Analyzing Character Reactions: Esperanza Rising: “Las Ciruelas” | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G5:M1:U2:L3

Analyzing Character Reactions: Esperanza Rising: “Las Ciruelas”

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • RL.5.1: Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
  • RL.5.3L: 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).
  • W.5.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
  • W.5.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
  • W.5.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
  • W.5.9a: 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]").
  • 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.
  • L.5.4a: Use context (e.g., cause/effect relationships and comparisons in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
  • L.5.4b: Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., photograph, photosynthesis).
  • L.5.4c: 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.

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can describe how pages 139-157 of Esperanza Rising contribute to the overall structure of the story. (RL.5.1, RL.5.3)
  • I can analyze and write a paragraph about the reactions of characters to Mama's sickness in "Las Ciruelas." (RL.5.1, RL.5.3, W.5.2, W.5.4, W.5.9, W.5.9a)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Character Reaction Note-catcher: "Las Ciruelas" (RL.5.1, RL.5.3)
  • Character Reaction Paragraph: Hortensia (RL.5.1, RL.5.3, W.5.2, W.5.4, W.5.9, W.5.9a)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening 

A. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

B. Engaging the Reader: "Las Ciruelas" of Esperanza Rising (20 minutes)

2. Work Time 

A. Making Connections between the UDHR and "Las Ciruelas" (10 minutes)

B. Analyzing Character Reactions to Mama's Sickness in "Las Ciruelas" (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment 

A. Group Writing: Hortensia's Reaction to Mama's Sickness (5 minutes)

4. Homework 

A. Write a character reaction paragraph for either Mama or Esperanza using your Character Reaction Note-catcher: "Las Ciruelas."

B. Complete: Esperanza Rising: Questions about "Las Ciruelas" in your Unit 2 Homework.

C. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal.

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • In this lesson, students read the next chapter of Esperanza Rising, "Las Ciruelas," and analyze how the chapter fits into the overall structure of the text (RL.5.1, RL.5.5). They then make connections between this chapter and the UDHR, looking for evidence of threats to human rights, before analyzing character reactions to the situation of Mama being ill (RL.5.1, RL.5.3).
  • Although the lesson is written for "Las Ciruelas" to be a teacher read-aloud, this can be organized in different ways to meet the needs of your students. For example, students could read this in pairs or triads, taking turns to read, with a teacher-led smaller group of students who need additional support. 
  • Many of the articles of the UDHR could be applied to each chapter. Students may make other suggestions than those recorded on How Were the Human Rights of the Characters in Esperanza Rising Threatened? anchor chart (example, for teacher reference). 
  • In this lesson, the habit of character focus is on working to become an ethical person. The characteristic that students practice is respect as volunteers share out personal reflections on what happened in Esperanza Rising.
  • Students practice their fluency in this lesson by following along and reading silently in their heads as the teacher reads aloud "Las Ciruelas" during Opening A.
  • The research reading that students complete for homework will help build both their vocabulary and knowledge pertaining to human rights. By participating in this volume of reading over a span of time, students will develop a wide base of knowledge about the world and the words that help describe and make sense of it. 

How it builds on previous work:

  • In Lesson 1, students analyzed character reactions to an event in the chapter "Las Cebollas," just as they will in this lesson with the next chapter, "Las Ciruelas."
  • Throughout Unit 1, students were introduced to various total participation techniques (for example, cold calling, equity sticks, etc.). When following the directive "Use a total participation technique and invite responses from the group," use one of these techniques or another familiar technique to encourage all students to participate.
  • Continue to use Goal 1 Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversation.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • Students may need additional support with analyzing Esperanza Rising and completing the note-catcher to show the reactions of each of the characters. Consider grouping students who will need additional support with this in one group to receive teacher support.

Assessment guidance:

  • Review student note-catchers to check that students are on the right track. Use common issues as teaching points for the whole group in Lesson 6.
  • Consider using the Reading: Foundational Skills Informal Assessment: Reading Fluency Checklist as students read Esperanza Rising in Opening B. See the Tools page.
  • Consider using the Reading: Foundational Skills Informal Assessment: Phonics and Word Recognition Checklist (Grade 5) as students read Esperanza Rising in Opening B. See the Tools page.

Down the road:

  • In the next lesson, students will read the next chapter in Esperanza Rising, "Las Papas," and continue the work from Lesson 2 on interpreting the meaning of metaphors.

In Advance

  • Strategically pair students for work in this lesson, with at least one strong reader per pair.
  • Review:
    • Character Reaction Paragraph: Hortensia (example, for teacher reference) to know what students will be working toward.
    • Red Light, Green Light protocol. See Classroom Protocols.
  • Post: Learning targets and applicable anchor charts.

