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

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ELA G5:M1:U2:L1

Analyzing Character Reactions: Esperanza Rising: “Las Cebollas”

In this Lesson

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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.5.3: 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).
  • 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.
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can analyze the reactions of characters to the camp in "Las Cebollas." (RL.5.1, RL.5.3)
  • I can write a paragraph about a character's reaction to the camp in "Las Cebollas." (RL.5.1, RL.5.3, W.5.2, W.5.9, W.5.9a)

Ongoing Assessment

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

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening 

A. Engaging the Reader: Recounting "Las Cebollas" (5 minutes)

B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

2. Work Time 

A. Analyzing Character Reactions to the Camp in "Las Cebollas" (20 minutes)

B. Analyzing a Model Paragraph to Generate Criteria (10 minutes)

C. Group Writing: Esperanza's Reaction to the Camp (10 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment 

A. Connecting Esperanza Rising, the UDHR, and the Present: A Life Like Mine (10 minutes)

4. Homework 

A. 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 begin to focus on the character reactions to events/situations in Esperanza Rising. They begin by considering individual reactions and, as the unit progresses, they will begin to compare character reactions in writing. In this lesson, the event they consider is moving into the cabin in the camp. (RL.5.1, RL.5.3).
  • At the end of the lesson, students listen to a read-aloud of new pages of A Life Like Mine and make connections between that text and Esperanza in Esperanza Rising. The purpose of this text in this lesson is to help students understand children's rights in regards to work.
  • Students practice their fluency in this lesson by following along and reading silently in their heads as the teacher reads pages 74-77 of A Life Like Mine aloud during Closing and Assessment 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 the previous unit, students read chapters of Esperanza Rising and corresponding articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to identify threats to the characters' rights. Students read the chapter "Las Cebollas" at the end of Unit 1, so at the beginning of this lesson they revisit the chapter.
  • Throughout Unit 1, students were introduced to various total participation techniques (for example, cold calling, equity sticks, etc.). When following the directive to "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.
  • Throughout Unit 1, students were introduced to Goal 1 Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversation. Continue using Goal 1 Conversation Cues in this way, considering suggestions within lessons. Refer to the Unit 1, Lesson 3 Teaching Notes and see the Tools page for additional information on Conversation Cues.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • Students may need additional support 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 3.

Down the road:

  • In the next lesson, students will read the next chapter of Esperanza Rising, "Las Almendras," and then consider the metaphors and their meaning in the text so far. 

In Advance

  • Strategically pair students for work during this lesson, with at least one strong reader per pair.
  • Prepare a small label: "Esperanza Rising: Las Cebollas" to attach to a pin and place on the world map. This must be large enough to see but not too large to cover up too much of the map.
  • Review:
    • Location of Arvin in California in preparation for adding the pin there.
    • Model Character Reaction Paragraph: Mama and Character Reaction Paragraph: Esperanza to know what students will be working toward.
    • Thumb-O-Meter protocol. See Classroom Protocols.
  • Post: Learning targets and applicable anchor charts.

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time A: 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.
  • Work Time B: For students who will benefit from hearing the text read aloud multiple times, consider using a text to speech tool such as Natural Reader, SpeakIt! for Google Chrome or the Safari reader. Note that to use a web based text to speech to tool such as SpeakIt! or Safari reader, you will need to create an online doc--for example, a Google Doc, containing the text.
  • Work Time B: Students underline/highlight their text and annotate using the comments feature in a word-processing document--for example, a Google Doc.
  • Work Time B: Create Character Reaction Paragraph anchor chart in an online format--for example, a Google Doc--to share with families to support students doing homework later in the unit.
  • Work Time C: Write Character Reaction Paragraph: Esperanza 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.A.4, 5.I.B.6, 5.I.B.8, 5.I.C.10, and 5.II.C.6

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to retell a familiar chapter from Esperanza Rising, discuss character reactions to events in the chapter, analyze a model character reaction paragraph, and participate in a group writing activity to prepare for writing their own character reaction paragraphs later in the unit.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to describe and compare character reactions in "Las Cebollas." Assure them that they will have many opportunities to think about characters' reactions throughout the unit and encourage them to persevere. See specific supports in the Meeting Students' Needs column. 

