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Lesson Plan: Sections 7 & 8
Section Seven: Future Opportunities and Limitations
Pre-reading #7 question: What parts of your life would
you most like to escape? Can you escape these elements at
some point in your life? If so, how? If not, why not?
 Read
pp. 88-102: Beautiful and Cruel; A Smart Cookie; What Sally
Said; The Monkey Garden; Red Clowns; Linoleum Roses
Give students time to complete pre-reading #7 in class, then
invite volunteers to share their responses. (20-25 minutes)
Read and discuss the suggested chapters. Keep in mind that
the content of these particular chapters becomes increasingly
intense as Esperanza recounts incidents of domestic violence
and rape. (20-25 minutes)
Suggested activity: Open Mind
Diagram open mind.doc
Homework: Finish Open Mind and pre-reading #8
Section Eight: Finding One’s "Home"
Pre-reading #8 question: What inspires you most in
life? What do you see your future holding for you? What obstacles
might stand in your way? In what ways will you attempt to
overcome them and achieve your future desires?
Read
pp. 103-110: The Three Sisters;* Alicia and I Talking on Edna’s
Steps; A House of My Own; Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes
Share and discuss pre-reading #8, then read the chapters
together; The Three Sisters makes more sense if read in parts.
At this point, spend some time discussing the circular structure
of the novel and where Esperanza is at the end of the text.
Revisit the essential questions and the on-going record you’ve
kept on chart paper and record how Esperanza might answer
those questions now. (25-30 minutes)
Suggested activity: Esperanza’s Letter Home
As a means of responding to the text as well as encouraging
some creative writing, students write a letter from Esperanza
back to someone she’s left on Mango Street. (25-30 minutes)
Directions for students: At the end of the novel Esperanza
says, "One day I’ll pack my bags of books and paper.
One day I will say goodbye to Mango…Friends and neighbors
will say, What happened to that Esperanza…They will not
know I have gone away to come back. For the one’s I left
behind" (110). Pretend that you are Esperanza and write
a letter to one of the characters on Mango Street that you
"left behind." Discuss some of your memories of
Mango Street, particularly the one’s that had a significant
impact on how you view yourself and your community. Describe
what you are doing now, and how your life on Mango Street
prepared you for it. You should also include how you plan
to "come back" for the others and how you intend
to help them. (1-2 pages).
 Student
work: Esperanza’s Letter Home Student_Sample_esperanz#81F.doc
Suggested Activity: Interpretive Essay (2-3 class
periods)
This was the first real work on writing an interpretive essay
for my students so I really scaffolded the process for them.
We had practiced the various components of an interpretive
essay, but this was the first time they had to put it together.
To prepare them for this, we went over the format and structure
of an interpretive essay and looked at some examples of past
student work. (See handouts below). I then gave students four
thesis statements to choose from as well as page references
that might help them find evidence for that particular thesis.
In addition, to support my struggling readers and tactile
learners, I prepared two Power Point presentations to walk
them through some of the passages they might use for their
essay. Each student had a worksheet
("Building an Interpretive Essay")
building_interp_essay.DOC
to help outline and organize their ideas as they viewed the
presentations or reviewed the text. (Logistical note: I was
able to load the Power Point presentations on laptops for
the students to work through at their own pace; I realize
this is a luxury, so modify accordingly!)
Power Point presentations:
- Presentation #1: Esperanza’s Sense of Home
- Presentation #2: Women in the Book
 Technology
Note: If possible give students computer/Alpha Smart access
to write this in-class essay. Some students think much better
if they can type rather than handwrite their papers.
Student
work: Interpretive Essays
Student_Samples_interpr.doc
Final assessment option #3: Portfolio
Project (3-5 days of typing/compiling)
In order to both emphasize the importance of revision and
give the students a forum to display their great writing and
thinking, they revised and compiled some of their best efforts
into a final portfolio which I spiral-bound and put in their
permanent files. The introduction to the portfolio is where
students show their understanding of the essential questions
of the unit.
All entries in the portfolio were typed and/or
illustrated if appropriate and mounted on construction paper.
Students turned in a rough draft of their assignments and,
if they had not received full credit, were expected to revise
the work before placing it into the portfolio. Seeing their
work in "published" form (i.e. typed and bound)
helped many students take the tasks more seriously. They were
truly proud of all the effort they’d put in, as was I.
Part of this assignment was to take the project home, share
it with their parents/guardians, and interview them about
their reactions.
Check-list and Guidelines
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