Advanced Level (CASAS reading scores of 221-235)mnliteracy.org/sites/default/files/curriculum/house_on...Nikki Carson-Padilla, Minnesota Literacy Council, 2014 p. 5 House on Mango

Nikki Carson-Padilla, Minnesota Literacy Council, 2014 p. 1 House on Mango Street Unit

The Minnesota Literacy Council created this curriculum. We invite you to adapt it for your own classrooms.

Advanced Level (CASAS reading scores of 221-235)

The House on Mango Street: Week 3 of 4 Unit Overview This is a 4-week unit in which students learn more about figurative language and character analysis while practicing using context clues and inference skills to comprehend the short novel The House on Mango Street. Learners write personal responses to the novel using evidence and experience. Learners also practice summarizing. Finally, learners use new vocabularies in a variety of parts of speech, striving for verb tense accuracy and subject-verb agreement. Focus of Week 3

Reading chapters twenty through thirty-two of the novel.

Expanding a character chart.

Maintaining a personal response journal.

Understanding connotation & part of speech of vocabulary through context clues.

Identifying and using quotes or reported speech.


House on Mango Street Unit: Week 3, Monday

Objectives Learners will be able to… Materials Literacy: read two chapters of the novel. Literacy: write a personal reaction to two chapters. Listening/speaking: discuss key vocabulary before reading. Listening/speaking: read aloud with emotion, fluency, and while minding punctuation. Transitions & Critical Thinking: personally connect to the novel. Transitions & Critical Thinking: categorize items from their own repertoire. Grammar: use reported speech vs. quotes to more accurately retell or summarize a story.

Make Student Copies

Textbook: The House on Mango Street, pp. 49-55

Textbook: The ESL Reader’s Companion to The House on Mango Street, p.76

Textbook: Grammar in Use Intermediate, pp. 88-89 Make Single Copies or Reference

Handout: Scattergories Teacher Prompts

Props, Technology, or Other Resources

Learners’ dictionaries

A projector A set of notebooks for daily journaling

Lesson Plan Warm up for today’s Lesson Description: Play a simplified version of the board game Scattergories. Materials/Prep: Handout: Scattergories Teacher Prompts Activity 1: Literacy/vocabulary Description: “BEFORE YOU READ” vocabulary class discussion Materials/Prep: Textbook: The ESL Reader’s Companion to The House on Mango Street, p. 76-77

Activity 2: Literacy & Listening/speaking Description: Read chapter twenty, “Hips” (pp. 49-52). Materials/Prep: Textbook: The House on Mango Street, pp.49-52 Activity 3: Grammar & Critical Thinking Description: Read about the difference between quoted and reported speech and practice changing some direct quotes into reported speech. Materials/Prep: Textbook: Grammar in Use Intermediate, pp. 88-89; a projector Activity 4: Literacy & Listening/speaking Description: Read chapter twenty-one, “The First Job” (pp. 53-55). Materials/Prep: Textbook: The House on Mango Street, pp. 53-55 Activity 5: Literacy/vocabulary Note: Skip the activity if you are running short on time Description: Students select words from a Parking Lot list to look up Materials/Prep: learners’ dictionaries


Activity 6: Checking for Understanding Description: Personal response writing Materials/Prep: Learner notebooks designated for journaling


Teacher Directions: Warm up: Scattergories Game-Materials: Handout: Scattergories

Teacher Prompts Divide learners into pairs or teams of no more than three, so that every learner has an opportunity to participate. Explain that the warm-up activity is based on a board game called Scattergories, a mash-up of the words “scatter” and “categories”. Today, learners will listen for two things: 1) a category and 2) an initial letter (a letter all words within the category must begin with). Learners designate one person per pair/group to record ideas. The teacher times each round for one minute. After all four rounds have been completed, ask each group to report out. The group with the most correct responses wins! Categories have been chosen based on content from the novella The House on Mango Street.

Teacher Directions: Activity 1: Literacy/vocabulary –Materials: Textbook: The ESL

Reader’s Companion to The House on Mango Street, p. 76-77

Step 1: Context Share with learners the purpose of the “Before You Read” vocabulary explanations, as provided by the textbook: “This section contains cultural information, translations of words written in Spanish, and explanations of words or expressions that may be uncommon, so students need not waste time hunting for them in their dictionaries. Like any novel with realistic dialogue, The House on Mango Street includes language that is inappropriate for students’ own use.” [Organization of The Companion, p. vi] The last statement is exemplified by the term “flat,” meaning “apartment,” which in the Midwestern U.S. isn’t very useful, but knowledge of its noun form existence in other English-speaking countries is helpful, especially at the advanced level.

Step 2: Guided Practice

Read “I like coffee, I like tea…” through “Oriental” together and provide examples whenever possible. For example, “double-dutch”= a jump rope game played with three people and two jump ropes.


Step 3: Partner Practice Learners pair up and practice using “don’t get it/doesn’t get it” and “I can tell,” because those may be the most useful phrases for personal application. Learners should discuss 1) something they are confused about and 2) situations when it might be appropriate to share that something is noticeable. For example,

I don’t get when to use “lie” and when to use “lay”.

My sister doesn’t like football because she just doesn’t get it.