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time B: Students complete their note-catchers in a word-processing document--for example, a Google Doc--using Speech to Text facilities activated on devices, or using an app or software such as Dictation.io.
  • Closing and Assessment A: Write Character Reaction Paragraph: Hortensia in an online format--for example, a Google Doc--for students to copy and paste when writing the body paragraphs of their literary essay in Lesson 14.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 5.I.B.6, 5.I.B.8, 5.I.C.11, 5.II.A.1, 5.II.A.2, and 5.II.C.6

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to reflect on the sensitive events in Esperanza Rising, discuss how events in the chapter fit into the overall structure of the story, make connections between the events and the simplified version of the UDHR, and analyze character reactions to events in the chapter. In addition, students have the opportunity to contribute to writing a group character reaction paragraph in preparation for writing their own later in the unit.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to complete the Character Reaction Note-catcher: "Las Ciruelas" for both Esperanza and Mama in the time allotted. Consider grouping students who need heavier support together and working closely with them during Work Time B. See the Meeting Students' Needs column for specific suggestions.

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • Invite a student to paraphrase the key points of pages 139-157 of Esperanza Rising in more comprehensible language for students who need heavier support.
  • Encourage students to add to the graphic organizer they began in Unit 1 to track (and illustrate) the main events in pages 139-157 of Esperanza Rising against the structure of the story. Invite them to explain this graphic organizer to students who need heavier support.
  • During the Mini Language Dive in Opening B, challenge students to generate questions about the sentence in Esperanza Rising before asking the prepared questions. Example: "What questions can we ask about this sentence? Let's see if we can answer them together."

For heavier support:

  • During the reading of Esperanza Rising, stop often to check for comprehension. Dictate key sentences for students to recite so that they practice using verbal language. Encourage students to act out and sketch key sentences. 
  • Transform the investigation of the How Were the Human Rights of the Characters in Esperanza Rising Threatened? anchor chart into a kinesthetic activity. Copy the new cells of the anchor chart onto separate cards or sticky notes. Students can paste the cards into the correct location on the anchor chart.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Throughout this unit, students incorporate what they are reading into their writing. Consider ways to facilitate increased comprehension by repeatedly offering opportunities for students to access prior knowledge and review previous material. Additionally, use a color-coding system to help students make connections between the model paragraphs and the Character Reaction Paragraph anchor chart. This way, students can see how to apply these writing strategies to their own work.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): Throughout this unit, students build the skill necessary to independently generate a character reaction paragraph. However, they will need scaffolded practice along the way. When writing a character reaction paragraph as a class, allow all students opportunities to participate even if they cannot generate an original sentence at this point. Rather, have students who may need additional support explain why their classmate's sentence fits the criteria on the anchor chart. 
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Some students may feel overwhelmed by the learning outcomes of this unit. Assure them that this is a new skill and they will have plenty of opportunities to practice and improve throughout the unit.

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T); Vocabulary Used in Writing (W)

  • reaction (L)

Materials

  • Esperanza Rising (from Lesson 2; one per student)
  • Spanish/English Dictionary anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 2)
  • Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 2)
  • Experiences with Threats against Human Rights anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 2; added to during Opening B)
  • Structure of Esperanza Rising anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 2; added to during Opening B; see supporting materials)
  • Structure of Esperanza Rising anchor chart (example, for teacher reference)
  • Vocabulary logs (from Unit 1, Lesson 3; one per student)
  • Red, yellow, and green objects (one of each per student)
  • Simplified version of the UDHR (from Unit 1, Lesson 4; one per student)
  • How Were the Human Rights of the Characters in Esperanza Rising Threatened? anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 4; added to during Work Time A; see supporting materials)
  • How Were the Human Rights of the Characters in Esperanza Rising Threatened? anchor chart (example, for teacher reference)
  • Sticky notes (three per student)
  • Quoting Accurately from the Text handout (from Unit 1, Lesson 5; one per student and one to display)
  • Character Reaction Note-catcher: "Las Ciruelas" (one per student and one to display)
  • Character Reaction Note-catcher: "Las Ciruelas" (example, for teacher reference)
  • Strategies to Answer Selected Response Questions anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 5)
  • Character Reaction Paragraph anchor chart (begun in Lesson 1)
  • Domain-Specific Word Wall (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 3)
  • Character Reaction Paragraph: Hortensia (example, for teacher reference)

Assessment

Each unit in the 3-5 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize their understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

  • Move students into pairs and invite them to label themselves A and B.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and select a volunteer to read them aloud: 

"I can describe how pages 139-157 of Esperanza Rising contribute to the overall structure of the story."

