The House on Mango Street:
A Guided Reading Study and
Autobiographical Essay Plan.

Student reflects on his use of technology while preparing for his final assignment.
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LESSON PLAN: Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. New York: Random House, 1984. A language arts study linking Human Rights issues to the students’ social and cultural experiences.

Focus: Show by linking the students lived experiences to the childhood experiences presented in The House on Mango Street. The goal of the lesson is to aid the student’s personal development, broaden the student’s social interactions, and develop the student’s reading, writing, listening, and oral communication skills.

1) Materials and Resources: The teacher will provide the students with templates including:

• House on Mango Street (book review/essay) worksheets.

2) Objectives: The student will critically read The House on Mango Street, listen to the readings, and demonstrate their reading comprehension by identifying markers (e.g., social, ethical, racial, and the political aspects of the text. Students will also write responses to questions on the book review worksheets and write a short three to five paragraph essay that reflect the reading assignment. The students will bind their essay materials into an autobiographical book. Thus, the student’s self-awareness, cultural perspective, and peer relationship will be broadened.

3) Anticipatory Set: The teacher opens the class by introducing the (Sandra Cisneros) author. The teacher reads a vignette from the House on Mango Street and explains the corresponding guided reading review worksheet. The teacher also explains the essay portion of the worksheet that corresponds to the reading. The teacher instructs the students to discuss the reading in their peer group, complete the blanks on the reading review worksheet, and write a three to five paragraph essay by following the instruction presented on the worksheet handout. When indicated the teacher instructs the students to edit, revise, and rewrite his/her essay. The worksheets can be hand written or computer generated, and the student essays are compiled in the student’s House on Mango Street folder for completion with computer generated clip art and bookbinding.

4) Content: The teacher defines the critical reading approach and demonstrates the guided reading process. The guided reading process aids the student’s ability to deconstruct and reconstruct the assigned readings, and strengthens the student’s critical reading capabilities.

• Student is instructed to read a vignette from House on Mango Street.
  
• Student discusses the reading with team/peer group members.
  
• Student completes the book review worksheet that corresponds to the reading.
  
• Student follows the procedural instructions outlined by the teacher and completes the book review worksheet.
  
• Student writes a three to five paragraph autobiographical essay that corresponds to the reading.
  
• Student edits, revises, rewrites essay when indicated.
  
• Student produces computer typed essay completed with clip art.
  
• Student selects a computer generated clip art book cover, creates a content page including clip art, and binds his/her autobiographical book.

6) Independent Practice: The students will silently read a House on Mango Street vignette, and complete the corresponding book review worksheet. The essay portion of the worksheet can be assigned as homework. The students will discuss the readings and their corresponding essay drafts with teacher, parent, and other students. The student will rewrite, edit, and revise his/her essay in preparation for the weekly oral presentations.

7) Computer Technology: The teacher will introduce the computer generated clip art, Microsoft Word technology program, and the OUSD ELD/ELA Content Standards.

8) Closure: The teacher informs the students that the House on Mango Street lesson is guided by the OUSD Content Standards, and the guided reading practices are designed to improve their reading, writing, listening, and oral communication skills. The students are encouraged to reflect on their own essay conclusions, and particular attention is given to the collective conclusions of their peers (recorded on the overhead). The student essay conclusions are discussed weekly for the purpose of broadening the student’s social growth, human rights development, and worldview.

9) Assessment: The teacher uses a rubric to assess the student’s reading comprehension, oral presentations skills, and his/ her autobiographical book.

10) Evaluation: The teacher will develop an action plan for determining if the assignments were well designed to help the students achieve the standard(s).