as Theater, Part I: what

is Readers Theater?
(RL.5.1)
Narratives as Theater, Part II:

Esperanza Rising, from novel to
script
Performing Readers Theater:

Esperanza Rising from novel to
script

(metaphors and similes) in text. (RL.5.4)
Mid-Unit 3 Assessment:
Evaluating the Strengths and
Limitations of a Novel versus a
Script (RL.5.1, RL.5.4, RL.5.5,
RL.5.6 and RL.5.9)
I can explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fit

I can describe how a narrators point of view influences the
description of events. (RL.5.6)
I can compare and contrast stories in the same genre for
approach to theme and topic. (RL.5.9)
14

Week at a Glance
Week
Instructional Focus
Long-Term Targets
Assessments
Weeks 7-8,
continued
Identifying Theme: connecting

passages from Esperanza Rising to
human rights
I can determine a theme based on details in the text. (RL.5.2)
End of Unit 3 Assessment: Readers

Theater Script Section (W.5.3,
W.5.4, and W.5.9)
Drafting individual Readers

Theater scripts for a specific scene
I can write narrative texts about real or imagined experiences or

events. (W.5.3)
Our group Readers Theater:

refining group scripts and
practicing performance
I can produce clear and coherent writing that is appropriate to

task, purpose, and audience. (W.5.4)
I can explain how a series of chapters, scenes of stanzas fit

End of Unit 3/Final Performance

Task: Human Rights Readers
Theater (W.5.3, W.5.4, W.5.5,
W.5.10, and W.5.11)
I can document what I learn about a topic by sorting evidence

into categories. (W.5.8)
I can choose evidence from literary or informational texts to
support analysis, reflection and research. (W.5.9)
I can write for a variety of reasons. (W.5.10)
I can recognize the differences between different types of
narrative (poetry, drama, or other texts) and their connections
to larger concepts such as culture and personal experiences.
(W.5.11)
I can effectively engage in a discussion with my peers. (SL.5.1)
I can adapt my speech for a variety of contexts and tasks, using
formal English when appropriate. (SL.5.6)
15
Grade 5: Module 1
Assessment Overview
GRADE 5: MODULE 1: ASSESSMENTS
Note: As each unit is written, often assessments are revised. Use this document as a general guideline. But be sure to refer to each specific unit overview document for the
most correct and complete write-ups of each assessment.
Final Performance Task
Mid-Unit 1 Assessment
End of Unit 1 Assessment
Readers Theater Script and Performance of Scenes from Esperanza Rising

Students will work in small groups to analyze passages from Esperanza Rising that relate to one of five articles from the
declaration. Based on the UDHR article the group chooses, each student will write his or her own scene of a Readers Theater
script from selected pages/passages of Esperanza Rising. For the final performance task, students will collaborate in their
small groups to combine their individual scripts into a longer, single script based on their common UDHR article. They will
refine their group script with a focus on narrating the themes of the UDHR and on smooth transitions between individual
script scenes. Students will choose props, rehearse, and then perform their Readers Theater scripts for the class and/or the
school or community. This task centers on NYSP12 W.5.3, W.5.4, W.5.5, W.5.9, W.5.11, SL.5.6, and L.5.6
Human Rights Vocabulary and Common Prefixes
This assessment addresses NYS ELA CCLS L.5.6 and W.5.10. This quiz will have two parts. In Part 1, students will
demonstrate acquisition of new vocabulary based on multiple-choice questions. In Part 2, students will be asked to write a
short-answer response to the following prompt: What are human rights? The focus of this assessment is on students
building knowledge about the central concept and on acquiring and using new vocabulary terms.
On-Demand Analysis of a Human Rights Account
This assessment addresses standards NYS ELA CCLS RI.5.1, RI.5.2, RI.5.3, RI.5.9, and W.5.9. Students will independently
read and annotate another firsthand human rights account. They will then respond in an on-demand format to specific
questions that require them to synthesize their learning from this unit and refer directly to both the UDHR and the firsthand
account. Students will read From Kosovo to the United States, the firsthand account of Isau Ajet and ask clarifying questions
and annotate the text as needed. Then they will respond to a series of questions about the text: what human rights challenges
Isau faced, how he responded, and what human rights were upheld. Questions will require students to define human rights as
described in the UDHR, to relate Isaus challenges to specific Articles in the UDHR, and to give specific facts, details, or
examples from Isaus account so readers can understand their point of view and reasons clearly.
NYS Common Core ELA Curriculum G5:M1: Assessments March 2014
GRADE 5: MODULE 1: ASSESSMENTS
Analyzing Sections of Esperanza Rising on My Own

This on-demand assessment centers on standard NYS ELA CCLS RL.5.1, RL.5.2, RL.5.3, and RL.5.4. Students will have read a
chapter of Esperanza Rising for homework, and will demonstrate their ability to analyze complex text independently. They
will analyze the challenges Esperanza faces and how she responds, citing textual evidence. They will also respond to questions
regarding academic vocabulary and figurative language. This is a reading assessment: the purpose is for students to
demonstrate their ability to analyze literature in general, and Chapter 9 of Esperanza Rising specifically. This Mid-Unit 2
Assessment is not intended to formally assess students writing. Most students will write their responses, in which case it may
also be appropriate to assess students on W.5.9. However, if necessary, students may dictate their answers to an adult.
On-Demand Analytical Essay about How Esperanza Changes Over Time

This assessment centers on standards NYS ELA CCLS RL.5.1, RL.5.2, RL.5.3, W.5.2, W.5.4, W.5.5, and W.5.9. Students will
write an essay in which they explain how Esperanza changes over time. Specifically, they will analyze Esperanzas growth and
development by comparing how she responds to events earlier and later in the novel. Each student will select the two or three
key events that best support his/her analysis of Esperanzas growth and development.
Evaluating a Novel versus a Script

This assessment centers on standard NYS ELA CCLS RL.5.1, RL.5.4, RL.5.5, RL.5.6, and RL.5.9. Students will reread a passage
from Esperanza Rising and a scene from a Readers Theater written by Pam Muoz Ryan. They will compare and contrast the
texts using a Venn diagram and then answer text-dependent questions using evidence from both texts in their answers.
Individual Scene of a Readers Theater Script

This on-demand assessment centers on standards NYSP12 ELA CCLS W.5.3, W.5.4, and W.5.9. Students will write their best
draft of their narrative (in the form of a scene of a Readers Theater script). The focus is on showing the connection between
one article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and selected passages from Esperanza Rising, in order to
demonstrate characters experiences with human rights challenges and how they overcame those challenges.
NYS Common Core ELA Curriculum G5:M1: Assessments March 2014
Grade 5: Module 1
Performance Task
GRADE 5: MODULE 1: PERFORMANCE TASK

Readers Theater Script and Performance of Scenes
from Esperanza Rising
Summary of Task
Throughout Unit 3, students will learn about Readers Theater, compare and contrast the novel Esperanza Rising to a Readers Theater script of the same novel, and
review their notes from Units 1 and 2 on the novel and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Students will work in small groups to analyze passages
from passages from Esperanza Rising that relate to one of five articles from the declaration. Based on the UDHR article the group chooses, each student will write his
or her own scene of a Readers Theater script from selected pages/passages of Esperanza Rising (see end of Unit 3 assessment, below).
For the final performance task, students will collaborate in their small groups to combine their individual scripts into a longer, single script based on their common
UDHR article. They will refine their group script with a focus on narrating the themes of the UDHR and on smooth transitions between individual script scenes.
Students will choose props, rehearse, and then perform their Readers Theater scripts for the class and/or the school or community.
Note: The End of Unit 3 on-demand assessment serves as the individual component of this group performance task. Students will write their own individual scene
of their groups Readers Theater script.
Note: Although Readers Theater requires fluent reading, this performance task is not a formal fluency assessment, since students own writing likely will not be at the
appropriate level of text complexity to address the CCLS Reading Foundations standards.
Format
Narrative Script (34 pages, typed, one-sided, on 8.5 x 11 paper)
Note: Students will have previously handwritten or typed their individual scripts. For the performance task, these individual scene scripts will be combined (either
by physically taping hard copy or pasting all text into one shared Word document. Each student will need a photocopy of the full group script to use in the
performance.
NYS Common Core ELA Curriculum G5:M1: Performance Task March 2014

Standards Assessed Through This Task

SL.5.6 I can adapt my speech for a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate.
W.5.3. I can use the 6+1 traits to write narrative texts.
W.5.4. I can produce clear and coherent writing that is appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W.5.5. With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
W.5.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.5.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of
discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
W.5.11. Create and present an original poem, narrative, play, art work, or literary critique in response to a particular author or theme studied in class.
Student-Friendly Writing Invitation/Task Description

You are a member of a playwright group who has been commissioned to write and perform a narrative script using passages from the novel Esperanza Rising that
relate to one of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights themes. As a group, you will select one of the UDHR articles/themes we have been studying.
Keep in mind that the script should:
include at least four speaking parts (with or without a narrator), at least one for each member
link each scene to the UDHR theme chosen through the narration
move smoothly from one scene to the next
have a strong beginning and conclusion that link Esperanza Rising to the chosen UDHR theme
use props effectively
be rehearsed by the performers so that it sounds like they are speaking their lines instead of reading them
Each member will write an individual narrative scene script from the novel relating to that theme. Then you will collaborate with your small group to produce one
longer script that connects each persons scenes related to the UDHR article/theme. When you work as a group, you will focus on making sure the scenes flow
together: You will refine each persons narration, add transitions, and work as a group to write a conclusion to the groups script. You also will choose props for your
performance and rehearse as a group. Your group will perform your final high-quality narrative script for the class and/or school or community members.

Key Criteria For Success (Aligned With NYSP12 ELA CCLS)

Below are key criteria students need to address when completing this task. Specific lessons during the module build in opportunities for students to understand the
criteria, offer additional criteria, and work with their teacher to construct a rubric on which their work will be critiqued and formally assessed.
Your script and performance will include:
at least four characters, including a narrator

narration that links each scene to the UDHR theme you chose
clear transitions between scenes, using strong transitional words and phrases
an effective introduction and conclusion, linking the passages from Esperanza Rising that you used in each scene to the UDHR article/theme on which you focused
key words and details from the specific article of the UDHR
clearly identified speaking roles for each group member
props to enhance the performance
a clear speaking voice, using appropriate pacing, fluency, and intonation.

Options For Students

Some students may dictate or record their scripts.
Provide sentence frames, lists of steps, and anchor charts for student reference.
Advanced options: When writing narrator text, students may be challenged by using strategies such as Omit a Letter or write using alliteration. Providing a Dead
Words list that students may not use in their writing may help them avoid clichs and other overused words.
Options For Teachers

Students may organize a public performance of their Readers Theater scripts.
For all students independently proficient with technology, consider allowing students to create the following, for use during the final performance: a PowerPoint,
Prezi, or OpenOffice Impress document incorporating script passages and imagery; or a sound-effects track for background or transitions between scenes.
Students interested in, or independently proficient, in the arts may consider:
enlarging script passages and creating accompanying illustrations;

creating a playbill for their performance;
producing a radio or print advertisement about their play;
writing a short song or poem to conclude the play;
designing or determining costumes (as part of props); or
choreographing/staging actors for the performance.

Resources and Links

Pam Muoz Ryan, Esperanza Rising (New York: Scholastic, 2002), ISBN: 978-0-439-12042-5.
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly
Resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948, from www.un.org/events/humanrights/2007/.../declaration%20_eng.pdf (last accessed July 22, 2012).
Aaron Shepard, Readers On Stage (Shepard Publications, 2004), ISBN 978-0-938497-21-9.
Aaron Shepards RT Page, Scripts, and Tips for Readers Theater, from http://www.aaronshep.com/rt/ (last accessed July 22, 2012).
Kathleen M. Hollenbeck, Fluency Practice Read-Aloud Plays: Grades 56: 15 Short, Leveled Fiction and Nonfiction Plays with Research-Based Strategies to Help
Students Build Fluency and Comprehension (Scholastic, 2006), ISBN 970-0-439-55421-3.
Michael Ryall, Readers Theater Grade 5 (Evan-Moor Corp, 2003), ISBN-10 1-55799-894-9.
Grade 5: Module 1: Unit 1

Overview
GRADE 5: MODULE 1: UNIT 1: OVERVIEW

Building Background Knowledge on Human Rights
What are human rights? Why do we have them, and how are they protected?
This unit is designed to help students build knowledge about these questions
while simultaneously building their ability to read challenging text closely.
Students begin this unit by exploring human rights themes through images and
key vocabulary. They then will analyze selected articles from the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) through a series of close reading textdependent tasks and questions, discussions, and writing. They will explore the
history of the development and language of universal human rights documents,
developing skills to determine the meaning of words and phrases. The MidUnit 1 Assessment will be an on-demand quiz of academic vocabulary from the
UDHR. Students then will examine firsthand accounts of peoples experiences
with human rights. This unit culminates with on demand writing, in which they
analyze a firsthand account and explain how a familys rights were challenged
and how the family responded. Students will cite direct textual evidence to
support their claims.

How can we tell powerful stories about peoples experiences?
Characters change over time in response to challenges to their human rights.

This assessment addresses NYS ELA CCLS L.5.6 and W.5.10. This quiz will have two parts. In Part 1, students will demonstrate
acquisition of new vocabulary based on multiple-choice questions. In Part 2, students will be asked to write a short-answer response
to the following prompt: What are human rights? The focus of this assessment is on students building knowledge about the central
concept and on acquiring and using new vocabulary terms.
NYS Common Core ELA Curriculum G5:M1:U1: Overview June 2014


This assessment addresses standards NYS ELA CCLS RI.5.1, RI.5.2, RI.5.3, RI.5.9, and W.5.9. Students will independently read
and annotate another firsthand human rights account. They will then respond in an on-demand format to specific questions that
require them to synthesize their learning from this unit and refer directly to both the UDHR and the firsthand account. Students
will read From Kosovo to the United States, the firsthand account of Isau Ajet and ask clarifying questions and annotate the text
as needed. Then they will respond to a series of questions about the text: what human rights challenges Isau faced, how he
responded, and what human rights were upheld. Questions will require students to define human rights as described in the
UDHR, to relate Isaus challenges to specific Articles in the UDHR, and to give specific facts, details, or examples from Isaus
account so readers can understand their point of view and reasons clearly.
Content Connections
This module is designed to address English Language Arts standards and to be taught during the literacy block of the school day. However, the module intentionally
incorporates Social Studies and Science content that many teachers may be teaching during other parts of the day. These intentional connections are described below.

The rights of citizens in the United States are similar to and different from the rights of citizens in other nations of the Western Hemisphere.
Central Texts
1. United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly
Resolution 217 A (III) of December 10, 1948.
2. United Nations, Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Plain Language Version. www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/humanrights/resources/plain.asp (last accessed
August 6, 2012).

Secondary Texts
1. A Short History of the UDHR Sentence Strips. Adapted from Web site: Human Rights Here and Now: Celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, edited
by Nancy Flowers, University of Minnesota Human Rights Resource Center.
www1.umn.edu/humanrts/edumat/hreduseries/hereandnow/Part-1/short-history.htm (last accessed August 6, 2012).
2. Human Rights Resource Center, background information on the UHDR: excerpt from The History of the United Nations. From
http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/edumat/hreduseries/hereandnow/Part-1/whatare.htm (last accessed August 6, 2012).
3. Isau Ajeti and Blanche Gosselin, From Kosovo to the United States in Skipping Stones 16 (MayAug 2004, Issue 3), 12.
4. Lesley Reed, Teaching Nepalis to Read, Plant, and Vote, in Faces 21 (April 2005, Issue 8), 2628.

Unit-at-a-Glance
This unit is approximately 2 weeks or 11 sessions of instruction.
Ongoing
Assessment
Lesson
Lesson Title
Long-Term Targets
Supporting Targets
Lesson 1
Getting Ready to Learn about

Human Rights: Close Reading of
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights (UDHR)

(SL.5.1)
I can follow our class norms when I participate in

a discussion.
I can summarize portions of a text when reading or

listening to information being presented. (SL.5.2)
I can determine words I know and words I dont

know.
I can determine the meaning of content words or

phrases in an informational text. (RI.4)
I can summarize Article 1 of the UDHR.

(SL.5.1)
I can use text and visual images to help me

understand human rights.
Group anchor charts
I can determine the main idea(s) of an informational

text based on key details. (RI.5.2)

a conversation.
Student journals
I can explain important connections between people,

events, or ideas in an informational text accurately.
(RI.5.3)
I can explain some of the main events that relate

to the history of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights (UDHR) by making a human
timeline with my peers.

I can use context clues to help me determine the

meaning of words.
I can use a variety of strategies to read grade

appropriate words and phrases I dont know. (RL.5.4)
I can draw visuals to represent human rights

vocabulary words.
I can determine the meaning of academic words or

phrases in an informational text. (RI.5.4)
I can write to help me deepen my understanding

about human rights.
Lesson 2
Lesson 3
Building Background: A Short

History of Human Rights
Vocabulary: Human Rights

Human Rights Thinking Charts

Exit ticket
Annotated texts
Exit tickets
Students annotated copies of A

Short History of the UDHR
(homework from Lesson 2)
Students annotated texts
Background on the UDHR
Vocabulary sketches (on flash
cards)

Unit-at-a-Glance
Lesson
Lesson Title
Long-Term Targets
Supporting Targets
Ongoing
Assessment
Lesson 4
Close Reading: The Introduction to

the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights


meaning of words.
Students annotated copies of the

UDHR

events, or ideas in a historical, scientific, or technical
text accurately. (RI.5.3)
I can use common Greek and Latin affixes

(prefixes) and roots as clues to help me know
what a word means.
Exit tickets
I can determine the meaning of academic words or

I can determine the main ideas of the

introduction to the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights (UDHR) by reading closely.

I can use a variety of strategies to read gradeappropriate words and phrases I dont know. (L.5.4)
Lesson 5
Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Human

Rights Vocabulary and Common
Prefixes
I can use common Greek and Latin affixes (prefixes)

and roots as clues to help me know what a word
means. (L.5.4)
I can use strategies to determine the correct

meaning of vocabulary words related to human
rights.
I can accurately use academic vocabulary to express

my ideas. (L.5.6)
I can use common Greek and Latin affixes

(prefixes) and roots as clues to help me know
what a word means.
Introduction to the UDHR notecatcher (from Lesson 4)

Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Human
Rights Vocabulary and Common
Prefixes (L.5.4, L.5.6, and
W.5.10)
I can use human rights vocabulary words

correctly in my writing.
Lesson 6
Close Reading: Unpacking

Specific Articles of the UDHR

(SL.5.1b)

a discussion.
UDHR note-catchers (for Articles

2 and 3)
I can determine the main ideas of an informational

text based on key details (RI.5.2)
I can summarize Articles 2 and 3 of the UDHR.
Anchor charts (for Articles 2 and

3)
I can make inferences using quotes form the text.

(RI.5.1)

meaning of words.
I can visualize what the authors of the UDHR
wanted for all people (found in Articles 2 and 3).


Unit-at-a-Glance
Ongoing
Assessment
Lesson
Lesson Title
Long-Term Targets
Supporting Targets
Lesson 7
Close Reading: Becoming Experts on


(SL.5.1b)

a discussion.
I can determine the main ideas of an informational

text based on key details (RI.5.2)
I can summarize articles of the UDHR (choices: 6,

14, 16, 17, 20, 23, 25, or 26).
I can make inferences using quotes form the text

(RI.5.1)

meaning of words.

I can visualize what the authors of the UDHR

wanted for all people.
I can use quotes to explain the meaning of

informational texts. (RI.5.1)
I can skim and scan the original UDHR looking

for repeated words.
Vocabulary flash cards baggies
I can compare and contrast multiple accounts of the

same event or topic (RI.5.6)
I can explain why certain words in the original

UDHR are repeated.
Opinion writing (journal entry)
I can use common Greek and Latin affixes (prefixes)

and roots as clues to help me know what a word
means. (L.5.4)
I can compare the original UDHR, the Plain

Language version, and my own summaries of
specific UDHR articles, by focusing on specific
word choice.
Lesson 8
Summarizing Complex Ideas:

Comparing the Original UDHR and
the Plain Language Version
I can write for a variety of reasons (W.5.10)
UDHR articles anchor charts

Exit ticket
UDHR rewrites
I can skim and scan the original UDHR looking

for repeated words.
Lesson 9
Main Ideas in Informational Text:

Analyzing a Firsthand Human Rights
Account

(RI.5.3)
I can explain the connections between people and

events in Teaching Nepalis to Read, Plant, and
Vote.
Students annotated text of

Teaching Nepalis to Read, Plant,
and Vote

meaning of new words.


Unit-at-a-Glance
Lesson
Lesson Title
Long-Term Targets
Supporting Targets
Lesson 10

Analyzing a Firsthand Human Rights
Account for Connections to Specific
Articles of the UDHR

I can cite examples of where human rights were

upheld or challenged in Teaching Nepalis to
Read, Plant, and Vote.

(RI.5.3)
I can explain how specific articles of the UDHR

relate to this firsthand account.
Ongoing
Assessment
Annotated text of Teaching
Nepalis to Read, Plant, and Vote
(begun in Lesson 9, completed in
Lesson 10)
I can choose evidence from informational texts to

support analysis, reflection, and research. (RI.5.9)
Lesson 11
End of Unit 1 Assessment: OnDemand Analysis of a Human Rights

Account
I can explain what a text says using quotes from the

text. (RI.5.1)
(RI.5.3)
I can cite examples of where human rights were

upheld or challenged in From Kosovo to the
United States.
I can explain how specific articles of the UDHR
relate to this firsthand account.
End of Unit 1 Assessment: OnDemand Analysis of a Human

Rights Account (RI.5.1, RI.5.2,
RI.5.3, RI.5.9, and W.5.9)
I can choose evidence from informational texts to

support analysis, reflection, and research. (RI.5.9)
I can choose evidence from literary or informational
texts to support analysis, reflection and research.
(W.5.9)

Optional: Experts, Fieldwork, And Service

Experts: Invite members of local human rights organization(s), your principal, your assistant principal, or a school board member to come discuss human rights in
their daily work.
Fieldwork: As a class, visit a human rights organization headquarters, the United Nations, or a school board meeting.
Service: Work with a local human rights organization to share information or educate the public about human rights; create or revise the schools code of conduct.
Optional: Extensions
Art: Create visual representations of the UDHR.
Music: Write and perform a song about human rights.
Social Studies: Create a timeline of key events in the Western Hemisphere leading up to the creation of the UDHR; research/project on human rights heroes.

Recommended Texts
GRADE 5: MODULE 1: UNIT 1: RECOMMENDED TEXTS
Unit 1 builds students background about human rights and the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. The list below includes works with a range of Lexile
text measures on this topic. This provides appropriate independent reading for each
student to help build content knowledge. Note that districts and schools should
consider their own community standards when reviewing this list. Some texts in
particular units or modules address emotionally difficult content.
Where possible, materials in languages other than English are also provided. Texts
are categorized into three Lexile levels that correspond to Common Core Bands:
below-grade band, within band, and above-band. Note, however, that Lexile
measures are just one indicator of text complexity, and teachers must use their
professional judgment and consider qualitative factors as well. For more
information, see Appendix 1 of the Common Core State Standards.
It is imperative that students read a high volume of texts at their reading level in
order to continue to build the academic vocabulary and fluency that the CCLS
demand.
Common Core Band Level Text Difficulty Ranges:

(As provided in the NYSED Passage Selection Guidelines for Assessing CCSS ELA)
Grade 23: 420820L
Grade 45: 7401010L
Grade 68: 9251185L
Title
Author And Illustrator
Text Type
Lexile Measure
Lexile text measures band level (below 740L)

For Every Child: The Rights of the
Child in Words and Pictures
Caroline Castle (author)
Informational Text
510
I Have the Right to Be a Child
Alain Serres (author)

Aurlia Fronty (illustrator)
Helen Mixter (translator)
Informational Text
420
The Color of Home
Mary Hoffman (author), Karin

Littlewood (illustrator)
Literature
540
NYS Common Core ELA Curriculum G5:M1:U1: Recommended Texts May 2014
Title
Text Type
Lexile Measure
Lexile text measures within band level (7401010L)

Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the
Cultural Revolution
Ji-Li Jiang (author)
Biography
780
Ryan and Jimmy: And the Well in

Africa That Brought Them Together
Herb Shoveller (author)
Literature
810
Giant Steps to Change the World
Spike Lee and Tanya Lewis Lee

(authors), Sean Qualls (illustrator)
Informational Text
870
Shannen and the Dream for a School
Janet Wilson (author)
Informational Text
840
Stand Up, Speak Out: A Book about

Children's Rights
Selda Altun (editor)
Informational Text
850
The Girl from Chimel
Rigoberta Mench (author), Domi

(illustrator)
Literature
860
Our World of Water: Children and

Water around the World
Beatrice Hollyer (author)
Informational Text
890
Out of War: True Stories from the

Frontlines of the Childrens Movement
for Peace in Colombia
Sara Cameron (author) with UNICEF
Informational Text
910
Kids on Strike!
Susan Campbell Bartoletti (author)
Informational Text
920
Gandhi
Demi (author/illustrator)
Literature
980
Human Rights Activist: Victory over

Violence
Ellen Rodger (author)
Informational Text
1000
Title
Text Type
Lexile Measure
Lexile text measures above band level (over 1010L)

This Child, Every Child: A Book about the
Worlds Children
David J. Smith (author)

Shelagh Armstrong (illustrator)
Informational Text
1020
Free the Children: A Young Man Fights

against Child Labor and Proves That
Children Can Change the World
Craig Kielburger (author)
Informational Text
1020
We Are All Born Free: The Universal

Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures
Amnesty International (editor)
Informational Text
Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade

against Child Labor
Russell Freedman (author),

Lewis Hine (photographer)
Informational Text
www.unicef.org
UNICEF
Informational Text (Web site)
www.oxfam.ca
Oxfam
Informational Text (Web site)
www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
UNICEF
Informational Text
1140
Lexile is a trademark of MetaMetrics, Inc., and is registered in the United States and abroad. Copyright 2013 MetaMetrics.
Grade 5: Module 1: Unit 1: Lesson 1

Getting Ready To Learn About Human Rights:
Close Reading of Article 1 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
GRADE 5: MODULE 1: UNIT 1: LESSON 1

Getting Ready to Learn about Human Rights:
Close Reading of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
Long-Term Targets Addressed (Based on NYSP12 ELA CCLS)

I can summarize portions of a text when reading or listening to information being presented. (SL.5.2)
I can determine the meaning of content words or phrases in an informational text. (RI.4)
Supporting Learning Targets
Ongoing Assessment
I can follow our class norms when I participate in a discussion.
Human Rights Thinking Charts
I can determine words I know and words I dont know.
Exit ticket
I can summarize Article 1 of the UDHR.
Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
This opening series of lessons is designed to help students begin to think about what it means to read
closely and the many ways that good readers attempt to figure out word meanings. You may want to
carefully study the assessment in Lesson 5 to understand how to best use time in these opening lessons.
The goal in these opening lessons is not for students to fully understand the UDHR, but to begin to build
background knowledge about this important document while also gaining confidence with challenging
texts and word solving/learning strategies.
A. Engaging the Reader: Thinking about the Words

Human and Rights (10 minutes)
B. Check In (5 minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Text Structure: Scanning the UDHR (5 minutes)
B. Introducing Close Reading: Article 1 of the UDHR
(15 minutes)
C. Begin Close Reading Anchor Chart (10 minutes)
D. Return to Key Concept: Thinking about Human
Rights (10 minutes)
3. Closing and Assessment
A. Debrief (5 minutes)
4. Homework
Copyright 2013 by Expeditionary Learning, New York, NY. All Rights Reserved.
Students work with a UDHR note-catcher in this lesson. This note-catcher includes selected articles of
the UDHR and, in some instances, selected sections of a particular article (to focus students on the
concepts most relevant to this module).
You may want to ask students to keep a pocket folder in their desks or cubbies for this module. They will
receive many handouts that are used across multiple lessons.
Some vocabulary is not academic or domain-specific, and students may benefit from instruction or
review: fist, struggle, compliment, group.
This lesson includes many simple protocols and strategies that support collaborative work.
Review: Fist to Five, Write-Pair-Share, Say Something, and Gallery Walk (see Appendix).
Post: Learning targets.
NYS Common Core ELA Curriculum G5:M1:U1:L1 March 2014

Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
follow, participate, criteria, skills,

human rights, define, summarize,
primary source, United Nations,
dignity, equal, endowed, reason,
conscience, brotherhood
What are Human Rights anchor chart (new; teacher-created)

Close Readers Do These Things anchor charts (new; teacher-created)
Chart paper (one per group of four students)
Colored markers (one per group of four students)
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (one per student and one for display)
Document camera or interactive white board
UDHR Note-catcher (one per student)
Examples of Nonlinguistic Representations of Learning Target Vocabulary in this Lesson
Folders (one per student)
Sticky notes

Opening
Meeting Students Needs
A. Engaging the Reader: Thinking about the Words Human and Rights (10 minutes)
Make sure all learning targets are posted for students to see. Read the first learning target aloud:
* I can follow our class norms when I participate in a conversation.

Talk about the importance of learning targets: They help students know what they are expected to learn and do during a
lesson. Tell them you will be asking them to check in throughout the lesson about how they think they are doing with the
learning targets.
Underline or circle the word follow. Ask students to give you synonyms for that word and write these under or over the word
follow. Listen for: do what youre supposed to, obey. Repeat for participate (do, join in, be part of).
Consider letting struggling

students draw small pictures or
images that represent words. This
helps them process language even
when they cannot read the words.
Asking students what they think
they know encourages them to
stay open to new thinking.
Have a student read aloud the next learning target:
* I can define human rights.

Circle the word define. Explain what it means to define something: to describe what something means.
Place students in groups of four and give each group a large piece of chart paper and one colored marker. Have students write
the words Human and Rights in large letters either at the top or in the middle of their chart paper. Instruct students to talk
first, then to use just one color and write or draw the meanings of the words human and rights.
Remind students to pay close attention to the class norms as they work. As groups work, circulate and remind them of the
norms as needed.
Note: If you have not established class norms for group work, do so before continuing this lesson. Suggested norms include
look at and listen to the person speaking, take turns speaking so that everyone has a chance, respect each others ideas,
ask questions so that you understand each other.

Opening
B. Check In (5 minutes)
Consider partnering an ELL with

a student who speaks the same
home language when discussion
of complex content is required.
This can let students have more
meaningful discussions and
clarify points in their home
language.
After about 10 minutes, refocus students whole group. Use the Fist to Five strategy to have students rate how they did
attending to the first learning target. Ask students to indicate with their fist if they did not attend to the class norms at all, or
five fingers if they attended to all class norms consistently. They can choose to show one to four fingers to indicate that their
attention to norms was somewhere in between.
Then have students rate their group. If many ratings are below four, review the norms.
Modeling the strategy with your

own fingers gives students a
visual of what you are asking for.
Consider having a visual chart for
the meaning of each level of Fist
to Five.

Work Time
A. Text Structure: Scanning the UDHR (5 minutes)
When possible and beneficial,

provide text or materials in ELLs
home language. This can help
them understand materials
presented in English. Copies of
the UDHR in various languages
can be found at:
www.ohchr.org/EN/UDHR/Pages
/SearchByLang.aspx.
Distribute copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to each student and display it on a document camera or
interactive white board.
Say: This is a really cool primary source called the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, sometimes called the UDHR. We
will learn more about this document in the next few days. Look it over. What do you notice about the way this document is
structured or laid out on this page?
Do NOT explain the content of the text; simply give students a moment to get oriented and notice how the document is
structured.
If needed, tell your students what a primary source is. The Library of Congress describes primary sources as the raw
materials of history. They are original documents and objects that were created during a specific time period.
Ask students to turn and talk about what they notice about how this document is set up on the page. Call on a few to share
some of the things they have noticed. Highlight the areas that students point out, writing their thoughts in the margins of the
document. Listen for: introduction/preamble, numbered list, short paragraphs, etc.
Tell them that you will discuss how this text is set up, or the text structure, more throughout the unit.
Ask students if they noticed another way that the document identifies the numbered paragraphs. Listen for a student to point
out that there are 30 articles.
Say: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has 30 different articles, or specific sections. Each article identifies a
different right, or claim, about something that the people who wrote this document believe should be true for all human
beings. Over the next few days, we will be looking closely at some of these rights or claims.
Write on your interactive white board or document camera: Articles in the UDHR are claims about things that the authors of
this document believe should be true for all human beings.

Work Time
B. Introducing Close Reading: Article 1 of the UDHR (20 minutes)
Narrowing the number of questions

students focus on helps those who
have difficulty processing and
transferring a lot of language at
once.
Ask students to turn and talk about what claims they think the authors of the UDHR might make about things that should be
true for all human beings.
Invite a spokesperson for each group to share their initial ideas. They might suggest things like: right to safety, right to
travel, etc. Let this list be emergent at this point; students will have several weeks to delve into this.
Have students store their copies of the complete UDHR in their folders.
Distribute and display the UDHR Note-catcher. Ask students to share what they notice about the note-catcher. Listen for:
There are four boxes, Some of the articles from the primary source are listed here, There is a row for each article,
There are bolded words in the article, etc. Tell students they will work on understanding some of the articles from the
UDHR with this note-catcher.
Read Article 1 aloud twice, with students following along (this promotes fluency). Do not explain the text.
Have students think silently, and then turn and tell a partner what they think this first article might mean. Ask them to share
their thinking with the class.
Ask students to talk to their partners about the words they know and the words they dont know from the first article. Ask
them to circle words they arent sure of. They will likely circle dignity, endowed, and conscience.
See if any students know these words. If not, since these words are difficult to determine from context, tell them the meaning
of these words. Write simple definitions on the interactive white board or document camera:
dignity = the state of being valued and worthy of respect
Increase interactions with

vocabulary in context. This
increases the rate of vocabulary
acquisition for ELLs.
Allowing students who struggle with
language to just contribute to the
discussion orally or providing a
scribe for them to dictate to ensures
they are active participants.
Multiple means of representation,
such as drawing, is a principle of
Universal Design for Learning that
helps more students engage more
fully with the content.
endowed = given
conscience = an inner sense of right and wrong
If students circle brotherhood, prompt them to try to figure out the meaning from context:
* We know what brothers aretwo boys with the same parents. Have you heard other meanings of the word brother,
though?
* Have you heard groups of people called brothers? When? Why? So what might a brotherhood be?
Tell students that to understand difficult text, good readers almost always have to read it more than once, especially after
they have learned more about the words in the text.

Work Time (continued)
Ask students to reread just the first sentence of Article 1, focusing on words or phrases that might help them determine what
claim the authors of the UDHR are making about what should be true for all people. Have students underline no more than
two or three pivotal words and share them with a partner. Ask a few students to share and have class members give a
thumbs-up if they chose the same word(s).
Invite a student who underlined the phrase born free and equal to explain why he or she chose that phrase. Listen for a
response such as: This makes me think that everyone is equal when they are born. Equal means we should be treated with
the same respect and have the same rights.
Tell students to read and talk about Article 1 again, looking for and thinking about words that may help them determine the
right that the article is referring to.
Have students reread the entire article aloud, inserting the synonyms/phrases that you put on the displayed copy above or
below the original words on their note-catcher.
Ask students if they feel more certain about the first right the authors of the UDHR believe all people should have. Ask them
to try to say the meaning of this first article in their own words in the second column of the note-catcher.
Ask students to picture in their mind what it would look like if Article 1 was turned into a picture. Have a student share his or
her visualization. (For example, a student might visualize people holding hands in brotherhood or draw two or more people
with an = sign in front of them to show that all people are equal.)
Invite students to share their visualization with a partner and then sketch that image in the third column. Their drawing will
help them remember what Article 1 refers to. Tell them it does not matter how good their sketch is; the drawing will help
them remember the main meaning.
Repeat the process for the fourth column of the note-catcher, visualizing what breaking the promise of Article 1 might look
like. Have students store the note-catchers in their folders.

Work Time
C. Begin Close Reading Anchor Chart (10 minutes)
On anchor charts for processes like

close reading, include question
words with nonlinguistic
representations (e.g., book for read,
magnifying glass for closely) and a
question frame: What is she
doing? Examples of possible
nonlinguistic symbols can be found
at the end of this lesson.
Say: The process we just went through is called close reading. There are lots of different ways to read closely, but the main
point is to figure out specific words and read more than once to get a deeper understanding of a hard text. We probably still
dont fully understand Article 1 of the UDHR, which is fine. But lets review the steps we took to read this challenging text.
Begin a Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart. Students will refer to this throughout the module. Have students list
aloud the steps they used to closely read Article 1. Write their comments on the chart. (Note that close reading typically
involves reading more than once but can happen in a variety of ways; do not get rigid about specific steps. Your students
understanding of and fluency with close reading will evolve over the year.)
Make sure that students have included the following:
1. Read the text slowly at least twice.
2. Circle words you arent sure of and try to figure them out.
3. Reread, annotate, and underline key vocabulary.
4. Talk to each other about what you think it means.
5. Read to summarize or answer specific questions.
Tell students that today, with Article 1, they answered questions by drawing what the promise kept and promise broken
might look like. With different texts, they will consider different strategies. But almost always, they will read, reread, think,
talk, and write.
Point out that often in class, they will use specific note-catchers to help them record their thinking while reading closely. For
the next eight weeks, they will repeatedly come back to the four-column UDHR note-catcher, paraphrasing different articles
of the UDHR and visualizing what it means for that promise to be kept or broken.

Work Time
D. Return to Key Concept: Thinking about Human Rights (10 minutes)
All students developing academic

language will benefit from direct
instruction of academic vocabulary.
Ask students to return to the chart they started where they wrote about the words human and rights. Ask them to think
now about the phrase human rights. They should think and talk about all that they read and talked about today. Say: We
learned about one thing that the authors of the UDHR claim should be true for all people, a right. Why do you think they
needed to write a document like this? Why should we pay attention to human rights? Write your ideas on your chart.
Students who need additional

supports may benefit from partially
filled-in graphic organizers. An
example can be found at the end of
this lesson.
Closing and Assessment
Providing the learning targets

written individually for students
who have difficulty processing
information on the board allows
them to stay focused. An example
can be found at the end of this
lesson.
Using the Fist to Five strategy, ask students to rate themselves on meeting each learning target: following class norms during
discussions, identifying words they know and dont know, and putting Article 1 of the UDHR in their own words.
Ask students to complete an exit ticket on a sticky note:
The authors of the UDHR claim that all people are

Collect this to check on students thinking.
Students can share in triads or with

partners if you have many students
for whom sharing out in front of
everyone is difficult.
Providing a sentence stem already
written on the sticky note allows
students who have difficulty writing
to participate in a timely fashion.

Homework
Choose an independent reading book related to the topic of this unit (see recommended texts).
Students who cannot yet read

independently will benefit from
hearing books read to them, either
by a caregiver or through audio
recording, In addition, the site
www.novelnewyork.org has a free,
searchable database of contentrelated texts that can be played as
audio files on a home or library
computer. Texts on this Web site
can also be translated into many
languages. Use the database to
provide at-home reading of related
texts to ELLs and their families in
their native languages.
Note: Each unit in this module is accompanied by an extensive list of books at a variety of reading levels. Students should use
the library to obtain book(s) about the topics under study at their independent reading level. These books should be used in a
variety of ways: as independent and partner reading in the classroom whenever time allows, as read-alouds by the teacher
to entice students into new books, and as an ongoing homework expectation.
10

Supporting Materials

Universal Declaration of Human Rights
All human beings are born with equal and inalienable rights and fundamental freedoms.
The United Nations is committed to upholding, promoting and protecting the human rights of
every individual. This commitment stems from the United Nations Charter, which reaffirms the
faith of the peoples of the world in fundamental human rights and in the dignity and worth of the
human person.
In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations has stated in clear and simple
terms the rights which belong equally to every person.
These rights belong to you.
They are your rights. Familiarize yourself with them. Help to promote and defend them for
yourself as well as for your fellow human beings.
Adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948
12

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity

and of the equal and inalienable rights of all
members of the human family is the
foundation of freedom, justice and peace in
the world,
Whereas disregard and contempt for human
rights have resulted in barbarous acts which
have outraged the conscience of mankind, and
the advent of a world in which human beings
shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and
freedom from fear and want has been
proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the
common people,
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be
compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to
rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that
human rights should be protected by the rule
of law,
Whereas it is essential to promote the
development of friendly relations between
nations,
Whereas the peoples of the United Nations
have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in
fundamental human rights, in the dignity and
worth of the human person and in the equal
rights of men and women and have
determined to promote social progress and

better standards of life in larger freedom,
Whereas Member States have pledged
themselves to achieve, in co-operation with
the United Nations, the promotion of
universal respect for and observance of human
rights and fundamental freedoms,
Whereas a common understanding of these
rights and freedoms is of the greatest
importance for the full realization of this
pledge,
Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION
OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard
of achievement for all peoples and all nations,
to the end that every individual and every
organ of society, keeping this Declaration
constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching
and education to promote respect for these
rights and freedoms and by progressive
measures, national and international, to
secure their universal and effective
recognition and observance, both among the
peoples of Member States themselves and
among the peoples of territories under their
jurisdiction.
13

Article 1.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and
conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Article 2.
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of
any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social
origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the
political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs,
whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
Article 3.
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
Article 4.
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their
forms.
Article 5.
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Article 6.
Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
Article 7.
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law.
All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and
against any incitement to such discrimination.
Article 8.
Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating
the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.
Article 9.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
14

Article 10.
Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial
tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.
Article 11.
(1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty
according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
(2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not
constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed.
Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence
was committed.
Article 12.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence,
nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law
against such interference or attacks.
Article 13.
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
Article 14.
(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political
crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
Article 15.
(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his
nationality.
Article 16.
(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the
right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage
and at its dissolution.
(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by
society and the State.
15

Article 17.
(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.
Article 18.
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to
change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or
private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Article 19.
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold
opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any
media and regardless of frontiers.
Article 20.
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
(2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association
Article 21.
(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely
chosen representatives.
(2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.
(3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed
in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by
secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.
Article 22.
Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization,
through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and
resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and
the free development of his personality.
16

Article 23.
(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of
work and to protection against unemployment.
(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
(3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and
his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of
social protection.
(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.
Article 24.
Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and
periodic holidays with pay.
Article 25.
(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself
and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services,
and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or
other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born
in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.
Article 26.
(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and
fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education
shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of
merit.
(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the
strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote
understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall
further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
Article 27.
(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts
and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
(2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any
scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.
17

Article 28.
Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in
this Declaration can be fully realized.
Article 29.
(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his
personality is possible.
(2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are
determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and
freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general
welfare in a democratic society.
(3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of
the United Nations.
Article 30.
Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to
engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms
set forth herein.
United Nations Department of Public Information

For more information
www.ohchr.org/english/issues/education/training/udhr.htm www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/
humanrights/index.asp
United Nations. Dept. of Public Information.Universal Declaration of Human Rights. United Nations, n.d. Web. 1 April 2014.
18

UDHR Note-catcher
Article
Paraphrase or
Summary
(in your own words)
Sketch:
An example of
keeping the promise
of this Article
(Draw what it looks
like.)
Sketch:
An example of
breaking the promise
of this Article
(Draw what is does
NOT look like.)
Article 1
All human beings are
born free and equal in
dignity and rights.
They are endowed with
reason and conscience
and should act towards
one another in a spirit
of brotherhood.
Article 2
Everyone is entitled to
all the rights and
freedoms set forth in
this Declaration,
without distinction of
any kind, such as race,
colour, sex, language,
religion, political or
other opinion, national
or social origin,
property, birth, or
other status.
19

UDHR Note-catcher
Article
Paraphrase or
Summary
(in your own words)
Sketch:
An example of
keeping the promise
of this Article
(Draw what it looks
like.)
Sketch:
An example of
of this Article
(Draw what is does
NOT look like.)
Article 3
Everyone has the right
to life, liberty, and
security of person.
20

UDHR Note-catcher
Article
Paraphrase or
Summary
(in your own words)
Sketch:
An example of
keeping the promise
of this Article
(Draw what it looks
like.)
Sketch:
An example of
of this Article
(Draw what is does
NOT look like.)
Article 6
Everyone has the right
to recognition
everywhere as a person
before the law.
Article 14
(1) Everyone has the
right to seek and to
enjoy in other countries
asylum from
persecution.
21

UDHR Note-catcher
Article
Paraphrase or
Summary
(in your own words)
Sketch:
An example of
keeping the promise
of this Article
(Draw what it looks
like.)
Sketch:
An example of
of this Article
(Draw what is does
NOT look like.)
Article 16
(1) Men and women of
full age, without any
limitation due to race,
nationality, or religion,
have the right to marry
and to found a family.
They are entitled to
equal rights as to
marriage, during
marriage, and at its
dissolution.
(2) Marriage shall be
entered into only with
the free and full
consent of the
intending spouses.
22

UDHR Note-catcher
Article
Paraphrase or
Summary
(in your own words)
Sketch:
An example of keeping
the promise of this
Article
(Draw what it looks
like.)
Sketch:
An example of
of this Article
(Draw what is does
NOT look like.)
Article 17
right to own property
alone as well as in
association with others.
(2) No one shall be
arbitrarily deprived of
his property.
Article 20
right to freedom of
peaceful assembly and
association.
23

UDHR Note-catcher
Article
Paraphrase or
Summary
(in your own words)
Sketch:
An example of
keeping the promise
of this Article
(Draw what it looks
like.)
Sketch:
An example of
of this Article
(Draw what is does
NOT look like.)
Article 23
right to work, to free
choice of employment,
to just and favourable
conditions of work, and
to protection against
unemployment.
(2) Everyone, without
any discrimination, has
the right to equal pay
for equal work.
(3) Everyone who
works has the right to
just and favourable
remuneration ensuring
for himself and his
family an existence
worthy of human
dignity.
24

UDHR Note-catcher
Article
Paraphrase or
Summary
(in your own words)
Sketch:
An example of
keeping the promise
of this Article
(Draw what it looks
like.)
Sketch:
An example of
of this Article
(Draw what is does
NOT look like.)
Article 25
right to a standard of
living adequate for the
health and well-being
of himself and of his
family, including food,
clothing, housing, and
medical care and
necessary social
services, and the right
to security in the event
of unemployment,
sickness, disability,
widowhood, old age, or
other lack of livelihood
in circumstances
beyond his control.
25

UDHR Note-catcher
Article
Paraphrase or
Summary
(in your own words)
Sketch:
An example of
keeping the promise
of this Article
(Draw what it looks
like.)
Sketch:
An example of
of this Article
(Draw what is does
NOT look like.)
Article 26
right to an education.
Education shall be free,
at least in the
elementary and
fundamental stages.
Elementary education
shall be compulsory.
Technical and
professional education
shall be made available,
and higher education
shall be equally
accessible to all on the
basis of merit.
26

Examples of Nonlinguistic Representations of Learning Target
Vocabulary in This Lesson
Closely
Participate
Follow
Read
CLOSELY: Image Copyright Zurijeta, 2013. Used under license from Shutterstock.com.
FOLLOW: Image Copyright Ewa Studio, 2013. Used under license from Shutterstock.com.
PARTICIPATE: Image Copyright Stefano Lunardi, 2013. Used under license from Shutterstock.com.
READ: Image Copyright Thai Soriano, 2013. Used under license from Shutterstock.com.
Copyright holders as indicated above. Used by permission and not subject

to Creative Commons license.
27

Building Background: A Short History of Human
Rights

Building Background:
A Short History of Human Rights

I can determine the main idea(s) of an informational text based on key details. (RI.5.2)
I can explain important connections between people, events, or ideas in an informational text accurately. (RI.5.3)
Ongoing Assessment
I can use text and visual images to help me understand human rights.
Group anchor charts
I can follow our class norms when I participate in a conversation.
Annotated texts
I can explain some of the main events that relate to the history of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (UDHR) by making a human timeline with my peers.
Student journals
Exit tickets
Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
In advance: Display the learning targets on the board, chart paper, or a document
camera. Cut one copy of the Short History of Human Rights handout into eight
sentence strips; students will work in small groups during Part B of Work Time (one
strip per small group).
A. Engaging the Reader: Revisiting the Meaning of Human Rights (5

minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Viewing and Discussing UNICEF Video For Every Child (10
minutes)
Review: Write-Pair-Share and Gallery Walk protocols (see Appendix 1).

B. A Short History of Human Rights: Key Events (15 minutes)

C. Constructing a Human Timeline (20 minutes)
A. Routine Writing: What Did the Authors of the UDHR Believe? (10
minutes)
4. Homework

Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
visual, relate, timeline, chronological,

excluded, conflict, constitution,
throughout
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (from Lesson 1)

Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (begun in Lesson 1)
A Short History of the UDHR: Complete Version (one per student)
A Short History of the UDHR Sentence Strips (one copy cut into eight strips)
Computer and projector (to show video)
UNICEF video For Every Child
(2010; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmy9MpwyKnQ&noredirect=1)
Please bear in mind that Youtube, social media video sites, and other website links may incorporate inappropriate content
via comment banks and ads. While some lessons include these links as the most efficient means to view content in
preparation for the lesson, be sure to preview links, and/or use a filter service, such as www.safeshare.tv, for actually viewing
these links in the classroom.
Scrap paper
2 pieces of paper; one titled A Long Time Ago, and the other titled Now (to post during Work Time)
Chart paper
Markers
What are Human Rights anchor charts (from Lesson 1; created by students in small groups)

Opening
A. Engaging the Reader: Revisiting the Meaning of Human Rights (5 minutes)

Say to students:
Provide nonlinguistic symbols

(e.g., a question mark for question,
a pen for record, a magnifying
glass for clarifying) to assist ELLs
and other struggling readers in
making connections with
vocabulary. These symbols can be
used in directions and learning
targets throughout the year.
* Today we are going to continue our discussion of human rights that we started yesterday.
Read the learning target aloud:
* I can follow our class norms when I participate in a conversation.

Ask students to name something that helps conversations go well. Encourage them to pay attention to that as they work
together today.
Read aloud the next two learning targets. Focus on the first target, and specifically the word visual. Ask:
* Does the word visual remind you of any other word you know?
If students dont bring up vision, offer it. Ask:
* Do you think vision and visual are similar in meaning? If so, whats a visual image?
Focus students on the third target. Have a similar conversation about the words relate and relationship.
Ask students to revisit the charts they wrote at the end of Lesson 1. Remind them that their understanding of this important
concept will continue to grow the more they read, talk, and write about it over the course of the next several weeks.
If groups are having trouble taking

turns listening to each other, they
can be provided a sharing object
to pass that indicates whose turn it
is, or they can be timed to give all
students an equal opportunity.
Ask them to briefly consider:
* What additional human rights might the authors of the UDHR want all people to have?
Invite them to talk with a partner, but do not discuss it as a class at this point.

Work Time
A. Viewing and Discussing UNICEF Video For Every Child (10 minutes)
Provide ELLs bilingual word-forword translation dictionaries or

online translation sources such as
Google Translate to assist with
comprehension. ELLs should be
familiar with how to use glossaries
or dictionaries. These are an
accommodation provided to ELLs
on NY State assessments.
For this portion of the lesson, students will need a piece of scrap paper and something to write with. They should be seated
in eight small, heterogeneous groups.
Ask students to listen as you read the first sentence of the UDHR aloud: All humans are born free in dignity and rights.
Tell them that today, they will keep thinking about what this sentence means and also learn more about the history of the
UDHR.
Tell students that they will now watch a 4-minute video made by UNICEF. Ask if anyone is familiar with this organization. If
not, tell students briefly that UNICEF was created after World War II by the United Nations to take care of children who were
sick or hungry. Today they will learn more about the United Nations (UN).
Set purpose for watching the video. Remind students that yesterday, they tried to visualize what it might look like for Article 1
to be true for all human beings. Ask students to pay attention to the images, thinking about one specific image that they think
really conveys the meaning of Article 1 that the authors of the UDHR intended.
Point out that there are few words on this video, and they go by quickly. For the purpose of this activity, students should focus
on the images and how they relate to Article 1 of the UDHR or the bigger idea of human rights.
When playing videos, use the

English subtitles if available.
Providing a visual can assist ELLs
and other struggling learners in
understanding the content of the
video.
Play the 4-minute UNICEF video For Every Child (2010).

When the video is finished, give students a minute to think silently about what image they thought represented the meaning
of Article 1. Invite students to write their response, then share with a partner.

Work Time
B. A Short History of Human Rights: Key Events (15 minutes)
Consider partnering an ELL with a

student who speaks the same home
language when discussion of
complex content is required. This
can let students have more
meaningful discussions and clarify
points in their home language.
Tell students that they probably have many questions about the UDHR. Model a question if necessary. Ask students to
Think-Pair-Share about some of their questions. Invite a few to share out. Chart their questions but do not give answers at
this point. The goal is to build curiosity.
Listen for a question about the history of the UDHR and tell students that this is what they will focus on today:
* Where did this document come from?

* Why was it written?
* Who wrote it?
* When?
Revisit the third learning target:
* I can explain some of the main events that relate to the history of the UDHR by making a human timeline with my
peers.
Ask students to write down their understanding of the word timeline and then share their ideas with a partner. Define as
necessary: a visual to show the order in which things happened, which is also called chronological order. To illustrate this
concept, draw an image of a timeline on the board and give students an accessible example (such as a timeline about their
lives: birth, starting school, to fifth grade).
Tell students that when readers study a historical document, it is often important to understand when it was written and
what events led up to it. That is what they will do today with the UDHR.
Tell students that they will now work in their small group on one short piece of text. Their job will be to help each other
understand each piece of text and figure out as a class how they all go together to help us understand the history of the
UDHR.
Tell students that in their small groups, they should do things that close readers do. Reorient them to the Close Readers
Do These Things anchor chart (from Lesson 1):

1. Read the text slowly at least twice.

2. Circle words you arent sure of and try to figure them out.
4. Talk with each other about what you think it means.
Read again to summarize or answer specific questions.
Give each group one of the A Short History of the UDHR sentence strips and ask them to read closely with their
group and try to put the words on their strip in their own words. Each group should have their own words written down on
scrap paper so they can share later.
Ask them to dive in. Give students 5 to 10 minutes to work with their group, being sure they are working to try to put the
sections into their own words. As groups work, circulate to listen in and support as needed. As they are working, post two
pieces of paper on opposite sides of the room, one labeled A Long Time Ago and the other labeled Now.

Work Time
C. Constructing a Human Timeline (20 minutes)
If necessary, have students first

practice making a human timeline
based on an easy topic: their
birthdays. Ask students to get in
order based on their birthdays:
January birthdays go to one side of
the room, and then students get in
order next to them: February,
March, April, etc.
When groups are finished, ask all students to stand. They should stay with their peers who read the same sentence strip.
Tell students that they are now going to create a human timeline to show the order of events that led up to the UDHR being
written, and some events that happened after it was written.
Direct students attention to the two pieces of paper, A Long Time Ago and Now. Tell them that their job will be to figure
out where to stand based on the information they read.
Invite one group to model:
* Who read information about events that happened a long time ago?
Listen for the group that read about the Golden Rule or the U.S. Bill of Rights to volunteer. Ask them to read their sentence
out loud to the class. Then ask them to bring their sentence strips and the version they wrote in their own words with them
and go stand by the paper that says A Long Time Ago.
Check for understanding; be sure students are clear that they need to locate themselves physically into eight clumps based
on the sequence of the eight events the class has information about. Tell students to proceed and remind them to be
respectful as they move about the classroom, keeping their voices down and their bodies to themselves. But they will need to
talk with each other to try to figure out the right order of events.
Allow 5 minutes for the groups to get into the correct spots on the timeline.
Distribute A Short History of the UDHR (the complete version, with all eight sections) to each student. Starting with
the group that had the passage about the Golden Rule, invite someone from each group to read their sentence strip aloud
and then say the version they wrote in their own words. Encourage the class to listen and follow along on the handout.
Let students know that in a minute, they will have time to talk in pairs about a few of these events. They are not expected to
remember them all right now.
After each group has read, ask students to return to their seats. Ask:
* What words helped you figure out the order of events?

Listen for students to point out key academic vocabulary, specifically transitional phrases such as throughout, in, during,
and after.
Ask students to underline these words in their text. Emphasize how important it is for readers to pay attention to these
signals, particularly when reading about history.

A. Routine Writing: What Did the Authors of the UDHR Believe? (10 minutes)
Consider providing sentence stems

or starters or allowing students to
draw their observations, ideas, or
notes when appropriate. This allows
ELLs to participate in a meaningful
way.
Post the following prompt:
* The authors of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights wanted to be sure that some events never happened again.
Which events? Why? Use specific details from the text in your answer.
Allow students about 5 minutes to write.
Then ask them to share their writing with a neighbor.
Homework
Reread A Short History of the UDHR. Make some notes in the margins about what you now understand and any questions
you still have. Tell someone at home about the history of the UDHR. See if you can figure out why people in New York feel a
special connection to the UDHR and the United Nations. Bring your copy of A Short History of the UDHR to class
tomorrow.


A Short History of the UDHR Sentence Strips
(Instructions to Teacher: Cut this page into eight strips, one for each short excerpt. Give one strip to
each small group during Work Time, Part B. Later, give students each a full copy of this page.)
Throughout history, most societies have had traditions such as the golden rule. This means Do unto
others as you would have them do unto you.
The U.S. Bill of Rights came into effect in 1791 but excluded (did not apply to) women, people of color,
and members of certain social, religious, economic, and political groups.
In 1919, the International Labor Organization (ILO) was formed to protect workers to be sure they
stayed healthy and safe. But this organization didnt last.
During World War II (in the 1930s and 1940s), millions of people were killed by the Nazis. These
included Jews, gypsies, and people with disabilities.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave a speech in 1941 about his vision, or dream, for the world.
He said that everyone should have four freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom
from want (being hungry), and freedom from fear.
In 1945, after World War II, governments decided to start the United Nations. The goal of the United
Nations (UN) was to foster peace and stop conflict, or fighting between countries, around the world.
10

A Short History of the UDHR Sentence Strips
In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was written by people belonging to the United
Nations. Fifty-six nations that belonged to the United Nations agreed to follow the ideas in this
document.
Today, more than 185 nations around the world have taken the ideas from the UDHR and put them in
their own constitutions. (Constitutions are the rules and laws of a country.)
1Written
by Expeditionary Learning for instructional purposes (2012). Adapted from Web site: Human Rights Here and Now, edited by Nancy Flowers (University
of Minnesota Human Rights Resource Center); web content was originally adapted from David Shiman, Teaching Human Rights (Denver: Center for Teaching
International Relations Publications, University of Denver, 1993): 67; ISBN-13: 978-0-9438-0479-8.
www1.umn.edu/humanrts/edumat/hreduseries/hereandnow/Part-1/short-history.htm (last accessed August 6, 2012).
11

A Short History of the UDHR:
Complete Version
Throughout history, most societies have had traditions such as the Golden Rule. This means Do unto
others as you would have them do unto you.
The U.S. Bill of Rights came into effect in 1791 but excluded (did not apply to) women, people of color,
and members of certain social, religious, economic, and political groups.
In 1919, the International Labor Organization (ILO) was formed to protect workers to be sure they
stayed healthy and safe. But this organization didnt last.
During World War II (in the 1930s and 1940s), millions of people were killed by the Nazis. These
people included Jews, gypsies, and people with disabilities.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave a speech in 1941 about his vision, or dream, for the world.
He said that everyone should have four freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom
from want (being hungry), and freedom from fear.
In 1945, after World War II, governments decided to start the United Nations. The goal of the United
Nations (UN) was to foster peace and stop conflict, or fighting between countries, around the world.
In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was written by people belonging to the United
Nations. Fifty-six nations that belonged to the United Nations agreed to follow the ideas in this
document.
Today, more than 185 nations around the world have taken the ideas from the UDHR and put them in
their own constitutions. (Constitutions are the rules and laws of a country.)
12

Vocabulary: Human Rights

Vocabulary:
Human Rights

I can use a variety of strategies to read grade-appropriate words and phrases I dont know. (RL.5.4)
I can determine the meaning of academic words or phrases in an informational text. (RI.5.4)
I can determine the meaning of content words or phrases in an informational text. (RI.5.4)
Ongoing Assessment
I can use context clues to help me determine the meaning of words.
Students annotated copies of A Short History of the

UDHR (homework from Lesson 2)
I can draw visuals to represent human rights vocabulary words.

I can write to help me deepen my understanding about human rights.
Students annotated texts Background on the UDHR

Vocabulary sketches (on flash cards)
Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
For Work Time, the focus is on how to make and use flash cards. Thus, dictionary work is omitted in the
interest of time. The teacher asks students if they know definitions of a few key words that are hard to
figure out in context, and then provides definitions. In other lessons, it is certainly appropriate to have
students use a good juvenile dictionary or CoBuild, an online student-friendly dictionary.
A. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

B. Engaging the Reader: Background on the UDHR
(10 minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Rereading, Using Context Clues to Determine Word
Meaning, and Making Vocabulary Flash Cards
(35 minutes)
Some students may benefit from instruction or review of these words: use, experiment, draw.
The text Background on the UDHR is just one short paragraph taken from a Web site. See supporting
materials for specific directions about how to locate this specific paragraph on the more comprehensive
Web site. Students will need access to just the first paragraph from the section titled The Universal
Declaration of Human Rights at this Web site.
Review: Think-Pair-Share protocol (see Appendix).
A. Routine Writing (10 minutes)

4. Homework

Vocabulary:
Human Rights
Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
draw, deepen, context, human rights,

vocabulary, visual, meaningful,
dignity, endowed, conscience,
articulated, horrific, amid, grinding,
sought, aspirations, entitled
A Short History of the UDHR: Complete Version (from Lesson 2)

Background on the UDHR (one per student)
Introduction to the UDHR (from Lesson 1)
Index cards
Markers or colored pencils
Plastic zip bags (quart size)
Opening
A. Reviewing the Learning Targets (5 minutes)
Consider providing nonlinguistic

symbols (e.g., a stick figure person
for human, a magnifying glass for
clues, a pencil for write) to assist
ELLs in making connections with
vocabulary. These symbols can be
used throughout the year.
Remind students that they have begun to discuss the concept of human rights.
Say: Human rights is a big idea. There are a lot of words and concepts we dont know or understand associated with this
concept. Today we will take a deeper look at words that will help us understand more about human rights. We will do this by
practicing ways to figure out what new words mean.
Ask a few students to read aloud the posted learning targets one at a time. Have the class think about which words are
common to all three learning targets. Circle or underline their responses.
Say: When words are repeated, that often indicates that they are important. Words about human rights are what today is all
about.
Using the Think-Pair-Share protocol, have students identify the verbs in each learning target: what they will be doing with
the words. Choose a few partners to share out.
Underline or circle the words draw, use, deepen. Choose a student to pantomime drawing something. Repeat with use and
deepen. (Since use and deepen are more abstract concepts, ask students for and write synonyms underneath or above these
words.)

Vocabulary:
Human Rights
Opening
B. Engaging the Reader: Background on the UDHR (10 minutes)

familiar with how to use glossaries
or dictionaries. These are an
accommodation provided to ELLs
on NY State assessments.
Remind students that during Lesson 2, they learned some basic information about when the UDHR was written and why.
Ask them to refer to their copies of A Short History of the UDHR: Complete Version. Invite them to turn and talk with a
partner about one thing they remember from what they read or talked about.
Explain that today they are going to look at another short text about the history of the UDHR. They will work hard to figure
out what it means, focusing in on important words.
Distribute the new excerpt: Background on the UDHR (see supporting materials).
Read the text aloud slowly as students follow along. Then ask students to reread the text on their own, thinking about the
main idea. Ask them to turn and talk with a partner about what they understand and what words or phrases still confuse
them. Invite a few students to share out, focusing on the words and phrases they dont understand.
Today, they will focus on some ways to learn and figure out hard vocabulary. This will help them not only as they are
learning about human rights, but any time they read challenging text.

language when discussion of
complex content is required. This
can let students have more
points in their home language.

Vocabulary:
Human Rights
Work Time
A. Rereading, Using Context Clues to Determine Word Meaning, and Making Vocabulary Flash Cards (35
minutes)
Distribute several index cards to each student. Have the UDHR note-catchers from Lesson 1 close at hand, since students
will need them about halfway through Work Time.
Use vocabulary learning strategies

to support all learners: prefixes,
root words, suffixes, cognates, and
context.
Say: There are a lot of really hard words in the very short piece of text I just read out loud. We are going to practice finding
the meaning of new vocabulary words just from whats around them or from the meaning of what you are reading about, or
the context. Its important to be able to figure out words from context because it slows you down a lot as a reader if you
have to stop and look up everything in a dictionary.
Students who have an above-gradelevel vocabulary can add a sentence

with the new vocabulary word in
context.
Ask students to read the short excerpt Background on the UDHR for a third time, silently looking for new words that help
them understand what human rights are or that might help them if they knew what they meant. Students should underline
these words and share them with a partner.
Allowing ELLs to use a bilingual

dictionary or translator may assist
them in understanding some words.
Reread the first sentence aloud. Ask a student to share a word he or she underlined. Listen for words and phrases that will
help students understand human rights, such as: human family and articulated.
Working with two to three words at

a time allows students who struggle
with language to gradually increase
their vocabulary.
Say: Sometimes we are able to find the meaning of new words from the clues around the word. Sometimes you have to read
the sentences before and after the one where the new word is.
Using articulated, show students how to go back to the text and reread the sentence, looking for words around the new one
that could help them to determine the meaning.
Say: First you have to figure out what part of speech the word is, because it tells us what that word is referring to.
Articulated is a verb, a doing word. What thing was articulated?
Take suggestions from students. Listen for someone to suggest rights or the UDHR. Say:
* Yes, it has something to do with the rights and the UDHR. So, what could have happened with the rights in 1948?
Again, take suggestions from the students and look for answers such as: they were thought of or someone wrote them
down. Say: Good! You are using context clues to make logical inferences about what articulated means. It means clearly
stated or said.
Model and have students write that synonym above or below the word articulated in the paragraph.

Vocabulary:
Human Rights
Then have students write the word articulated on an index card and the synonym (clearly stated) on the back of the same
index card. Tell them they have just started flash cards that they can use to study and learn new words. Tell them their
brains remember words better when they have pictures to remind them of the meaning.
Increased interactions with

vocabulary in context increase the
rate of vocabulary acquisition for
ELLs.
Now have students visualize the word articulated in their minds and draw a picture of their visualization on the same side as
the synonym.
Ask:
* Which other words in this text would be most important to help us know more about human rights and the UDHR?
Call on a few students to share their thoughts aloud. Students likely will mention the following; if not, probe. As they name
these words, help them think aloud about the meaning of each one using context. As you and they arrive at a definition, list it
on an interactive white board or document camera:
ELL language acquisition is

facilitated by interacting with native
speakers of English who provide
models of language.
horrific = terrible
amid = with or in
grinding = really bad or intense
sought (past tense of the verb to seek) = looked, wanted to
aspirations = positive wishes for the future; positive goals (since it is in a list with hopes)
entitled = deserves
Then tell students that they are going to make flash cards for a few important words from Article 1 of the UDHR.
Ask students to look at their copy of the Introduction to the UDHR.
Focus first on the word dignity. Point out to students that some words are hard to figure out from context. Sometimes you
just need to be told the definition, or look it up in a dictionary.
Have students write the word on one side of an index card. Ask students to think, then talk with a partner, about the word.
Does one person in the pair remember or have written down what dignity means from Lesson 1?
Ask a volunteer to share out a synonym if some students are struggling. Listen for responses like: respect or worth. If no
students can come up with a synonym, provide the class with the definition that you provided in Lesson 1: the state of being
valued and worthy of respect.

Vocabulary:
Human Rights
Have students turn the card over and write the synonym. Next to their synonym, have students draw a picture to represent
that word.
Place students in triads to do the same with their remaining words from Article 1, including:
endowed = given
conscience = an inner sense of right and wrong
If there is time, ask students to make flash cards for the rest of the words you have listed on the board. Circulate among the
groups, noting if you need to call the class back together to help with any particularly difficult words.
For each word, choose a student who has done the task correctly to replicate her or his card on the board. Explain to
students that they will be adding to their set almost daily as they study human rights.
Ask students to talk about words they figured out from context versus the words they needed you to help them define. Ask:
* How does a reader know when he is stuck and cant get a word from context?
Ask students to store their flash cards in a baggie. Ask them to finish (for homework) the drawings on any cards they did
not complete during class.
Collect or ask students to put away their UDHR note-catchers and A Short History of the UDHR for further use.

Vocabulary:
Human Rights
A. Routine Writing: (10 minutes)
Consider allowing struggling

students to draw their observations,
ideas, or notes when appropriate.
Read aloud the learning targets. Ask students to rank themselves, using the Fist to Five strategy, on the first target:
* I can use context clues to help me determine the meaning of words.

Ask students to write on their Background on the UDHR text:
* The first time I read this, I thought But now I know

After about 6 minutes of writing, have students share what they wrote with a partner.
Collect students writing to check in on their growing understanding and to identify any misconceptions that may need to be
addressed in future lessons.
Homework
For students who need additional

support, consider offering a
sentence frame, sentence starter, or
cloze sentence to assist with
language production and provide
the structure required.
Finish your vocabulary flash cards.


