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Lesson Plans

The Circuit


40
The 40-Minute Lesson Plan is essential elements of the CBL lesson plan. We suggest the teacher reads aloud or uses an audio book for the reading portion. 40-min includes: Background, Wordwall, Key Paragraph, and Writing Prompt
60
The 60-Minute Lesson Plan uses the same elements as the 40-minute plan, but also covers a visual activity and discussion. 60-min includes: Background, Wordwall, Key Paragraph,Writing Prompt and adding the Key Questions
90
The 90-Minute Lesson Plan contains all elements of the lesson plan. If time is available, we recommend using this version to get all of the benefits of CBL. The full lesson includes: Background, Wordwall, Key Paragraph, Writing Prompt, and Key Questions of the 40 and 60 minutes options while incorporating the Mapping Activity, Visual Activity and creating the Timeline as a class.

Day 1

Responsibility Requires Action. Responsibility is the active side of morality: doing what I should do, doing what I said I would do, doing what is best for everybody: especially doing the one thing I should be doing right now.

Outcomes for Today

W3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences of or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

  • Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and /or characters: create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
  • Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.

 

Prepare

Background

Gather background knowledge about a place, time, event, person, or thing.

Who was Cantinflas?

Cantinflas was a small man with big ears, a distinctive mustache, pants that never stayed up, and a little cap cocked upon his always mussed hair. He was a comic actor beloved throughout the Spanish-speaking world and considered the Mexican Charlie Chaplin. He was also compared to Buster Keaton. Unlike the great silent era funnymen to whom he is compared, Cantinflas worked during the era of sound.

Cantinflas devoted his life to helping others through charity and humanitarian organizations, especially those dedicated to helping children. In 1988, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Mexican Academy of Cinema. In 1993, shortly before his death due to lung cancer, Cantinflas was named a "symbol of peace and happiness of the Americas”.

Word Wall

Here are five vocabulary words to teach and add to the Word Wall.

Introduce 5 important, useful words from today’s reading. 

nestled (1)

jerked (3)

barricade (4)

outskirts (5)

foreman (6)

Read

Review

Review the timeline from the beginning every day.

As today is Day 1 of The Circuit by Francisco Jiménez, have students look at the front and back cover, then make predictions about what they will be reading over the course of the next three weeks.

Read

Read the selection, usually in a Shared Reading Read React Predict Cycle of 2-3 pages.

Read p. 1-8

Setting

Characters

Pages

Guadalajara, Mexico – several miles north

Papá, Mamá, Roberto, Francisco, Fito

1-2

The train

Papá, Mamá, Roberto, Francisco

2-4

Mexicali, Mexico

Papá, Mamá, Roberto, Francisco

4-5

Guadalupe, CA

Papá, Mamá, Roberto, Francisco, Woman, Driver, Lupe Gordillo, Foreman, Conductor

5-8

 

Respond

Timeline

Agree on the facts in today’s reading, and list the 3-5 most important on the Timeline.

Discuss the reading and add 3-5 events to the timeline.

  • Discuss the story to fix the facts: who, what, when, where, and why.
  • Decide on the 3-5 most important events and add these to the timeline.

Students might mention:

  • Francisco and his family lived in Guadalajara during the 1940’s and dreamed of California.
  • Talking about California makes Papá’s eyes sparkle.
  • Roberto is four years older than Francisco. He did not like living in El Rancho Blanco after visiting his cousin, Fito, in Guadalajara.
  • Francisco liked hunting for eggs and going to mass, but what he liked best was listening to stories.
  • Papá announced after dinner that they would cross la frontera into California.
  • The family took a train from Guadalajara to Mexicali and traveled for two days and two nights.
  • After arriving in Mexicali, the family walked out of town, crawled under the fence, and was driven to the tent labor camp.
  • The tent labor camp was in Guadalupe. The first night the family slept in a grove of eucalyptus trees.
  • Papá learned there wasn’t any work available until the strawberries became ripe in two weeks.
  • Francisco and Roberto played near the railroad tracks. The conductor dropped a bag of candy and fruit.