"I can analyze and write a paragraph about the reactions of characters to Mama's sickness in 'Las Ciruelas.'"

  • Remind students that they saw similar learning targets in Lesson 1. Remind students of the meaning of the word reaction.
  • For ELLs: Ask students to recall and describe one way that they worked toward similar learning targets in Lesson 1.
  • Help students generalize skills across lessons by asking them to share out one strategy they learned about reaching these learning targets from the previous lesson. (MMR)

B. Engaging the Reader: "Las Ciruelas" of Esperanza Rising (20 minutes)

  • Invite students to retrieve their copies of Esperanza Rising and to turn to page 139, "Las Ciruelas." 
  • Begin by pointing out the title of this chapter and select volunteers to share:

"What does 'Las Ciruelas' mean in English? How do you know?" (plums: it says so underneath "Las Ciruelas")

  • Add Las Ciruelas to the Spanish/English Dictionary anchor chart.
  • Invite students to follow along, reading silently in their heads as you read aloud pages 139-157, adding words to the Spanish/English Dictionary anchor chart as they come up. Invite Spanish speakers to provide the translation and record the Spanish on the anchor chart.
  • After reading, invite students to reflect on the following question by thinking, writing, or drawing. Students must be silent when they do this, though:

"What did this part of the story make you think about?"

  • After 3 minutes, refocus whole group.
  • Focus students on the Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart and remind them of the habit of character recorded: respect. 
  • Invite volunteers to share out. Do not force anyone to share ideas with the group, but provide those who desire it the chance to voice their reflections.
  • As students share out, capture any threats against human rights that students share on the Experiences with Threats against Human Rights anchor chart.
  • Focus students on the Structure of Esperanza Rising anchor chart. Ask them to turn and talk to their partner, and cold call students to share out:

"What is the gist of this chapter?" (Esperanza begins looking after the babies alone, and there is a big dust storm that causes Mama to get valley fever and become very sick.)

"Looking at the key, where do you think this part of the story fits into the structure? Why?" (rising action; there is still no turning point when things get easier for Esperanza)

  • Add this to the anchor chart. Refer to Structure of Esperanza Rising anchor chart (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Invite students to share any new words, adding any unfamiliar words to their vocabulary logs. Add any new words to the academic word wall and domain-specific word wall, and invite students to add translations in native languages.
  • Distribute red, yellow, and green objects.
  • Tell students they are now going to use the Red Light, Green Light protocol to reflect on their progress toward the first learning target. Remind them that they used this protocol in Lesson 2 and review as necessary. Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.
  • Guide students through the protocol using the first learning target.
  • Note students showing red or yellow objects so you can check in with them.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: Before reading, invite students to summarize the first eight chapters of Esperanza Rising in 1 minute or less (with feedback) and then again in 30 seconds or less with a partner. (MMR, MMAE)
  • For ELLs: Mini Language Dive. Ask students about the meaning of chunks from a key sentence of this chapter of Esperanza Rising. Write and display student responses next to the chunks. Example:
    • "Place your finger on the sentence: Esperanza felt panic squeezing her and she screamed, 'Hortensia!'" Read the sentence aloud as students follow along.
    • "What is the gist of this sentence?" (Responses will vary.)
    • "What is panic in our home languages?" (panik in Turkish.) Invite all students to repeat the translation in a home language other than your own.
    • "What does panic mean? You can use your dictionaries." (extreme fear that causes someone to not act or think normally)
    • "Who felt panic?" (Esperanza) "Why did she feel panic? How do you know?" (because Mama was burning up and was not responding; it tells us in the text before this sentence)
    • "There is some figurative language in this sentence. Place your finger on the chunk felt panic squeezing her. What do you think it means that panic was squeezing Esperanza?" (Responses will vary, but could include: The panic made her feel like she couldn't breathe.)
    • "Let's pretend the author didn't use the words squeezing her. Does the sentence still make sense?" (yes) "Why do you think the author described Esperanza's panic in this way?" (to show us how scared she really was and to help us imagine what she felt)
    • "Can you close your eyes and imagine panic squeezing Esperanza? Show me what it looks like." (Look for students to show faces of fear and panic.)
    • "What did Esperanza do after Mama didn't respond?" (She screamed and called for Hortensia.)
    • "How does your understanding of this sentence help you better understand how Esperanza reacted to Mama's illness?" (It helps me understand that she was really scared and that her panic made her feel like she couldn't breathe.)
  • For ELLs: Ask:

"What are the series of conflicts and crises in this chapter leading toward climax? What do you think will happen next?" (Esperanza takes care of the babies alone; there is a dust storm; Mama gets sick with Valley Fever.)