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • During the Mini Language Dive in Work Time B, challenge students to generate questions about the sentence before asking the prepared questions. Example: "What questions can we ask about this sentence? Let's see if we can answer them together." (Who is the sentence about? What does this sentence tell us about the character?)

For heavier support:

  • During Work Time A, distribute a partially filled-in copy of the Character Reaction Note-catcher: "Las Cebollas." This will provide students with models for the kind of information they should enter, while relieving the volume of writing required. Refer to Character Reaction Note-catcher: "Las Cebollas" (example, for teacher reference) to determine which sections of the note-catcher to provide to students.

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 skills necessary to generate a character reaction paragraph. Consider providing a list of possible criteria and have students match the criteria to the model paragraph. 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, effective, synonym, interact (L)

Materials

  • Esperanza Rising (from Unit 1, Lesson 2; one per student)
  • Pin and label (see Teaching Notes; one for display)
  • World map (from Unit 1, Lesson 2; one for display)
  • Affix List (from Unit 1, Lesson 4; one per student)
  • Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 2)
  • Equity sticks (class set; one per student)
  • Character Reaction Note-catcher: "Las Cebollas" (one per student and one to display)
  • Character Reaction Note-catcher: "Las Cebollas" (example, for teacher reference)
  • Quoting Accurately from the Text handout (from Unit 1, Lesson 5; one per student and one to display)
  • Model Character Reaction Paragraph: Mama (one per student and one to display)
  • Character Reaction Paragraph anchor chart (new; co-created with students during Work Time B)
  • Character Reaction Paragraph anchor chart (example, for teacher reference)
  • Character Reaction Paragraph: Esperanza (example, for teacher reference)
  • Domain-Specific Word Wall (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 3)
  • A Life Like Mine (from Unit 1, Lesson 7; one for teacher read-aloud)

Materials from Previous Lessons

New Materials

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. Engaging the Reader: Recounting "Las Cebollas" (5 minutes)

  • Move students into pairs and invite them to label themselves A and B.
  • Invite students to retrieve their copies of Esperanza Rising.
  • Tell them that they are going to recount (relate what happens in the narrative) what happened in "Las Cebollas" in four sentences. Partner B will start and will say the first sentence, then A will build on what B said in the next sentence. Then B will continue to build on that by saying the third sentence, and then A will finish recounting the chapter in the fourth sentence.
  • Invite students to begin.
  • Circulate to listen to students recounting the chapter and identify a pair to say it aloud for the whole group.
  • After 3 minutes, refocus whole group and invite the selected pair to demonstrate a good example to the whole group.
  • Ask students to turn and talk to their partner, and cold call students to share with the whole group:

"Where is Esperanza now? How do you know?" (Esperanza is at the camp in Arvin, California. It says so on page 89 of the novel.)

  • Add the pin and label to Arvin, California on the world map.
  • For ELLs: Pair students with a partner who has more advanced or native language proficiency. The partner with greater language proficiency can serve as a model in the pair, initiating discussions and providing implicit sentence frames, for example. 
  • Provide differentiated mentors by purposefully pre-selecting student partnerships. Consider meeting with students in advance to coach them to share their thought process with their partner. (MMAE)
  • For students who may need additional support: Provide four sentences that summarize the chapter and ask students to put them in the correct order. Consider labeling 1-4 or cutting the sentences into strips and having students physically move them into the correct order. (MMR, MMAE)

B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and select a volunteer to read them aloud: 

"I can analyze the reactions of characters to the camp in 'Las Cebollas.'"

"I can analyze a model paragraph to generate criteria for an effective character reaction paragraph."

"I can write a paragraph about a character's reaction to the camp in 'Las Cebollas.'"