I can tell you didn’t sleep well last night.

Can’t you tell I colored my hair? Etc.

Limit discussion of the vocabulary to 15 minutes.

Teacher Directions: Activity 2: Literacy & Listening/speaking –Materials: Textbook:

The House on Mango Street, pp. 49-52

Step 1: Prep Write the words Vocabulary Parking Lot at the top of one side of the board. If the board needs to be used a screen for a projector, flip chart paper may be used. Step 2: Guided Practice Students open their books the twentieth chapter of the novel The House on Mango Street, entitled “Hips.” Read the first few lines aloud as students follow along. Pause and ask students what they are wondering about so far as they read. Ask students to reread the text to find clues about the meaning of new words and to clarify their understanding as necessary. If the class gets stuck and can’t figure out what a word means, continue reading for a bit to see if the meaning becomes clearer. If it does not become clearer and the students ask you to explain what it means, ask a

student to come up to the board and write the word in the Vocabulary Parking Lot and then continue reading—don’t explain the word or use a dictionary yet. They will work with the words in the parking lot later, as time allows. It is important to keep reading so they will build their understanding of the text instead of spending most of their reading time looking up words. Step 3: Pair Reading

Learners pair up and take turns reading through the twentieth chapter of the novel aloud. Inform the class that when they encounter italicized, centered text it is one or more of girls reciting a jump rope rhyme. Learners should be encouraged to question the text as they read. Learners should strive for fluency at this point and attempt to use context clues. Learners keep the “Before You Read” sheet nearby in case they need to refer back to it about any new or unfamiliar phrases on pp. 49-52.


As they come across words they would like to look up, remind them to write in the Vocabulary Parking Lot. Not every unfamiliar word needs to be in the parking lot, so encourage students to keep reading and be selective about which words they add to the parking lot list.

Step 4: Class Discussion

Discuss the text. DO NOT tell the answers to the learners! Instead, refer students back to the text to find the answers. Ask them to give the location of the evidence they find (page number, paragraph number, etc.)

What are Rachel, Lucy, and Esperanza doing differently from Nenny when they take their turns at jumping rope?

What does Esperanza mean when she says Nenny “is in a world we don’t belong to anymore” (p. 52)?

Teacher Directions: Activity 3: Grammar & Critical Thinking –Materials: Textbook: Grammar in Use Intermediate, pp.

88-89; a projector Step 1: Set the Context

Write on the board Reported Speech and Direct Speech.

Ask a learner what his/her favorite color is. Write his/her exact response on the board.

For example, My favorite color is green.

Ask learners if they believe this is an example of Reported Speech or Direct Speech.

If learners seem divided in their response to this question, ask further questions, such as:

Did this sentence come directly from the speaker, or is the instructor reporting the speaker’s words to you?

Whether or not the whole class has come to a consensus, reveal that this is an example of Direct Speech.

Put quotes around the independent clause and lead in with the learner’s name and “said” followed by a comma.

For example, Maria said, “My favorite color is green.”

We must either use direct speech (quotations) or reported speech in order to accurately convey the learner’s favorite color. If we do not, it would seem that the instructor is sharing his/her favorite color and this would not be true. Reported speech usually uses the past tense and the third person singular or plural. It differs from indirect speech. Indirect speech uses figurative language or modals for politeness. Indirect speech is often used in the first person. Do not confuse the two!

For example, Direct Speech: The teacher said, “Sit down!”

Grammar Note: You know your learners best! If you feel sharing a basic interactive example of quoted speech and then changing it to reported speech is sufficient, do not bring up the example of indirect speech. However, if you have learners at a more advanced level, especially those who love to delve into grammatical discussions, address the fact that reported speech and indirect speech are not the same as early as possible.


Indirect Speech: The teacher said, “I would like you to sit down.” (Note: Indirect Speech can also be quoted.) Reported Speech: The teacher said that we have to sit down. Reported Speech: The teacher said she would like us to sit down.

Step 2: Read and Discuss As a whole class, read through sections A, B, and C of p. 88 of the text. Discuss as needed. Be sure that learners recognize the key differences between the direct speech of the left-hand column and reported speech of the right-hand column (section B): DS=quotations, present or future, first person; RS=third person, past tense, no quotations, “said that…”

Step 3: Practice

Complete exercise 44.1 only. Learners may work on this independently while instructor floats the room to check on individual understanding.

Step 4: Corrections

Correct together using a projector/ELMO. Time-permitting, learners come forward and write their answers on a blank worksheet. Instructor facilitates discussion of best answers.


The House on Mango Street, pp. 53-55

Step 1: Pair Reading

Learners pair up and take turns reading through the twenty-first chapter of the novel The House on Mango Street, entitled “The First Job,” aloud. Learners should be encouraged to question the text as they read. Learners should strive for fluency at this point and attempt to use context clues. Learners keep the “Before You Read” sheet nearby in case they need to refer back to it about any new or unfamiliar phrases on pp. 53-55. As they come across words they would like to look up, remind them to write in the Vocabulary Parking Lot. Not every unfamiliar word needs to be in the parking lot, so encourage students to keep reading and be selective about which words they add to the parking lot list.