Background on the UDHR
Rights for all members of the human family were first articulated in 1948 in the United Nations
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Following the horrific experiences of the Holocaust
and World War II, and amid the grinding poverty of much of the worlds population, many people
sought to create a document that would capture the hopes, aspirations, and protections to which every
person in the world was entitled and ensure that the future of humankind would be different.
Excerpted from Human Rights: Here & Now, edited by Nancy Flowers. Courtesy of the Human Rights Resource Center. Copyright 1998.
http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/edumat/hreduseries/hereandnow/Part-1/whatare.htm
Directions to find the material online:

1.
Click on the link to Part 1 What Are Human Rights?
2.
Scroll down that page to search for the heading The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
3.
The excerpt that students need is Paragraph 1 of the section with the heading The Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. Begin with the phrase Rights for all members of the human
family and end with ensure that the future of humankind would be different.

Close Reading: The Introduction to the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights

Close Reading:
The Introduction to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

I can explain important connections between people, events, or ideas in a historical, scientific, or technical text accurately. (RI.5.3)
I can determine the meaning of academic words or phrases in an informational text. (RI.5.4)
I can use a variety of strategies to read grade-appropriate words and phrases I dont know. (L.5.4)
Ongoing Assessment
Students annotated copies of the UDHR
I can use common Greek and Latin affixes (prefixes) and roots as clues to help me know what a word
means.
Exit tickets
I can determine the main ideas of the introduction to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(UDHR) by reading closely.

Close Reading:
Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
This lesson reinforces the vocabulary work from Lesson 3 and introduces a new
vocabulary strategy: using morphology (word roots, prefixes, suffixes, etc.).
A. Engaging the Reader: Revisiting Article 1 of the UDHR (10 minutes)

2. Work Time
A. Modeling and Practicing Closely Reading Paragraph 1 of the
Introduction to the UDHR (10 minutes)
B. Guided Practice Closely Reading Paragraph 2 of the Introduction to
the UDHR
(15 minutes)
In advance: Post the anchor chart from Lesson 1: Close Readers Do These Things.
Prepare an anchor chart titled Article 1.
Review: Helping Students Read Closely, Think-Pair-Share protocol (see Appendix 1).
C. Independent Practice Closely Reading Paragraphs 35 of the

Introduction to the UDHR (10 minutes)
A. Adding to Our Human Rights Vocabulary Flash Cards (15 minutes)
4. Homework
Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
fundamental, inalienable, charter,

reaffirms, dignity, upholding,
promoting, and protecting.

Introduction to the UDHR note-catcher (one per student). See supporting materials. Note: this is a different note catcher
from the UDHR note-catcher students have been using about specific articles from the UDHR)
Vocabulary flash cards (from Lesson 3; student-created on index cards)
Chart paper
Markers

Close Reading:
Opening
A. Engaging the Reader: Revisiting Article 1 of the UDHR (10 minutes)
Use vocabulary learning strategies

to support all learners: prefixes,
root words, suffixes, cognates,
and context.
Ask students to locate their formatted copy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (introduced in Lesson 1; likely
you are having them store these in folders). Remind them briefly that in Lesson 1, they looked at this entire document for the
way it was structured and then focused on Article 1 in their UDHR note-catcher. They also looked at Article 1 again briefly in
Lesson 3 when they made their flash cards.
Read Article 1 aloud again, or invite a student to do so. Be sure all students are following along in their copy of the text.
Ask students to turn and talk with a partner about what words they have learned from this article. Invite a few students to
share out the new words they have learned and why they are important. Comment on how good students are getting at noticing
unfamiliar and important vocabulary as they read.
Read or have a student read aloud the first learning target:
* I can use context clues to help me determine the meaning of words.

Say: Yesterday, we focused on vocabulary related to human rights, particularly how to figure out important words from
context. Today we will continue practicing that as we read the introduction to the UDHR.
Have students give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down to show whether they understand the first target.
Read or have a student read aloud the second learning target:
* I can use common Greek and Latin affixes (prefixes) and roots as clues to help me know what a word means.
Tell students that today they also will practice another strategy to figure out what words mean: looking at the parts of the
word. Say: For example, think about the word context, which we now know means the text around the word. That word has
two parts, con and text. We know what text means: the words on the page. And con means with or together. So by thinking
about those two parts, we can know that context means the stuff around the words we are trying to figure out.
Tell students they will practice breaking down other words in this same way.
Have students give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down to show whether they understand the second target.
Review the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart from Lessons 1 and 2, asking students to suggest when they
might focus on vocabulary. Listen for responses such as: After I have read the text and have a basic idea of what it is about.

Close Reading:
Work Time
A. Modeling and Practicing Closely Reading Paragraph 1 of the Introduction to the UDHR (10 minutes)
When possible, provide text or

materials in students home
language. This can help them
understand materials presented
in English.
Remind students that in Lesson 1, they spent time looking at the UDHR to notice how it is set up, or structured. Ask them to
turn and talk with a partner about something they remember or notice.
Orient students to the introduction: the italicized text below the title and above the preamble. Tell them:
* This part is called the introduction. Intro means the first part. These short paragraphs are at the very beginning of the
document and set up many of the main ideas.
Tell them they will practice together reading closely the first paragraph, which is just one sentence.
Distribute the Introduction to the UDHR note-catcher. Tell students that they will use this to take notes after they have read
and annotated the introduction to the UDHR.
Read aloud the first paragraph of the introduction twice, with students following along (this promotes fluency).
Have students reread this first paragraph silently and independently. Ask them to focus on words or phrases that might help
them determine the meaning of this first sentence. Encourage them to annotate their UDHR by circling unknown words or
underlining words they think are important. Ask them to think, then share with a partner, what they suspect some of the words
mean based on the context, or what the entire sentence means. Invite a few students to share out.
Then ask students to reread the first paragraph a third time, focusing on just two or three words they underlined or circled.
Ask a few students to share a word they underlined; have classmates give a thumbs-up if they chose the same word(s).
Focus on the word fundamental. Invite a student who underlined or circled the word fundamental to explain why. Likely he or
she will say: I didnt know what it meant or It came at the very end, so I thought it might be important.
Ask if anyone was able to figure out that word from context. If so, have them explain. If not, model:
* I underlined that word, too. I know that word from math, like my math fundamentals. But that didnt make sense here.
But I saw it next to the word freedom and know this whole thing is about being equal, so I think its about the kinds of
freedom everyone deserves. Like the basic stuff.
On an interactive white board or document camera, write: fundamental = basic.
Focus on the word inalienable. Invite a student who underlined the word inalienable to explain why. Likely he or she will say:
It was next to the word rights, so I figured it mattered.

home language when discussion
of complex content is required.
clarify points in their home
language.
familiar with how to use
glossaries or dictionaries.
Provide nonlinguistic symbols to
assist ELLs and other struggling
readers in making connections
with vocabulary. These symbols
can be used in directions and
learning targets throughout the
year.
Ask if anyone knows or could figure out what this word means. If so, have them explain. If not, introduce the idea of working
with parts of a word.

Close Reading:
Focus first on the word root alien: That middle part of the word is called the root. Its like the main meaning of the word.
For ELLs, consider providing

extra time for tasks and
answering questions in class
discussions. ELLs often need
more time to process and
translate information. They
receive extended time as an
accommodation on NY State
assessments.
Ask if anyone knows the word alien. Students may refer to beings from outer space, or to things that are really strange. Tell
them:
* If we looked up the word alien in a dictionary, we would find a lot of different meanings: foreign, strange, separate.
Some days we will use dictionaries. But for today, I am just going to tell you that it means separate.
Focus on the prefix in. Tell students: The word in also has a few meanings. By itself, it is the opposite of out. But here, it
means not. So inalienable means not separate. Inalienable rights are rights that cant be taken away from you.
On the white board or document camera, write the word parts, in = not and alien = separate, along with the whole word:
inalienable = not separate; cant be taken away.
Tell students that they will get more practice figuring out words from context and using word roots and prefixes as they read
the rest of the introduction. Encourage them; this is hard!

Close Reading:
Work Time
B. Guided Practice Closely Reading Paragraph 2 of the Introduction to the UDHR (15 minutes)

translate information. ELLs
assessments.
Repeat this process with Paragraph 2.

Read this longer paragraph aloud twice, with students following along.
Ask students to put a slash mark between the two sentences in this paragraph (after the word individual). Ask them to focus
only on the first sentence for now.
Have students reread the first sentence of Paragraph 2 (The United Nations every individual). Ask them to focus on words
or phrases that might help them determine the meaning. Ask them to think, then share with a partner, what they suspect this
sentence means. As before, encourage them to annotate the text on their UDHR copy. Invite a few students to share out.
Then ask students to reread this sentence a third time, focusing on just two or three words they underlined. Ask a few to share
the words they chose.
Focus on three key words: upholding, promoting, and protecting.
Follow the same process as before:

increases rate of vocabulary
1. Invite a student who underlined the word to say why.

2. Ask if anyone was able to figure out that word from context. If so, have them explain.
3. If not, focus on the morphology, beginning with the word roots. For example, ask: What words that you know do you see
in the word upholding?
Focus students on hold. Then focus on the prefix up: to lift, etc. Capture the meaning on the white board or document
camera.
Repeat with promoting. Students may need to be told that the prefix pro means to put forward and the root mot relates to
motion. They may know the word promote as to move forward as in My mom got promoted at work. In this context, it
means to move forward as in to move ideas forward to other people.
Repeat with protecting. Likely students will know that protect means to keep safe. Consider telling them that tect means to
cover and connect that with what they just learned about pro by saying moving forward to cover or keep safe. As before,
post the meanings.
Ask students what they notice about all three of these words. Listen for someone to say: ingthey are all verbs.
Tell students that now that they have worked closely with the words in this sentence, they may have more thinking about the
main idea. Ask students to turn and talk, and then add to their notes about the main idea and important words in Paragraph 1.

Close Reading:
Work Time
Ask students to repeat this process with the second sentence of Paragraph 2. Encourage them; this is hard text!
Read the sentence aloud twice, with students following along.
Use the Think-Pair-Share protocol for students to discuss the meaning.
Focus on these words: charter, reaffirms, and dignity. See which ones students can figure out from context or from their
background knowledge based on the reading they did in Lessons 13.
Ask:
* What is the United Nations committed to doing, and why?

Tell students to add to their notes for Paragraph 2.
C. Independent Practice Closely Reading Paragraphs 35 of the Introduction to the UDHR (10 minutes)
Note: Be sure to allow 15 minutes for the Closing and Assessment.
Give students just 10 minutes to continue with Paragraphs 35. Tell them they are not expected to finish and will complete this
note-catcher for homework.
For paragraphs 35:
1. Read aloud twice, with students following along.
2. Think-Pair-Share about the meaning.
3. Focus on words or phrases they think are particularly important.
4. Ask a few students to share the words they chose and why.
Focus on these words:
Paragraph 3: stated, terms (focus on specific meaning in this context)

Paragraph 4: none
Paragraph 5: familiarize, promote, defend (note that promote repeats from Paragraph 1)
Remind students that they should complete their Introduction to the UDHR note-catcher for homework.

Close Reading:
A. Adding to Our Human Rights Vocabulary Flash Cards (15 minutes)

supports producing language,
consider offering a sentence
frame, sentence starter, or cloze
sentence to provide the structure
required.
Ask students to make flash cards based on the words you have posted on the board from this lesson: fundamental, inalienable,
charter, reaffirms, dignity, upholding, promoting, and protecting.
This time, students should also capture prefixes and roots on their cards. So, for example, when they add the definition to the
card for promoting, they should write
pro = to put forward and mot = motion.
Revisit todays learning targets. Use the Fist to Five protocol for students to show how well they did. Congratulate them on
their stamina today working with hard text and figuring out words from context and word roots.
Note: If theres time, students may also create flash cards for words they selected while reading more independently.
But those words will not be on the mid-unit assessment in Lesson 5.
Homework
Finish your Introduction to the UDHR: Paragraphs 1 and 2 note-catcher.
Some students may need

Paragraphs 35 read aloud to
them again, or need to be told
which words to focus on.
Review your vocabulary flash cards for the Mid-Unit 1 Assessment.


Introduction to the UDHR note-catcher
Name:
Date:
Paragraph 1:
Main idea:
Important words:
Paragraph 2:
The United Nations is committed to upholding, promoting, and protecting
the human rights of every individual. This commitment stems from the
United Nations Charter, which reaffirms the faith of the peoples of the world in
fundamental human rights and in the dignity and worth of the human person.
Main idea:
Important words:
10

Paragraph 3:
In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations has
stated in clear and simple terms the rights which belong equally to every person.
Main idea:
Important words:
Paragraph 4:
These rights belong to you.
Main idea:
Important words:
11

Paragraph 5:
They are your rights. Familiarize yourself with them.
Help to promote and defend them for yourself
as well as for your fellow human beings.
Main idea:
Important words:
12

Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Human Rights Vocabulary
and Common Prefixes

Mid-Unit Assessment:

I can use common Greek and Latin affixes (prefixes) and roots as clues to help me know what a word means. (L.5.4)
I can accurately use academic vocabulary to express my ideas. (L.5.6)
Ongoing Assessment
I can use strategies to determine the correct meaning of vocabulary words related to human rights.
Introduction to the UDHR note-catcher (from Lesson 4)
I can use common Greek and Latin affixes (prefixes) and roots as clues to help me know what a word
means.
Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Human Rights Vocabulary and

Common Prefixes
I can use human rights vocabulary words correctly in my writing.
Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
Your students should have at least the following words on flash cards (they may also have others):
endowed, conscience, fundamental, inalienable, charter, reaffirms, dignity, upholding, promoting,
protecting, articulated.
A. Engaging the Reader: Review of Introduction to the

UDHR Note-catcher (10 minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Visualizing Word Meanings: Group Tableaus (20
minutes)
B. Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Human Rights Vocabulary
and Common Prefixes (20 minutes)
Plan ahead for the groups of students you want to work together for the homework review and for the
tableaus. Heterogeneous groups are recommended for each activity.
Students may need instruction or review of these words: quiz, trade.
Review: Write-Pair-Share and Fist to Five (see Appendix).

4. Homework

Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
human rights, endowed, conscience,

fundamental, inalienable, charter, reaffirms,
dignity, upholding, promoting, protecting,
articulated
Vocabulary flash cards (from Lesson 3; student-created on index cards)
Note: This lesson includes an assessment.

During the Opening, it is fine and even
desirable to review vocabulary words with
students. During the quiz, students must do
their independent best work.
Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: What Are Human Rights? Vocabulary Quiz and Explanation (Answer Key for Teacher
Reference)

Introduction to the UDHR note-catcher (from Lesson 4; student copies and one for display)
Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: What Are Human Rights? Vocabulary Quiz and Explanation (one per student)
Opening
A. Engaging the Reader: Review of Introduction to the UDHR Note-catcher (10 minutes)

symbols (e.g., a word list for
vocabulary, an arrow from one dot
to another for connect) to assist
ELLs in making connections with
vocabulary.
Read the learning targets aloud, underlining the phrase use strategies. Ask students to talk with each other about the
strategies they have been learning to figure out the meanings of new words (use context, break words into parts, draw
pictures, flash cards). Ask them to talk about which strategies work the best for them.
Ask students to take out their Introduction to the UDHR note-catchers that they completed for homework.
Strategically place students into pairs, with more-ready readers paired with less-ready readers. (You may also want to pull
together a small group of students who you know would benefit from your specific support.)
Ask students to share the work they did on their Introduction to the UDHR note-catcher, comparing the main ideas and
important words they found. They can change or add to their note-catchers as they wish based on these discussions. If pairs
finish, they should review their flash cards.

models of language.
After students have worked together for 5 minutes, post a copy of the Introduction to the UDHR note-catcher on an
interactive white board or document camera. Ask students to share what they wrote on their papers and capture their
thinking on your copy.
Clarify students understanding as needed. Ask:
* What strategies did you use to identify important words? To figure out the meaning of important words?

Work Time
A. Visualizing Word Meanings: Group Tableaus (20 minutes)
Consider allowing struggling

students to draw their observations,
ideas, or notes when appropriate.
Post the words human rights on your interactive white board or document camera. Say:
* We have talked for the last several days about this phrase. What are human rights?
Allow students to respond. Clarify as needed: Human rights are the things that the authors of the UDHR believe should be
true for all people.
Ask students to name some rights they or the authors of the UDHR think all people should have. They will likely say some
things from Article 1, such as: to be free and to be equal. They may say other things as well: to have enough to eat, to
have fun, etc. Write their ideas on your display.
Circle the word equal and ask students to visualize what a small group of people could do to show what equal looks like.
They may say things like: people standing all in a line; no one is in front.
Say: We have just thought of a picture that you can make using people. This is sometimes called a tableau. I am going to ask
you to work in groups of two or three to think about a picture of people, or tableau, that would represent one of the
vocabulary words on our flash cards. Remember that tableaus are like a pictureno talking or acting out. Everyone is frozen
in a scene.
Ask a few students to repeat the directions and clarify any misunderstandings. You might need to show them an example; for
instance, you and a couple of students may stand in a circle facing each other, bow slightly, and freeze to show dignity.
Place students in the groups youve predetermined and assign each group a vocabulary word. Allow about 5 minutes for the
groups to create their tableaus.

extended time for tasks and
discussions. They receive extended
time as an accommodation on NY
State assessments.
Students who struggle with
language production can still
demonstrate their understanding of
a concept through their tableau.
You might prepare several backup
sketches to show students possible
tableaux for the vocabulary words.
Have these available in case they get
stuck.
Have each group present their tableau to the whole class, allowing the audience to attempt to guess which word each tableau
represents. Have students who share guesses refer to their flash cards and give their reasoning.
As a class, discuss how visualizing and acting out difficult words can help them remember what the texts are about. Tell
them they can visualize the vocabulary words in their minds as they take their assessment.

B. Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Human Rights Vocabulary and Common Prefixes (20 minutes)
Say:
* Today you will meet the learning targets by showing what you know on a vocabulary quiz.
Distribute the Mid-Unit 1 Assessment: Human Rights Vocabulary and Common Prefixes to each student. Circulate as they
work, noting who is having difficulty and may need redirecting.
Students who finish early may continue annotating the introduction to the UDHR, make new flash cards, or add to their
definition of human rights in their journals.

consider offering a sentence frame,
sentence starter, or cloze sentence
to provide the structure required.
Bring the students together as a whole class and, using the Fist to Five strategy, have them rate themselves on their success
with the vocabulary quiz. Strategically call on students to share why they chose to rate themselves with that number. Note
any who rated themselves 03 and make a note to check with them later about the quiz.
Give students think time for this prompt (which can be posted on the board):
* I used to think human rights were ________. Now I know human rights are __________.
Then do a quick go-round of students, having each complete this sentence frame aloud.
Homework
None


Name:
Date:
Use the words in the Word Bank to help you answer the following questions.
Word Bank
endowed
conscience
inalienable
fundamental
upholding
promoting
protecting
reaffirms
charter
dignity
articulated
Read the following sentences. Then circle the answer that is the best match for the word in bold.
1.
Each person should be treated with dignity.

a.
b.
c.
d.
2.
pride
respect
kindness
friendship
a.
b.
c.
d.
complicated
basic
simple
old

They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of
brotherhood.
3.
a.
b.
c.
d.
given
taken away
put on top of
share

4. The words promote and protect both start with the prefix pro. Read the following sentence
and use context clues and your knowledge of the prefix pro to figure out what proceeded
means.
After getting out of the car, the older woman proceeded directly across the parking lot to the
store. No one noticed her.
a.
b.
c.
d.
ran quickly
walked forward
skipped lightly
walked on a winding path
5. Which of the following is the reason for the answer you gave to Question 4?
a. The reason you chose ran quickly is because pro means to move ahead. It is likely she ran
so fast that no one noticed her.
b. The reason you chose walked forward is because pro means to move ahead and the word
directly means she did not go on a winding path.
c. The reason you chose skipped lightly is because pro means to skip or dance.
d. The reason you chose walked on a winding path is because pro means to move ahead and
she was older and probably took her time.
6. The word inalienable starts with the prefix in, which means not or no. Read the sentence
and use context clues and your knowledge of the prefix in to figure out what inability means.
No matter how hard she practiced and how much she wanted to win, she seemed to have an
inability to score a goal.
a.
b.
c.
d.
no need
no skill
no interest
no will

7. Which of the following is the reason you chose your answer to Question 6?
a. The reason you chose no need is because she was so good at soccer she didnt need to try.
b. The reason you chose no skill is because even though she worked hard and wanted to win,
she didnt have the talent to make a goal.
c. The reason you chose no interest is because she practiced hard but did not care about soccer
matches.
d. The reason you chose no will is because a person without will easily gives up on scoring
goals.

8. Answer the following question. Use complete sentences and at least three words from the word
bank:
10

(Answer Key for Teacher Reference)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
B
B
A
B
B
B
B
Note: Although a sample answer is provided, the answers for Question 8 will vary widely. The goal
is to assess students knowledge of vocabulary, so attend closely to the criteria below.
Criteria
For full credit (2 points)
The answer is factually accurate.
The answer includes at least three words from the word bank, all used correctly.
For partial credit (1 point)

The answer is factually accurate.
The answer includes at least two words from the word bank, both used correctly.
8.
All people are endowed with inalienable human rights. Even though human rights were
articulated by people at the United Nations long ago, it is our responsibility to keep promoting
human rights. When we pay attention to human rights, we are protecting people from harm and
discrimination.
11

Close Reading: Unpacking Specific Articles of the
UDHR

Close Reading:
Unpacking Specific Articles of the UDHR

I can effectively engage in a discussion with my peers. (SL.5.1b)
I can determine the main ideas of an informational text based on key details. (RI.5.2)
I can make inferences using quotes from the text. (RI.5.1)
Ongoing Assessment
UDHR note-catchers (for Articles 2 and 3)
I can summarize Articles 2 and 3 of the UDHR.
Anchor charts (for Articles 2 and 3)

I can visualize what the authors of the UDHR wanted for all people (found in Articles 2 and 3).

Close Reading:
Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
From this lesson through the end of the unit, the focus is on students using their new close reading and
word solving skills to more deeply understand the UDHR. You may want to have plain-language
dictionaries, such as CoBuild, and a list of root words and prefixes, such as the one found at
http://www.prefixsuffix.com/rootchart.php, readily accessible so that students can use them
independently.
A. Engaging the Reader: Give One, Get One (10

minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Text Structure: Reorienting to the UDHR (5
minutes)
B. Close Reading: Articles 2 and 3 of the UDHR
(30 minutes)
A. Anchor Charts: Summarizing and Sketching: Articles
2 and 3 (10 minutes)
B. Debrief (5 minutes)
4. Homework
Create heterogeneous groups of four (each group should include some more-ready and less-ready
readers).
In this lesson and Lesson 7, students will become experts on 11 specific articles from the UDHR. These
articles were chosen specifically because they relate thematically to the novel Esperanza Rising, which
students will read during Units 2 and 3.
ELLs may be unfamiliar with some words, such as comparing.
In advance: Create eleven charts, one for each of the eleven articles that are listed on the UDHR notecatcher. Post these around the classroom. Ideally these charts would stay up in the classroom until the
end of the module. Also, prepare a model of an anchor chart for Article 1 of the UDHR, which you will
show students during the closing of this lesson. At the top of your chart, state the article in your own
words. Beneath, draw pictures of what it looks like when this article is upheld and when it is not.

Close Reading:
Lesson Vocabulary
Materials

introduction, preamble, entitled,
distinction, origin, liberty, security
Give One, Get One note-catcher (see example in supporting materials; students can use this supporting material or they can
create a page on scrap paper)
Chart paper for Our Recommended Rights anchor chart
UDHR note catcher (from Lesson 1; students copies and one for display)
Model Article 1 anchor chart (new; teacher-created)
Six charts, each labeled with a specific article number: three for Article 2 and three for Article 3 (add more if your class is larger
than 24)

Close Reading:
Opening
A. Engaging the Reader: Give One, Get One (10 minutes)
Providing an individual computer and

headphones for students who have
difficulty with a lot of sensory input lets
them process at their own speed.
Tell students: On our mid-unit assessment, you used all your new vocabulary words to explain human rights to
someone else. I was very impressed with all you knew. Now we are going to dig back in to the UDHR to think about the
specific rights that are included in this primary source document.
Tell them that they probably already have lots of thoughts about which rights should be included.
Ask students to open their journals and divide a page into four boxes (for an example, see the Give One, Get One
note-catcher in the supporting materials; use this if preferred). Tell them: In the top left box, list some of the rights
that should be human rights. In the top right box, briefly explain why.
Briefly model if needed.
Explain to students the process of Give One, Get One:
When instructed, stand and take your note-catcher with you.
Circulate, talking to at least three classmates.
With each classmate, tell one right that you put on your list, and why you included it.
Consider allowing students to draw their

observations, ideas, or notes when
appropriate. This allows ELLs to
participate in a meaningful way.
language when discussion of complex
content is required. This can let them
have more meaningful discussions and
clarify points in their home language.
Your classmate will then share with you.

If your lists are exactly the same, move on.
If your partner has something different on his or her list, write it down.
Tell students to begin. As they mill about and talk, circulate to listen in for patterns in their comments and to see
whether they are able to give reasons to support their opinions.
Invite one or two students to share with the whole class. (Collect their Give One, Get Ones and use them to create a chart
called Our Recommended Rights anchor chart to refer to throughout the module. This does not need to occur
during this lesson.)
Point out the first learning target. Ask students how they did following the class norms during the Give One, Get One (or
address any issues).
Briefly review the remaining learning targets. Tell students that today they will be focusing on specific articles of the
UDHR. Check for understanding, asking for a thumbs-up or -down about whether students are clear on the targets.
Address any confusion.

Close Reading:
Work Time
A. Text Structure: Reorienting to the UDHR (5 minutes)
While students are working to become

experts on certain articles of the
UDHR, it is recommended that they
work in heterogeneous groups
containing more-ready and less-ready
readers.
Ask students to locate their copy of the UDHR and their UDHR note-catcher from Lesson 1 (likely in their folders).
Remind them that during Lesson 1, they spent some time noticing how the document is structured. Ask students to
quickly turn and talk with a partner about what they remember or what they notice now. Invite a few students to share
out. Listen for the vocabulary they have learned, such as introduction, preamble, or primary source.
Tell them that for the next few days, they will focus on some of the specific numbered articles. Ask them to find that part
of the document.
Remind students that each article, or section, identifies a right that the authors of the UDHR believed should be
afforded all human beings. Theyve already read Article 1 several times (in Lessons 1 and 4).
Direct them to their UDHR note-catcher for their notes and sketches about Article 1 (done during Lesson 1). Ask
students to turn and talk about what Article 1 is about and about the sketches they did.
Ask students to draw a box around Article 1. Then have them do the same (one box per article) around Articles 2, 3, 6,
14, 16, 17, 20, 23, 25, and 26.
When possible, provide text or materials

in students home language. This can
help them understand materials
presented in English.
Students needing additional supports
may benefit from partially filled-in
graphic organizers.
Tell them: Readers often break long or hard text into smaller chunks. We are just going to focus on these 11 articles and
get really smart about them. We will keep coming back to these articles in the coming weeks, as we think about how real
and fictional characters respond when they face challenges.
Tell them it will be interesting to see if any of these articles match the Recommended Rights list the class just created.

Close Reading:
Work Time
B. Close Reading: Articles 2 and 3 of the UDHR (30 minutes)
For ELLs, consider providing extra time

for tasks and answering questions in
class discussions. They often need more
time to process and translate
information. ELLs receive extended time
as an accommodation on NY State
assessments.
Place students in groups of four. Students should remain in their group for the remainder of this class and the next class.
Read Article 2 aloud twice, with students following along (this promotes fluency). Do not explain the text.
Have students think silently, and then turn and tell a partner, which right(s) they think the article is referring to. Have
students write their thought(s) next to Article 2 on their copy of the UDHR.
Display the UDHR note-catcher. Ask students to share what they remember about how they used this when reading
Article 1. Listen for comments about reading multiple times, trying to figure out the main idea, asking clarifying
questions, and sketching. Direct them to the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (begun in Lesson 1).
Ask students to reread just the first sentence of Article 2, focusing on words or phrases that might help them determine
what right or promise it is referring to. Have students underline no more than two or three words and share them with a
partner. Ask a few students to share whole group; have their classmates give a thumbs-up if they chose the same
word(s).
Invite a student who underlined entitled or without distinction to explain why he or she chose those.
Probe, coaching students to explain how they used context clues or morphemes to figure out the word meaning. For
example:
* How did you figure out entitled?

Listen for students to point out that since the sentence said everyone and rights, they figured out that entitled
probably meant deserved.
Tell students that for today, they will just focus on this first sentence of Article 2. Ask students to complete their UDHR
note-catcher for Article 2. Ask them to reread the first sentence. Ask:
* What right is this article referring to?

* What specific words help you know that?
Listen for students to list words such as race, color, sex, etc.
Ask several text-dependent questions about Article 2, beginning with more basic questions and gradually increasing the
difficulty:
* What features of human beings does Article 2 list?

Close Reading:
* What is property?
* Based on the fact that there is a list of human qualities here, what do you think without distinction of any kind
means?
* The word origin here means where someone comes from. What does national or social origin mean?
Call on students to give a brief paraphrase or summary of Article 2. Have them write it in the second column of the
UDHR note-catcher.
Remind students how they made pictures in their mind to help them understand Article 1 and when they completed the
vocabulary tableaus. Ask students to do the same with Article 2:
Chunking the text helps those who have

difficulty processing and transferring a
lot of language at once. If appropriate,
have some students focus just on the
first sentence of Article 2, since those
ideas are most relevant in this module.
More advanced students may work with
both sentences.
* What does Article 2 look like?

Give students time to think, talk, and draw. Remind them that it does not matter how good their sketch is; the drawing
will help them remember the main meaning.
Repeat the process for the fourth column of the note-catcher:
* What does it look like when Article 2 is not being upheld?

Tell students that for now, they will move on to Article 3. Say: We just did another close read. Notice how much time we
spent on just one sentence!
Direct students attention to the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart. Have them briefly turn and talk about
how they are doing. Ask whether anyone wants to add things to the chart:
* What else do readers do when they are reading closely?

Direct students to Article 3. Repeat the close reading process:
1. Read Article 3 aloud twice, with students following along. Do not explain.
2. Students think silently, then turn and talk.
3. Students write their thought(s) next to Article 3 on their copy of the UDHR.
4. Students reread Article 3, focusing on words or phrases that might help them determine what right or promise it is
referring to.
5. Have several students share out.

Close Reading:
Invite a student who underlined liberty or security to explain why he or she chose those words.
The drawing of words and concepts

helps students explore their own
thinking and clarify meanings.
Probe, coaching students to explain how they used context or morphemes:
* What root does the word security have in it?

Ask:
* What right or promise is Article 3 referring to? What specific words help you know that?
Ask several text-dependent questions about Article 3, beginning with more basic questions and gradually increasing the
difficulty:
* What does it mean to have the right to life?

* What is the difference between liberty and security?
Ask students to work with a partner to paraphrase or summarize Article 3. Ask them to sketch:
* What does Article 3 look like? What does it look like when this right is not upheld?
Note: Some students may connect this phrase to the pro-life political perspective; help students understand the more
basic meaning of this term in the context of the UDHR.

Close Reading:
A. Anchor Charts: Summarizing and Sketching: Articles 2 and 3 (10 minutes)
Providing the criteria list already written

for students who have trouble copying
from the board allows them to stay
focused on the criteria.
Show students the Model Article 1 anchor chart that you created. At the top, you have stated the article in your own
words. Beneath, you have drawn pictures of what it looks like when this article is upheld and when it is not. Connect
your model chart with what they have written on their UDHR note-catchers.
Direct students attention to the multiple anchor charts for Articles 2 and 3. Invite them to choose one article and go
stand by that chart, making sure there are relatively even numbers of students at each chart.
Once students are clustered by charts, ask:
* How would you put this article in your own words? Allow students to discuss and put their ideas on the chart. Then
Providing the learning targets written

individually for students who have
difficulty processing information on the
board allows them to stay focused.
ask students to share their sketches and choose an example and non-example to put on the chart.
Using the Fist to Five protocol, ask students to rate themselves on meeting each learning target. Take note of any
students who rate themselves below a 4 to check in with them individually later.
Ask students to return to complete an exit ticket on a sticky note:

students who have difficulty writing to
participate in a timely fashion.
* One human right I learned more about today is

Collect this as an ongoing assessment.
Homework
If you did not finish your UDHR note-catcher for Articles 2 and 3 in class, finish these for homework.
Talk with someone at home about the human rights you learned about today. Which do you think is most important?
Why?
Note: Use students Give One, Get Ones to create an Our Recommended Rights anchor chart to refer to throughout the
module.


Give One, Get One note-catcher
RIGHTS
REASONS
My thinking . . .
My thinking . . .
My classmates thinking . . .
My classmates thinking . . .
11

Close Reading: Becoming Experts on Specific
Articles of the UDHR

Close Reading:
Becoming Experts on Specific Articles of the UDHR

I can effectively engage in a discussion with my peers. (SL.5.1b)
I can determine the main ideas of an informational text based on key details. (RI.5.2)
I can determine the meaning of content words or phrases in an informational text. (RI.4)
Ongoing Assessment
UDHR articles anchor charts
I can summarize articles of the UDHR (choices: 6, 14, 16, 17, 20, 23, 25, or 26).
Exit ticket

I can visualize what the authors of the UDHR wanted for all people.
Agenda
1.
Opening
A. Engaging the Reader and Reviewing Key Vocabulary
(5 minutes)
2.
C. Anchor Charts (15 minutes)

Review: Jigsaw, Helping Students Read Closely, and Fist to Five (see Appendix).
Post: Learning targets; anchor charts for each of the new articles around the room, along with the ones
from the day before. Ideally these charts would stay up in the classroom until the end of the module.
Work Time
B. Jigsaw Protocol, Part 2: Mixed Article Groups

Sharing Our Expertise (10 minutes)
4.
This lesson builds directly on Lesson 6. Students continue to read closely, with increasing
independence, to build and share expertise about additional articles from the UDHR.
In advance, think through the grouping of students for this lesson. Students will become an expert on
two or three articles from the UDHR by working with others who have the same articles. These initial
groups might be homogeneous, with readers of similar readiness grouped together, so that you can
provide additional scaffolding to those who need it or enable students of like readiness to support each
other. Once students have read their own assigned articles, they will transition to share their learning
with another group consisting of students from each expert group. These should be heterogeneous
groups, with readers of different readiness together. The first group should be called the article experts
group, and the second group should be called the mixed article group.
A. Jigsaw Protocol, Part 1: Expert Groups on Articles 6,

14, 16, 17, 20, 23, 25, 26 of the UDHR (25 minutes)
3.
Teaching Notes
Homework

Close Reading:
Lesson Vocabulary
Materials

endowed, entitled, distinction, origin,
liberty, security
Our Recommended Rights anchor chart (new; teacher-created)

UDHR note-catcher (from Lesson 2; students copies)
UDHR Article anchor charts (11 total; a separate chart for each of these Articles: 1, 2, 3, 6, 14, 16, 17, 20, 23, 25, 26) (11
total) (new; teacher-created)
Becoming Experts on the UDHR (Readers 1, 2, 3, and 4)
Opening
A. Engaging the Reader and Reviewing Key Vocabulary (5 minutes)

Remind the class that when you left off yesterday, they had read closely and made charts about Articles 2 and 3 of the
UDHR. Today they will continue this process in groups, becoming experts on more articles.
Briefly review the learning targets. Students should notice that the targets are nearly the same as yesterday. Check for
understanding, asking for a thumbs-up or -down about whether students are clear on the targets. Address any
confusion.
Orient students to the Our Recommended Rights anchor chart. Say:
* I made this after looking at the work you did at the start of the lesson yesterday when you were talking with partners
about what we thought should be included in the UDHR. Which rights from our list did we find in the UDHR articles we
read yesterday?
Ask students to quickly Turn and Talk with a partner. Then invite a few to quickly share out. Ask:
* What words did we find that help us to understand those articles?

Listen for students to list words like: endowed, entitled, and distinction. Review the definitions of these three
terms quickly.

Close Reading:
Work Time
A. Jigsaw Protocol, Part 1: Expert Groups on Articles 6, 14, 16, 17, 20, 23, 25,
26 of the UDHR (25 minutes)
The Jigsaw protocol lets small groups

engage in an effective, time-efficient
comprehension of a longer text. In
advance, think through the grouping
of students for this lesson. Students
will become an expert on two or three
articles from the UDHR by working
with others who have the same
articles. These initial groups might be
homogeneous, with readers of similar
readiness grouped together, so that
you can provide additional scaffolding
to those who need it or enable
students of like readiness to support
each other. Once students have read
their own assigned articles, they will
transition to share their learning with
another group consisting of students
from each expert group. These should
be heterogeneous groups, with readers
of different readiness together. The
first group should be called the article
experts group, and the second group
should be called the mixed article
group.
Gather students in their article expert groups to become experts on specific articles.
Ask students to locate their copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and their UDHR note-catcher.
Reorient them to the articles they drew boxes around during Lesson 6.
Show students where they can access plain-language dictionaries, like CoBuild, either in the classroom or online.
Distribute the appropriate worksheet to each group: Becoming Experts on the UDHR: Reader 1, etc. (The Reader 1
sheet is appropriate for your group of least-ready readers.)
Ask students to follow the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart suggestions for their two articles. Tell them
these instructions are on their worksheet:
Read their articles slowly at least twice.
Reread, annotate, and underline key vocabulary.
Read again to summarize: What right is this article referring to?
Read again to answer the specific questions.
Sketch the right kept and broken.
Give students about 20 minutes for independent reading and thinking. Unless you are working directly with a group
(perhaps the Reader 1 group), circulate to support. Help students use the CoBuild dictionary if needed, but encourage the
use of context clues.
After 20 minutes, ask students to compare answers with the members of their group. Give them about 5 minutes for this
sharing.
Allow for variability in reading pace.

Not all students need to complete
Article 26. Students who finish early
may self-select additional articles to
read.

Close Reading:

Some ELLs might benefit from
reading the text in their native
language or seeing some key details
highlighted in the text.
Use thoughtful grouping by placing
ELLs with native speakers of English
who will provide models of language.
Peer collaboration helps students to
become experts on their topic. Some
students may be given prompts to
orally address their task: Three key
words in my text were or The
main gist of my section was
B. Jigsaw Protocol, Part 2: Mixed Article Groups Sharing Our Expertise (10 minutes)
Now arrange students in their mixed article groups, with groups consisting of one Reader 1, one Reader 2, etc. Use a timer
to give the groups 10 minutes to share what they learned.
Tell students that, as their peers explain each article, they should fill in the UDHR note-catcher with a summary only
(about 2 minutes each). They do not have to write out the answers to other groups questions or copy the other persons
sketches.

Close Reading:
C. Anchor Charts (10 minutes)

Point out the charts for the 11 articles around the room. Remind students that they have already summarized and sketched
on the charts for Articles 1 (teacher model) and Articles 2 and 3 (in Lesson 6). Now they will do the same for the articles
they read today.
Ask students to go and stand by one of the articles they became an expert on today. Be sure that approximately the same
number of students is at every blank chart.
Once students are clustered by charts, ask:
* How would you describe this article in a phrase?

* What would it look like when the right described in this article is kept? Choose one image you all agree on and sketch it
on the anchor chart.
* List two or three words in this article that seem important.

Close Reading:

students who have difficulty writing to
participate in a timely fashion.
Ask students to complete an exit ticket on a sticky note:
* I used to think that human rights but now I know that

Model if necessary.
Collect this as an ongoing assessment.
Homework
Show someone at home your completed UDHR note-catcher and explain the human rights you have learned about. Ask
which of these rights seem familiar to your listener and which surprise him or her.
Choose one article of the UDHR that has been most interesting to you. Read it out loud. Explain that right. Show the
person your sketches about what it looks like when this right is kept and broken.
Teach this person three to five new words you have learned. Make flash cards and explain this process. How do flash cards
help you as a reader?


Becoming Experts on the UDHR:
(Reader 1)
Name:
Date:
Reader 1: UDHR Articles 6 and 26
For each of your articles, use close reading as we have been practicing:
1. Read the article slowly twice.
3. Read the article again to summarize the right.
4. Read the questions below, then reread the article to answer the questions.
5. Fill in the UDHR note-catcher: summarize, then sketch the right kept and broken.
6. What is the law?
7. Why does everyone have the right to be recognized before or recognized by the law?
8. What does the phrase These rights may not be invoked in the case of mean?
Explain how you figured this out using context clues or the word root.

(Reader 1)
9. What is Article 26 mostly about? What words are most important for understanding this article,
and why?

(Reader 2)
Name:
Date:
Reader 2: Articles 14, 16, and 26
6. What is persecution?
7. Who has the right to marry?
8. What does it mean to have the right to marry and to found a family?
Explain how you figured this out using context clues or the word root.

(Reader 2)
9. Who gets to decide who gets married? Cite phrases from the text that helped answer this.
and why?
10

(Reader 3)
Name:
Date:
6. What does the word deprived mean (in Article 17)?
7. What does the word association mean (in the context of Article 17)? Explain how you figured this
out using context clues or the word root.
11

(Reader 3)
8. Article 25 mentions a standard of living. What does this mean, and what specific types or care are
included?
and why?
12

(Reader 4)
Name:
Date:
6. What does peaceful assembly mean?
7. What might the word association mean in Article 20? Explain how you figured this out using
context clues or the word root.
8. In Article 23, what does the word just mean? Explain how you figured this out using context clues
or the word root.?
13

(Reader 4)
and why?
14

Summarizing Complex Ideas: Comparing the
Original UDHR and the Plain Language Version

Comparing the Original UDHR and the Plain Language Version

I can use quotes to explain the meaning of informational texts. (RI.5.1)
I can compare and contrast multiple accounts of the same event or topic. (RI.5.6)
I can use common Greek and Latin affixes (prefixes) and roots as clues to help me know what a word means. (L.5.4)
Ongoing Assessment
I can explain why certain words in the original UDHR are repeated.
Vocabulary flash card baggies
I can compare the original UDHR, the Plain Language Version, and my own summaries of specific
UDHR articles by focusing on specific word choice.
UDHR rewrites
Opinion writing (journal entry)
I can skim and scan the original UDHR looking for repeated words.
Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
The Interactive Words activity helps students socially construct meaning. There is no right
arrangement of the words/arrows, etc. It is being used in this lesson as quick review, but by adding a
writing component in which students explain their reason, it could become deeper learning or even an
assessment.
A. Engaging the Reader: (5 minutes)

B. Interactive Words (10 minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Repeated Words and Phrases in the UDHR: Why Do
They Matter? (15 minutes)
B. Word Choice and Meaning: Comparing the Original
UDHR to the Plain Language Version (20 minutes)
Interactive Words is transferable across the day; use it in any area in which students are learning new
words. You might consider laminating the arrow/equals cards found in the supporting materials for this
lesson and storing them for other activities.
Review: Write-Pair-Share and Interactive Word Wall protocols (see Appendix).
A. Opinion Writing: What Is Lost and Gained in the

Plain Language Version? (10 minutes)
4. Homework

Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
analyze, versions, plain, proclaim,

impart, promote, indispensable,
aspiration, quote, universal
Note: Do NOT define universal in

advance, since students spend work
time considering the morphology of
this key term.
Interactive Words symbols (see supporting materials)
UDHR note catchers (from Lessons 1, 6, and 7; student copies, completed)

Index cards (additional, for students vocabulary flash cards)
Vocabulary flash cards (begun in Lesson 3; student-created on index cards)
Universal Declaration of Human RightsPlain Language Version (one per student)
Sticky notes (one small packet per pair)
Document camera
Opening
A. Engaging the Reader (5 minutes)
Use vocabulary learning strategies:

prefixes, root words, suffixes,
cognates, and context
Ask students to share with a partner how it went explaining the complex Universal Declaration of Human Rights to
someone at home.
Ask a student to read aloud the first learning target:
* I can explain why certain words in the UDHR are repeated.

Underline or circle the word repeated. Ask students to explain the meaning of the word, pointing out the prefix re- and
that it means again.
ELL language acquisition can be

models of language.
Ask a student to read aloud the second learning target: I can compare the original UDHR, the Universal Declaration of
Human RightsPlain Language Version, and my own summaries of specific UDHR articles.
Remind students how challenging the original UDHR is, and how hard they have been working to really understand the
words and ideas. Say:
* After reading closely, annotating some of the articles in the UDHR, and trying to explain an article at home, why might
we want to rewrite it in simpler language?
Invite a few students to share out, making sure their responses include the need for everyone to be able to understand the
articles.

Opening
B. Interactive Words (10 minutes)
This activity appeals to visual and

spatial learners.
Tell students that they are going to do a brief activity to continue to build their knowledge about vocabulary in the UDHR.
Ask students to partner up. One partner should get his or her vocabulary flash cards and take out the flash cards.
Distribute the Interactive Words symbols (in supporting materials) and a small packet of sticky notes.
Ask students to use the symbols and arrange their flash cards on their desktops in an order that shows the relationships
between the words. They can add words and symbols on sticky notes as needed. For example, they might arrange
fundamental + right = dignity. Students should use all of their flash cards but do not need to use all of their symbols.
Once completed, have students look at another pairs work. Ask partners to explain their arrangement to the other set of
partners.
Ask students to store the symbols in their flash card baggies. Use this activity whenever you have some free time.

Work Time
A. Repeated Words and Phrases in the UDHR: Why Do They Matter? (15 minutes)

extended time for tasks and answering
questions in class discussions.
Make sure every student has a copy of the full original UDHR. Distribute clean copies if necessary. Also be sure they have
their UDHR note-catchers from previous lessons
Place students in pairs. Set purpose. Tell students that readers approach text differently depending on their purpose. Say:
During most of this unit, we have been reading very slowly, closely, and deliberately, taking time to try to understand
every single word. Today, I am going to ask you to do something else: skim and scan.
Ask a student to remind the class what it means to skim and scan: to read very quickly looking for something specific. If
necessary, place the original UDHR on the document camera and briefly model moving a finger quickly across the page to
show skimming.
Give students 2 to 3 minutes to work individually to skim all 30 articles, looking for repeated words or phrases. Remind
them that the purpose is not to understand everything, but to find words that show up over and over.
Ask students to talk with a partner about the repeated words they found.
Ask students to remain with their partner but to listen as a whole group. Project a copy of the UDHR and ask the class to
notice which words are repeated often. Likely many students will notice repetitions such as everyone, no one, without
limitation, or without discrimination.
Ask:
* What was the purpose of including these words and phrases and repeating them so often?
During the share, be sure to discuss that the authors crafted the document to emphasize the idea of universal.
* What does universal mean?

Use the concept of word roots and morphemes to further explore the words morphology:
Physically demonstrating key verbs

(e.g., showing how to skim by running
your finger across a page of text)
reinforces definitions.
Some vocabulary is not academic or
domain- specific, and students may
benefit from instruction or review:
original, simple, without, everyone, no
one.
materials in students home language.
Have students Write-Pair-Share in response to this question.

Linger on this word, since it carries the central message of the UDHR. Ask:
Defining key verbs for learning actions

(e.g., introduction and skim) helps
ELLs and other struggling learners
understand and engage more fully in
the task.
Provide ELLs bilingual word-for-word

translation dictionaries or online
translation sources such as Google
Translate to assist with
comprehension.
* What other word that you know do you see in the word universal?
Students likely will say universe. Ask:
* And what does universe mean?

Students likely will refer to the physical universe, a vast space, the entire universe.

Probe, focusing on the fact that words often have various meanings:
* In the UDHR, when the authors use the word universal, what meaning do they intend? Are they referring to the
physical universe, planets, galaxies, etc.?
Invite students to turn and talk. Then have a few share out. Drawing on their thinking to the extent possible, guide the
class to realize that the authors of the UDHR sought to emphasize that human rights have no exceptions.
Point out to students the al ending in universal: The al at the end of this word is a common way to signal an adjective.
So universal describes human rights.
Invite them to add notes in the example/non-example boxes to clarify what is meant by universal human rights.
Point out to students how good they have gotten at building a full understanding of a word by considering it in depth
across many days.

Work Time
B. Word Choice and Meaning: Comparing the Original UDHR to the Plain Language Version (20 minutes)

language when discussion of complex
content is required. This can allow them
to have more meaningful discussions
and clarify points in their home
language.
Share with students that the authors of the UDHR wanted everyone on the planet to know, understand, and honor the
rights described in the document. Invite them to consider the importance of being able to explain the ideas embodied in
this document in simple language that anyone could understand and embrace.
Tell students that many organizations have simplified the UDHR to make it easier to understand. Today, they will look
at one of those simpler versions, called the Plain Language Version. Explain that plain in this context means simple.
Distribute the Universal Declaration of Human RightsPlain Language Version to each student. Ask them to skim the
document looking for repeated words or phrases, as they did with the original. Then, as before, invite them to turn and
talk. (Likely they will notice similar phrases, such as everyone or nobody.)
Remind students how they chunked the UDHR by putting boxes around specific articles the class would focus on. Ask
students to do the same with their Plain Language Version: Draw one box per article around the same 11 articles: 1, 2, 3,
6, 14, 16, 17, 20, 23, 25, and 26.
Ask students to focus on one or two articles (likely the ones they became experts on in Lesson 7, but they may choose
any). Invite them to talk with a partner about the comparisons:
Providing choice and extensions

naturally differentiates based on
students readiness and interest.
If appropriate, coach ELLs or struggling
readers to choose shorter articles. To
stretch stronger readers, encourage
them to choose different articles than
the 10 the class has been reading closely.
* What words are the same?

* What words are different?
Ask:
* Do you think this Plain Language Version is better or worse than the original? Why?
Many students likely will say they think the Plain Language Version is easier. (They may even express frustration about
why they didnt get to read this easier document in the first place.) Some may comment that they liked the original
because it was much more detailed.
Tell students that simplified versions serve a purpose, making harder things easier to understand. Authors must choose
words carefully, because anything changed from one version to another runs the risk of losing some of the original
meaning.
Ask pairs to choose one or two specific articles to focus on for the next task.
Ask them to consider:
* What is gained in the Plain Language Version? In other words, how is it better?

Invite students to Think-Pair-Share. During the sharing, probe them to provide examples of words or phrases from
specific articles.
Then ask:
* What is lost in the Plain Language Version? In other words, how is it worse?
Invite them again to Think-Pair-Share. During the sharing, probe them to provide examples of words or phrases from
specific articles.
Ask students to get out their UDHR note-catcher, if they havent already. Invite them to either revise their
paraphrase/ summary of an article or to add in key words from the original that they now think are particularly
important for carrying the meaning of the article.

A. Opinion Writing: What Is Lost and Gained in the Plain Language Version? (10 minutes)
Ask students to draw a line underneath their last journal entry and copy the question:

appropriate.
* What is gained in the Plain Language Version of the UDHR? What is lost?
Tell them that they may focus just on one article or write about the document more broadly. Either way, they should use
quotes from the original UDHR and the Plain Language Version as evidence for their answer.
If time permits, ask students to share their writing with a partner.
Homework
Be aware that vocabulary can be

overwhelming for some ELLs. They may
be working on basic word meaning, and
that is appropriate.
Show someone at home both versions of the UDHR: the original and the Plain Language Version. Talk with that person
about which version you prefer, and why. What is gained and lost when an original primary source (historical
document) is simplified? What does the phrase lost in translation mean?


Interactive Words Symbols
10

11

12

Plain Language Version
When children are born, they are free and each should be treated in the same way. They
have reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a friendly manner.
Everyone can claim the following rights, despite

- a different sex
- a different skin color
- speaking a different language
- thinking different things
- believing in another religion
- owning more or less
- being born in another social group
- coming from another country
It also makes no difference whether the country you live in is independent or not.
You have the right to live, and to live in freedom and safety.
Nobody has the right to treat you as his or her slave and you should not make anyone
your slave.
Nobody has the right to torture you.
You should be legally protected in the same way everywhere, and like everyone else.
The law is the same for everyone; it should be applied in the same way to all.
You should be able to ask for legal help when the rights your country grants you are not
respected.
Nobody has the right to put you in prison, to keep you there, or to send you away from
your country unjustly, or without good reason.
13

10
If you go on trial this should be done in public. The people who try you should not let
themselves be influenced by others.
11
You should be considered innocent until it can be proved that you are guilty. If you are
accused of a crime, you should always have the right to defend yourself. Nobody has the
right to condemn you and punish you for something you have not done.
12
You have the right to ask to be protected if someone tries to harm your good name, enter
your house, open your letters, or bother you or your family without a good reason.
13
You have the right to come and go as you wish within your country. You have the right to
leave your country to go to another one; and you should be able to return to your country
if you want.
14
If someone hurts you, you have the right to go to another country and ask it to protect
you. You lose this right if you have killed someone and if you, yourself, do not respect
what is written here.
15
You have the right to belong to a country and nobody can prevent you, without a good
reason, from belonging to a country if you wish.
16
As soon as a person is legally entitled, he or she has the right to marry and have a family.
In doing this, neither the color of your skin, the country you come from nor your religion
should be impediments. Men and women have the same rights when they are married
and also when they are separated. Nobody should force a person to marry. The
government of your country should protect you and the members of your family.
17
You have the right to own things and nobody has the right to take these from you without a
good reason.
18
You have the right to profess your religion freely, to change it, and to practice it either on
your own or with other people.
14

19
You have the right to think what you want, to say what you like, and nobody should forbid
you from doing so. You should be able to share your ideas alsowith people from any other
country.
20
You have the right to organize peaceful meetings or to take part in meetings in a peaceful
way. It is wrong to force someone to belong to a group.
21
You have the right to take part in your countrys political affairs either by belonging to the
government yourself or by choosing politicians who have the same ideas as you.
Governments should be voted for regularly and voting should be secret. You should get a
vote and all votes should be equal. You also have the same right to join the public service
as anyone else.
22
The society in which you live should help you to develop and to make the most of all the
advantages (culture, work, social welfare) which are offered to you and to all the men and
women in your country.
23
You have the right to work, to be free to choose your work, to get a salary which allows you
to support your family. If a man and a woman do the same work, they should get the same
pay. All people who work have the right to join together to defend their interests.
24
Each work day should not be too long, since everyone has the right to rest and should be
able to take regular paid holidays.
25
You have the right to have whatever you need so that you and your family: do not fall ill or
go hungry; have clothes and a house; and are helped if you are out of work, if you are ill, if
you are old, if your wife or husband is dead, or if you do not earn a living for any other
reason you cannot help. Mothers and their children are entitled to special care. All children
have the same rights to be protected, whether or not their mother was married when they
were born.
15

26
You have the right to go to school, and everyone should go to school. Primary schooling
should be free. You should be able to learn a profession or continue your studies as far as
you wish. At school, you should be able to develop all your talents, and you should be
taught to get on with others, whatever their race, religion, or country they come from. Your
parents have the right to choose how and what you will be taught at school.
27
You have the right to share in your communitys arts and sciences, and any good they do.
Your works as an artist, writer, or a scientist should be protected, and you should be able to
benefit from them.
28
So that your rights will be respected, there must be an order which can protect them. This
order should be local and worldwide.
29
You have duties toward the community within which your personality can only fully
develop. The law should guarantee human rights. It should allow everyone to respect
others and to be respected.
30
In all parts of the world, no society, no human being, should take it upon her or himself to
act in such a way as to destroy the rights which you have just been reading about.
This plain language version is given only as a guide. For an exact rendering of each principle, refer students to the original. This
version is based in part on the translation of a text prepared in 1978 for the World Association for the School as an Instrument of
Peace, by a research group of the University of Geneva, under the responsibility of Professor L. Massarenti. In preparing the
translation, the group used a basic vocabulary of 2,500 words in use in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Teachers may
adopt this methodology by translating the text of the Universal Declaration in the language in use in their region.
16

Main Ideas in Informational Text: Analyzing a
Firsthand Human Rights Account

Analyzing a Firsthand Human Rights Account

Ongoing Assessment
I can cite examples of where human rights were upheld or challenged in Teaching Nepalis to Read,
Plant, and Vote.
Students annotated text of Teaching Nepalis to Read,

Plant, and Vote
I can explain how specific articles of the UDHR relate to this firsthand account.
Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
This lesson helps students understand the So what? of the UDHR: People all over the world still face
human rights challenges.

2. Work Time
A. First Read of Paragraphs 15: What Is This
Firsthand Account About? (15 minutes)
B. Second Read of Paragraphs 15: Annotating for
Vocabulary Related to Human Rights (10 minutes)
C. First and Second Read of Remaining Three Chunks
of Text (25 minutes)
This is students first opportunity to apply the concept of human rights to people and events in a text. It
lays the foundation for students ability to analyze similar issues throughout their study of the novel
Esperanza Rising in Units 2 and 3.
Encourage them to make connections back to the UDHR throughout their analysis. (Students will study
this text across two days; in Lesson 10, they will work directly with the UDHR and their note-catcher.)
Review: Vocabulary strategies and Write-Pair-Share and Fist to Five (see Appendix).

4. Homework
Copyright 2013 by Expeditionary Learning, New York, NY. All Rights Reserved..

Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
evidence, cite, justify, human

rights, firsthand accounts
Teaching Nepalis to Read, Plant, and Vote (one per student)

Opening

facilitated by interaction with native
models of language.
Read the first learning target aloud to students, circling or underlining the word explain. Point out to students that today
their will be reading a different type of informational text, and one of their first goals will be simply to understand and
explain who is involved and what happened.
Read the second learning target aloud to students, circling or underlining the words cite and firsthand accounts. Discuss
each word separately, inviting students to give synonyms for these words. Explain to students that they apply the concepts
from the UDHR to firsthand accounts: real stories about real people.
Circle or underline the words upheld and challenged. Invite students to turn and talk about what they think these two words
mean. (They might figure out upheld from uphold, which they learned earlier.) Ask a few students to share out and write
the definition above or under the two words.
Consider posting nonlinguistic

symbols (i.e., thumbs-up sign for
upheld or an X for challenged) with
key words in the learning targets to
aid ELLs with comprehension.
If students do not mention this on their own, help them see the connection between these two terms and their graphic
organizer: Upheld means that the UDHR right is being honored, and challenged means that it is not.
Point out that as students do their close reading, their main purpose will be to think about how this firsthand account relates
to the UDHR, specifically whether or not the peoples human rights were upheld or challenged, and how they responded.
Ask students to briefly turn and talk to a partner:
* What are some of the human rights you remember from the UDHR?

Work Time
A. First Read of Paragraphs 15: What Is This Firsthand Account About? (15 minutes)
If needed and if possible, consider

providing ELLs firsthand accounts
in their home language and
partnering them with another
student who speaks their home
language.
Distribute Teaching Nepalis to Read, Plant, and Vote to each student. Tell them that today they will chunk this longer
text, reading it in shorter sections and thinking about each section. Point out that until now, they have been reading UDHR
articles: short, difficult bits of text. Today they will read longer text.
Read the first five paragraphs aloud once, with students following along to support fluency.
Remind students of the close reading routine they have been practicing throughout this unit. Direct them to the Close
Readers Do These Things anchor chart (begun in Lesson 1).
Tell them that they will do the same sort of process today with this text, although it is longer and may require some different
approaches. Point out that the steps they listed are not a formula: The main goal of reading closely is to pay careful
attention to text, rereading and continuing to think about it more precisely.
Encourage students to have a go with the first paragraph. Ask them to reread this paragraph on their own, annotating for
gist and writing clarifying questions in the margins as they need to. You might prompt them by asking:
* What is this first paragraph mostly about?

Have students turn and talk with a partner about their annotations and questions. As students talk in pairs, circulate to
listen in and gauge students understanding. Prepare to address any misconceptions in a brief think-aloud.
Refer to strong comments made or questions that came up repeatedly during students partner talk (for example: I heard
Jasmine say which made a lot of sense to me, since the text says ).
Focus in on the hard names that appear in the first paragraph:
* I overheard several of you asking questions about the peoples names.

Invite a student to think aloud about what he or she figured out about the names. If no students are prepared to do this,
model briefly how to refer to the text to seek answers to clarifying questions. Think aloud:
* The names confused me, too. I had never seen names like this before. But I started by just asking myself: What is this
about? It says here that this boy wasnt allowed to go to school. And when I look back at the title, I see the word Nepali.
That word is like a word of a country I know: Nepal, which is near India. So I figured out that they are from Nepal. I
decided not to worry too much about the names, but just underline the three people: a man named Bishnu, his son
Dinesh, and Dineshs wife. I get that they are a family. I think thats all I really need to know about their names, so Im
going to read on.
As a scaffold, this longer text has

been broken into sections. This
models for students (and teachers)
how to chunk text.
Struggling readers benefit from a
clear purpose and narrowed focus.
Consider numbering the paragraphs
and asking struggling readers to
focus in on one paragraph in each
section that carries a great deal of
meaning related to human rights
(Paragraphs 2 or 3, Paragraph 6,
etc.).
If necessary, ask students to first
focus on just one person in this
story: Bishnu, Dinesh, or Ratna.
online translation sources, such as
Google Translate, to assist with
comprehension.

Ask students to repeat the same process with Paragraphs 24:
If students read a story in their

home language, they can try to talk
about it in English with a partner.
1. Reread.
2. Annotate for gist and ask clarifying questions.
3. Return to the text to find answers.
Remind them to annotate (their gist and their questions) in the margins to help them keep track of their own thinking and to
help them prepare to share with their partner.
As before, invite students to turn and talk with a partner about what they understand from Paragraphs 24 and what
questions remain. Circulate to listen in and gauge students understanding. Prepare to address any misconceptions in a brief
think-aloud.
Again, after students have had an opportunity to grapple with the first section on their own and in pairs, think aloud as
necessary. Seize on students strong comments or the patterns of their questions.
For example, if students got the gist of Paragraph 2that Bishnu had to marry at age nine and then ran away to get
educatedcomment on that.
When ELLs are asked to produce

language, consider providing a
cloze sentence to assist with the
structure required.
If any students from Nepal or that
region of the world are in this class,
consider inviting them to share
briefly about the country. Honor
their expertise, but do not put them
on the spot.
If many students were confused in Paragraph 4 about why Bishnu went to jail, address this. Invite a student who figured this
out to think aloud for the group. Alternatively, model your own thinking: I heard a lot of you asking about why Bishnu went
to jail. I had that question too the first time I read this. He doesnt seem like a criminal. But then I remembered that the
author said something about against the law earlier in the text. So I went back up to reread to find that phrase, since I know
thats why people usually go to jail. I skimmed and found it in Paragraph 2. (Underline the phrase against the law.)
Continue: Then I reread that sentence again to remind myself what that law was about. It states, It was actually against the
law to start schools in the villages of Nepal, because the government believed that it was easier to control people if they
didnt know how to read and write. Oh, I see now: He brought a teacher to India to start a school. That was illegal in that
country. The government wanted people not to be literate. But why?
Point out to students that they will return to some of the important ideas in the textlike why a government would want its
people not to be able to readduring additional read-throughs. For now, remind them that they are simply reading for gist
and asking clarifying questions.
Ask students to turn and talk about what they now understand about Paragraphs 14.

B. Second Read of Paragraphs 15: Annotating for Vocabulary Related to Human Rights (10 minutes)
Remind students that annotating is reading and marking text for a specific purpose. On their first read, they annotated for
the gist and to ask clarifying questions. Now they will reread to look for words or phrases in this firsthand account that relate
to human rights, based on their knowledge of the UDHR. Tell them that in the next lesson, they will reread the UDHR and
connect it to the article. Today, the goal is to work with just the vocabulary in the context of this firsthand account and think
about which words connect to human rights.
Ask students to begin with Paragraph 1, circling or underlining words that relate to a specific human right. Then invite them
to turn and talk about what they found.
Invite a student to share with the class. If necessary, model connections you are making between this section of text and the
UDHR. For example: It says here that Bishnu was not allowed to go to school. I think I remember in the UDHR that
everyone has the right to an education. I dont know what article it is exactly, but we did read that.
Model being somewhat tentative but making direct links back to prior reading.
Check that all students understand the task, then release them to continue with Paragraphs 24. Remind them to focus on
words or phrases that relate to human rights. As before, they should do this first individually, then talk with a partner about
what they found.
Circulate to listen in, gauging students understanding and patterns of clarity or confusion. After a few minutes, ask a few of
them to share out.
C. First and Second Read of Remaining Three Chunks of Text (25 minutes)
Congratulate students on finishing the close reading routine for the first section of this longer text. Point out how their
understanding of the text deepens upon each reading.
Repeat this cycle with the second section of text (Paragraphs 57):
ELLs may need to be reminded that

the word face has multiple
meanings. In this context, it means
deal with.
1. Read aloud as students follow along.

2. Students read for gist, ask clarifying questions, annotate, and then talk with a partner.
3. Students reread, underlining words related to human rights, then talk with a partner.
Repeat for Section 3 (Paragraphs 810) and Section 4 (Paragraphs 11end).

Ask a few students to report out about the article:
* What is it mostly about?

* What are you realizing about human rights around the world?
Ask students to put their annotated texts into their folders for tomorrows lesson.
Consider allowing students to draw

their observations, ideas, or notes
when appropriate.
Ask students to think on their own, and then share with a partner in response to this prompt:
* How did certain words in the text help you understand the human rights issues in this firsthand account? Be sure to give
evidence from the text in your explanation.
Using the Fist to Five strategy, have students show their mastery of the learning targets, noting any 0 to 3s. Make sure to
touch base with those who did not seem to master the learning targets.
Homework
Go back through the text and make three to five flash cards from the new vocabulary you learned today. Put the word on one
side and the meaning that you learned and a drawing to represent that meaning on the other.
Talk with someone at home about what you read. If possible, discuss with that person:
How does something that happened 70 years ago in a country on the other side of the world relate to me? Why should I
care?
If there is no adult available to do this, answer the question on your own in writing.


Teaching Nepalis to Read, Plant, and Vote
Lesley Reed
Seventy years ago, a boy named Bishnu
Prasad Dhungel was not allowed to go to
school. As a result, thousands of Nepalis
have learned to read and write. This is the
remarkable story of Bishnu, his son Dinesh,
and Dineshs wife Ratna.
When Bishnu was a child, there was only
one school in Nepal and it was far away in
Kathmandu. It was actually against the law
to start schools in the villages of Nepal,
because the government believed that it was
easier to control people if they didnt know
how to read and write.
Back then, parents arranged to have their
children married very young. Bishnu was
married when he was just nine years old,
and then married again to a second wife
when he was 15. He helped on the family
farm, but he longed to go to school. Finally,
he was so determined to get an education
that he ran away to Kathmandu, walking for
three entire days. He completed one year of
school, enough to get a government job.
Bishnus wives had 25 children between
them, though ten died from diseases such as
smallpox and measles and malaria (a
disease of tropical countries). As Bishnus
children grew, he was determined that they
would go to school, so he brought a teacher
from India to teach them. For doing so,
Bishnu was sent to jail for three months for
breaking the law. However, he didnt give
up. He joined the Nepali Congressa thenillegal political party fighting for
democracyto fight the government. In
1951, when a new government came to
power, education was finally allowed.
Copyright 2005 Carus Publishing Company. Used by permission and not subject
Dinesh is Bishnus third son. He not only

went to elementary school, he graduated from
college. Because he had studied English, he
was able to get a job teaching Nepali to U.S.
Peace Corps volunteers. With the job came the
opportunity to travel around Nepal.
Dinesh soon noticed how few poor Nepalis,
especially women and girls, knew how to read.
They now had the right to go to school, but
they didnt have schools or teachers. This
realization inspired Dinesh to follow in his
fathers footsteps as a champion of education.
As a result, thousands of lives were changed.
Dinesh was fortunate to have married Ratna,
a lively young woman who was also committed
to helping the poor. They created an
organization called the Non-Formal Education
Services Center to educate poor Nepalis.
Dinesh describes their first project: We were
working with a very poor tribal group that
lived in caves on the sides of steep hills. When
we first visited, they ran into the forest
because they were scared of strangers. They
had nothing. I couldnt believe our brothers
and sisters were living in this condition.
While theyd set out to teach reading and
writing, they quickly realized that they needed
to do something about the poverty they saw.
After talking with the villagers, they decided to
buy goats for the ten poorest families. Goats
could scale the steep hillsides and eat the
brush that grew there. When the goats gave
birth, the kids were given to other poor
families. Dinesh and Ratna also learned that
orange trees would grow in the area, so they
planted hundreds of trees.