  • Underline the word reaction in each of the learning targets.
  • Invite students to retrieve their Affix Lists.
  • Draw a chart with "Prefix," "Root," and "Suffix" in the header row on the board.
  • Remind students that a prefix is letters at the beginning of a word that change the meaning, and a suffix is letters at the end of a word that change the meaning. The root is the remaining word once you remove the prefix and suffix, and that will usually give you a clue to the meaning of the word.
  • Invite students to look at the suffixes in their Affix List to identify the suffix on the word reaction, and what that suffix means. Add it to the chart. Under "Root" add "react (behavior or actions in response to an event)." In the "Suffix" column, write "-ion (act of, state of, result of)."
  • Show students the word that is left without the suffix: react. Tell them this is the root and write it in the chart, as above.
  • Invite students to work with their partner to use the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart to identify a strategy for working out the meaning of react. 
  • Use equity sticks to select students to share out and record their responses on the chart. See above.
  • Confirm for students that a reaction is someone's behavior or actions in response to an event.
  • Ask students to turn and talk to their partner, and cold call students to share with the whole group:

"Is this an academic or a domain-specific vocabulary word? How do you know?" (academic because it could be applied to any topic)

  • Add this word to the Academic Word Wall and invite students to add translations in home languages.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"Whose reactions are we going to be analyzing? Why?" (the characters from Esperanza Rising because character reactions help us better understand the characters and help to shape the plot of the story)

  • Underline the word effective in the second learning target and using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"A synonym is a word meaning the same or something similar. What is a synonym of effective?" (successful, good)

  • Ask students to turn and talk to their partner, and cold call students to share out:
  • "From these learning targets, what do you think you will be doing in this lesson? Why?" (We will be analyzing how characters react in the chapter "Las Cebollas," and then generating criteria for a paragraph in order to write an effective paragraph about character reactions. Analyzing the character reactions will help us write the paragraphs, and the purpose of this is to dig deeper to better understand the characters in the story and the way their reactions can help to shape the plot.)
  • For ELLs: Ask: "What is the difference between the words react, reacted, and reaction?" (React is a verb or an action word that means to act in a particular way in response to a situation. Reacted is the past tense of react. A reaction is a noun or a thing. It is the word for the way someone acts or feels in response to a situation.)
  • For ELLs: Check for comprehension by asking students to summarize and then to personalize the learning targets. Ask: 

"Can you put the second learning target in your own words?" (I can describe how a model character reaction paragraph is effective.) 

"How do you feel about that target?" (It might be a little hard, but it is interesting.)

  • To activate students' prior knowledge, generate a list of main characters from "Las Cebollas" with their character traits. (MMR)
  • Assure students that this is a new skill and they will have plenty of opportunities to practice and improve throughout the unit. (MME)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Analyzing Character Reactions to the Camp in "Las Cebollas" (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 Cebollas'?" (Esperanza and her mama are allocated a cabin with Miguel's family in the camp; Mama goes to work, leaving Esperanza with Isabel to look after the babies; Esperanza learns how to sweep the platform after not doing it very well.)

  • Distribute and display the Character Reaction Note-catcher: "Las Cebollas."
  • Tell students that today they are going to focus on the event of moving into the cabin in the camp because different characters in the story reacted differently to this event, which reveals things to us about their characters. 
  • Display page 100. Invite students to follow along, chorally reading with you as you reread aloud from page 100 to the top of page 106 ending at "... never been more miserable in her life?"
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"Which characters have reactions to the cabin in these pages of the book?" (Esperanza and Mama)

  • Model recording the gist of the event in the description box, and the character names in the first column. Invite students to do the same on their note-catchers. Refer to Character Reaction Note-catcher: "Las Cebollas" (example, for teacher reference) as necessary. Invite students to do the same on their note-catchers.
  • Tell students that you are going to think about how Mama 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 Mama feel about the cabin?" (Responses will vary, but may include: Mama is disappointed, but she knows she needs to be strong for Esperanza.)

"How does she react as a result? How does she interact with others? 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 they should be happy to be together.)