Why does Esperanza need money?


What do you think Esperanza did after the man kissed her in the break room? Why do you think so? What evidence can you find in the story that supports your inference?

Does Esperanza use direct speech or reported speech when sharing the words of other characters in this chapter? Can you provide a couple of examples?

Teacher Directions: Activity 5: Literacy/Vocabulary—Materials: learners’ dictionaries

Note: Skip this activity if time is running short. Step 1: Read through the words that students wrote in the Parking Lot earlier in the lesson. Each student chooses two or three words from the list to look up, depending on how much time is left. They may use any criteria they wish to select words. Step 2: Students look up the words in dictionaries. They may copy the definitions, if they wish.

Teacher Directions: Activity 6: Literacy/Checking for Understanding—Materials:

Designated notebooks for regular journaling Learners continue Personal Response Journals. If there are any new learners to the class, provide some context for this activity by allowing them a few minutes to silently read “Suggestions for Writing,” pp. 9-10 from The ESL Reader’s Companion to the House on Mango Street. Learners should comment on at least one aspect of the tenth or eleventh chapter today before leaving. This is the learners’ “Exit Ticket.” This journal entry should differ from a summary. A personal response is a reaction to the text, making a personal connection to what one has read.


Consider the prompt: Esperanza goes to a private school. Her father thinks children who go to public school “turn out bad” (p. 53). Do you agree with this opinion of public schools?

Why or why not? Inform learners that only a teacher/coordinator will read the Personal Response Journal. Teachers/coordinators will be reading to check for comprehension and clarity, but will not be doing a lot of editing, because journaling does not involve edit/revision steps. Learners will not be expected to share anything recorded here with classmates, so they should write freely. Learners may share journal entries if they wish and time-permitting.


Scattergories Teacher Prompts

INSTRUCTIONS: Learners form small groups.

Each group needs a sheet of paper for recording items that fit within a category.

Categories are inspired by the novella “The House on Mango Street”.

The teacher calls out an initial letter and a category. Groups must work together to think of as many things as they can that begin with the named letter and fit within the category.

The teacher allows one minute for groups to brainstorm and list items on their paper. Round 1: Initial letter: B, Category: Games or Sports

Round 2: Initial letter: F, Category: Body Parts

Round 3: Initial letter: L, Category: Professions/Jobs Round 4: Initial letter: S, Category: School Subjects


House on Mango Street Unit: Week 3, Tuesday

Objectives Learners will be able to… Materials Literacy: read chapters twenty-two through twenty-four. Literacy: write a personal reaction journal entry. Listening/speaking: read aloud with emotion, fluency, and while minding punctuation. Listening/speaking: apply novel vocabulary to real-life conversational situations. Transitions & Critical Thinking: use evidence from the novella to support claims. Transitions & Critical Thinking: distinguish between reported and direct speech. Grammar: change pronouns and verb tense between quoted and reported speech and vice versa.

Make Student Copies


Textbook: The ESL Reader’s Companion to The House on Mango Street, p. 77

Handout: Reported & Direct/Quoted Speech Make Single Copies or Reference Props, Technology, or Other Resources

A beach ball


A set of notebooks for daily journaling A projector (optional for corrections)

Lesson Plan Warm up for today’s Lesson/Review Description: Volunteers summarize yesterday’s reading to the class without using any notes and using the past tense via a ball toss activity. Materials/Prep: a beach ball Activity 1: Literacy/vocabulary Description: “BEFORE YOU READ” vocabulary class discussion Materials/Prep: Textbook: The ESL Reader’s Companion to The House on Mango Street, p. 77 Activity 2: Literacy & Listening/speaking Description: Read chapter twenty-two, “Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark” (pp. 56-57), by following along with the instructor. Read chapters twenty-three, “Born Bad,” and twenty-four, “Elenita, Cards, Palm, Water,” in pairs. Discuss each chapter as a whole class (pp. 58-64). Materials/Prep: Textbook: The House on Mango Street, pp. 56-64

Activity 3: Grammar & Critical Thinking Description: Change reported speech to quotes and vice versa. All content taken from The House on Mango Street. Materials/Prep: Handout: Reported & Direct/Quoted Speech; a projector (optional for corrections) Activity 5: Literacy/vocabulary Note: Skip the activity if you are running short on time Description: Students select words from a Parking Lot list to look up Materials/Prep: learners’ dictionaries Activity 5: Literacy/Checking for Understanding Description: Personal Response journal writing Materials/Prep: Learner notebooks designated for journaling


Teacher Directions: Warm up: Summarize Chapters Twenty and Twenty-one with Beach Ball Activity Learners stand in a circle and prepare themselves to summarize The House on Mango Street, chapters twenty and twenty-one, without looking at any handouts, notes, or the novella itself. Learners must recall the characters, setting, and plot. Learners should use the past tense. The teacher may begin by passing the beach ball to a learner who was in class on Monday. This learner must recall one important event or character that the class read about yesterday and share a sentence in the simple past. Then he/she must pass the ball to another learner. If a learner receives the ball, but was absent on Monday, he/she should pose a question about the novel. The next learner to receive the ball should answer the question using the past tense. By doing so, he/she is also summarizing, in a sense. This exercise helps review and support any learners who may have been absent on day one. Teacher Directions: Activity 1: Literacy/vocabulary –Materials: Textbook: The ESL