 

Map

Students will use the following links to find Guadalajara, Mexico and read about Mexico.

http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine

  • Click on Country profiles, Explore the World
  • Scroll down to North America; click on Mexico
  • Read the country profile
  • Click on Printable Outline Map
  • Select Mexico and leave second dropdown bar blank for all of Mexico
  • Click Enlarge
  • Students will determine the distance between Guadalajara and Mexicali.
  • The map activity begins with them drawing Mexico.
  • Then have them locate Guadalajara and Mexicali in the correct spots on their map.

 

 

Explore

Activity

Explore the reading more deeply with a visual or oral language activity.

Sketch

Use the description on page 8 to sketch the “Noon Train” conductor dropping fruit and candy to Francisco and his brother, Roberto.

Discussion

Ask discussion questions of all 9 types (see Day 1).

Key Questions

  1. Why do you think Papá’s eyes sparkled when he talked about California?
  2. Why do you think Roberto didn’t enjoy living in El Rancho Blanco?
  3. What did Roberto and Francisco enjoy doing in El Rancho Blanco?
  4. How does Francisco build anticipation when describing the train ride from El Rancho Blanco?
  5. Describe a time when you have traveled from one city to another. Where were you going, and what items did you bring with you? Were you excited about the journey?
  6. What technique does Francisco utilizes to make the trip “under the wire” sound easier than it really was?
  7. The Jimenez family is very poor when they arrive in Guadalupe. What evidence can you find to support this?
  8. It takes courage to move to a new place. What are your thoughts about moving to a new place and starting over? Would you ever just pick up your belongings and move to a different location if it meant a possibility of a better life? Explain your answer in as much detail as possible.
  9. Describe how Francisco and Roberto pass the time until the strawberries are ripe.

Analyze

Analyze the key paragraph.

Key Paragraph, p. 3

La frontera is a word I often heard when I was a child living in El Rancho Blanco, a small village nestled on barren, dry hills several miles north of Guadalajara, Mexico. I heard it for the first time back in the late 1940’s when Papá and Mamá told me and Roberto, my older brother, that someday we would take a long trip north, cross la frontera, enter California, and leave our poverty behind” (p. 3).

Extend

Write

Have each student write a short product based on today’s prompt to connect to the unit theme.

Francisco was four years old at the time of this event. He describes the family’s beginnings in El Rancho Blanco prior to making the trip to California. What do you recall from that age? Everybody has a beginning, a time when they have vivid memories or feelings. When is your beginning? Who makes up your family? Where did your family begin? What travels have you made?

Write a 2-3 paragraph narrative that describes where you were born and what you remember from your early years. Use as much detail as you can to describe each memory. In your narrative, explain why you think you were able to remember those memories and why they were significant to you.

Close 

Close by extending today’s lesson to life and the world.

Extend the reading to the students’ lives or to the world.

Day 2

Responsibility Requires Action. Responsibility is the active side of morality: doing what I should do, doing what I said I would do, doing what is best for everybody: especially doing the one thing I should be doing right now.

Outcomes for Today

W3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences of or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

  • Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and /or characters: create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
  • Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.

 

Prepare

Background

Gather background knowledge about a place, time, event, person, or thing.

Where is Soledad?

Soledad is located in the central Salinas Valley of Monterey County. The City of Soledad is approximately 130 miles south of San Francisco, 40 miles southeast of the Monterey Peninsula, 25 miles south of Salinas, and 25 miles north of King City. The climate in Soledad is relatively mild and enjoyable year round.

Word Wall

Here are five vocabulary words to teach and add to the Word Wall.

jalopy (9)

prongs (11)

dirt clods (12)

ashamed (13)

timidly (13)

Read

Review

Review the timeline from the beginning every day.

Read

Read the selection, usually in a Shared Reading Read React Predict Cycle of 2-3 pages.

Read p. 9-13

Setting

Characters

Pages

Cotton Field

Papá, Mamá, Roberto, Francisco, Trampita

9-10

Lunch

Papá, Mamá, Roberto, Francisco, Trampita

10

Cotton Field

Papá, Mamá, Roberto, Francisco, Trampita

10-13

 

Respond

Timeline

Agree on the facts in today’s reading and list the 3-5 most important on the timeline.