Teaching Nepalis to Read, Plant, and Vote
Lesley Reed
The villagers were required to save one

quarter of the money they earned from the
goats and oranges. With their savings, they
sent their children to the schools that the
center helped build. They were eventually
able to buy land and build better houses.
Since then, the center has taught 20,000
adults and 5,000 children to read as well as
helped to lift them out of poverty. They have
built 15 schools and 56 drinking water
systems and planted thousands of trees.
When democracy came to Nepal in 1990,
the center also taught the meaning of
democracy and the importance of voting
and human rights.
Ratna was eager to help the women and
children in another village, so she started
her own organization, called HANDS. To
get to the village, she had to wade a river
seven times. It was a three-and-a-half-hour
walk to the nearest health clinic. When the
river was flooded, the people couldnt get to
the clinic at all. Ratnas organization built a
health center. It also taught women
and girls to raise animals, to farm organically

and make tofu, to sew, and to make pressedflower cards (which Ratna sells in the United
States). Of course, they also learn to read and
write.
In the poor areas of Nepal, Dinesh says,
there is no TV or computer or electricity.
Most children dont have enough pencils or
paper. When the rainy season starts, it seems
like all the rain is falling in the class because
the roofs leak so much. The classrooms are
tiny, dark, and cold. The children need to help
their parents with housework, fetching
firewood, and taking care of goats or their
younger brothers and sisters. Because of this,
only about one out of ten children complete
grade 10.
Dinesh and Ratna have spent their lives
trying to change this. Of this, Dinesh says, We
are proud.
~~~~~~~~
Lesley Reed, Teaching Nepalis to Read,
Plant, and Vote, in Faces 21 (April 2005,
Issue 8), 2628.
From Faces issue: Nepal: Life at the Top of the World, 2005 Carus Publishing Company, published by Cobblestone Publishing, 30 Grove Street, Suite C,
Peterborough, NH 03458. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission of the publisher.
Copyright 2005 Carus Publishing Company. Used by permission and not subject

Main Ideas in Informational Text: Analyzing a
Firsthand Human Rights Account for Connections to

Analyzing a Firsthand Human Rights Account for
Connections to Specific Articles of the UDHR

I can choose evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. (RI.5.9)
Ongoing Assessment
I can cite examples of where human rights were upheld or challenged in Teaching Nepalis to Read,
Plant, and Vote.
Annotated text of Teaching Nepalis to Read, Plant, and

Vote (begun in Lesson 9, completed in Lesson 10)
Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
In this lesson, students continue to work with the firsthand account they read yesterday, Teaching
Nepalis to Read, Plant, and Vote. The particular focus today is on finding evidence in the text that
directly relates to specific articles of the UDHR. Students physically manipulate evidence in order to
begin to understand how to cite specific passages to prove an argument.
A. Revisiting 11 Articles from the UDHR (5 minutes)

2. Work Time
A. Summarizing: Nicknaming 11 UDHR Articles (10
minutes)
B. Sorting Evidence: Relating Specific Passages in
Teaching Nepalis to Read, Plant, and Vote to
UDHR Articles (15 minutes)
C. Discussion: Supporting a Point of View with TextBased Evidence (10 minutes)
This lesson continues to build students ability to cite specific evidence, which they will apply both in the
End of Unit 1 Assessment and throughout Units 2 and 3 when they study Esperanza Rising.
In advance: Prepare two envelopes for each small group: evidence strips and UDHR article strips (see
supporting materials, below).
D. Opinion Writing: What Human Right Was Upheld or

Challenged? (15 minutes)
4. Homework

Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
determine, clues, text, annotate, cite,

justify, human rights, firsthand
accounts
UDHR Article anchor charts (from Lesson 7; 11 total, created by students)

Colored markers and tape (by each of the 11 anchor charts)
UDHR note-catcher (from previous lessons)
Teaching Nepalis to Read, Plant, and Vote (from Lesson 9)
Envelopes (two per small group)
Evidence strips from Teaching Nepalis to Read, Plant, and Vote (one envelope of evidence strips per group)
UDHR article strips (for each group: one envelope of 10 articles, cut into strips, preferably on different color paper than the
evidence strips)
Document camera
Opening
A. Revisiting 11 Articles from the UDHR (5 minutes)

models of language.
Post the UDHR Article anchor charts around the room. Place a colored marker and some tape by each chart.
Ask students to go stand in small groups by the 11 charts, so there are 2 or 3 students at any given chart. Invite them to talk
with each other about this question:
* What is this article mostly about? If you had to give it a nickname, what would you call it?
Give students 3 to 4 minutes to talk. Invite them to add their thinking to the chart for their article.
Invite a few groups to share out to check for understanding. Then ask students to return to their seats, where they will
continue nicknaming the articles.

symbols (i.e., a thumbs-up sign for
upheld, an X for challenged) with
key words in the learning targets to
aid ELLs with comprehension.

Work Time
A. Summarizing: Nicknaming 11 UDHR Articles (10 minutes)
If needed and if possible, consider

providing ELLs firsthand accounts
in their L1 partnered with another
student who speaks their L1.
Briefly review the learning targets. Tell students that today they will continue talking about and reading the same text they
read yesterday: Teaching Nepalis to Read, Plant, and Vote. Today they will practice citing examples: finding specific
passages in the text to prove a point.
The main focus of today is to find specific connections between this firsthand account and the UDHR students have been
studying throughout Unit 1.
Ask students to locate their UDHR note-catcher (introduced in Lesson 1 and used throughout this unit). Students should be
quite familiar with the 11 articles and the note-catcher at this point. Ask them to briefly reread their notes, and then to give
each article a nickname. Students may do this independently or in pairs.
As students work, circulate to listen in and support as needed. This is also a good time to distribute to each group two
envelopes: evidence strips from Teaching Nepalis to Read, Plant, and Vote and UDHR article strips.
As a scaffold, this longer text has

been broken into sections. This
models for students (and teachers)
how to chunk text.
Struggling readers benefit from a
clear purpose and narrowed focus.
Consider numbering the paragraphs
and asking struggling readers to
focus in on one paragraph in each
section that carries a great deal of
meaning related to human rights
(Paragraphs 2 or 3, Paragraph 6,
etc.).

Work Time
B. Sorting Evidence: Relating Specific Passages in Teaching Nepalis to Read, Plant, and Vote to
UDHR Articles (15 minutes)
If necessary, ask students to first

focus on just one person in this
story: Bishnu, Dinesh, or Ratna.
Ask students to briefly turn and talk to a partner about what they remember from Teaching Nepalis to Read, Plant, and
Vote, the firsthand account they read in Lesson 9.
Direct students attention to the two envelopes on their table. Explain:
* Yesterday, when we read this firsthand account twice, many of you were referring to specific passages in the text to
explain your thinking. That is something good readers do. Today, we are going to continue practicing that skill.
Specifically, we will be thinking about how particular passages in this firsthand account relate to the articles from the
UDHR that we have been studying.
Invite students to open both envelopes and orient themselves to the contents. Say:
* Your challenge is to sort the evidence I have given you. As a group, spread out the UDHR article strips. Then, read each
evidence strip and discuss what article it goes with, and why.

structure required. For example:
This piece of evidence is about
_______. It relates to this article of
the UDHR
because____________.
Write these questions where all students can see them:
* What human right was being challenged? * What human right was being upheld?
Briefly model using the document camera, as students watch:
* For example, here is an evidence strip that says: Back then, parents arranged to have their children married very young.
I remember there is a UDHR article about marriage. I nicknamed it right to marry. Here it is: Article 16. Im going to put
this strip there, because it sounds like he didnt get to choose his own wife; his parents chose for him. I think his human
rights were violated.
Tell students that they should take turns reading the evidence strips out loud. Then as a group, they should discuss which
UDHR article that evidence belongs with.
Emphasize that many of the evidence strips could be matched with more than one of the UDHR articles. There is not always
a single right answer. Students need to provide reasons why they matched a piece of evidence with a given UDHR article.

Work Time
Check that students understand the process, then release them to work. Circulate to listen in and support as needed. Do not
give answers; rather, probe students to support their reasons with evidence:
* Why did you match that piece of evidence with that article from the UDHR?
* Explain your thinking.
* Tell me more.
When you hear students providing reasons or details, give them specific praise:
* I love how youre not just putting those two strips together, but that you explained why that evidence relates to that
UDHR article.
C. Discussion: Supporting a Point of View with Text-Based Evidence (10 minutes)
Tell students that now they should find a partner in their group and choose just one evidence strip they feel they really
understand.
Invite them to take that sentence strip and go back to the anchor chart for the UDHR article they think it relates to. Ask
students to tape their piece of evidence onto the anchor chart and then write in an explanation:
* This piece of evidence shows that this human right was upheld/challenged because
D. Opinion Writing: What Human Right Was Upheld or Challenged? (15 minutes)
Tell students that they will now have time on their own to practice supporting their point of view with reasons and
information. Remind them how thinking and talking helps them deepen their understanding of a text. Encourage them to
now capture that thinking on paper.
Circulate to support as needed.
Collect students completed Human Rights Challenged and Upheld recording form.
Consider providing a sentence

sentence to assist with language
production and the structure
required. For example: One human
right that was challenged is
________, and I know this
because_________________.


when appropriate.
Ask students to think on their own, and then share with a partner, in response to this prompt:
* How did working with the evidence strips help you understand this firsthand account?
Tell students that tomorrow in their end of unit assessment, they will have a chance to again practice closely reading a
firsthand account and supporting their point of view with evidence. They will read a new firsthand account and relate it to an
article from the UDHR.
Homework
Review what you know about close reading and what you have practiced. You will read closely on your own with a new
firsthand human rights account during tomorrows assessment.


Evidence Strips from Teaching Nepalis
to Read, Plant, and Vote
Instructions for teacher:

Make 6 or 7 copies of these pages (enough for one copy per small group). Cut the pieces of evidence
into separate strips (one piece of evidence per strip); cut on the line breaks below. Prepare one
envelope of evidence strips for each group.
Paragraph 1:
Seventy years ago, a boy named Bishnu Prasad Dhungel was not allowed to go to school. As a result,
thousands of Nepalis have learned to read and write.
Paragraph 2:
It was actually against the law to start schools in the villages of Nepal, because the government
believed that it was easier to control people if they didnt know how to read and write.
Paragraph 3:
Back then, parents arranged to have their children married very young. Bishnu was married when he
was just nine years old, and then married again to a second wife when he was 15.
Paragraph 3:
Finally, he was so determined to get an education that he ran away to Kathmandu, walking for three
entire days [to get there]. He completed one year of school, enough to get a government job.
Paragraph 4:
Bishnus wives had 25 children between them, though ten died from diseases such as smallpox and
measles and malaria (a disease of tropical countries).
Copyright 2005 Carus Publishing Company. Used by permission and not

subject to Creative Commons license.

Paragraph 4:
As Bishnus children grew, he was determined that they would go to school, so he brought a teacher
from India to teach them. For doing so, Bishnu was sent to jail for three months for breaking the law.
Paragraph 4:
In 1951, when a new government came to power, education was finally allowed.
Paragraph 5:
Dinesh is Bishnus third son. He not only went to elementary school, he graduated from college.
Paragraph 6:
Dinesh soon noticed how few poor Nepalis, especially women and girls, knew how to read. They now
had the right to go to school, but they didnt have schools or teachers.
Paragraph 6:
They now had the right to go to school, but they didnt have schools or teachers. This realization
inspired Dinesh to follow in his fathers footsteps as a champion of education. As a result, thousands
of lives were changed.
Paragraph 8:
Dinesh describes their first project: We were working with a very poor tribal group that lived in caves
on the sides of steep hills. When we first visited, they ran into the forest because they were scared of
strangers. They had nothing. I couldnt believe our brothers and sisters were living in this condition.


Paragraphs 9 and 10:

After talking with the villagers, they decided to buy goats for the ten poorest families. [The villagers]
were eventually able to buy land and build better houses.
Paragraph 11:
Since then, the center has taught 20,000 adults and 5,000 children to read as well as helped to lift
them out of poverty.
Paragraph 11:
When democracy came to Nepal in 1990, the center also taught the meaning of democracy and the
importance of voting and human rights.
Paragraph 12:
Ratna was eager to help the women and children in another village, so she started her own
organization, called HANDS. Ratnas organization built a health center.

10

Paragraph 12:
Ratna was eager to help the women and children in another village, so she started her own
organization, called HANDS. Ratnas organization built a health center.
Paragraph 12:
Of course, they also learn to read and write.
Paragraph 13:
The classrooms are tiny, dark, and cold. The children need to help their parents with housework,
fetching firewood, and taking care of goats or their younger brothers and sisters. Because of this, only
about one out of ten children complete grade 10.
Paragraph 14:
Dinesh and Ratna have spent their lives trying to change this.
From Faces issue: Nepal: Life at the Top of the World, 2005 Carus Publishing Company, published by Cobblestone Publishing, 30 Grove Street, Suite C,
Peterborough, NH 03458. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission of the publisher.

11

UDHR Article Strips
Article 1 of the UDHR:

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and
conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction
of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or
social origin, property, birth, or other status.

(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality, or religion, have
the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during
marriage, and at its dissolution.

(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions
of work, and to protection against unemployment.
(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
12

UDHR Article Strips

(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself
and of his family, including food, clothing, housing, and medical care and necessary social
services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood,
old age, or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

(1) Everyone has the right to an education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and
fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional
education shall be made available, and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the
basis of merit.
United Nations. Dept. of Public Information.Universal Declaration of Human Rights. United Nations, n.d. Web. 1 April 2014.
13

End of Unit 1 Assessment: On-Demand Analysis of
a Human Rights Account


I can explain what a text says using quotes from the text. (RI.5.1)
I can choose evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. (RI.5.9)
I can choose evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection and research. (W.5.9)
Ongoing Assessment
I can cite examples of where human rights were upheld or challenged in From Kosovo to the United
States.
End of Unit 1 Assessment: On-Demand Analysis of a

Human Rights Account
Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
From Kosovo to the United States is a challenging text. Consider having ELLs or struggling readers
read only through Section 1 (Paragraph 15), ending with They gave us blankets and even diapers for my
two little cousins.

2. Work Time
A. End of Unit 1 Assessment: On-Demand Analysis of a
Human Rights Account (45 minutes)

4. Homework

Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
support, provide, conclusions,

implications, facts, human rights,
evidence, violations, analysis, quotes
End of Unit Assessment Text: From Kosovo to the United States (one per student)
End of Unit 1 Assessment: On-Demand Analysis of a Human Rights Account (one per student)
End of Unit 1 Assessment: On-Demand Analysis of a Human Rights Account (Answers for Teacher Reference)
NY State Grade 4-5 Expository Writing Evaluation Rubric
Extended-Response (4-Point) Holistic Rubric (For Teacher Reference for scoring assessment)
Opening
Reviewing academic vocabulary

assists all students developing
academic language.
Tell students: For the past two weeks, we have been studying human rights. We learned new vocabulary words and
practiced close reading of the UDHR and firsthand accounts of human rights stories from around the world. Now we are
going to put all of that new knowledge to use by writing an essay about human rights.
Read the learning targets, circling or underlining the words cite, and explain. Review each word individually, making sure
students understand what each one means. Write synonyms or draw symbols if necessary to help students recall the
meaning of those words.

models of language.

Work Time
A. End of Unit 1 Assessment: On-Demand Analysis of a Human Rights Account (45 minutes)
ELLs may use bilingual dictionaries

and translators.
Remind students that they have been building background knowledge about human rights and about how real people still
face human rights challenges and work to uphold human rights for themselves and others. Remind them that they have also
been practicing reading and analyzing text. Today is an opportunity for them to show what they know. Encourage them.
Distribute End of Unit Assessment Text: From Kosovo to the United States and the End of Unit 1
Assessment: On-Demand Analysis of a Human Rights Account.
ELLs may be provided extended

time to complete the writing task.
They are given extended time on NY
state exams.
Read the instructions aloud and make sure students understand the criteria for success.
Do NOT preview the text with students. Point out that there is some basic background information about Kosovo at the top
of the page. Encourage them to use their background knowledge to figure out other unfamiliar words from context and also
not to worry too much about all the names of foreign places.
Remind them of the resources they may use: the UDHR, their UDHR note-catcher, their vocabulary flash cards, and their
notes/journals.

Ask students to form a circle as a class. Go around the circle, with each student filling in the blanks to this sentence when it
is their turn:
* I used to think human rights were ________. Now I know human rights are __________.
Allow every student to share out loud.
Homework
None


End of Unit Assessment Text:
From Kosovo to the United States
By Isau Ajeti (as told to Blanche Gosselin)
Basic background:
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe.
Ethnic Albanians are the largest group of people in Kosovo. The word ethnic means of similar race and culture.
NATO is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO soldiers are often sent to countries to help.
Hello! My name is Isau Ajeti. I was born in Shtime,
Kosovo, September 1988. I am an ethnic Albanian.
When I was two years old, my family moved to Germany.
My two sisters, Serxhane and Arjeta, were born here.
Seven years later, we returned to Shtime and built a
beautiful two-story house.
My uncle and aunt lived in the house next to ours. They
have three daughtersRemzie, Majlinda, and Nazliaall
younger than I am.
I never went to school in Kosovo. I was too young at first,
and then later, it was too dangerous. My country was at
war.
One day in April 1999, we looked outside and saw houses
on fire. Go! Go! someone ran down the street shouting,
The enemy is coming!
Right away our two families fled from Shtime. For two
hours, we journeyed toward Vojnovc, a country town.
Like us, hundreds of people filled the roads, trying to
escape.
In Vojnovc, a family let us stay with them. More than 35
people crowded together in their small house. We shared
whatever food there was.
After two weeks, we headed toward Ferijaj, my mothers
hometown. War planes flew overhead. There was
shooting on the ground. Six hours later, we reached
Ferijaj. All our relatives, except one, were gone.
Ferijaj has a train station. We wanted to take a train to
leave Kosovo. But with so many people, all the doors of
the train were blocked. Someone opened a window. My
father put me in first; then I pulled in the other five
children, beginning with my five-month-old cousin.
Finally, the four grown-ups crawled through the small
space.
It was very hot on the train. We were packed like
sardines. We could hardly breathe. Hungry, tired, and
dirty, children were crying.
Riding for three hours, we got to the border of
Macedonia, but the Serbian police stopped us. You
cannot get off the train, they said. Go back.
Copyright 2004 Skipping Stones Magazine. Used by permission and not subject to
Creative Commons license.
We did.
The next day, we tried again. This time the border was
opened to us. But the Serbian soldiers commanded, Stay
right on the railroad tracks. If you go to the right or left, we
will kill you.
So, we walked, two by two inside the tracks, right into
Macedonia.
What a difference it was for us there! NATO soldiers
welcomed us and fed us. They gave us blankets and even
diapers for my two little cousins.
Camp workers brought us to a small tent. It was very low
the grown-ups could not stand up straight in it. It rained
outside. My father and my uncle took off their jackets and
put them under us. We were cold because we didnt have
enough blankets, but at least we were together.
Each morning we waited in line for food, sometimes until
1:00 p.m. The camp was dirty. We missed the bathrooms we
had in our new homes in Shtime.
My father was in charge of both families. In one of the tents
was a big board. Every night we checked it for his name and
our camp number. It would tell us when and where we would
be sent.
Finally, my mothers mother and another uncle left for
Germany. We wanted to go with them, but we were
separated. After five weeks in Macedonia, the rest of us flew
to New Jersey, in the United States.
American soldiers brought us to Fort Dix, where our
Christian sponsors were waiting. Soon, a lady named Debbie
and an Armenian man named Steve arrived. They brought
flowers for my mother and my aunt. They were so nice. It
didnt matter to them that we were Muslims.
Our sponsors found us two apartments next to each other.
They helped us get groceries, clothes, furniture, medicine,
and jobs.
In June, a newspaper reported our story. A retired teacher
read it and offered to teach English to me and my two older
cousins, to prepare us for school. All summer we sat
outdoors and learned the alphabet, numbers, colors, and
telling time. We love our very first American teacher.

End of Unit Assessment Text:
From Kosovo to the United States
By Isau Ajeti (as told to Blanche Gosselin)
In fall, we started school. At first everything was strange,
but our teacher and classmates were wonderful, helping
us learn English quickly.
Now, America is our new home.
~~~~~~~~
Blanche Gosselin, the retired English teacher in this story,
transcribed Isau Ajetis account.
Reprinted with permission from Skipping Stones magazine and the articles authors, Isau Ajeti and Blanche Gosselin, all rights reserved. This article was originally
published in Skipping Stones, Vol. 16, no.3.
Copyright 2004 Skipping Stones Magazine. Used by permission and not subject to

On-demand Analysis of a Human Rights Account
Name:
Date:
Read From Kosovo to the United States, the firsthand account of Isau Ajeti. Ask clarifying questions
and annotate the text as needed. Then respond to a series of questions about the text, what human
rights challenges Isau faced, how he responded, and what human rights were upheld.
What are human rights, and how do real people respond when their rights are challenged?
Read From Kosovo to the United States, the firsthand account of Isau Ajeti.
Part 1: Read the questions below, and then return to the text to find specific evidence for your
answers.
1. Why did Isau Ajeti leave Kosovo in 1999?
A. To get a better education in America
B. To be with his family at Fort Dix
C. Because Kosovo was at war
D. Because his family liked living in Germany
2. How did Isau Ajeti most likely feel on the journey toward Vojnovc?
A. Hungry
B. Confused
C. Frightened
D. Lonely
3. Which evidence from the text supports the answer you gave to Question 2?
A. Isau Ajeti escaped from Shtime because the enemy was coming.
B. Isau Ajeti ate whatever food they had and could share.
C. Isau Ajeti was staying with 35 people.
D. Isau Ajeti was with his family in a small space.
Copyright 2013 by Expeditionary Learning, New York, NY. All Rights

Reserved.

4. How does Isaus ride on the train compare to the camp in Macedonia?
A. Both were cold and lonely
B. Both were cold and crowded
C. Both were hot and dirty
D. Both were crowded and dirty
5. What event directly led to Isau beginning to learn English?
A. He started going to school in the United States
B. There was a story about him in a newspaper
C. His arrival in the United States with his family
D. The sponsors found them apartments

Reserved.

Part 2: Essay: What specific human rights challenges did Isau and his family face? How did they
respond to those challenges? Use specific details from both the article From Kosovo to the United
States and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in your answer.
In your essay be sure to:
Name and describe specific examples of human rights challenges that Isau and his family faced.
Connect those challenges to specific article(s) of the UDHR.
Use evidence from the article to explain how Isau and his family responded to the human rights
challenges they experienced.
Use complete sentences.

Reserved.


Reserved.
10

(Answers for Teacher Reference)
Read From Kosovo to the United States, the firsthand account of Isau Ajeti. Ask clarifying questions
and annotate the text as needed. Then respond to a series of questions about the text, what human
rights challenges Isau faced, how he responded, and what human rights were upheld.
What are human rights, and how do real people respond when their rights are challenged?
Read From Kosovo to the United States, the firsthand account of Isau Ajeti.
Part 1: Read the questions below, and then return to the text to find specific evidence for your
answers.
1. Why did Isau Ajeti leave Kosovo in 1999?
A. To get a better education in America
B. To be with his family at Fort Dix
C. Because Kosovo was at war
D. Because his family liked living in Germany
2. How did Isau Ajeti most likely feel on the journey toward Vojnovc?
A. Hungry
B. Confused
C. Frightened
D. Lonely
3. Which evidence from the text supports the answer you gave to Question 2?
A. Isau Ajeti escaped from Shtime because the enemy was coming.
B. Isau Ajeti ate whatever food they had and could share.
C. Isau Ajeti was staying with 35 people.
D. Isau Ajeti was with his family in a small space.

Reserved.
11

4. How does Isaus ride on the train compare to the camp in Macedonia?
A. Both were cold and lonely
B. Both were cold and crowded
C. Both were hot and dirty
D. Both were crowded and dirty
5. What event directly led to Isau beginning to learn English?
A. He started going to school in the United States
B. There was a story about him in a newspaper
C. His arrival in the United States with his family
D. The sponsors found them apartments

Reserved.
12

Part 2: Essay: What specific human rights challenges did Isau and his family face? How did they
respond to those challenges? Use specific details from both the article From Kosovo to the United
States and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in your answer.
In your essay be sure to:
Name and describe specific examples of human rights challenges that Isau and his family faced.
Connect those challenges to specific article(s) of the UDHR.
Use evidence from the article to explain how Isau and his family responded to the human rights
challenges they experienced.
Use complete sentences.
Sample Student Response (Scoring a Level 4):
Isau and his family faced many human rights challenges in their lives. They were brave, never gave up
hope, and were grateful. Eventually their human rights were upheld like the authors of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights wanted.
The first challenge that the family faced was the war in their country. Article 3 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights says, Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person.
That means that all people have a right to be alive and be safe. The article says that Isaus country was
at war and that they had to run away when the enemy was coming. This meant they were not safe and
that they could die. Isau and his family traveled a long time. Even though they saw soldiers, they were
brave to walk on the railroad tracks. Then they were safe again in Macedonia.
The second human rights challenge that happened to Isau was described in Article 26 of the UDHR,
which says everyone has a right to an education. It is shown that this was a human rights challenge
when Isau said it was too dangerous to go school in his country of Kosovo. Going to school was
something Isau and his family really hoped for. The evidence for that is he says, We love our first
American teacher.
Finally, Isaus family suffered from the human rights challenge of not having employment. This is a
right described in Article 23. They had to live in a dirty camp, and they were cold because they did not
even have enough blankets. Then they left the camp and came to America. The article showed they
responded to this challenge by being grateful when it said, They were so nice. It didnt matter to them
that we were Muslims. This quote shows that Isau thought people might not like them, but they did.
The authors of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights would be both upset and glad about Isaus
story. They would be upset that their human rights were not upheld in Kosovo and Macedonia. The
family stayed brave, never gave up hope, and was grateful. Eventually their human rights were upheld.

Reserved.
13

New York State Grade 4-5 Expository Writing Rubric
14

Extended-Response (4-Point) Holistic Rubric
Within the Common Core, writing does not take place in a vacuum. To be college and career ready,
one must be able to write for a purpose using information from textual sources. Extended- response
questions on the 2013 Common Core English Language Arts Tests will ask students to analyze texts
and address meaningful questions using strategic, textual details. Scores for extended responses will
be based on four overarching criteria:
Content and Analysisthe extent to which the essay conveys complex ideas and information
clearly and accurately in order to support claims in an analysis of topics or texts
Command of Evidencethe extent to which the essay presents evidence from the provided texts
to support analysis and reflection
Coherence, Organization, and Stylethe extent to which the essay logically organizes
complex ideas, concepts, and information using formal style and precise language
Control of Conventionsthe extent to which the essay demonstrates command of the
conventions of standard English grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
These four characteristics combined make up the focus of the 4-point, extended-response tasks,
Writing from Sources. Whether in response to an individual text or a paired selection, a student
will be asked to synthesize, evaluate, and evidence their thinking in a coherent and legible manner.
Please note the new holistic 4-point rubric for Expository Writing in Grade 4 5 on page 10.

Reserved.
15

Overview

Case Study:
Esperanzas Story
In this second unit, students will apply their new learning about human rights
through a case study of how a fictional character responds to human rights
challenges. This unit emphasizes the Reading Literature strand of the NYSP12 CCLS,
with a study of the novel Esperanza Rising by Pam Muoz Ryan (740L). Students
also read informational texts related to the storys historical context. They will trace
the journey of Esperanza, a young girl born into a comfortable life of privilege in
Mexico in the 1930s who is forced to flee to California and must rise above her
difficult circumstances. This unit is designed to deliberately build students ability to
write routinely to learn. Almost daily, they will write short informational pieces in
their reading journals, in which they record their interpretations of concrete details
and quotations from the book. They will analyze characters responses to challenges
and will analyze how Esperanza changes over time. For the mid-unit assessment,
students will independently read and analyze a new chapter in the novel, focusing
on the challenges Esperanza faces, how she responds, and what that tells readers
about her as a character. In the second half of the unit, students compare and
contrast Esperanza to other characters in the novel, focusing specifically on how
various characters respond to the challenges in their work camp and whether or not
the migrant workers should strike. Students will create a two-voice poem
contrasting the ways two different characters respond to a similar challenge. They
will then write a formal essay in which they analyze how Esperanza changes
throughout the novel.
Note: This unit presumes that the teacher has carefully read Esperanza Rising in advance. This novel is at a 740 Lexile measure. However, it is quite complex on
other qualitative measures of text complexity. See the Literary Text Qualitative Rubric (on EngageNY.org) for more on how to analyze text complexity.

Characters change over time in response to challenges (to their human rights).

Case Study:
Esperanzas Story

This on-demand assessment centers on standard NYS ELA CCLS RL.5.1, RL.5.2, RL.5.3, and RL.5.4. Students will have read a
chapter of Esperanza Rising for homework, and will demonstrate their ability to analyze complex text independently. They will
analyze the challenges Esperanza faces and how she responds, citing textual evidence. They will also respond to questions regarding
academic vocabulary and figurative language. This is a reading assessment: the purpose is for students to demonstrate their ability to
analyze literature in general, and Chapter 9 of Esperanza Rising specifically. This Mid-Unit 2 Assessment is not intended to formally
assess students writing. Most students will write their responses, in which case it may also be appropriate to assess students on
W.5.9. However, if necessary, students may dictate their answers to an adult.
This assessment centers on standards NYS ELA CCLS RL.5.1, RL.5.2, RL.5.3, W.5.2, W.5.4, W.5.5, and W.5.9. Students will write an
essay in which they explain how Esperanza changes over time. Specifically, they will analyze Esperanzas growth and development by
comparing how she responds to events earlier and later in the novel. Each student will select the two or three key events that best
support his/her analysis of Esperanzas growth and development.
Content Connections
This module is designed to address English Language Arts standards. However, the module intentionally incorporates Social Studies content that many
teachers may be teaching during other parts of the day. These intentional connections are described below.

The migration of groups of people in the United States, Canada, and Latin America has led to cultural diffusion because people carry their ideas and way of life with

Case Study:
Esperanzas Story
Central Texts
1. Pam Muoz Ryan, Esperanza Rising (New York: Scholastic, 2002), ISBN: 978-0439120425.
Secondary Texts
1. United Nations, Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Plain Language Version. www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/humanrights/resources/plain.asp (last accessed
August 6, 2012).

Unit-at-a-Glance
This unit is approximately 3 weeks or 18 sessions of instruction.

General teaching note: Esperanza Rising is a long novel. In Unit 2, students typically read a chapter each day for homework and discuss key passages in class. Students may
need additional time during other parts of the day to keep up with the reading. Note, however, that in Unit 3 (Readers Theater), students revisit, analyze, and discuss many
key passages from Esperanza Rising. Thus, students understanding of the text will grow across the six weeks of Units 2 and 3 combined.
Lesson
Lesson Title
Long-Term Targets
Supporting Targets
Ongoing
Assessment
Lesson 1
Building Background Knowledge:

Learning about the Historical and
Geographical Setting of Esperanza
Rising (Chapter 1: Aguascalientes,
Mexico, 1924)
I can define historical fiction.
Class discussion
I can determine the meaning of literal and figurative

language (metaphors and similes) in text. (RL.5.4)
I can describe the geographical setting of

Esperanza Rising.

I can describe the historical setting of Esperanza

Rising.

I Notice and I Wonder sticky
notes
Notes from Jigsaw note-catcher
Lesson 2
Getting to Know Esperanza (Chapter

2: Las Uvas/Grapes)

(SL.5.1)
I can discuss answers to questions with my triad

and provide evidence to explain my ideas.
Observe where students place

their evidence flags

text. (RL.5.1)
I can answer questions about the setting of the

novel Esperanza Rising based on evidence from
the text.
Triad discussions

(RL.5.1)
I can compare and contrast literary elements using
details from the text (two or more characters points
of view, settings, events). (RL.5.3)
I can answer questions about the main character,

Esperanza, based on evidence from the text.


Unit-at-a-Glance
Lesson
Lesson Title
Long-Term Targets
Supporting Targets
Ongoing
Assessment
Lesson 3
Inferring about Characters Based on

How They Respond to Challenges
(Chapter 3: Las Papayas/Papayas)

text. (RL.5.1)
I can answer comprehension questions based on

text from Esperanza Rising that I have read
independently.
Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 3:

Las Papayas/Papayas (entrance
ticket)
I can identify situations in Esperanza Rising

where a characters human rights are challenged.
Triad discussions

(RL.5.1)
language (metaphors and similes). (RL.5.4)
I can write informative/explanatory texts. (W.5.2)
I can make inferences from the text about

Esperanza, Mama, and Abuelita.
Exit Ticket: Independent answer

to text-dependent question

meaning of words in Esperanza Rising.
I can write to explain my thinking about the
characters in Esperanza Rising.
Lesson 4
Inferring about Characters Based on

How They Respond to Challenges
(Chapter 4: Los Higos/Figs)

text. (RL.5.1)
(RL.5.1)
I can compare and contrast literary elements (two or
more characters points of view, settings, events)
using details from the text. (RL.5.3)
Lesson 5
Connecting Informational Text with

Literature: Building Background
Knowledge about Mexican
Immigration, California, and the
Great Depression
(Chapter 5: Las Guayabas/Guavas)

independently.

Los Higos/Figs (entrance
ticket)
I can identify situations in Esperanza Rising

where a characters human rights are challenged.
Anchor charts: Character Tcharts: One (created by small

groups) about Mama, Abuelita,
Miguel, and a second (from
individual notes) about Mama,
Abuelita, Miguel, Esperanza
I can make inferences from the text about the



meaning of words in Esperanza Rising.

I can use quotes to explain the meaning of a literary

text. (RL.5.1)

independently.

Las Guayabas/Guavas
(entrance ticket)
I can summarize the main ideas in an

informational text about California in the 1930s.
Getting the Gist note-catchers

Triad discussions
Exit Ticket: Independent writing

answer to text-dependent
question

Unit-at-a-Glance
Lesson
Lesson Title
Long-Term Targets
Supporting Targets
Ongoing
Assessment
Lesson 6
Contrasting Two Settings (Chapter

6: Los Melones/ Cantaloupes)

text. (RL.5.1)

independently.

Los Melones/Cantaloupes
(entrance ticket)
I can discuss answers to questions with my triad

and provide evidence to explain my ideas.

their evidence flags
I can answer questions about the setting of the

novel Esperanza Rising based on evidence from
the text.
Triad discussions

(RL.5.1)
(SL.5.1)

I can answer questions about the main character,

Esperanza, based on evidence from the text.
I can identify metaphors in Esperanza Rising.
I can interpret figurative language in Esperanza
Rising.
Lesson 7
Point of View: Comparing

Esperanzas and Isabels Perspectives
about Life in the Camp (Chapter 7:
Las Cebollas/Onions)


independently.

Las Cebollas/Onions (entrance
ticket)

language in text. (RL.5.4)
I can use context clues to help me determine why

the author chose specific words in Esperanza
Rising.
Observation of placement of
evidence flags (homework and
classwork)
I can determine what metaphors the symbols of

the chapter titles represent in Esperanza Rising.
Character T-chart (Isabel)
I can explain how Isabel responds to challenges in

her life.

I can use what the text says to help me understand the

meaning of a word or phrase. (L.5.4)
Triad discussion
I can describe how the points of view of

Esperanza and Isabel influence the description of
events.
I can create a visual image of the setting of
Esperanza Rising.

Unit-at-a-Glance
Lesson
Lesson Title
Long-Term Targets
Supporting Targets
Lesson 8
Understanding Themes in Esperanza

Rising (Chapter 8: Las
Almendras/Almonds)

I can interpret two big metaphors in Chapter 8,

Las Almendras in Esperanza Rising.
I can use quotes to explain the meaning of literary

texts. (RL.5.1)
I can explain what it means to find the theme of a

book or story.

(RL.5.2)
I can identify themes in Esperanza Rising.
Mid-Unit 2 Assessment and

Discussing Themes in Esperanza
Rising (Chapter 9: Las
Ciruelas/Plums)
I can use quotes to explain the meaning of literary

texts. (RL.5.1)
I can use quotes to support my inferences in literary
texts. (RL.5.1)
(RL.5.2)
I can compare and contrast literary elements using
details from the text (two or more characters points
of view, settings, events). (RL.5.3)
Lesson 10
Characters Changing Over Time

(Chapter 10: Las Papas/ Potatoes)

text. (RL.5.1)
(RL.5.1)

Las Almendras/Almonds
(entrance ticket)
classwork)
Triad discussion

texts. (RL.5.1)
Lesson 9
Ongoing
Assessment

I can use context clues to help me determine why
the author chose specific words in Esperanza
Rising.
I can explain how characters respond to
challenges in their lives.
Analyzing Sections of Esperanza
Rising on My Own (RL.5.1,
RL.5.2, RL.5.3, and RL.5.4)
Triad/quad discussion
I can describe how the points of view of

Esperanza and other characters influence the
description of events.
I can interpret the blanket metaphor in
Esperanza Rising.
I can identify the themes in Esperanza Rising.
independently.
Comprehension Quiz, Chapter

10: Las Papas/Potatoes
(entrance ticket)
I can make inferences from the text about

Esperanza and Mama in Esperanza Rising.

evidence flags
I can begin to describe how Esperanza is

changing.
Triad discussions

I can interpret big metaphors in Esperanza

Rising.

(RL.5.2)


Unit-at-a-Glance
Lesson
Lesson Title
Long-Term Targets
Supporting Targets
Ongoing
Assessment
Lesson 11

Why Do Workers Strike? (Chapter 11:
Los Aguacates/Avocados)


independently.

Los Aguacates/Avocados
(entrance ticket)
I can identify examples of human rights that have

not been protected in Esperanza Rising.
Triad discussion
I can explain what a strike is.
Exit Ticket: On Strike! notecatcher
I can explain why workers go on strike.
Lesson 12
Contrasting Perspectives: Should the

Farmworkers in Esperanza Rising
Go on Strike? (Chapter 12: Los
Esprragos/ Asparagus)

text. (RL.5.1)

(RL.5.1)
I can make inferences from the text about the



characters perspectives in Esperanza Rising.
I can make arguments for and against striking.
Gathering Evidence and Drafting a

Two-Voice Poem (Chapter 13: Los
Duraznos/Peaches)

texts. (RL.5.1)
I can describe how a narrators point of view
influences the description of events. (RL.5.6)
(SL.1)

evidence flags
Triad discussion
Character anchor charts
Lesson 13

12: Los Esprragos/Asparagus
(entrance ticket)

independently.

13: Los Duraznos/Peaches
(entrance ticket)
I can explain the structure of a two-voice poem.
Two-Voice Poem graphic

organizer (side A completed,
side B begun)
I can compare and contrast Esperanza with

another main character in Esperanza Rising.
I can use evidence from Esperanza Rising that
supports my inferences about two different
characters, particularly how the two characters
respond to challenges.
I can collaborate with peers to plan and draft a
two-voice Poem.

Unit-at-a-Glance
Lesson
Lesson Title
Long-Term Targets
Supporting Targets
Lesson 14
Writing, Critique, and Revising:

Two-Voice Poems (Chapter 14:
Las Uvas/Grapes)
I can use the writing process to produce clear

and coherent writing (with support). (W.5.5)
I can answer comprehension questions based on text from

Esperanza Rising that I have read independently.
I can contrast how two characters in Esperanza Rising
respond to challenges, using a two-voice poem format.
Ongoing
Assessment
14: Las Uvas/Grapes (entrance
ticket)
Two-voice poems (drafts)
I can use evidence from Esperanza Rising that supports my

inferences about two different characters, particularly how the
two characters respond to challenges.
I can collaborate with peers to plan and draft a two-voice
poem.
I can give specific feedback that will help other students make
their writing better.
I can use feedback that I receive from others and self-reflection
to improve my writing.
Lesson 15
Revisiting Big Metaphors and

Themes; Revising and
Beginning to Perform TwoVoice Poems
I can determine the meaning of literal and

figurative language (metaphors and similes) in
text. (RL.5.4)
I can determine a theme based on details in the
text. (RL.5.2)
I can interpret five big metaphors in Esperanza Rising.

I can explain the themes in Esperanza Rising.
I can perform my two-voice poem.
classwork)
Triad discussion/Chalk Talk
Two-voice poems
I can use quotes to support my inferences in

literary texts. (RL.5.1)
I can adapt my speech for a variety of contexts
and tasks, using formal English when
appropriate. (SL.5.6)

Unit-at-a-Glance
Lesson
Lesson Title
Long-Term Targets
Supporting Targets
Lesson 16
Paragraph Writing, Part I: How

Esperanza Responds on the
Train (revisiting Chapter 5: Las
Guayabas/Guavas)
I can use quotes to explain the meaning of literary texts. (RL.5.1)
I can find evidence in Esperanza Rising

that will support my inferences about
how Esperanza changes throughout the
novel.
I can use quotes to support my inferences in literary texts. (RL.5.1)

I can compare and contrast literary elements using details from the
text. (RL.5.3)
I can write an informative/explanatory text. (W.5.2)
I can use the writing process to produce clear and coherent writing
(with support). (W.5.5)
Lesson 17
Paragraph Writing, Part II

I can compare and contrast literary elements using details from the
text. (RL.5.3)
I can use the writing process to produce clear and coherent writing
(with support). (W.5.5)
Ongoing
Assessment
Partner Accordion graphic
organizer (for Paragraph 1)
Partner Draft Paragraph 1
(partially completed)
I can analyze how Esperanza responds

to a key event in the novel, and what
this shows about her character.
I can write an essay in which each
paragraph has a clear topic sentence, a
body, and a conclusion.
I can find evidence in Esperanza
Rising that will support my inferences
about characters from the book.
I can analyze how Esperanza responds
to a key event in the novel, and what
this shows about her character.
Accordion graphic organizer for

Paragraph 2 (homework)
Partner and individual
paragraphs
I can write an essay in which each

paragraph has a clear topic sentence, a
body, and a conclusion.
10

Unit-at-a-Glance
Lesson
Lesson Title
Long-Term Targets
Supporting Targets
Lesson 18

On-Demand Analytical
Essay about How
Esperanza Changes over
Time
I can find evidence in Esperanza Rising that

will support my inferences about characters
from the book.

I can compare and contrast literary elements using details from the text.
(RL.5.3)
I can produce clear and coherent writing that is appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience. (W.5.4)
With support from peers and adults, I can use a writing process to produce
clear and coherent writing. (W.5.5)
I can write an informative/explanatory threeparagraph essay that analyzes how Esperanza

responds to two key events, and compares
and contrasts her response to events over
time.
I can write an essay in which each paragraph
has a clear topic sentence, a body, and a
conclusion.
Ongoing
Assessment
Accordion graphic
organizers
Partner and individual
paragraphs
On-Demand Analytical
Essay about How Esperanza
Changes over Time (RL.5.1,
RL.5.2, RL.5.3), W.5.2,
W.5.4, W.5.5, W.5.9)
I can choose evidence from literary or informational texts to support

analysis, reflection and research. (W.5.9)
11

Case Study:
Esperanzas Story

Experts: Invite a local poet to visit the class and critique students two-voice poems.
Literature: Invite students to explore childrens picture books that address similar themes to Esperanza Rising. See Recommended Texts lists:
Gleam and Glow, written by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Peter Sylvada;
Erandis Braids, written by Antonio Hernndez Madrigal, illustrated by Tomie dePaola;
Shin-chis Canoe, written by Nicola I. Campbell, illustrated by Kim LaFave;
Amelias Road/Camino de Amelia, written by Linda Jacobs Altman, illustrated by Enrique O. Sanchez, translated into Spanish by Enrique O. Sanchez
Social Studies
Have students learn more about the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl.
Consider issues of immigration and migrant farm labor in more recent times.
Sarah E. Warren, Dolores Huerta: A Hero to Migrant Workers, illustrated by Robert Casilla (Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish, 2012), ISBN: 978-0-7614-61074
S. Beth Atkin, Voices from the Fields: Children of Migrant Farmworkers Tell Their Stories (New York: Little, Brown, 2000), ISBN-13: 978-0316-056205, ISBN10: 0316056200.
Music
With the music teacher, explore traditional music of Mexico; folk music from the 1930s
World Languages
Study Spanish vocabulary; explore Mexican customs and traditions
12

Recommended Texts
In Unit 2, students explore how a fictional character responds to human rights

challenges. The novel Esperanza Rising is set during the Depression and includes
scenes in both the United States and Mexico. The list below includes a wide range of
texts to read about fictional characters facing challenges, as well as informational
texts about the Great Depression and the role of migrant farmworkers. It includes
works with a range of Lexile text measures on this topic. This provides
appropriate independent reading for each student to help build content knowledge.
Note that districts and schools should consider their own community standards
when reviewing this list. Some texts in particular units or modules address
emotionally difficult content.
It is imperative that students read a high volume of texts at their reading level to
continue to build the academic vocabulary and fluency that the CCLS demands.
Title
Where possible, materials in languages other than English are also provided. Texts
are categorized into three Lexile levels that correspond to Common Core Bands:
below-grade band, within band, and above-grade band. Note, however, that Lexile
Grade 23: 420820L
Grade 45: 7401010L
Grade 68: 9251185L
Text Type
Lexile Measure

Meet Kit: An American Girl, 1934
Valerie Tripp (author)
Literature
590
Any Small Goodness: A Novel in the

Barrio
Tony Johnston (author)
Literature
600
Angels in the Dust
Margot Theis Raven (author), Roger

Essley (illustrator)
Literature
650
Number the Stars
Lois Lowry (author)
Literature
670
Title
Text Type
Lexile Measure
Lexile text measures within band level (7401010L)

The Mighty Miss Malone
Christopher Paul Curtis (author)
Literature
750
A Thousand Never Evers
Shana Burg (author)
Literature
830
Homesick: My Own Story
Jean Fritz (author), Margot Tomes

(illustrator)
Literature
860
My Name Is Gabito: The Life of Gabriel Garca

Mrquez/Me llamo Gabito: la vida de Gabriel Garca
Mrquez
Monica Brown (author), Ral

Coln (illustrator)
Literature
910
Bud, Not Buddy
Christopher Paul Curtis (author)
Literature
950
The Great Depression
Elaine Landau (author)
Informational text
1010
Welcome to Kits World, 1934: Growing Up During

Americas Great Depression
Harriet Brown (author)
Literature
1060
Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at

Weedpatch Camp
Jerry Stanley (author)
Informational text
1120
www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/humanrights/resources.asp
UNICEF
Informational text (Web site)
TK
www.unicef.org/crc/index_30160.html
UNICEF
Informational text (Web

site)
TK
For Every Child: The Rights of the Child in Words and

Pictures
Caroline Castle (author)
Literature
1050
www.humaneeducation.org/sections/view/
childrens_human_rights
Institute for Humane

Education
Informational text (Web

site)
TK

Building Background Knowledge: Learning About
the Historical and Geographical Setting of Esperanza
Rising (Chapter 1: Aguascalientes, Mexico, 1924)

Learning About the Historical and Geographical Setting of Esperanza Rising
(Chapter 1: Aguascalientes, Mexico, 1924)

I can determine the meaning of literal and figurative language (metaphors and similes) in text. (RL.5.4)
Ongoing Assessment
I can define historical fiction.
Class discussion
I can describe the geographical setting of Esperanza Rising.
Building Background Knowledge: I Notice and I Wonder sticky notes
I can describe the historical setting of Esperanza Rising.
Notes from Jigsaw note-catcher
Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
Esperanza Rising is a long novel. In Unit 2, students typically read a chapter each day for homework
and discuss key passages in class. Students may need additional time during other parts of the day to
keep up with the reading. Note, however, that in Unit 3 (Readers Theater), students revisit, analyze, and
discuss many key passages from Esperanza Rising. Thus, students understanding of the text will grow
across the six weeks of Units 2 and 3 combined.
A. Engaging the Reader: Read-aloud of Pages 13 of

Esperanza Rising (10 minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Visualizing the Geographical Setting
(15 minutes)
B. Jigsaw Protocol: Understanding the Historical
Setting (30 minutes)
A. Go-Round Oral Debrief (5 minutes)
4. Homework
Be aware of students home countries or cultural backgrounds in your class. You may have students who
have lived in Mexico and can contribute a wealth of knowledge.
In advance: Prepare folders for the Jigsaw protocol: one folder per group of three students. Each folder
must include one copy of all three of the text excerpts as well as the accompanying picture references
(see supporting materials for excerpts and links to access associated pictures).
Note that searches on images (such as Google Images or Tumblr) may be used to find more images for
the Jigsaw. If you choose to conduct such searches, bear in mind the appropriateness of the content, the
copyright requirements of the specific site or images, and any relevant school or district policies.
Review Jigsaw protocol (Appendix 1).
NYS Common Core ELA Curriculum G5:M1:U2:L1 April 2014

Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
support, variety, describe, artifact,

historical, geographical, setting;
vineyard (1), slopes (1), winding (1),
gazing (1), thumping (2), resounding
(2)
Esperanza Rising (book; one per student)

Wall map that shows Mexico, California, and New York
Jigsaw folders (one per triad of students), each with a complete set of texts and pictures described below (see Teaching Note,
above)
Background texts about Mexico in the 1920s (one per student; see list in supporting materials)
Web Sites for Accompanying Pictures about Mexico in the 1920s
Jigsaw note-catcher for Background Texts about Mexico (one per student)
Chart paper for anchor chart: The Geographical and Historical Setting of Esperanza Rising
Evidence flags (sticky notes: the smallest available or larger sizes cut into strips), two baggies per student (one each for home
and school)
Homework: Purpose for Reading, Chapter 1 (one per student)
Reading Esperanza Rising anchor chart (new; teacher-created)

Opening
A. Engaging the Reader: Read-aloud of Pages 13 of Esperanza Rising (10 minutes)

symbols for key terms (e.g., a globe for
geographical setting) to be referred back
to throughout the module. These can be
posted with learning targets.
Share the learning target: I can describe the geographical setting of Esperanza Rising. Make sure that students
understand the words geographical and setting. Ask students to share what they know about Mexico. List their
responses on chart paper or a white board. Tell students that today they will begin to read a new novel titled Esperanza
Rising.
Explain to students that this novel is historical fiction. Ask students to try to define these terms. Coach as needed,
explaining that the story is based on real events, real settings, and some real people, but also includes many imagined
events and characters.
Distribute students texts: Esperanza Rising. Ask students to examine the image on the cover. Ask students to ThinkPair-Share: What do you notice? What do you wonder?
Focus students on the image of the land at the bottom of the cover. Tell them that today, they will begin to get a feel for
the setting: the place and time where the events in this novel occur.
Consider providing the Spanishlanguage edition of Esperanza Rising

(Esperanza Renace) for students whose
L1 is Spanish. This can help students
understand materials presented in
English.
Read aloud pages 1 to 3, as students follow along in their own copy. Ask students to turn and talk with a partner: What
is this short chapter mostly about?

Work Time
A. Visualizing the Geographical Setting (15 minutes)
When discussion of complex content is

required, consider partnering an ELL
with a student who speaks the same L1.
points in their L1.
Ask students to reread the first paragraph on page 1 silently, trying to picture in their minds what it is like where
Esperanza lives.
Ask: What is it like where Esperanza lives? Invite students to think, then talk with a partner.
Probe with a series of text-dependent questions:
* What is a vineyard?
* What are gentle slopes?
* What might Papa mean when he says, Our land is alive?
Give each student two baggies of evidence flags: one each for home and school. Tell them that they will practice using
these throughout the unit. Ask them to place an evidence flag titled Geographical setting: Mexico on page 1. Model as
needed.
Direct students attention to the title of Chapter 1: Aguascalientes, Mexico, 1924. Ask students if anyone knows what
Aguascalientes is. Listen for students to infer that it is a town or region in Mexico. Explain as needed: This is where
Esperanza lives. Ask students if anyone knows what Aguascalientes means. See if they can infer, based on the word
roots agua (water) and caliente (hot). Point out to students that there will be many Spanish words and phrases in this
book; they should use their understanding of context clues to try to figure out what these words mean.
Orient students to the wall map: Where is Mexico relative to New York?
Tell students that they will reread Chapter 1 as one part of their homework and should continue to focus on details that
help them understand what it is like where Esperanza lives.

Work Time
B. Jigsaw Protocol: Understanding the Historical Setting (30 minutes)
For students needing additional

supports, consider providing a partially
filled-in Jigsaw note-catcher.
Tell students that in order to understand the settingboth the geographical place and historical time periodof the
novel, they will spend a little time today building background knowledge about Mexico.
To do this, they will be using a simple Jigsaw protocol. This protocol allows small groups to engage in an effective, timeefficient comprehension of a longer text. Students dont always have to read every page or section of a reading. The
Jigsaw structure lets students divide up the text, become an expert in one section, and hear oral summaries of the others
and still gain an understanding of the material.
Divide students into groups of three and ask the triads to sit together. Give each triad a folder with all the materials for
the Jigsaw protocol, including the Background Texts about Mexico in the 1920s.
Assign one topic to each member of the triad:
1. Government and Revolution
2. Neighbor to the North
Consider providing smaller chunks of

text (sometimes just a few sentences) for
students who need additional support.
Teachers can check in on students
thinking as they write or speak about
their text.
supports, check in to assure they have
some key points to share in the
summary.
3. Rich versus Poor

Be sure that students also see the accompanying pictures.
Tell students that they will each read about one topic, and then will share with the other members of their triad.
Reassure them that they are not expected to understand everything about their excerpt or pictures. The goal is simply to
begin to build basic background knowledge about Mexico. They will keep learning more throughout this unit.
Jigsaw, Part 1:
Give students 15 minutes to independently read their assigned topic, review the pictures, and take notes about their
assigned topic on their Jigsaw note-catcher. (Be sure the class understands that during Part 1 of the Jigsaw, each student
will be reading and taking notes on a DIFFERENT topic from the other two members in their triad.) Have students look
for key points and new information as they read their section and examine accompanying pictures. Students should
record their learning on the Jigsaw note-catcher.
Jigsaw, Part 2:
Still in triads, ask students to now take 10 minutes to share with each other what they learned. Each member in turn
shares the important points and summary from the pictures and text she/he read. As each group member shares, the
other students in the group take notes.
Listen in for patterns during students comments, to bring up whole group during the debrief.

A. Go-Round Oral Debrief (5 minutes)

language, consider providing a sentence
required.
Ask students to consider what they know about Mexico and anything they might already know about the novel
Esperanza Rising.
Reread aloud the learning targets: I can describe the geographical setting of Esperanza Rising. I can describe the
historical setting of Esperanza Rising. Then ask students to share their ideas in a go-round. Go in a relatively fastpaced and structured manner (e.g., down rows, around tables), allowing as many students as possible to share their idea
in 15 seconds or less. Once students start to repeat ideas, have them point out similarities in responses using sentence
frames such as: My idea is similar to/related to . . . Record these ideas on an anchor chart called The Geographical and
Historical Setting of Esperanza Rising. Save this anchor chart to refer back to in future lessons.
Explain to students the homework routine for this novel. They will do a first draft reading of a new chapter each night.
They will always be given a purpose for reading: a question to think about as they read. They should keep track of their
thinking with evidence flags (sticky notes). They will practice this each day, but the basic idea is to mark passages that
relate to the homework question. They do NOT need to write out answers to the homework question; they will often
write about this question in class the next day, or discuss their evidence flags in small groups.
Tell students that they will practice using evidence flags throughout the unit, and they will get better at finding and
citing evidence over time. For homework tonight, they should just have a go trying to mark evidence that relates to the
homework questions.
Homework
This homework has two parts.
Consider providing students who need

additional support audio recordings of
text, which can aid in comprehension.
Students can pause and replay confusing
portions while they follow along with the
text.
Reread Chapter 1: Aguascalientes, Mexico, 1924. Use the questions from the Purpose for Reading, Chapter 1
homework to focus your reading. Use evidence flags to mark the specific areas in the book that support your answer.
Then do a first draft read of Chapter 2. What is this chapter mostly about?
Note: If concerned about students completing the reading assignment at home, plan an additional reading period later in
the day or first thing in the morning. All students should come to expect that they will use some of the slushy time during
the dayright before or after lunch, during downtime between other tasks, as they enter the classroom in the morning or
just before dismissal, as time for reading the novel or independent reading. In addition, students likely to need additional
support should preread this novel with support during intervention or other support periods. Prereading with support will
then allow students to spend class periods rereading and focusing on evidence.


Jigsaw Note-catcher for Background Texts about Mexico
Section
Key Points
Questions
Mexico:
Government
and
Revolution
Mexico:
Neighbor to
the North
Mexico: Rich
versus Poor

Background Texts about Mexico in the 1920s
Created by Expeditionary Learning for Instructional Purposes
1. Mexico: Government and Revolution

From the years 1876 to 1880 and 1884 to 1911, Mexico was ruled by a dictator named Porfirio Daz.
In 1910, the poor and working-class people of Mexico rebelled against the wealthy landowners and
Daz. This was called the Mexican Revolution. Workers fought for many reasons. They wanted fair
pay, equal rights, and to have better opportunities for their families. The Mexican Revolution was
a long and deadly war for the Mexican people. But the outcome changed much in their society. For
example, the Mexican Constitution was written during this period, in 1917. This constitution
outlined the rules that the government must follow. It also gave all people of Mexico rights,
regardless of whether they were workers or landowners.
2. Mexico: Neighbor to the North
During the Mexican-American War (18461848), Mexico lost nearly half its territory to the United
States Within two years, the United States had captured Mexico City and won the war. Mexico was
forced to sell its northern territories, including Texas and what are now the states of California,
Arizona, and New Mexico, to the United States for only $18 million. This was a very low price to
pay for the amount of rich land the United States was getting from Mexico. Because of this, the U.S.
and Mexico had very bad relations for many years after the war.
3. Mexico: Rich versus Poor
Throughout Mexicos history, there have been small villages in the countryside. For generations,
families have lived and worked on the farms that surrounded these villages. The families who
worked the land did not own any part of the farms. This meant that they did not make very much
money, because they are paid low wages to work for the landowners. In fact, more than 70 percent
of Mexicos population in the 1920s was extremely poor.

Web Sites for Accompanying Pictures
about Mexico in the 1920s
(Teacher Resource: Select images in advance and
put a complete set of pictures in each Jigsaw folder.)
Mexico: Government and Revolution Links

General links via Library of Congress:
www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=Mexico%20revolution&st=gallery
Portrait of Porfirio Daz: www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/cph.3a23261/
Images of Mexico during the Carranza revolution against Huertas government (LOT 9563-16)
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=LOT%20956316&fi=number&op=PHRASE&va=exact&co!=coll&sg=true&st=gallery
El Presidente lvaro
Obregn: http://academics.utep.edu/Portals/1719/Publications/MexicanRevolutionTimeline.pdf
Rebel Soldiers, Chihuahua, Mexico, 19101920s:

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/cph.3b47430/
Diego Rivera, The Uprising (El levantamiento, 1931)mural depicting historical class struggles in
Mexico:
http://www.1fmediaproject.net/2011/11/13/diego-rivera-murals-for-the-museum-of-modern-artreunites-for-the-first-time-murals-the-artist-made-for-his-1931-moma-exhibition/
Mexico: Neighbor to the North Links

General images from Library of Congress: www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=Mexico%201846
U.S. Army soldiers and Mexican soldiers guarding the international border (International Street) at
Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora, during the Mexican Revolution (19101920):
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c3/Nogales_Arizona_1910-1920.jpg
U.S. and Mexico state line (1915) Getty Research Library:

http://archives.getty.edu:30008/getty_images/digitalresources/mexico/jpegs/mex202.jpg
10

Web Sites for Accompanying Pictures
about Mexico in the 1920s
(Teacher Resource: Select images in advance and
put a complete set of pictures in each Jigsaw folder.)
Mexico: Rich versus Poor

Picture of working family in Mexico, 1913:
http://runyon.lib.utexas.edu/r/RUN00000/RUN00000/RUN00048.JPG
[Use with credit line] From the Robert Runyon Photograph Collection [image number 00048],
courtesy of the Center for American History, the University of Texas at Austin.
Diego Rivera, Sugar Plantation (Plantacon de caas de azcar, 1931)mural depicting landowner
and workers (1920s Mexico): http://artfullyredone.com/diego-rivera/19986-sugarplantationtealtenangomorelos1930-1931.html
Diego Rivera, The Exploiters (Los explotadores, 1926)depicts unequal relationship between
Mexican field workers and wealthy landowners: http://www.diego-rivera-foundation.org/TheExploiters-1926-large.html
11

Text Resources
R. Conrad Stein, Mexico: Enchantment of the World (Danbury, CT: Childrens Press, 2007),
ISBN: 978-0-516-24868-4.
Susan Milord, Mexico: 40 Activities to Experience Mexico Past & Present (Nashville, TN:
Williamson Books, 1999), ISBN: 978-1-885593-22-1.
12

Homework:
Purpose for Reading, Chapter 1: Aguascalientes, Mexico, 1924
and Chapter 2: Las Uvas/Grapes (Pages 122)
Name:
Date:
Reread Chapter 1 and do a first draft read of Chapter 2: Las Uvas/Grapes.
As you read, think about these questions. Use your evidence flags to mark specific passages in
the text to discuss with your triad. You do not need to write out answers as part of your
homework; just keep track of your thinking with your evidence flags.
1. Describe the geographical setting of Esperanza Rising. What is it like where Esperanza lives?
Use details from the text to support your answer.
2. What is Esperanzas relationship with her papa like? How do you know?
3. What is Esperanzas life like in Mexico?
13

Getting to Know Esperanza: (Chapter 2: Las
Uvas/Grapes)

Getting to Know Esperanza:
(Chapter 2: Las Uvas/Grapes)

I can explain what a text says using quotes from the text. (RL.5.1)
I can make inferences using quotes from the text. (RL.5.1)
I can compare and contrast literary elements using details from the text (two or more characters points of view, settings, events). (RL.5.3)
Ongoing Assessment
I can discuss answers to questions with my triad and provide evidence to explain my ideas.
Observe where students place their evidence flags
I can answer questions about the setting of the novel Esperanza Rising based on evidence from the text.
Triad discussions
I can answer questions about the main character, Esperanza, based on evidence from the text.

Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
In advance: Create anchor chart: Norms for Triad Talk (see supporting materials).
A. Introduction of Triad Structure (5 minutes)

2. Work Time
A. Triad Discussion: Setting and Character in Chapter 1
(10 minutes)
B. Read-aloud, Independent Reading, and TextDependent Questions: Pages 48 (20 minutes)
C. Guided Practice: Triad Work (10 minutes)
D. Answering Questions in Triads (10 minutes)
A. Debrief: Reading Esperanza Rising Anchor Chart (5
minutes)
4. Homework
Esperanza Rising is a long novel. In Unit 2, students typically read a chapter each day for homework
and discuss key passages in class. Students may need additional time during other parts of the day to
keep up with the reading. Note, however, that in Unit 3 (Readers Theater), students revisit, analyze, and
discuss many key passages from Esperanza Rising. Thus, students understanding of the text will grow
across the six weeks of Units 2 and 3 combined.
The lessons in this unit follow a predictable pattern. Help students start noticing this pattern. They will
do a first draft read of a new chapter for homework each night. They are not expected to fully
understand everything at that point. In class, they will analyze key aspects of the chapter they read for
homework (often by answering a series of text-dependent questions). They do this work with teacher
support, either whole group, in triads, or on their own. Often, they will revisit key passages from a given
chapter in future lessons as well.
Beginning in Lesson 3, each lesson opens with a brief quiz that holds them more individually
accountable for their homework reading. In this lesson, students simply revisit their homework reading
with their triads.
Throughout their study of the novel, students regularly answer text-dependent questions. In advance:
Read Chapter 2: Las Uvas/Grapes and review the text-dependent questions (see supporting
materials). Students will work with a similar document in many lessons. Two copies of the questions are
provideda blank to distribute to students and display on a document camera, and one with answers
for teacher reference. In this lesson, since it is the first time students will be working with this TextDependent Questions handout, you first just display the first question (as guided practice during work
time C). Then you distribute the questions to students during Work Time D.
This lesson introduces a new small group structure: Triad Talk. These reading and discussion groups
will be used throughout the study of Esperanza Rising.
Be strategic in your grouping. If you have a few struggling readers in your class, put them in a group
together so that you can more directly support them while allowing other students to be more
independent. If you have many struggling readers, place them in groups with stronger readers but
carefully monitor that they are reading and contributing. Your ELLs may benefit from being in a group
with others who speak their native language.

Agenda
Teaching Notes
Note that for this lesson, students are told the page number where answers to the text-dependent
questions can be found. This information is provided as a scaffold and a model, so students learn to
reference page numbers when citing evidence.
Students may not have time to answer all 5 text-dependent questions; Question 5 is revisited in Lesson
3.
Throughout the novel, the author uses Spanish words to convey important aspects of Esperanzas
experience. If you have Spanish speakers in your class, tap their expertise. But emphasize to all students
that they should be able to infer all the Spanish words from context. This is a useful opportunity to
continue to practice and reinforce this important reading strategy.
Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
setting, character, historical fiction,

triad, adored, vicious, premonition,
cautiously, superstition, bandits,
resentment, sympathetic,
distinguished, capricious, propriety,
crochet, lopsided, property,
stubbornly, self-importance, beacon,
tormented

Document projector or interactive white board
Colored markers (approx. 9) so every team of three has a unique color
Evidence flags (sticky notes: the smallest size available or larger sizes cut into strips). Give each student two baggies of
evidence flags: one for home and one for school.
Norms for Triad Talk anchor chart (sample, for Teacher Reference; create one like this for your class)
Text Dependent Questions for Chapter 2: Las Uvas/Grapes (one per student; one to display)
Text Dependent Questions for Chapter 2: Las Uvas/Grapes (Answers for Teacher Reference)
Homework: Purpose for Reading, Chapter 3: Las Papayas/Papayas (one per student)
Anchor chart: Close Readers Do These Things (from Unit 1)
Reading Esperanza Rising anchor chart (from Lesson 1)

Opening
A. Introduction of Triad Structure (5 minutes)

Review the learning target: I can discuss answers to questions with my triad and provide evidence to explain my ideas,
and let students know they will be working on this novel in triads, or groups of three. Place students in their triads and
review with them the anchor chart for Norms for Triad Talk. If theres time, model some of the expected behaviors with
a student helper.
Some students may be unfamiliar with

academic vocabulary words (e.g.,
discuss, provide, explain, ideas,
evidence). Clarify vocabulary with
students as needed.
Work Time
A. Triad Discussion: Setting and Character in Chapter 1 (10 minutes)

Choose two students to read the learning targets aloud:
What do they notice? Briefly review the terms setting (from Lesson 1) and character to support students in
understanding the targets. Remind the class that Esperanza Rising is historical fiction: The author draws upon real
events, real settings, and some real people, but also made up many events and characters.
Remind the students of what they learned about yesterday (Mexico, the Mexican Revolution, social unrest), and ask
them to turn and tell a neighbor where Esperanza Rising takes place (the setting: Aguascalientes, Mexico) and what
characters have been introduced so far (Esperanza and her papa).
Ask students, in their triads, to discuss the two questions they were given to focus on for their homework rereading of
Chapter 1: Aguascalientes, Mexico, 1924.
* Describe the geographical setting of Esperanza Rising. What is it like where Esperanza lives? Use details from the
text to support your answer.
* What is Esperanzas relationship with her papa like? How do you know?
Use this opportunity to circulate and listen in to gauge who did the homework reading, how well students understand
the reading, and how students are beginning to collaborate in their triads.

Work Time
B. Read-aloud, Independent Reading, and Text-Dependent Questions: Pages 48 (20 minutes)
To assist with comprehension, provide

ELLs with bilingual word-for-word
Translate or Bing Translate.
Check to see that everyone in the class has their text: Esperanza Rising. Make sure each student has his/her baggie of
evidence flags. Remind everybody that they will be using these sticky notes throughout the novel to help them keep track
of important passages.
Tell students that they did a first draft read of Chapter 2: Las Uvas/Grapes for their homework. Point out that this
novel is challenging, and that they will often need to read sections multiple times in order to understand the ideas in the
text. Explain to students that the most important thing to do while reading is to think! Say: As we read this book, we are
going to be thinking a lot about the characterswhat they are like, the challenges they face (including human rights),
and how they change over time.
Read aloud page 4 through the top of page 6 (Harvest!), as students follow along.
Invite students to think, then talk briefly with their triad, about what these first few pages of Chapter 2 are mostly about.
Listen for students to notice the chapter title Las Uvas/Grapes. If necessary, point out how chapter titles in a novel
provide a signal to a reader about the main ideas or events in a given chapter.
Using your document camera or placing the questions on the board, display just Question 1 from the Text-Dependent
Questions for Chapter 2: Las Uvas/Grapes (see supporting materials).
Give students five minutes on their own to reread through the break on page 8. (Note that this is the third time they
have read pages 4-6). Remind them that rereading is an important strategy to help them make sense of difficult text. Ask
them to keep Question 1 in mind as they read.
Ask students to use the Triad Talk anchor chart to remind themselves about how to talk to each other while developing
the answer to the question in their triad. Each person should mark the evidence in the book that supports the groups
answer by placing an evidence flag on the specific information.
Ask a few groups to report out their answer and their evidence. If necessary, model by adding additional evidence to
clarify and further support what students are saying.
Praise groups using Triad Talk well. Tell students that they will be working in these groups each day, and remind them
how discussing their thinking with others can help them understand hard text.

Work Time
C. Guided Practice: Triad Work (10 minutes)

Distribute the Text-Dependent Questions for Chapter 2: Las Uvas/Grapes to students. Focus them on the second
question. Tell them to listen for and mark evidence that answers the question as you read aloud. Continue to read aloud
from the middle of page 8, with students following along. Stop at the break in the middle of page 12, and ask students to
discuss their answers to Question 2 with their triad, rereading the pages if necessary. Again, follow the process of having
some triads report out their answers to the class, augmenting the students responses with evidence from the text if
necessary.
D. Answering Questions in Triads (10 minutes)
Note: Students may not have time to answer all three of the remaining text-dependent questions; Question 5 (about
Papas death) is revisited in Lesson 3.
In triads, students should read aloud one text-dependent question at a time, and clarify any terms. They should then
think on their own, then talk together to answer the question, marking their answers with evidence flags. They do not
need to write answers to the questions at this point.
Students should then repeat this cycle for the next question.
As students work, monitor this discussion, making sure all students are participating. Reinforce students who are
following the Triad Talk norms well.