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

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

  • Emphasize that sometimes the text shows rather than tells us, and we have to infer. Reread the line "Mama looked around and then gave Esperanza a weak smile" on page 102. 
  • 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 Mama feels about the cabin? What can you infer?" (Responses will vary, but may include:It tells us that Mama understands what Esperanza is thinking as she looks around because she is thinking the same thing. She isn't happy about it, but she wants to be strong and encouraging for Esperanza.) 

  • 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 Cebollas" (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Invite students to work with their partner to do the same for Esperanza.
  • 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. Invite them to pair up with another pair, forming a group of four, to discuss what they recorded on their note-catchers and to make any additions/revisions as they hear different ideas that they agree with.
  • 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 Cebollas" (example, for teacher reference). 

"How is the character reaction similar?" (Both are disappointed/unhappy with the cabin.)

"How is the character reaction different?" (Mama responds positively, at least outwardly, because she knows she has to be positive for Esperanza. It shows us how much she cares for Esperanza and her strength because even though she probably doesn't like the cabin either, she pretends she does for the sake of others. Esperanza responds negatively, and shows that she is struggling to accept the change from a life of privilege to a life of hardship. Isabel reacts positively, showing that she is used to hardship and can be positive in the face of adversity).

"Why do they respond differently?" (Each has a different role in their relationship. Mama is the mother and an adult who knows better--it is her role to make the difficult times easier for Esperanza and to help Esperanza understand. Esperanza is a child who is struggling to adapt to all the new changes.)

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

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

  • Tell students they are now going to use the Thumb-O-Meter protocol to reflect on their progress toward the first learning target. Remind them that they used this protocol in Unit 1 and review as necessary. Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol. 
  • Guide students through the Thumb-O-Meter protocol using the first learning target. Scan student responses and make a note of students who may need more support with this moving forward.
  • For ELLs: To reinforce understanding about the difference between showing and telling, invite a few confident students to rephrase "tell" statements into "show" statements. Record student ideas on the board for written reinforcement. (Examples: She was angry -> Her face turned red and she looked like she was about to burst; He was sad. -> He put his face in his hands and walked away.) 
  • 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: Remind students:
    • "Quoting sources is an important academic and career skill in the United States. In the United States, you can borrow important ideas from the original text, but you must use your own words to explain the ideas when you write, and you must place quotation marks around the quotes you borrow. In addition, you must tell your reader where the ideas and quotes came from. Otherwise, you might get into serious trouble."
  • For students who may need additional support with fine motor skills: Offer choice with the graphic organizer by providing a template that includes lines within the boxes. (MMR, MME)
  • Create an anchor chart 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)

B. Analyzing a Model Paragraph to Generate Criteria (10 minutes) 

  • Tell students that later in the lesson, they are going to write a paragraph describing one of the characters' reactions.
  • Remind students that it is often useful to analyze a model to generate criteria before writing, to ensure that the paragraph is effective.
  • Distribute and display the Model Character Reaction Paragraph: Mama and read it aloud.
  • Focus students on the questions at the top of the model:
    • "What information does this paragraph contain? Why? How is it organized?"
  • Tell students that they are going to work with their partner to reread the model paragraph and to underline/highlight and annotate the text to answer this question. Tell them that after spending some time annotating the text, they will share what they found with the whole group.
  • Invite students to begin and circulate to support them in rereading the text. Remind students of the question.
  • After 5 minutes, refocus whole group and use a total participation technique to select students to share responses with the group. 
  • As students share out, capture their responses on the Character Reaction Paragraph anchor chart. Refer to Character Reaction Paragraph anchor chart (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Tell students they are now going to use the Thumb-O-Meter protocol to reflect on their progress toward the second learning target. 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 Thumb-O-Meter protocol using the second learning target. Scan student responses and make a note of students who may need more support with this moving forward.
  • For ELLs: Mini Language Dive: Ask students about the meaning of a key sentence from the Model Character Reaction Paragraph: Mama. Write and display student responses next to the chunks. Examples:
    • Place your finger on the sentence: On page 102, the way Mama "sank to the bed. Her voice sounded tired" also suggests that she is disappointed or concerned with the situation.
    • "What is the gist of this sentence?" (Responses will vary.)
    • Place your finger on the chunk: On page 102."What does this chunk tell us?" (It gives us the page number in the book where the information comes from.)
    • Place your finger on the chunk: "sank to the bed. Her voice sounded tired." Ask: "Who sank into the bed? How do you know?" (The sentence says it was Mama.) "Why does the author put this chunk in quotes?" (to show that the words come directly from the book)
    • Place your finger on the word: suggests. "What is suggests in our home languages?" (sugjeron in Albanian). Invite all students to repeat the translation in a home language other than their own. "What is the meaning of suggests? You can use your dictionaries." (to show or indicate that something is true)
    • "What suggests something in this sentence? What does the verb suggests refer to?"(Suggests refers to the quoted text in the first part of the sentence. The quoted text indicates something about Mama's reaction.)
    • "What does the quoted text show us about Mama?" (It shows she is disappointed, that she does not feel positively and is concerned.)
    • "How will your understanding of this sentence help you when writing a character reaction paragraph?" (It shows how I can use quotes from the book to show how the character is feeling.) 
  • Use strategic color-coding to annotate the model paragraph and create the Character Reaction Paragraph anchor chat to help students make connections between the two learning tools. (MMR)
  • Instead of generating criteria, some students may benefit from simplifying the task to identifying criteria in the model paragraph. Consider creating a list of criteria with color-coding and have students highlight sentences or sections that demonstrate that criteria with the same color. (MMR, MMAE)