Students might mention:

  • Papá, Mamá, and Roberto went into the fields, leaving Francisco to watch his brother, Trampita.
  • Francisco stands on top of the car to watch his family as they went into the field.
  • At lunch, Papá wanted to eat quickly, while Roberto and Francisco wanted lunch to last longer.
  • Francisco picks cotton in the fields for the first time.
  • When Papá, Mamá, and Roberto came back from the fields, they found Trampita crying with a dirty diaper.
  • Papá finds dirt clods mixed in with the cotton Francisco picked.
  • Papá informs Francisco that his job is to watch Trampita and not to pick cotton.

Map

Add to ongoing class activities like a KWL chart or map: where did the characters go?

Students will use the following links to find Mexicali, Mexico. http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine

  • Click on Country profiles, Explore the World
  • Scroll down to North America, click on Mexico
  • Read the country profile
  • Click on Printable Outline Map
  • Select Mexico and leave second dropdown bar blank for all of Mexico
  • Click Enlarge

 

 

Students will then determine where Guadalupe, CA is located and the distance from California’s southern border to Guadalupe, CA using the following link: www.mapquest.com

The map activity continues with the groups adding the journey from the border to Guadalupe, CA. Important: Student should use different colors for every journey line.

Explore

Activity

Explore the reading more deeply with a visual or oral language activity.

Cartoon

Draw a cartoon of today’s events. Have students draw the following situations and insert captions.

  • Francisco standing on top of the jalopy
  • The Jimenez family lunch
  • Francisco picking cotton
  • Mamá and Papá’s return

Discussion

Ask discussion questions of all 9 types (see Day 1).

Key Questions

  1. Why do you think Francisco feels pain in his chest when his parents go into the field?
  2. What does Francisco try to accomplish when he climbs onto the roof of the car?
  3. Describe how Francisco illustrated the closeness of the family during the lunch break.
  4. In your opinion, why do you think Francisco decided to pick cotton for his parents? Do you think it was a good idea for Francisco to try and fool his parents and employer by placing dirt clots in with the cotton?
  5. Given the definition/description of responsibility; was Francisco doing what he should have been doing on page 11?
  6. Describe the changes in emotions that Papá went through as he noticed Francisco’s cotton pile more closely.
  7. Why do you think Papá and Roberto have not explained to Francisco how hard it is to work in the field?

Analyze

Analyze the key paragraph.

Key Paragraph, p. 13

“‘Si, Papá,’ I answered timidly. I was hurt and confused. Seeking comfort, I walked over to Roberto and whispered, ‘Someday, I will get to pick cotton with you, Papá, and Mamá. Then I won’t be left alone.’ Roberto put his arm around me and nodded his head” (p. 13).

Extend

Write

Have each student write a short product based on today’s prompt to connect to the unit theme.

Papá has just told Francisco his job is to take care of Trampita and that his actions could have gotten the family fired. Francisco is sad and disappointed; he really wants to be with his parents and older brother picking cotton. Have you ever wanted to do something but were told you were too young? Have you been left behind by older family members or friends?

Write 2-3 paragraphs explaining in detail about a time in your life that you wanted to do something, but were told you were too young. Within the paragraphs, describe the event, how old were you at time of the event, and explain how the event made you feel and what you learned from it.

Close 

Close by extending today’s lesson to life and the world. 

Day 3

Responsibility Requires Action. Responsibility is the active side of morality: doing what I should do, doing what I said I would do, doing what is best for everybody: especially doing the one thing I should be doing right now.

Outcomes for Today

W3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences of or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

  • Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and /or characters: create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
  • Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.

 

Prepare

Background

Gather background knowledge about a place, time, event, person, or thing.

What is the life cycle for a caterpillar?

Depending upon the type of caterpillar, the life cycle can be anywhere from one month to one year. The four basic stages of are: the egg, larva or caterpillar, pupa or chrysalis and adult butterfly. The following website gives a good visual representation of the life cycle. http://www.thebutterflysite.com/life-cycle.shtml.

Word Wall

Here are five vocabulary words to teach and add to the Word Wall.

anxious (14)

suspenders (15)

whiz (15)

cocoon (23)

swarm (25)

Read

Review

Review the timeline from the beginning every day.

Read

Read the selection, usually in a Shared Reading Read React Predict Cycle of 2-3 pages.

Respond

Timeline

Agree on the facts in today’s reading and list the 3-5 most important on the timeline.