A. Debrief: Reading Esperanza Rising Anchor Chart (5 minutes)
Debriefing about what they have learned

will help students monitor their own
reading comprehension and choose
strategies that will help them succeed.
Ask a student to reread out loud the learning targets (either in their triads or chorally). Remind the class members that
this is what they worked on today.
Tell students that in order to really understand what the author is writing about, we must read the text carefully, such as
when reading informational text closely. Remind the class about reading the UDHR closely, pointing out the list on the
anchor chart from Unit 1, Close Readers Do These Things.
Begin a new anchor chart, Reading Esperanza Rising. Write underneath that heading: Making inferences about
Esperanzas character, which is what they did today. Tell them they will continue to add to this chart as they read this
novel.
Remind students of the homework routine. They are expected to do a first draft read of a new chapter, using the
Purpose for Reading question to focus their attention. They should use their evidence flags to mark passages that
relate to the question. They are not expected to fully understand the chapter but should give it their best shot.
Homework
Read Chapter 3: Las Papayas/Papayas (pages 2328). Use the question from the Homework: Purpose for
Reading, Chapter 3: Las Papayas/Papayas to focus your reading. Use evidence flags to mark the specific areas
in the book that support your answer.
Audio recordings of text can aid some

students in comprehension. Students
can pause and replay confusing portions
while they follow along with the text.
Note: If concerned about students completing the reading assignment at home, plan an additional reading period later
in the day or first thing in the morning. All students should come to expect that they will use some of the slushy time
during the dayright before or after lunch, during downtime between other tasks, as they enter the classroom in the
morning or just before dismissal, as time for reading the novel or independent reading. In addition, students likely to
need additional support should preread this novel with support during intervention or other support periods.
Prereading with support will then allow students to spend class periods rereading and focusing on evidence.


Norms for Triad Talk
Teacher Instructions: Write the following instructions on a chart paper so all students can
see it for the remainder of the unit.
Norms for Triad Talk:
Each person must contribute to the discussion, but take turns talking. Ask each other: Would you
like to add to my idea? or Can you tell us what youre thinking?
Each person should show the others specific details from the text by pointing to specific page
numbers, paragraphs, and lines. Say: My evidence is here on page ___ in the ___ paragraph and
read the evidence aloud.
Ask questions so that you understand each others ideas. Say: Can you tell me more about that?
or Can you say that another way?

Text-Dependent Questions for Chapter 2:
Las Uvas/Grapes (Pages 4-22)
1. The first paragraph on page 8 says that Esperanza would like to live at El Rancho de las
Rosas with her Mama and Papa forever. Why does she feel this way? Find details from the
text to explain your answer.
2. On pages 812, Esperanza and Mama seem to be worried about Papa. What specific words
or phrases in this section of the novel help you know that they are worried? Why are they
worried? Use evidence from the text in your answer.
3. On pages 14 and 15, what two pieces of advice does Abuelita give Esperanza? How does
Esperanza respond to the advice? Use evidence from the text in your answer.
4. On page 18, Esperanza says that a deep river runs between her and Miguel. What does
she mean? How does Miguel respond when she tells him this? Use details from the text in
your answer.
5. At the end of the chapter, why does Esperanza feel her heart drop and that she has sunk
into a dark hole of despair and disbelief? Use details from the text in your answer.
10

1. The first paragraph on page 8 says that Esperanza would like to live at El Rancho de las
Rosas with her Mama and Papa forever. Why does she feel this way? Find details from the
text to explain your answer.
Esperanza is the only child of a wealthy rancher, and her fathers pride and
glory (p. 4). Her family employs many servants and farmworkers. She is very
happy to live with her parents, and is mostly thinking about her upcoming
birthday party and eventual quinceanera. She cant imagine living with any
fewer servants. Or without being surrounded by the people who adored her (p.
8).
2. On pages 812, Esperanza and Mama seem to be worried about Papa. What specific words
or phrases in this section of the novel help you know that they are worried? Why are they
worried? Use evidence from the text in your answer.
How do you know: Esperanza shows she is worried when she says that Papa
had promised to meet her and never disappointed her, but he isnt there (p.8).
Then she worries that pricking her finger is bad luck and asks, where was
Papa? (p. 9). On page 10, she strained her eyes looking for him. Mama bites
the corner of her lip in worry (p. 11). Why they are worried: On page 11, it says
they have been warned about bandits. And even though the revolution has
been over for 10 years, there is still resentment against large landowners (p.
12).
3. On pages 14-15, what two pieces of advice does Abuelita give Esperanza? How does
Esperanza respond to the advice? Use evidence from the text in your answer.
1. There is no rose without thorns Esperanza seems to understand and
accept this advice, because she smiles and says that Abuelita wasnt talking
about flowers at all but that there was no life without difficulties (p.14).
2. Do not be afraid to start over. Esperanza accepts this advice, because she
does start her stitches over again, but she sighs, which implies she is
impatient with it. (p. 15). She also complains on page 13 that she doesnt like
to always crochet to take her mind off worry.
11

4. On page 18, Esperanza says that a deep river runs between her and Miguel. What does
she mean? How does Miguel respond when she tells him this? Use details from the text in
your answer.
She is talking about the class issues that divide them, because she is a ranch
owners daughter and he is a housekeepers son. Also, they are Indians and she
is of Spanish descent. Miguel seems to be angry or hurt, since he doesnt speak
to her anymore (p. 18).
5. At the end of the chapter, why does Esperanza feel her heart drop and that she has sunk
into a dark hole of despair and disbelief? Use details from the text in your answer.
She has just learned that her Papa is dead. This isnt said, but she sees his body
in the back of the wagon covered with a blanket, and Alfonso is crying, which
confirms the worst (p. 22).
12

Homework:
Purpose for Reading, Chapter 3:
Las Papayas/Papayas (Pages 2328)
Name:
Date:
What challenges do the main characters in this chapter face?

As you read, think about this question. Use your evidence flags to mark specific passages
in the text to discuss with your triad. You do not need to write out answers as part of your
13

Inferring About Characters Based on How They
Respond to Challenges: (Chapter 3: Las
Papayas/Papayas)

Inferring About Characters Based on How They Respond to Challenges:
(Chapter 3: Las Papyayas/Papayas)

I can determine the meaning of literal and figurative language (metaphors and similes). (RL.5.4)
Ongoing Assessment
I can answer comprehension questions based on text from Esperanza Rising that I have read
independently.
Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 3: Las Papayas/Papayas

(entrance ticket)
I can identify situations in Esperanza Rising where a characters human rights are challenged.
Triad discussions
I can make inferences from the text about Esperanza, Mama, and Abuelita.
Exit Ticket: Independent answer to text-dependent

question
I can use context clues to help me determine the meaning of words in Esperanza Rising.
I can write to explain my thinking about the characters in Esperanza Rising.

Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
In advance: Read Chapter 3 and review the text-dependent questions (see supporting materials). Two
copies of the questions are provided: a blank to display for students, and one with answers for teacher
reference.
A. Entrance Ticket: Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 3:

Las Papayas/Papayas
(5 minutes)
B. Engaging the Reader: Oral Chapter Review (5
minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Revisiting Papas Death: Close Reading of Pages 22
23 (15 minutes)
B. Challenges to Human Rights in Chapters 2 and 3 (10
minutes)
C. How Characters Respond to Challenges: Answering
Questions in Triads (15 minutes)
A. Independent Answer (5 minutes)
4. Homework
This lesson draws directly on the knowledge students built during Unit 1 about human rights. Students
revisit this topic in future lessons, so the discussion in Part B of Work Time is intentionally brief. Be
sure to have the Unit 1 anchor charts on specific articles of the UDHR available where students can see
them, to jog their memory. Also be sure students have their UDHR note-catchers.
This lesson introduces a new routine: an entrance ticket comprehension quiz, intended to check
whether students have done their reading.
Note that for the text-dependent questions, students are told some of the page numbers where the
answers can be found. This scaffolding will gradually be removed as students progress through the
novel.
As in Lesson 2, students work in groups to answer text-dependent questions. Continue guided practice
as needed, but be sure during Work Time C, all students have their own copy of these questions to
reference as they work in their triads. Students may not have time to answer all text-dependent
questions; remind them that it is most important for them to discuss each question thoroughly and cite
evidence. Students will revisit the character analysis (begun in Lesson 3) during Lesson 4 as well.
Based on how groups functioned on the first day of reading the novel, you might modify groups at this
time.
This lesson reintroduces a pattern of analysis that students were first exposed to in Unit 1, when they
analyzed the firsthand accounts of human rights violations. Throughout their study of Esperanza,
students will consider the challenges characters face (including but not limited to human rights
challenges), how the characters respond, and how a characters response helps us understand that
character and the themes of the novel.
Review Think-Pair-Share, Write-Pair-Share, and Cold-Call protocols (Appendix 1)

Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
independently, identify,
comprehension, challenge, infer,
inference, quotes, inferential, denial of
property, human rights,
discriminatory, anguish, smothered
(23), composure, indignation
Comprehension Quiz Entrance Ticket (Chapter 3: Las Papayas/Papayas) (one per student)
UDHR note catcher (from Unit 1; students completed copies)
UDHR articles anchor charts (from Unit 1)ideal, but not essential
Evidence flags (sticky notes: the smallest size available or larger sizes cut into strips)two baggies per student (one each for
home and school)
Text-dependent questions for Chapter 3: Las Papayas/Papayas (one per student and one to display)
Text-dependent questions for Chapter 3: Las Papayas/Papayas (Answers for Teacher Reference)
Norms for Triad Talk anchor chart (from Lesson 2)
Homework: Purpose for Reading, Chapter 4: Los Higos/Figs (one per student)
Human Rights Challenges in Esperanza Rising anchor chart (new; teacher-created; see Work Time B)
Inferring by Using Text Clues anchor chart (new; teacher-created; see Work Time A)
Student journals
Reading Esperanza Rising anchor chart
Index cards or half-sheets of paper

Opening
A. Entrance Ticket: Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 3: Las Papayas/Papayas (5 minutes)

symbols to assist ELLs in
comprehension and making
connections.
Remind students to sit with their triads throughout their study of the novel.
Introduce the new routine of the comprehension quiz entrance ticket by reviewing the first learning target. Clarify the
meaning of the words comprehension and independently. Explain that this quiz will be a daily practice as we move through
Esperanza Rising, designed to assess whether students read and understood the text assigned for homework.
Distribute the quiz and give students five minutes to complete it. Collect students work to review and/or assess.
Some students may be unfamiliar

with academic vocabulary words
(e.g., comprehension, situation,
challenged, identify, explain). Clarify
vocabulary with students as needed.
B. Engaging the Reader: Oral Chapter Review (5 minutes)

Note: Keep this review short. Students analyze the chapter in more detail throughout the lesson.
Posting points of class discussions

assists ELLs in comprehension.
Remind students that their homework reading is a first draft read; they are not expected to understand everything. But it
is important that they feel accountable for the reading, practice reading on their own, and try their best.
After the quiz, lead the class in a brief whole class review session, cold calling students to elicit a summary of the chapter
that was read for homework. Start with an open-ended question, such as: What was this chapter mostly about? or What
happened in this chapter? Encourage students to cite evidence or point to specific passages. Note which students are able
to answer the questions, and the quality of the answers.
Then ask the last question from the quiz again:
* At the start of Chapter 3, what does Esperanza dream about?

Be sure students understand that she dreams Papa is still alive. This will serve as the transition to the next section of the
lesson.

Work Time
A. Revisiting Papas Death: Close Reading of Pages 2223 (15 minutes)
Increase interactions with vocabulary

in context. This increases the rate of
ELL vocabulary acquisition.
Remind students of the text-dependent questions they discussed about Chapter 2: Las Uvas/Grapes. Point out that many
of them may not have had time to fully discuss the fifth question:
* At the end of the chapter, why does Esperanza feel her heart drop and that she has sunk into a dark hole of despair and
disbelief?
Ask students to talk in their triads briefly to remind each other what happened at the end of Chapter 2.
Probe with a series of text-dependent questions:

models of language.
* Did Esperanza really sink into a hole?

* What does the word despair mean? Why does Esperanza feel despair?
If students do not mention the word grief, offer this vocabulary term as a precise way to describe Esperanzas experience:
deep, deep sadness.
Direct students to Chapter 3, the final two sentences on page 23, and ask:
* What are the events of last night?

* Based on context clues, what might the word wrenched mean?
* The author says: Her smile faded, her chest tightened, and a heavy blanket of anguish smothered her smallest joy.
What might anguish mean? Is she really wearing a blanket?
Point out to students that the author is using language in very interesting ways to help readers understand what Esperanza
is feeling. They will explore this in more depth in future lessons.
Point out that the author never directly tells readers that Papa died. Ask:
* How were you able to figure out what happened?

Begin the Inferring by Using Text Clues anchor chart with a drawing of a stick figure with a thought bubble that says: The
text says so I infer that On this chart, add several of students examples about how they inferred that Papa died.
Ask students to add an evidence flag to the opening of Chapter 3: Las Papayas, with the phrase Esperanza grieving.
(This early modeling of how to summarize a chapter in a phrase will help students begin to keep track of the main events. In
future lessons, students will begin to write their own evidence flags to summarize the chapter.)

B. Challenges to Human Rights in Chapters 2 and 3 (15 minutes)

Read aloud the learning target: I can identify situations in Esperanza Rising where a characters human rights are
challenged. Review the meaning of the word challenged in this context (tested or violated), which students should recall
from their study of the UDHR during Unit 1.
Ask students to talk in their triads about the human rights they remember from their study of the UDHR. Direct them to
their completed UDHR note-catcher and UDHR anchor charts (from Unit 1). Give students a few minutes to skim
these documents, with which they should be quite familiar. Invite a few triads to share out some of the human rights named
in the UDHR and the nicknames students gave those rights during Unit 1.
Ask students to share where they placed their evidence flags as they read Chapter 3: Las Papayas (for homework):
* What challenges did the characters in this chapter face?

* Where are there examples specifically of human rights challenges?
If necessary, scaffold the students learning by asking them if they can find some of the following examples:
* A challenge to the right to life, liberty, and personal security (the murder of Esperanzas father, p. 24)
* The discriminatory treatment of Indians compared to people of Spanish descent (pp. 12, 1518)
* The denial of property rights to women (p. 30)
Start a Human Rights Challenges in Esperanza Rising anchor chart to use throughout the novel as students find
more examples.

C. How Characters Respond to Challenges: Answering Questions in Triads (15 minutes)
Consider writing and displaying steps

for multistep directions. ELLs can
return to steps to make sure they are
on track.
Review the anchor chart Norms for Triad Talk (from Lesson 2). Have students remain in triads, but gather students
attention whole group. Read aloud the learning target: I can make inferences from the text about the characters in
Esperanza Rising. Remind them that earlier in this lesson, they began an anchor chart and talked about how they were
able to make an inference that Papa died even though the author didnt say it directly.
Point out to students that the way people respond to challenges tells us a lot about who they are. Ask students to talk in
their groups about an example. Model as needed with something from your own life.

cloze sentence to provide the
structure required.
Read out loud the learning target: I can write to explain my thinking about the characters in Esperanza Rising. Tell
students that throughout their study of Esperanza Rising, they will be thinking about the challenges Esperanza and other
characters face, how those characters respond, and what that tells us about those characters. Remind them that they did
something similar when they read the firsthand human rights accounts at the end of Unit 1.

when appropriate. This allows ELLs
to participate in a meaningful way.
Tell students that they will learn more about inference and keep practicing drawing inferences based on clues from the text.
Remind students of their work yesterday, using evidence flags to track their thinking as they read.
Ask students to begin four new pages in their reading journal (one per character), and on each page quickly jot a
response to the following question:
What do you already know about this character?
Esperanza
Mama
Abuelita
Miguel
Tell students that in the next lesson, they will focus more on Miguel; today they will just focus on Esperanzas family.
Distribute and display the Text-dependent Questions for Chapter 3: Las Papayas/Papayas.
In triads, students should read aloud one text-dependent question at a time, and clarify any terms. They should then think
on their own, then talk together to answer the question, marking their answers with evidence flags. They do not need to
write complete answers to the questions at this point.
Students should then repeat this cycle for the next question.

As students work, monitor this discussion. Emphasize that the author is not telling the reader what the characters are like,
she is showing the reader how the characters behave, so that the reader can infer what the character is like.
While circulating, make sure all students are participating. Reinforce students who are following the Triad Talk norms well.
A. Independent Answer (5 minutes)
For students who struggle, consider

providing extra time for tasks and
discussions. ELLs often need more
information.
Remind students of what they did today by asking students to reread out loud the learning targets. Have students give
suggestions to add to the anchor chart Reading Esperanza Rising anchor chart. Make sure to add: using context clues to
figure out vocabulary and thinking about how characters respond to challenges to the chart.
Distribute index cards or half-sheets of paper. Ask students to select one question (i.e., about just one of the characters)
from their Triad Talk discussion for which they feel that they have a complete answer. Ask students to write the number of
the question and their answer, using specific details from the text.
Ask students to write a definition of inferring in their reading journal. Then ask students to share their definition with their
triad. Cold call a few students to share an inference they made about Esperanza, Mama, or Abuelita during class today.


Homework
Read Chapter 4: Los Higos/Figs (pages 3057) in Esperanza Rising. Use the Homework: Purpose for Reading,
Chapter 4: Los Higos/Figs question to focus your reading. Use evidence flags to mark the specific areas in the book
that support your answer.
Audio recordings of text can aid

can pause and replay confusing
portions while they follow along with
the text.
the day or first thing in the morning. All students should come to expect that they will use some of the slushy time during
the dayright before or after lunch, during downtime between other tasks, as they enter the classroom in the morning or
just before dismissal, as time for reading the novel or independent reading. In addition, students likely to need additional
support should preread this novel with support during intervention or other support periods. Prereading with support will
then allow students to spend class periods rereading and focusing on evidence.


Comprehension Quiz Entrance Ticket
Name:
Date:
1. At the start of
Chapter 3: Las Papayas, what does Esperanza dream about?
2. What does To Luis ask Mama to do?
3. What is Mamas answer?
11

4. What is Miguel planning
to do now?
5. What did Seor Rodriguez bring for Esperanzas birthday?
12

Las Papayas/Papayas
1. Esperanza: How is Esperanza responding to her fathers death?

Reread the following passages and discuss with your triad:
- Page 25, the paragraph that begins She took a quivery breath
- Pages 2728
What other evidence can you find in Chapter 3 that shows how Esperanza is responding?
2. Mama: How is Mama responding to her husbands death?
- Page 27, the paragraph that begins Esperanza avoided opening her birthday gifts
- Pages 3031
3. Abuelita: How does Abuelita respond to Esperanzas uncles?
- Page 32, near the bottom on the page. Why does Abuelita call the uncles vultures?
4. Vocabulary: On page 29, it says, Mama did not answer but maintained her composure.
Based on the context, and on what you know about Mama, what do you think the word composure
means? Explain your thinking.
5. Vocabulary: On page 30, it says, A look of indignation passed between Mama and Abuelita. Based
on the context, and on what you know about Abuelita, what do you think the word indignation
means? Explain your thinking.
13

Las Papayas/Papayas
1.
Esperanza: How is Esperanza responding to her fathers death?

- Page 25, the paragraph that begins She took a quivery breath ...
- Pages 2728
What other evidence can you find in Chapter 3 that shows how Esperanza is responding?
Esperanza is very, very sad that her father died. She is missing him, particularly
because it is her birthday. She almost cant believe this is happening to her. She felt
like she was in someone elses body, watching a sad scene but unable to help(p. 25).
She cries almost every nightEsperanza often woke to Mamas soft crying. Or Mama
woke to hersand doesnt even want to open her birthday gifts. Esperanza avoided
opening her birthday gifts (p. 27). She was so sad she couldnt even speak.
Esperanza couldnt talk. Her heart felt so big and hurt so much that it crowded out
her voice (p. 28).
2.
Mama: How is Mama responding to her husbands death?

- Page 27, the paragraph that begins Esperanza avoided opening her birthday gifts
- Pages 3031
Mama is trying to stay strong for Esperanza, encouraging her to go on with her life by
opening her birthday gifts. Mama insisted, saying, Papa would have wanted it (p.
27). Although Mama did not like what Tio was doing trying to buy their house, she
was strong and stood up to him. So, no, I will not sell (p. 31).
14

Las Papayas/Papayas
3. Abuelita: How does Abuelita respond to Esperanzas uncles?

- Page 32, near the bottom on the page. Why does Abuelita call the uncles vultures?
Abuelita knows that the uncles are not doing the right thing. Right before she calls
them vultures, the uncle said, You will regret the decision, Ramona. You must
keep in mind that this house and those grapes are my property. I can make things
difficult for you. Very difficult. She thinks they are taking things that do not
belong to them (p. 32).
4. Vocabulary: On page 29, it says, Mama did not answer but maintained her composure.
Based on the context, and on what you know about Mama, what do you think the word
composure means? Explain your thinking.
Composure means that Mama stayed calm and did nothing, because the
paragraph that follows the sentence that has composure in it goes on to say,
They nodded to Abuelita but, as usual, said nothing to Esperanza (p. 29). It does
not say anything about Mama.
5. Vocabulary: On page 30, it says, A look of indignation passed between Mama and Abuelita.
Based on the context, and on what you know about Abuelita, what do you think the word
indignation means? Explain your thinking.
Indignation means angry, because in the sentence right before the one with
indignation, Esperanza wipes away angry tears (p. 30). The next sentence,
referring to Mama and Abuelita, says, Were they feeling the same way?
15

Homework:
Los Higos/Figs (Pages 3957)
Name:
Date:
What challenges do the characters in this chapter face? How does each character respond?
As you read, think about these questions. Use your evidence flags to mark specific passages in
16

Inferring About Characters Based on How They
Respond to Challenges: (Chapter 4: Los
Higos/Figs)

Inferring About Characters Based on How They Respond to Challenges

Ongoing Assessment
independently.
Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 4: Los Higos/Figs

(entrance ticket)
I can identify situations in Esperanza Rising where a characters human rights are challenged.
Anchor charts: Character T-charts: one (created by small

groups) about Mama, Abuelita, Miguel, and a second
(from individual notes) about Mama, Abuelita, Miguel,
Esperanza
I can make inferences from the text about the characters in Esperanza Rising.
I can use context clues to help me determine the meaning of words in Esperanza Rising.
I can write to explain my thinking about the characters in Esperanza Rising.
Triad discussions
question
Created by Expeditionary Learning, on behalf of Public Consulting Group, Inc.

Public Consulting Group, Inc., with a perpetual license granted to Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound, Inc.

Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
This lesson builds directly on Lesson 3 and reinforces a pattern of analysis that students will use throughout
their study of the novel. They will consider the challenges characters face (including but not limited to human
rights challenges), how the characters respond, and how a characters response helps us understand that
character and the themes of the novel. Today students specifically begin to compare and contrast Esperanzas
responses to those of other main characters.
A. Entrance Ticket: Comprehension Quiz,

Chapter 4: Los Higos/Figs (5 minutes)
minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Jigsaw, Part 1: How Mama, Abuelita, and
Miguel Respond to Challenges (20 minutes)
B. Jigsaw, Part 2: Comparing Esperanzas
Response to the Response of These Other
Characters (15 minutes)
A. Exit Ticket: Independent Writing (10 minutes)
Note that in this lesson, students again work with text-dependent questions, but in a different format (the
Jigsaw protocol). Students are given Jigsaw Task Cards that have text-dependent questions on them. In
advance: Review the Jigsaw Task Cards (see supporting materials). Two copies of the task cards are provided:
a blank to distribute and display, and one with answers for teacher reference.
Review Jigsaw protocol (Appendix 1). It was used in Lesson 1, so students should be familiar with it.
The comprehension quiz is intended to check students basic recall and hold students accountable. It is less
important that the quiz be formally graded; decide whether or not to formally assess the quizzes based on your
class routines and students needs.
Be sure to create a system for students to hold on to their entrance and exit tickets from each lesson. They will
need these as notes for their writing later in the unit.
4. Homework


Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
smothering, enveloped, scurried,

silhouetted, penetrate, salvage,
influence, discreetly, indebted,
valise, sprawling
Comprehension Quiz Entrance Ticket (Chapter 4: Los Higos/Figs) (one per student)
Human Rights Challenges in Esperanza Rising (new; teacher-created)
Inferring by Using Text Clues anchor chart (from Lesson 3)
Jigsaw protocol (Appendix 1)
Jigsaw Task Cards for Chapter 4: Los Higos/Figs (one per student; see Supporting Materials)
Jigsaw Task Cards for Chapter 4: Los Higos/Figs (Answers for Teacher Reference)
Evidence flags (sticky notes: the smallest size available or larger sizes cut into strips)2 baggies per student (one each for
home and school)
Chart paper for Character T-Charts (one per every three students; new; student-created during Work Time A)
Markers
Student journals
Index cards or half-sheets of paper (one per student)
Homework: Purpose for Reading, Chapter 5: Las Guayabas/Gauvas (one per student)


Opening
A. Entrance Ticket: Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 4: Los Higos/Figs (5 minutes)
Consider positing nonlinguistic symbols to

assist ELLs in comprehension and making
connections.
Remind students of the purpose of the comprehension quiz entrance ticket routine. Explain that this quiz will be a
daily practice as we move through Esperanza Rising, designed to assess whether students read and understood the
text assigned for homework.
Remind students that their homework reading is a first draft read; they are not expected to understand
everything. But it is important that they feel accountable for the reading, practice reading on their own, and try their
best.
Distribute the quiz and give students five minutes to complete it. Collect students work to review and/or assess.
For students who struggle, consider

providing extra time for tasks and answering
questions in class discussions. ELLs often
need more time to process and translate
information.
For ELLs, posting points of class discussions
assists in comprehension.

After the quiz, lead the class in a brief whole class review session, coldcalling students to elicit a summary of
Chapter 4. Start with an open-ended question, such as: What was this chapter mostly about? or What happened
in this chapter? Encourage students to cite evidence or point to specific passages. Note which students are able to
answer the questions, and the quality of the answers.
Ask students what they might write on their evidence flag on the first page of Chapter 4 to help them remember
what this chapter was mostly about. If needed, model by saying: The main thing that happened in this chapter is
that their house burned, so I think I am going to write fire. (If students make some reference to the chapter title
Los Higos/Figs, seize on this smart thinking and congratulate them. Tell them that they will think more about the
chapter titles in the next lesson.)
* Where do Mama, Abuelita, and Esperanza decide to go?

Be sure students understand that they decided to go to the United States with Miguel and his family. This is a
crucial plot point.
Return students entrance and exit tickets and from Lesson 3. Address any major misconceptions. Ask students to
hold on to these entrance and exit tickets; they will want to refer to them for their writing later in the unit.


Work Time
A. Jigsaw, Part 1: How Mama, Abuelita, and Miguel Respond to Challenges (20 minutes)
Consider providing a smaller chunk of text

for the Jigsaw task cards to read for ELLs.
Revisit the learning targets by asking a student to read out loud each learning target. Remind students that these are
the same learning targets from the previous lesson. Explain that they will pay particular attention to: I can identify
situations in Esperanza Rising where a characters human rights are challenged, and I can make inferences from
the text about the characters in Esperanza Rising. Remind them about the discussion they had about inferring
during the last lesson and direct students to the Inferring Using Text Clues anchor chart.
Direct students to get into the same triads from the previous lesson. Remind students that they will be working in
these groups of three almost every day throughout this unit. Have students turn to the pages in their journal where
they began to record some information about the characters in the book. Have them reread what they wrote and
share that with their triads, adding any new information that may have surfaced.
Consider writing and displaying steps for

multistep directions. ELLs can return to
steps to make sure they are on track.
Some ELLs may benefit from partially filledin Jigsaw task cards.
Remind students of the Jigsaw protocol that they have done previously, in which each person becomes an expert on
something and then teaches that to the rest of the group.
Assign one student in each triad Mama, Abuelita, or Miguel and distribute the corresponding Jigsaw task card.
Give students approximately 10 minutes to work on their own to complete their Jigsaw task card, making sure to
mark evidence with evidence flags in the text. Use this time to circulate and support students who are still trying to
figure out how to use the evidence flags effectively.
After approximately 10 minutes, ask students to leave their triad and gather in new groups, with peers from other
triads who read about the same character. (Note: It probably will be necessary to divide students into small groups;
for example, there may be 8 or 9 students who became experts about Mama; this large group should be broken into
two smaller groups of 4 or 5 each.)
Ask students to discuss the evidence they flagged. Direct them to create an anchor chart, a Character T-chart with
CHALLENGES listed on one side and RESPONSES on the other. Have students record their groups thinking on the
page that corresponds to that character. Hang the anchor charts up in the classroom so that all students can see the
information.


Work Time
B. Jigsaw, Part 2: Comparing Esperanzas Response to the Response of These Other Characters
(15 minutes)
Consider providing a sentence frame,

sentence starter, or cloze sentence to assist
ELLs with language production and the
structure required.
Have students return to their original triads. Let them know that each student has 4 minutes to share about his or
her character. The other two students should take notes on the corresponding page in their reading journal about
that character. Students may want to refer to the hanging Character anchor charts as they share with their triads.
After each student has shared about his or her character, ask triads to spend 3 to 4 minutes discussing the
following:
* How is Esperanzas response to challenges like the response of the other characters? How is her response
different?
As students work, monitor this discussion. Emphasize that the author is not telling the reader what the characters
are like, she is showing the reader how the characters behave, so that the reader can infer what the character is like.
The way people respond to challenges tells us a lot about who they are.
While circulating, make sure all students are participating. Reinforce students who are following the Triad Talk
norms well.



appropriate.
Distribute index cards or half-sheets of paper. Ask students to respond to the following prompt:
Compare/contrast Esperanza to the character you became an expert on today. How is Esperanzas response to
challenges like the response of the other character? How is her response different? Use specific details from the text
to support your answer.
Remind students of what they focused on today by rereading the learning targets out loud. Have students refer to
the Reading Esperanza Rising anchor chart.
ELL language acquisition is facilitated by

interacting with native speakers of English
who provide models of language.
Orient students to the Human Rights Challenges in Esperanza Rising anchor chart created in Lesson 3. Ask
students to talk with their triads, then share out challenges that the class should add to this list. Add the suggestions
to the chart.
Collect students independent writing on their index cards to check for individual understanding.
Homework
Read Chapter 5: Las Guayabas/Guavas (pages 5880) in Esperanza Rising. Use the Homework: Purpose for
Reading, Chapter 5: Las Guayabas/Gauvas question to focus your reading. Use evidence flags to mark the
specific areas in the book that support your answer.

students in comprehension. Students can
pause and replay confusing portions while
they follow along with the text.
Note: If concerned about students completing the reading assignment at home, plan an additional reading period
later in the day or first thing in the morning. All students should come to expect that they will use some of the slushy
time during the dayright before or after lunch, during downtime between other tasks, as they enter the classroom
in the morning or just before dismissal, as time for reading the novel or independent reading. In addition, students
likely to need additional support should preread this novel with support during intervention or other support
periods. Prereading with support will then allow students to spend class periods rereading and focusing on
evidence.
In Lesson 5, students read a variety of resources in order to build background knowledge about California,
immigration, and the 1930s. Prepare these folders in advance; see Lesson 5 Teaching Notes for details.



Name:
Date:
1. Why did Mama wake Esperanza up?
2. Who does everyone think is to blame for what happened?
3. What does Mama change her mind about?

Public Consulting Group, Inc., with a perpetual license granted to
Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound, Inc.

4. Where do Mama, Abuelita, and Esperanza decide to go?

10

Jigsaw Task Card for Chapter 4:
Los Higos/Figs
Name:
Date:
Mama:
1. Reread pages 4445. How does Mama respond to Tios marriage proposal after the fire? What
does that tell you about Mama as a person? What does she see as her role in the family?
2. Reread page 48 and the first half of page 49. How does Mama feel about marrying Tio? How does
this continue to show Mamas strength as a person? What is Mama willing to do besides let Tio
think she will marry him?
3. Reread the bottom of page 5657. How does Mama continue to demonstrate her strength as a
person as they are leaving the rancho? How is she a good example for Esperanza? How does
Esperanza react to leaving the rancho?
Abuelita:
1. Reread the middle of page 42. How does Abuelita respond to the fire? What might that tell us
about Abuelita as a person? What does she care about or believe in?
2. Reread from the bottom of page 4750. How does Abuelita let Mama know she approves of her
decisions? How does Abuelita attempt to comfort Esperanza? What role does Abuelita play in the
family?
3. Reread page 51. Why does Abuelita give the crocheting to Esperanza? How does Esperanza show
she still is not ready to face the situation?

11

Los Higos/Figs
Miguel:
1. Reread the very bottom of page 41 through the first paragraph on page 42. What challenge does
Miguel face? How does he respond? What might this tell us about Miguel as a person? Be sure to
give examples from the text.
2. Reread pages 5556. How does Miguel demonstrate that he is ready for this challenge? What
characteristic does he show during this time? How is this different from Esperanza?

12

Los Higos/Figs
Mama:
1. Reread pages 4445. How does Mama respond to Tios marriage proposal after the fire? What
does that tell you about Mama as a person? What does she see as her role in the family?
Mama is still trying to be strong, looking like a fierce statue. Mama knows that she
must protect Esperanza and the servants, and her only way of doing that is by
accepting the uncles proposal. Mama looked at Esperanza with eyes that said
forgive me. This tells you that Mama is willing to sacrifice for her family.
2. Reread page 48 and the first half of page 49. How does Mama feel about marrying Tio? How does
this continue to show Mamas strength as a person? What is Mama willing to do besides let Tio
think she will marry him?
Mama does not want to marry Tio and feels like Papa would not have wanted her to
do that either. Do you think that Papa would have wanted me to marry Tio Luis? It
shows that she is very strong because she is willing to insult him by moving to the
United States instead of marrying him. A tiny smile appeared on Mamas tired face.
Yes, it would be a great insult to him, wouldnt it? She is willing to work hard in
California doing fieldwork. I am stronger than you think, said Mama.
3. Reread the bottom of page 5657. How does Mama continue to demonstrate her strength as a
person as they are leaving the rancho? How is she a good example for Esperanza? How does
Esperanza react to leaving the rancho?
Mama is determined to do what is right and not complain about it. Then Mama took
a determined breath. Esperanza is having a hard time not showing her anger. She
could see nothing behind her but a trail of splattered figs she had resentfully
smashed beneath her feet.

13

Los Higos/Figs
Abuelita:
1. Reread the middle of page 42. How does Abuelita respond to the fire? What might that tell us
about Abuelita as a person? What does she care about or believe in?
Abuelita also faces the challenge of the fire. But she was determined to save her
crocheting bag. Her grandmother held up her cloth bag with her crocheting. She
says: We must have something to do while we wait. This shows that she values some
things, like having something to occupy her mind, even more than being safe.
2. Reread from the bottom of page 4750. How does Abuelita let Mama know she approves of her
decisions? How does Abuelita attempt to comfort Esperanza? What role does Abuelita play in the
family?
Abuelita does not need to talk very much to show her approval. She listens and
shows her approval by nodding and agreeing to help get the right papers together
(pp. 4849). She comforts Esperanza by reminding her of a story of when she moved
to Mexico from Spain (pp. 4950) and by explaining that she will join them when she
is better. (p. 47) Abuelita seems to be the leader of the family now because every
time Mama wants to make a decision she must talk it over with her too.
3. Reread page 51. Why does Abuelita give the crocheting to Esperanza? How does Esperanza show
she still is not ready to face the situation?
Abuelita gives the crocheting to Esperanza to help her pass the time while they are
apart. While you are waiting, finish this for me. She also wants Esperanza to learn
a lesson about life, that you are sometimes going through hard times but there will
be good times too. Right now you are in the bottom of a valley and your problems
loom big around you. But soon you will be at the top of a mountain again.
Esperanza wants to avoid saying goodbye while Abuelita faced the situation even
though it was sad. She buried her head

14

Los Higos/Figs
Miguel:
1. Reread the very bottom of page 41 through the first paragraph on page 42. What challenge does
Miguel face? How does he respond? What might this tell us about Miguel as a person? Be sure to
give examples from the text.
Miguel faces the challenge of the fire. He saves Abuelita. He lays her down. This
shows that he cares a lot about Esperanzas family and is willing to put his own life at
risk to help them. His shirt is burning, but he seems calm: Miguel stood up and
slowly took off his blackened shirt. This shows that he is calm under pressure.
2. Reread pages 5556. How does Miguel demonstrate that he is ready for this challenge? What
characteristic does he show during this time? How is this different from Esperanza?
Miguel is showing great strength while they are leaving the rancho by helping his
father lead them out of the situation. Miguel and Alfonzo lead them through the
grape rows.Miguel walked ahead. Miguel could be considered brave and mature
because he is not thinking about the past, but instead heading toward the future. On
the other hand, Esperanza is thinking of only the past. Sadness and anger tangled in
Esperanzas stomach as she thought of all that she was leaving.

15

Homework:
Las Guayabas/Gauvas (Pages 5880)
Name:
Date:
What is Esperanzas journey to the United States like?
As you read, think about this question. Use your evidence flags to mark specific passages in the
text to discuss with your triad. You do not need to write out answers as part of your homework;
just keep track of your thinking with your evidence flags.

16

Connecting Informational Text with Literature:
Building Background Knowledge About Mexican
Immigration, California, and the Great Depression

Building Background Knowledge About Mexican Immigration, California,
and the Great Depression

I can use quotes to explain the meaning of a literary text. (RL.5.1)
Ongoing Assessment
independently.
Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 5: Las

Guayabas/Guavas (entrance ticket)
I can summarize the main ideas in an informational text about California in the 1930s.
Getting the Gist note-catchers

question

Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
In advance: Prepare two to three copies of all three Suggested Resources (see list in supporting
materials).
A. Entrance Ticket: Comprehension Quiz and Chapter

Title: Chapter 5 Las Guayabas/Guavas
(10 minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Engaging the Reader: What Do We Already Know
about California in the 1930s? (10 minutes)
B. Building Background Knowledge: Hosted Gallery
Walk (30 minutes)
A. Independent Writing (5 minutes)
4. Homework
Review Hosted Gallery Walk protocol (Appendix 1)

In advance: Read Chapter 5, Las Guayabas/Guavas, which students read for homework. Note,
however, that this lesson does not go into depth on Chapter 5. Rather, students touch on the chapter but
spend more time building background knowledge about California in the 1930s. Students are held more
individually accountable for their analysis of Chapter 5 in their independent writing in the closing of this
lesson.
There are many hints given in the Hint cards. Use as many or as few as necessary for students to
succeed after reading the texts suggested for expert groups.
During Lesson 6, students also revisit a few key passages from Chapter 5. In the lessons leading up to
the end of unit assessment, students again return to Chapter 5, working in triads to write about
Esperanzas response to the events on the train. Also remember that in Unit 3 (Readers Theater),
students revisit, analyze, and discuss many key passages from Esperanza Rising, including passages
from Chapter 5. Students understanding of the text will grow across the six weeks of Units 2 and 3.
Some vocabulary is not academic or domain-specific, and students may benefit from instruction or
review: aha.
Consider showing students Voices from the Fields: Children of Migrant Farmworkers Tell Their
Stories, by S. Beth Atkin. This beautiful informational text gives the reader a look at the modern migrant
farmworkers experiences.

Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
setting, informational text,

summarize, answer, cite evidence,
immigration, depression

Hint cards (see supporting materials)
Comprehension Quiz Entrance Ticket (Chapter 5: Las Guayabas/Guavas) (one per student)
Human Rights Challenges in Esperanza Rising anchor chart (begun in Lessons 3 and 4)
Wall map that shows Mexico, California, and New York (originally displayed in Lesson 1)
3 pieces of chart paper, titled California, Immigrating from Mexico, and The Great Depression of the 1930s (if necessary,
use more than one piece per topic, so all students have room to write)
Markers (two colors, enough for students to have one of each)
Folders of resources: informational texts regarding California, immigration, and the Great Depression. See Suggested
Resources (in supporting materials). Two to three folders on each of the three topics.2
Chart paper for student groups
Getting the Gist note-catcher (one per student)
Homework: Purpose for Reading, Chapter 6: Los Melones/Melons (one per student)
Note: This list of resources is provided as a suggestion only. Teachers may choose to supplement with other resources.

Opening
A. Entrance Ticket: Comprehension Quiz and Chapter Title: Chapter 5 Las Guayabas/Guavas
(10 minutes)
Consider providing extra time for tasks

and answering questions in class
discussions. ELLs often need more time
to process and translate information.
Remind students to sit with their triads throughout their study of the novel Esperanza Rising.
Begin the lesson with the Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 5 entrance ticket. Collect students work to review and/or
assess.
Invite students who found an example of a challenge to human rights in their homework reading to record their
discovery on the Human Rights Challenges in Esperanza Rising anchor chart (begun in Lesson 3).
After the quiz, lead the class in a whole group session, cold calling students to elicit a summary of the chapter that was
read for homework. Start with an open-ended question, such as: What was this chapter mostly about? or What
happened in this chapter? and then ask more detailed text-dependent questions as necessary. Encourage students to
cite evidence or point to specific passages. Note which students are able to answer the questions and the quality of the
answers.
Direct students attention to the title of the chapter: Las Guayabas/Guavas. Ask students what pattern they have
noticed in the chapter titles. (Students should quickly recognize that, with the exception of Chapter 1, which names the
setting, all the chapter titles are a fruit or vegetable.) Tell students that authors choose titles for very important reasons,
to help readers understand some key idea about the chapter. Ask: Why do you think Pam Muoz Ryan titled this
chapter Guayabas? Listen for students to make the connection to the answer to the first question on the
comprehension quiz: Esperanza travels to the train station in a wagon full of guavas.
Consider providing nonlinguistic symbols

for key words in learning targets (e.g., a
lightbulb for main idea, a question mark
for questions). These can be posted and
referred back to throughout the module.
Visuals can help some students
comprehend questions and discussions.
Chart main points in answers and post all
questions asked to students.
Encourage students to pay attention to the chapter titles in their future reading of the novel. (This point will be
revisited regularly in future lessons.)
Return students entrance and exit tickets (independent writing) from Lesson 4. Address any misconceptions briefly.
Ask students to file this independent writing in their folders; they will want to refer to this thinking when they do their
more formal writing later in the unit.

Work Time
A. Engaging the Reader: What Do We Already Know about California in the 1930s? (10 minutes)

Point out to students that Chapter 5 marks a transition in the setting of the novel: Esperanza has left Mexico and is
traveling to the United States, specifically California.
Remind students about how they built background knowledge about Mexico in the first lesson of this unit. Today they
will build background knowledge about California.
Introduce the learning target: I can summarize the main ideas in an informational text about California in the 1930s.
Clarify what is meant by informational text (refer back to the texts they read about Mexico in Lesson 1). Be sure students
can mentally place the 1930s in their mind (perhaps when their great-grandparents were born, before World War II,
etc.). Direct students attention to the wall map (originally displayed in Lesson 1). Point out where California is in
relation to Mexico and New York.
Display for the class three large pieces of chart paper (if necessary, use more than one piece per topic, so all students
have room to write).
Label the charts:
California
Immigrating from Mexico
The Great Depression of the 1930s
Give every student a marker of the same color. Ask students to come up to the charts and silently write down anything
they know about these topics.
As students are working, circulate, giving students hint cards (see supporting materials)a sentence that tells them
something about one of these topics (e.g., Tuesday, October 29, 1929, is known as Black Tuesday. On this day the stock
market crashed, losing a total of $14 billion). Students add their hints to the correct chart.

Work Time
B. Building Background Knowledge: Hosted Gallery Walk (30 minutes)
If needed and possible, provide text or

materials found in students L1.
Use the Hosted Gallery Walk protocol (Appendix 1).

Tell students that they will not start this activity with their triad but will end with them. Ask triads to assign each person
a topic: California, immigration, or the Great Depression.
Ask students to leave their triad and form new groups with two other students who were assigned the same topic.
Students should now be in new groups of three.
Give each of these new groups a Getting the Gist note-catcher and a folder of resources on their assigned topic.
Ask students to stay with this new group but work silently and independently for 15 minutes to read some of the
resource materials and record the main ideas on their Getting the Gist note-catchers.
Then give each of these groups a piece of chart paper for their poster. Have the groups work together for 10 minutes to
create a poster that captures the main ideas from their note-catchers in words and a visual.
Display the posters in three different areas of the room, grouped by topic. Regroup students so that there are three new
groups, each of which has some experts on each topic. Groups rotate to each display area. At each display, those who
helped create the poster on the given topic speak, explaining the topic to the group. Peers listen and ask questions.
Gather whole group and focus students on the three original charts they created as a class during todays Opening.
For students needing additional support

in reading, consider providing a belowgrade-level reading text, or text with
more illustrations, diagrams, or smaller
pieces of text in the folder.
Use thoughtful grouping: Partnering an
ELL with a native speaker of English can
facilitate language acquisition by using
the language in context.
supports with language production,
guide them in practicing what they will
say about their poster. They can have a
few key points written on a card.
Hand each student a new color of marker. Ask the students to record (again, silently), their new learning on the charts in
this new color. They may also cross out statements on the chart that they now know are inaccurate.


How do you think Esperanzas life will be different in California? Support your thinking with at least one piece of
information you learned today and one detail from Esperanzas train journey described in
Chapter 5.

supports, consider offering a sentence
sentence to assist with language
production and provide the structure
required.
Collect students independent writing to check for understanding.

Gather the students in a whole group. Review the learning targets with students. Using the Fist to Five protocol, have
students rate themselves from a 0 (a fist) to a 5 (five fingers) on where they think they are in meeting each learning
target, with the 0 being low and a 5 being high.

and the protocols used will help students
monitor their own learning.
Ask students to share with a partner, and then discuss as a class the following questions:
* What was your biggest aha or new learning during the gallery walk?
* How did working with others help you be successful?
Homework
Read Chapter 6: Los Melones/Melons (pages 8199) in Esperanza Rising. Use the Purpose for Reading, Chapter
6 homework question to focus your reading. Use evidence flags to mark the specific areas in the book that support your
answer.
Audio recordings of text can aid in

comprehension. Students can pause and
replay confusing portions while they
follow along with the text.
Remember: Esperanza Rising is a long novel. In Unit 3 (Readers Theater), students revisit, analyze, and discuss many
key passages from Esperanza Rising. Do not worry if students have not yet fully analyzed the text.
in the day or first thing in the morning. All students should come to expect that they will use some of the slushy time
during the dayright before or after lunch, during downtime between other tasks, as they enter the classroom in the
morning or just before dismissal, as time for reading the novel or independent reading. In addition, students likely to
need additional support should preread this novel with support during intervention or other support periods.
Prereading with support will then allow students to spend class periods rereading and focusing on evidence.


Suggested Resources List for Lesson 5
California:
http://www.museumca.org/picturethis/timeline/depression-era-1930s/migrant-farm-workers/info
http://migration.ucdavis.edu/rmn/more.php?id=788_0_6_0
http://www.calisphere.universityofcalifornia.edu/calcultures/ethnic_groups/subtopic3b.html
Alternative or additional resources:
S. Beth Atkin, Voices from the Fields: Children of Migrant Farmworkers Tell Their Stories (New
York: Little, Brown, 2000), ISBN-13: 978-0316-056205, ISBN-10: 0316056200.
Scenes from movie The Grapes of Wrath, based on the book by John Steinbeck
Immigration from Mexico:

www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/
immigration/mexican.html
www.pbs.org/kpbs/theborder/history/index.html
www.pbs.org/kpbs/theborder/history/timeline/17.html
The Great Depression:

newdeal.feri.org/eleanor/er2a.htm
newdeal.feri.org/eleanor/cvb0335.htm
www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-54463_18670_18793-53511--,00.html
www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/wwii/jb_wwii_subj.html

Name:
Date:
1. How does Esperanza travel to the train station?
2. How did Papa reward Miguel when he scared away the bandits?
3. What does the little girl on the train want Esperanza to show her?
10

4. What does Carmen, the woman on the train, give Mama?
11

Hint Cards
California, Immigrating from Mexico,
Teacher Note: Print out and cut apart to give to groups during Work Time.
California:
Fruit production and cattle ranches increased in California in the late 1800s.
Three-quarters of Californias 200,000 farmworkers were Mexican or Mexican

American.
Farmworkers from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri (Okies) arrived in California in the
mid-1930s, looking for work.
Repatriation plans were made to send Mexican immigrants back to Mexico.
In fall 1931, 1,200 to 1,500 migrants arrived per day.
The 1933 cotton strike lasted four weeks and involved between 12,000 and 18,000 farmworkers.
The vagrancy laws of 1933 and 1937 allowed many migrants to be arrested.
In 1934, the Dust Bowl in the Midwest began sending migrants to California.
Mexicans in California were seen as competition for much-needed jobs.
Labor camps were built in the summer of 1935.
12

Hint Cards
Immigrating to the United States from Mexico:
The U.S.-Mexico border covers 2,000 miles.
The Mexican Revolution and Mexican civil wars caused many Mexicans to move to the
United States.
In the late 1880s, 55,000 Mexican workers immigrated to the United States.
The Immigration Act of 1924 was established.
More than 89,000 Mexicans came into the United States in 1924.
In 1924, the U.S. Border Patrol was created.
By the late 1930s, the crop fields in Mexico were not producing many crops.
Mexican immigrants and their descendants now make up a significant portion of the U.S.
population.
The Mexican workers were seen as strong and fast.
Mexican immigrants were willing to work for low wages in tough conditions.
During the Depression, it was harder for all Mexicans to get jobs legally in the United States because
of new immigration laws.
Many Mexicans were deported back to Mexico during the Great Depression.
13

Hint Cards
Teacher Note: Print out and cut apart to give to groups during Work Time.
The Great Depression of the 1930s:
During the Depression, one out of four people were unemployed.
Without money, people could not pay for housing or buy food and clothes for the family.
About 250,000 young people were homeless.
Many people traveled the highways and railways to find work.
Some people traded for food, clothes, shelter, and services.
October 29, 1929, is known as Black Tuesday, the day that the stock market crashed, officially
setting off the Great Depression.
Congress created the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which offered work to thousands of
people.
The end to the Great Depression came in 1941, when the United States entered World War II.
14

Getting the Gist Note-catcher:
Determine ImportanceSummarize and Synthesize
You can get the gist of the texts by summarizing your understanding of them, using 10 important
words. Select the 10 most important words from the texts. Then, use them to write a summary
statement.
Important Words:
1.
6.
2.
7.
3.
8.
4.
9.
5.
10.
Summary Statement:
15

Homework:
Los Melones/Melons (Pages 8199)
Name:
Date:
Describe the geographical setting of Esperanza Rising. What is it like in California? Use details
from the text to support your answer.
16

Contrasting Two Settings (Chapter 6: Los
Melones/Cantaloupes)

Contrasting Two Settings
(Chapter 6: Los Melones/Cantaloupes)

Ongoing Assessment
independently.
Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 6: Los

Melones/Cantaloupes (entrance ticket)
I can discuss answers to questions with my triad and provide evidence to explain my ideas.
Observe where students place their evidence flags
Triad discussions

question
I can identify metaphors in Esperanza Rising.

I can interpret figurative language in Esperanza Rising.

Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
In advance: Read Chapter 6: Los Melones/Cantaloupes and review the text-dependent questions (see
supporting materials). Two copies of the questions are provided: a blank to display for students, and one
with answers for teacher reference.

Los Melones/Cantaloupes (5 minutes)
minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Answering Questions in Triads: Comparing
California to Mexico (15 minutes)
This lesson begins to introduce students to the idea of central metaphors (or symbols) in the novel. This
purpose links directly to RL.4.4. For simplicitys sake, there is just one anchor chart about big
metaphors and themes. If appropriate for your students, feel free to introduce the more complex
literary term symbol as well; this goes beyond the level of the fifth-grade standards.
In advance: Think of a few examples of metaphors that most of your students will already know.
B. Guided Practice: Setting and Metaphor (20 minutes)

4. Homework

Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
setting, character, historical fiction,

harvest, disembarked, grime,
perspiration, slumped, wilted, valise,
demeanor, groggily, campesino,
barren, sculpted, plunged,
reassuring, careening, staccato,
bulging, waiting on (as in serving)

Document camera
Text-Dependent Questions for Chapter 6: Los Melones: Cantaloupes (one per student and one to display)
Text-Dependent Questions for Chapter 6: Los Melones: Cantaloupes (Answers for Teacher Reference)
Big Metaphors and Themes in Esperanza Rising anchor chart (new; teacher-created)
Reading Esperanza Rising anchor chart (begun in Lesson 2)
Comprehension Quiz Entrance Ticket, Chapter 6: Los Melones/Cantaloupes (one per student)
Students Exit Tickets (from Lesson 5): Independent answer to text-dependent question
Evidence flags
Students journals
Homework: Purpose for Reading, Chapter 7: Las Cebollas/Onions (one per student)
Opening
A. Entrance Ticket: Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 6: Los Melones/Cantaloupes

(5 minutes)

Begin the lesson with the Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 6 entrance ticket. Collect students work to review and/or
assess.

Opening (continued)
Increase interactions with vocabulary in

context. This increases rate of vocabulary
happened in this chapter? and then ask more detailed text-dependent questions as necessary. Encourage students to
cite evidence or point to specific passages. Note which students are able to answer the questions and the quality of the
responses.
Be sure students understand the term campesino, which they should be able to figure out in context and based on the
background knowledge they built in Lesson 5 about California in the 1930s. Campesino is one of the Spanish words for
farmer.

comprehend questions and discussions.
Chart main points in answers and post all
Direct the classs attention to the title of the chapter: Los Melones/Cantaloupes. Ask students again what pattern they
have noticed in the chapter titles. Remind the class that authors choose titles for very important reasons, to help
readers understand some key idea or event in the chapter. Ask: Why do you think Pam Muoz Ryan titled this chapter
Los Melones? Listen for students to make the connection to the answer to the third question in the comprehension
quiz: Esperanza sees melons (as well as grapes and cotton) in the fields on her drive to the camp. Melons are one of the
crops being grown and harvested. Review this key vocabulary word if needed. Ask students to place an evidence flag on
the first page of Chapter 6, with the phrase melon crop in California or a similar summary.
Encourage students to pay attention to the chapter titles in their future reading of the novel. (This point will be
revisited regularly in future lessons.)
Return students entrance and exit tickets from Lesson 5. Address any major misconceptions. Ask students to hold on
to these entrance and exit tickets; they will want to refer to them for their writing later in the unit.

Work Time
A. Answering Questions in Triads: Comparing California to Mexico (15 minutes)
Some students may be unfamiliar with

Tier 2 vocabulary words (e.g., based, text,
evidence). Clarify vocabulary with
students as needed.
Choose two members of the class to read the learning targets aloud: I can answer questions about the setting of the
novel Esperanza Rising based on evidence from the text, and I can answer questions about the main character,
Esperanza, based on evidence from the text. Point out to students that they already worked with these targets in the
very first chapter of the novel. Briefly review the term setting, emphasizing that it is about both the place and the time
period of a story.
Some students may benefit from having

the teacher create this note-catcher for
them.
Remind students that Esperanza Rising is historical fiction: The author draws upon real events, real settings, and
some real people, but also made up many events and characters. In Lesson 5, they read informational text to learn
about what it was like in California in the 1930s. In Chapter 6: Los Melones/Cantaloupes, they get to see the new
setting through Esperanzas eyes.
Visual learners may need to follow along

with the read-aloud in their own copies of
the novel.
Be sure all students have their text: Esperanza Rising. Return students Exit Tickets (from Lesson 5):
Independent answer to text-dependent question that the students turned in during the closing of Lesson 5. Ask
students, in their triads, to discuss that question:
Writing and displaying the guidelines for

all students to see will help students who
struggle with multistep directions.
* How do you think Esperanzas life will be different in California? Support your thinking with at least one piece of
Some students whose first language is not

Spanish may have questions about
Spanish words. Consider defining these
words for students.
information you learned today and one detail from Esperanzas train journey described in Chapter 5.
Circulate among triads, listening to their discussions, redirecting, and providing support if necessary.
Next, ask students to discuss the Purpose for Reading homework question they were given when reading Chapter 6:
Los Melones/Cantaloupes for homework:
* Describe the geographical setting of Esperanza Rising. What is it like in California? Use details from the text to
support your answer.
Use this opportunity to circulate and listen in to gauge who did the homework reading, how well students understand
the material, and which students are consistently using evidence flags to help them cite specific examples from the text.
Remind students that when reading difficult text, it is very important to reread sections multiple times in order to
understand.
Distribute a small pile of evidence flags to each triad.
Ask students to turn to page 81, then display and read the first Text-Dependent Questions for Chapter 6: Los
Melones/Cantaloupes (pages 81-99) aloud as students follow along silently.

Ask students to reread the sentence, then discuss with triad members what they think each of the italicized words
means and how they determined the meaning of each, from context.
After 2 minutes, cold call a few students to share out their definitions and which specific words or phrases from the text
helped them determine the meaning of each italicized term (see Text-Dependent Questions for Chapter 6: Los
Melones/Cantaloupes (pages 81-99), Answers, for Teacher Reference)
Allow students an additional minute to discuss the second part of the first question: Why might the author have
chosen specifically to use the word wilted to describe Esperanza and her mother?
Once students have had an opportunity to share their thinking with group members, cold call a few students to share
out (see Answers, for Teacher Reference, for ideas students may share.)
Display and read the second question aloud.
Then, ask students to turn to page 90. Read aloud from the very top of page 90 to the phrase there was only the prickly
sound of dry grass on page 91, as students follow along silently.
Give students 3-4 minutes to reread pages 9091 on their own, with Question 2 in mind, and then talk with their triad.
Encourage them to use their evidence flags to mark evidence that supports their answer.
Once group members have discussed their ideas and evidence, cold call a few students to share out with the class (see
Answers, for Teacher Reference, for ideas students may share.)
Praise groups using Triad Talk well. Remind them how discussing their thinking with others can help them understand
hard text.
Read the third text-dependent question aloud.
Then, to refresh students memories of the way Mexico is described at the beginning of the story, reread the very first
paragraph of the novel (page 1) aloud, with students following along.
Next, ask students to turn back to Chapter 6. Tell students to work with group members to skim to reread and locate
portions of the chapter that describe California. Remind students to mark passages that describe California with their
evidence flags.
Circulate to listen in and support as needed. Probe students to cite specific words and phrases describing the setting in
California, reminding them to use context clues to help them figure out the meaning of unknown words.

After 5 minutes, direct students to briefly discuss in groups the evidence they marked that describes California and
consider how it is different than the description of Mexico.
Once group members have had an opportunity to discuss their thinking, invite several students to share their thinking
and the evidence they marked, whole group (see Answers, for Teacher Reference, for ideas students may share.)
Ask students to continue with the fourth text-dependent questionreading it aloud, clarifying any terms, thinking on
their own, then talking and marking their answers with evidence flags. As in previous days, students do not need to
write complete answers to the questions at this point.
Once students have had an opportunity to discuss their ideas with group members and record a response to the final
text-dependent question, invite a few students to share their answers whole group (see Answers, for Teacher Reference,
for ideas students may share.)

B. Guided Practice: Setting and Metaphor (20 minutes)
For students needing additional supports,

consider providing a sentence starter or
frame to assist protocols.
Say to students: We are now going to look a bit deeper at how Esperanza is responding to her new setting of California
by analyzing the language that Pam Muoz Ryan uses in her writing.
Share the two learning targets with students: I can identify metaphors in Esperanza Rising and I can interpret
figurative language in Esperanza Rising. Show the students that the word figure is inside the word figurative, and tell
them that figure is another word for picture. Explain that authors use figurative language to paint a picture that allows
them to show, not tell, their ideas.
Focus on metaphors. Say: One form of figurative language that authors use is the metaphor. Metaphors make a direct
comparison between two or more things. Pam Muoz Ryan uses many of these in her writing. You may be familiar with
some metaphors already. On the board, write a few examples of metaphors with which most of your students will be
familiar. (Examples might include: I am a rock, or The baby is an angel. Have students discuss in their triads what
these metaphors mean and why authors would choose to use language such as this instead of literal language in their
writing. (Listen for students to realize the person who is a rock is strong, solid, and reliable; and that the baby is very
sweet, good, and kind.) Students should make comments such as: Figurative language paints a better picture in the
readers mind because the words are more descriptive.
For students who struggle with this task,

provide a partially filled-in graphic
organizer.
appropriate.
Provide ELLs bilingual word-for-word
Translate or Bing Translate to assist with
comprehension.
Have students reread pages 13 and pages 9093 in the book.

Ask students to share with their triads what they think one of metaphors is that the author has used in these two
sections of the book. Call on a few triads to share out. Look for answers that have to do with the heartbeat of the land.
Ask students to point you to evidence in the text that would support this suggestion. Listen for students to suggest: the
second paragraph on page 1, the second-to-last paragraph on page 2 through page 3, and the second paragraph on page
91 through the top of page 92. Reread these passages out loud with students and ask students if the author means there
is actually a real heart inside the earth.
Have students turn and talk with their triads about what they think the author is trying to get the reader to understand
by using this metaphor. Call on a few partners to share. Look for answers such as: The author wants the reader to
know that the earth is alive just like humans. This shows that Esperanza and her papa feel like they are friends with
the earth.
Begin a Big Metaphors and Themes in Esperanza Rising anchor chart, adding the heartbeat of the land and
Esperanza under the heading. Make sure students understand that this idea is a central theme of the book.

Tell students that they will use this chart to keep track of other metaphors as they keep reading the novel. And they will
talk more about theme in future lessons.
Now tell students that they will explore another big metaphor in the novel. Have students reread the first paragraph
on page 18, the second paragraph on page 87, and all of page 93. Ask students to identify the big metaphor in the
excerpt. Look for students to share about the river and Esperanza and Miguels relationship. Have students cite specific
passages in the text as they give their examples.
Remind students that they have discussed this before in a previous lesson, and it was a question they answered in
Lesson 2.
Ask students to discuss with their triads what they think the author means by this metaphor and why she chose to write
it this way. Monitor discussions, listening for the literal meaning that there really is a river and they cant get to each
other and the abstract meaning that Esperanza and Miguel are from two different worlds and classes, thus separated
(and probably not able to marry).
Add the river and Esperanza and Miguels relationship to the anchor chart: Big Metaphors and Themes in Esperanza
Rising.
Ask students to discuss how Esperanza responds differently in the different settings. Cold call some triads to share.
Listen for students to begin to understand that Esperanza is changing, and her relationship with Miguel is changing.
This will be revisited in future lessons.



* On page 99, Marta tells Esperanza, Just so you know, this isnt Mexico. No one will be waiting on you here. What
does she mean? How is Esperanzas life different in California? Cite details from the text to support your answer.
Have students begin a page in their journal to take notes on the character Marta. Have students record what they
know about her so far.
Collect students independent writing to check for individual understanding.
Gather the students in a whole group. Review the learning targets with students. Ask students to share with a partner
their progress toward meeting the learning targets. Cold call a few students to share their, or their partners, discussion
of the learning targets with the whole class. Have students suggest additions to the anchor chart Reading Esperanza
Rising. Make sure to add to the chart: reading for gist and interpreting big metaphors/figurative language.

monitor their own reading
comprehension and choose strategies
that will help them succeed.
Homework
Read Chapter 7: Las Cebollas/Onions (pages 100120). Use the Purpose for Reading, Chapter 7 homework
question to focus your reading. Use evidence flags to mark the specific areas in the book that support your answer.

pause and replay confusing portions
in the day or first thing in the morning. In addition, students likely to need additional support should preread this novel
with support during intervention or other support periods. Prereading with support will then allow students to spend
class periods rereading and focusing on evidence.
10


Comprehension Quiz Entrance Ticket, Chapter 6:
Los Melones/Cantaloupes
Name:
Date:
1. Who meets Esperanza at the train station in Los Angeles?
2. How many babies are in Isabels family?
3. Esperanza rides in a truck on the highway to the camp. What does she see during the drive?
4. How does Marta treat Esperanza when they first meet?

Reserved.

Los Melones/Cantaloupes (Pages 8199)
(Answers, for Teacher Reference)
1. On page 81, the text says: Esperanza and Mama, their faces shiny with grime and perspiration,
looked tired and wilted as they slumped with even the slight weight of their valises. Valise means
suitcase. Based on context, what do you think the other italicized words in this sentence might
mean (perspiration, wilted, slumped)? Why might the author have chosen specifically to use the
word wilted to describe Esperanza and her mother?
2. On page 90, Esperanza is in California, driving to the camp. What specifically does she see?
How does she react to this new setting? Find details from the text to explain your answer.
3. At the very start of the novel, we meet Esperanza in Mexico as a little girl, with her father. How
is Mexico different from California? What specific words or phrases in Chapter 6 of the novel help
you understand the contrast between the two settings? In other words, what specific language does
the author use to help us understand how different California is from Mexico? Use evidence from
the text in your answer.

Reserved.

4. Esperanza meets two new girls in this new setting: Isabel and Marta. Compare and contrast how
the two girls treat Esperanza, citing evidence from the text. What do you predict will happen
between Esperanza and these two girls?

Reserved.

1. On page 81, the text says: Esperanza and Mama, their faces shiny with grime and perspiration,
looked tired and wilted as they slumped with even the slight weight of their valises. Valise means
suitcase. Based on context, what do you think the other italicized words in this sentence might
mean? Why might the author have chosen specifically to use the word wilted to describe
Esperanza and her mother?
Perspiration might mean sweat, because the text says they are shiny and sweat
makes you shiny. Wilted and slumped might mean they are leaning over because the
text says something about the weight of the valise so it might be heavy and if they are
sweating because it is hot and they are working hard. Also, the sentence before talks
about body odor, and people may smell when it is hot. The author may have used the
word wilted because it makes you think of a flower or plant that is dying or needs
water. It makes the reader picture that in their minds.
2. On page 90, Esperanza is in California, driving to the camp. What specifically does she see?
How does she react to this new setting? Find details from the text to explain your answer.
Esperanza saw: The brown barren mountains , the golden hills , canyons She
tries to find her own connection to the land by listening for the heartbeat (p. 91).
She stretched out on her stomach. She doesnt hear it, and it makes her so upset
that she passes out (p. 92). She tried to find the place in her life where her heart
was anchored. She felt as if she was falling. Suddenly the world went black.

Reserved.

3. At the very start of the novel, we meet Esperanza in Mexico as a little girl, with her father. How
is Mexico different from California? What specific words or phrases in Chapter 6 of the novel help
you understand the contrast between the two settings? In other words, what specific language does
the author use to help us understand how different California is from Mexico? Use evidence from
The beginning of the chapter states that the land is dry and the panorama was
barren, which is different from the way the land on the rancho was. On page 87, it
says: She looked around and was relieved to see that compared to the desert, Los
Angeles had lush palms and green grass , roses were still blooming was
reassuring and familiar. Maybe it wouldnt be so different here. So it seems that
this part of California is not that different from the rancho. However, the land
changes again as indicated on page 90: the brown barren mountains ... dried
grasses ... golden hills.
4. Esperanza meets two new girls in this new setting: Isabel and Marta. Begin a new page in your
reading journal about each girl. Compare and contrast how the two girls treat Esperanza, citing
evidence from the text. What do you predict will happen between Esperanza and these two girls?
Isabel is curious and wants to know about Esperanza and tell Esperanza about
herself. On page 89, she asks questions and tells her about where she used to live.
Marta is not as nice. On page 96, she says: So youre a princess whos come to be a
peasant? ... Whats a matter silver spoon stuck in your mouth? She is insulting her.
Esperanza thinks so too. What had she done to deserve this girls insults? (p. 97).
Isabel even tries to defend her by saying, Esperanzas nice. On page 99, Marta says
to Esperanza: No one will be waiting on you here and gives her a phony smile.

Reserved.

Homework: Purpose for Reading, Chapter 7:
Las Cebollas/Onions (Pages 100120)
Name:
Date:
What new challenges does Esperanza face in the camp? How does she respond?

Reserved.

Point of View: Comparing Esperanzas and Isabels
Perspectives About Life in the Camp
(Chapter 7: Las Cebollas/Onions)

Point of View:
Comparing Esperanzas and Isabels Perspectives About Life in the Camp

I can determine the meaning of literal and figurative language in text. (RL.5.4)
I can use what the text says to help me understand the meaning of a word or phrase. (L.5.4)
Ongoing Assessment
independently.
Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 7: Las Cebollas/Onions

(entrance ticket)
I can use context clues to help me determine why the author chose specific words in Esperanza Rising.
I can determine what metaphors the symbols of the chapter titles represent in Esperanza Rising.
Observation of placement of evidence flags (homework

and classwork)
I can explain how Isabel responds to challenges in her life.
Character T-chart (Isabel)
I can describe how the points of view of Esperanza and Isabel influence the description of events.
Triad discussion
I can create a visual image of the setting of Esperanza Rising.
Exit ticket: Independent answer to text-dependent

question

Point of View:
Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
This lesson includes a close reading of pages 116117, which is done as a full class. Be sure to give
students time to think, then talk as triads, during this sequence. The purpose of this guided practice is to
simultaneously reinforce four aspects of this novel study: the importance of chapter titles, the authors
use of metaphor, working with vocabulary (the authors careful word choice, and students growing
ability to figure out words in context), and how Esperanza is responding to challenges.