Reader’s Companion to The House on Mango Street, p. 77

Step 1: Context Share with learners the purpose of the “Before You Read” vocabulary explanations, as provided by the textbook: “This section contains cultural information, translations of words written in Spanish, and explanations of words or expressions that may be uncommon, so students need not waste time hunting for them in their dictionaries. Like any novel with realistic dialogue, The House on Mango Street includes language that is inappropriate for students’ own use.” [Organization of The Companion, p. vi] The last statement is exemplified by the term “flat,” meaning “apartment,” which in Midwestern U.S. isn’t very useful speech, but

knowledge of its noun form existence in other English-speaking cultures is helpful, especially at the advanced level.


Read “abuelito” through “los espiritus” together and provide examples whenever possible. Ask Spanish-speaking learners to demonstrate “abuelito,” “esta muerto” and “los espiritus” for the class. The only truly practical term in today’s vocabulary is “step stool,” otherwise the vocabulary is very specific to the novella. Concentrate briefly on “step stool”. For example, “step stool” is a short ladder usually used indoors to reach things on high shelves. Do any learners have step stools at home or work? When do they usually use a step stool?

http://www.google.com/imgres?rlz=1T4MXGB_enUS509US510&biw=1366&bih=578&tbm=isch&tbnid=hTBZnpqTiQbOOM:&imgrefurl=http://www.birthdaydirect.com/beach-ball-inflatable-p-41003.html&docid=NDY69ABW-6D0NM&imgurl=http://www.birthdaydirect.com/images/41003-beachball-inflates.jpg&w=600&h=600&ei=KnjZUsTtCobhyQGO7oAg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=1496&page=2&start=14&ndsp=18&ved=0CJsBEIQcMBE


Step 3: Partner Practice

Learners pair up and practice sharing some descriptors or names of cultural symbols. These do not have to be religious, but it is good practice for learners to speak about everyday things that people of other practices or cultures may have questions about in their target language. Of course, these should only be things learners are comfortable bringing up and not instigated by those from outside the cultural group. For example, henna body art, piñatas, etc. Ask if any pairs feel comfortable sharing what they discussed with the whole class. Reporting out is optional.

For this pair share exercise, encourage learners to ask questions like,

“What would you like to share with me/us about your culture?” or “What is one famous symbol of your culture or nationality that you would like to talk about?”

Specifically ask learners NOT to ask probing questions, such as, “Why do you do this or that?” or “Why do you wear ___________?” in order to avoid offending anyone and to make sure learners are only addressing things within their comfort zones.

Limit discussion of the vocabulary to about 15 minutes.

Teacher Directions: Activity 2: Literacy & Listening/speaking –Materials:


Step 1: Prep Write the words Vocabulary Parking Lot at the top of one side of the board. If the board needs to be used a screen for a projector, flip chart paper may be used. Step 2: Guided Reading Teacher reads the twenty-second chapter of the novel The House on Mango Street, entitled “Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark” aloud, demonstrating reading with emotion and using punctuation (stopping at periods and pausing at commas). Pause occasionally to allow the learners to question the text as they read and listen. Learners should attempt to use context clues. Learners should follow the text, not the instructor’s face. Since this chapter is

quite short, but powerful, if learners request a repeat of the oral reading demonstrating fluency, emotion, and minding punctuation, share a second time before moving on to step 2. Instruct learners to write any words they’d like to learn more about and not in “Before You Read” list in the Vocabulary Parking Lot to discuss and/or look up later rather than discussing them now.


Step 3: Class Discussion Discuss the text. DO NOT tell the answers to the learners! Instead, refer students back to the text to find the answers. Ask them to give the location of the evidence they find (page number, paragraph number, etc.)

What kind of relationship do you think Esperanza and her father have? Why do you believe this? What evidence can you provide from the book?

Do you think Esperanza knew her grandfather well? Why or why not? Step 3: Pair Reading

Pairs continue reading the twenty-third and twenty-fourth chapters of the novel The House on Mango Street, entitled “Born Bad” and “Elenita, Cards, Palm, Water” aloud, also demonstrating reading with emotion and using punctuation (stopping at periods and pausing at commas). Learners should be encouraged to question the text as they read and listen. Learners should attempt to use context clues. As they come across words they would like to look up, remind them to write in the Vocabulary Parking Lot. Not every unfamiliar word needs to be in the parking lot, so encourage students to keep reading and be selective about which words they add to the parking lot list.



Why did Esperanza feel guilty about her behavior in the chapter “Born Bad”? Do you think it’s true that Esperanza was born a bad girl?

What in particular did Esperanza go to the fortune teller to find out about?

Teacher Directions: Activity 3: Grammar & Critical Thinking –Materials: Handout: Reported Speech &

Direct/Quoted Speech; a projector (optional for corrections) Step 1: Instructions & Review

Inform learners that they will be completing two exercises (A and B). The first requires that they read excerpts from the novella and transform them into accurate quotes. The second contains converted reported speech from the novel. Learners must change each quote back to the original reported speech.

