Written by Pam Munoz Ryan
Copyright 2000
Published by Scholastic Inc.
Reading level: ages 8-12, grades 4+, Lexile measure 750L, DRA 50
Suggested Delivery: read aloud, independent read
Beautiful ~ Courageous ~ Historical ~ Creative ~ Hopeful
Summary:
Esperanza Ortega has always lived a life of luxury on a large ranch in Mexico with her mama and papa. That all comes to an end when her papa is murdered in an ambush and her beautiful home catches fire and burns down. Together with her mother, they have no choice but to move their life and all that they have left to California and start over. After a difficult journey by train to California, they finally arrive and find out that life is not as easy as they had been used to. When Esperanza's mama falls ill with Valley Fever, Esperanza is on her own to learn how to earn money. Through an emotional journey, the pampered Esperanza learns about hard work and compassion as she grows into a young woman.
Vocabulary to Know:
Quinceaneras: a Hispanic tradition of celebrating a young girl's coming of age- her 15th birthday
Bandit: or robber/outlaw
Beggar: a person who begs; lives off of begging
Immigration: to come to a country of which one is not native, usually for permanent residence
Valley Fever: a disease cause by inhaling dirt or fungi characterized by fever, respiratory infection, and reddish bumps on the skin, common in hot, semiarid regions, especially in southwestern U. S. and Mexico
Manual labor: or manual work is physical work done by people, most especially in contrast to that done by machines, and also to that done by working animals
Strike: a concerted stopping of work or withdrawal of workers' services, as to compel an employer to accede to workers' demands or in protest against terms or conditions imposed by an employer
Suggested Lesson Ideas:
+Before Reading Activity: Student Questions or Purposeful Learning could be done before reading this book to guide students in their thinking. Generating questions to guide instruction will help students to better understand and comprehend what they are reading. Get the students thinking about character change, and how Esperanza starts out in the beginning of the book and how she evolves throughout the book and to the end.
OR:
An Anticipation Guide can also help to get students thinking critically. Check out this guide found from Scholastic!
| Proverb | Agree / Disagree |
| The rich person is richer when he becomes poor, than the poor person when he becomes rich. |
|
| There is no rose without thorns. | |
| He who falls today, may rise tomorrow. The person who does not look ahead stays behind. |
+During Reading Activity: Give students a Concept Map to fill out as they read "Esperanza Rising" this concept map will hep them to keep track of the main character, Esperanza and her journey as she grows up and changes. Try out this character map! Give this to students when they first begin reading and again when they have finished reading, to see how the main character has changed over time.
+After Reading Activity: Use SPAWN Writing as a post activity! It is a great comprehension strategy. SPAWN stands for S: special powers, P: problem solving, A: alternative viewpoints, W: what if?, N: next. For this activity, you as the teacher will pick which letter you want to focus on based on what has been read. For example, with "Esperanza Rising" you could focus on letter P and have students focus in on the main character and how she solves arising problems in the story. As a class you could brainstorm how this activity will be done. Write some ideas down on the board to get the students thinking about what they will need to do on their own. For example, start a list of some of the problems that come about in the beginning of the story and ask the class how the main character goes about solving them, then send the students to work independently on the rest.
+Writing Activity: In the beginning of the story, the reader sees two parents who love their daughter. What kind of life do Esperanza's parents prepare her for? This writing activity allows for students to think back to the beginning of the book when Esperanza's father was alive, and the love that her parents demonstrated. Students also have to think back to all of the important events in the book, and how Esperanza's parent's love shaped her into a young girl.
http://www.bookrags.com/lessonplan/esperanza-rising/shortessay.html#gsc.tab=0
Learn more about the author!
http://www.pammunozryan.com/
Check out this video interview with the author from Reading Rockets!
http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/ryan
+Writing Activity: In the beginning of the story, the reader sees two parents who love their daughter. What kind of life do Esperanza's parents prepare her for? This writing activity allows for students to think back to the beginning of the book when Esperanza's father was alive, and the love that her parents demonstrated. Students also have to think back to all of the important events in the book, and how Esperanza's parent's love shaped her into a young girl.
http://www.bookrags.com/lessonplan/esperanza-rising/shortessay.html#gsc.tab=0
"Do not be afraid to start over"
"There is no rose without thorns"
For Further Knowledge and Exploration...
 |
| Map of Mexico and Aguascalientes |
http://www.pammunozryan.com/
Check out this video interview with the author from Reading Rockets!
http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/ryan
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