Las Cebollas/Onions (5 minutes)
minutes)
2. Work Time
A. The Onion: Close Reading of Pages 116117 (20
minutes)
B. Isabel: Answering Questions in Triads (8 minutes)
In advance: Read and review the text-dependent questions for Chapter 7: Las Cebollas/Onions (see
Students may benefit from instruction or review: camp (as in migrant farm camp)
C. Understanding Point of View by Visualizing (15

minutes)
4. Homework

Point of View:
Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
describe, influence, create, passage, cite, literary

elements, point of view, perspective, visualize,
willing (as in will), tittered, humiliation,
ridicule

Comprehension Quiz Entrance Ticket, Chapter 7: Las Cebollas/Onions (one per student)
Big Metaphors and Themes in Esperanza Rising anchor chart (begun in Lesson 6)
Inferring by Using Text Clues anchor chart (begun in Lesson 3)
Evidence flags
Character T-chart (sample)
Text-Dependent Questions for Chapter 7: Las Cebollas/Onions (one per student; one to display)
Text-Dependent Questions for Chapter 7: Las Cebollas/Onions (Answers for Teacher Reference)
Students reading journals
Homework: Purpose for Reading, Chapter 8: Las Almendras/Almonds (one per student)

Point of View:
Opening
A. Entrance Ticket: Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 7: Las Cebollas/Onions (5 minutes)

Students should be seated with their triad.

Begin the lesson with the comprehension quiz entrance ticket. Collect students quizzes to review/assess.
read for homework. Start with an open-ended question, such as: What was this chapter mostly about? What happened
in this chapter? and then ask more detailed text-dependent questions as necessary. Encourage students to cite
evidence or point to specific passages. Note which students are able to answer the questions, and the quality of the
responses.
Visuals can help students comprehend

questions and discussions. Chart main
points in answers and post all questions
asked to students.
Tell students they will think more about why Pam Muoz Ryan titled this chapter Onions during the Work Time
today.
Return students entrance and exit tickets from Lesson 6. Address any major misconceptions. Ask students to hold on
to these entrance and exit tickets; they will want to refer to them for their writing later in the unit.

Point of View:
Work Time
A. The Onion: Close Reading of Pages 116117 (20 minutes)

Direct students attention to the title of the chapter: Las Cebollas/Onions. By now students should be familiar with
the pattern for chapter titles: They are all about a fruit or vegetable in the harvest, and relate to a main event or idea in
the chapter. Ask students to talk briefly with their triad about why Pam Muoz Ryan might have titled Chapter 7
Onions.

Invite a few students to share out something one of their triad members said. Listen for students to notice that there
are onion peels all over the camp, and it is Esperanzas job to sweep them; she struggles with this task, which clearly
shows the contrast between her life as a rich girl in Mexico and her life as a new campesino in California. Students may
also notice that people in the camp eat beans and onions for dinner (page 111).
Introduce todays focus by reading out loud the learning targets: I can use context clues to help me determine why the
author chose specific words in Esperanza Rising, and I can determine what metaphors the symbols of the chapter
titles represent in Esperanza Rising. Ask students to focus on the words context clues and have them share what they
know about those words. Look for responses that explain that they will be looking for hints about what the words might
mean in the text around the unknown words. Have students share with a partner what they know about metaphors.
Refer them to the Big Metaphors and Themes in Esperanza Rising anchor chart that they began creating
together in the previous lesson (Lesson 6). Explain that symbols are another form of figurative language that authors
use to help paint pictures in readers minds, like metaphors.

interacting with native English speakers
ELLs may have an overwhelming amount
of new vocabulary words. Consider
targeting a few words for them to focus
on or ask them to make cards for a
certain amount.
When students are using dictionaries,
encourage ELLs to use a bilingual
dictionary if they are literate in their L1.
Tell students that they have been doing good work discussing the text in triads, and that today they are going to discuss
one key passage as a group.
Read aloud pages 116117 as students follow along in their text.
Ask a series of text-dependent questions to the whole class.
Note: be sure to give students time to think, reread, and turn and talk with their triads as needed.
* What is Esperanzas job in the camp?

* What does visualize the memory mean?
* What is Esperanza doing with her mind in order to help her figure out how to sweep?
Ask students to think, then talk as triads, about this last question. Invite a few groups to share out.

Point of View:
Direct students to page 117 and ask more text-dependent questions:
* What does tittering mean? How can we figure out based on the context?
* How does Esperanza feel after Marta calls her Cinderella? What does she do?
* What specific words in the text help you know what Esperanza is feeling? (Help students notice the words
humiliation and ridicule, which they should be able to define in context.)
Ask students to think, then talk as triads, about these questions. Invite a few new groups to share out.
Point out to students that the author is making very careful choices about what words to use, in order to help readers
understand what Esperanza is feeling. They should continue to pay attention to this as they read.
Remind students of the work they have been doing, drawing inferences about characters based on how they respond to
challenges. Direct students attention to the Inferring by Using Text Clues anchor chart (begun in Lesson 3). On
this chart, add several student examples of what they inferred about Esperanza.
Ask students to add an evidence flag on the first page of Chapter 7, summarizing why it is titled Onions.
B. Isabel: Answering Questions in Triads (8 minutes)
Have students begin a new page in their reading journal about Isabel. Ask students to write at the top of the page
any basic descriptions of Isabel. Either distribute or have students create a Character T-chart: left-hand column for
the challenges Isabel faces, and right-hand column for how she responds. (See the example in supporting materials.)

graphic organizers.
Display and distribute the Text-Dependent Questions for Chapter 7: Las Cebollas/Onions to guide
students work.

Point of View:
Work Time
C. Understanding Point of View by Visualizing (15 minutes)
When discussion of complex content is

required, consider partnering an ELL
with a student who speaks the same L1.
meaningful discussions and clarify points
in their L1.
Introduce the learning target: I can describe how the points of view of Esperanza and other characters influence the
description of events. Ask the students how the school would look to an ant, and to someone flying overhead in an
airplane. Then ask how a child who really didnt want to go to school might describe school. Explain how a persons
point of view or perspective affects how they see and how they describe things.
Read aloud the first two paragraphs of the chapter Las Cebollas (page 100). Tell students to close their eyes and listen
as you read the description of the camp. Give students a blank piece of paper, and ask them to quickly sketch what they
saw in their minds eye.
Ask whether the description in the book sounds like it is through Esperanzas eyes or Isabels eyes. Ask:
* How would it be different if Isabel were describing it?

Assign half the triads to pretend that they are Esperanza, and the other half to pretend they are Isabel. Give students
five minutes to think, reread, and use their evidence flags to mark important passages.
Pair one Esperanza student with one Isabel student and have them to talk to each other about what the camp looks
like from each others point of view. Remind students to justify their thinking with evidence from the text.

Point of View:

Distribute index cards or half-sheets of paper. Ask students to respond to the prompt:

frame, sentence starter, or cloze sentence
How does Esperanza respond differently to the challenges of life in the camp than Isabel does? Based on these
differences, what do you think the author wants us to infer about Esperanzas character? Use specific details from
Review the learning targets with students by having a few students read them out loud one at a time. Ask students to
choose one that they feel they really accomplished during this lesson and why. Have them share with a partner. Then
ask them to think about one of the targets that they may have had a more difficult time with and why. Ask them to then
share their thoughts with the same partner. If there is time, have a few students share out. Have students give
suggestions to add to the anchor chart Reading Esperanza Rising. Make sure to add: Creating visual images.

monitor their own learning.
Homework
Read Chapter 8, Las Almendras/Almonds (pages 121138), in Esperanza Rising. Use the Homework: Purpose
for Reading, Chapter 8: Las Almendras/Almonds question to focus your reading. Use evidence flags to mark
the specific areas in the book that support your answer.
Audio recordings of text can aid in

comprehension. Students can pause and
replay confusing portions while they


Las Cebollas/Onions
Name:
Date:
1. What does Esperanza think of their cabin when she first sees it?
2. What work will Esperanza be doing?
3. What does Mama do to her hair?

Las Cebollas/Onions
4. What happens when Esperanza tries to sweep the platform?

1. Reread pages 110113. How does Isabel respond to having to stay home and not work while
everyone else works? Cite specific details from the text that would show how Isabel handles the
situation.
2. During this chapter, Isabel must teach Esperanza many things even though she is younger and has
had a less privileged life. How does she feel toward Esperanza? Cite specific examples from the
text.
3. On page 105, Isabel responds to Esperanza, De veras? after Esperanza tells her that they are still
rich and they will not be staying there long. What does that phrase mean? How do you know? How
does Isabel react to Esperanza? Be sure to cite evidence from the text.
10

1. Reread pages 110113. How does Isabel respond to having to stay home and not work while
everyone else works? Cite specific details from the text that would show how Isabel handles the
situation.
Isabel takes on a lot of responsibility and seems to be mature for her age. She takes
care of the babies by feeding them and keeping them clean (p. 110). Isabel was
friends with women who were older than her. Isabel introduced Esperanza to Irene
and Melina, two women who were hanging clothes to dry already had a baby of her
own. (p.112)
2. During this chapter, Isabel must teach Esperanza many things even though she is younger and has
had a less privileged life. How does Isabel react toward having to teach Esperanza so many things?
Cite specific examples from the text.
Isabel is worried that Esperanza doesnt know all of the things to do. Isabels eyes
got bigger and she looked worried (p. 115). She thinks Esperanza can do all the
things that she does. She teaches her how to change diapers, feed the babies, where
everything is in the camp, and how to wash clothes. Isabel is still curious about
Esperanzas life in Mexico. Will you tell me about your life as a queen? (p. 120)
3. On page 105, Isabel responds to Esperanza, De veras? after Esperanza tells her that they are still
rich and they will not be staying there long. What does that phrase mean? How do you know? How
does Isabel react to Esperanza? Be sure to cite evidence from the text.
De vera means that is that true? because Esperanza responds to her, Yes, it is
the truth. Isabel just tiptoes out of the room and shuts the door, which means she
knows that Esperanza is having a hard time and does not want to bother her.
11

Character T-chart
Challenges:
Response:
12

Homework:
Las Almendras/Almonds (Pages 121138)
Name:
Date:
What new challenges does Esperanza face in the camp? How does she respond?
As you read, think about this question. Use your evidence flags to mark specific passages
in the text to discuss with your triad. You do not need to write complete answers.
13

Understanding Themes in Esperanza Rising


Ongoing Assessment
I can interpret two big metaphors in Chapter 8, Las Almendras, in Esperanza

Rising.
Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 8: Las Almendras/Almonds (entrance ticket)
I can explain what it means to find the theme of a book or story.
Triad discussion
Exit ticket: Independent answer to text-dependent question
Observation of placement of evidence flags (homework and classwork)

Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
In advance: Review Esperanza Rising (including but not limited to Chapter 8: Las Almendras), noting
examples of big metaphors (symbols) and themes.

Las Almendras/Almonds (5 minutes
B. Engaging the Reader: Oral Chapter Review
(5 minutes)
C. Adding to Anchor Chart: Reading Esperanza Rising
(5 minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Big Metaphors: Answering Questions in Triads (15
minutes)
B. Inferring Themes in Esperanza Rising (25 minutes)
4. Homework
Read and review the text-dependent questions for Chapter 8: Las Almendras/Almonds (see
This lesson goes into more depth on the concept of theme, which was briefly touched on in Lesson 6.
Students may not have time in Part B of Work Time to address all four central big metaphors
(symbols) and their thematic significance. This is fine; students will return to this idea in future lessons.
Be sure to save 10 minutes for students to prepare for the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment, which will occur in
Lesson 9.
This lesson uses the big metaphors as a more student-friendly way to begin to think about the central
symbols in the novel. Feel free to introduce the concept of a symbol if appropriate for your students.
(See Teaching Note in Lesson 6.)
Students may benefit from instruction or review of these terms: perseverance, careless, rosebush,
crochet.

Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
interpret, identify, figurative

language, metaphor, symbol; flan,
bloom, meek, wages

Evidence flags
Comprehension Quiz Entrance Ticket, Chapter 8: Las Almendras/Almonds (one per student)
Text Dependent Questions: Chapter 8: Las Almendras/Almonds (one per student; one to display)
Text Dependent Questions: Chapter 8: Las Almendras/Almonds (Answers for Teacher Reference)
Human Rights Challenges in Esperanza Rising anchor chart (begun in Lesson 3)
Character T-charts (from Lessons 4 and 7)
Document camera
Homework: Purpose for Reading, Chapter 9: Las Ciruelas/Plums (one per student)

Opening
A. Entrance Ticket: Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 8: Las Almendras/Almonds (5 minutes)

Students should sit with their triad. Begin the lesson with the comprehension quiz entrance ticket. As usual, collect this
quiz to assess whether students are reading and understanding the text.
Using a cold-call strategy, invite some students to give a summary of the chapter that was read for homework. You may
start with an open-ended question, such as: What happened in this chapter? and then ask more detailed textdependent questions as necessary. Commend students who refer directly to the text when they provide their summaries.
Remind students that they have had lots of practice thinking about what each chapter is mostly about. They will get to
demonstrate how well they can do this on their own during the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment tomorrow (Lesson 9).
Consider charting the main events of the

chapter. Providing a visual will assist
students needing additional supports in
following the discussion.
Ask students if they can predict what question you will ask them next. Listen for students to say something about
thinking about the title of the chapter. Commend them, and ask someone to explain why Chapter 8 is titled Las
Almendras. Listen for students to point out that they shell almonds (page 127), which Isabels mother then uses to bake
a flan or custard, a sweet dessert. Ask students to add an evidence flag on the first page of Chapter 9, on which they
write a phrase that will help them summarize the main events in this chapter and remember why it was titled
Almonds.
Return students entrance and exit tickets from Lesson 7. Address major misconceptions. Ask students to hold on to
these entrance and exit tickets to use for future writing.

Opening (continued)
C. Adding to Anchor Chart: Reading Esperanza Rising (5 minutes)

Remind students that they have been building a strong routine during their study of the first half of the novel. Direct
their attention to the Reading Esperanza Rising anchor chart from the previous lessons. Ask students to talk
briefly with their triad about some of the things they have been doing as readers to make sense of this novel.
Ask students to share out; add strong comments to the anchor chart that are not already listed. Listen for students to
comment on the following:
Rereading
Thinking about what a chapter is mostly about
Paying attention to chapter titles
Using context clues to figure out new words
Inferring using text clues
Inferring about characters
Thinking about the challenges characters are facing, and how they overcome them
Thinking about metaphors
Making connections to the UDHR
Point out to students that some of these strategies are things they would use when reading any novel; others are specific
to Esperanza Rising.
Congratulate students on all they are learning about reading challenging text. Remind them that tomorrow they will get
to show what they know on their own, on the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment.

Work Time
A. Big Metaphors: Answering Questions in Triads (15 minutes)
Visuals can help ELLs comprehend

points in answers and post all questions
asked to students. Consider drawing
small pictures to illustrate your
examples.
Choose a student to read the learning target aloud: I can interpret two big metaphors in Chapter 8: Las Almendras, in
Esperanza Rising. Point out to students that they already identified some metaphors in the novel in previous lessons.
Briefly review the term metaphor, emphasizing that it is figurative language authors use to make a direct comparison
between two things, in order to show something important.
Distribute a small stack of evidence flags to each triad.
Read aloud pages 122124, as students follow along.
Using your document camera or placing the questions on the board, display just Question 1 from the TextDependent Questions for Chapter 8: Las Almendras/Almonds (see supporting materials).
Refer students to pages 7273 to help them with Question 1. Have them reread these pages on their own, with Question
1 in mind, and then talk with their triad. Encourage them to use their evidence flags to mark evidence that supports their
answer.
Ask a few groups to report out their answer and their evidence. If necessary, model by adding additional evidence to
clarify and further support what students are saying.
difficult text.
Show the students the second text-dependent question. Tell them to listen for and mark evidence that answers the
question as you read aloud.
Reread the long paragraph on page 128 that begins, I know, said Esperanza aloud, with students following along.
Have them think about Question 2.
Ask students to discuss their answers to Question 2 with their triad, rereading if necessary.
Circulate to listen in and support as needed. Probe students to cite specific words and phrases describing how Esperanza
is like an almond, reminding them to use context clues to help them figure out the meaning of unknown words.
Ask students to continue with the third text-dependent question. Make sure they are reading it aloud, clarifying any
terms, thinking on their own, then talking and marking their answers with evidence flags. As in previous days, students
do not need to write complete answers to the questions at this point.

Work Time
B. Inferring Themes in Esperanza Rising (25 minutes)
Be aware of students cultural

backgrounds and that they may not be
familiar with the fable you are
explaining. Some students may know a
similar fable from their culture.
To close students analysis of the excerpts in Chapter 8 about the rose and the kitten, ask students to go vote with their
feet.
They should move to the back left corner of the room if they think life is like a rose.
They should move to the back right corner if they agree with Marta that the poor workers are like kittens.
They should stay in the center of the room if they are not sure.
Once students get to the corner of their choice, they should discuss their reasons with another who voted the same way.
Students should be encouraged to use specific details from the text to support their opinions.
Transition from the topic of figurative language to that of inferring theme by explaining that literature contains both
little metaphors, which might show up in a sentence, and big metaphors (often symbols), such as the metaphors
about the rose and the kitten they just talked about. The big metaphors can point the way toward a books big ideas, or
themes.

student who speaks the same L1 when
discussion of complex content is
required. This can allow students to
clarify points in their L1.
To illustrate, use the example of a fable that the students are likely to know, such as The Tortoise and the Hare,
explaining that the story is a big metaphor, in which the animals represent a slow and steady person and a fast but
careless person. The big idea, or theme, of the fable is that perseverance pays off. Give further examples of what the
word theme means, as necessary.
Tell the students that today they will briefly begin to think about themes in Esperanza Rising, using the big metaphors
to help find them. Read the learning target aloud: I can identify the themes in Esperanza Rising. Explain that one
metaphor that runs through the book is that life is a rosebush. Tell the students that they should be thinking about what
theme the passages suggest.
Ask students to list some of the big metaphors/symbols they have examined so far. Listen for the following:
The earths heartbeat (page 2) (Lesson 6)
The river between Esperanza and Miguel (page 18) (Lesson 6)
The rosebush (bottom of page 8 to top of page 9)
The kitten (page 132)
Read aloud the first excerpt, briefly, as students follow along. Review the first passage briefly (students worked with this
during Lesson 6 as well). Review briefly:
* What is the author trying to show when she writes that Esperanza can no longer hear the earths heartbeat?

* What might be the main message or theme that this passage suggests?
Invite students to share out, and chart their comments on the anchor chart Big Metaphors and Themes in
Esperanza Rising (begun in Lesson 6).
Repeat as time permits for each of the other three central metaphors. Note that students will return to this Big
Metaphors and Themes in Esperanza Rising anchor chart in future lessons, so it is fine if their work today is just
beginning. Tell students that as they keep reading, they should keep watching for the big metaphors and how those
might help us understand some of the themes of the novel.

sentence to assist with the structure
required.
Remind students of the learning targets for todays lesson by reading them out loud or having a student do so.
* Choose to write about either the rosebush or the kitten. Why is this big metaphor so important in the story? What
message is the author trying to give us as readers?
Remind students that tomorrow they will do their Mid-Unit 2 Assessment. See Meeting Students Needs note, below
right.

Homework
Read Chapter 9: Las Ciruelas/Plums (pages 139157) in Esperanza Rising. Use the Homework: Purpose for
Reading, Chapter 9: Las Ciruelas/Plums question to focus your reading. Use evidence flags to mark the specific
areas in the book that support your answer. Remember that tomorrow is your Mid-Unit 2 Assessment on this chapter.
Students are told to read all of Chapter 9

to prepare for the Mid-Unit 2
Assessment. However, the assessment
directly addresses only pages 139143
and 154157. If necessary and
appropriate, tell some struggling readers
to focus their homework reading on
these discrete sections of the chapter.

can pause and replay confusing portions


Las Almendras/Almonds
Name:
Date:
1. What is the surprise that Alfonso and Miguel have for Esperanza and Mama?
2. What does Esperanza learn to do by herself for the first time in this chapter?
3. What does Isabel want to bring home from the fiesta?
11

1. In this chapter, Miguel has a surprise for Esperanza and Mama: Papas roses. What clues were in
the text in a previous chapter that might have indicated that Miguel was taking care of the rose
plants? What does the author mean by the sentence: Now if they bloomed she could drink the
memories of the roses that had known Papa? How is life like a rose? Be sure to give details from
2. On page 128, Esperanza is helping to shell almonds. The author describes an almond as like two
hands pressed together, protecting something inside. Then as Esperanza cracks one open, the text
says: then pulled the meat from its defenses. How is the almond a metaphor for Esperanza?
Be sure to use details from the text in your answer.
3. On pages 131133, Marta is using kittens as a metaphor for the farmers. How are the farmers like
the kittens? How does Marta suggest they fight being like kittens? Use specific evidence from the
text in your answer.
12

1. In this chapter, Miguel has a surprise for Esperanza and Mama: Papas roses. What clues were in
the text in a previous chapter that might have indicated that Miguel was taking care of the rose
plants? What does the author mean by the sentence: Now if they bloomed she could drink the
memories of the roses that had known Papa? How is life like a rose? Be sure to give details from
On pages 72 and 73, when they were traveling by train to the United States, the text
says: At every stop, Miguel and Alfonso hurried off the train with a package. From
the window, Esperanza watched them go to a water trough, unwrap an oilcloth, and
dampen the bundle inside. They needed to keep the rose plants wet so they would
not die. When Esperanza asked about it, he said she would find out when they got
there. The rose plants were the same ones that Papa planted, so when they bloomed
into flowers they would be the same roses that Papa would have seen. Life is like a
rose because it can go through some hard times, like having to move and not having
enough water, but it can still come back and still grow, like Miguel says to Esperanza
about her rose on page 124. So you can climb.
2. On page 128, Esperanza is helping to shell almonds. The author describes an almond as like two
hands pressed together, protecting something inside. Then as Esperanza cracks one open, the text
says: then pulled the meat from its defenses. How is the almond a metaphor for Esperanza?
Be sure to use details from the text in your answer.
Isabel asks Esperanza if she is going to the party, and Esperanza is not sure because
she is still embarrassed by what happened on the platform. Isabel tells her that her
mother says it is best to get over it and just laugh. Esperanza is like an almond
because her feelings got hurt on the inside when she felt embarrassed. Her defenses
are like laughing when someone makes fun of her because then they cant hurt her
as much. Esperanza is also like an almond because she is having to get stronger
every day, just like the outside shell.
13

3. On pages 131133, Marta is using kittens as a metaphor for the farmers. How are the farmers like
the kittens? How does Marta suggest they fight being like kittens? Use specific evidence from the
text in your answer.
The text says on page 132: Small, meek animals. And that is how they treat us
because we dont speak up, referring to the farmers as kittens. Marta then goes on
to say: We are going to strike in two weeks for higher wages and better housing.
Some farmers are afraid to strike and dont think it has anything to do with them.
Maybe all the cat wants to do is feed his family. We dont pick cotton on this
farm! Marta feels all of the farmers should stick together: Then maybe it will help
us all!
14

Homework:
Las Ciruelas/Plums (Pages 139157)
Name:
Date:
How is Esperanza changing?
As you read, think about this question. Use your evidence flags to mark specific passages in
the text to use on your Mid-Unit 2 Assessment. You do not need to write out answers as part
of your homework; just keep track of your thinking with your evidence flags.
15

Mid-Unit 2 Assessment and Discussing Themes
in Esperanza Rising (Chapter 9: Las
Ciruelas/Plums)

Mid-Unit 2 Assessment and Discussing Themes in Esperanza Rising
(Chapter 9: Las Ciruelas/Plums)

Ongoing Assessment
I can use context clues to help me determine why the author chose specific words in Esperanza Rising.
Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Analyzing Sections of

Esperanza Rising on My Own
I can explain how characters respond to challenges in their lives.

I can describe how the points of view of Esperanza and other characters influence the description of
events.
Triad/quad discussion
I can interpret the blanket metaphor in Esperanza Rising.


Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
Review Chapter 9: Las Papas/Plums from Esperanza Rising, and the answers to Mid-Unit 2
Assessment.
A. Engaging the Reader: Revisiting the Reading

Esperanza Rising Anchor Chart (5 minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Analyzing Sections of
Esperanza Rising on My Own (30 minutes)
B. Final Word Seminar on Metaphors and Themes (20
minutes)
C. Optional Review of Using Context Clues (If Time
Permits) (5 minutes)
There is no comprehension quiz entrance ticket today, since students complete the Mid-Unit 2
Assessment.
Review Final Word protocol (Appendix 1).
The Final Word protocol was chosen intentionally to provide less scaffolding to students than the
specific text-dependent questions students have used in previous lessons to guide their triad discussion.
The expectation is that students become increasingly independent with finding relevant evidence to
support their analysis.
Students may be familiar with some of the vocabulary terms identified for this lesson; many of these
words were chosen specifically to help students focus on the blanket metaphor more carefully.
4. Homework
Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
crochet, lopsided, bunched up,

protectively, unpredictable,
correspondence, zigzag

Evidence flags
Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Analyzing Sections of Esperanza Rising on My Own (one per student)
Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Analyzing Sections of Esperanza Rising on My Own (Answers for Teacher Reference)
Index cards or half sheets of paper (one per student)
Homework: Purpose for Reading, Chapter 10: Las Papas/Potatoes (one per student)

Opening
A. Engaging the Reader: Revisiting the Reading Esperanza Rising Anchor Chart (5 minutes)
Let students know that they will be taking the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment today and it will check their progress on the
learning targets they have been using during this unit. Briefly read out loud or have students read the learning
targets. Ask students to turn and talk to remind themselves of some of the activities they have done to address each
learning target.
Make sure students understand that they are ready for this assessment because they have been practicing all the
skills that they will need to show success. Point out the Reading Esperanza Rising anchor chart, briefly reading out
loud the list that they created as a class. Tell students that this assessment will have questions that look very similar
to questions they have thought about during previous lessons.
Work Time
A. Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Analyzing Sections of Esperanza Rising on My Own (30 minutes)
Some students may be provided extended

time to complete tasks. ELLs are allowed
extended time on New York State tests.
Remind students that today they get to show what they know about how to read Esperanza Rising.
Distribute the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment: Analyzing Sections of Esperanza Rising on My Own (see supporting
materials) and read instructions to students out loud. Address any clarifying questions.
Tell students they have approximately 25 minutes to complete the assessment. They may use their novel, notes, and
evidence flags. They may also refer to the anchor charts in the room if that is helpful.
Circulate among students as they take the assessment, providing encouragement and reminders about using the
novel to find evidence to support their answers.
Collect students Mid-Unit 2 Assessment to formally evaluate.
Since this assessment is to gauge students

reading, not writing, students may dictate
their answers if appropriate. (See Unit
Overview, Mid-Unit 2 Assessment for
elaboration on this point.)
ELLs may use bilingual translation
dictionaries.

B. Final Word Seminar on Metaphors and Themes (20 minutes)

interacting with native speakers of English
Return students entrance and exit tickets from Lesson 8. Address any major misconceptions. Ask students to hold
on to these entrance and exit tickets; they will want to refer to them for their writing later in the unit.
Ask students to sit with their triads.
Explain to students that today they are going to continue to work on the learning target of finding the big metaphors
that help them understand the themes in Esperanza Rising. Remind them that yesterday they studied two examples
of figurative language in the book: the metaphors that life is a rosebush and that the poor workers are kittens. They
also briefly revisited the metaphors about the earths heartbeat and the river separating Esperanza and Miguel.
Today they will practice working with another big metaphor that runs through the book: Abuelitas blanket.
Assign students the following sections of text to read independently:
From the break on page 12 to the second paragraph on page 15
Consider providing smaller chunks of text

(sometimes just a few sentences) for
students who struggle with reading large
portions of text. Teachers can check in on
students thinking as they write or speak
about their text.
For students needing additional supports,
consider providing a partially filled-in notecatcher.
Provide a visual of the sentence starter on a
card or posted in the room.
From the middle of page 51 to the end of the page

Ask students to consider these questions as they read:
* Is Abuelitas blanket a metaphor? For what?

* What big idea (theme) of the book is related to the blanket?
Instruct them to use their evidence flags to mark key passages, and to take notes on an index card to prepare for a
discussion.
Provide anchor charts for processes and

protocols. This allows students who
struggle with multistep directions to fully
participate.
After 10 minutes of silent reading, have students begin a discussion of the text. Remind students that in any
discussion of a text, they need to support their statements with evidence. Suggest sentence starters such as: One
reason I think this is . . . or The evidence is . . . and I believe this because the book says . . .
Briefly review the Final Word protocol.
1. Someone shares one of the pieces of evidence he or she identified.
2. Each person in the group comments on the evidence in one sentence.
3. The person who shares gets to give the last comment about his/her evidence.
4. Repeat the process until all members of the group get to share at least one of their pieces of evidence.
Ask students to use this protocol in small groups to discuss their ideas about the reading. Take only about 4 minutes
per round, so that the discussion lasts no more than 12 minutes.

Work Time
C. Optional: Review of Using Context Clues (If Time Permits) (5 minutes)

Note: Depending on how quickly students completed their Mid-Unit 2 Assessment, there may be time to reinforce
students work with context clues.
Increasing interactions with vocabulary in

context increases the rate of vocabulary
If time permits, briefly review key vocabulary from the passage students just read. Ask students what the following
words mean, and how they figured them out: crochet (13), lopsided (15), bunched up (15), zigzag (51)
Discuss the morphology of protectively and unpredictable, focusing students on the word roots and as well as the
prefix un-.
Help students see how these words are important:
* How does the word protectively help us understand the relationship between Hortensia and Esperanzas family?
(Listen for students to notice Hortensias devotion to the family. Guide students toward noticing that Hortensia is
of Indian heritage, which in this era often meant of a lower social class.)
* Why does Abuelita tell Esperanza that the mail is unpredictable? (Listen for students to recognize that
Esperanza has not been able to get letters from Abuelita. This has been one of the challenges she has faced
throughout the novel: missing her grandmother.)

When ELLs are asked to produce language,

consider providing a sentence frame,
sentence starter, or cloze sentence to assist
with the structure required.
Remind students that they are continuing to work on the learning targets: I can interpret big metaphors in
Esperanza Rising and I can identify the themes in Esperanza Rising.
Revisit the Big Metaphors and Themes in Esperanza Rising anchor chart, adding any new metaphors or marking the
metaphors as themes.
Ask students to talk in their triads about any new themes they can articulate. Invite representatives from triads to
share out, charting students comments.
Homework
Read Chapter 10, Las Papas/Potatoes (pages 158179), in Esperanza Rising. While reading, note examples of
where a characters human rights might be challenged and their responses. Use the Homework: Purpose for
Reading, Chapter 10: Las Papas/Potatoes question to focus your reading. Use evidence flags to mark the
When possible, provide text or materials

found in students L1, while still exposing
the student to English text.
Note: If concerned about students completing the reading assignment at home, plan an additional reading period
later in the day or first thing in the morning. In addition, students likely to need additional support should preread
this novel with support during intervention or other support periods. Prereading with support will then allow
students to spend class periods rereading and focusing on evidence.

pause and replay confusing portions while
they follow along with the text.
Be sure to have formally assessed students Mid-Unit Assessments by Lesson 13. In that lesson, there is time for
students to review their work.
If the triad conversations are growing stale, consider forming new groups for the second half of the novel. If you do
form new triads, be sure to review the Norms for Triad Talk, etc.


Name:
Date:
For homework last night, you read Chapter 9: Las Ciruelas/Plums. On this assessment, you get a
chance to show what you know about how to analyze this novel on your own. You may use your novel,
your evidence flags, and any notes in your journals from our work together for this assessment.
1. What happens in this chapter? Write a one- or two-sentence summary: What is this chapter
mostly about?
2. This chapter is titled Las Ciruelas/Plums. Why do you think Pam Muoz Ryan chose this title for
the chapter? How does this title relate to the main events or ideas in this chapter?

3. Reread pages 139143 and think about the challenge Esperanza is facing at this point in the novel.
Complete the T-chart below, citing evidence from the text.
Challenge
Responses
4. Make an inference: What does Esperanzas response to the challenge on pages 139143 tell us
about her as a person? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.

Read the following excerpt from page 157, and then answer the questions
below:
Esperanza felt Alfonso behind her, putting his hands on her shoulder. She felt the blood
drain from her face. She wanted to tell the doctor that she could not lose Mama, too. That
she had already lost Papa and that Abuelita was too far away. Her voice strangled with
fear. All she could do was whisper the doctors uncertain words If she survives.
5. In one sentence, summarize the challenge Esperanza and Mama are facing at this point in the
novel.
There are two examples of figurative language in this excerpt.

6. What does it mean to have blood drain from your face?
7. What does it mean to say Esperanzas voice was strangled with fear?
10

8. How does the authors use of the words drain and strangled help us understand how Esperanza is
feeling?
11

For homework last night, you read Chapter 9: Las Ciruelas/Plums. On this
assessment, you get a chance to show what you know about how to analyze this novel
on your own. You may use your novel, your evidence flags, and any notes in your
journals from our work together for this assessment.
1. What happens in this chapter? Write a one- to two-sentence summary: What is this chapter mostly
about?
Esperanza had to watch the babies by herself; it did not go very well, but she figured
out what to do. There was a dust storm that covered everything in dust and made
Mama sick. Esperanza is worried Mama might die.
2. This chapter is titled Las Ciruelas/Plums. Why do you think Pam Muoz Ryan chose this title for
the chapter? How does this title relate to the main events or ideas in this chapter?
Pam Muoz Ryan chose Las Ciruelas/Plums as the title because plums are delicious,
but if your body is not used to them raw, they will make you sick like the babies. That
is just like what happened to Mama because of the dust. She was not used to it, so
when the dust storm happened it made her sick, like the plums made the babies sick.
3. Reread pages 139143 and think about the challenge Esperanza is facing at this point in the novel.
Complete the T-chart below, citing evidence from the text.
Challenge
Responses
Esperanza did not know what to do when the

babies got sick.
Esperanza kept changing the babies diapers to

try to keep them clean.
Esperanza made rice water to feed the babies,
hoping it would make them feel better.
Esperanza forgot about the beans, and they
burned because she was so busy trying to take
care of the babies.
12

4. Make an inference: What does Esperanzas response to the challenge on pages 139143 tell us
about her as a person? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.
Esperanza is a problem solver, trying to figure out what to do in hard situations
based on things that she knows from her own experiences. What did Hortensia give
her when she was a child and was sick? ... Rice water!
(p. 142)
13

Read the following excerpt from page 157, and then answer the questions below:
Esperanza felt Alfonso behind her, putting his hands on her shoulder. She felt the blood
drain from her face. She wanted to tell the doctor that she could not lose Mama, too. That
she had already lost Papa and that Abuelita was too far away. Her voice strangled with fear.
All she could do was whisper the doctors uncertain words If she survives.
5. In one sentence, summarize the challenge Esperanza and Mama are facing at this point in the
novel.
Mama is very sick and might not get better. Esperanza was scared that Mama would
die and that she was all alone in the United States.
There are two examples of figurative language in this excerpt.
6. What does it mean to have blood drain from your face?
Like when water goes out of a sink in the drain, the blood can go out of your face and
look very white.
7. What does it mean to say Esperanzas voice was strangled with fear?
When something is strangled, it is choked. Esperanza could not speak because her
voice could not get out.
8. How does the authors use of the words drain and strangled help us understand how Esperanza is
feeling?
The words drain and strangled paint a detailed picture for readers, helping them
see it as if they were there.
14

Homework:
Las Papas/Potatoes (Pages 158-179)
Name:
Date:
How is Esperanza changing?
As you read, think about this question. Use your evidence flags to mark specific passages in the text to
discuss with your triad. You do not need to write out answers as part of your homework; just keep
track of your thinking with your evidence flags.
15

Characters Charging Over Time
(Chapter 10: Las Papas/Potatoes)


Ongoing Assessment
independently.
Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 10: Las Papas/Potatoes

(entrance ticket)
I can make inferences from the text about Esperanza and Mama in Esperanza Rising.
Observe where students place evidence flags
I can begin to describe how Esperanza is changing.
Triad discussions
I can interpret big metaphors in Esperanza Rising.

question

Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
A. Entrance Ticket: Comprehension Quiz, Chapter
10: Las Papas/Potatoes
(5 minutes)
reference. Students may not have time to complete all five text-dependent questions; Question 5 is
intended as an extension for groups that are working more quickly.

minutes)
In advance: Locate, review, and post the Character anchor charts students began in Lesson 4. In this lesson,
students are reminded of their work on the anchor charts for Esperanza and Mama.
2. Work Time
A. Esperanza and Mama: Answering Questions in
Triads (15 minutes)
B. How Much Is Esperanza Changing?
(10 minutes)
C. Revisiting the Metaphor of Abuelitas Blanket:
Close Reading of Pages 159161 (15 minutes)
This lesson begins to lay the foundation for students End of Unit 2 Assessment, in which they write an
essay about how Esperanza changes over time. During this lesson, do not worry if students understanding
of Esperanzas development is just beginning to form. They will revisit this idea repeatedly in future
lessons.
If you have evaluated students Mid-Unit 2 Assessments, return them at this time. There also is time built
in to Lesson 13 for students to review their assessment.
Review the protocol Give One, Get One (see Appendix). Review the anchor chart Big Metaphors and
Themes in Esperanza Rising, paying particular attention to any notes you added about Abuelitas blanket
during the debrief of Lesson 9 and the anchor chart Inferring by Using Text Clues.
In advance: Post the Big Metaphors and Themes in Esperanza Rising anchor chart.
4. Homework
Note: In this lesson, students will not use a note-catcher, but rather the evidence they marked with their
evidence flags for the previous nights homework.

Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
confronted, compare, contrast,

physically, emotionally, fitful, uneasily,
valise, hands wide (i.e. measurement),
scent, uneasily, clutched, intent,
listless, depressed, patrona
Comprehension Quiz Entrance Ticket (Chapter 10: Las Papas/Potatoes) (one per student)
Evidence flags
Text-Dependent Questions for Chapter 10: Las Papas/Potatoes (one per student; one for display)
Text-Dependent Questions for Chapter 10: Las Papas/Potatoes (Answers for Teacher Reference)
Character T-charts for Mama and Esperanza (begun in Lesson 4)
Venn diagram (see sample in Appendix 1; students create these in their reading journals)
Document camera
Homework: Purpose for Reading, Chapter 11: Los Aguacates/Avocados (one per student)

Opening
A. Entrance Ticket: Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 10: Las Papas/Potatoes (5 minutes)
Consider providing extended time

for tasks and answering questions in
class discussions. ELLs often need
more time to process and translate
information.
Students should sit with their triad.

Begin the lesson with the comprehension quiz entrance ticket. Collect students work to review and/or assess.

Note: If you have evaluated students Mid-Unit 2 Assessments, return them at this time and let students briefly review. Allow
more time later in the day to address any concerns. (Lesson 13 also includes time to return students Mid-Unit 2
Assessments). If students work is not ready to be handed back, simply tell them that they did a great job on the assessment
and will continue doing similar work with a new chapter today.
Lead the class in a whole group session, cold calling students to elicit a summary of the chapter that was read for homework.
Start with an open-ended question, such as: What happened in this chapter? and then ask more detailed text-dependent
questions as necessary. Encourage students to cite evidence or point to specific passages. Give students the opportunity to
ask clarifying questions about plot points they didnt understand.

comprehend questions and
discussions. Chart main points in
answers and post all questions
asked to students.
Ask students if they can predict what question you will ask them next. Listen for students to say something about thinking
about the title of the chapter. Commend them, and ask someone to explain why Chapter 10 is titled Las Papas/Potatoes.
Listen for students to point out that Esperanza takes a job that requires her to get the eyes out of the potatoes. (Use this
opportunity to briefly reinforce what students have been learning about metaphors: Potatoes dont really have eyes.) Ask
students to add an evidence flag on the first page of Chapter 10, on which they write a phrase that will help them summarize
this chapter and remember why it was titled Potatoes.
Briefly review the learning targets with students by reading them out loud, specifically focusing on: I can begin to describe
how Esperanza is changing. This is a new target and is the focus for their writing later in the unit. Point out to students the
Inferring by Using Text Clues anchor chart that they created together as a class in previous lessons. Remind them that they
may use this as a reference as they work during this lesson.

Work Time
A. Esperanza and Mama: Answering Questions in Triads (15 minutes)
Students needing additional

filled-in graphic organizers.
Be sure to allow time for students to add to their character notes during these 15 minutes.
Remind students also that it is less important to rush through all the questions. The purpose is to have a rich discussion
based on evidence. It is fine if they only have time for a few questions; they will revisit many of these ideas again in later
lessons.
Distribute a small pile of evidence flags to each triad. Also display and distribute the Text-Dependent Questions for Chapter
10: Las Papas/Potatoes (see supporting materials).
Using your document camera or placing the questions on the board, display just Question 1 from the Text-Dependent
Questions for Chapter 10: Las Papas/Potatoes.
Focus students just one Question 1. Give students a few minutes to reread pages 158161 on their own, with Question 1 in
mind, and then talk with their triad. Encourage them to use their evidence flags to mark evidence that supports their answer.
Ask a few groups to report out their answer and their evidence. If necessary, model by adding additional evidence to clarify
and further support what students are saying.
difficult text.
Focus students on Question 2. Tell them to listen for and mark evidence that answers the question as you read aloud.
Circulate to listen in and support as needed. Probe students to cite specific words and phrases that describe how Mama is
feeling emotionally, reminding them to use context clues to help them figure out the meaning of unknown words.
As students continue with the rest of the text-dependent questions, make sure they are reading them aloud, clarifying any
terms, thinking on their own, then talking and marking their answers with evidence flags. As in previous days, students do
not need to write complete answers to the questions at this point.
As students work, monitor this discussion, making sure all students are participating. Reinforce students who are following
the Triad Talk norms well.
After about 10 minutes, ask students to take 3 or 4 minutes to add new thinking to their Character T-chart in their reading
journals about Esperanza and Mama.

Work Time
B. How Much Is Esperanza Changing? (10 minutes)
Provide anchor charts for processes

and protocols for students who may
struggle with multistep directions.
Point out to students how much more they understand about Esperanza and Mama than when they did their original anchor
charts (in Lesson 4). Also note that in their triad discussions today, they were noticing how both Esperanza and Mama are
changing. They will keep thinking about how characters change, particularly Esperanza, in upcoming lessons. Redirect
students to the following learning target: I can begin to describe how Esperanza is changing.
Briefly review the Give One, Get One protocol (see Appendix 1). Explain that instead of using a note-catcher this time, they
will be taking with them their text marked with evidence and they will just be discussing orally. They will not be writing
anything down this time. Ask students to stand, find a partner, and discuss the following prompt (which was their homework
purpose for reading for Chapter 10):

asked to students.
* How is Esperanza changing? Be sure to share the evidence from your text with your partners.
Circulate to listen in. Encourage students to cite text to support their opinions.
Have students repeat the process until they have received and given a different piece of evidence with at least 3 other
students.
Have students return to their triads when they are done.

Work Time
C. Revisiting the Metaphor of Abuelitas Blanket: Close Reading of Pages 159161 (15 minutes)

asked to students.
Ask students to remain in their triads, but focus whole group.

Point out the learning target: I can determine the metaphors and themes in Esperanza Rising. Ask students to turn and
talk about how they worked with metaphor and theme during Lesson 9. Ask students if they noticed any of these metaphors
appear again in their reading of Chapter 10: Las Papas/Potatoes. Listen for students to mention the reference to Abuelitas
blanket.
Refer students to the Big Metaphors and Themes in Esperanza Rising anchor chart. Invite a student to read out loud any
notes that you charted about the metaphor of Abuelitas blanket (during Lesson 9).
Read aloud page 159 from Abuelitas blanket through the end of the text, as students follow along in their text.
Ask a series of text-dependent questions. Give students time to think, talk in triads, and share out whole group after each
question.
At the bottom of page 159, the text says: Esperanza looked at Mama, breathing uneasily, her eyes closed. It was clear Mama
needed Abuelita.
* What does the word uneasily mean? How did you figure that out? (Listen for students to refer to context clues and/or
the word root easy and the prefix un)
* How is it clear that Mama needs Abuelita?

Read aloud page 160, from They both needed her through This valley of Mama being sick.Ask:
* What metaphor does the author use to describe Mama being sick? Why do you think the author chose this metaphor?
(Listen for students to notice the valley.)
Again give students time to think, talk in triads, and share out.
Direct students to the phrase in the middle of page 160: Esperanza picked up the needlework and began where Abuelita had
left off.
Say: Think about what you read yesterday about the blanket, on page 15. What seems important about Esperanza
beginning the blanket where Abuelita left off? (Listen for students to begin to understand that its not just the crocheting
Esperanza is beginning again, but her new life, as a more mature person. Guide students to this understanding as needed.)


Review the learning targets with students by reading them out loud or calling on students to do so.
* How is Esperanza changing? Cite evidence from Chapter 10: Las Papas/Potatoes to support your opinion.
Gather students as a whole group and draw their attention to the Big Metaphors and Themes in Esperanza Rising anchor
chart. Ask students for suggestions of any new ones to add. Be sure to listen for additional acknowledgments about the rose,
Abuelitas blanket, and the potatoes eyes, which are all metaphors for life.

Homework
Read Chapter 11: Los Aguacates/Avocados (pages 179199) in Esperanza Rising. Use the Homework: Purpose for
Reading, Chapter 11: Los Aguacates/Avocados question to focus your reading. Use evidence flags to mark the

some students in comprehension.
Students can pause and replay
confusing portions while they follow
along with the text.
Note: Be sure to have formally assessed students Mid-Unit 2 Assessments by Lesson 13. In that lesson, there is time for
students to review their work.


Comprehension Quiz Entrance Ticket: Chapter 10: Las
Papas/Potatoes
Name:
Date:
1. Why did Esperanza start working in the sheds?
2. What did Esperanza promise Abuelita she would do after she left her?
3. Why did Hortensia tell Esperanza not to send a letter to Abuelita?
10

Las Papas/Potatoes
Name:
Date:
1. How is Mama feeling physically? Be sure to give detailed evidence from the text.
2. Reread the last paragraph on page 161. What inferences can you make about how Mama is feeling
emotionally? The author uses the word listless to describe Mama. What does that word mean in
the sentence? Use context clues to help.
3. On page 163, what did the doctor mean when he said that Mama was depressed? Cite evidence
11

Las Papas/Potatoes
4. The chapter starts: Esperanza almost never left Mamas side, and it ends with Esperanza saying:
Dont worry. I will take care of everything. I will be la patrona for the family now. How has
Esperanza changed in this chapter, and what does it mean to be la patrona? Cite specific evidence
5. What did the author mean when she wrote on page 176, Isabel had nothing, but she also had
everything. Esperanza wanted what she had? How is this different from the way Esperanza acted
when they first moved to California? Be sure to provide details from the text in your answer.
12

Las Papas/Potatoes
1. How is Mama feeling physically? Be sure to give detailed evidence from the text.
The doctor says on page 158: She is not getting worse But she is not getting better,
either. She cant sleep well, drifting in and out of fitful sleep (p. 158). She is still
having trouble breathing: breathing uneasily (p. 159).
2. Reread the last paragraph on page 161. What inferences can you make about how Mama is feeling
emotionally? The author uses the word listless to describe Mama. What does that word mean in
the sentence? Use context clues to help.
Mama is very sad because she is weeping and she has given up. She does not
want to try anymore to be strong and determined. The word listless has to do with
being sad and not wanting to do anything, because in the paragraph before it says
that it seemed Esperanza could not interest Mama in anything.
3. On page 163, what did the doctor mean when he said that Mama was depressed? Cite evidence
Mama is not just sick from the dust. She is sick from worrying so much as well.
Hortensia says: Sometimes sadness and worry can make a person sicker....
Everything became too much for her.
4. The chapter starts: Esperanza almost never left Mamas side, and it ends with Esperanza saying:
Dont worry. I will take care of everything. I will be la patrona for the family now. How has
Esperanza changed in this chapter, and what does it mean to be la patrona? Cite specific evidence
Esperanza went from being a scared little girl who did not know what to do, to taking
charge of the situation to make things better. If Esperanza could somehow get
money to Abuelita, then maybe she could come sooner (p. 165). I could work in the
fields or in the sheds (p. 166). How much depended on her being able to work (p.
172).
Being la patrona means to be in charge, to make sure everything is OK.
13

Las Papas/Potatoes
5. What did the author mean when she wrote on page 176, Isabel had nothing, but she also had
everything. Esperanza wanted what she had? How is this different from the way Esperanza acted
when they first moved to California? Be sure to provide details from the text in your answer.
Isabel is always happy and does not seem to worry about things. She wanted so few
worries that something as simple as a yarn doll would make her happy (p. 176).
When they first arrived, Esperanza thought the place they were living was only good
enough for animals and that she was still rich, expecting people to do things for her.
She was sad all the time because they had to move and life was different. She didnt
know how to do many things. Now, Esperanza just wanted Mama to get better, and
she had become more responsible.
14

Homework:
Los Aguacates/Avocados (Pages 179198)
Name:
Date:
What challenges to human rights do characters face in Chapter 11? How do they respond?
15

Building Background Knowledge: Why Do
Workers Strike? (Chapter 11: Los
Aguacates/Avocados)

Why Do Workers Strike?
(Chapter 11: Los Aguacates/Avocados)

Ongoing Assessment
independently.

Aguacates/Avocados (entrance ticket)
I can identify examples of human rights that have not been protected in Esperanza Rising.
Triad discussion
I can explain what a strike is.
Exit ticket: On Strike! note-catcher

Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
reference.

Los Aguacates/Avocados (5 minutes)
minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Challenges to Human Rights in Esperanza Rising
(10 minutes)
B. What Is a Strike? (15 minutes)
This lesson refocuses students on the direct connections between the themes in Esperanza Rising and
the UDHR that they studied during Unit 1. Be sure students have their UDHR note-catchers (from Unit
1, Lesson 1) or provide fresh copies as needed. Do not worry if students are still struggling to analyze all
of the connections. Students revisit Article 23 in Lesson 12. And in Unit 3, Readers Theater, students
have 12 more lessons in which they revisit key excerpts from the novel through the lens of the UDHR.
In advance: Cut up Esperanza Rising quotes and UDHR articles into strips (see instructions in
supporting materials).
C. Reviewing the UDHR: Read-aloud of Articles 1 and

2 (5 minutes)
D. Why Do Workers Strike? Answering Questions in
Triads (10 minutes)
4. Homework

Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
explain, argue, record, strike, striking,

arguments, migrant (camp), company
(camp); stocks, manual labor, Negroes,
tossed out, makings, spigots, jumble,
humanity
Comprehension Quiz Entrance Ticket (Chapter 11: Los Aguacates/Avocados) (one per student)
Esperanza Rising quote strips and UDHR Articles (see Teaching Note, above)
Completed UDHR note-catchers (students copies from Unit 1, Lessons 1-7)
Strike anchor chart (new; teacher-created)
On Strike! Note-catcher (one per student)
Evidence flags
Text-Dependent Questions for Chapter 11: Los Aguacates/Avocados (one per student and one for display)
Text-Dependent Questions for Chapter 11: Los Aguacates/Avocados (Answers for Teacher Reference)
Document camera
Homework: Purpose for Reading, Chapter 12: Los Esprragos/Asparagus (one per student)

Opening
A. Entrance Ticket: Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 11: Los Aguacates/Avocados (5 minutes)
Consider providing extra time for

tasks and answering questions in
information.
Begin the lesson with the comprehension quiz entrance ticket. Collect students work to review and/or assess.
After the quiz, lead the class in a whole group session, cold calling students to elicit a summary of the chapter that was read
for homework. Start with an open-ended question, such as: What was this chapter mostly about? or What happened in
this chapter? and then ask more detailed text-dependent questions as necessary. Encourage students to cite evidence or
point to specific passages. Note which students are able to answer the questions and the quality of the answers.
Ask students to explain why Chapter 11 is titled Los Aguacates/Avocados. Listen for students to point out that Esperanza
uses avocados to help soften her hands because they are so rough from packing fruits and vegetables in the past few months.
Ask students to add an evidence flag on page 180, on which they write a phrase that will help them summarize this chapter
and remember why it was titled Avocados.
Visuals can help students

asked to students.
Briefly review the learning targets with students by reading them out loud, specifically focusing on: I can explain what a
strike is. Point out that in the past few chapters, Marta has been mentioning a strike; today students will learn more.
Return students entrance and exit tickets from Lesson 10. Address any major misconceptions. Ask students to hold on to
these entrance and exit tickets; they will want to refer to them for their writing later in the unit.

Work Time
A. Challenges to Human Rights in Esperanza Rising (10 minutes)

symbols (a student talking for
explain) with key terms in the
targets to aid ELLs in
comprehension and making
connections.
Focus students on the learning target: I can identify examples of human rights that have not been protected in Esperanza
Rising by reading it out loud. Remind students of the summarizing of articles of the UDHR that students did in Unit 1, and
how they read the document very closely in order to understand what promises the articles were making. Have students take
out their completed UDHR note-catcher from Unit 1 to refer to during this activity.
Distribute the cut-up strips from the Esperanza Rising quote strips and UDHR articles that describe human rights
challenges, and strips that summarize the matching articles from the UDHR. (Each student gets either a strip with a quote or
a strip with one of the articles.)
Have students circulate, sharing their quotes, trying to find a partner whose quote describes a situation in the novel that
would be an example of their article, or vice versa.
Return to the whole group to share the human rights issues students noted in their reading; add these to the Human Rights
Challenges in Esperanza Rising anchor chart.
B. What Is a Strike? (15 minutes)
Students should be sitting with their triads.
Introduce the learning target: I can explain what a strike is.
Ask: What is a strike? Chart responses in the form of an idea on a new anchor chart: Strike (with the word strike in the
middle of the page). Record students ideas on the chart around this key term.. Ask students how the ideas should connect
(for example, a definition might be written next to the word strike connected by an equal sign, while examples might be
clustered and connected by arrows and associated emotions might be clustered in a different spot). If appropriate, point out
to students that what they just did was create a concept web for a key vocabulary term; this is a strategy they will use more
later in the year.
When discussion of complex

content is required, consider
partnering an ELL with a student
who speaks the same L1. This can let
students have more meaningful
discussions and clarify points in
their L1.
Give students 5 minutes to work in triads to complete just the left-hand column of the On Strike! note-catcher. (They may do
this in their reading journal, or distribute the note-catcher as a student handout.) Tell students that at the end of todays
lesson, they will work to add more detailed notes to the right-hand column after discussing some specific text-dependent
questions (in the next part of the lesson).
Call on a few triads to share out their ideas about the questions. Be sure not to confirm or deny their ideas at this point, as
they will return to finish the right-hand column later on in the lesson.

C. Reviewing the UDHR: Read-aloud of Articles 1 and 2 (5 minutes)

materials found in students L1. This
can help students understand
materials presented in English.
Remind students of Articles 1 and 2 of the UDHR by reading them out loud while students follow along on a projected copy
or on their note-catchers.
D. Why Do Workers Strike? Answering Questions in Triads (10 minutes)
Be sure all students have their text: Esperanza Rising. Remind students that when reading difficult text, it is very important
to reread sections multiple times in order to understand it well.
Distribute a small stack of evidence flags to each triad. Display and distribute the Text-Dependent Questions for Chapter 11:
Los Aguacates/Avocados (see supporting materials).

asked to students.
Focus students on Question 1 from the Text-Dependent Questions. Give students a few minutes to reread pages 186187 on
their own, with Question 1 in mind, and then talk with their triad. Encourage them to use their evidence flags to mark
evidence that supports their answer.
Ask a few groups to report out their answer and their evidence. If necessary, model by adding additional evidence to clarify
and further support what students are saying.
Praise groups using Triad Talk well. Remind them how discussing their thinking with others can help them understand hard
text.
Focus students on Question 2 from the Text-Dependent Questions. Tell them to listen for and mark evidence that answers
the question as you read aloud.
Circulate to listen in and support as needed. Probe students to cite specific words and phrases from pages 187-188,
reminding them to use context clues to help them figure out the meaning of unknown words.
As students continue with the rest of the text-dependent questions, make sure they are reading them aloud, clarifying any
terms, thinking on their own, then talking and marking their answers with evidence flags. As in previous days, students do
not need to write complete answers to the questions at this point.
As students work, monitor this discussion, making sure all students are participating. Reinforce students who are following
the Triad Talk norms well.
Have students share out their thoughts on the quote We all do what we have to do. Encourage them to use specific
evidence from the text when sharing their thoughts.


Ask students to complete the right-hand column of the On Strike! note-catcher.

Collect this writing to assess students understanding of strikes, and why workers in the book might or might not choose to
strike as a response to the challenges they are facing.
Revisit the learning target: I can explain why workers go on strike.
Have students turn and explain their understanding of this learning target to a partner. Invite students to add any new
learning to the Strike anchor chart and/or correct anything they now realize is misinformation. Tell students that next they
will read Chapter 12 and continue thinking about whether or not the workers in Esperanza Rising should strike.
Homework
Read Chapter 12, Los Esprragos/Asparagus (pages 199213), in Esperanza Rising. Use the Homework: Purpose for
Reading, Chapter 12: Los Esprragos/Asparagus question to focus your reading. Use evidence flags to mark the

Note: If concerned about students completing the reading assignment at home, plan an additional reading period later in the
day or first thing in the morning. In addition, students likely to need additional support should preread this novel with
support during intervention or other support periods. Prereading with support will then allow students to spend class
periods rereading and focusing on evidence.
Struggling readers may benefit from

reading picture books that explain
more about strikes. See Unit 2
Recommended Reading List, in
particular Dolores Huerta: A Hero
to Migrant Workers, Sarah E.
Warren.


Name:
Date:
1. What does Esperanza
put on her hands to make them feel better?
2. What does Esperanza buy for Mama?
3. What is the good news Miguel shares at the end of the chapter?

Esperanza Rising Quote Strips
and UDHR Articles
Teacher Instructions: Make multiple copies of these pages as needed, so each student can have an
individual quote/article. Cut the copied pages into strips, so each student has one individual
quote/article on his or her own small piece of paper.
Change has not come fast enough, Esperanza. The wealthy still own most of the land while some
of the poor have not even a garden plot. There are cattle grazing on the big ranches yet some
peasants are forced to eat cats. (page 12)
Article 25, Right to adequate living standard
A. You have the right to the things you and your family need to have a healthy and comfortable
life, including food, clothing, housing, medical care, and other social services. You have a right
to help if you are out of work or unable to work.
B. Mothers and children should receive special care and help.
But now that she was a young woman, she understood that Miguel was a housekeepers son and
she was a ranch owners daughter and between them ran a deep river. Esperanza stood on one side
and Miguel stood on the other and the river could never be crossed. (page 18)
Article 1, Right to equality
You are born free and equal in rights to every other human being. You have the ability to think and
to tell right from wrong. You should treat others with friendship.
As you know, it is not customary to leave land to women. (page 30)

Article 17, Right to own property
A. You have the right to own things.
B. Nobody has the right to take these things away from you without a good reason.

and UDHR Articles
My father and I have lost faith in our country. We were born servants here and no matter how
hard we work we will always be servants. (page 36)
There is a Mexican saying: Full bellies and Spanish blood go hand in hand. . . . Have you not
noticed? he said, sounding surprised. Those with Spanish blood, who have the fairest
complexions in the land, are the wealthiest. (page 79)
Article 2, Freedom from discrimination
You have all these human rights no matter what your race, skin color, sex, language, religion,
opinions, family background, social or economic status, birth, or nationality
The conductors herded everyone into a building where they stood in long lines waiting to pass
through immigration. Esperanza noticed that the people in the first cars were escorted to the
shortest lines and passed through quickly. (page 81)

and UDHR Articles
Well, when I go to school, I will learn in English, said Isabel. Esperanza nodded and tried to
smile back. Isabel was so happy, she thought, about such little things. (pages 8990)
Article 26, Right to education
A. You have the right to go to school. Primary schooling should be free and required. You should
be able to learn a profession or continue your studies as far as you can.
B. At school, you should be able to develop all your talents and learn to respect others, whatever
their race, religion, or nationality.
C. Your parents should have a say in the kind of education you receive.
They dont want us banding together for higher wages or better housing, said Marta. The owners
think if the Mexicans have no hot water, that we wont mind as long as we think no one has any.
(page 98)
Article 23, Right to desirable work and to join trade unions
A. You have the right to work, to choose your work, and to work in good conditions.
B. People who do the same work should get the same pay.
C. You should be able to earn a salary that allows you to live and support your family.
D. All people who work have the right to join together in unions to defend their interests.
We are going to strike in two weeks. At the peak of the cotton. For higher wages and better
housing. (page 132)
Article 20, Right to assemble
A. Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
B. No one may be compelled to belong to an association.
10

On Strike! note-catcher
Name:
Date:
My Original Thinking
My New Thinking, Based on

Evidence from the Text
1. What does
it mean to go
on strike?
2. Why do
workers go
on strike?
3. Why do
workers
decide not to
go on strike?
11

1. Miguel tells Esperanza why they shop at Mr. Yakotas store. Explain how Miguels comments about
Mr. Yakota connect to the ideas in Article 1 of the UDHR. Be sure to cite specific evidence from the
text.
Article 1 of the UDHR states: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They
are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of
brotherhood.
2. Look at pages 187 and 188. Summarize Miguels explanation of how the farmworkers are treated.
Then explain how Miguels comments and Esperanzas thinking connect to the ideas of Article 2 of
the UDHR. Be sure to cite evidence from the text.
Article 2 of the UDHR states: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this
Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political
or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status. Furthermore, no
distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the
country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-selfgoverning, or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
3. The farm laborers live in two different types of camps. Reread pages 192 and 193. Why are Marta
and Ada living in a different camp now? What is that camp like? What does the author mean when
she writes that Martas new camp was a great jumble of humanity and confusion? Be sure to cite
evidence from the text.
12

1. Miguel tells Esperanza why they shop at Mr. Yakotas store. Explain how Miguels comments about
Mr. Yakota connect to the ideas in Article 1 of the UDHR. Be sure to cite specific evidence from the
text.
Article 1 of the UDHR states: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They
are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of
brotherhood.
Everyone should feel like they are being treated like a human being. Miguel says,
Some of the other market owners arent as kind to Mexicans as Mr. Yakota. He
stocks many of the things we need and he treats us like people (p. 186).
2. Look at pages 187 and 188. Summarize Miguels explanation of how the farmworkers are treated.
Then explain how Miguels comments and Esperanzas thinking connect to the ideas of Article 2 of
the UDHR. Be sure to cite evidence from the text.
Article 2 of the UDHR states: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this
Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political
or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status. Furthermore, no
distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the
country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-selfgoverning, or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
Miguel says, Americans see us as one big, brown group who are good for only
manual labor treats us like outsiders or calls us dirty greasers. He is explaining
how most people in the United States do not take the time to get to know them as
people. They just want them to work. Esperanza had heard, There were special
sections at the movie theater for Negroes and Mexicans. In town, parents did not
want their children going to the same schools with Mexicans.
13

3. The farm laborers live in two different types of camps. Reread pages 192 and 193. Why are Marta
and Ada living in a different camp now? What is that camp like? What does the author mean when
she writes that Martas new camp was a great jumble of humanity and confusion? Be sure to cite
evidence from the text.
Miguel and Esperanza pick up Marta and her mother, Ada, on the way back to camp
(p. 192). They were living in a strikers camp now because they were tossed out of
the migrant workers camp because they were going to strike. There were a lot of
people and a lot of mess. There were guards for protection, only ten wooden
toilets for hundreds of people, and it smelled (p. 193). Some people lived in tents
or under burlap bags or in old cars or trucks. Esperanza saw the makings of
outdoor kitchens.
14

Homework:
Los Esprragos/Asparagus
Name:
Date:
On page 195, near the end of Chapter 11, Martas mother tells Esperanza: We all do what we
have to do. Think about this comment as you read Chapter 12. Should the workers strike?

Reserved.
15

Contrasting Perspectives: Should the Farmworkers
in Esperanza Rising Go On Strike?
(Chapter 12: Las Esparragos/Asparagus)

Contrasting Perspectives:
Should the Farmworkers in Esperanza Rising go on Strike?
(Chapter 12: Los Esprragos/Asparagus)

I can explain what a text says using quotes from the material. (RL.5.1)
Ongoing Assessment

I can make arguments for and against striking.

Esprragos/Asparagus (entrance ticket)
I can make inferences from the text about the characters in Esperanza Rising.
Observe where students place evidence flags
I can write to explain my thinking about the characters perspectives in Esperanza Rising.
Triad discussion
Character anchor charts
Exit Ticket: independent answer to text-dependent
question

Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
This lesson repeats the Jigsaw structure students have used several times, most recently in Lesson 4
when they were getting to know several main characters. In this lesson, students become experts on
Esperanza, Miguel, or Marta specifically to consider the characters different experiences with and
perspectives about the strike.

Los Esprragos/Asparagus (5 minutes)
minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Reviewing the UDHR: Read-aloud of UDHR Article
23 (5 minutes)
Note that as in Lesson 4, students work with text-dependent questions using the Jigsaw protocol
(Appendix 1). Review the Jigsaw Task Cards for Chapter 12, including the answers for teacher reference.
Review the anchor chart Inferring by Using Text Clues.
Students may benefit from instruction or review of the following terms: involvement, organizing.
B. Jigsaw, Part 1: How Esperanza, Miguel, and Marta

Respond to Challenges (20 minutes)
C. Jigsaw, Part 2: Which Characters Response Do You
Agree With? (15 minutes)
B. Debrief: Adding to Human Rights Challenges in
Esperanza Rising Anchor Chart (5 minutes)
4. Homework

Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
strike, striking, explain, argue,

arguments; favorable, remuneration,
worthy, interests (from Article 23 of the
UDHR), strikers (camp), company
(camp), menacing, conflicted,
sympathetic, cause, misjudged
Comprehension Quiz: Entrance Ticket (Chapter 12: Los Esprragos/Asparagus) (one per student)
Evidence flags
On Strike! note-catcher (from Lesson 11)
Jigsaw Task Cards for Chapter 12: Los Esprragos/Asparagus (one per student; one to display)
Jigsaw Task Cards for Chapter 12: Los Esprragos/Asparagus (Answers for Teacher Reference)
Inferring by Using Text Clues anchor chart (from Lesson 3)
Completed UDHR note-catchers (students copies from Unit 1, Lessons 1-7)
Character T-chart (created by students during Work Time B)
Index cards or half sheets of paper
Homework: Purpose for Reading, Chapter 13: Los Duraznos/Peaches (one per student)
Opening
A. Entrance Ticket: Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 12: Los Esprragos/Asparagus (5 minutes)

Begin the lesson with the comprehension quiz entrance ticket.

Collect students quizzes to review/assess.

Opening
Visuals can help ELLs and other

students comprehend questions and
answers and post all questions asked to
students.
happened in this chapter? and then ask more detailed text-dependent questions as necessary. Encourage students to cite
evidence or point to specific passages. Note which students are able to answer the questions, and the quality of the
answers.
Ask someone to explain why Chapter 12 is titled Los Esprragos/Asparagus. Listen for students to point out that the
farm laborers harvest and package asparagus during this chapter. (Use this opportunity to briefly reinforce what students
have been learning about metaphors: Asparagus are fragile and must be handled with care, just like human beings/) Ask
students to add an evidence flag on the first page of Chapter 12, on which they write a phrase that will help them
summarize this chapter and remember why it was titled Asparagus.
Briefly review the learning targets with students by reading them out loud, specifically focusing on: I can make
arguments for and against striking. Make sure to point out that students will be forming opinions about what happened
in this chapter based on evidence in the chapter and on their background knowledge. This is inferring. Remind students
that they should refer to, and use if necessary, the Inferring by Using Text Clues anchor chart.
As usual, return students entrance ticket from Lesson 11, and their exit tickets (the On Strike! Note-catcher). Address any
major misconceptions. Encourage students to refer to their note-catchers during todays lesson.
Ask students to hold on to these entrance and exit tickets; they will want to refer to them for their writing later in the
unit.

Work Time
A. Reviewing the UDHR: Read-aloud of Article 23 (5 minutes)

materials in students L1. This can help
students understand materials
presented in English.
Orient students to their completed UDHR Note-catchers (from Unit 1). Read Article 23 aloud, slowly, as students follow
along.
Ask students to turn and talk about connections they see between this article and their homework reading (Chapter 12).
Direct students to the first learning targets: I can explain why workers go on strike and I can make arguments for and
against striking. Tell them that today they will consider in more detail whether it was a good idea for the workers in the
migrant camp to strike. (If necessary, review the distinction between the strikers camp and the company camp, from
Lesson 11.)

symbols (a student talking for explain)
with key terms in the targets to aid
ELLs in comprehension and making
connections.
Note: Students have already studied Article 23 during Unit 1. They also will revisit it in detail during Unit 3. And later in
todays lesson, they will reread key phrases during their Jigsaw discussion. For now, simply read aloud.

B. Jigsaw, Part 1: How Esperanza, Miguel, and Marta Respond to Challenges (20 minutes)

supports, consider providing a partially
filled-in T-chart.
Revisit the rest of the learning targets by asking a student to read out loud: I can make inferences from the text about the
characters in Esperanza Rising and I can write to explain my thinking about the characters perspectives in Esperanza
Rising. Remind students that these are learning targets they have seen in previous lessons. Remind them about the
discussion they had about inferring and direct them to the Inferring by Using Text Clues anchor chart.
Direct students to get into their triads.
Have students turn to the pages in their reading journals where they began to record some information about the
characters in the book. Give students 2 to 3 minutes to reread what they wrote and share that with their triads, adding
any new information that may have surfaced.