Read the examples together as a class before beginning the exercises.


Step 2: Practice

Learners complete the worksheet independently. Circulate the room to check for individual understanding.

Step 3: Corrections

Correct together, eliciting responses from learners. Time-permitting, have learners come forward to write answers in a projected copy of the handout. Discuss the accuracy of the learner responses as a class.



Teacher Directions: Activity 5: Literacy/Checking for Understanding—Materials: designated notebooks for regular journaling Learners continue their Personal Response Journals. Learners should address the question below before leaving class today. This is the learners’ “Exit Ticket.” This journal entry should differ from a summary. A personal response is a reaction to the text, making a personal connection to what one has read.


What do you think the sky represents for Esperanza? Reread the poem on pp. 60-61. Also, recall her description of herself as “a balloon tied to an anchor” (p. 9). Explain what you think the

sky means for Esperanza, using quotations from the book to illustrate and support your ideas.

Inform learners that only a teacher/coordinator will read the Personal Response Journal. Teachers/coordinators will be reading to check for comprehension and clarity, but will not be doing a lot of editing, because journaling does not involve edit/revision steps. Learners will not be expected to share anything recorded here with classmates, so they should write freely. Learners may share journal entries if they wish, but it is always optional.


Reported & Direct/Quoted Speech

INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Read the examples below.

2. Complete exercises A and B by adding quotes to direct speech or removing quotes and

changing them to reported speech.

Example: (Exc. A) You need them to dance, says Lucy. “You need them to dance,” says Lucy. (Exc. B) Aunt Lala said, “I found a job for you.” Aunt Lala said she found a job for me.

Exercise A—Where should the quotes go? These are examples of direct speech.

1. Your abuelito is dead, Papa says early one morning in my room (p. 56). ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Esta muerto, and then as if he just heard the news himself, crumples like a coat and cries (p. 56). ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. That’s very good, she said in her tired voice (p. 61).

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Exercise B—Change these quotes to reported speech, as they might appear in the novel.

1. After a while they started to laugh and came up to me and said, “You can sit when you want to.” (The First Job)

______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. “Do you know what day it is?” When I answered that I didn’t, he said, “It’s my birthday. Why don’t you give me a birthday kiss?” (The First Job) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________


House on Mango Street Unit: Week 3, Wednesday

Objectives Learners will be able to… Materials Literacy: read three chapters of a novella and use context clues to understand new concepts/vocabulary. Listening/speaking: discuss the chapters read while providing evidence from the story to support their claims. Listening/speaking: orally share responses to comprehension questions pertaining to chapters 25-27. Transitions & Critical Thinking: hold roles in order to function within a small discussion group. Transitions & Critical Thinking: use vocabulary in new literary contexts. Grammar: change part of speech of vocabulary to function within sentence.

Make Student Copies

Textbook: The House on Mango Street, pp.65-71

Textbook: The ESL Reader’s Companion to The House on Mango Street, pp. 84-85

Handout: Comprehension Questions, Chapters 25-27

Make Single Copies or Reference Props, Technology, or Other Resources


Learner notebooks designated for journaling

A projector

Lesson Plan Warm up for today’s Lesson/Review Description: Vocabulary exercises that review “Hips” through “Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark”. Materials/Prep: Textbook: The ESL Reader’s Companion to The House on Mango Street, pp. 84-85 (Exercises 2 & 3) Activity 1: Literacy & Listening/speaking Description: Read chapters 25-27, “Geraldo No Last Name” (pp. 65-66), “Edna’s Ruthie” (pp. 67-69) and “The Earl of Tennessee” (pp. 70-71) aloud in pairs or small groups. Materials/Prep: Textbook: The House on Mango Street, pp.65-71 Activity 2: Listening/speaking & Critical Thinking Description: Discuss chapters 25-27 in small groups. Materials/Prep: Handout: Comprehension Questions, Chapters 25-27 Activity 3: Literacy/vocabulary Note: Skip the activity if you are running short on time Description: Students select words from a Parking Lot list to look up Materials/Prep: learners’ dictionaries Activity 4: Checking for Understanding Description: Make a personal response entry in journals. Materials/Prep: Learner notebooks designated for journaling


Teacher Directions: Warm up: Vocabulary/Grammar Exercise-Material: The ESL

Reader’s Companion to The House on Mango Street, pp. 84-85 This exercise provides review of vocabulary and content of several of the last chapters read.

Step 1: Context Discuss the following terms:

crumple

make fun of

spread

make up

turn into

show up

Note that all are verbs; some are phrasal verbs. All terms were found on pp. 49-64 of The House on Mango Street. Step 2: Exercise 2 Complete exercise 2 independently. Each sentence is based on the novella and uses the vocabulary in the same context as it was used in the story. Two vocabulary words will need to be changed in order to have subject-verb agreement or tense accuracy. Teacher should circulate the room to check for individual understanding. Correct this exercise as a class before moving on to Step 3. Step 3: Exercise 3 Complete exercise 3 independently or in pairs. Each sentence uses the terms in new contexts. Again, some vocabulary will need to be changed in order to agree with subject or tense. Discuss the correct answers as a class.