C. Group Writing: Esperanza's Reaction to Camp (10 minutes) 

  • Focus students on the row for Esperanza of the Character Reaction Note-catcher: "Las Cebollas" and on the criteria on the Character Reaction Paragraph anchor chart.
  • Invite the whole group to help you write a character reaction paragraph for Esperanza. 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 Character Reaction Paragraph: Esperanza (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Tell students they are now going to use the Thumb-O-Meter protocol to reflect on their progress toward the final learning target. 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 Thumb-O-Meter protocol using the final learning target. Scan student responses and make a note of students who may need more support with this moving forward.
  • For ELLS: Before inviting students to share sentences, model and think aloud the process of adapting information from the note-catcher to write sentences.
  • For ELLs: To provide lighter support, invite intermediate students to create sentence frames to bolster participation during group writing. Invite students who need heavier support to use the frames. (Examples: On page ____, it says, "_____," which shows that _________; Esperanza feels ______, and you can see that on page ____, which says, "__________.")
  • Continue using the same color-coding scheme from the previous section 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, MMAE) 

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Connecting Esperanza Rising, the UDHR, and the Present: A Life Like Mine (10 minutes)

  • Refocus whole group.
  • Show students the cover of A Life Like Mine. Remind them that this book is based on a set of rights, like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that were written especially for children called The Convention on the Rights of the Child. 
  • Display page 74. Invite students to follow along, reading silently in their heads as you read aloud pages 74-77.
  • Invite students to Think-Pair-Share, leaving adequate time for each partner to think, ask each other the question, and share: 

"What are these pages about?" (Student responses may vary, but could include that they're about protecting children's' rights to work.)

"What connections can you make between what we just read in this book and the events in Esperanza Rising?" (Esperanza is working when she is looking after the babies and sweeping the platform.)

"Why is Esperanza not going to school?" (She has already finished school in Mexico.)

"How did the strategies on the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart help you to better understand the text?" (Responses will vary.)
  • For ELLs: Consider marking key sections of the chapter and asking students how these sections connect to what they read in A Life Like Mine.
  • Take this opportunity to re-emphasize the importance of ensuring human rights. Help make it relevant to students by asking them to share other human rights violations or issues. (MME)

Homework

HomeworkMeeting Students' Needs

A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with writing: For all homework assignments in this unit, read the prompts aloud. Students can discuss and respond to prompts orally, either with you, a partner, family member, or student from Grades 4 or 6, or record an audio response. If students have trouble writing sentences, they can begin by writing words. Consider providing a sentence starter or inviting students who need lighter support to provide sentence starters. (MMAE)

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