Remind students of the Jigsaw protocol that they have done previously, in which each person becomes an expert on
something and then teaches that to the rest of the people in the group.
Assign one student in each triad Esperanza, Marta, or Miguel and distribute the corresponding Jigsaw task card.
Give students 10 minutes to work on their own to complete their Jigsaw task card, making sure to mark evidence with
evidence flags in the text. Use this time to circulate and support students who are still trying to figure out how to use the
evidence flags effectively.
Then ask students to leave their triad and gather in new groups, with peers from other triads who read about the same
character. (Note: It probably will be necessary to divide students into small groups; for example, there may be eight or
nine students who became experts about Esperanza. This large group should be broken into two smaller groups of four to
five.)
Direct students to locate the page in their reading journal about this character and add a Character T-chart with
Challenges listed on one side of the T and Responses listed on the other side.
Give students 10 minutes to discuss with their character group the evidence they flagged. Have students record their
groups thinking on the T-chart in their individual reading journals. Remind students that they will need these notes to be
able to share with their triad during Part 2 of the Jigsaw.

C. Jigsaw, Part 2: Which Characters Response Do You Agree With? (15 minutes)
Visuals can help ELLs comprehend

points in answers and post all
questions asked to students. Consider
drawing small pictures to illustrate
your examples.
Have students return to their original triads.

Tell triads that each student has 4 minutes to share about their character. Encourage students to refer to the T-charts
they created during Part 1 of the Jigsaw as they share with their triad members. The other two students should take notes
on the appropriate page of character notes in their reading journals, adding a T-chart for each of the three characters.
After each student has shared about his or her character, ask triads to spend 3 to 4 minutes discussing the following:
* What was each characters involvement in the strike?

* Which characters response to the strike do you agree with? Why?
As students work, monitor this discussion. Emphasize that the author is not telling the reader what the characters are
like; she is showing the reader how the characters behave, so that the reader can infer what the character is like. The way
people respond to challenges tells us a lot about who they are.
While circulating, make sure all students are participating. Reinforce students who are following the Triad Talk norms
well.


structure required. (e.g. I agree with
the workers who chose to strike
because . . . or I disagree with the
workers . . .)
Distribute index cards or half sheets of paper. Ask students to respond to the following prompt:
* Was it a good or bad idea for the workers to strike? Why or why not? Cite specific evidence to support your answer.
B. Debrief: Adding to Human Rights Challenges in Esperanza Rising Anchor Chart (5 minutes)
Remind students of what they focused on today by rereading out loud the learning targets.
Orient students to the Human Rights Challenges in Esperanza Rising anchor chart from previous lessons. Ask students to
talk with their triads, then share out challenges that the class should add to this list. Add the triads suggestions to the
chart.
Debriefing about what they have

learned and the protocols used will
help students monitor their own
learning.
Homework
Read Chapter 13: Los Duraznos/Peaches (pages 214233) in Esperanza Rising. Use the Purpose for Reading,
Chapter 13: Los Duraznos/Peaches question to focus your reading. Use evidence flags to mark the specific areas
in the book that support your answer.

the text.
the day or first thing in the morning. In addition, students likely to need additional support should preread this novel with


Comprehension Quiz: Entrance Ticket
Name:
Date:
1. What do the strikers do to the workers who refuse to strike?
2. What does Esperanza do to help Marta?
3. What are the immigration officers doing to the strikers?

Jigsaw Task Cards for Chapter 12:
Esperanza:
1. Reread pages 184 and 200. At first, how does Esperanza respond to seeing the strikers? What is
most important to her right now? How is she conflicted (confused) about what to do? Cite
evidence from the text to support your answer.
2. Reread pages 208212. How does Esperanza help the strikers? Why does she help them? Cite
3. Article 23 of the UDHR states: Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to
just and favorable conditions of work, and to protection against unemployment. What does the
word favorable mean? How did you figure out? Would Esperanza agree with Article 23? Why or
why not? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
10

Miguel:
1. Article 23 of the UDHR states: Everyone who works has the right to just and favorable
remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and
supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection. What does the word
remuneration mean? How did you figure it out? Would Miguel agree with Article 23? Why or why
not? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.
2. Reread pages 196 and 197. How does Miguel feel about the strike? What is most important to him
right now? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.
3. Reread the last paragraph on page 210. What can you infer about Miguels hope about what will
change for farmworkers in the United States? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
11

Marta:
1. Reread page 192. How does Marta respond to everything that has happened to her? How does
Marta feel about the strike? What does Marta explain to Esperanza? Cite evidence from the text in
your answer.
2. Article 23 of the UDHR states: Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the
protection of his interests. What does the word interests mean in the context of this article? How
do you know? Reread pages 97, 132, 146, and 200. What interests does Marta want to protect for
the farm laborers? Cite evidence from the text in your answer.
3. Reread pages 208 and 209. How are Marta and Esperanza alike? What does Marta mean when she
says that she misjudged Esperanza? Explain your answer by citing details from the text.
12

Esperanza:
1. Reread pages 184 and 200. At first, how does Esperanza respond to seeing the strikers? What is
most important to her right now? How is she conflicted (confused) about what to do? Cite
Esperanza is scared and wants to run away. She wanted to run back to the safety of
the camp anything but this (p. 200). Esperanza only wants to take care of her
mother. Remember, Mama, I will take care of everything (p. 184). Her mother
was sick. That she had to pay bills (p. 200). Esperanza supports why the strikers are
doing what they are doing but does not want to strike herself. She did not want
anyones children to starve (p. 200).
2. Reread pages 208-211 and page 212. How does Esperanza help the strikers? Why does she help
them? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.
Esperanza helps Marta escape by keeping her hidden in the asparagus crates and
giving her an apron so she could trick the guards. When you leave, put on the apron
and carry the asparagus so youll look like a worker (p. 209). Esperanza believes
that the farm workers have a right to work like everyone else. They have a right to
be here. (p. 209) More than anything, Esperanza hoped that Marta and her mother
were together (p. 212)
3. Article 23 of the UDHR states: Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to
just and favorable conditions of work, and to protection against unemployment. What does the
word favorable mean? How did you figure out? Would Esperanza agree with Article 23? Why or
why not? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
Favorable means good, because the same sentence talks about working conditions
and that is what people want: good working conditions. Also, the root word of
favorable is favor, and that makes me think of doing something for someone else
so that their work is protected. Esperanza would agree with this article because she
wants to help the strikers. She helps Marta and the family from the strikers camp.
13

Miguel:
1. Article 23 of the UDHR states: Everyone who works has the right to just and favorable
remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and
supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection. What does the word
remuneration mean? How did you figure it out? Would Miguel agree with Article 23? Why or why
not? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.
Remuneration sounds like it has something to do with money because of the root
word munerate. Also, the sentence is talking about work and family and being
worthy. Miguel is concerned about the workers coming in that are willing to work
for very low wages. He says, People cannot survive on such low wages (p. 203). Yet,
he feels that the strikers have the right to voice their opinion. He says, Its a free
country (p. 203).
2. Reread pages 196 and 197. How does Miguel feel about the strike? What is most important to him
right now? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.
Miguel basically agrees with the cause of the strike but is more worried about his
own future and sees this as an opportunity for him to do what he wants to do. Miguel
says, What the man says is true but I might be able to get a job at the railroad.
Esperanza thinks, For him, the strike was an opportunity to work at the job he
loved and to make it in this country.
3. Reread the last paragraph on page 210. What can you infer about Miguels hope about what will
change for farmworkers in the United States? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
Miguel thinks that farm laborers conditions will not get better and that there will be
another strike eventually. It is not over.... In time, they will be back.... They will
reorganize and they will be stronger. There will come a time when we will all have to
decide all over again.
14

Marta:
1. Reread page 192. How does Marta respond to everything that has happened to her? How does
Marta feel about the strike? What does Marta explain to Esperanza? Cite evidence from the text in
your answer.
Marta is angry about having to move again because they were going to strike, but she
is determined to fight for their rights. Im not welcome here. We arent going to
work under those disgusting conditions and for those pitiful wages. She is feeling
hopeful because there are many others who support the strike. There are hundreds
of us, but thousands around the country and more people join our cause every
day. She feels that Esperanza does not understand. You are new here, but in time
you will understand what we are trying to change.
2. Article 23 of the UDHR states: Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the
protection of his interests. What does the word interests mean in the context of this article? How
do you know? Reread pages 97, 132, 146, and 200. What interests does Marta want to protect for
the farm laborers? Cite evidence from the text in your answer.
Interests are things that are important for people. The article talks about protecting
interests, and people protect things that are important to them. Marta and the farm
laborers who are striking are fighting for higher wages and better housing hot
water (p. 97, 132). To eat and feed our children (p. 146). Help us feed our
children! (p. 200).
3. Reread pages 208 and 209. How are Marta and Esperanza alike? What does Marta mean when she
says that she misjudged Esperanza? Explain your answer by citing details from the text.
Marta and Esperanza are alike because they both want to protect and help their
mothers. I must take care of my mother (p. 208). At first, Marta thought
Esperanza did not care about the workers and did not support the strike, but after
she helps her escape the immigration officers, she changes her mind.
15

Homework:
Los Duraznos/Peaches (Pages 121138)
Name:
Date:
How is Esperanza similar to the other characters in the novel? How is she different from the
other characters?
16

Gathering Evidence and Drafting a Two-Voice
Poem (Chapter 13: Los Duraznos/Peaches)

Gathering Evidence and Drafting a Two-Voice Poem
(Chapter 13: Los Duraznos/Peaches)

I can compare and contrast literary elements using details from the text (two or more characters points of view, settings, events). (RL.5.3) I can determine the meaning
of literal and figurative language (metaphors and similes) in text. (RL.5.4)
I can describe how a narrators point of view influences the description of events. (RL.5.6)
I can effectively engage in a discussion with my peers. (SL.1)
Ongoing Assessment
I can answer comprehension questions based on text from Esperanza Rising that I have read independently.

Los Duraznos/Peaches (entrance
ticket)
I can explain the structure of a two-voice poem.

I can compare and contrast Esperanza to another main character in Esperanza Rising.
I can use evidence from Esperanza Rising that supports my inferences about two different characters, particularly how the
two characters respond to challenges.
Two-Voice Poem graphic organizer

(side A completed, side B begun)
I can collaborate with peers to plan and draft a two-Voice Poem.

Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
In advance: Read Chapter 13.
A. Entrance Ticket: Comprehension Quiz,

Chapter 13: Los Duraznos/Peaches (5
minutes)
minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Mini Lesson: Two-Voice Poem (15 minutes)
B. Reviewing Character Notes/T-Charts (15
minutes)
C. Collaborative Work: Planning a Two-Voice
Poem (15 minutes)
A. Sharing (5 minutes)
4. Homework
In advance: Preview YouTube video (see materials, below). Please bear in mind that Youtube, social media
video sites, and other website links may incorporate inappropriate content via comment banks and ads. While
some lessons include these links as the most efficient means to view content in preparation for the lesson, be
sure to preview links, and/or use a filter service, such as www.safeshare.tv, for actually viewing these links in
the classroom.
During Lessons 13 and 14, students work with the last two chapters of the novel, but with less teacher support.
This is intentional; by this point in the study, students should be becoming increasingly independent. These
chapters are also formally revisited in Lesson 15, before students begin their formal analytical essay about how
Esperanza has grown and changed.
Lessons 13 and 14 engage students in working with a partner or their triad to write a two-voice poem, in which
they compare and contrast Esperanza to one of the other main characters in the novel. Note that this poem is
an assignment, not a formal assessment. Students are not given time in these two lessons to create a final
polished piece. Rather, the purpose is for students to continue working with reviewing textual evidence and
planning writing in an engaging, creative way (more interesting, for example, than a Venn diagram). This
planning serves as a scaffold to students more formal writing in Lessons 1618.
Feel free to allocate additional time in other parts of the school day for students to polish and perform their
poems to a wider audience.
To learn more about two-voice poems, read Joyful Noise by Paul Fleischman or see
www.writingfix.com/PDFs/Comparison_Contrast/Poem_Two_Voices.pdf.
In advance: Prepare an anchor chart: Gathering Evidence for My Writing.
Students may benefit from instruction and review: wonder, feel, pretend, dream, believe, worry, hear.

Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
inference, explain, perform, character,

poem, structure, evidence, dialogue
Note: Key vocabulary from Chapter

13 is addressed in Lesson 14
homework and Lesson 15 classwork.
Students Character T-charts (begun in Lessons 4 and 7)
Comprehension Quiz Entrance Ticket (Chapter 13: Los Duraznos/Peaches) (one per student)
Reading journals
Evidence flags
Sticky notes
Sample Two-Voice Poem: I Am an Immigrant (YouTube video)
LCD projector (to show YouTube immigration poem)
Sample Two-Voice Poem: I Am an Immigrant (transcription of poem from YouTube video)
Two-Voice Poem Graphic Organizer (two-sided) (one per student)
Planning My Writing anchor chart (new; teacher-created)
Two-Voice Poems anchor chart (new; teacher-created)
Document camera
Homework: Purpose for Reading, Chapter 14: Las Uvas/Grapes (one per student)
Opening
A. Entrance Ticket: Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 13: Los Duraznos/Peaches (5 minutes)

Begin the lesson with the comprehension quiz entrance ticket. Collect students quizzes to review/assess.

Opening (continued)

answers and post all questions asked to
students.
After the quiz, lead the class in a brief whole class review session, cold calling students to elicit a summary of Chapter 13.
Start with an open-ended question, such as: What was this chapter mostly about? or What happened in this chapter?
Encourage students to cite evidence or point to specific passages. Note which students are able to answer the questions,
and the quality of the answers.
Ask: Why do you think Miguel left the camp? Listen for students to make the connection to the answer to the second
question in the comprehension quiz: He is upset about being replaced as a mechanic by people who do not know as much
as he does. Ask students to cite examples of how else the Okies are treated differently than the Mexican immigrants. Look
for students to share about Isabel not being chosen as the queen, the new camp that is being built for them, and the
Mexicans being able to swim in the pool only once a week just before it is cleaned. Ask students what they might write on
their evidence flag on these pages to help them remember what this chapter was mostly about. If needed, model writing:
This chapter is mostly about Miguel leaving and Mama coming home.
* At the end of the chapter, Esperanza experiences two surprises. What are they? Focus the students discussion on the
missing money.
Do not confirm or deny any of their suspicions at this time.
Return students entrance and exit tickets from Lesson 12, as well as the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment, if you did not already
return it in previous lessons. Address any major misconceptions. Ask students to hold on to these entrance and exit
tickets; they will want to refer to them for their writing later in the unit.

Work Time
A. Mini Lesson: Two-Voice Poem (15 minutes)

Review the learning target: I can compare and contrast Esperanza to another main character in Esperanza Rising. Ask
students to turn and talk about the meaning of the words compare and contrast. Clarify as needed. Remind students of all
the ways they have been comparing Esperanza to other characters throughout the novel; one specific example is how
different Esperanzas perspective on the camp was from Isabels (Lesson/Chapter 7).
Tell students that they will get to be creative as they compare and contrast their two characters. Specifically, they will be
working with a partner or their triad to write a two-voice poem.
Review the learning target: I can explain the structure of a two-voice poem. Circle the word structure and ask students
to explain what it means.
Explain a two-voice poem: A two-voice poem is written for two people to perform. The poetry usually has two columns
one for each person who is reading the poem. Each person reading the poem reads the text in one of the columns.
Sometimes, the poet wants the two readers to say something at the same time, so the poet writes the words on the same
line in each column. These poems often sound like a dialogue for two people.
Share the YouTube video Immigration Two-Voice Poems with the students so they can see a two-voice poem
performed: www.youtube.com/watch?v=owb-B0h7iXw.
Consider posting nonlinguistic symbols

with key vocabulary terms (e.g., a
building for structure) to assist ELLs
with comprehension and making
connections.
When playing videos, use the English
subtitles (or transcripts of the video) if
available (see supporting materials).
Providing a visual can assist ELLs and
other struggling learners in
understanding the content of the video.
After students have heard examples of two-voice poems, have them share out what they learned about two-voice poems.
Create a Two-Voice Poems anchor chart with criteria for success. Be sure students have included the following:
The two voices speak together for things that are similar.
Each voice is clear, distinct, and consistent.
The writer balances the lines said separately and those read together.
The writer uses figurative language to make the writing engaging.
On the document camera, show students the Sample Two-Voice Poem: I Am an Immigrant (transcription
of poem from YouTube video).
Ask students to turn and talk, then share out, about what they notice about the structure of the poem.

B. Reviewing Character Notes/T-Charts (15 minutes)

Review the learning target: I can use evidence from Esperanza Rising that supports my inferences about two different
characters, particularly how the two characters respond to challenges.

graphic organizers.
Review the words evidence and inferences. Ask students to turn and talk about the various ways they have been gathering
evidence about the main characters through their study of the novel. Invite a few students to share out. Listen for
students to mention the Character T-charts, their triad discussions, their exit tickets, and all their discussion and close
reading about the challenges characters in the novel face and how various characters have responded.

their observations, ideas, or notes when
Tell students that today they need to choose which character they want to compare and contrast to Esperanza in their
two-voice poem. Tell them that they probably will not have time to create a perfect polished poem, and that is all right.
The purpose is to have a creative way to think more carefully about Esperanza and the other characters, in order to
understand important events and ideas in the novel.
Post the Planning My Writing anchor chart, which should list the following instructions:
Review your notes in your reading journal.
Review your exit tickets.
Review your evidence flags.
Add new evidence flags if you find new evidence.
Direct students specifically to their notes and T-charts regarding the following characters:
Esperanza (ongoing)
Mama (Lessons/Chapters 3, 4, 10)
Abuelita (Lessons/Chapter 3, 4, 9, 10)
Miguel (Lessons/Chapters 3, 9, 11, 12)
Isabel (Lesson/Chapter 7)
Marta (Lesson/Chapter 12)students did not do a T-chart
All (Chapter 13: todays reading)
Tell students that they are welcome to review other chapters as well; they have marked key passages with their evidence
flags.

Give students 10 minutes to work either on their own or as a triad. Be clear with students that all triad members do not
need to choose the same character for their poem.
After 10 minutes, ask students to choose the character they want to compare/contrast with Esperanza. Give each student
two sticky notes.
On one sticky note, students should write how their character is similar to Esperanza, citing a page number that has
evidence.
On the second sticky note, students should write how their character is different from Esperanza, citing a page number
that has evidence.
C. Collaborative Work: Planning a Two-Voice Poem (15 minutes)
If all students in a triad chose the same character, they may stay in a triad to create their two-voice poem. Or if they
prefer, they may work with a new partner. Ask students to regroup in twos or threes, based on the character they want to
compare/contrast with Esperanza.
In their triads or new groups, ask students to share their sticky notes:
* How is this character similar to Esperanza? What is your evidence?

* How is this character different from Esperanza? What is your evidence?
Encourage them to focus in particular on how the two characters respond to challenges. (Refer back to the learning target
as needed.)
Distribute the Two-Voice Poem graphic organizer (two-sided). Remind students of the modeling they saw after
watching the YouTube video.
Ask students to complete Side A of the graphic organizer, including reference to specific excerpts from the text or page
numbers. Tell them you need to sign off on Side A before they proceed.
ELLs may need to clarify vocabulary

words on the I Am an Immigrant
poem handout. Check for
comprehension and encourage use of
bilingual dictionaries. If students
struggle, consider allowing them to
write the poem in their L1 first and
then try to translate it into English.
student who speaks the same L1, when
required. This can let students have
more meaningful discussions and
After the students have collected a rich set of evidence about both characters, they may begin creating their rough drafts
(Side B of the graphic organizer). Tell students that their poems should include direct quotes from the novel, as well as
paraphrases and their own inferences (give examples to define paraphrase and inference). Model as needed.
Circulate to listen in and support as needed. Identify a few groups who have some strong draft lines on Side B, so you can
call on these students during the sharing at the end of this lesson.

Tell them they will have a bit more time in the next lesson to work on their draft poem before they get some feedback
from peers. Remind them that the poem does not have to be perfect or polished: the purpose is to think more carefully
about Esperanza and the other characters, in order to understand important events and ideas in the novel.

Note: There is no new exit ticket/independent writing for the closing of this lesson. Choose whether to collect students
Two-Voice Poem graphic organizers or to have students continue working on them as a part of their homework.
Gather the students in a whole group. Review the learning targets with students. Ask students to share with a partner
their progress toward meeting the learning targets. Cold call a few students to share their, or their partners, discussion of
the learning targets with the whole class.
Invite a few students to share out lines from their draft poem.
Ask peers to offer one piece of specific praise. I like how you_______________________________
Homework
Read Chapter 14: Las Uvas/Grapes (pages 234253) in Esperanza Rising. Use the Homework: Purpose for
Reading, Chapter 14: Las Uvas/Grapes question to focus your reading. Use evidence flags to mark the specific
areas in the book that support your answer.

the text.
Optional Part 2 homework: Continue filling in your Two-Voice Poem graphic organizer.
the day or first thing in the morning. In addition, students likely to need additional support should preread this novel with


Name:
Date:
1. What is Isabel praying so hard for?
2. Why is Miguel upset, and how does Esperanza react?
3. What does Esperanza give Isabel? Why?
10

4. At the end of the chapter, Esperanza is surprised by something. What happened?
11

Sample Two-Voice Poem:
I Am an Immigrant (YouTube video)
Miriam
Both
Lupita
My name is Miriam. Im from Peru.

My name is Lupita. Im from Mexico.
I am an immigrant.
My father died, leaving us in poverty. We
needed money.
The father of my children went to
America in search of money.
I crossed the border to America.
My journey was long and hard.
My journey was short and
luxurious.
I have family here.
But I left the corpses behind.
I took my family with me.
I have a better-paying job.
I am a teacher at the school,
molding minds like clay.
I work in the fields, pulling vegetables
from the earth.
I try to keep an atmosphere that
honors my familys heritage.
I still wear braids to represent my Mexican
culture.
I still practice my own religion. But I am
learning English.
I will stay here because I am a
citizen.
I will soon go back to Mexico.
I live in America.
12

Two-Voice Poem Graphic Organizer
Side A
Character 1
(Esperanza)
Both Characters
How are they alike?
Character 2
________________
(General notes)
(General notes)
(General notes)
13

Two-Voice Poem Graphic Organizer
Side B:
Actual Words for the Characters to Say in the Poem
Esperanza says this alone:
I am
___________________.
Both voices say together:
Other character says this

alone:
I am
___________________.
14

Homework:
Las Uvas/Grapes (Pages 234253)
Name:
Date:
How is Esperanza changing? Pay particular attention to rich quotes to include in the two-voice
poem.
text to discuss with your triad.
You do not need to write out answers as part of your homework; just keep track of your thinking
with your evidence flags.
15

Writing, Critique, and Revising: Two-Voice Poems

Two-Voice Poems (Chapter 14: Las Uvas/Grapes)

I can use the writing process to produce clear and coherent writing (with support). (W.5.5)
Ongoing Assessment
independently.
Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 14: Las Uvas/Grapes

(entrance ticket)
I can contrast how two characters in Esperanza Rising respond to challenges, using a two-voice poem
format.
Two-voice poems (drafts)
I can use evidence from Esperanza Rising that supports my inferences about two different characters,
particularly how the two characters respond to challenges.
I can collaborate with peers to plan and draft a two-voice poem.
I can give specific feedback that will help other students make their writing better.
I can use feedback that I receive from others and self-reflection to improve my writing.

Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
In advance: Review Chapter 14 in order to lead the oral chapter review.

Las Uvas/Grapes (5 minutes)
minutes)
Review the Praise-Question-Suggest protocol (See Appendix 1).

Some vocabulary is not academic or domain-specific, and students may benefit from instruction and
review: praise, suggestion.
2. Work Time
A. Collaborative Work: Drafting a Two-Voice Poem (10
minutes)
B. Peer Critique: Praise-Question-Suggest Protocol (20
minutes)
C. Revising Two-Voice Poem (15 minutes)
4. Homework
Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
contrasts, specific, feedback, selfreflection, two-voice, paraphrase,

inference
Esperanza Rising (one per student)

Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 14: Las Uvas/Grapes (entrance ticket)
Anchor chart: Two-Voice Poems (from Lesson 13)
Two-Voice Poem graphic organizer (begun in Lesson 13)
Evidence flags
Homework: Purpose for Reading, Rereading excerpts from Chapters 13 and 14

Opening
A. Entrance Ticket: Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 14: Las Uvas/Grapes (5 minutes)

information.
Students should be sitting with their two-voice poem group (which may or may not be their triad).
Begin the lesson with the Comprehension Quiz, Chapter 14 entrance ticket. Collect students quizzes to review/assess.

After the quiz, lead the class in a brief whole class review session, cold calling students to elicit a summary of Chapter 13.
Start with an open-ended question, such as: What was this chapter mostly about? or What happened in this chapter?
Encourage students to cite evidence or point to specific passages. Note which students are able to answer the questions, and
the quality of the answers.

asked to students.
Tell students that they will return to the last two chapters of the novel in the next lesson. Today, their main purpose is to
keep working on their two-voice poems.
Then ask the students the focus question from the previous lessons homework: How is Esperanza changing? Call on a few
students to share any specific quotes they found that they might include in their two-voice poems.

Work Time
A. Collaborative Work: Drafting a Two-Voice Poem (10 minutes)

symbols with key vocabulary terms
to aid ELLs in comprehension and
help students with making
connections.
Review the learning targets: I can contrast how two characters in Esperanza Rising respond to challenges, using a twovoice poem format, I can use evidence from Esperanza Rising that supports my inferences about two different characters,
particularly how the two characters respond to challenges, and I can collaborate with peers to plan and draft a two-voice
poem. Ask students to turn and talk about the meaning of the word contrast and how they have been using evidence in their
poem to show that. Clarify as needed. Have students give specific examples of ways that they have been collaborating with
peers that have been successful.
Make sure that they remember what a two-voice poem is by reviewing the prior days lesson and checking their
understanding.
Review the anchor chart: Two-Voice Poems from Lesson 13. Ask students to quickly turn and talk about the criteria.

asked to students.
Give students just 5 to 6 minutes with their triad or new writing group to continue to draft their poem.
Circulate to support as needed. Remind students that the purpose is not to write a perfect poem, but to think about how the
characters are similar and different, and what that tells us about themes in the novel.
B. Peer Critique: Praise-Question-Suggest Protocol (20 minutes)
Bring the class back together for a brief model of how to conduct a critique session using the Praise-Question-Suggest
protocol.
Read the learning targets: I can give specific feedback that will help other students make their writing better, and I can
use feedback that I receive from others and self-reflection to improve my writing with the class. Remind students of the
norms for giving feedbackbe kind, be helpful, and be specific.
Do a very quick 5-minute model: Have one group share a few lines from their draft poem and move through the three steps
of the protocol, giving a praise, then a question, then a suggestion, making sure that the feedback is specific enough to the
learning targets so that the student would be able to know exactly what to do to revise. Coach as needed to ensure students
understand the process and the type of feedback that is expected.

student who speaks the same L1
when discussion of complex content
is required. This can allow students
to have more meaningful
their L1.
Tell students that they have time now to briefly critique their partners work. Give each writing team 5 minutes to read their
poem and receive feedback. Once they each have had the opportunity to go through the protocol, have each person go
through the protocol one more time with someone else in the class.
Circulate as needed, offering support and redirection. Make sure students are giving feedback that is specific enough.

Work Time
C. Revising Two-Voice Poem (15 minutes)
For ELLs, consider providing extra

time for tasks and answering
questions in class discussions. ELLs
often need more time to process and
translate information.
Give students time to revise their work based on the feedback they just received. Circulate to support as needed.
Tell students that tomorrow, they will have a bit more time to finish their poems, and then will get to perform them in front
of the class. Remind students that the goal is not a perfect poem; they are simply showing what they understand about the
characters in the novel in a creative way.
Gather the whole group. Tell students they will get to finalize and perform their poems during the next lesson. Review the
learning targets with students by having a few students read them out loud. Ask students to share their reflections on how
the process is going and any questions relevant to everyone. If time permits, ask a few students to share strong segments
from their poems.

Homework
Reread excerpts from Chapter 13: Los Duraznos/Peaches and Chapter 14: Las Uvas/Grapes in Esperanza Rising. Use the
Homework: Purpose for Reading, Rereading excerpts from Chapters 13 and 14 to focus your reading. Use
evidence flags to mark the specific areas in the book that support your answer.

Note: If concerned about students completing the reading assignment at home, plan an additional reading period later in the
day or first thing in the morning. In addition, students likely to need additional support should preread this novel with
Optional: Share draft poem with an adult. Coach the adult on how to give specific, kind, and helpful feedback. Ask adults for
praise, questions, and suggestions.


Name:
Date:
1. What surprise did Miguel bring to Esperanza?
2. What special event happens in the last scene of the book?
3. What does Esperanza teach Isabel to do?

Homework:
Purpose for Reading, Rereading Excerpts from
Chapter 13: Los Duraznos/Peaches and
Chapter 14: Las Uvas/Grapes in Esperanza Rising
Name:
Date:
How do the big metaphors in this novel show up again in these last two chapters? Why do
you think Pam Muoz Ryan did this?
just keep track of your thinking with your evidence flags. Also use your evidence flags to mark
any phrases you might want to add to your two-voice poem.
Focus specifically on the following sections of Chapters 13 and 14:
Chapter 13: Los Duraznos/Peaches, pages 220225
Chapter 14: Las Uvas/Grapes, pages 243247

Revisiting Big Metaphors and Themes: Revising
and Beginning to Perform Two-Voice Poems

Revisiting Big Metaphors and Themes;
Revising and Beginning to Perform Two-Voice Poems

I can adapt my speech for a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate. (SL.5.6)
Ongoing Assessment
I can interpret five big metaphors in Esperanza Rising.

I can explain themes in Esperanza Rising.
Observation of placement of evidence flags (homework

and classwork)
I can perform my two voice poem.
Triad discussion/Chalk Talk

Two-voice poems

Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
In advance: Review Esperanza Rising (including but not limited to Chapter 13, Los Duraznos/Peaches, and
Chapter 14, Las Uvas/Grapes), noting examples of big metaphors (symbols) and themes.
A. Reviewing the Anchor Chart: Big

Metaphors and Themes in Esperanza
Rising (2 minutes)
B. Engaging the Reader: Preparing for Chalk
Talk (8 minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Chalk Talk: Big Metaphors and Themes in
Esperanza Rising (15 minutes)
B. The Grapes Metaphor: Whole Class
Discussion (15 Minutes)
C. Finalizing and Performing Two-Voice
Poems (15 minutes)
A. Celebration (5 minutes)
In advance: Review Text-Dependent Questions for Excerpts from Chapter 13, Los Duraznos/Peaches, and
Chapter 14, Las Uvas/Grapes.
Review Chalk Talk protocol (see Appendix 1).
In advance: Prepare the big metaphors charts for the Chalk Talk. Create five charts, for these five big metaphors:
The River, The Heartbeat, The Blanket, The Rose, and The Grapes/Harvest (consider having two charts of each
metaphor). Post these charts around the room.
For the sake of time, the phoenix metaphor on page 250 is not dealt with in detail in this lesson. Students will
think about the phoenix in Lesson 16. Pages 249250 also are revisited in Lesson 16.
This lesson includes time for a few groups to perform their two-voice poems. There is more time in Lessons 1618
for a few more groups to perform each day.
Remember that the two-voice poem is an activity, not a formal assessment. If students are highly invested in their
poems, consider giving more time during other parts of the day for them to polish their poems and perform for an
audience beyond their peers.
4. Homework

Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
interpret, identify, figurative language,

metaphor; second-class citizen,
confront, prophecy, stitch

Evidence flags
Text-Dependent Questions for Excerpts from Chapter 13, Los Duraznos/Peaches, and Chapter 14, Las Uvas/Grapes (one
per student; one to display)
Text-Dependent Questions for Excerpts from Chapter 13, Los Duraznos/Peaches, and Chapter 14, Las Uvas/Grapes
Five charts for five big metaphors (new; teacher-created; see Teaching Note above)
Markers (different colors for each triad)
Opening
A. Reviewing the Anchor Chart: Big Metaphors and Themes in Esperanza Rising (2 minutes)
Consider charting the main events

of the chapter. Providing a visual
will assist ELLs and students
needing additional supports in
following the discussion.
Keep this short. Students will talk much more with their triads during the Chalk Talk.
Students should sit with their triad.
Review todays learning targets by reading them out loud to students. Call on a few students to explain what metaphors and
themes are. Tell students that today they get to discuss the last few chapters in the novel and some of them may be able to
share their poems with the class.
Briefly orient the class to the Big Metaphors and Themes in Esperanza Rising anchor chart. Invite students to talk with their
triads about what they noticed in the last two chapters.
Provide nonlinguistic symbols for

key words in the target to be
referred back to throughout the
module. Choose a symbol that
makes sense to you and your class.
Note: There is no comprehension quiz in this lesson, since students took the quiz on the final chapter during Lesson 14.

Opening (continued)
B. Engaging the Reader: Preparing for Chalk Talk (8 minutes)
For ELLs or struggling readers,

consider asking them to focus one
just one big metaphor or on a single
question regarding each of the five
big metaphors.
Remind students that throughout their study of the novel, they have had time to reread key passages, think on their own,
and then talk with triads. Today, they will do the same.
Choose a student to reread the learning target aloud: I can interpret five big metaphors in Esperanza Rising. Point out to
them that four of these metaphors are ones they have discussed previously; one is new, but some students may have already
figured it out.
Distribute and display Text-Dependent Questions for Excerpts from Chapter 13, Los Duraznos/Peaches, and
Chapter 14, Las Uvas/Grapes.
Consider providing sentence stems

or a partially completed textdependent worksheet questions to
help them organize their thinking.
Ask students to think and mark evidence on their own, to prepare for the Chalk Talk. Tell students that it is fine if they do
not have time to think through every single question; they will continue to discuss with their triads.

Work Time
A. Chalk Talk: Big Metaphors and Themes in Esperanza Rising (15 minutes)

student who speaks the same L1,
when discussion of complex
content is required. This can allow
students to have more meaningful
their L1.
Ask the Purpose for Reading homework question from Lesson 14: How do the big metaphors in this novel show up again in
these last two chapters? Why do you think Pam Muoz Ryan did this?
Ask students to review their evidence flags from their homework and the independent work they just did to prepare for the
Chalk Talk.
Explain the Chalk Talk protocol briefly to students. Point out the five big metaphors charts around the room:
The River

when appropriate. This allows
ELLs to participate in a meaningful
way.
The Heartbeat
The Blanket
The Rose
The Grapes/Harvest
Today, they are going to go with their triad to each of the five Chalk Talk charts and discuss the following two questions:
* How does this big metaphor show up again in the last two chapters?
* Why did the author do this? How does this big metaphor help us understand an important message or theme in the
novel?
Tell students that each group will have a different color marker, so its clear which group has gone to which chart. Before
students begin, remind them to please start their writing way up at the top of the chart, since other groups will be adding to
the chart.
Ask students to begin. Give them about 3 minutes to work on each chart, then rotate. (Note that students will need less time
for the later rounds, since peers from other groups will have already written many key comments. It is also fine if not all
groups make it to all five charts.)
Circulate to support and probe as necessary, pushing students to cite evidence and consider the so what of the thematic
purpose of these big metaphors.

Work Time
B. The Grapes Metaphor: Whole Class Discussion (15 Minutes)
As an extension, invite advanced

students to also think about the
phoenix metaphor (page 250).
Students discuss this big metaphor
in a future lesson.
Ask students to share out key learnings from the Chalk Talk. Add to the class anchor chart: Big Metaphors and Themes in
Esperanza Rising.
Ask students to discuss whole group:
* What did Papa mean when he told Esperanza, Wait a little while and the fruit will fall into your hands (pages 2 and
223)? Listen for students to understand that Esperanza has learned about patience, that the harvest of her life has begun,
and that as Miguel said, everything will work out (page 233).
C. Finalizing and Performing Two-Voice Poems (15 minutes)
Give students 10 minutes to revisit their two-voice poems with their writing partners, possibly revising based on the
discussion about big metaphors and themes.
After about 10 minutes, invite some groups to perform their two-voice poems for the class.
After each performance, ask students in the audience to offer one piece of specific praise about the content of the poem.
For students who struggle with

reading text or with language
production, consider giving them
extended time to rehearse their
poem out loud before performing it
in front of others.
Some students may benefit from
prerecording their poem away from
other students and then playing the
recording instead of standing in
front of the class to read it out loud.

A. Celebration (5 minutes)

information.
Review the learning targets with students by rereading them out loud and asking students to turn and talk to a partner about
one of the big metaphors that they particularly liked in Esperanza Rising. Have them explain why they like it. How did that
big metaphor help them understand the themes of the story?
Congratulate students on their two-voice poems. Remind students who did not perform today that they will have time
during the upcoming lessons.
Collect students two-voices poems, or let them continue revising as a part of their homework.
Commend students for how well they have come to understand the main characters in the novel, how they respond to
challenges, and how Esperanza in particular has grown and changed. They will get to write about this more formally in the
upcoming lessons.
Homework
If you have finished the two-voice poem and the novel, you have no homework.

If you need to, finish your poem or the novel.

Note: To prepare for Lesson 16, copy the Sample Paragraph (in Lesson 16 supporting materials) onto a piece of chart paper.


Text-Dependent Questions for Excerpts from Chapter 13:
Los Duraznos/Peaches and Chapter 14:
Las Uvas/Grapes
The river
What do Esperanza and Miguel fight about on pages 220224?
What does Miguel mean when he says he was a second-class citizen in Mexico? (page 222)
What does Esperanza mean when she says she wants Miguel to confront his boss? (page 222)
Why did Miguel call Esperanza a queen? (pages 224 and 18)
The blanket
On page 224, what does Esperanza try to explain to Miguel about her life?
At the top of page 224, what might the word prophecy mean? How might you figure this out?
On pages 243247, the author repeats phrases about stitches up the mountain and down the
valley. What is the actual definition of a stitch? What is the other meaning in this passage?
The heartbeat
On page 248, where do Esperanza and Miguel go?
What happens while they are there, and why is this important? What message might the
author be trying to give readers?
The rose
Why do Papas roses matter so much to Esperanza? (page 225)

Las Uvas/Grapes
Grapes/harvest
At the bottom of page 246 through page 247, the author describes the grapes. What are the
grapes a metaphor for? How do you know?
What did Papa mean when he told Esperanza, Wait a little while and the fruit will fall into
your hands? (pages 2 and 223)
10

Las Uvas/Grapes
The river
What do Esperanza and Miguel fight about on pages 220224?

They are arguing about Miguel deciding to dig ditches when the Okies showed
up to take over the mechanics work. Esperanza is really upset about how they
are being treated but is taking it out on Miguel. She even calls him a peasant,
like he was in Mexico. She tells him, Speak up for yourself and your talents.
What does Miguel mean when he says he was a second-class citizen in Mexico? (page 222)
Miguel is referring to the fact that she thought he wasnt good enough for her.
That he was just a servant and they stood on opposite sides of the river (the
metaphor of their lives).
What does Esperanza mean when she says she wants Miguel to confront his boss? (page 222)
Esperanza wants Miguel to have an argument with his boss. She wants Miguel to
tell his boss that he should treat him better, not like a second-class servant.
Why did Miguel call Esperanza a queen? (pages 224 and 18)
Miguel has always called her his queen, ever since she referred to him as a
peasant in Mexico. At first he did it as an insult because he was hurt she did not
think him good enough. Then it became more of a joke. In this chapter, he is
hurt again, so he meant it as an insult.
11

Las Uvas/Grapes
The blanket
On page 224, what does Esperanza try to explain to Miguel about her life?
Esperanza says, See these perfect rows what my life would have been? Now my life is
like the zigzag in the blanket on Mamas bed. She means that she cannot predict what is
going to happen anymore and it is all messed up in her mind.
At the top of page 224, what might the word prophecy mean? How might you figure this
out?
Esperanza is referring to the fact that Miguel told her everything was going to be all right.
She wanted to know if he was able to predict the future.
On pages 243247, the author repeats phrases about stitches up the mountain and down
the valley. What is the actual definition of a stitch? What is the other meaning in this
passage?
A stitch is one pass of the thread or yarn and a needle when sewing or crocheting. Because
it is a metaphor for Esperanzas life, the stitches could also mean the events in her life,
especially the things that happened to her recently.
The heartbeat
On page 248, where do Esperanza and Miguel go?

They went to where they could see the valley and be alone, at the top of the hills.
What happens while they are there, and why is this important? What message might the
author be trying to give readers?
They lie down on the ground and listen to the earth. They hear the heartbeat and she sees
another vision, this time a positive one. The author is trying to get readers to understand
that things are getting better and Esperanza now has hope.
12

Las Uvas/Grapes
The rose
Why do Papas roses matter so much to Esperanza? (page 225)

To Esperanza, the roses are a memory of Papa and all the good things she remembers about her
life with him. When she sees them blooming, she wants to tell Miguel because she realizes that he
would understand, but he has already left.
Grapes/harvest
At the bottom of page 246 through page 247, the author describes the grapes. What are the
grapes a metaphor for? How do you know?
The grapes are a metaphor about how life repeats itself. Mama had gotten sick at the end of the
grape harvest the year before (Mama had breathed in the dust at the end of the grapes), and
now they were back again. To Esperanza it meant that they could start the year over, this time
with hope. The grapes were delivering another harvest and Esperanza was turning another
year.
What did Papa mean when he told Esperanza, Wait a little while and the fruit will fall into your
hands? (pages 2 and 223)
Papa meant that she had to be patient and let things take their time, like when fruit is ripe. It will
fall off trees or vines. It tells you when it is ready.
13

Paragraph Writing, Part 1: How Esperanza
Responds on the Train (Revisiting Chapter 5: Las
Guayabas/Guavas)

Paragraph Writing, Part I:
How Esperanza Responds on the Train
(Revisiting Chapter 5: Las Guayabas/Guavas)

I can compare and contrast literary elements using details from the text. (RL.5.3)
I can use the writing process to produce clear and coherent writing (with support). (W5.5)
Ongoing Assessment
I can find evidence in Esperanza Rising that will support my inferences about how Esperanza changes
throughout the novel.
Partner Accordion graphic organizer (for Paragraph 1)

Partner Draft Paragraph 1 (partially completed)
I can analyze how Esperanza responds to a key event in the novel, and what this shows about her
character.
I can write an essay in which each paragraph has a clear topic sentence, a body, and a conclusion.

Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
In advance: Copy the sample paragraph about Chapter 3 (in supporting materials) on to a piece of chart
paper, to show students during Work Time B of this lesson.
A. Celebration of Two-Voice Poems (5 minutes)

2. Work Time
A. How Esperanza Responded on the Train: Answering
Questions in Triads (10 minutes)
B. Guided Practice: Introduction to Accordion Graphic
Organizer (25 minutes)
C. Introduction to Paragraph Writing (10 minutes)
D. Triad Group Writing: Beginning Paragraph 1
(7 minutes)
In this lesson, students revisit Chapter 5: Las Guayabas/Guavas. In advance, reread Chapter 5 and
review the text-dependent questions (see supporting materials). Two copies of the questions are
provided: a blank to distribute to students and display, and one with answers for teacher reference.
Students have done a lot of writing throughout this unit, but this lesson is their first formal paragraph
writing instruction of the year.
For the guided practice (Work Time, Part B), be clear with students that you will model using the
graphic organizer about one topic (when the ranch is set on fire, in Chapter 3: Los Higos/Figs). They
will then do the same thing about a different topic (the events on the train, from Chapter 5: Las
Guayabas/Guavas).
Review Ink-Pair-Share protocol (See Appendix 1).
4. Homework
Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
informative, explanatory, paragraph,

essay, compares, contrasts, topic
sentence, body, conclusion
Two-voice poems (begun in Lesson 14)

Text-dependent questions for Chapter 5: Las Guayabas/Guavas (one per students; one to display)
Text-dependent questions for Chapter 5: Las Guayabas/Guavas (Answers for Teacher Reference)
Accordion graphic organizer for Paragraph Writing (one per student, and one to display on document camera)
Sample Paragraph Chapter 3 (copied onto chart paper; alternatively, write your own model paragraph)
Green, blue, and red markers; colored pencils for students
Homework Handout: Planning and Organizing My Second Paragraph, with Homework Handout: Accordion Graphic
Organizer for Paragraph Writing (one per student)
Document camera

Opening
A. Celebration of Two-Voice Poems (5 minutes)
ELLs may be unfamiliar with Tier 2

vocabulary words (e.g., evidence,
support, inference). Clarify
Invite a few more groups who havent yet shared their poems to do so. Again, have peers give specific praise.
Celebrate their accomplishmentscapturing the contrasting points of view of two characters from Esperanza Rising in a
poem.
Review the first learning target: I can find evidence in Esperanza Rising that will support my inferences about how
Esperanza changes throughout the novel. Ask students to self-assess their progress toward meeting this target using the
Fist to Five protocol.
Work Time
A. How Esperanza Responded on the Train: Answering Questions in Triads (10 minutes)

student who speaks the same L1
when discussion of complex content
is required. This can let students
have more meaningful discussions
and clarify points in their L1.
Have students get into their triad groups.

Tell students that today they are going to dig back into Chapter 5: Las Guayabas/Guavas of Esperanza Rising, in order to
answer some questions about the human rights challenges Esperanza faces or witnesses in the novel and how she responds
to those challenges. Be sure students have their texts Esperanza Rising. Distribute and display the Text-Dependent
Questions for Chapter 5: Las Guayabas/Guavas (see supporting materials). Read through each of the questions and clarify
any terms as necessary. As students work in their groups, move throughout the room to offer support as needed.

asked to students.

B. Guided Practice: Introduction to Accordion Graphic Organizer (25 minutes)

Invite the class to read the learning target aloud with you: I can analyze how Esperanza responds to a key event in the novel,
and what this shows about her character.
Use a document camera to display the Accordion Graphic Organizer for Paragraph Writing, and distribute a
blank copy to each student.
Tell students that they are going to start organizing their paragraphs, using the Accordion graphic organizer as a tool to
gather all the important information and details they will need in order to write a complete paragraph.
Tell students that you will model, writing about when the ranch is set on fire from Chapter 4: Los Higos/Figs. They will
then do the same thing about a different event (from Chapter 5: Las Guayabas/Guavas, which they just discussed).
Read, and point to, the prompt from the first box (Topic): State the key event and/or challenge Esperanza faces. Say: I
will write about the challenge from Chapter 3, when the ranch is set on fire. I will write: Ranch set on fire.
Remind students that graphic organizers do not need to include complete sentences, but ideas that will prompt their
thinking when they are ready to write their paragraphs.
Tell students that they will now choose their topic, from Chapter 5. Ask them to think about the text-dependent questions
they just discussed with their triads. Clarify that their topic does not need to be really specific at this time. They will add
more details later.
Prompt students to discuss with their triad:
* In Chapter 5: Las Guayabas, what is a specific event when Esperanza faces a challenge? Look for suggestions such as:
Esperanza riding the train or Esperanza meeting Carmen.
Invite a few triads to share their thinking. Give feedback as necessary, to be sure all students understand what a topic is: the
focus of their paragraph. Ask students to fill in the topic in the top box of their individual graphic organizer.
Model for students the Detail box in the graphic organizer, explaining that they should give more information about the
topic. Say: Since the topic I am writing about is the ranch catching fire, the detail I will add shows what happened to
Esperanza when the ranch caught fire. Then write: Esperanza escapes fire; loses everything, in the Detail box. Again,
remind students that complete sentences are not necessary here.

Ask students to now do the same thing on their graphic organizer about the train ride from Chapter 5, beginning with a
discussion in their triads, followed by sharing out, and finally writing in their graphic organizer. Provide clarification or
redirection if necessary on details.

Next, show students the third box on the graphic organizer, titled Explain. Say: The Explain box is used to make a clear
connection between the first detail and the next detail, more specifically what challenge Esperanza faces because of the
ranch burning. My detail was about how Esperanza escaped the fire, but loses everything, so I am going to write Esperanza
needs clothes from the poor box to help explain what it means to lose everythingeven your clothes.
Ask students to now do the same thing on their graphic organizer, about the train ride from Chapter 5, by following the
process with their triads. As students discuss, listen for groups that have strong examples of explaining the challenge
Esperanza faces and have them share out.
Be sure to point out why these are good examples of explain: It tells why the detail is important, and the challenge
Esperanza faces.
Direct students attention to the second Detail box, explaining that they will write about Esperanzas response to the event,
using text directly from the book. Model this by turning to page 52 and showing students (using a document camera or other
resource) the sentence: Mama, at a time like this, must we worry about some poor family who needs clothes? Write: p. 52
poor box so they understand they do not need to write the full quote on the organizer.
Have students discuss the second detail with their triads, then fill out the next Detail box about the train ride on their
graphic organizer. Listen for groups that have strong examples.
Ask a few triads to share their second detail aloud with the class, pointing out that these phrases show something specific
about Esperanzas reaction to the challenge she is facing.
Share that the second Explain box is where students will write what happens when Esperanza responds the way she does.
Model, by writing something such as: Mama says they are poor.
Ask students to now do the same thing for their topic, from Chapter 5, about the train ride, first discussing in their triads. As
students discuss, listen for groups that have strong examples (for example, students might notice that Mama apologizes to
Carmen for Esperanzas bad manners). Ask a few triads to share aloud with the class.

Remind students that the target they are working on is to analyze how Esperanza responds to a key event in the novel,
which is what they have just done by filling in their topic, details, and explains. But now they need to meet the second part of
the target, which is to analyze what this shows about her character.
Direct students attention to the final space, Conclusion. Think aloud, saying: I am going to look back at my notes about the
topic, details, and explains on my graphic organizer. They discuss how Esperanza loses everything, including her clothes, in
the fire; how she responds by thinking that the clothes left by the nuns must be for some poor family; and then Mama has to
explain that they are the ones who are poor. I am going to ask myself, what does this information make me think about
Esperanzas character? I think it means Esperanza has always had everything she ever wanted, so she cant understand being
poor or needing to accept charity. So I am going to write: Esperanza had everything; now poor; cant understand in the
space for my conclusion.
Ask students to now do the same thing for their topic, from Chapter 5, about the train ride, first discussing in triads,
specifically, What can we infer? then writing a note in the Conclusion box of their graphic organizer.
Have a few triads share out their conclusions.
C. Introduction to Paragraph Writing (10 minutes)
Direct students to the learning target: I can write an essay in which each paragraph has a clear topic sentence, a body, and a
conclusion. Specifically clarify the words topic sentence, body and conclusion, adding clarifying words or synonyms.
Then read the posted Sample Paragraph for Chapter 3 (on chart paper) to illustrate how the notes from the graphic
organizer were used to create a paragraph. Ask students what they notice about how the notes on the graphic organizer are
different from the sample paragraph. (Listen for students to notice: the first line is indented, there are complete sentences
instead of notes, the sentences are connected and not on separate lines, etc.)
Using a different color marker for each, underline the topic statement, detail, explain, and conclusion on the graphic
organizer. Ask students to look at the chart and find the sentences in the paragraph that correspond to each part of the
graphic organizer. Underline each sentence with the same color marker as the corresponding part of the graphic organizer.
Point out to students that the first sentence of a paragraph is indented on the page. Tell students that the detail and explain
sentences make up the body of the paragraph and that the last sentence is the conclusion of the paragraph.

Work Time
D. Triad Group Writing: Beginning Paragraph 1 (7 minutes)

Tell students that now they will start to draft their first paragraphs based on their graphic organizers about an event in
Chapter 5.
Using the Ink-Pair-Share protocol, ask students to independently write a sentence that conveys the main idea of their first
paragraph (from the Topic box on their graphic organizers), and then share their sentence with their partners. Remind them
to indent their first sentence. Lead a whole-class sharing of sentences, recording samples on the board and reviewing the
characteristics of good topic sentences. Ask students to underline their topic sentence in green.
Repeat this process, asking students to write two sentences for the body of their paragraph using the supporting details they
noted in the first Detail and Explain boxes of their graphic organizer. Point out to them that these sentences continue after
the topic sentence and do not each start on their own line. Refer to the sample paragraph as a model. After students
complete the body sentences of their paragraph, ask them to share aloud and then underline those sentences in blue.
Continue as time permits; likely students will need to stop at this point and continue drafting this first paragraph during
Lesson 17.
Invite a few students to share the first three sentences of their paragraphs aloud, and ask others to identify the
characteristics of good topics, details, and explains evident in students partial drafts.

models of language.
Homework
Complete the homework handout: Planning and Organizing My Second Paragraph, with Accordion Graphic
Organizer sheet. To do this assignment, you will need your entrance and exit tickets from Chapters 815.


Las Guayabas/Guavas (Pages 5880)
1. On pages 66 and 67, Esperanza arrives at the train station in Zacatecas, and Alfonso leads them
past the fancy car with leather seats and the dining car to one with wooden benches, trash, and the
smell of rotting fruit and urine. She also sees many peasants crowded onto the seats. How does
Esperanza respond to having to ride on this train car? Use details from the text to explain your
answer.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
2. On pages 69 and 70, Esperanza takes the doll her Papa gave her out of its valise, and a young girl
runs up to her and tries to hold the doll. How does Esperanza respond to the girl, and what does
Esperanzas mama say and/or do when Esperanza reacts the way she does? Explain your answer
with details from the text.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
3. On pages 78 and 79, Esperanza sees Carmen give money and food to a begging woman. Esperanza
responds by asking why the beggar woman doesnt just go get food from the farmers market.
What does this tell you about Esperanzas character at this point in the story? Cite evidence from
the novel to support your answer.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Las Guayabas/Guavas (Pages 5880)
1. On pages 66 and 67, Esperanza arrives at the train station in Zacatecas, and Alfonso leads them
past the fancy car with leather seats and the dining car to one with wooden benches, trash, and the
smell of rotting fruit and urine. She also sees many peasants crowded onto the seats. How does
Esperanza respond to having to ride on this train car? Use details from the text to explain your
answer.
Possible responses: She couldnt help but wonder if the people on the train car
would steal from her; she tells Mama they cannot travel in this car because it is not
clean and the people seem untrustworthy; she says that neither Papa nor Abuelita
would approve of them sitting in this train car (p. 67).
2. On pages 69 and 70, Esperanza takes the doll her Papa gave her out of its valise, and a young girl
runs up to her and tries to hold the doll. How does Esperanza respond to the girl, and what does
Esperanzas mama say and/or do when Esperanza reacts the way she does? Explain your answer
with details from the text.
Possible responses: Esperanza quickly takes the doll away and puts it back in her
valise. Mama apologizes to the little girls mother for Esperanzas rude behavior.
3. On pages 78 and 79, Esperanza sees Carmen give money and food to a begging woman. Esperanza
responds by asking why the beggar woman doesnt just go get food from the farmers market.
What does this tell you about Esperanzas character at this point in the story? Cite evidence from
the novel to support your answer.
Possible responses: Esperanza asks why the woman doesnt just go buy food at the
nearby farmers market, instead of begging for food (p. 79). This shows that
Esperanza doesnt understand being poor or needing to rely on other people for
basic needs such as food.
10

Accordion Graphic Organizer for Paragraph Writing
Topic:
Detail:
Explain:
Detail:
Explain:
11

Conclusion:
12

Sample Paragraph Chapter 3
(For Teacher Reference)
One night, the ranch catches fire and burns to the ground! Esperanza and her family safely escape but
lose almost everything they own to the flames. Because Esperanza and Mama do not even have clean
clothes to wear, the nuns give them clothes from the poor box. When Esperanza sees the box left by
the nuns, she asks, Mama, at a time like this, must we worry about some poor family who needs
clothes? Mama calmly explains to Esperanza that they are the ones who are poor because they have
no home and no money, and the clothes are for them. Esperanza cant understand that she is no
longer wealthy and will need to be grateful for the charity of others now.
13

Homework Handout:
Planning and Organizing My Second Paragraph
Name:
Date:
1. Choose an event (from Chapters 815) that you want to write about. It should be a time when
Esperanza responds to or witnesses some type of challenge.
To help you choose, use your evidence flags and your entrance and exit tickets from Chapters 815.
The list below includes some suggestions of events you might choose, but you can choose a different
event if you want.
a. Chapter 8 Marta talking to workers about the strike
b. Chapter 10 Mama and Esperanza working in the fields when Mama becomes ill
c. Chapter 11 Going to Mr. Yakotas grocery store; meeting campesino family
d. Chapter 12 Marta hiding from immigration officers
e. Chapter 13 People from Oklahoma having better living conditions (indoor toilets and
swimming pool); Miguel losing his engineering job at railroad; Isabel not being chosen for May
Day queen
Complete the blank Accordion graphic organizer about that event. Make sure to bring this completed
graphic organizer to the next class. You will need it to write Paragraph 2 of your essay.
14

Homework Handout:
Topic: (State the key event and/or challenge Esperanza faces)
Detail: (What happens to Esperanza?)
Explain: (Why is that first detail important?

How does it connect to the next detail?)
Detail: (Esperanzas response to the event)
Explain: (What happens when Esperanza responds the way she does?)
Conclusion: (What can we infer about Esperanzas character based on how she responds?)
15



I can use the writing process to produce clear and coherent writing (with support). (W.5.5)
Ongoing Assessment
I can find evidence in Esperanza Rising that will support my inferences about characters from the book.
Accordion graphic organizer for Paragraph 2

(homework)
I can analyze how Esperanza responds to a key event in the novel, and what this shows about her
character.
Partner and individual paragraphs

Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
A. Review of Learning Targets and Criteria for
Success (10 minutes)
For this writing assignment, students are not given a formal rubric. Rather, they work with the teacher to
create criteria for success. The rationale behind this is to ensure that students actively contribute to and
own the criteria upon which their writing will be assessed.
Work Time
Review: Catch and Release protocol (see Appendix 1).
A. Guided Practice: Complete Draft Paragraph 1

(10 minutes)
Reread pages 249250, thinking specifically about the phoenix metaphor, which students discuss in Part D of
Work Time.
2.
B. Peer Critique of Graphic Organizer for

Paragraph 2 (10 minutes)
C. Independent Writing: Drafting Paragraph 2 (15
minutes)
D. Group Discussion: How Esperanza Changes
over Time; the Phoenix Metaphor (10 minutes)
4. Homework

Lesson Vocabulary
Materials

essay, compare, contrast, topic
sentence, body, conclusion, phoenix

Compare/Contrast Essay Criteria for Success anchor chart (new; teacher-created)
Students completed graphic organizers for Paragraphs 1 and 2, as well as their incomplete draft of Paragraph 1 (from Lesson
16 classwork and homework)
Accordion graphic organizer for Paragraph Writing (from Lesson 16)
Sample graphic organizer about Chapter 3 (from Lesson 16; one to display)
Sample paragraph about Chapter 3 (from Lesson 16; one to display)
Paragraph 2 Task Card (one per student)
Opening
A. Review of Learning Targets and Criteria for Success (10 minutes)

asked to students.
Invite a few groups that have not yet shared their two-voice poems to do so. Ask peers to give specific praise.
Review todays learning targets, which are the same as yesterdays learning targets. Use the key words in the learning targets
to create the Compare/Contrast Essay Criteria for Success anchor chart with students. The chart should include
the following (as well as other criteria your class identifies):
Citing evidence
Making inferences
Key events from the beginning and end of the novel
Some students may be unfamiliar

with Tier 2 vocabulary words.
Clarify vocabulary with students as
needed.
Paragraphs have topic sentence

Paragraphs have supporting details
Paragraphs have concluding sentence

Work Time
A. Guided Practice: Complete Draft Paragraph 1 (10 minutes)

models of language.
Have students gather in their triad groups and take out their two completed graphic organizers for Paragraphs 1
and 2, as well as their incomplete draft of Paragraph 1.
Display the Sample Accordion graphic organizer for Chapter 3 and Sample paragraph about Chapter 3 (on
chart paper) from the last lesson. Read the learning target aloud: I can write an essay in which each paragraph has a clear
topic sentence, a body, and a conclusion.
Review as needed, based on the sample graphic organizer and paragraph about the fire in Chapter 3. Direct students to the
second detail and explain on your graphic organizer about the fire. Ask students to find the sentences in the sample
paragraph that correspond to these parts of the graphic organizer, which are underlined in blue. Underline the word body
in the learning target.

sentence starter, or cloze sentence to
provide the structure required.
Give students 10 minutes to complete the draft of their first paragraph about a challenge Esperanza faced in Chapter 5.
Use the Ink-Pair-Share protocol, having students independently write two more sentences for their second detail and
explain and then share their sentence with their partners.
Repeat this process with the conclusion, which is underlined in both the graphic organizer and sample paragraph. Offer
specific feedback as students share, noting good examples in which students have analyzed what Esperanzas response to
the event shows about her character.
Ask students to hold on to their Paragraph 1 draft for now.
B. Peer Critique of Graphic Organizer for Paragraph 2 (10 minutes)
Keep students in triads and ask students to exchange the graphic organizers they completed for homework, about a second
event later in the novel.
Let students know they will use the feedback from their peers to help them write, revise, and finalize their paragraphs for
their final essays to be completed during the On-Demand End of Unit 2 Assessment in the next lesson.

information.
Ask students to give each other specific, kind, helpful feedback based on their graphic organizer in the form of praises,
questions, and suggestions.
Encourage them to focus on the criteria: citing evidence and explaining.
Circulate to listen in and support as needed. Identify students who may need additional support with their Paragraph 2
graphic organizer.

C. Independent Writing: Drafting Paragraph 2 (15 minutes)
Consider writing and breaking down

multistep directions into numbered
elements. ELLs can return to these
guidelines to make sure they are on
track.
Distribute the Paragraph 2 task card to students and ask them to start writing their second paragraphs.
They should begin with their Paragraph 2 graphic organizer (completed for homework) and the feedback they just received
from peers.
For student reference, keep the Sample Accordion Graphic Organizer for Paragraph Writing and the sample paragraph
posted where all students can see the charts.
Remind students to include a topic sentence, body, and conclusion in their paragraphs. Allow students to use the book,
recording forms they created for each chapter, evidence flags, journals, note-catchers, and any relevant anchor charts with
details about human rights challenges and character responses to support them during their writing.
As students work, circulate to observe and support as needed.
Collect students draft Paragraphs 1 and 2. They will need these for their on-demand assessment during Lesson 18.
D. Group Discussion: How Esperanza Changes over Time; the Phoenix Metaphor (10 minutes)
Note: This discussion is intended as a scaffold for students on-demand writing during Lesson 18.
Tell students that in the next lesson, they will complete their essays on their own for the End of Unit 2 Assessment.
Explain that their final essay will have three paragraphs. They have already written drafts of two of those paragraphs.

graphic organizers.
For students who may be struggling,
prompt them to refer to their notes
from Chapter 10, since students
already closely analyzed how
Esperanza is growing as a person and
how her response to challenges
changes over time.
answers and post all questions asked
to students.
The final paragraph will be about how Esperanza grew and changed over time. They will compare and contrast how she
responded to an event early in the novel to her response later in the novel. Today, they will get to think about this topic
some more as a class.
Orient students to page 249, fifth paragraph, where it says: As the sun rose, Esperanza began to feel as if she rose with it.
Read aloud as students follow along. End at page 250 with the last sentence of this paragraph: Miguel had been right about
never giving up, and she had been right, too, about rising above those who held them down.

Ask:
* What is a phoenix? If students are not familiar with what a phoenix is, explain that it is a mythological bird resembling
an eagle that lived for a long time, then would burn itself out and be reborn from the ashes. Also explain that a phoenix
commonly appears in literature as a symbol of the end of one life and the beginning of a new life.
Ask students to Think-Pair-Share regarding these questions:
* In what ways does Esperanza change as a person throughout the novel?

* Why do you think the author chose to compare Esperanza to a phoenix in these last pages of the book?
Record student responses on chart paper so they may use them as a reference during the End of Unit 2 Assessment.

models of language.
Ask students to consider:
* Would you have wanted to be Esperanzas friend at the beginning of the novel? Would you want to be her friend at the
end of the novel? Why or why not? Allow students to Think-Pair-Share their responses.
Homework
Continue gathering any evidence to use in your End of Unit 2 assessment.


Paragraph 2 Task Card
For your homework last night, you were asked to do the following:
Choose an event (from Chapters 815) that you want to write about. It should be a time when she
responds to or witnesses some type of challenge.
You might have chosen one of these events, or another event in the novel:
a. Chapter 8 Marta talking to workers about the strike
b. Chapter 10 Mama and Esperanza working in the fields when Mama becomes ill
c. Chapter 11 Going to Mr. Yakotas grocery store; meeting campesino family
d. Chapter 12 Marta hiding from immigration officers
You completed a graphic organizer about the event you chose.
Now, write Paragraph 2 about the event you chose from Chapters 815.

End of Unit 2 Assessment: On-Demand Analytical
Essay about How Esperanza Changes Over Time


I can produce clear and coherent writing that is appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (W.5.4)
With support from peers and adults, I can use a writing process to produce clear and coherent writing. (W.5.5)
Ongoing Assessment
I can find evidence in Esperanza Rising that will support my inferences about characters from the book.
Accordion graphic organizers
I can write an informative/explanatory three-paragraph essay that analyzes how Esperanza responds to
two key events, and compares and contrasts her response to events over time.
Partner and individual paragraphs
End of Unit 2 Assessment: On-Demand Analytical Essay

about How Esperanza Changes over Time

Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
Because this is an on-demand assessment, students will need to complete their essays independently,
without support.
A. Review of Learning Targets and Criteria for Success

(10 minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Engaging the Writer: Esperanza from Beginning to
End (10 minutes)
B. End of Unit 2 Assessment: Revising Paragraphs 1
and 2, Writing Paragraph 3 (35 minutes)
A. Self-Assessment (5 minutes)
4. Homework
Lesson Vocabulary
Materials

essay, compares, contrasts, topic
sentence, body, conclusion, phoenix

Students draft Paragraphs 1 and 2 (from Lesson 17)
Accordion graphic organizers (from Lessons 16 and 17)
Compare/Contrast Essay Critera for Success anchor chart (from Lesson 17)
End of Unit 2 Assessment: On-Demand Analytical Essay about How Esperanza Changes over Time (one per student)
End of Unit 2 Assessment: On-Demand Analytical Essay about How Esperanza Changes over Time (Self Assessment)
NYS Grades 4-5 Expository Writing Evaluation Rubric (for Teacher Reference)

Opening
A. Review of Learning Targets and Criteria for Success (10 minutes)
Provide nonlinguistic symbols to

assist ELLs and other struggling
readers in making connections with
vocabulary.
Allow any remaining groups that have not shared their two-voice poems to do so. Again have peers give specific praise.
Review todays learning targets and the Compare/Contrast Essay Criteria for Success anchor chart, created in the previous
lesson. Ask students if there are any additional criteria they want to add to the chart, based on their paragraph drafts and the
peer critique they received during Lesson 17.
Providing anchor charts for

processes, such as Criteria for
Success, helps all learners
understand expectations clearly.
Work Time
A. Engaging the Writer: Esperanza from Beginning to End (10 minutes)

To help students prepare for their End of Unit 2 Assessment, ask a series of questions about how Esperanza changes over the
course of the novel. (Choose to do this whole group or in triads.)

models of language.
Remind students of their discussion about the phoenix from the final chapter. As questions are posed, ask several students
to share their thinking with the group. Ask students the following:
* Do you think Esperanza grew and developed as a person throughout the novel? Support your answer with evidence from
the novel.
* Compare: In what ways does Esperanza still behave the same at the end of the novel as she did in the beginning? Give
examples.

* Contrast: In what ways is Esperanza different at the end of the story than she was in the beginning? Give examples.
* What is your opinion of Esperanza at the end of the novel?

B. End of Unit 2 Assessment: Revising Paragraphs 1 and 2, Writing Paragraph 3 (35 minutes)

information.
Post the End of Unit 2 Assessment: On-Demand Analytical Essay about How Esperanza Changes over Time
for all students to see. Read through the prompt and clarify any terms as necessary.
Tell students that while they are revising and writing their final paragraphs comparing and contrasting Esperanzas
character development over time, they will want to consider the peer critique they received during the previous lesson. They
should also refer to the anchor chart: Compare/Contrast Criteria for Success (from Lesson 17); the sample paragraph on
chart paper; the discussion at the beginning of class as well as the discussion about Esperanza being compared to a phoenix
during the previous lesson (student responses recorded on chart paper); their evidence flags, recording forms/note-catchers,
journals, and other relevant anchor charts about human rights challenges and character responses, as tools to support them
during the final writing process.
Collect students essays to formally assess.
Optional extension: If any students

finish early, offer the option to
create an accompanying illustration
for their essays that shows how
Esperanzas responses to human
rights challenges changed over the
course of the novel.

Ask students to turn to their End of Unit 2 Assessment (Self-Assessment). Invite them to complete this selfassessment then then hand it in with their complete essays.
Ask students to share what they celebrated about their essays on the self-assessments they just completed. Make sure to
congratulate students on completing the novel and their analysis essays of Esperanza as a character.
Remind students that in Unit 3, they will get to write and perform scenes based on some of the key events in Esperanza
Rising.
Homework
None
Note: In the next unit, students will be learning about and participating in Readers Theater. Familiarize yourself with what
Readers Theater is and how it is used with students in the classroom (see Unit 3 Overview for suggested resources).


On-Demand Analytical Essay about
How Esperanza Changes over Time
Name:
Date:
Analytical Essay about How Esperanza Changes over Time

How does Esperanza change over time? Analyze how Esperanza responds to events
early and late in the novel. Then compare her response to the two events. What do her
responses show about her as a person?
1. Your first paragraph will be about a key event in Chapter 5: Las Guayabas/Guavas,
when Esperanza is on the train to the United States. You have already planned and
drafted this paragraph. Today, you can revise it to make it stronger.
2. Your second paragraph will be about the key event you chose from later in the novel.
You have already planned and drafted this paragraph. Today, you can revise it to make
it stronger.
3. Your third paragraph is NEW writing that you need to do ON YOUR OWN today. In
this paragraph, you should compare (discuss similarities) and contrast (discuss
differences). How does Esperanza respond to challenges differently at the end of the
novel than she did in the beginning? Be sure to cite specific evidence from the text to
support your analysis.