The House on Mango Street, pp.65-71

Step 1: Discuss Pre-reading Vocabulary

Before reading the novel, discuss the following terms taken from The ESL Reader’s Companion to The House on Mango Street, p. 94:

1. hit and run (p. 65) = an accident in which a car hits a person or

another car and the driver speeds away without stopping

2. cumbias and salsas and rancheras (p. 65)= kinds of Latin American dances


3. an intern (p. 66)= someone in-training, usually with little pay

4. brazer (p. 66)= (Spanish: bracero) a Mexican who comes to the U.S. to work 5. wet-back (p. 66)= (derogatory, negative) an immigrant who crosses the river /border illegally

6. babushka (p. 67)= a head scarf

7. The Emperor’s nightingale (p. 67)= a bird with a very beautiful song, from a story by

Hans Christian Andersen

8. braille (p. 69)= system of raised dots on paper for blind people to read with their fingertips

9. “The Walrus and the Carpenter” (p. 69)= a poem by Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in

Wonderland

10. The word is (p. 71)= People say

Limit discussion of the vocabulary to about 15 minutes. Step 2: Prep

Write the words Vocabulary Parking Lot at the top of one side of the board. If the board needs to be used a screen for a projector, flip chart paper may be used.


Students open their books the 25th chapter of the novel The House on Mango Street, entitled “Geraldo No Last Name.” Read the first few lines aloud as students follow along. Pause and ask students what they are wondering about so far as they read. Ask students to reread the text to find clues about the meaning of new words. If the class gets stuck and can’t figure out what a word means, continue reading for a bit to see if the meaning becomes clearer. If it does not become clearer and the students ask you to explain what it means, ask a student to come up to the board and write the word in the Vocabulary Parking Lot and then continue reading—don’t explain the word or use a dictionary yet. They will work with the words in the parking lot later, as time allows. It is important to keep reading so they will build their understanding of the text instead of spending most of their reading time looking up words.

Step 4: Pair or Small Group Reading

Learners pair up or form small groups of no more than four and take turns reading the 25th through 27th chapters of the novel entitled “Geraldo No Last Name,” “Edna’s Ruthie” and “The Earle of Tennessee” aloud. Learners should be encouraged to question the text as they read. Learners should strive for fluency at this point and attempt to use context clues.


As they come across words they would like to look up, remind them to write in the Vocabulary Parking Lot. Not every unfamiliar word needs to be in the parking lot, so encourage students to keep reading and be selective about which words they add to the parking lot list.

Teacher Directions: Activity 2: Listening/speaking & Critical Thinking-Materials:

Handout: Comprehension Questions, Chapters 25-27 Step 1: Role Assignments Either randomly assign learners the following roles, or allow them to choose:

1. Discussion manager: reads questions aloud to group; makes sure each member has a chance to share an idea/answer to each question

2. Time-keeper: notifies the group every 5 minutes; gives a warning when only 5 minutes remain (total activity time is 20 minutes once discussions begin)

3. Recorder: writes down group members’ responses to questions; writes legibly so presenter will be able to read responses later

4. Presenter: reads or summarizes the group’s responses to the whole class after the discussion;

must pay attention and understand everyone’s responses; cannot share only his/her ideas! Note: If a group consists of only three learners, combine the roles of time-keeper and presenter, as these two roles will not have simultaneous responsibilities. Make sure the responsibilities of each role are clearly conveyed both in writing and orally by listing them on the board and explaining as necessary. Step 2: Discuss Comprehension Questions

Small groups work together in roles to complete the handout Comprehension Questions, Chapters 25-27 within 20 minutes.

Step 3: Present Out

Each group’s presenter shares answers, preferably summaries of answers instead of reading directly from the handout, with the whole class. Some Q/A can be conducted between the class and each group as it presents. Instructor should serve as facilitator of Q/A session.


Note: Skip this activity if time is running short. Step 1: Read through the words that students wrote in the Parking Lot earlier in the lesson. Each student chooses two or three words from the list to look up, depending on how much time is left. They may use any criteria they wish to select words.


Step 2: Students look up the words in dictionaries. They may copy the definitions, if they wish.


designated learner notebooks for personal response journaling Learners continue their Personal Response Journals. Learners should respond to the question below before leaving class today. This is the learners’ “Exit Ticket.” This journal entry should differ from a summary. A personal response is a reaction to the text, making a personal connection to what one has read.

After reading “And Some More,” did you think that was the end of the girls’ friendship? Why or why not?

Inform learners that only a teacher/coordinator will read the Personal Response Journal. Teachers/coordinators will be reading to check for comprehension and clarity, but will not be doing a lot of editing, because journaling does not involve edit/revision steps. Learners will not be expected to share anything recorded here with classmates, so they should write freely. Learners may share journal entries if they wish, but it is always optional.


Comprehension Questions, Chapters 25-27

INSTRUCTIONS: Discussion Manager reads questions aloud. Every member of the group participates in answering the questions. The recorder writes down everyone’s answers or a very good summary of answers with the help of his/her team. Do not move on to a new question, if the recorder is not ready! Work together at all times. Pay attention to the time-keeper. Try to complete all questions in 20 minutes.

1) Where did Marin meet Geraldo?