  • For students who may feel uncomfortable sharing their progress on meeting the learning targets publicly: Minimize risk by providing students with a sheet of paper where they can select a color for each learning target in private. This provides useful data for future instruction and helps students monitor their own learning. (MME)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Making Connections between the UDHR and "Las Ciruelas" (10 minutes)

  • Invite students to retrieve their simplified version of the UDHR.
  • Post the following question and tell students they are going to have 5 minutes to work with their partner to look over the simplified UDHR text and "Las Ciruelas" in Esperanza Rising and answer this question:

"Which human rights have been threatened in 'Las Ciruelas'?" 

  • Focus students on the How Were the Human Rights of the Characters in Esperanza Rising Threatened? anchor chart.
  • Tell students that when they find instances of this, they need to record the number of the article that it goes against on a sticky note and stick it in their book to remind them.
  • Distribute sticky notes.
  • After 5 minutes, refocus whole group. Invite students to retrieve their Quoting Accurately from the Text handout and quickly review it.
  • Cold call students to share out. Encourage them to provide accurate quotes from the text, and mark those quotes using quotation marks. As students share out, capture their responses on the anchor chart. Refer to How Were the Human Rights of the Characters in Esperanza Rising Threatened? anchor chart (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with reading: Consider minimizing the complexity of the task by marking key sections of the chapter and asking students why these sections illustrate threats to human rights. (MMR, MMAE)

B. Analyzing Character Reactions to Mama's Sickness in "Las Ciruelas" (20 minutes)

  • Invite students to Think-Pair-Share, leaving adequate time for each partner to think, ask each other the question, and share together. Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What are the significant events in the chapter 'Las Ciruelas'?" (the dust storm and Mama getting sick)

  • Distribute and display the Character Reaction Note-catcher: "Las Ciruelas."
  • Tell students that today they are going to focus on the situation of Mama's illness, because different characters in the story reacted differently to this situation, which reveals things to us about their characters. 
  • Display page 153. Invite students to follow along, chorally reading with you as you reread aloud page 153 from "Mama had changed ..." to "... and she screamed, 'Hortensia!'" on page 154. 
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"Which characters have reactions to Mama's sickness in these pages of the book?" (Esperanza, Hortensia, and Mama)

  • Model recording the gist of the event in the description box. Invite students to do the same on their note-catchers. Refer to Character Reaction Note-catcher: "Las Ciruelas" (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Tell students that you are going to think about how Hortensia feels and how she reacts as a class, and then they will work in pairs to think about Esperanza's reactions.
  • Invite students to Think-Pair-Share, leaving adequate time for each partner to refer to those pages of the book to think, ask each other the question, and share with each other before using a total participation technique to invite responses from the group:

"How does Hortensia feel about Mama's sickness?" (Responses will vary, but may include: She is worried about her and wants to look after her.)

"How does she react as a result? How does she interact with others? Remember that interact means how she behaves toward others--what she does and says to other people." (Responses will vary, but may include: She tells Esperanza that she is going to make her soup and that she is losing weight. She also tells Esperanza that Mama needs to see a doctor.)

  • If productive, cue students to expand the conversation by giving an example:

"Can you give an example?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Emphasize again that sometimes the text shows rather than tells us, and we have to infer. Reread the line "Hortensia looked at Esperanza, shaking her head" on page 154. 
  • Invite students to Think-Pair-Share, leaving adequate time for each partner to think, ask each other the question, and share with each other before using a total participation technique to invite responses from the group:

"What does this tell you about how Hortensia feels about what Mama just said? What can you infer?" (Responses will vary, but may include: It tells us that Hortensia doesn't agree with what Mama said about being fine and thinks she is stubborn.)

  • If productive, cue students to clarify the conversation by confirming what they mean:

"So, do you mean _____?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Record responses on the displayed note-catcher. Consider drawing an emoticon face on the note-catcher showing how she feels. 
  • Remind students to quote accurately from the text and refer to their Quoting Accurately from the Text handout for how to do that. Refer to Character Reaction Note-catcher: "Las Ciruelas" (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Invite students to work with their partner to do the same for the reactions of Esperanza and Mama.
  • Circulate to support students as they complete their note-catchers. Remind them to refer back to the text and to quote accurately. As you circulate, consider asking the following questions to guide students:

"Why do you think that? What evidence can you find in the text to support that claim?"