Read p. 14-26

Setting

Characters

Pages

Home in Tent City

Mamá, Roberto, Francisco

14-15

School Bus

Roberto, Francisco

 

Main Street School

Roberto, Francisco, Mr.Sims, Miss Scalapino, Curtis, Arthur

15-21

School Playground

Curtis, Francisco, Mr. Sims, Miss Scalapino, Arthur

21-23

Home in Tent City

Mamá, Papá, Roberto, Francisco

23-24

Main Street School

Francisco, Miss Scalapino, Curtis, Arthur

24-26

 

Map

Add to ongoing class activities like a KWL chart or map: where did the characters go?

Students will use the following links to find Santa Maria, CA: http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine 

  • Click on Country Profiles, Explore the World
  • Scroll down to North America, click on America
  • Read the country profile
  • Click on the Printable Outline Map 
    • Select North America and leave the second dropdown bar blank for all of North America
  • Click Englarge 

Students will then determine where Santa Maria, CA is located and the distance from Guadalupe, CA to Santa Maria using the following link: www.mapquest.com

The map activity continues with the groups adding the journey from Guadalupe, CA to Santa Maria, CA. Important: Student should use different colors for every journey line.

 

Explore

Activity

Explore the reading more deeply with a visual or oral language activity.

Open Mind Portrait

Create an OMP for Francisco. You have learned about Francisco over the past three days of reading. He has experienced a train ride, picking cotton and going to school for the first time. Sketch your impression of what he looks like. Surround the sketch with cartoon bubbles filled with thoughts you think he may have had so far.

Discussion

Ask discussion questions of all 9 types (see Day 1).

Key Questions

  1. Describe Roberto’s first experience with school.
  2. What was Roberto’s system for knowing if he answered the teacher’s question correctly?
  3. In your own words, describe Francisco’s first day of school.
  4. Why was Roberto responsible for enrolling Francisco in school on the first day?
  5. What was the initial reaction Francisco had to attending school? Why?
  6. How did Francisco make reading enjoyable for himself?
  7. In what ways are Curtis and Francisco similar and in what ways are they different?
  8. Describe the qualities Jorge Negrete possess to make Francisco his friend?
  9. What were the two parts of school Francisco enjoy most? Why do you think these were his favorite things?
  10. In attempting to help Francisco, Mr. Sims created a problem for him. In your own words, describe what events lead to the conflict with Francisco.
  11. How could have Curtis handled the situation differently so the fight could have been avoided?
  12. What did Francisco do in response to the fight?
  13. What is the symbolism of the caterpillar and butterfly in relationship to Francisco?
  14. Why do you think Francisco gave Curtis his award-winning painting instead of taking it home to his parents?
  15. In what ways did Francisco show Responsibility in today’s reading?

Analyze

Analyze the key paragraph.

Key Paragraph, p. 16

“Mr. Sims walked me to my classroom. I liked it as soon as I saw it because, unlike our tent, it had wooden floors, electric lights, and heat. It felt cozy. He introduced me to my teacher, Miss Scalapino, who smiled, repeating my name, ‘Francisco.’ It was the only word I understood the whole time she and the principal talked. They repeated it each time they glanced at me. After he left, she showed me to my desk, which was at the end of the row of desks closest to the window. There were no other kids in the room yet” (p. 16).

Extend

Write

Have each student write a short product based on today’s prompt to connect to the unit theme.

Francisco's first day of school was filled with fear, anxiety, and hope. He was happy to be at school because of the electricity, heat, and wooden floors. But he was deeply nervous when other students looked at him and found solace in looking at the butterfly in the jar and daydreaming about the possibility of helping his dad.

What do you remember about your first day of school? Where was the school? Who was your principal and first teacher? Did you know anyone in your class? What as the weather like? Did you feel excitement, anxiety, fear, or nervousness?

Thinking back to your first day of school, write a 2-3 paragraph narrative describing your first day of school. Use detail in your narrative to describe what you wore, what the classroom looked like, what your teacher was like, what items were in the classroom, what your classroom looked like, where you sat in the classroom, etc.

Close 

Close by extending today’s lesson to life and the world. 

Day 4

Responsibility Requires Action. Responsibility is the active side of morality: doing what I should do, doing what I said I would do, doing what is best for everybody: especially doing the one thing I should be doing right now.

Outcomes for Today

W3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences of or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

  • Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and /or characters: create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
  • Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.