2) How did Geraldo die?

3) What did Esperanza mean when she said, “…if the surgeon had only come, they would know who to notify and where” (p. 66)?

4) What do you notice about Ruthie that is unusual? What evidence can you find in the story?

5) According to the neighbors, who sometimes comes to Earl’s apartment? Do you think this is correct? Why or why not? What evidence can you find in the story to support your claim?

6) Write a question or two that your group has about the novel so far:


House on Mango Street Unit: Week 2, Thursday

Objectives Learners will be able to… Materials Literacy: read five chapters of the novella while using context clues to aid in understanding new phrases/vocabulary. Literacy: pass a practice reading test covering reported vs. direct/quoted speech. Transitions & Critical Thinking: provide evidence (actions, words, and thoughts) to support a character’s personality or characteristic. Display this information in a graphic organizer. Grammar: identify reported vs. direct speech.

Make Student Copies


Textbook: The ESL Reader’s Companion to The House on Mango Street, p. 106

Handout: Character Analysis Chart

Handout: Practice Reading Test—Reported & Direct Speech

Make Single Copies or Reference

Handout: Practice Reading Test—Reported & Direct Speech, Answers

Props, Technology, or Other Resources


A projector

Lesson Plan Warm up for today’s Lesson Description: Learner pairs brainstorm word webs for NEIGHBORS. Materials/Prep: Instructions to be posted on board (provided in Teacher Directions) Activity 1: Literacy & Listening/speaking Description: Read chapters 28-32 (Sire, Four Skinny Trees, No Speak English, Rafaela Who Drinks Coconut & Papaya Juice on Tuesdays, and Sally). Materials/Prep: Textbook: The House on Mango Street, pp. 72-83; Textbook: The ESL Reader’s Companion to The House on Mango Street, p. 106

Activity 2: Literacy & Critical Thinking Description: Complete a Character Analysis for Sally. Materials/Prep: Handout: Character Analysis Chart Activity 3: Literacy/vocabulary Note: Skip the activity if you are running short on time Description: Students select words from a Parking Lot list to look up Materials/Prep: learners’ dictionaries Activity 4: Checking for Understanding Description: Take a practice reading test covering reported vs. direct/quoted speech. Materials/Prep: Handout: Reading Test Practice—Reported vs. Direct Speech; Handout: Reading Test Practice—Reported vs. Direct Speech, Answers


Teacher Directions: Warm up: Word Webs—Prep: instructions to be posted on board Learners partner up and create word webs for the word NEIGHBORS. Place the word on the board and ring it with arrows shooting off of the ring. Words or phrases that come to mind in relation to “neighbors” will be placed off of each arrow. The instructor may provide one as an example. This word or phrase may depend on personal experience or the definition of “neighbor”. Ask partners to share out their ideas after they’ve had about 10 minutes to brainstorm. Compare/contrast choices made. Why are some similar and some very different?

share close Teacher Directions: Activity 1: Literacy & Listening/speaking –Materials: Textbook:

The ESL Reader’s Companion to The House on Mango Street, p. 106; Textbook: The House on Mango Street, pp. 72-83

Step 1: Discuss Pre-reading Vocabulary Before reading, discuss the following terms taken from The ESL Reader’s Companion to The House on Mango Street, p. 106: “Mamacita” through “the muddy cake.” Ask learners to practice using “holy smokes,” as this phrase may be the most practical in everyday conversation. Some learners may find this phrase more useful than the common expression, “my god,” which some find offensive. Limit discussion of the vocabulary to about 10 minutes.

Step 2: Prep Write the words Vocabulary Parking Lot at the top of one side of the board. If the board needs to be used a screen for a projector, flip chart paper may be used.

Step 3: Guided Practice Students open their books the 28th chapter of the novel The House on Mango Street, entitled “Sire.” Read the first few lines aloud as students follow along. Pause and ask students what they are wondering about so far as they read. Ask students to reread the text to find clues about the meaning of new words.

neighbors


If the class gets stuck and can’t figure out what a word means, continue reading for a bit to see if the meaning becomes clearer. If it does not become clearer and the students ask you to explain what it means, ask a student to come up to the board and write the word in the Vocabulary Parking Lot and then continue reading—don’t explain the word or use a dictionary yet. They will work with the words in the parking lot later, as time allows. It is important to keep reading so they will build their understanding of the text instead of spending most of their reading time looking up words.

Step 4: Independent Reading

Learners read chapters 28 and 29, “Sire” and “Four Skinny Trees” independently. As they come across words they would like to look up, remind them to write in the Vocabulary Parking Lot. Not every unfamiliar word needs to be in the parking lot, so encourage students to keep reading and be selective about which words they add to the parking lot list. Then regroup to answer the following questions as a whole class:

About how old do you think Sire and Lois are? What evidence can you find in the story to support your guess?

What does Esperanza do most evenings? Is she happy with this activity? How do you know?

The chapter “Four Skinny Trees” is full of figurative language. Is it mostly simile, metaphor, or personification?

Step 3: Small Group Reading

Learners form small groups of no more than four and take turns reading through the 30th-32nd chapters of the novel The House on Mango Street, entitled “No Speak English” through “Sally” aloud. Learners should be encouraged to pause and question the text as they read. Learners should strive for fluency at this point and attempt to use context clues.