  • Refocus students. Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group to help you complete the displayed note-catcher. Remind students of what it looks like to quote accurately from the text. Refer to Character Reaction Note-catcher: "Las Ciruelas" (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Focus students on the selected response questions at the end of their note-catcher. Remind them of the Strategies to Answer Selected Response Questions anchor chart, and invite them to work with their partner to underline the answer they think is correct.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"How are the character reactions similar?" (Hortensia and Esperanza are both concerned about Mama.)

"How are the character reactions different? What does this tell you about each of the characters?" (Mama pretends to be OK to show strength to Esperanza and the others so that they don't worry about her, while Esperanza and Hortensia worry because they care about her and don't like to see her suffering.)

"Why do they respond differently?" (They respond differently because each has a different role in her relationship. Mama is the mother and an adult who doesn't want her child to worry about her--she wants Esperanza to have faith that she can be the provider. Esperanza, as her child, doesn't want to see her mother sick. Hortensia is a friend who doesn't want to see her friend sick, and who may also be worried about how her sickness could affect Hortensia's family).

  • If productive, cue students to expand the conversation by saying more:

"Can you say more about that?" (Responses will vary.)

  • For ELLs: After modeling using the note-catcher, invite students to add more information to the model note-catcher for more practice before independent work.
  • For ELLs: Consider grouping students who need heavier support together and working closely with them to fill in the note-catcher for Esperanza's reaction. Students can then work in pairs to complete the note-catcher for for Mama's reaction. 
  • For ELLs: To ensure that the purpose of quoting accurately from the text is transparent, ask: "Why do we use quotes from other books in our writing?" (Responses will vary, but may include: to give evidence or reasons for our thinking.) "Why do we put quotation marks around words we use from the book?" (to signal that they are not our words, but someone else's) "Why do we need to include the page number when we quote someone else?" (to show where we found the information)
  • Add to the anchor chart created in the first lesson of this unit with a list of potential "reactions" that characters may have and define new vocabulary as appropriate. Discuss with students that these words are often emotions or feelings that the character is having. Remind students that the author can directly state the reaction or show the emotion through description. (MMR)
  • Consider using a Venn Diagram to create a visual display of the conversation around Hortensia and Esperanza's reactions in this excerpt. (MMR)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Group Writing: Hortensia's Reaction to Mama's Sickness (5 minutes) 

  • Focus students on the row for Hortensia on the Character Reaction Note-catcher: "Las Ciruelas" and on the criteria on the Character Reaction Paragraph anchor chart.
  • Invite the whole group to help you write a character reaction paragraph for Hortensia. Take it sentence by sentence, inviting students to discuss what the sentence could be following the model and the criteria and referring to the domain-specific word wall, and using a total participation technique to select students to share whole group.
  • Record the paragraph sentence by sentence for students to see. Refer to the Character Reaction Paragraph: Hortensia (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Tell students they are now going to use the Red Light, Green Light protocol to reflect on their progress toward the learning targets. Remind them that they used this protocol earlier in the lesson and review as necessary. Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.
  • Guide students through the protocol using the first learning target.
  • Note students showing red or yellow objects so you can check in with them.
  • Repeat with the second learning target.
  • Repeat, inviting students to self-assess against how well they showed respect in this lesson.
  • For ELLs: To bolster participation, invite students who need heavier support to use the sentence frames created by intermediate students in Lesson 1. (Examples: In the chapter "___" of Esperanza Rising, ______. On page ____, it says, "_____," which shows that _________. Hortensia feels ______, and you can see that on page ____, which says, "__________.")
  • Continue using the same color-coding scheme from the first lesson as you compose the paragraph. (MMR)
  • For students who may need additional support with writing: Even if some students cannot generate an original sentence, ask individual students to explain how the new sentences demonstrate the criteria generated earlier in the lesson. (MMR)
  • For students who may feel uncomfortable sharing their progress on meeting the learning targets publicly: Minimize risk by providing students with a sheet of paper where they can select a color for each learning target in private. This provides useful data for future instruction and helps students monitor their own learning. (MME)

Homework

HomeworkMeeting Students' Needs

A. Write a character reaction paragraph for either Mama or Esperanza using your Character Reaction Note-catcher: "Las Ciruelas."

B. Complete: Esperanza Rising: Questions about "Las Ciruelas" in your Unit 2 Homework.

C. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal.

  • For ELLs: For students who need heavier support, create a template with a cloze version of a character reaction paragraph. (Example: In the chapter "_________" in Esperanza Rising, ______________. [Character] feels ________, and you can see that on page __, where it says, "________." On page ___, the text says, "___________," which shows that ________.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with reading and writing: Refer to the suggested homework support in Lesson 1. (MMAE, MMR)

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