Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan is the story of a wealthy, young, spoiled Mexican girl who is suddenly and unexpectedly forced by circumstances to become a responsible adult. She must leave her life in Mexico; the only life she's ever known and live in a foreign land, southern California in the 1930's. She is tested en route to California and comes face-to-face with her shallowness. While in California she encounters social, economic, and cultural conflicts. She also finds true love.
Motivators:
1. Introduce the novel study by asking the class to brainstorm predictions about what the book is about based on these words you write on the board: funeral, escape, migrant camp, work ethic, loneliness, illness, mountains and valleys, reunion, love, change.
2. Next, instead of starting at chapter 1, start at the back of the book! Read the author's note to the class. I've found that my students became far more interested in the book when they discovered it was based on a true story. The novel, however, isn't non-fiction because the author had to fill in the gaps of her family's story as best she could after her grandmother died.
Discussion questions (<-- click)
Text-to-Text Connection:
Harry Potter series + A Series of Unfortunate Events series + Esperanza Rising
Each of these novels contains the same themes of loneliness, death, and starting over.(click -->)The myth of the phoenix is a metaphor for Esperanza's life . Share the myth with your class.
death = Esperanza's old life in Mexico
rebirth = Esperanza's new life in CaliforniaWhat is a metaphor? It is the comparison of two unlike things without using the words like, as, resembles, or than. e.g. He is a walking encyclopedia. She is the sun.
CHARACTER ANALYSIS is done 6 ways:
1. description of looks and clothing
2. what the character says
3. how the character acts
4. describe character's private thoughts and feelings
5. what do the other characters say or think about the character
6. narration states directly what the character's pesonality is like
Protagonist is the hero or heroine; the good guy
Antagonist is the villain or bad guy
CHARACTER ANALYSIS FOLDABLE directions:
Use fun brightly colored 8 1/2" X 11" paper. Fold it in quarters to reduce it down to 4 1/4" X 5 1/2". Now fold back the corner that is really the center of the original full size open paper. (refer to pictures). Open the paper and trace a dark line along the folds so you create 8 separate sections. The 4 outer corners are to be labeled "physical appearance and clothing", "what the character says", "actions", "what the character thinks". The 4 inner triangles should be labeled "protagonist", "antagonist", "others' thoughts", "direct statements".
If you choose to characterize the main character, Esperanza, then describe her in each section of the foldable. For example, in the ACTIONS section one could write "hard-working", "caring", "sociable". When discussing this later as a class ask students to provide evidence for their choice of words. Why does the student think she's hard-working, caring, and sociable? Continue in this manner until complete. Encourage students to use thought balloons and dialog balloons in the appropriate sections.
PLOT ANALYSIS FOLDABLE directions:
getting ready
1. Start with 4 sheets of copy paper laid on top of eachother so that the bottom edge of each one is about a good inch from the bottom of the adjacent page.
2. About a third of the way down from the top hold all sheets on the left and right sides and fold so as to create 4 more flaps for a total of 8 flaps. (double-check your work with my picture to the left).
3. Put 3 staples very close to the fold at the top. One staple in the middle and another on the left side and one on the right side.
4. The top flap is where you can write the title of the novel.
5. In the MIDDLE of the second flap write (keep the first flap closed) the word PLOT in very big letters.
6. (continue keeping all the flaps closed) On the third flap but to the RIGHT write the word introduction
7. On the fourth flap and to the right and lined up with the previous word write conflict
8. " " fifth " " " " " " " " " " " " " internal and external conflicts
9. On the sixth flap and to the right and lined up with the previous word write complications
10. " " seventh " " " " " " " " " " " " " climax
11. " " eighth " " " " " " " " " " " " " resolution
next:
The definition of each word written on the flaps needs to be written on the same piece of paper as the vocabulary word, but hidden under the flap above. For example, the flap that has the word PLOT is the same flap where the definition of PLOT goes, but don't write the definition to the left. Write the definition above the word PLOT so it ends up being hidden by the flap that has the book title on it. Consequently, write the definition for the word INTRODUCTION on the flap that says INTRODUCTION, but above the word so it is hidden by the flap for PLOT. (see picture to left)
finally:
As you progress through the book write down exactly what the introduction is for the novel to the left of the word INTRODUCTION. Write down several of the conflicts to the left of the word CONFLICT, and so on.
This foldable gives students a clear example of the definitions and how each is applied to the story.