 

Prepare

Background

Gather background knowledge about a place, time, event, person, or thing.

What is a sharecropper?

A person who enters into an agreement with a landowner to farm the land and then pay a portion or a share of the crop produced as rent. The tenant pays for use of the land with a predetermined share of his crop rather than with cash.

Word Wall

Here are five vocabulary words to teach and add to the Word Wall.

rural (27)

burlap (29)

caretaker (29)

stench (31)

hysterically (34)

Read

Review

Review the timeline from the beginning every day.

Read

Read the selection, usually in a Shared Reading Read React Predict Cycle of 2-3 pages.

Read p. 27-35 

Setting

Characters

Pages

Tent City, Santa Maria, CA

Mamá, Papá, Roberto, Francisco, Trampita

27-29

City Dump, Santa Maria, CA

Roberto, Francisco

29-30

Tent City, Santa Maria, CA

Mamá, Papá, Roberto, Francisco, Trampita,

Juan Manual (Torito), Miss Scalapino, Dona Maria

30-35

 

Respond

Timeline

Agree on the facts in today’s reading and list the 3-5 most important on the timeline.

Students might mention:

  • The Jimenez family moved into Tent City, a farm worker labor camp outside of Santa Maria.
  • Mamá cooked for the men at Tent City since she couldn’t work the fields.
  • Francisco and Roberto helped out while Mamá was pregnant.
  • Francisco and Roberto went on adventures to the dump to collect things to improve their tent site.
  • They found enough wood to cover the floor and a box that would become the baby’s crib.
  • Two months after his birth, Torito became very sick.

Map

Add to ongoing class activities like a KWL chart or map: where did the characters go?

Students will determine where Corcoran, CA is located and the distance from Santa Maria, CA to Corcoran, CA using the following link: www.mapquest.com

The map activity continues with the groups adding the journey from Santa Maria, CA to Corcoran, CA.

Explore

Activity

Explore the reading more deeply with a visual or oral language activity.

Character Profile Chart

You have had the opportunity to learn about Francisco. Based on what you have learned so far, fill out two character traits on Francisco. Use examples from the reading to support your trait.

4g6 Character Profile Chart

 

 

 

Discussion

Ask discussion questions of all 9 types (see Day 1).

Key Questions

  1. Describe Tent City.
  2. How did Mamá make ends meet while she was pregnant and living in Tent City?
  3. What responsibilities did Francisco and Roberto have while in Tent City?
  4. What do you think of Francisco’s description of going to the dump with Roberto?
  5. Why did the dump caretaker chase them away?
  6. In what ways were other people’s trash, “treasures” for Francisco and Roberto?
  7. What was the baby’s name? What was his nickname? Why did they call him that?
  8. Describe the impact on the family as Torito began to get sick.

Analyze

Analyze the key paragraph.

Key Paragraph, p. 29-30

“Our trip to the dump was always an adventure. We waited until dusk, after the dump caretaker left, before raiding for treasures because we had no money to buy them. When he went home in the evenings, the caretaker locked the more valuable items, such as used clothing, car parts and broken lamps, in a makeshift shed. The larger pieces—mattresses, box springs, broken pieces of furniture—he left outside, leaning against the storehouse. Besides lumber, I collected the books, hoping to read them once I learned how. My favorites were the one with pictures” (p. 29-30).

Extend

Write

Have each student write a short product based on today’s prompt to connect to the unit theme.

Francisco describes going to the Tent City dump with his brother, Roberto, and salvaging materials to make their tent a better home. For Francisco and Roberto, it was an opportunity to find items that were treasures for them and trash for others.

When you were young what adventures did you go on with your friends or family? Where would you go? How old were you? Did you parents know about your adventures? What things would you do during your adventures? Did you find treasures in what others had discarded?

Write a 2-3 paragraph narrative describing details of your childhood adventures. In your description, analyze what made you so adventurous. Were you ever afraid? Where did you go and whom did you go with? Looking back now, would you describe those adventures as responsible? What did you learn or take from those adventures.

Close 

Close by extending today’s lesson to life and the world. 

Day 5

Responsibility Requires Action. Responsibility is the active side of morality: doing what I should do, doing what I said I would do, doing what is best for everybody: especially doing the one thing I should be doing right now.

Outcomes for Today

W3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences of or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

  • Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and /or characters: create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
  • Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.