Topic:
Detail:
Explain:
Detail:
Explain:
Conclusion:

On-Demand Analytical Essay about
How Esperanza Changes over Time (Self Assessment)
Name:
Date:
Criteria for Success and Self-Assessment

Write three paragraphs.
Each paragraph has a clear topic sentence.
Each paragraph has at least two specific details.
Each paragraph includes an explanation of the details.
Each paragraph includes a conclusion explaining what this shows about Esperanza.
Indent the first sentence of each paragraph.
Write in complete sentences.
Explain how Esperanza changes over time.
1. Write one star: something you are proud of and want to celebrate about your essay:
2. Write one step: something you think you need to work on or would like to improve to become a
strong independent writer:

New York State Grade 4-5 Expository Writing Evaluation Rubric
CRITERIA
CCLS
CONT ENT AND ANAL YSIS:

the extent to which the
essay conveys ideas and
information clearly and
accurately in order to
support an anal ysis of
topics or texts
COMMAND OF EVIDENCE:
the extent to which the
essay presen ts evidence
from the provided texts to
support anal ysis and
reflection
COHE RENCE,
ORGA NIZATION, AND
STYLE: the extent to which
the essay logically
organi zes comple x ideas,
concepts, and information
using formal style and
preci se language
CONTRO L OF
CONVENTIONS: the extent
to which the essay
demonstrates comm and of
the conventions of
standard English grammar,
usag e, capit alization,
punctuati on, and spelling
W.2
R.19
W.2
W.9
R.19
3
Essays at this level :
clearly introduce a topic in a

manner that follows logically from
the task and purpose
clearly introduce a topic in a

manner that follows from the task
and purpose
introduce a topic in a manner

that follows generally from the
task and purpose
introduce a topic in a manner

that does not logically follow
from the task and purpose
demonstrate insightf ul
comprehensi on and anal ysis of
the text(s)
demonstrate grade- appropriate

comprehensi on and anal ysis of
the text(s)
demonstrate a literal
comprehensi on of the text(s)
demonst rate little

under standi ng of the text(s)
develop the topic with relevant,

well-chosen facts, definitions,
concr ete details, quot ations, or
other information and exampl es
from the text(s)
develop the topic with relevant

facts, defi nitions, details,
quotations, or other information
and exam ples from the text(s)
parti ally develop the topic of the

essay with the use of some
textual eviden ce, some of which
may be irrelevant
demonst rate an attempt to use

eviden ce, but only develop ideas
with minimal, occasional
eviden ce which is generally
invalid or irrelevant
provide no evidence or provide

eviden ce that is completely
irrelevant
sustain the use of varied,

relevant evidence
sustain the use of relevant

evidence, with some lack of
variety
exhibit clear organization
use relevant evidence

inconsistently
exhi bit some attempt at
organization
exhi bit little attempt at

organization, or attemp ts to
organize are irrelevant to the
task
exhi bit no evidence of

organization
exhibit clear, purposeful

organization
W.2
L.3
L.6
W.2
L.1
L.2
SCORE
2
4
1
Essays at this level
0
demonst rate a lack of

comprehensi on of the text(s) or
task
skillfully link ideas using gradeappropriate words and phrases
link ideas using gradeappropriate words and phrases
inconsistently link ideas using

words and phrases
lack the use of linking words

and phrases
exhibit no use of linking words

and phrases
use grade- appr opriate,

stylistically soph isticated
language and domai n-specifi c
vocabulary
use grade-appropriate precise

vocabulary
inconsistently use appr opriate

vocabulary
use language that is imprecise

or inappropriate for the text(s)
and task
use language that is

predom inantl y incoher ent or
copied directly from the text(s)
provide a concluding statement

that follows clearly from the topic
and information presented

that follows from the topic and
information presente d

that follows generally from the
topic and information presented
do not provide a concluding

statemen t
demonstrate grade- appr opriate

comman d of conventi ons, with
few errors
demonstrate grade- appropriate

occasi onal errors that do not
hinder comprehension
demonstrate emerging
some errors that may hinder
comprehensi on
provide a concluding
statement that is illogical or
unrelated to the topic and
information presented
demonst rate a lack of
frequent errors that hinder
comprehensi on
are minimal, making

assessme nt of conventi ons
unreliable
If the prompt requires two texts and the student only references one text, the response can be scored no higher than a 2.
If the student writes only a personal response and makes no reference to the text(s), the response can be scored no higher than a 1.
Responses totally unrelated to the topic, illegible, incoherent, or blank should be given a 0.
A response totally copied from the text(s) with no original student writing should be scored a 0.

Overview

Culminating Project:
Readers Theater: Esperanza Rising, From Novel to Script
In this third unit, students will continue to apply what they have learned
about human rights by creating scripts for a Readers Theater performance.
This unit emphasizes the Reading Literature and Writing Narratives strands of
the NYSP12 ELA CCLS. Students analyze and select passages of Esperanza
Rising connected to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for the
purpose of developing and performing their own Readers Theater scripts. In
the first half of the unit, students will learn about Readers Theater by reading
informational texts and also examining a variety of Readers Theater scripts.
They will reread sections of the novel and study and perform a Readers Theater
script written by the novels author. For the mid-unit assessment, students will
evaluate the strengths and limitations of novels and theater scripts in terms of
how well each genre engages its audience. In the second half of this unit,
students collaborate to write their own Readers Theater script. They will work
in small groups to select passages (from multiple chapters) of Esperanza

Rising that reflect characters experiences with human rights challenges. After
learning writing techniques such as dialogue, each student will write a section
of a script based on the passage the group selected. This script section will
serve as the on-demand end of unit assessment; students also will write a
justification to explain how the passage their group selected relates to a specific
article from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Then students will
work in their small group to combine their script sections, with a focus on clear
transitions. Students will then revise and practice their scripts for a final
performance task, in which they perform their Readers Theater scripts for
peers. (As an optional extension, students also could perform for their school
and community.)

What is the purpose of a Readers Theater?

This assessment centers on standard NYS ELA CCLS RL.5.1, RL.5.4, RL.5.5, RL.5.6, and RL.5.9. Students will reread a passage from
Esperanza Rising and a scene from a Readers Theater written by Pam Muoz Ryan. They will compare and contrast the texts using a
Venn diagram and then answer text-dependent questions using evidence from both texts in their answers.
Individual Scene of a Readers Theater Script
This on-demand assessment centers on standards NYSP12 ELA CCLS W.5.3, W.5.4, and W.5.9. Students will write their best draft of
their narrative (in the form of a scene of a Readers Theater script). The focus is on showing the connection between one article of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and selected passages from Esperanza Rising, in order to demonstrate characters
experiences with human rights challenges and how they overcame those challenges.

Content Connections
This module is designed to address English Language Arts standards and to be taught during the literacy block of the school day. However, the module
intentionally incorporates Social Studies and Science content that many teachers may be teaching during other parts of the day. These intentional connections
are described below.

The migration of groups of people in the United States, Canada, and Latin America has led to cultural diffusion because people carry their ideas and way of life with

Central Texts
1. Pam Muoz Ryan, Esperanza Rising (New York: Scholastic, 2002), ISBN: 978-0439120425.
2. United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly
resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948.
3. Readers Theater Script: American Heroes from Google search readers theater scripts human rights link titled: (doc) Readers Theater Script: American
Heroes (last accessed July 27, 2012).
4. Aaron Shepard, Readers on Stage (Shepard Publications, 2004), ISBN: 978-0-938497-21-9.
Secondary Texts
1. Aaron Shepards RT Page, Scripts and Tips for Readers Theater, from http://www.aaronshep.com/rt/ (last accessed July 22, 2012).
2. Kathleen M. Hollenbeck, Fluency Practice Read-Aloud Plays: Grades 5-6: 15 Short, Leveled Fiction and Nonfiction Plays with Research-Based Strategies to
Help Students Build Fluency and Comprehension (New York: Scholastic, 2006),
ISBN-13: 970-0-439-55421-3.
3. Michael Ryall, Readers Theater Grade 5 ( Evan-Moor Corp., 2003), ISBN-10: 1557998949.

Unit-at-a-Glance
This unit is approximately 2.5 weeks or 12 sessions of instruction.
Lesson
Lesson Title
Long-Term Targets
Supporting Targets
Lesson 1
Narratives as Theater, Part I:

What Is Readers Theater?
I can use a variety of sources to develop an understanding

of a topic. (RI.5.9)
I can define Readers Theater.
I can write or speak about a topic using information from

a variety of sources. (RI.5.9)
I can participate in a Readers Theater.
I can adapt my speech for a variety of contexts and tasks,

using formal English when appropriate. (SL.5.6)
I can identify the purpose of Readers Theater.

I can identify how a Readers Theater script is
different from a novel.
Ongoing
Assessment
Anchor Chart: Define
Readers Theater and Its
Purpose
Participation in a Readers
Theater

narratives (poetry, drama, or other texts) and their
connections to larger concepts such as culture and
personal experiences. (W.5.11)
Lesson 2
Narratives as Theater:
Esperanza Rising, from Novel to
Script

I can participate in a Readers Theater based on

Esperanza Rising.
Participation in a Readers
Theater

(SL.5.1)
I can participate in a discussion with my peers.
Discussion groups
I can explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas

fit together to create a larger literary text. (RL.5.5)
I can share my opinion about different types of

narratives.
I can compare and contrast a novel and a script.

narrative (poetry, drama, or other texts) and their
Lesson 3
Readers Theater and the UDHR
I can recall relevant experiences or summaries. (W.5.8)

(SL.5.1)
I can write an opinion piece. (W.5.1)
I can recall and summarize key articles of the UDHR

and passages from Esperanza Rising and American
Heroes from the previous learning.
Discussion groups
Narrator critique
Making connections between

UDHR and scripts
I can share my opinion about the effectiveness of the

narrator dialogue.

Unit-at-a-Glance
Lesson
Lesson Title
Long-Term Targets
Supporting Targets
Lesson 4
Evaluating a Novel versus a
Script
(RL.5.1)
I can identify and describe the similarities and

differences between a novel and a script.
I can describe the connections between the UDHR

and a script or a novel.

I can explain how a series of chapters, scenes or stanzas fit
I can describe how a narrators point of view influences
the description of events. (RL.5.6)
I can compare and contrast stories in the same genre for
approach to theme and topic. (RL.5.9)
Lesson 5
Identifying Theme: Connecting

Passages from Esperanza Rising
to Human Rights
I can describe the authors motivations for creating a

script.
Ongoing
Assessment
Evaluating a Novel versus a
Script (RL.5.1, RL.5.4,
RL.5.5, RL.5.6, and RL.5.9)
Self-Assessment
I can describe the role of a narrator in a script.

I can share my opinions about a novel and a script.
I can assess my understanding of the similarities and
differences of a novel versus a script.

(RL.5.2)
I can recall and summarize key articles of the UDHR

from previous learning.

I can recall and summarize key passages from

Esperanza Rising from previous learning.
I can document what I learn about a topic by sorting

evidence into categories. (W.5.8)
I can identify passages of Esperanza Rising that

relate to specific articles of the UDHR.
Categorization
Justification of UDHR
connection to novel
I can justify my reasons for selecting specific passages

from Esperanza Rising.

Unit-at-a-Glance
Lesson
Lesson Title
Long-Term Targets
Supporting Targets
Lesson 6
Launching Readers Theater

Groups: Identifying Passages
from Esperanza Rising for
Readers Theater that Connect to
the UDHR
(RL.5.1)
I can choose a human rights article to focus on for my

Readers Theater.
I can determine and list additional passages I may

need in order to develop a script on a single theme.

(SL.5.1)
I can ask questions so Im clear about what is being
discussed. (SL.5.1a)
I can engage in a discussion with my peers.

I can evaluate how well the passages I selected reflect
the themes of the UDHR.
I can explain what I understand about the topic being

discussed. (SL.5.1b)
Ongoing
Assessment
Justify list of additional
passages (not identified in
Lesson 5) from Esperanza
Rising related to UDHR
articles.
Evaluate passage selections
based on provided criteria
Group discussion

(RL.5.2)
Lesson 7
Drafting Individual Readers

Theater Scripts for a Specific
Scene: Narrowing Text for Our
Readers Theater Scripts

(RL.5.2)
I can narrow my text selection, related to a theme.
Narrowed text selections
I can write an introduction to my script.
Exit ticket

I can justify my selection of text.

(SL.5.1)
I can ask questions so Im clear about what is being
discussed. (SL.5.1a)
I can explain what I understand about the topic being
discussed. (SL.5.1b)

Unit-at-a-Glance
Lesson
Lesson Title
Long-Term Targets
Supporting Targets
Lesson 8
Drafting Individual Readers

Theater Scripts for a Specific
Scene: Rephrasing, Narrator
Introduction, and
Identifying Characters

I can write a draft of my script.
I can use the 6+1 traits to write narrative texts. (W.5.3)
I can use peer feedback to make decisions about how

to improve my script.

(W.5.3a)
Ongoing
Assessment
Students Readers Theater
script drafts
Peer feedback
Exit ticket
I can organize events in an order that makes sense in my

narrative. (W.5.3b)
I can use dialogue and descriptions to show the actions,
thoughts, and feelings of my characters. (W.5.3c)
With support from peers and adults, I can use a writing
process to produce clear and coherent writing. (W.5.5)
Lesson 9
End of Unit Assessment:

Individual Sections of Readers
Theater Script
I can write narrative texts about real or imagined

experiences or events. (W.5.3)
(W.5.3a)
narrative. (W.5.3b)
I can write a title for my script.

I can act out the title of my script so my peers can
guess the title.
I can use narrative techniques to write a complete
section of my groups Readers Theater script.
End of Unit Assessment: Ondemand Readers Theater

scripts (W.5.3, W.5.4, and
W.5.9)
Self-assessment

thoughts, and feelings of my characters.(W.5.3c)
I can use transitional words, phrases, and clauses to show
passage of time in a narrative text. (W.5.3d)
I can produce clear and coherent writing that is
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (W.5.4)
I can choose evidence from literary or informational texts
to support analysis, reflection and research. (W.5.9)

Unit-at-a-Glance
Lesson
Lesson Title
Long-Term Targets
Supporting Targets
Ongoing
Assessment
Lesson 10
Our Group Readers Theater:

Managing the Sequence of
Events in our Group Script
I can write narrative texts. (W.5.3)
I can make notes about how to revise my script, based

on feedback.
Note-catcher: Group Script

Sequence
I can work with a group to create a group script, with

a logical sequence.
Readers Theater script draft

with revisions and transitions

(W.5.3a)
narrative. (W.5.3b)
I can add appropriate transitional words and phrases

to a script.
With support from peers and adults, I can use a writing

process to produce clear and coherent writing. (W.5.5)
Lesson 11

Revising Scripts, Conclusion, and
First Rehearsal
I can use the 6+1 traits to write narrative texts. (W.5.3)
I can collaborate with my group to revise our script.

(W.5.3a)
I can work with my group to write a conclusion to our

script that relates directly to our UDHR article.

narrative. (W.5.3b)
I can choose visuals that contribute to my audiences

understanding of the characters, setting, problem,
and/or mood of the play.

thoughts, and feelings of my characters. (W.5.3c)
I can practice performing a script.
Readers Theater script

revisions
Conclusion for group script
Selecting props for
performance
Performance practice
feedback

I can use sensory details to describe experiences and
events precisely. (W.5.3e)
I can write a conclusion to my narrative. (W.5.3f)
Lesson 12
Performance Task: Readers

Theater Second Rehearsal and
Performance

I can revise the conclusion of a script for a

performance.

narrative (poetry, drama, or other texts) and their
I can practice to refine my performance, based on

feedback.
Performance Task: Readers

Theater Second Rehearsal
and Performance
Self-assessment
I can speak clearly and with expression for a

performance.
I can perform my Readers Theater script for an
audience.


Experts: Invite playwrights, actors/actresses, stage/theater personnel to come talk with the class about their work, or to critique students script or rehearsal.
Fieldwork: Attend a theater performance, focusing on how the actors deliver their lines.
Service: Perform the Readers Theater scripts for a public audience, perhaps at an assisted living center.
Students may organize a public performance of their Readers Theater scripts.
For all students independently proficient with technology, consider allowing students to create the following, for use during the final performance: a PowerPoint,
Impress, or Prezi document incorporating script passages and imagery; or a sound-effects track for background or transitions between scenes.
Students interested or independently proficient in the arts may consider enlarging script passages and creating accompanying illustrations; creating a playbill for
their performance; creating a radio or print advertisement about their play; writing a short song or poem to conclude the play; designing or determining costumes (as
part of props); or choreographing/staging actors for the performance.

Recommended Texts
Unit 3 builds students knowledge about the genre of Readers Theater. Students will
write and perform Readers Theater scenes from Esperanza Rising, which is set
during the Depression, with scenes in both the United States and Mexico. The list
below contains works with a range of Lexile text measures on this topic, including
other engaging Readers Theater scripts as well as poetry related to human rights
issues. This provides appropriate independent reading for each student to help
build content knowledge. Note that districts and schools should consider their own
community standards when reviewing this list. Some texts in particular units or
modules address emotionally difficult content.
It is imperative that students read a high volume of texts at their reading level to
continue to build the academic vocabulary and fluency that the CCLS demands.
Title
Where possible, works in languages other than English are also provided. Texts are
categorized into three Lexile ranges that correspond to Common Core Bands:
below-grade band, within band, and above-grade band. Note, however, that Lexile
Grades 23: 420820L
Grades 45: 7401010L
Grades 6-8: 925-1185L
Text Type
Lexile Measure

Climbing Out of the Great Depression
Sean Price (author)
Informational text
620
Ida Early Comes over the Mountain
Robert Burch (author)
Literature
720
Giant Steps to Change the World
Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee (authors), Sean

Qualls (illustrator)
Informational text
870
Dancing Home
Alma Flor Ada and Gabriel M. Zubizarreta (authors)
Literature
960
Words to My Lifes Songs
Ashley Bryan (author/illustrator), Bill McGuinness

(photographer)
Literature
970
Lexile text measures band level (740 - 1010L)
Title
Text Type
Lexile Measure

Csar: S, se puede!/Yes, We Can!
Carmen T. Bernier-Grand
(author), David Diaz (illustrator)
Poetry
Not provided
Elegy on the Death of Csar Chvez
Rudolfo Anaya (author),

Gaspar Enriquez (illustrator)
Poetry
Not provided
If You Could Wear My Sneakers!
Sheree Firch (author),

Darcia Labrosse (illustrator)
Poetry
Not provided
Hour of Freedom:
American History in Poetry
Milton Meltzer (compiler),

Marc Nadel (illustrator)
Poetry
Not provided
Poetry for Young People: Maya Angelou
Edwin Graves Wilson, Ph.D. (editor), Jerome

Lagarrigue (illustrator)
Poetry
Not provided
Out of the Dust
Karen Hesse (author)
Prose
Not provided

Narratives as Theater, Part I: What is Readers
Theater?

What is Readers Theater?

I can use a variety of sources to develop an understanding of a topic. (RI.5.9)
I can write or speak about a topic using information from a variety of sources. (RI.5.9)
I can recognize the differences between different types of narratives (poetry, drama, or other texts) and their connections to larger concepts such as culture and personal
experiences. (W.5.11)
Ongoing Assessment
I can define Readers Theater.
Anchor chart: Readers Theater Definition and Purpose
I can identify the purpose of Readers Theater.
Participation in a Readers Theater
I can participate in a Readers Theater.

I can identify how a Readers Theater script differs from a novel.

Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
Remember, students have spent all of Unit 2 reading Esperanza Rising: first draft reading of all
chapters for homework and more careful study of specific passages from each chapter during class.
Thus, Unit 3 is the third read of Esperanza Rising, offering struggling readers an additional
opportunity to work with this complex text to further support comprehension of the material. This
also provides students an opportunity to go deeper with their analysis in the more creative form of
Readers Theater.
A. Review Learning Targets and Vocabulary (5 minutes)

B. Engaging the Reader: I Notice/I Wonder Anchor Chart
(10 minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Defining Readers Theater by Reading Informational
Texts (15 minutes)
B. Participating in a Readers Theater: American Heroes
(25 minutes)
A. Revisit the Readers Theater: I Notice/I Wonder Anchor
Chart (5 minutes)
In advance: Read about Readers Theater, what it is and how it is done.

Read through the Readers Theater scripts, American Heroes 14.
Review: Think-Pair-Share protocol (see Appendix 1).
Review: I Notice/I Wonder anchor chart (see Appendix 2).
Consider creating an Interactive Word Wall to use throughout this unit (see Appendix 1).
4. Homework
Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
define, purpose, narrative, Readers

Theater, script, novel, participate,
role
What is Readers Theater? (and How Do You Really Spell It?) (one per student)
Readers Theater definitions (one per student)
Readers Theater rubric (one per student)
American Heroes Scripts 14 (one per student)
Highlighters (4 different colors)
Anchor chart: Human Rights Challenges in Esperanza Rising (begun in Unit 2, Lesson 3)
I Notice/I Wonder anchor chart (new; teacher-created)

Opening
A. Reviewing Learning Targets and Vocabulary (5 minutes)
ELLs may be unfamiliar with

academic vocabulary words (e.g.
design, participate, identify.
Clarify vocabulary with students
as needed.
Discuss the learning targets with students and clarify any vocabulary, as needed. Focus on the word purpose: the reason for
doing something. Invite students to think about the many ways they have thought about purpose throughout this module (e.g.,
the purpose of the UDHR: why it was written; the purpose of specific language the author chose in Esperanza Rising).
Ask students to consider what question word goes most closely with thinking about purpose. Listen for students to focus on the
word why. Tell students that throughout Unit 3, they will be thinking about why authors make the choices they do to engage
their readers/listeners.
B. Engaging the Reader: I Notice/I Wonder Anchor Chart (10 minutes)
Ask students to think about connections they have made between the novel Esperanza Rising and the UDHR (refer them back to
the anchor chart Human Rights Challenges in Esperanza Rising, from Unit 2). Have students Think-Pair-Share their
connections. Invite several students to share aloud the connections their partner made.
Tell students: You know the novel Esperanza Rising is a narrative. Reading narratives helps us understand the human
experience. Often the themes of novels relate to issues in the real world. We have been connecting the themes in Esperanza
Rising to the ideas found in the UDHR, an informational text.
* In this unit, we will keep making connections to themes related to human rights. But we are going to learn about another type
of narrative, called a script. A script is used when actors and actresses perform a play, movie, or radio show. I am going to
show you some scripts, and we are going to read about them. By the end of the day, you will be clear about what a script is, and
how it is different from a novel. And we will start thinking about why an author would choose one instead of the other.
* We will be reading narrative scripts over the next few days, and eventually you will be working in groups to write your own
scripts about scenes from Esperanza Rising that relate to specific articles in the UDHR.
Post the I Notice/I Wonder anchor chart and display a copy of one of the American Heroes scripts. Allow students a
moment to read through the script quickly, then turn and talk with a partner about what they notice about the script (e.g.,
character names, a narrator, etc.). Have students share out and record their ideas in the I Notice column of the chart. Next ask
students what they wonder about this script, and record responses in the I Wonder column of the chart. Keep this chart posted
for student reference throughout Unit 3.

Work Time
A. Defining Readers Theater by Reading Informational Texts (15 minutes)

students comprehend questions
and discussions. Chart main
points in answers and post all
Tell students: You just got to look quickly at the narrative script called American Heroes. Later today, we will actually get to
participate in a Readers Theater using this script. First, you will need to understand what Readers Theater is. Invite them to
think about and share with a partner what they predict the definition will include.
Distribute and display the page titled What Is Readers Theater? (and How Do You Really Spell It?) Say: Lets read the following
definition together. Read through this definition line by line, aloud, for students. Pause at the end of each sentence to clarify
difficult vocabulary (e.g., minimal, framework, dramatic, suggestive, partial, neutral, uniform, memorization, etc.).
Ask students to Think-Pair-Share to add to the I Notice/I Wonder anchor chart. When possible, affirm how much they had
already figured out just by looking at an example of a script themselves.
Next, distribute and display the Readers Theater Definitions sheet. Read each definition aloud (as time permits), pausing after
each to clarify any vocabulary. Then ask students to think and then talk with a partner, restating the definition in their own
words.
Consider partnering an ELL

with a student who speaks the
same L1 when discussion of
complex content is required.
Once finished reading several, or all, of the definitions, return students attention to the I Notice/I Wonder anchor chart and
have several students share any additional notices and/or wonders they have about Readers Theater, based on the definitions
they just read.
Listen for students to make comments about the main aspects of a script.
It includes the list of characters.

It shows what words each person is supposed to say.
It gives other instructions.

B. Participating in a Readers Theater: American Heroes (25 minutes)
For any students who may be

shy about performing, help
them identify shorter passages
to read; have them focus on
acting out the line (with facial
expression and movement)
while another student reads the
line; allow time for the student
to read through his/her line
several times until comfortable
reading the line aloud.
Tell students that today they are just going to try Readers Theater a bit. The goal today is just to give them a feel for how to read
the script, how speaking roles alternate, etc. Be sure students know that this is not in any way supposed to be a polished
performance, and that they are not being evaluated on their speaking or acting skills. They are just getting their feet wet.
Display the Readers Theater rubric. Read and discuss the expectations for students delivery, cooperation with the group, and
on-task participation. Clarify any terms as necessary.
Divide students into groups of four and distribute one of the American Heroes scripts to each group (scripts 14), along with
four different colored highlighters.
Prepare: Assign each student in the group a role (or allow students 1 minute to decide which role each student will perform), and
have each student highlight (in a different color) the lines for which each is responsible.
Practice: Allow students several minutes to practice their scripts, reminding them to pay attention to when it is each students
turn to speak and to refer to the Readers Theater rubric for expectations.
Perform: Remind students that the purpose of todays lesson is just to get a feel for Readers Theater. Ask for groups that are
willing to perform their script for the class.
As time allows, ask students in the audience to offer brief feedback to the performers, based on elements of the rubric.

A. Revisit the Readers Theater: I Notice/I Wonder Anchor Chart (5 minutes)

sentence to provide the
structure required.
Bring students back together in a whole group. Ask students:
* Now that you have participated in a Readers Theater, what would you like to add to the I Notice side of our anchor chart?
* Can we cross out any of the I Wonder statements, because we have answers to those questions?
* What needs to be added to the I Wonder column of the anchor chart?
Leave this anchor chart posted for student reference throughout this unit.
Homework
Explain Readers Theater to someone at home. Tell that person what you will be doing in class during this unit. Invite him or her
to see you perform in two weeks!
For students who may need

help explaining the Readers
Theater and invitation orally to
someone at home, provide a
written note for the student to
give to his or her guest.
Note: For Lesson 2, read through the Esperanza Rising Readers Theater script, then break it into smaller scripts by
choosing sections 3-4 pages long, with 4-5 roles per section. Logical breaks are typically with Narrator lines, change in
setting, or change in time. The downloadable PDF of the script is available at http://pammunozryan.com/, located by
clicking on the Resources tab.
Note: Also read and familiarize yourself with the full description of the performance task students will need to perform at
the end of this unit in order to support students work toward the goal of writing and performing their own Readers
Theater scripts.


What Is Readers Theater?
(and How Do You Really Spell It?)
Readers on Stage (excerpt, adapted from Aaron Shepard)
Readers Theater is really basic theater. The goal is to support reading and performing literature.
There are many styles of Readers Theater. Here are some basic features of Readers Theater:
There is a narrator to help frame the dramatic presentation.

No full stage sets. If used at all, sets are simple.
No full costumes. If used at all, costumes just suggest the feel of the characters
or the costumes are really basic or all the same.
No full memorization. Scripts are used openly in performance.
Readers Theater was developed as an easy and good way to present literature in dramatic form.
Most scripts are adapted from literature.

Definitions of Readers Theater
Various Authors
Readers Theater is a rehearsed group presentation of a script that is read aloud rather
than memorized. (Flynn, 2004)
Readers Theater is an interpretive activity in which children practice and perform for others a
scripted reading. (Rinehart, 1999)
Readers Theater is dramatic oral expression that focuses on reading aloud rather than
memorization. (ONeill, 2001)
Readers Theater is an interpretive reading activity in which readers use their voices to
bring characters to life. (Martinez, Roser, and Strecker, 1999)
The goal of Readers Theater is to read a script in which the story theme and character
development are conveyed to the audience through intonation, inflection, and fluency.
(McAndrews, 2004)

I Notice/I Wonder Anchor Chart
Notices
Wonders
10

Readers Theater Rubric
Individual
Scores
1Needs
Improvement
2Fair
3Good
4Excellent
Delivery
Student had
difficulty reading
the script and
consistently did
not use
expression, eye
contact, or props
appropriately
Student read the

script but had
little expression,
few gestures, little
eye contact, or
did not use props
appropriately
Student read the

script with some
expression,
gestures, eye
contact, and use
of props
Student read the

script with
confidence and
expression,
made gestures
and good eye
contact, and
used props to
add to the
performance
Cooperation
with group
Student did not

work
cooperatively
together with
group and could
not agree on what
to do. Student did
not share
responsibilities or
ideas and wasted
time
Student worked
cooperatively
with group in
some aspects of
the project but
sometimes could
not agree on what
to do and wasted
time
Student worked
cooperatively
with group in
most aspects of
the project and
shared most
responsibilities
and ideas
Student worked
cooperatively
with the group
in all aspects of
the project and
shared all
responsibilities
and ideas well
Copyright 2010 IRA/NCTE. Used by permission and not subject to Creative

Commons license.
11

Group Members:
Group Scores
1Needs
Improvement
On-task
participation
Low level of
active
participation
from majority of
group members

Commons license.
2Fair
3Good
Moderate level of
on-task work or
few of the group
members actively
participating
Majority of
group members
on-task and
actively
participating
4Excellent
High level of
active, on-task
participation
from all group
members
12

Readers Theater Script: American Heroes
Script 1 - Cast:
Narrator
Paul Revere
Frederick Douglass
Susan B. Anthony
Narrator: Today, you will be introduced to three American heroes. Their stories begin at different
times in history and in different places; however, you are learning about them because they have
made important contributions to our country. I will let them introduce themselves to you.
Paul Revere: Hi, my name is Paul Revere. It is a French name, because my parents were born in
France. My father came to North America in 1715 when he was thirteen years old. He settled in Boston.
He was a silversmith.
Frederick Douglass: Good day, my name is Frederick Douglass. I was born in Maryland in
February of 1818. Unlike Paul Revere, I was born into slavery, but I managed to gain my freedom by
boarding a train to New York.
Susan B. Anthony: Hello, my name is Susan B. Anthony, and I was born in Massachusetts on
February 15, 1820, two years after Frederick Douglass. Douglass and I actually knew each other. We
were both fighting for the same cause. We wanted freedom for all people. I grew up during a time
when women had very few rights.
"American Heroes: Reader's Theater Script." Wheelerville Union Free School.

Web http://www.wufsk8.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/American-Heroes-Readers-Theater-script-1-1.doc
13

Script 2 - Cast:
Narrator
Paul Revere
Frederick Douglass
Susan B. Anthony
Narrator: Listen as these three American heroes tell how they impacted our history and expanded
our rights and freedoms.
Paul Revere: Well, when I grew up, America was not the same as we know it today. There were only
thirteen colonies, and we were ruled by the British. We did not have 50 states like we do now.
Frederick Douglass: And, when I was born, America was no longer ruled by the British, but things
were still pretty bad. As I said before, I was born into slavery. It was illegal for slaves like me to learn
how to read, but I didnt let that stop me. My first teacher was Sophia Auld. She was kind to me.
Susan B. Anthony: Well, although I was not a slave, I did not like the way some people were treated,
especially women. They did not have the right to vote, to own property, or to get good jobs. So, I
decided take a stand against the mistreatment of women.
Paul Revere: All of us had something we wanted to fight for. I decided that I was going to fight
against the British for our independence. I learn a lot from the men and women who came to our
silversmith shop. I heard stories about the complaints the colonists had against the British
government, so, I joined a group called the Sons of Liberty.
Frederick Douglass: And I hated being enslaved, so I dressed up as a sailor and got aboard a train
headed north. I was afraid I would be caught, but I got lucky and was able to make it to New York.
Susan B. Anthony: Well, I became a principal of an all-girls school, but I wanted to do more than
that. I wanted to work for justice and fairness for all the people who were being treated badly.

14

Script 3 - Cast:
Narrator
Paul Revere
Frederick Douglass
Susan B. Anthony
Narrator: So, what were some of the things that made you guys famous?
Paul Revere: Ah, well, let me see. I know you have heard about the famous Boston Tea Party, right?
Anyway, this was when the colonists decided that they were going to protest the taxes that the British
were making them pay. You know what they did? They dumped all the British tea into the Boston
Harbor.
Frederick Douglass: Oh boy, I bet that made them angry! But what I did was even more interesting.
I gave hundreds of speeches on the evils of slavery. I also became part of the Underground Railroad
that helped other slaves escape to freedom. I was a famous abolitionist. That just means someone who
wanted to get rid of slavery.
Susan B. Anthony: You were both very courageous! However, my good friend Elizabeth Stanton
and I formed the first political group for women, called The Womens National Loyal League. We also
organized the National Woman Suffrage Association. Suffrage means the right to vote.

15

Script 4 - Cast:
Narrator
Paul Revere
Frederick Douglass
Susan B. Anthony
Narrator: That is all wonderful, but what else did you do?
Paul Revere: Well, I became famous for the midnight ride that I took from Boston to the towns of
Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. I had to warn the Patriot Militia that the British soldiers were
coming. I was riding with William Dawes and Samuel Prescott. The battle at Lexington was the first
battle of the American Revolution. When the war ended in 1783, the thirteen colonies had gained
independence. We became the United States of America.
Frederick Douglass: I started a newspaper called the North Star, and I worked with Susan B.
Anthony and many others to end slavery and get more rights for women. President Lincoln and I
became friends, because he was against slavery as well.
Susan B. Anthony: Well, I am proud to say that I was arrested for voting. And, because of my
diligence, by 1920, the law was changed to allow women in every state to vote. So, every time you cast
a vote, think of me!
Frederick Douglass: Hey, hey, dont forget, I am the first African American to get my picture on a
postage stamp!
Paul and Susan: Way to go, Frederick!
Narrator: Well, you are all famous! Thank you so very much for the contributions you have made to
our American history. Because of your diligence and courage, you have made us proud.

16

Narratives as Theater: Esperanza Rising, from
Novel to Script

Esperanza Rising, from Novel to Script

I can explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fit together to create a larger literary text. (RL.5.5)
I can recognize the differences between different types of narrative (poetry, drama, and other texts) and their connections to larger concepts such as culture and personal
Ongoing Assessment
I can participate in a Readers Theater based on Esperanza Rising.
Participation in a Readers Theater
Readers Theater rubric
I can compare and contrast a novel and a script.

I can share my opinion about different types of narratives.

Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
chapters for homework, and more careful study of specific passages from each chapter during class.
Thus, Unit 3 is the third read of Esperanza Rising, offering struggling readers an additional opportunity
to work with this complex text to further comprehension of the material. This also provides students an
opportunity to go deeper with their analysis in the more creative form of Readers Theater.
A. Reviewing Learning Targets and Readers Theater

Rubric (5 minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Readers Theater: Pam Muoz Ryans script for
Esperanza Rising
(35 minutes)
B. Read-aloud: Selections from the Novel Esperanza
Rising (10 minutes)
C. Discussion: Comparing and Contrasting the Script
and the Novel (5 minutes)
A. Exit Ticket (5 minutes)
In advance: Read through the entire Esperanza Rising Readers Theater script and identify any
vocabulary you believe students may not know; add these words to the Interactive Word Wall started in
Lesson 1 (or use other vocabulary routines you already have in place) and post for student reference.
Please note that in the Readers Theater script there are stage directions given in parentheses. Make it
clear to students that these stage directions are not to be read aloud they suggest actions that the
character is doing while speaking those lines.
Divide the script into sections for separate student groups to use by choosing sections 3 to 4 pages long,
with 4 to 5 roles per section. Logical breaks are typically with Narrator lines, change in setting, or change
in time.
Note that the small groups are just for this lesson. Later in the unit, students will form new groups in
order to collaborate across multiple days as they actually write, rehearse, and perform their own script.
4. Homework
Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
Readers Theater, similarities,

differences, novel, script, opinion,
narrative, discuss, peers (additional
vocabulary may be identified in
Esperanza Rising Readers Theater
script)
Readers Theater rubric (from Lesson 1)

Esperanza Rising Readers Theater scripts (one for each group)
Highlighters (5 different colors for each group)
Passages from the novel Esperanza Rising (one for display)
Note cards (one per student)
I Notice/I Wonder anchor chart (from Lesson 1)
Document camera

Opening
A. Reviewing Learning Targets and Readers Theater Rubric (5 minutes)
Some students may be

unfamiliar with academic
vocabulary words. Clarify
vocabulary with students as
needed.
Review the learning targets with students and clarify any vocabulary as needed. Ask students to restate the targets in their own
words.
Display the Readers Theater rubric and review (from Lesson 1); briefly remind students of the process they will need to
follow with their group members during the Readers Theater prepare time (identify individual roles and highlight each role
in a different color).
Work Time
A. Readers Theater: Pam Muoz Ryans script for Esperanza Rising (35 minutes)

facilitated by interacting with
native speakers of English who
provide models of language.
Place students into groups of five (if some consist of fewer than five, help group members determine who will be responsible for
which additional lines).
Distribute one of the Esperanza Rising Readers Theater Scripts to each group, as well as five different colored
highlighters. Have students do the following steps (consider posting these steps where all students can see).
1. Prepare (5 minutes): Determine which role each group member will be responsible for. Have each student in the group
highlight her/his lines using the highlighter color each chose.
2. Practice (15 minutes): Allow students several minutes to practice their lines with group members, reminding students to refer
to the Readers Theater rubric for expectations. Move throughout the room to offer support to students, as needed.
3. Perform (15 minutes): Allow each group to perform their script, and allow the audience to offer feedback, based on the rubric,
as time allows.

B. Read Aloud: Selections from the Novel Esperanza Rising (10 minutes)
Consider providing smaller

chunks of text (sometimes just
a few sentences) for ELLs.
Teachers can check in on
students thinking as they
write or speak about their text.
Keep students in their groups and distribute student copies of the novel Esperanza Rising. Display the page Passages from
the Novel Esperanza Rising for the class on the document camera, and have students read 2 to 3 of the recommended
selections.
Say to students: Now you are going to read aloud passages from the novel Esperanza Rising. As you read aloud and listen to your
group members read aloud, think about how the novel sounds similar to and different from the Readers Theater scripts you just
performed.
Allow students to read the passage silently, then to take turns reading aloud with their group members. Move throughout the
room to offer support as needed.
C. Discussion: Comparing and Contrasting the Script and the Novel (5 minutes)
Ask class members to remain in their small groups. Give them 1 to 2 minutes to think on their own about how the script of
Esperanza Rising was the same and how it was different from the novel when read aloud.
Display the I Notice/I Wonder anchor chart from Lesson 1. Ask students to share with their group members their ideas about
the similarities and differences of the script to the novel. Invite students to suggest ideas that should be added to the I Notice or
the I Wonder columns of the anchor chart.
Remind them that they will continue to think about these questions in future lessons.

Consider providing extra time

for tasks and answering
Some students need more time
to process and translate
information.
Give each student a note card to write a response to the question: Which narrative format do you like better, a novel or a script,
and why? Collect.
Homework
Tell someone at home more about Readers Theater. How is it the same as reading a novel? How is it different? Which type of
narrative do you like more? Why?
For students needing

additional supports producing
language, consider offering a
sentence frame, sentence
starter, or cloze sentence to
provide the structure required.


Esperanza Rising Readers Theater Scripts
Readers Theatre Script for Esperanza Rising

For Five Readers
Esperanza
Tio Luis/Alfonso
Mama
Lawyer/Narrator
Miguel
Copyright Pam Muoz Ryan. Used by permission and not subject to


NARRATOR
Esperanza Rising by Pam Muoz Ryan
ESPERANZA
(singing or reciting)
Estas son las maanitas que cantaba el Rey David
A las muchachas bonitas; se las cantamos aqui.
MIGUEL
These are the morning songs
Which King David used to sing
To all the pretty girls
We sing them here for you . . .


MAMA
Esperanza heard singing outside her window. Before she was aware, she smiled because her first thought was
that today was her birthday.
ESPERANZA
I should get up and wave kisses to Papa.
NARRATOR
But when she opened her eyes, she realized the song had been in her dreams. Then, the events of last night
wrenched her mind into reality.
ESPERANZA
Yesterday, Papa and his vaqueros had been ambushed and killed while mending a fence on the farthest reaches
of the ranch.
TIO LUIS
Esperanzas smile faded, her chest tightened and a blanket of anguish smothered her joy.


NARRATOR
The rosaries, masses, and funeral lasted three days. People whom Esperanza had never seen before
came to the ranch to pay their respects, bringing enough food to feed ten families . . .
MIGUEL
and so many flowers that the overwhelming fragrance gave them all headaches.
MAMA
Tio Luis and Tio Marco came every day, too. At first, they stayed only a few hours.
NARRATOR
But soon they became like la calabasas, the squash plant in the garden, whose giant leaves
encroached upon anything smaller.
ESPERANZA
Eventually, the uncles stayed all day, even taking their meals at the ranch. And Mama was uneasy
with their presence.

10

MIGUEL
Finally, the lawyer came to settle the estate. As the uncles walked into the study, Mama and
Esperanza sat properly in their black dresses.
TIO LUIS
Ramona! Grieving does not suit you. I hope you will not wear black all year!
ESPERANZA
Mama did not answer him. Instead she maintained her composure and looked at the lawyer.
LAWYER
Ramona, your husband, Sixto Ortega, left this house and all of its contents to you and your daughter.
You will also receive the yearly income from the grapes. As you know, it is not customary to leave land
to women and since Luis is his brother, Sixto left the land to him.
TIO LUIS
Which makes things rather . . . awkward. I am the bank president and would like to live accordingly.
Now that I own this beautiful land, I would like to purchase the house from you for this amount.
(Show Mama palm of hand.)

11

MAMA
(disgusted)
The house . . it is worth twenty times this much! This is our home. My husband meant for us to live
here. So no, I will not sell. Besides, where would we live?
TIO LUIS
I predicted you would say no, Ramona. And I have a solution to your living arrangements. A proposal
actually. One of marriage.
ESPERANZA
(to Mama, almost in a whisper)
Who is he talking about? Who would marry him?
TIO LUIS
Of course, we would wait the appropriate amount of time out of respect for my brother. One year is
customary, is it not? Even you can see that with your beauty and reputation, and my position at the
bank, we could be a very powerful couple. I am going to campaign for governor. And what woman
would not want to be the governors wife?

12

ESPERANZA
(shaking her head)
Mama? No!
LAWYER
Mamas face looked as if it were in terrible pain.
MAMA
I have no desire to marry you, Luis, now or ever. Frankly, your offer offends me.
MIGUEL
Tio Luiss face hardened like a rock and the muscles twitched in his narrow neck.
TIO LUIS
You will regret your decision, Ramona. You must keep in mind that this house and those grapes are
on my property. I can make things difficult for you. Very difficult. I will let you sleep on the decision,
for it is more than generous.
ESPERANZA
Tio Luis and Tio Marco put on their hats and left. The lawyer looked uncomfortable and began
gathering documents.

13

MAMA
(to the lawyer)
Can he do this?
LAWYER
Yes. Technically, he is now your landlord.
MAMA
(confused)
But he could build another house, bigger and more pretentious anywhere on the property.
LAWYER
It is not the house he wants. It is your influence. People in this territory loved Sixto and respect you.
With you as his wife, Luis could win any election.
ESPERANZA
Mama, marry Tio Luis? Imposible. Mamas entire body stiffened.

14

MAMA
Please officially relay this message to Luis. I will never, ever, change my mind.
LAWYER
I will do that, Ramona. But be careful. He is a devious and dangerous man.
MAMA
(puts head in hands as if crying)
ESPERANZA
Dont cry, Mama. Everything will be all right.
NARRATOR
But Esperanza didnt sound convincing, even to herself. And that evening, when she crawled into bed
and tried to sleep, her thoughts kept returning to what Tio Luis had said about Mama regretting her
decision.
TIO LUIS
Esperanza closed her eyes tight and tried to find the dream . . .
ESPERANZA
. . . the one with the birthday song.

15

MIGUEL
The wind blew hard that night and the house moaned and whistled. Instead of dreaming of birthday
songs, Esperanzas sleep was filled with nightmares - suffocating nightmares that made her choke and
cough.
ESPERANZA
(coughing)
MIGUEL
She half-woke to someone shaking her.
MAMA
Esperanza! Wake up! The house is on fire!
MIGUEL
Smoke drifted into the room.
ESPERANZA
Mama, (coughing) whats happening?

16

MAMA
Get up, Esperanza! We must get Abuelita!
MIGUEL
Esperanza heard the deep voice of Alfonso yelling from somewhere downstairs.
ALFONSO
Seora Ortega! Esperanza!
MAMA
Here! We are here!
MIGUEL
Mama grabbed a damp rag from the washbowl and handed it to Esperanza to put over her mouth and
nose.
NARRATOR
Then she and Mama hurried down the hall toward her grandmothers room, but it was empty.

17

MAMA
Alfonso! Abuelita is not here!
ALFONSO
We will find her. You must come now! The stairs are beginning to burn. Hurry!
MIGUEL
Esperanza held the towel over her face and looked down the stairs.
ESPERANZA
The house was enveloped in a fog that thickened toward the ceiling.
MIGUEL
Mama and Esperanza crouched down the stairs where Alfonso was waiting to lead them out through
the kitchen.

18

NARRATOR
In the courtyard, the wooden gates were open. Near the stables, the vaqueros were releasing the
horses from the corrals.
ESPERANZA
Servants scurried everywhere. Where were they going?
ALFONSO
Esperanza felt dizzy. Nothing seemed real. Was she still dreaming? Miguel grabbed her.
MIGUEL
Where is Abuelita?
MAMA
When she didnt answer, he ran toward the house.
NARRATOR
The wind caught the sparks and carried them to the stables. Esperanza stood in the middle of it all,
watching the outline of her home silhouetted in flames.

19

ALFONSO
Miguel ran out of the burning house carrying Abuelita in his arms. He laid her gently on the ground.
MAMA
He is on fire!
ESPERANZA
The back of Miguels shirt was aflame. Alfonso tackled him, rolling him over and over on the ground
until the fire was out.
ALFONSO
Miguel stood up and slowly took off the blackened shirt.
MIGUEL
Mama cradled Abuelita in her arms.
ESPERANZA
Mama, is she . . .?
MAMA
No, she is alive, but weak and her ankle . . . I dont think she can walk.

20

ESPERANZA
The fires anger could not be contained. It spread to the grapes.
NARRATOR
The flames ran along the deliberate rows of vines, like long curved fingers reaching for the horizon.
MAMA
They stood as if in trances, for hours, and watched El Rancho de las Rosas burn.
NARRATOR
There was no point in talking about how it happened.
ALFONSO
They all knew that the uncles had arranged the fire.

21

MIGUEL
Still in her nightgown, Esperanza went out among the rubble and surveyed the surviving victims:
ALFONSO
the twisted forms of wrought-iron chairs . . .
MAMA
. . . unharmed cast-iron skillets . . .
ALFONSO
. . . and the mortars and pestles from the kitchen that were made from lava rock and refused to burn.

22

MAMA
Avoiding the smoldering piles, Esperanza picked through the black wood, hoping to find something to
salvage . . .
NARRATOR
. . . hoping for un milagro, a miracle.
ESPERANZA
But all that Papa had left the grapes and the contents of the house . . .was gone.
MIGUEL
Awake, my beloved awake.
See . . . it is already dawn
The birds are already singing,
the moon has already gone . . .
ESPERANZA
(singing or reciting)
Despierta, mi bien, despierta. Mira que ya amaneci
Ya los pajaritos cantan, la luna ya se meti
End of scene
Pam Muoz Ryans full Readers Theater Script for Esperanza Rising can be downloaded as a PDF from her
Web site: www.pammunozryan.com, located by clicking on the Resources tab.

23

Passages from the novel Esperanza Rising
Read pages 2326 (where the passage ends with a ~ symbol)

Read pages 2628 (beginning with the ~ symbol on p. 26, ending with the ~ symbol on p. 28)
Read pages 2833 (beginning with the ~ symbol on p. 28, ending with the ~ symbol at the bottom of
p. 33)
Read pages 3942 (beginning of page 39 through the end of page 42)
24



I can write an opinion piece. (W.5.1)
Ongoing Assessment
I can summarize key articles of the UDHR, and passages from Esperanza Rising and American
Heroes from previous learning.
Making connections between UDHR and scripts

Narrator discussion questions

I can share my opinion about the effectiveness of the narrator dialogue.
Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
chapters for homework, and more careful study of specific passages from each chapter during class.
Thus, Unit 3 is the third read of Esperanza Rising, offering struggling readers an additional opportunity
to work with this complex text to further comprehension of the material. This also provides students an
opportunity to go deeper with their analysis in the more creative form of Readers Theater.

2. Work Time
A. Connecting the UDHR to the Themes in Readers
Theater Scripts (25 minutes)
B. The Role of Narration in Readers Theater (15
minutes)
Review: Annotating Text and Praise-Question-Suggestion (Appendix)

A. Critique of the Narration in Esperanza Rising and
American Heroes Readers Theater Scripts (15
minutes)
4. Homework

Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
recall, summarize, UDHR,

participate, discuss, narrator,
opinion, dialogue, effective, key
(articles)
UDHR note-catcher (from Unit 1)

American Heroes Scripts 14 (from Lesson 1)
Readers Theater: Esperanza Rising scripts (from Lesson 2)
Anchor chart: Human Rights Challenges in Esperanza Rising (from Unit 2)
Narrator Discussion Questions (one per student)
Opening
All students developing

academic language will benefit
from direct instruction of
academic vocabulary.
Discuss the learning targets with students and clarify any terms as needed. Ask students to restate the targets in their own words.

Work Time
A. Connecting the UDHR to the Themes in Readers Theater Scripts (25 minutes)
Consider partnering an ELL

with a student who speaks the
same L1 when discussion of
complex content is required.
Set purpose for students for this lesson, which requires them to again revisit the UDHR they worked with in Units 1 and 2 (refer
students to the anchor chart Human Rights Challenges in Esperanza Rising, from Unit 2). Today we are going to review the
UDHR themes we have been studying in this module, in order to help us make connections between the UDHR themes and the
narrative Readers Theater scripts we have been reading. Discussing these connections will help prepare you for later in the unit,
when you will need to write your own Readers Theater script based on one UDHR theme and passages from the novel Esperanza
Rising.
Place students into groups of four or five. Ask students to take out the UDHR note-catcher (from Unit 1), in which they
summarized 10 articles from the UDHR and drew sketches about what it would look like for the promise of each article to be
kept or broken (see Unit 1, Lesson 1).
Give students several minutes to review their UDHR summaries silently, then to discuss with peers in groups, making sure all
students are comfortable with their understanding of the UDHR themes discussed in Units 1 and 2. Offer clarification as
necessary.

chunks of text (sometimes just a
few sentences) for ELLs.
students thinking as they write
or speak about their text.
Distribute one of the American Heroes scripts (14) and one of the Readers Theater: Esperanza Rising scripts to each group
member (each member will need to have the same script). Review how to annotate text with students.
Display one of the scripts and briefly model how to annotate their scripts, saying: Now you are going to locate the connections
between the UDHR themes we have studied and the Readers Theater scripts titled American Heroes and Esperanza Rising.
Read aloud the first line of the script: LAWYER: Ramona, your husband, Sixto Ortega, left this house and all of its contents to
you and your daughter. You will also receive the yearly income from the grapes. As you know, it is not customary to leave land to
women and since Luis is his brother, Sixto left the land to him, and underline the last sentence.
* Think aloud: I underlined this sentence because I think this is a good example of the UDHR Article 17, everyone has the
right to own property; now I am going to make a note next to this sentence by writing UDHR 17 and explain briefly why I
think this sentence is an example of that article by writing, Mama cant own property because she is a woman.

Ask students to think and then talk: Do you agree or disagree with my connection? Why or why not? Allow students to
share their ideas. Check that students understand the task; do one more model with the American Heroes script, if needed.
Ask students to take 10 minutes on their own to identify connections between the scripts and the UDHR. Encourage them to
make at least 1 or 2 connections per script. Move throughout the room to support students as necessary.
Ask students to talk as a group about the connections they noticed.
In the last several minutes, allow students to share the connections and annotations they made.
B. The Role of Narration in Readers Theater (15 minutes)
Have students remain in their groups. Ask them to highlight all narrator lines in each script.
Display the Narrator Discussion Questions sheet where all students can see it, and distribute a copy to each student in
the group. Read each question aloud, pausing to clarify terms as needed. Students will discuss each question with their
group members and then write a response on their own sheets. Move throughout the room to offer support as needed.

supports, consider offering a
cloze sentence to provide the
structure required.
If time permits, ask students to share out their answers.

A. Critique of the Narration in Esperanza Rising and American Heroes Readers Theater Scripts (15
minutes)

such as How to Praise-QuestionSuggest This would include
question words with nonlinguistic
representations and a question
frame.
Collect students Narrator Discussion Questions sheet as an ongoing assessment to gauge how well students are able to
connect the UDHR articles to the scripts.
Have students come together in a whole group and review the Praise-Question-Suggest protocol with students. Tell them
they are going to critique the narrator lines of the scripts for American Heroes and Esperanza Rising.
Tell students you would like them to evaluate both scripts based on the following criteria. Make sure these are visible to all
students:
* The narrators scene introduction is clearly connected to the dialogue in the scene.
* The narrator makes a strong connection between the scene and one of the UDHR articles.
Ask students to write their comments directly on the scripts they have at their tables.
Have each student work independently to write:
one Praise,
one Question, and
one Suggest for each script.
As time allows, have students share their ideas, then collect their annotated scripts.
Homework
None


Narrator Discussion Questions
Respond to the following questions about the lines of narration in each script
(American Heroes and Esperanza Rising)
In the Esperanza Rising script, how does
the narrator give the audience ideas about
what will happen in each scene? Support your
answer with evidence from the scripts.
Write 1-2 examples from the Esperanza

Rising script in which the narrator makes a
connection to the UDHR. Name the specific
UDHR article the narrator is referencing.
Explain why you think each of these lines of
narration is connected to the UDHR.

Narrator Discussion Questions
Respond to the following questions about the lines of narration in each script
(American Heroes and Esperanza Rising)
In the American Heroes script, how does the
narrator give the audience ideas about what will
happen in each scene? Support your answer
with evidence from the scripts.
Write 1-2 examples from the American

Heroes script in which the narrator makes a
connection to the UDHR. Name the specific
UDHR article the narrator is referencing.
Explain why you think each of these lines of
narration is connected to the UDHR.

Mid-Unit Assessment: Evaluating a Novel Versus a
Script


I can explain how a series of chapters, scenes or stanzas fit together to create a larger literary text. (RL.5.5)
I can describe how a narrators point of view influences the description of events. (RL.5.6)
I can compare and contrast stories in the same genre for approach to theme and topic. (RL.5.9)
Ongoing Assessment
I can describe the similarities and differences between a novel and a script.
I can describe the connections between the UDHR and a script or a novel.
Mid-Unit Assessment: Evaluating a Novel versus a

Script
I can describe the authors motivations for creating a script.
Self-assessment
I can describe the role of a narrator in a script.

I can share my opinions about a novel and a script.
Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
In advance: Make student notes and anchor charts from Lessons 13 available for
student reference during the assessment.

B. Academic Vocabulary Clarification (10 minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Mid-Unit Assessment (40 minutes)
4. Homework

Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
evaluate, Venn diagram, compare,

contrast, script, novel, narrator, cite
with evidence, introduce, passages,
scene, effective
Mid-Unit Assessment: Evaluating a Novel versus a Script (one per student)

Mid-Unit Assessment: Evaluating a Novel versus a Script (Sample Responses for Teacher Reference)
Relevant notes and anchor charts from Lessons 13 (for student reference during the assessment)
Opening

Read the learning targets aloud and ask students to restate them in their own words. Clarify as needed.
B. Academic Vocabulary Clarification (10 minutes)

Make sure students understand that to evaluate means to examine something more closely to judge it: to think about its strengths
and weaknesses. Point out that many students know this word from school in reference to how strong their work is or what they
need to improve.
Ask students to turn and talk about times they have been evaluated or have gotten to evaluate something. Listen for students to
make connections to being evaluated in school, at the doctor, etc. Students also may offer examples of times they have evaluated,
or judged, something else: a movie, etc. Clarify misconceptions about this key vocabulary term.
Some students may be

unfamiliar with academic
vocabulary words. Clarify
vocabulary with students as
needed.
Tell students that today, they will be evaluating two types of narrative writing: a novel and a script.
Tell them that often when you evaluate something, you are comparing it to something else. For example, if you say that a movie is
great, this is compared to another movie you didnt like as much. Tell students that today, they will first think about how novels
and scripts are alike and different. They will complete a Venn diagram, which is a graphic organizer used to help compare
(identify similarities) and contrast (identify differences) a novel and a script. Remind students that they have been working with
scripts while participating in Readers Theater during Lessons 1 and 2; they also had an opportunity to discuss and critique the
role of narrator in both Readers Theater scripts in Lesson 3.

Opening (continued)
Tell students: Today you are going to complete a Mid-Unit 3 Assessment in which you will complete a Venn diagram comparing
and contrasting scripts and a novel. Then you will read selected passages from the novel Esperanza Rising and the script based on
the same novel, in order to respond to some short-answer questions. It will be important for you to support your answers by citing
evidence from both the novel and the script. Clarify terms further, as necessary.
Ask students to turn and talk to check their understanding of compare, contrast, and evaluate. What thinking will they need to do
on the Mid-Unit 3 Assessment?
Work Time
A. Mid-Unit Assessment: Evaluating a Novel versus a Script (40 minutes)

comprehend questions.
Distribute the Mid-Unit Assessment: Evaluating a Novel versus a Script, to each student (see supporting materials).
Address clarifying questions then invite students to begin.

assessments.

For students needing

additional supports, consider
offering a sentence frame or
starter, or a cloze sentence to
assist with language
production and provide the
structure required.
Reorient students to the learning targets. Ask the class to show a thumbs-up, -sideways, or -down to signal how well they feel they
did meeting these targets.
Ask students to think, then turn and talk with a partner:
* What is something you did well on the mid-unit assessment? Be specific.

* What is something that was hard for you? Be specific.
Point out to students that what they are doing right now is evaluating themselves: thinking about their strengths and weaknesses.
Homework
None


Evaluating a Novel Versus a Script
1. Compare (similarities) and contrast (differences) a script a novel by completing the Venn diagram
below.

2. Read both passages below. Passage A is from the novel Esperanza Rising. Passage B is from Pam
Muoz Ryans Readers Theater script. Answer the questions that follow, making sure to cite
evidence for your answers using the text provided.
Passage A: From Esperanza Rising, the novel (pp. 2830)

To Luis and To Marco came every day and went into Papas study to take care of the family
business. At first, they stayed only a few hours, but soon they became like la calabaza, the squash
plant in Alfonsos garden, whose giant leaves spread out, encroaching upon anything smaller. The
uncles eventually stayed each day until dark, taking all their meals at the ranch as well. Esperanza
could tell that Mama was uneasy with their constant presence.
A little too loudly, To Luis said, Ramona, grieving does not suit you. I hope you will not wear black
all year!
Mama did not answer but maintained her composure.
Ramona, said the lawyer. Your husband, Sixto Ortega, left this house and all of its contents to you
and your daughter. You will also receive the yearly income from the grapes. As you know, it is not
customary to leave land to women and since Luis was the banker on the loan, Sixto left the land to
him.

Passage B: From Esperanza Rising the script (pp. 45)

NARRATOR: But soon they became like las calabaza, the squash plant in the garden, whose giant
leaves encroached upon anything smaller.
ESPERANZA: Eventually, the uncles stayed all day, even taking their meals at the ranch. And Mama
was uneasy with their presence.
MIGUEL: Finally, the lawyer came to settle the estate. As the uncles walked into the study, Mama and
TIO LUIS: Ramona! Grieving does not suit you. I hope you will not wear black all year!
ESPERANZA: Mama did not answer him. Instead she maintained her composure and looked at the
lawyer.
LAWYER: Ramona, your husband, Sixto Ortega, left this house and all of its contents to you and your
daughter. You will also receive the yearly income form the grapes. As you know, it is not customary to
leave land to women and since Luis is his brother, Sixto left the land to him.

a. How are the passages from the novel similar to the passages from the script? Support your answer
with evidence from both texts.
b. How are the passages from the novel different from the passages of the script? Support your
answer with evidence from both texts.

c. How do both the novel and the script connect to the UDHR? Support your answer with evidence
from all three texts.
d. The narrator introduces the scene in the script with the line, But soon they became like la
calabaza, the squash plant in the garden, whose giant leaves encroached upon anything smaller.
Based on the context, what do you think the word encroached means?
10

Why do you think Pam Muoz Ryan chose to begin the scene with this passage? Consider how this
line of narration relates to the rest of the script. Support your answer with evidence.
e. We will be writing Readers Theater scripts of our own and need to think about how to engage our
audience. How did Pam Muoz Ryan use the role of NARRATOR in her Readers Theater script to
help engage the audience with her story? Cite examples from the script.
11

(Sample Responses for Teacher Reference)
1. Compare (similarities) and contrast (differences) a script a novel by completing the Venn
diagram below.
Both a novel and a script have:

The same characters in the scene
Some of the same dialogue
Some of the same actions by characters
The same events.
A script has that a novel does not:
A narrator who is different to the characters in the scene.
More dialogue a script tells the same story through dialogue and actions.
12

A novel has that a script does not:

Descriptions and details about an event.
Descriptions of thoughts and feelings.
2. Read both passages below. Passage A is from the novel Esperanza Rising. Passage B is from Pam
Muoz Ryans Readers Theater script. Answer the questions that follow, making sure to cite
evidence for your answers using the text provided.
Passage A: From Esperanza Rising, the novel (pp. 2830)

To Luis and To Marco came every day and went into Papas study to take care of the family
business. At first, they stayed only a few hours, but soon they became like la calabaza, the squash
plant in Alfonsos garden, whose giant leaves spread out, encroaching upon anything smaller. The
uncles eventually stayed each day until dark, taking all their meals at the ranch as well. Esperanza
could tell that Mama was uneasy with their constant presence.
A little too loudly, To Luis said, Ramona, grieving does not suit you. I hope you will not wear black
all year!
Mama did not answer but maintained her composure.
Ramona, said the lawyer. Your husband, Sixto Ortega, left this house and all of its contents to you
and your daughter. You will also receive the yearly income from the grapes. As you know, it is not
customary to leave land to women and since Luis was the banker on the loan, Sixto left the land to
him.
13

Passage B: From Esperanza Rising the script (pp. 45)

NARRATOR: But soon they became like las calabaza, the squash plant in the garden, whose giant
lawyer.
daughter. You will also receive the yearly income form the grapes. As you know, it is not customary to
14

a. How are the passages from the novel similar to the passages from the script? Support your answer
with evidence from both texts.
The first line the narrator says in the script is very similar to a line in the novel. In
the script the narrator says, But soon they became like las Calabasas, the squash
plant in the garden, whose giant leaves encroached upon anything smaller. In the
novel it says, soon they became like la calabaza, the squash plant in Alfonsos
garden, whose giant leaves spread out, encroaching upon anything smaller.
Some of the same dialogue is evident. For example in both Tio Luis says, Ramona!
Grieving does not suit you. I hope you will not wear black all year!
In both the lawyer comes to settle the estate and the dialogue from the novel is used
in the script. In both the lawyer says, Ramona, your husband, Sixto Ortega, left
this house and all of its contents to you and your daughter. You will also receive the
yearly income form the grapes. As you know, it is not customary to leave land to
women and since Luis is his brother, Sixto left the land to him.
b. How are the passages from the novel different from the passages of the script? Support your
answer with evidence from both texts.
Miguel has a line in the script, but is not evident in the novel. In the script Miguel
says, Finally, the lawyer came to settle the estate. As the uncles walked into the
study, Mama and Esperanza sat properly in their black dresses.
Esperanza plays the part of the narrator in the script when she says, Mama did not
answer him. Instead she maintained her composure and looked at the lawyer.
c. How do both the novel and the script connect to the UDHR? Support your answer with evidence
from all three texts.
In article 12 of the UDHR it says, No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference

with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour
and reputation. In the script and in the novel the uncles are interfering in the
privacy, family and home of mama, Esperanza and Miguel. In the script the
narrator says, But soon they became like las Calabasas, the squash plant in the
garden, whose giant leaves encroached upon anything smaller.
15

d. The narrator introduces the scene in the script with the line, But soon they became like la
calabaza, the squash plant in the garden, whose giant leaves encroached upon anything smaller.
Based on the context, what do you think the word encroached means?
Grew so big that they spread into the path of anything smaller.
Why do you think Pam Muoz Ryan chose to begin the scene with this passage?
Consider how this line of narration relates to the rest of the script. Support your
answer with evidence.
Because she is setting the scene that the uncles, the big men, were trying to taking
over and control Esperanza, Miguel and their mama. The anything smaller that
are Esperanza, Miguel and their mama.
e. We will be writing Readers Theater scripts of our own and need to think about how to engage our
audience. How did Pam Muoz Ryan use the role of NARRATOR in her Readers Theater script to
help engage the audience with her story? Cite examples from the script.
She uses the narrator at the very beginning to set the scene for what the uncles
are doing, so that we understand what is going on. The narrator says, But soon
they became like las Calabasas, the squash plant in the garden, whose giant
16

Identifying Theme: Connecting Passages from
Esperanza Rising to Human Rights

Identifying Theme:
Connecting Passages from Esperanza Rising to Human Rights

I can document what I learn about a topic by sorting evidence into categories. (W.5.8)
Ongoing Assessment
I can summarize key articles of the UDHR from previous learning.
UDHR category cards
I can summarize key passages of Esperanza Rising from previous learning.
Exit ticket
I can identify passages of Esperanza Rising that relate to specific articles of the UDHR.
I can justify my reasons for selecting specific passages from Esperanza Rising.

Identifying Theme:
Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
In advance: Have students UDHR note-catchers (from Unit 1) and Poems for Two Voices (from Unit 2)
available for student use.

B. Review of Previous Learning: UDHR Note-catcher
and Poems for Two Voices (10 minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Narrowing Our Focus on the UDHR (5-10 minutes)
B. Group Work: Categorizing Passages from Esperanza
Rising Related to the UDHR (25 minutes)
A. Justifying Passage Selections (10 minutes)
B. Exit Ticket (5 minutes)
This lesson begins the first series of writing lessons in this module. Emphasize to students that writing
is more than just organizing their ideas or editing for conventions. In order to write well about
something, you need to know a lot about it. This lesson gives students an opportunity to review and
consolidate that knowledge.
This lesson involves students physically working with evidence, which students also did in Unit 1,
Lesson 10 (when they sorted evidence from a firsthand human rights account). Review that lesson.
In the closing of this lesson, students write a brief exit ticket stating their preferences for their Readers
Theater focus and group members. Review the process for assigning groups, as laid out in the exit ticket,
and adjust as needed. The goal is to be able to form Readers Theater groups for Lessons 7 through the
end of the unit.
In advance: Prepare UDHR category cards (see supporting materials)
4. Homework
Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
review, summarize, focus, identify,

categorize, justify, narrow,
select/selections, relate, passage
(selections)
UDHR note-catcher (from Unit 1)

Students poems for Two Voices (from Unit 2, Lessons 13 and 14)
UDHR category cards (for small group work; see Teaching Notes)
Evidence strips from Esperanza Rising
Scissors
Glue sticks (one per pair of students)
Index cards (one per student)
Document camera

Identifying Theme:
Opening

Review the learning targets with students, focusing on the terms recall (to remember from previous learning) and categorize
(meaning to sort or classify). Use this opportunity to point out the prefix re-, which means again.

increases the rate of vocabulary
B. Review of Previous Learning: UDHR Note-catcher and Poems for Two Voices (10 minutes)
Return the UDHR note-catchers students created in Unit 1 and their Poems for Two Voices (completed in Unit 2). Display the
anchor chart Human Rights Challenges in Esperanza Rising, from Unit 2.

materials in students L1. This
Tell students that today is the exciting day when they really get to begin planning their own Readers Theater script. To help
them think about this, they will need to look over the notes from all they have been learning in this module.
Say: Lets look at our summaries of the UDHR articles, from Unit 1, as well as our Poems for Two Voices and our anchor chart
Human Rights Challenges in Esperanza Rising, from Unit 2. Which UDHR articles were you able to connect to the human
rights challenges faced by the characters in Esperanza Rising when you created these poems?
Allow students a moment to consider, then pair-share their thinking. Allow several students to share their ideas with the class,
prompting them to cite specific language from the UDHR, Esperanza Rising, and/or their Poems for Two Voices.
Tell students that today they are going to narrow their focus to five articles of the UDHR, in order to start identifying and
categorizing passages for the creation of their own Readers Theater scripts, based on the novel Esperanza Rising.
Note: If any students are missing either the graphic organizer or the Poem for Two Voices, they may look on with another
student.
Work Time
A. Narrowing Our Focus on the UDHR (5-10 minutes)

Have students get into groups of three to five. Say: We have been studying 11 UDHR articles, but now we are going to narrow
our focus to 5 of those articles. On your UDHR note-catchers, place a star next to UDHR Articles 2, 14, 16, 17, and 25. Give the
class a minute to mark these articles, then ask several students to share the summaries they have already written for each of the
five articles.
Next, distribute the UDHR category cards and scissors to each student. Have students write their name at the top of each card,
then cut apart along the lines, so each student will have 5 cards all together.