Learners keep vocabulary (p. 106) nearby as they read in small groups in order to reference new terms.

Place the following questions on the board as groups read:

When Mamacita says “No speak English” to someone at the door, it means something different

than when she says the same thing to her little boy. How does it differ?

Why does Rafaela have to ask the children to buy her fruit juice drinks and send them up to her

by a clothes line?

What does Sally’s father mean when he says that “to be this beautiful is trouble”?


How does Sally change after school?

Small groups discuss the questions after reading pp. 76-83. Instructor should float the classroom and

join discussions as necessary.

Teacher Directions: Activity 2: Literacy/Transitions & Critical Thinking –Materials:

Handout: Character Analysis Chart

Step 1: Context

A character analysis gives readers a stronger understanding of the story and helps them to become better critical thinkers, because they must question character motive and symbolism. Writers use character analysis when they write a story to help them decide plot or how relationships between characters will work. Book reviewers, or critics, also use character analysis when they review the quality of a story.

Step 2: Graphic Organizer

Learners fill in Character Analysis Charts for Sally, revisiting the chapter “Sally.” Learners need to list actions made and/or words said by the characters that prove or support the characteristics they choose for them. For example, if a learner decides that a characteristic of Sally is that she is “daring,” he or she must find some evidence from the story that supports this claim. This evidence might be found in something Sally did or said. Because Sally hasn’t had a speaking role in the novella as of yet, all “Words” will be reported thoughts through Esperanza as narrator. Once the evidence has been found, page numbers must be provided in the pages column of the chart. Make sure learners are not filling in sections that they have not read yet. For example, the class has not read “Linoleum Roses” yet, so no one should be searching for evidence of her personality/traits in that chapter until after it has been read in class.


Step 3: Discuss Project the Character Analysis Chart and elicit responses from learners. List learner ideas and evidence as provided. Ask learners to explain their analysis ideas as thoroughly as possible via whole class discussion.




Handout: Reading Test Practice—Reported vs. Direct Speech; a projector

Step 1: Independent Practice

Before distributing the questions, remind learners that this is practice for their reading test.

During the test they should not talk, look at their notebook or dictionary, or look at other

learners’ papers.


Pass out the Reading Test Practice handout. Give everyone 5-10 minutes to complete questions 1-4.

Use this time to circulate the room and see who has mastered this skill and who needs extra practice.

Step 2: Reviewing Answers

Use a projector to review the questions. Invite learners to come up and circle the correct answers.

They should also identify for the class the key information that helped them find the correct answer.


Character Analysis Chart

Character Actions Words Pages Characteristics (adjectives determined by reader)

Esperanza “The House on

Mango Street” to “Our Good Day”

Nenny “The House on

Mango Street” to “Our Good Day”

Cathy “Cathy Queen of

Cats”

Alicia “Alicia Who Sees

Mice”

Sally “Sally” &

“Linoleum Roses”

Esperanza “The Three

Sisters” to end of novella


Reading Test Practice—Reported vs. Direct Speech

1. Who speaks the following direct quote?

“Ay, caray! We are home. This is home. Here

I am and here I stay. Speak English. Speak

English. Christ!”

A. Mamacita

B. Esperanza

C. Mamacita’s husband

2. Which punctuates the first sentence of the third

paragraph correctly?

A. No speak English, she says to the child who

is singing in the language that sounds like

tin.

B. “No speak English,” she says to the child

who is singing in the language that sounds

like tin.

C. “No speak English she says” to the child

who is singing in the language that sounds

like tin.

.

Ay, caray! We are home. This is home. Here I am and here I stay. Speak English. Speak English. Christ!

And then to break her heart forever, the baby boy, who has begun to talk, starts to sing the Pepsi commercial he heard on T.V.

No speak English, she says to the child who is singing in the language that sounds like tin. No speak English, no speak English, and bubbles into tears. No, no, no as if she can’t believe her ears. The House on Mango Street, (p. 78)

4. What would be the most appropriate way to

introduce the final quoted speech of this excerpt?

A. He said, “No, no, no…

B. She says, “No, no, no…

C. A woman said, “No, no, no…

3. The following is an example of which type

of speech?

She told her son not to speak English, then

bubbled into tears.

A. Reported Speech

B. Direct Speech

C. Quoted Speech


Reading Test Practice—Reported vs. Direct Speech, Answers

1. C. Mamacita’s husband (The husband is angry because he wants

his wife to accept the new language and culture. He doesn’t want her to ask about returning home.)

2. B. “No speak English,” she says to the child who is singing in the language that sounds like tin. (Quotation marks go around the spoken words. A comma should be placed inside the closing quote.)

3. A. Reported Speech

4. B. She says, “No, no no… (We know the subject is referring to Mamacita, so we don’t want to use an indefinite article here. Also, the other sentences take place in present time and options A and C are in the past.)

Documents

Advanced Level (CASAS reading scores of 221-235)mnliteracy.org/sites/default/files/curriculum/house_on...Nikki Carson-Padilla, Minnesota Literacy Council, 2014 p. 5 House on Mango