 

Prepare

Background

Gather background knowledge about a place, time, event, person, or thing.

What is faith?

Faith is something that one believes in. It is the belief in something with no real or tangible proof, and a strong conviction or belief with complete trust. Faith is the opposite of doubt. It can also be seen as a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny.

Word Wall

Here are five vocabulary words to teach and add to the Word Wall.

stammered (38)

harsh (38)

hesitantly (40)

cloak (43)

miracle (44)

Read

Review

Review the timeline from the beginning every day.

Read

Read the selection, usually in a Shared Reading Read React Predict Cycle of 2-3 pages.

Read p. 36-44

Setting

Characters

Pages

Tent City,

Santa Maria, CA

Mamá, Papá, Roberto, Francisco, Trampita, Juan Manual (Torito), Miss Scalapino, Dona Maria

36-44

Hospital

Papá, Mamá, Juan Manual (Torito)

37-44

 

Respond

Timeline

Agree on the facts in today’s reading and list the 3-5 most important on the timeline.

Students might mention:

  • Dona Maria came over and tried to heal Torito with her medicine.
  • When her medicine didn’t work and Torito worsened, Papá and Mamá rushed Torito to the hospital.
  • Mamá and Papá had to leave Torito in the hospital.
  • Francisco feared Torito would die.
  • Francisco dreamt of Torito and the holy card.
  • The next morning Mamá made a blue outfit that matched the card.
  • When Mamá and Papá brought Torito home, he was wrapped in his blue cloak.
  • The Jimenez family prayed to el Santo Nino for one year.
  • The doctor had told Mamá and Papá it would take a miracle for Torito to survive.

Map

Add to ongoing class activities like a KWL chart or map: where did the characters go?

As there are no locations to add to the map today, use this as a day to complete the map so far. You can also:

  • Review the locations the family has gone so far;
  • Have students add additional information to the map—geography of the regions, culture of the area, name the major trades/products in the area.

Explore

Activity

Explore the reading more deeply with a visual or oral language activity.

Card

Create a get-well card for Torito. Francisco is frustrated by not being able to see his little brother or being allowed to go visit him at the hospital. Based on what you have read today, design the front cover based on how you feel Francisco would react. Inside, tell little Torito how you feel about him and how you hope he gets better and can come home soon. You can write a letter, a poem, or use quotes to covey this message.

Discussion

Ask discussion questions of all 9 types (see Day 1).

Key Questions

  1. Who was Dona Maria? What is her role around Tent City?
  2. How did she treat Torito? What were her methods?
  3. How did Francisco create drama when telling of Torito’s illness?
  4. Describe the impact of Torito’s illness on each of the family members. Use evidence from the story to explain your answer.
  5. Why did Francisco become irritated and angry when he was not permitted to visit Torito in the hospital?
  6. What role does faith and religion play in the Jimenez family?
  7. Explain, in your own words, the symbolism of Torito wearing the blue cloak.

Analyze

Analyze the key paragraph.

Key Paragraph, p. 44

“‘I have something to tell you,’ Mamá said, teary-eyed as she took off his cloak. ‘When we took Torito to the hospital, the doctor told us my son would die because we had waited too long to take him there. He said it would take a miracle for him to live. I didn’t want to believe him,’ she continued, gaining strength as she talked. ‘But he was right. It took a miracle’” (p. 44).

Extend

Write

Have each student write a short product based on today’s prompt to connect to the unit theme.

Faith is a major theme in today’s reading. Mamá tells Francisco what the doctor had to say while Torito was in the hospital. She shared how the doctor gave him little chance to live and how it would be a miracle if he did. Mamá says although at first she didn’t want to believe him in reality it was a miracle. Mamá believes faith is the only thing that can save Torito.

Faith takes many forms – faith in one’s self, faith in others, etc. Identify a time in your life when faith played an important role. What did you have to have faith in? What was the situation where you were in need of faith?

Analyze the strong conviction that Mamá has on faith. Can you recall a time where you had to rely on faith to get you through a difficult time in your life? In 2-3 paragraphs, describe the events that led you to rely on faith to get you through an important event in your life. Describe how and why individuals could not help you alone. Describe to the reader what happened and what you learned from the experience.

Close 

Close by extending today’s lesson to life and the world.