Identifying Theme:
B. Group Work: Categorizing Passages from Esperanza Rising Related to the UDHR (25 minutes)
Provide anchor charts for

processes such as How to
Categorize Passages from
Esperanza Rising. This would
include question words with
nonlinguistic representations
and a question frame.
Give each student a copy of the page Evidence Strips from Esperanza Rising. Display a copy of the evidence strips as well as a
copy of the UDHR category cards on a document camera.
Tell students that they are going to do something similar to an activity they did in Unit 1, when they looked at specific evidence
from a firsthand human rights account and connected it to articles in the UDHR. Invite students to quickly turn and talk about
what they remember about that activity.
Say to students: I am going to start by reading the first passage from Esperanza Rising, then I am going to review my UDHR
category cards, and think about which of the five UDHR categories I think this passage belongs in. I would like you to think
about the category the passage belongs in as well. Allow a moment of think time, then cold call several students to share their
ideas. Make sure to have students justify why they think the passage belongs in a category. Share your own thinking as well.
Model as needed with one or two more passages, so students understand that they will be placing individual passages into
categories of the UDHR.
Instruct students to read through all remaining passages silently once. Then ask students to cut the passages into individual
strips.
Invite students to discuss with their group which passages belong in which categories and why (i.e., justify).
* Which passages relate to which articles of the UDHR?

* What is your evidence?
Move throughout the room to offer support as needed.
Distribute glue sticks, and ask the class members to physically glue each passage onto the UDHR category card that best
connects to the passage, based on their group discussion. Remind students that in the next step, they will need to be able to
justify why they placed a certain passage into a specific category.
Note: Students will not fill in the sentence frames at the bottom of each category card until Closing, Step A.

Identifying Theme:
A. Justifying Passage Selections (10 minutes)
Consider allowing students to

draw their observations, ideas, or
notes when appropriate. This
allows all students to participate
in a meaningful way.
Pose the following question to the class: Were any of the passages difficult to categorize? If so, why? Allow several students to
respond.
Tell students that now that they have had a chance to think and talk, they are more ready to write.
Ask them to fill in the sentence frames at the bottom of each of their UDHR category cards, in order to justify (give a reason)
why they placed passages into certain categories. Give students several minutes to complete this. If time allows, cold call several
students to share their justifications.
B. Exit Ticket (5 minutes)
Give each student an index card. Ask each student to write the following information on the card:
Name
Rank order (first, second, and third choice) of UDHR Articles 2, 14, 16, 17, and 25 that they are most interested in focusing on
for their Readers Theater script.
Consider allowing students who

struggle with written language to
dictate their exit ticket to a
partner or a teacher.
The names of at least 5 other students she/he would like to work with on writing the Readers Theater script and why.
Collect the UDHR category cards and exit tickets.
Homework
Tell someone at home about the UDHR themes you are interested in writing a Readers Theater script about, and why that
theme interests you.

required.
Note: Either predetermine groups for students or use student exit tickets from this lesson to create groups for the next lesson,
Launching Readers Theater Groups.


UDHR Category Cards
Instructions to Teacher: Cut these cards apart, so you have 5 separate category cards.
UDHR Article 2: Everyone has the same rights and freedoms, regardless of color, sex, language,
religion, politics, or nation of birth.
These passages belong in this category because
UDHR Article 14: Everyone has the right to seek protection and freedom in another country, and
escape from persecution.
.

UDHR Category Cards
UDHR Article 16: Regardless of race, nationality or religion, everyone has the right to marry the
person of their choice.
UDHR Article 17: Everyone has the right to own property, alone or with others of their choice.

UDHR Category Cards
UDHR Article 25: Everyone has the right to adequate food, clothing, housing, and medical care,
regardless of circumstances beyond his/her control.

Evidence Strips from Esperanza Rising
Instructions: Read all these passages once for gist and then a second time to annotate.
Then cut them into evidence strips to discuss with your group.
(p. 31) I predicted you would say no, Ramona, said To Luis. And I have a solution to
your living arrangements.
A proposal actually. One of marriage.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p. 32) You will regret your decision, Ramona. You must keep in mind that this house
and those grapes are on my property. I can make things difficult for you. Very difficult.
I will let you sleep on the decision, for it is more than generous.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p. 33) It is your influence he wants. People in this territory loved Sixto and respect
you.
With you as his wife, Luis could win any election.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p. 33) Please officially relay this message to Luis. I will never, ever, change my mind.
I will do that, Ramona, said the lawyer. But be careful. He is a devious, dangerous
man.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10

(pp. 119120) It is frustrating. I can fix any engine. But they will only hire Mexicans to
lay track and dig ditches, not as mechanics. Ive decided to work in the fields until I can
convince someone to give me a chance.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p. 132) This is what we are! she yelled. Small, meek animals. And that is how they
treat us because we dont speak up. If we ask for what is rightfully ours, we will never
get it! Is this how we want to live?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------(p. 132) Senor, does it not bother you that some of your compadres live better than
others? yelled one of Martas friends. We are going to strike in two weeks. At the peak
of cotton. For higher wages and better housing!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p. 134) They work wherever there is something to be harvested. Those camps, the
migrant camps, are the worst.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p. 134) Our camp is a company camp and people who work here dont leave. Some live
here for many years. That is why we came to this country. To work. To take care of our
families. To become citizens.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11

(p. 170) Repatriation, said Martas aunt. La Migrathe immigration authorities

round up people who cause problems and check their papers.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p. 171) Esperanza remembered the train at the border and the people being herded on
to it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p. 171) Martas aunt also said, There is also some talk about harming Mexicans who
continue to work.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p. 186) Some of the other market owners arent as kind to Mexicans as Mr. Yakota,
said Miguel. He stocks many of the things we need and he treats us like people.
12

(p. 193) There were only ten wooden toilet stalls for hundreds of people and Esperanza
could smell the effects from the truck. Some people lived in tents but others had only
burlap bags stretched between poles. Some were living in their cars or old trucks.
Mattresses were on the ground, where people and dogs rested.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p. 194) Do you have food so that I can feed my family? said the father.
We were thrown out of our camp because I was striking. My family has not eaten in
two days.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(p. 204) Where will it end? said Josefina. Everyone will starve if the people work for
less and less money.
If you finish early, you may want to explore pages 204212 and 214224 for additional
passages. Write any passages you select onto the UDHR category card to which you
think it relates.
13

Launching Readers Theater Groups:
Identifying Passages from Esperanza Rising
for Readers Theater that Connect to the UDHR


I can ask questions so Im clear about what is being discussed. (SL.5.1a)
I can explain what I understand about the topic being discussed. (SL.5.1b)
Ongoing Assessment
I can choose an article from the UDHR to focus on for my Readers Theater.
Justified list of additional passages (not identified in

Lesson 5) from Esperanza Rising related to UDHR
articles.
I can determine additional passages I may need in order to develop a script on a single theme.
I can engage in a discussion with my peers.
I can evaluate how well the passages I selected reflect the themes of the UDHR.
Evaluated passage selections

Exit ticket

Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
Prepare for Teacher Model. See Work Time A (use pages 46 and 47 from Esperanza Rising).
Note that students will be putting sticky notes in their books each day. Books can be collected at the end
of class and redistributed for the next lesson.
2. 2. Work Time
A. Teacher Modeling: Combining Text Passages for a
Script (10 minutes)
Review: Catch and Release (see Appendix).

Annotating Text (Appendix 1)
B. Launching Readers Theater Groups (5 minutes)

C. Group Work: Identifying Passages from Esperanza
Rising related to the UDHR Theme (30 minutes)
A. Evaluating and Sequencing Text Selections (10
minutes)
4. Homework
Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
determine, evaluate, combine
UDHR category card sample (for Teacher Reference; see supporting materials)
Pages 4647 from Esperanza Rising (enlarged using document camera or other resource)
Sticky notes
Esperanza Rising (book; one per student or several per group)
Esperanza Rising Focus Passages (one per student)
Group Exit Ticket: Criteria for Text Selection (one per group)
Teacher Model: Suggested Passages

Opening

Review the learning targets and ask students to restate them in their own words. Clarify as needed.

Work Time
A. Teacher Modeling: Combining Text Passages for a Script (10 minutes)

Display the UDHR category card sample for Article 2 and read aloud.

Then say: I have chosen to focus on Article 2, Everyone is entitled to the same rights and freedoms regardless of sex (male or
female). In the last session, I pasted passages onto my category card, and now I am going back into the text of Esperanza Rising
to identify additional passages I think are good examples of how the character Mama has faced human rights challenges because
she is a woman. The passages I selected are not in the same chapter, but they are related to this UDHR theme.
First display pages 4647 from Esperanza Rising. Think aloud: I am going to read each paragraph and use a sticky note to mark
which paragraphs or lines of dialogue I think relate to the UDHR theme I chose. As you read, place a sticky note next to the
suggested passages (see Teacher Model: Suggested Passages in the supporting materials.
Consider writing and breaking

down multistep directions into
numbered elements. Students
can return to these guidelines to
make sure they are on track.
Explain your thinking to students, explicitly stating the connection between each passage and the UDHR. For example (using the
suggested passage on pages 4647): This is the section I placed a sticky note on, because I am only looking for passages that
show the challenges Mama faces because she is a woman and cannot own property. Ask students if they agree or disagree with
your selection, and why.
Consider locating additional passages from the book, related to UDHR Article 2, for further modeling.
Point out to students that passages related to your UDHR theme could be found in more than one chapter. Explain to students
that they will be using the passages they already identified on the UDHR category cards they created in Lesson 5, and now they
will work with their groups to locate additional passages from other pages/chapters in the book.

Work Time
B. Launching Readers Theater Groups (5 minutes)

Place students into predetermined groups (see Teaching Note at the end of Lesson 5). Tell students that this is the group they
will be working with for the next week to write and perform their Readers Theater scripts.
Distribute copies of Esperanza Rising and sticky notes to each student/group. First, have students write their name/group name
on a sticky note and place it on the inside of the front cover of their book (see Teaching Note).
For each group, return the relevant UDHR category card from Lesson 5 (e.g., if a group is going to write their script to illustrate
the themes of Article 16 of the UDHR, then just return to each group member the Article 16 category card from Lesson 5).
C. Group Work: Identifying Passages from Esperanza Rising related to the UDHR Theme (30 minutes)
Tell students that in order to create scripts for a Readers Theater, they will need to begin by identifying passages they could use,
from the novel Esperanza Rising, that relate to the UDHR theme on which their group is focusing. They began thinking about
this in Lesson 5. Remind them that it is important to justify, or explain, why a certain passage fits.
Give each student group one copy of the handout Esperanza Rising Focus Passages. In their groups, students will read the pages
listed on the handout that they think are related to their UDHR theme, pausing at the end of each paragraph/line of dialogue to
briefly discuss with their group members whether the paragraphs/lines are related to their theme, and why. When they locate a
paragraph/line in the text they thing is related to their theme, they will mark it with a sticky note and make a short annotation on
the sticky note justifying why the passage is related to their UDHR theme (e.g., shows people from Oklahoma treated better
than those from Mexico, etc.).

supports may benefit from
giving them passages to choose
from rather than having to find
them themselves.
If any groups finish reading through and evaluating the passages provided, they may work with their peers to locate additional
passages in the book.
As students work, circulate to offer support as needed and/or use the Catch and Release strategy.

A. Evaluating and Sequencing Text Selections (10 minutes)

struggle with written language
to dictate their exit ticket to a
partner or teacher.
Display the Group Exit Ticket: Criteria for Text Selection page so all students can see it. Read through the criteria aloud and
clarify as needed.
Distribute one copy of the criteria to each group. Ask them to evaluate the passages they chose during Work Time today. They
should give themselves a score next to each indicator. Model if necessary. Circulate to support individuals or groups as needed.
Once students are finished, collect their criteria sheets and students Esperanza Rising books with sticky notes.
Homework
None
Note: Continue to have Esperanza Rising novels, UDHR category cards, and, if possible, a document camera available for
ongoing lessons.


UDHR Category Card Sample
(for Teacher Reference)
UDHR Article 2: Everyone has the same rights and freedoms, regardless of color, sex,
language, religion, politics, or nation of birth.
(p. 28) To Luis and To Marco came every day and went into Papas study to take care
of family business. At first, they stayed only a few hours, but soon they became like la
calabaza, the squash plant in Alfonsos garden, whose giant leaves spread out,
encroaching upon anything smaller. The uncles eventually stayed each day until dark,
taking all their meals at the ranch as well. Esperanza could tell that Mama was uneasy
with their constant presence.
(p. 30) Ramona, said the lawyer. Your husband, Sixto Ortega, left this house and all
its contents to you and your daughter. You will also receive the yearly income from the
grapes. As you know, it is not customary to leave land to women and since Luis was the
banker on the loan, Sixto left the land to him.
(p. 32) You will regret your decision, Ramona. You must keep in mind that this house
and those grapes are on my property. I can make things difficult for you. Very difficult. I
will let you sleep on the decision, for it is more than generous.
These passages belong in this category because they show how Mama does not have the
right to own property because she is a woman, and how Luis threatens her freedom by
saying he can make things very difficult for her.

Teacher Model: Suggested Passages
Pages 4647
Begin reading below the ~ divider lineThey all crowded into Hortensia and Alfonsos tiny
bedroom through page 47: The room was quiet. Mama looked out the window and tapped
her fingers on the wooden sill.
Pause at the end of each paragraph/line of dialogue and think aloud: Does this passage fit with
my UDHR category? Place a sticky note on page 46 where the dialogue begins: If you dont
intend to marry him, Seora, you cannot stay here. Also place a sticky note on page 47 where the
dialogue continues. Think aloud for students: This is the only section I placed a sticky note on,
because I am only looking for passages that show the challenges Mama faces because she is a
woman and cannot own property. Ask students if they agree or disagree with your selection, and
why.
Consider locating additional passages from the book, related to UDHR Article 2, for further
modeling.

Esperanza Rising Focus Passages
Recall some of the events from Esperanza Rising in which the characters faced human rights
challenges. Below are some recommended pages from the book for you to reread. Mark passages
with sticky notes if you think they are related to the UDHR article on which you are focusing.
Passages related to deportation: pages 204212
Passages related to inequality (housing, jobs, opportunity, etc.): pages 214216 and 204212
If you have time, after reading the pages above, go back into the book to locate additional
paragraphs/lines connected to your UDHR article.

Group Exit Ticket:
Criteria for Text Selection
Group Member
Names:
UDHR article we are focusing on: (2, 14, 16, 17, or 25)
SCORE: Write the score next to each of the criteria on the line provided.
1 Not really, need to work on this
2 Halfway there, but need to work on this a bit more
3 Got it! Ready to go
CRITERIA:
A. The text we marked with sticky notes is strongly related to our UDHR article.
B. We found narrator passages (no quotation marks) related to our UDHR article.
C. We found dialogue (has quotation marks) related to our UDHR article.
Briefly, explain why your group chose each passage (justify); specifically, how does each passage
relate to the UDHR focus?
10

Drafting Individual Readers Theater Scripts for a
Specific Scene: Narrowing Text for our Readers
Theater Scripts

Drafting Individual Readers Theater Scripts for a Specific Scene:
Narrowing Text for our Readers Theater Scripts

I can ask questions so Im clear about what is being discussed. (SL.5.1a)
I can explain what I understand about the topic being discussed. (SL.5.1b)
Ongoing Assessment
I can narrow my text selection, related to a theme.
Narrowed text selections
I can write an introduction to my script.
Exit ticket
I can justify my selection of text.

Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
In advance: Have students UDHR category cards and Esperanza Rising novels, with sticky notes,
available for todays lesson.
A. Reviewing Learning Targets and Key Vocabulary (5

minutes)
2. Work Time

Continue to remind students that the more they know about a topic, the better they will be able to write.
A. Teacher Modeling: Narrowing Passage Selections,

Focusing on Narration and Dialogue (15 minutes)
B. Group Work: Narrowing Passage Selections (20
minutes)
C. Group Work: Dividing Script Passages and
Determining Sequence (15 minutes)
4. Homework
Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
narration/narrator, dialogue,
script, sequence, rephrase,
introduction, narrowing, passage,
select, determine
From Novel to Script: Narrowing Text (one per student)

UDHR category card (teacher sample from Lesson 6)
Students UDHR category cards (from Lesson 5)
Highlighters (one per student)
Esperanza Rising (book; one per student or per small group)
Sticky notes
Readers Theater: I Notice, I Wonder anchor chart (from Lesson 1)
Opening


A. Reviewing Learning Targets and Key Vocabulary (5 minutes)

Read the learning targets and focus on the terms narration, dialogue, rephrase, and narrow. Ask students to turn and talk to
define these terms. Invite a student to share out, and write the definition above or below the target.
If necessary, remind students that narration is the part of the script that introduces a scene and/or characters, and does not
have quotation marks around the text. Dialogue is when the characters are speaking and does have quotation marks around the
text.
Point out that this word has the root narrat in it, which is also in the literary term narrative. Ask students to recall that earlier
in Unit 3, they compared and contrasted two types of narratives, the novel Esperanza Rising and the Readers Theater script
of the same novel. Say: After reading both narratives, we noticed that the narration and the dialogue did not sound or look
exactly the same the novel and the script were slightly different. That is because the author, Pam Muoz Ryan, rephrased the
narration and dialogue from the book when she wrote the script.

Use vocabulary learning
strategies to support all learners:
prefixes, root words, suffixes,
cognates, and context.
Ask students if they can determine the meaning of the word rephrased based on their understanding of word roots. They should
be able to notice the word phrase as the root; some may know that that has something to do with words. And many students
should notice re- from prior work with prefixes, noting that it means again. Listen for students to figure out the meaning of
rephrase, listening for responses such as change wording, using less text, restate, etc. Use this opportunity again to
reinforce the meaning of the prefix re-. Clarify targets and/or vocabulary as needed.
Ask students to define narrow. Support as needed, helping them understand that in this context, narrow is a verb, as in the
phrase narrow down, and means make more focused. They will be making decisions so their script is more focused.
Work Time
A. Teacher Modeling: Narrowing Passage Selections, Focusing on Narration and Dialogue (15 minutes)
Provide anchor charts for

processes such as How to
Narrow Passage Selections. This
would include question words
with nonlinguistic
representations and a question
frame.
Post the Readers Theater: I Notice/I Wonder anchor chart (from Lesson 1). Display and distribute the document From
Novel to Script: Narrowing Text.
Remind students that earlier in this unit, they spent some time noticing and wondering about Readers Theater. Read the
paragraph of narration, and then read the narrator line from the script.
Ask students to share what they notice about the paragraph from the novel and the narrator line from the script. Record
student responses in the anchor charts I Notice column.

Next, read the narrator and character lines from the script. Ask students how the dialogue connects to the narration. Have
students share aloud, again recording ideas in the I Notice column of the anchor chart. If students do not mention that the
narration is less in a script or that the dialogue connects with what the narrator says, add those ideas to the chart.

Display the UDHR category card sample. Remind students that they worked with these cards in Lesson 6. Tell students:
* Today we are going to work on narrowing our text selections, for a narrative script. We will also add the passages that we
marked with sticky notes to our UDHR category cards. I am going to model this for you with the sample I have displayed.
First, I am going to reread the UDHR article I am focusing on (read aloud).
* Look at the lines I highlighted related to my UDHR theme. I highlighted these lines because they all show how Mamas
rights are challenged because she is a woman. The uncles take over the family business, To Luis tells her it is his property,
and he threatens Mama by telling her he can make her life very difficult.
Next say:
* Now that I have narrowed my text by highlighting the parts of lines I want to use for my script, I am going to add the
passages I found in the book during Lesson 6. I need to keep in mind that I want to narrow the text I selected, and it needs to
relate to my UDHR article.
Show students pages 4647 of Esperanza Rising (from Lesson 6). Think aloud: In the last lesson, I decided this paragraph of
dialogue connects to my UDHR article, but it is too long. I am only going to write down the parts of this paragraph that I think
are strongly related to my UDHR focus.
Show the UDHR category card sample, then write the following lines in the blank area below the sentence starter: If you dont
intend to marry him, Seora, you cannot stay here and You could move to some other part of Mexico, but in poverty.
Explain that these lines from the paragraph are the most strongly related to your UDHR article because they show the
challenges Mama faces by having to leave her land and live in poverty, since her husband died and she is a woman.
Ask students to think and then talk with a partner about what they noticed in the modeling. Tell them that they will now follow
the same procedures with their passages. Clarify any steps as needed.

Work Time
B. Group Work: Narrowing Passage Selections (20 minutes)

Remind students of the Readers Theater groups they formed during Lesson 6. This is the group they will be working with for
the next week. Remind students about the class norms.

Ask students to meet with their group. Return students UDHR category card and the copies of Esperanza Rising, with sticky
notes, from Lesson 6. Distribute highlighters to each student.
Ask them to turn and talk to review the word narrow in this context (as discussed in the Opening). Tell students they will first
look at their category cards, with lines of narration and dialogue already pasted.

supports may benefit from
partially filled-in category cards.
As a group, they will read through each line and highlight the part(s) that relate most strongly to their UDHR focus.
Then they will reread the passages they placed sticky notes on in the novel to determine which part(s) connect with their UDHR
theme (no full paragraphs, just the most strongly related lines of text, as was modeled).
Students will write those lines of text on their UDHR category card.
Move throughout the room to offer support to students as needed or use the Catch and Release strategy.
C. Group Work: Dividing Script Passages and Determining Sequence (15 minutes)
Ask students to remain in their groups. Tell students that since they will each be responsible for creating a Readers Theater
script, they will need to divide the passages they selected among their group members, making sure that no one is using any of
the same narration or dialogue, and that each script is unique.
Have students work together to discuss which lines each group member wants to use for his/her script.
Tell students to mark the lines each will use by writing their initials next to the text on their individual UDHR category card.

few sentences) for ELLs.
students thinking as they write
or speak about their text.
Once each student has determined the lines she/he will be using, he/she will read the lines and decide what order to place the
lines for their scripts.
Prompt students by asking:
* What would your audience need to know first, in order to understand what is happening in this scene?
* What should go next?
* When in time is this happening?
Tell them they can look back at the order of the passages in the novel to help them make decisions about sequence, as well.
Circulate to offer support as needed, or use Catch and Release to bring an entire group together if they need similar support.


discussions.
Ask students to think about the individual scripts they started today. Ask:
* What did you find challenging about narrowing the text?

* How did you decide what text to keep for your script?
* How did you determine the sequence of the lines you highlighted and wrote onto your
category cards?
Have as many students share as possible in the time available.
Collect students UDHR category cards, with highlights, written text (added today), student initials next to the lines he/she is
going to use for a script, and sequence notations.
Homework
Tell someone at home about the script you are going to write, describing the characters, their challenges, and what article of the
UDHR you are focused on.

required.


From Novel to Script:
Narrowing Text
Narration (from the novel Esperanza Rising):

To Luis and To Marco came every day and went into Papas study to take care of family business.
At first, they stayed only a few hours, but soon they became like la calabaza, the squash plant in
Alfonsos garden, whose giant leaves spread out, encroaching upon anything smaller. The uncles
eventually stayed each day until dark, taking all their meals at the ranch as well. Esperanza could tell
that Mama was uneasy with their constant presence.
Narrator (from the script Esperanza Rising):
But soon they became like la calabaza, the squash plant in Alfonsos garden, whose giant leaves
spread out, encroaching upon anything smaller.
Narrator and character lines (from the script Esperanza Rising)

NARRATOR: But soon they became like la calabaza, the squash plant in Alfonsos garden, whose
giant leaves spread out, encroaching upon anything smaller.
lawyer.
daughter. You will also receive the yearly income from the grapes. As you know, it is not customary to

UDHR Category Card Sample
(p. 28) To Luis and To Marco came every day and went into Papas study to
take care of family business. At first, they stayed only a few hours, but soon they
became like la calabaza, the squash plant in Alfonsos garden, whose giant
leaves spread out, encroaching upon anything smaller. The uncles eventually
stayed each day until dark, taking all their meals at the ranch as well. Esperanza could tell
that Mama was uneasy with their constant presence.
(p. 30) Ramona, said the lawyer. Your husband, Sixto Ortega, left this house and all
its contents to you and your daughter. You will also receive the yearly income from the
grapes. As you know, it is not customary to leave land to women and since
Luis was the banker on the loan, Sixto left the land to him.
(p. 32) You will regret your decision, Ramona. You must keep in mind that this
house and those grapes are on my property. I can make things difficult for
you. Very difficult. I will let you sleep on the decision, for it is more than generous.

Drafting Individual Readers Theater Scripts for a
Specific Scene: Rephrasing, Narrator Introduction,
and Identifying Characters

Rephrasing, Narrator Introduction, and Identifying Characters

I can explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fit together to create a larger literary text. (RL.5.5) I can write narrative texts. (W.5.3)
I can introduce the narrator/characters of my narrative. (W.5.3a)
I can organize events in an order that makes sense in my narrative. (W.5.3b)
I can use dialogue and descriptions to show the actions, thoughts, and feelings of my characters. (W.5.3c)
Ongoing Assessment
I can write a draft of my script.
Students Readers Theater script drafts
I can use peer feedback to make decisions about how to improve my script.
Peer Feedback
Exit Ticket
Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
In advance: Review supporting materials, samples for the purpose of modeling.

2. Work Time
A. Individual Work: Drafting My Script (10 minutes)
B. Individual Work: Refining My Script (15 minutes)
C. Individual Work: Writing Narrator Introductions
(15 minutes)
If your students are already familiar with 6 + 1 traits writing, there are many opportunities in this unit
to reinforce that work. In this module, students become familiar with more basic aspects of the writing
process, including critique and revision.
Review: Catch and Release protocol (see Appendix 1).
Note: The purpose of this lesson is to support students in their planning for the end of unit on-demand
assessment (in Lesson 9).
D. Peer Feedback (10 minutes)

4. Homework

Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
draft, narrator, introduction, peer

feedback, revise, refine
UDHR category card sample

Students UDHR category cards (from Lessons 5-7)
Script Rewrite, Sample 1 (one to display)
Script Rewrite, Sample 2 (one to display)
Narrator Introduction Sample (one to display)
Peer Feedback: Script Criteria (one to display)
Opening

Read the learning targets aloud and ask students to restate in their own words. Clarify as needed.
ELLs may be unfamiliar with

Tier 2 vocabulary words (e.g.,
feedback, decisions, improve).
as needed.

Work Time
A. Individual Work: Drafting My Script (10 minutes)

Display the UDHR category card sample. Tell students this is like the UDHR category cards they have been working on. Point
out how you added the narrowed text selections to the bottom of the card in the last class. Also direct students to notice the
order (sequence) you chose for the lines, by writing the numbers 1 to 5 next to each line.

numbered elements. Students
can return to these guidelines to
make sure they are on track.
Next, display the Script Rewrite, Sample 1. Ask students what they notice about how this script looks different from the UDHR
category card sample you displayed first. Students should notice that only highlighted text from the category card was written;
the lines are written in chronological order now (based on the numbers written on the category card); Narrator or the
character name is written above each line; and the names of characters in the scene without speaking parts are listed at the
bottom of the script.
Leave the Script Rewrite, Sample 1, posted for student reference, and direct students to transfer the text from their own UDHR
category card (from Lesson 7) onto a new sheet of paper, by writing only lines that are highlighted and using the order they
determined in Lesson 7.
They will also need to write Narrator and the names of the other characters who will be speaking above their respective lines. If
there is time, have them list any characters who appear in the scene but do not have speaking parts. Support students as
necessary.

Work Time
B. Individual Work: Refining My Script (15 minutes)

supports, consider offering a
sentence frame, sentence starter,
or cloze sentence to provide the
structure required.
Now display Script Rewrite, Sample 2. Say: Now you are going to refine your scripts by rephrasing some of the lines. It will be
important for you to make sure the setting (where the scene takes place) and problem are clear to your audience. Lets read
through each old line then the new line and tell me what you notice about how each line was changed.
Ask students why they think these lines were rephrased (make sure students mention that the rephrasing makes the setting
and/or problem clearer for the audience and also makes it an original scriptnot copied lines from Pam Muoz Ryans work).
Leave the sample displayed for student reference and have them work on rephrasing the lines they wrote onto a new page in
Step A of Work Time. Support students as necessary.
C. Individual Work: Writing Narrator Introductions (15 minutes)
Tell students that now they are going to write drafts of narrator introductions. Display the Narrator Introduction Sample and
read aloud for students. Ask them what they notice about the sample introduction.
Students should mention that it lets the audience know the setting (El Rancho de las Rosas), the main characters (Mama and
To Luis), and the problem related to the UDHR (Because she was a woman, she did not have the same rights and freedoms
she could not own land.). If they do not mention setting, characters, or UDHR problem, make sure to bring the issues up as
part of the discussion. (Emphasize the link to their UDHR article, since it is imperative that students scripts convey the themes
of their UDHR article, and narration is their primary means of doing so.)

struggle with written language to
dictate their introductions to a
partner or the teacher.
Leave the sample displayed and have students begin writing narrator introduction drafts, which should include:
The setting for their scene
The main character(s)
The problem/challenge the characters face in connection to the UDHR
Use Catch and Release to support students while they write.

Work Time
D. Peer Feedback (10 minutes)

L1 when discussion of complex
content is required. This can let
students have more meaningful
their L1.
Display the Peer Feedback: Script Criteria page so the entire class can see it. Read through each item of criteria and clarify any
terms as necessary. Tell students they are going to share their narrator introductions and the scripts they just revised with one
or two of their peers (as time allows) in order to receive feedback about what they might want to revise about their scripts for
the end of unit assessment in the next lesson, when they will need to turn in their final individual narrative scripts.
Briefly model how to give feedback, using the criteria, if necessary.
Either choose partners for students or allow them to partner with someone near them. Then have students trade scripts, read
silently, then take turns sharing feedback based on the Peer Feedback: Script Criteria.
Note: The narrator introduction sample and the new lines from the Script Rewrite, Sample 2 pages could be used for
modeling.

Ask students to write, on the bottom of their script drafts from today, one or two things they want to revise about their
individual scripts for the end of unit assessment in the next lesson. Tell them that their ideas for revision should be based on the
feedback they received from peers and using the Peer Feedback: Script Criteria.
Consider providing extra time

for tasks and answering
Some students need more time
to process and translate
information.
Homework
None
Note: Students will need their scripts from today to use as a reference for writing their final individual scripts for the ondemand end of unit assessment, in the next lesson.


UDHR Category Card
(Sample for Teacher)
1 (p. 28) To Luis and To Marco came every day and went into Papas study to
take care of family business. At first, they stayed only a few hours, but soon they
became like la calabaza, the squash plant in Alfonsos garden, whose giant
leaves spread out, encroaching upon anything smaller. The uncles eventually
stayed each day until dark, taking all their meals at the ranch as well. Esperanza could
tell that Mama was uneasy with their constant presence.
2 (p. 30) Ramona, said the lawyer. Your husband, Sixto Ortega, left this house and
all its contents to you and your daughter. You will also receive the yearly income from the
grapes. As you know, it is not customary to leave land to women and since
Luis was the banker on the loan, Sixto left the land to him.
4 (p. 32) You will regret your decision, Ramona. You must keep in mind that this
house and those grapes are on my property. I can make things difficult for
you. Very difficult. I will let you sleep on the decision, for it is more than generous.
Additional passages:
3 (p. 46) If you dont intend to marry him, Senora, you cannot stay here.
5 (p. 47) You could move to some other part of Mexico, but in poverty.

Script Rewrite, Sample 1
NARRATOR
1 To Luis and To Marco came every day and went into Papas study to take care of family
business. Soon they became like la calabaza, the squash plant in Alfonsos garden, whose giant
leaves spread out, encroaching upon anything smaller. Mama was uneasy with their constant
presence.
LAWYER
2 Ramona, as you know, it is not customary to leave land to women, and since Luis was the banker
on the loan, Sixto left the land to him.
ALFONSO
3 If you dont intend to marry him, Senora, you cannot stay here.
TIO LUIS
4 You must keep in mind that this house and those grapes are on my property. I can make things
difficult for you. Very difficult.
ALFONSO
5 You could move to some other part of Mexico, but in poverty.
Characters in the scene, but not speaking: MAMA, ESPERANZA, ABUELITA, HORTENSIA

Script Rewrite, Sample 2
NARRATOR
1 To Luis and To Marco came every day and went into Papas study to take care of family
business. Soon they became like la calabaza, the squash plant in Alfonsos garden, whose giant
leaves spread out, encroaching upon anything smaller. Mama was uneasy with their constant
presence.
New Line 1: The uncles came every day to take care of family business. They were like la calabaza,
the squash plant whose giant leaves overtook anything smaller. Mama was troubled by their
constant presence.
LAWYER
2 Ramona, as you know, it is not customary to leave land to women, and since Luis was the banker
on the loan, Sixto left the land to him.
New Line 2: Ramona, you must be aware that land is never given to women. Therefore, because Luis
was the banker for the loan, Sixto left it all to him.
ALFONSO
3 If you dont intend to marry him, Seora, you cannot stay here.
New Line 3: If you have no plan to marry him, Seora, you will not be allowed to stay at the ranch.
TIO LUIS
4 You must keep in mind that this house and those grapes are on my property. I can make things
difficult for you. Very difficult.
New Line 4: Remember, Ramona, this house and those grapes are now on my property. I can make
life very difficult for you.
ALFONSO
5 You could move to some other part of Mexico, but in poverty.
New Line 5: If you do not stay at the ranch, Senora, you could move to another part of Mexico,
where you would be safe from Luis. But you would live in poverty without income from the ranch.
Characters in the scene, but not speaking: MAMA, ESPERANZA, ABUELITA, HORTENSIA
Narrator Introduction, Sample
After Papa died, Mama was left with nothing. Because she was a woman, she did not have the same
rights and freedoms as men. She was told she could not own her husbands land, and as a result she
faced constant threats from To Luis, who was trying to take over El Rancho de las Rosas.

Narrator Introduction Sample
After Papa died, Mama was left with nothing. Because she was a woman she
did not have the same rights and freedoms as men. She was told she could
not own her husbands land and as a result she faced constant threats from
To Luis, who was trying to take over El Rancho de las Rosas.
10

Peer Feedback:
Script Criteria
The script has a narrator introduction that tells where the scene takes place; identifies
the main characters; and states a problem connected to a single UDHR theme.
The lines are sequenced in a logical way; the order makes sense; ideas connect from one
line to the next.
The lines clearly name each character.
The lines are connected to a single UDHR theme.
There are 5 to 10 lines total in the scene. Only the most essential lines are included in
the scriptones that connect to the UDHR theme focused on.
11

End of Unit Assessment: Individual Sections of
Readers Theater Script

Individual Sections of Readers Theater Script

I can write narrative texts about real or imagined experiences or events. (W.5.3)
I can use dialogue and descriptions to show the actions, thoughts, and feelings of my characters.(W.5.3c)
I can use transitional words, phrases, and clauses to show passage of time in a narrative text. (W.5.3d)
I can produce clear and coherent writing that is appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (W.5.4)
Ongoing Assessment
I can write a title for my script.

I can act out the title of my script so my peers can guess it.
End of Unit Assessment: On-demand Readers Theater

scripts
I can use narrative techniques to write a complete section of my groups Readers Theater script.
Self-assessment
Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
In advance: Students will need their exit tickets and script drafts from Lesson 8, as well as any notes,
handouts, and the I Notice/I Wonder anchor chart for reference during the assessment.

2. Work Time
A. Lets Play Charades! (20 minutes)
B. On-Demand End of Unit Assessment (25 minutes)
If your students are already familiar with 6 + 1 traits writing, there are many opportunities in this unit to
reinforce that work. In this module, students become familiar with more basic aspects of the writing
Some students may finish the assessment. See options for additional work in the Unit 3 Overview
(extensions) or performance task (options for students).

4. Homework

Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
narrative techniques, assessment, selfassessment, charades
Small white boards with markers or small chalkboards with chalk

Students exit ticket and script drafts (on the bottom of script drafts; from Lesson 8)
End of Unit Assessment: On-demand Readers Theater scripts (one per student)
I Notice/I Wonder anchor chart (from Lesson 1)
Opening

Read the learning targets aloud and explain to students that today they will do some on-demand writing: their best writing on
their own.
ELLs may be unfamiliar with Tier

2 vocabulary words (e.g., title, act
out and narrative techniques).
as needed.
Specifically, they will write scripts for their individual scenes of their groups Readers Theater. Remind them that for the past
few days, they have been working to identify and narrow passages from Esperanza Rising to use in their script. They may use
all of these notes, as well as the sticky notes they have in their copy of the novel, during the assessment. But they will not get
any help from peers or you today.
Tell them that after this lesson, future lessons will give them more time to work with their group. As a group, they will combine
all of their individual scripts into one group script: a longer play that they will perform together during the final performance
task.

Work Time
A. Lets Play Charades! (20 minutes)

Tell students they are each going to create a three- to five-word title for their scripts, to be acted out in a game of charades. Ask
students if they are familiar with the game charades. Explain how the game works: It is acting out the title of a play (or movie,
song, TV show, etc.) without using wordsonly body movements and facial expressions; then the audience tries to figure out
what the title is.

The steps are as follows:

1. Hold up a number of fingers to show the audience how many words are in the title.
2. In your mind, choose one word of the title. Hold up a finger to let the audience know which word youre thinking of (e.g.,
two fingers if you are thinking about the second word).

numbered elements. Students can
return to these guidelines to make
sure they are on track.
3. Act out the word you chose (e.g., if the title is We Sing Together, then you would pretend to be singing in order to act out
the second word).
4. The audience tries to guess the word.
5. When the audience guesses correctly, the actor writes the word on a sheet of paper.
6. Continue until the audience has guessed all of the words in the title.
Model how students will play charades by creating a title for their script based on the focus of their UDHR article: The script I
wrote in the last lesson was about the uncles taking the ranch land away from Mama, and I focused my script on UDHR Article
17, which states that everyone has the right to own property. Therefore, in order to make a connection between my script and
the UDHR, I am going to title my script The Uncles Take Mamas Land. I made this my title because I think it shows what my
script is mostly about and will help my audience understand how my script connects to the UDHR.
The first thing I will need to show my audience is how many words are in my title, so I will show 4 fingers [model]. Because
the first word of my title cant really be acted out, I will show 1 finger to my audience to indicate the first word of the title, then
I will write the word The for my audience to see. Now I will go on to the second word of my title, Uncles, and act out that
word. [Act out the word or ask students if any of them have an idea for how to act out the word uncles.] Once someone has
guessed the word, I will write it down for my audience to see. Continue modeling for the remaining two words of the title and
then have the class read aloud the full title together. Before students begin, ask them to think about a title they may want to use
for their scripts and ask several students to share their ideas aloud. Clarify any instructions, as necessary.

This activity serves to engage students in thinking about their narrative scripts as pieces for performance.
Ask students to gather with their Readers Theater group, and distribute white boards and markers for students to use for
writing the scripts title words as the audience guesses the words from the title.
Give students a few minutes to write a three- to five-word title for their scripts that they will act out for their group members.
In groups, have students decide who will go first, second, etc. Each student should take a turn acting out from the title for
her/his script and having group members try to figure out what the title is.
Allow several minutes at the close of this activity to lead a brief discussion with students, asking them to Think-Pair-Share
their response to the following question: How did the charades activity help you think about your script as a performance
piece? As time allows, have several students share their own or their partners ideas.
B. On-Demand End of Unit Assessment (25 minutes)
Have students return to their seats with their script drafts. Also, return students exit tickets from Lesson 8 (ideas for
revising scripts), and allow them to access any notes or materials from previous lessons they may need. Post the I Notice/I
Wonder anchor chart for student reference.
Tell students that today they are going to write final copies of their individual scripts.
Display and distribute the End of Unit Assessment: On-demand Readers Theater scripts, read aloud, and discuss the
script criteria, clarifying any terms as necessary.
Give students approximately 25 minutes to complete this task.

assessments.
If any students finish early, you may want to have them work on one of the optional extensions described in the Unit 3
Overview or the Advanced Options for Students described in the performance task.

Self-Assessment (10 minutes)
Consider giving the selfassessment orally to students who

struggle with written language.
Give each student a copy of the on-demand End of Unit Assessment.

Reorient students to the criteria list. Ask students to place a check mark next to the criteria they do have in their scripts; an X
next to criteria they did not include in the scripts; and a question mark next to criteria they are uncertain about.
Students also should write a brief statement addressing how well they believe they used dialogue and descriptive language to
show the characters reactions to human rights challenges. Provide an example if necessary.
Collect scripts and self-assessments.
Homework
Reread sections of Esperanza Rising that you are using in your script. Also continue reading in your independent reading
book.

students in comprehension.
confusing portions while they
Note: Review each students script and provide written feedback based on the script criteria for students to use for revisions
in Lesson 10.


On-demand Readers Theater Scripts
You are a playwright who has been commissioned to write a narrative script using passages from the
novel Esperanza Rising that relate to one of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights themes.
Today, you will first write an individual narrative scene script that you will use in the next lesson
to produce one longer script, with your group members, that connects each persons scenes related
to the UDHR article/theme that your group chose.
As you write your individual narrative script today, make sure to consider the following:
Script Criteria
I have this in my script.
I dont have this in my script.
Im not sure what this means or whether or not its in my script.
The script has a narrator introduction that tells where the scene takes place; identifies the main
characters; and states a problem connected to a single UDHR theme.
The lines are sequenced in a logical way; the order makes sense; ideas connect from one line to the
next.
The lines clearly name each character.
The lines are connected to a single UDHR theme.
The script includes specific language (words and/or phrases) from my UDHR focus.
I used descriptive words that show the actions, thoughts, and feelings of my characters.
I used sensory details to describe experiences and events precisely.
There are 10 to 15 lines (chunks of dialogue spoken by a character) total in the scene. Only the most
essential lines are included in the scriptones that connect to the UDHR theme focused on.
Most lines run 2 to 4 sentences each. Some lines may be shorter for effect.
Respond to the following: How does your script clearly show the characters actions, thoughts, and
feelings as they face a human rights challenge? Cite specific examples from your script

Our Group Readers Theater: Managing the
Sequence of Events in Our Group Script

Managing the Sequence of Events in Our Group Script

Ongoing Assessment
I can revise my script, based on feedback.
Note-catcher: Group Script Sequence
I can create a script with a logical sequence.
Readers Theater script draft with revisions and

transitions
I can add appropriate transitional words and phrases to a script.
Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
In advance: Students will need their scripts from the end of unit assessment, with written feedback based on
script criteria, as well as their self-assessments from Lesson 9.
A. Reviewing Learning Targets and Sharing Out

(10 minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Modeling: Storyboarding to Combine Our Script
Scenes (15 minutes)
If your students are already familiar with 6 + 1 traits writing, there are many opportunities in this unit to
reinforce that work. In this module, students become familiar with more basic aspects of the writing process,
including critique and revision.
B. Group Work: Storyboarding to Combine Our

Script Scenes and Organize a Clear Event
Sequence (15 minutes)
C. Group Work: Adding Transitions to Our Group
Script (15 minutes)
4. Homework

Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
revise, storyboard, combine, sequence,

transitions
Students individual scripts and self-assessments (from Lesson 9)

Group Script Sequence note-catcher (one per student)
Writing Transitions excerpt (one per student and one to display)
Narrator Lines with Transitions (one per student and one to display)
Note cards (one per student)
Opening
A. Reviewing Learning Targets and Sharing Out (10 minutes)

Read the learning targets aloud, then ask students to restate in their own words. Clarify any terms as necessary.

vocabulary words (e.g., revise,
create, logical). Clarify vocabulary
with students as needed.
Have students join their group members and recall the titles they came up with for the charades game in Lesson 9. Once
students are with their teammates, they will participate in a group go-round in which each student shares the title. The
group members will give brief feedback to each peer regarding how well the script title connects to their groups UDHR
language. Clarify as necessary, with examples of feedback such as: Your title makes a clear connection to our UDHR Article
17 because you used the words Uncles Take Mamas Land, which shows how her rights were violated. Create or choose
other relevant examples as needed for students to understand.

Work Time
A. Modeling: Storyboarding to Combine Our Script Scenes (15 minutes)

such as How to Create a Storyboard.
This would include question words
with nonlinguistic representations
and a question frame.
Tell students that today in their Readers Theater groups, they will combine each students individual scene script into
part of a larger group script. It will be important to think about the most logical sequence of those scenes, but there is no one
right way for students to organize the scripts. Students will need to evaluate the best way to arrange scripts based on the
following criteria:
Clearly identified settings in each scene

filled-in note-catchers.
Characters clearly identified in each scene

Consistent connections to the same UDHR in each scene
A chronological sequence of events
A flow of events that the audience can understand even if they are not familiar with the story Esperanza Rising
Explain to students that in order to figure out the best sequence for their scripts, they are going to do a storyboard. Ask
students to think about the two parts of this compound word: story and board. Then define the word: a series to show the
order. Today, they are going to do their storyboard physically, by standing up and moving around to see different ways they
could organize the individual scenes into one group script.
Demonstrate in front of the class (10 minutes). Distribute one copy of the Group Script Sequence note-catcher to each
student group, and display for group modeling. Read through the instructions, prompts in each box, and sentence starters at
the bottom of the page.
Ask one group to volunteer, and invite them up to the front of the classroom. Move through the following steps:
1. Label each individual script with a different letter (A, B, C, D, E).
2. Skim each script to determine when each scene may have taken place (early in the book, middle, end, etc.), and what
events are taking place (ranch burning, leaving Mexico, worker strikes, etc.).
3. Group members stand up, holding their scripts.
4. Group members trade places to put their scripts into a sequence, or order, that might make sense. First, have them try
chronological orderbased on which scene happened first in the novel. For example, say: I may try to place the scripts
in the order B, D, A, C, E, based on when each scripts events take place in the novel. [Move the scripts into order.]
5. Students read their scripts aloud to evaluate how the script flows with scenes arranged in this order. Ask:
* Will this order of events make sense to an audience?


* Is any important information missing at the beginning that my audience may need to know to understand the rest of the
scenes (e.g., setting, characters, UDHR problem, etc.)?
6. Model how to complete the note-catcher:
* On my note-catcher, I will write the order of the scripts in the first top left-hand box. [Write the order according to the
labels at the top of the scripts.]
* Next I will write what I like about this sequence. [Under the question What did you like about this sequence? model a
response by writing: I saw that the UDHR challenge is identified right away, which I think will help the audience
understand the purpose of our script.]
* Next, I am going to write down any problems with this sequence. [Under the question What problem(s) were there with
this sequence? model the answer: I think it will confuse our audience to have the characters start in Mexico at the
beginning, but go to America in the middle, then back to Mexico.]
Ask students to turn and talk about how to complete the note-catcher.
Then model how the same group might try to put their scenes in a different order. Follow the same process as above. Clarify
instructions, as needed, before students begin working with their group members.
B. Group Work: Storyboarding to Combine Our Script Scenes and Organize a Clear Event Sequence
(15 minutes)
Review the steps for storyboarding (above):
1. Label each individual script with a different letter (A, B, C, D, E).
2. Skim each script to determine when each scene may have taken place.

track.
3. Group members stand up, physically holding scene scripts.

4. Group members trade places to put their scripts into a sequence, or order, that might make sense.
5. Read the scripts aloud to evaluate how the script flows with scenes arranged in this order.
6. Complete the note-catcher.
Ask students to gather with their group and begin storyboarding.
Use the Catch and Release strategy to support student groups.

Work Time
C. Group Work: Adding Transitions to Our Group Script (15 minutes)

asked to students.
Once student groups have determined the sequence of their scenes, they will need to determine how they will revise existing
narrator lines between each script by adding transitional words and/or phrases so that the group script flows smoothly from
one scene to the next.
Display the Writing Transitions excerpt page, and distribute one copy to each group. Read the introductory paragraph
aloud to help students understand the purpose for using transitional words and phrases in their writing. Read through each
of the six transitional devices (to add, compare, show exception, show time, emphasize, or show sequence). Clarify any terms
as needed.
Now display the Narrator Lines with Transitions, pausing after each example to ask students: Which type of
transitional device am I using? Why do you think I used this transitional word/phrase in this scene? For example, am I
trying to show time? Emphasize my UDHR?

models of language.
Lead a brief group discussion by posing the following questions to students:
* Which of the transitional devices do you think would help your group most with connecting one scene to another?
* Which of these words/phrases would you add to the narrator line(s) between your scenes? Share an example of your
thinking.
OPTIONAL: Before students begin adding transitional words/phrases, cross out several of the most highly used words from
student writing (e.g., first, next, then, etc.) and tell students they may not use these words in their revisions. This will create
a greater challenge for students and increase their vocabulary.
As students work with their groups to add transitions to the narrator lines of scenes, move throughout the room to offer
support as necessary.


Distribute one note card to each student and ask them to write a response to the following question: What was most
difficult about combining individual scripts to create a group script?

struggle with language to dictate
their exit ticket to a partner or
teacher.
Distribute one additional note card to the group and have them record the following information: Write Narrator on the far
left side of the note card and then list all the names of characters in your script, below. Next to the narrator and each
characters name, write the name of each group member who will be reading the lines for that role during the performance
practice in the next lesson.
Collect group scripts with transitions and note cards.
Homework
Tell someone at home about your upcoming performance and the role you will play.

Note: Review group scripts and provide written feedback about the sequence and/or transitions.


Group Script Sequence Note-catcher
Group Member Names:

Label the top of each individuals script with a different letter, A, B, C, etc.
Try different sequences: What order would make the most sense to your audience?
Use the note-catcher to make notes about each storyboard sequence your group tries.
List the order you try placing the scripts in and then evaluate what you like about the sequence and
what problem(s) there may be with the sequence (for example, time sequence is wrong, order of
events is confusing, etc.). Then, write the order your group decides to use for the scenes (your
individual scripts) and why you chose that sequence.

Group Member
Names:
List the order you placed the scripts in first
(for example, A, C, D, B, E).
What did you like about this sequence?
What problem(s) were there with this

sequence?
List the order you placed the scripts in second.

sequence?
List the order you placed the scripts in third.

sequence?

Group Member Names:

We are going to place our scripts in this
order:
We chose to place the scenes in this order
because:
10

Writing Transitions (excerpt)
Ryan Weber, Karl Stolley
Transitional Devices
Transitional devices are like bridges between parts of your paper. They are cues that help the reader to
interpret ideas a paper develops. Transitional devices are words or phrases that help carry a thought
from one sentence to another, from one idea to another, or from one paragraph to another. And
finally, transitional devices link sentences and paragraphs together smoothly so that there are no
abrupt jumps or breaks between ideas.
There are several types of transitional devices, and each category leads readers to make certain
connections or assumptions. Some lead readers forward and imply the building of an idea or thought,
while others make readers compare ideas or draw conclusions from the preceding thoughts.
Here is a list of some common transitional devices that can be used to cue readers in a given way.
To Add:
and, again, and then, besides, equally important, further, furthermore, nor, too,
next, lastly, whats more, moreover, in addition, first (second, etc.)
To Compare:
whereas, but, yet, on the other hand, however, nevertheless, on the contrary, by
comparison, where, compared to, up against, balanced against, vis a vis, but,
although, conversely, meanwhile, after all, in contrast, although this may be true
To Show
Exception:
yet, still, however, nevertheless, in spite of, despite, of course, once in a while,
sometimes
To Show Time:
immediately, thereafter, soon, after a few hours, finally, then, later, previously,
formerly, first (second, etc.), next, and then
To Emphasize:
definitely, extremely, obviously, in fact, indeed, in any case, absolutely,

positively, naturally, surprisingly, always, forever, perennially, eternally, never,
emphatically, unquestionably, without a doubt, certainly, undeniably, without
reservation
To Show
Sequence:
first, second, third, and so forth, A, B, C, and so forth, next, then, following this,
at this time, now, at this point, after, afterward, subsequently, finally,
consequently, previously, before this, simultaneously, concurrently, thus,
therefore, hence, next, and then, soon
Copyright 1995-2012 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. Educational use permitted.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu
Copyright 1995-2012 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue
University. Used by permission and not subject to Creative Commons license.
11

Narrator Lines with Transitions
Scene 1 (Opening)
Original Line: NARRATOR The uncles came every day to take care of family business.
Line with Transition: NARRATOR Soon after Papa died, the uncles came every day to take care of
family business.
Scene 2 (Middle)
Original Line: NARRATOR Luis threatened to make Mamas life difficult. He owned the land now
because she was a woman, and land was never given to women.
Line with Transition: NARRATOR Of course Luis threatened to make Mamas life difficult. He
owned the land now because she was a woman, and land was never given to women.
Scene 3 (End)
Original Line: NARRATOR Mama decided to take Esperanza away from the uncles and El Rancho
de las Rosas, to start a new life in America.
Line with Transition: NARRATOR Finally Mama decided to take Esperanza away from the uncles
and El Rancho de las Rosas, to start a new life in America.
12

Our Group Readers Theater: Revision, Conclusion,
and First Rehearsal

Revision, Conclusion, and First Rehearsal

I can use dialogue and descriptions to show the actions, thoughts, and feelings of my characters. (W.5.3c)
I can use sensory details to describe experiences and events precisely. (W.5.3e)
I can write a conclusion to my narrative. (W.5.3f)
Ongoing Assessment
I can revise my script with my group.
Readers Theater Script revisions
I can write a conclusion to my script that relates directly to my UDHR article with my group.
Conclusion for group script
I can choose visuals that contribute to my audiences understanding of the characters, setting, problem,
and/or mood of the play.
Performance practice feedback
I can practice performing a script.

Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
In advance: Review group scripts and provide written feedback about how well students are sequencing
events and using clear transitions.
A. Reviewing Learning Targets and Vocabulary (5

minutes)
2. Work Time
A. Group Work: Revising Scenes and Transitions (20
minutes)
B. Group Work: Writing a Group Conclusion (15
minutes)
If your students are already familiar with 6 + 1 traits writing, there are many opportunities in this unit
to reinforce that work. In this module, students become familiar with more basic aspects of the writing
Note that students practice briefly in front of another group at the end of this lesson. This is to help
them get more comfortable performing. They have a second rehearsal during Lesson 12.
Review Catch and Release and Praise-Question-Suggest (see Appendix).
C. (Optional) Group Work: Brainstorm Visuals (5

minutes)
A. Practicing and Peer Feedback (15 minutes)
4. Homework
Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
revise, conclusion, brainstorm, visuals,

practice performance, peer feedback
Group scripts with written feedback

Script conclusion (sample; one to display)
Note card with list of student roles (exit ticket from Lesson 10)
Highlighters (5 different colors for each group)
Readers Theater Rubric (introduced in Lesson 1; clean copy in supporting materials; one per group)
Blank note cards (one per student)

Opening
A. Reviewing Learning Targets and Vocabulary (5 minutes)

vocabulary words (e.g., revise,
conclusion, contribute). Clarify
Read the learning targets aloud. Explain to students that today they are going to work with their group members to make
final revisions to their individual scenes and to write a conclusion for their Readers Theater script.
Additionally, they will perform their scripts for another group and receive feedback so they are able to refine their
performance for the final performance task in the next lesson.
Clarify any targets and/or vocabulary as necessary.
Work Time
A. Group Work: Revising Scenes and Transitions (20 minutes)

Have students join their group members and return group scripts with written feedback.

comprehend directions. Chart
instructions and steps to revise their
scripts.
Give students a moment to read through the written feedback on their transitions (see Teaching Note in Lesson 10) and the
annotations each student and their group members wrote in Lesson 10. Say to students: Now you will have an opportunity
to revise [change] your script, working independently and with your group members, based on the written feedback, as well
as the annotations you and your group members made on individual scripts during Lesson 10.
Post the following revision instructions for students to guide their work.
Revise your scripts to include:
Words and phrases that show the characters actions, thoughts, and feelings
Words and phrases to clearly identify the setting
Words/phrases from the UDHR your group is focusing on
Words and phrases that make clear transitions between events and scenes
Clarify any instructions. Tell students they may work on their own or with a partner. Circulate to support to individuals
and/or groups as necessary.

B. Group Work: Writing a Group Conclusion (15 minutes)

Tell students that now they will be working with their group members to write a single conclusion to their full narrative
group script.

track.
Say: The purpose of a conclusion is to summarize the events of a narrative and to draw the audiences attention to the
theme of the narrative. The conclusion your group writes will need to summarize the narrative by describing the challenge(s)
your characters faced and connect back to the UDHR theme you focused on. Heres an example. Display the Script
Conclusion, Sample, and read aloud.
After reading, ask students: How does the conclusion describe the challenges the characters faced? How does it relate back
to my UDHR theme? Allow several students to respond. Leave the sample posted while students work with their group
members to write a conclusion, on a separate sheet of paper, for their group script.
Remind students to summarize challenges faced by the characters and to connect back to the UDHR theme the group is
focusing on, by using specific words/phrases from their UDHR. (Refer students to the anchor chart Human Rights
Challenges in Esperanza Rising, from Unit 2, for additional support.)
Move throughout the room and/or use Catch and Release to support students.
Once all individual scripts are revised, are in sequence, and have a group written conclusion, students will need to stack all
pages, placing the conclusion as the last page of the group script, and staple together.
C. (Optional) Group Work: Brainstorm Visuals (5 minutes)
Distribute a note card to each group. Tell them they will need to think about what types of props and/or visuals they will
want to use for the group performances of their groups narrative script during the final performance task in the next lesson.
Explain that the purpose of using props is to contribute to the audiences understanding of characters, setting, problem,
and/or the mood of the play. (Clarify any of these terms as necessary.) Prompt students to think about the scenes in their
scripts and where the characters may be, what they are doing or wearing, and/or what challenges they are facing. Say: For
example, in the last scene of my script, Mama and Esperanza are traveling by truck and train, so I may want to have a picture
of a truck and a train in the background of my play. Offer additional examples, if necessary, and have student groups list at
least two or three possible props for their performance. Have group members decide who will be responsible for bringing in
each prop for the final performance task in the next lesson.
Move throughout the room to offer support to students as needed.

A. Practicing and Peer Feedback (15-20 minutes)

Note: Each group will need to share a single script for this practice performance.
Consider providing smaller chunks

of text (sometimes just a few
sentences) for ELLs. Teachers can
check in on students thinking as
they write or speak about their text.
Tell students that they are now going to practice performing in front of another group. Remind students of the PraiseQuestion-Suggest protocol. Distribute the Readers Theater rubric to each group. Tell students that the audience group
can focus on their feedback the Delivery section of the rubric.
Ask two student groups to pair up so they can practice performing for one another.
Give students 5 minutes with their own group to prepare. Distribute highlighters and students note cards from Lesson 10
(listing which student will perform which role). Each student in a group needs a different colored highlighter. Give groups
about 5 minutes so each person has time to highlight his or her lines.
Then ask students to choose which group will perform first and which will give feedback.
Have the first group begin. Circulate to support as needed as they perform and as their peers give feedback. Remind students
of the protocol: Those giving feedback should focus on the other groups delivery and should state one Praise, one Question,
and one Suggestion. Model as you circulate, if needed.
Then the groups switch roles, so the other group has a chance to practice and receive feedback.
Collect group scripts and the rubrics with peer feedback.
Homework
Tell someone at home about your upcoming performance. Explain that you need to collect props for the performance and
tell the person what you are going to create and/or bring into school for the performance. You may draw and/or print out
pictures, create visuals using technology, and/or bring in objects from home for use as props during the next lessons
performance task.
Consider sending home a note to

parents about the upcoming
performance and the need for
props.
Note: Read through group scripts and provide brief written feedback about students script conclusions for students to use at
the beginning of Lesson 12.
Make copies of each group script, so each student in the group will have his/her own copy during the final performance.


Script Conclusion (Sample)
So Mama and Esperanza sneaked away from El Rancho de las Rosas, in the dead of
night, escaping from the uncles who took their land. They traveled many miles, by
truck and train, until they reached America. Mama hoped for nothing more than to
have the same rights as men, to be able to have her own property, to have the freedom
to work so she could save enough money to bring Abuelita here, and to begin her
future in this new land.

Names of Group Members:
Individual
Scores
1Needs
Improvement
2Fair
3Good
4Excellent
Delivery
Student had
difficulty reading
the script and
consistently did
not use
expression, or eye
contact
Student read the

script but had
little expression,
few gestures, or
little eye contact
Student read the

script with some
expression,
gestures, and
eye contact
Student read the

script with
confidence and
expression,
made gestures
and good eye
contact
One Praise
One Question
One Suggestion

Commons license.

Performance Task: Readers Theater Second
Rehearsal and Performance

Performance Task:
Readers Theater Second Rehearsal and Performance

I can recognize the differences between different types of narrative (poetry, drama, or other texts) and their connections to larger concepts such as culture and personal
Ongoing Assessment
I can revise the conclusion of a script for a performance.
Group narrative script
I can practice to refine my performance, based on feedback.
Readers Theater performance
I can speak clearly and with expression for a performance.
Self-assessment
I can perform my Readers Theater script for an audience.
Agenda
Teaching Notes
1. Opening
In advance: Have students exit tickets from Lesson 10, which tells what character each student will be
reading in their group script.

2. Work Time
A. Group Work: Practicing and Peer Feedback on
Our Performance (15 minutes)
Have copies of group scripts for each member of the group, including brief written feedback about the
group conclusions (see Teaching Note, Lesson 11).
B. Performance Task: Readers Theater Performance

for an Audience (35 minutes)
4. Homework

Performance Task:
Lesson Vocabulary
Materials
prepare, practice, rehearse, perform
Group scripts (copies for each group member)

Highlighters (5 different colors per group)
Exit Ticket (from Lesson 10)
Performance Task (one to display)
Readers Theater rubric (introduced in Lesson 1; clean copy in supporting materials; one per group and one to
display)
Opening

Read the learning targets aloud, and say to students: Today you are going to perform as a group. You will be given time to
make any final revisions to your script and to practice with your group before you perform for the audience. Clarify any
targets as necessary.

instruction of academic
vocabulary.

Performance Task:
Work Time
A. Group Work: Practicing and Peer Feedback on Our Performance (15 minutes)
Post the performance task, read aloud, and clarify any terms or criteria as necessary.

comprehend instructions. Post
steps and instructions for the
performance task.
Tell students that today they will perform their Readers Theater. First, they will have time to make final revisions to their
group script, specifically the conclusions they wrote during the last lesson. Say: I have provided written feedback about each
of your group script conclusions. Ask students to do the following:
Read the feedback aloud.
Decide what changes need to be made (e.g., adding more language from the UDHR).
Revise the script of the student who will be reading the conclusion (put revisions below the previous conclusion).

tasks. Some students need more
information.
Clarify any instructions for students, as necessary.

Ask students to gather with their Readers Theater group.
Return original and copies of group scripts, with the written feedback provided about the group conclusions. Tell students to
take no more than 3 to 5 minutes to make revisions based on the feedback.
While students are revising, distribute highlighters to each group (a different color for each student). Also return students
Exit Tickets (from Lesson 10), which lists the name of each student next to the name of the character whom she/he will play
during the performance. Have each student highlight her/his lines on his/her own copy of the group script, and post the
Readers Theater rubric.
Return the Readers Theater rubric, with Praise-Question-Suggest comments from peers, completed at the end of Lesson 11.
Display the full Readers Theater rubric and remind students to refer to this as they practice so they can make determinations
about what they are doing well and where they may need to adjust/improve further.
Ask students to do the following during rehearsal time:
1. Consider the feedback they received
2. Determine as a group what they will change about their performance based on the feedback
3. Practice reading through their scripts
Circulate throughout the room as students practice.

Performance Task:
Work Time
B. Performance Task: Readers Theater Performance for an Audience (35 minutes)

Cold call groups to perform, giving them approximately 1 minute to gather/set up props for their performance. As each group
performs, score them using the Readers Theater rubric. See the performance task teacher page, in the unit materials, for
student options.

few sentences) for ELLs. Teachers
can check in on students thinking
as they write or speak about their
text.

struggle with language to dictate
their self-assessment to a partner
or teacher.
Distribute a copy of the Readers Theater rubric to each student. Have each student fill out the rubric as a self-assessment of
her/his performance today. Students will also need to write a short statement explaining why they scored themselves the way
they did. Model if necessary.
Collect student scripts and self-assessments.
Homework
Note


Performance Task
Group Member Names:

You are a group of playwrights who have been commissioned to write and perform a narrative script
using passages from the novel Esperanza Rising that relate to one of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights themes.
Your script and performance will include:
at least four characters, including a narrator
narration that links each scene to the UDHR theme you chose
clear transitions between scenes, using strong transitional words and phrases
an effective introduction and conclusion, linking the passages from Esperanza Rising that you used
in each scene to the UDHR article/theme on which you focused
key words and details from the specific article of the UDHR
clearly identified speaking roles for each group member
props to enhance the performance
a clear speaking voice, using appropriate pacing, fluency, and intonation

Name:
Individual
Scores
1Needs
Improvement
2Fair
3Good
4Excellent
Delivery
Student had
difficulty reading
the script and
consistently did
not use
expression, eye
contact, or props
appropriately
Student read the

script but had
little expression,
few gestures, little
eye contact, or
did not use props
appropriately
Student read the

script with some
expression,
gestures, eye
contact, and use
of props
Student read the

script with
confidence and
expression,
made gestures
and good eye
contact, and
used props to
add to the
performance
Cooperation
with group
Student did not

work
cooperatively
together with
group and could
not agree on what
to do. Student did
not share
responsibilities or
ideas and wasted
time
Student worked
cooperatively
with group in
some aspects of
the project but
sometimes could
not agree on what
to do and wasted
time
Student worked
cooperatively
with group in
most aspects of
the project and
shared most
responsibilities
and ideas
Student worked
cooperatively
with the group
in all aspects of
the project and
shared all
responsibilities
and ideas well
Copyright 2010 IRA/NCTE. Used by permission and not subject to


Group Member
Names:
Group Scores
1Needs
Improvement
On-task
participation
Low level of
active
participation
from majority of
group members

2Fair
3Good
Moderate level of
on-task work or
few of the group
members actively
participating
Majority of
group members
on-task and
actively
participating
4Excellent
High level of
active, on-task
participation
from all group
members

Explain why you gave yourself the score you did, for each category.
Delivery: I gave myself a score of (1, 2, 3, or 4) because:
Cooperation with Group: I gave myself a score of (1, 2, 3, or 4) because:
On-Task Participation: I gave myself a score of (1, 2, 3, or 4) because:


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Grade 5: Module 1

GRADE 5: MODULE 1: OVERVIEW

Guiding Questions And Big Ideas

2012 Expeditionary Learning, New York, NY. All Rights Reserved.

NYS Common Core ELA Curriculum G7:M1: Overview March 2014

GRADE 5: MODULE 1: OVERVIEW

NYS Social Studies Core Curriculum

2012 Expeditionary Learning, New York, NY. All Rights Reserved.

NYS Common Core ELA Curriculum G7:M1: Overview March 2014

GRADE 5: MODULE 1: OVERVIEW

CCS Standards: ReadingLiterature

Long-Term Learning Targets

I can determine a theme based on details in the text.

RL.5.3. Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a

RL.5.5. Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to

RL.5.6. Describe how a narrators or speakers point of view influences how

RL.5.11 Recognize, interpret, and make connections in narratives, poetry and

2012 Expeditionary Learning, New York, NY. All Rights Reserved.

I can make inferences using quotes from text.

I can summarize a literary text

NYS Common Core ELA Curriculum G7:M1: Overview March 2014

GRADE 5: MODULE 1: OVERVIEW

CCS Standards: Reading Informational Text

Long-Term Learning Targets

RI.5.3. Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more

I can explain important connections between people, events, or ideas in a

RI.5.4. Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words

I can determine the meaning of academic words or phrases in an informational

I can make inferences using quotes from the text.

I can summarize an informational text.

I can support my explanation using specific details in the text.

I can determine the meaning of content words or phrases in an informational

2012 Expeditionary Learning, New York, NY. All Rights Reserved.

NYS Common Core ELA Curriculum G7:M1: Overview March 2014

GRADE 5: MODULE 1: OVERVIEW

CCS Standards: Reading Foundational Skills

Long-Term Learning Targets

RF.5.4. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.

I can read fifth-grade texts with purpose and understanding.

I can read fifth-grade texts with fluency.

Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding,

I can use clues in the text to check my accuracy.

CCS Standards: Writing

Long-Term Learning Targets

W.5.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas

I can use the 6+1 traits to write informative/explanatory texts.

I can group supporting facts together about a topic in an

2012 Expeditionary Learning, New York, NY. All Rights Reserved.

I can use text, formatting, illustrations, and multi-media to support my topic.

NYS Common Core ELA Curriculum G7:M1: Overview March 2014

GRADE 5: MODULE 1: OVERVIEW

CCS Standards: Writing

Long-Term Learning Targets

W.5.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using

I can use the 6+1 traits to write narrative texts.

Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator

I can introduce the narrator/characters of my narrative.

Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.