Chapter 1: "The Baseball Glove"

Students read aloud. As you finish a few pages, have the class discuss, then chart the specific examples on the chart How Writing Strategies Create a Character: Parrot in the Oven.

Sample teacher/student questions and answers while charting:

• Question: What is Manny's goal and how does he go about achieving it?
  
• Answer: To own a baseball glove. Goes to work picking chilies.
  
• Question: Who are the family members?
  
• Answer: Mama, Papa, older brother Bernardo (Nardo), older sister Magda, younger sister Pedi (around four or five years old)
  
• Question: Find a simile that describes Manny's relationship with work.
  Answer: Page 7: "Without work I was empty as a Coke bottle."

  Chart:

1. Goal oriented, wants baseball glove. Goes to work picking chilies: Action: shows goal oriented and willing to work to achieve goals
   
2. "...for some reason I thought he was the best man in the field"(17) Interior Monologue: sensitive and appreciative of the man who identifies with the illegal workers
   

• Question: What is the meaning of Manny's observation on page 6:
  "Years of not knowing what besides work was expected from a Mexican convinced me that I wouldn't pass from this earth without putting in a lot of days."(6)
  
• Answer: Fatalistic programming
  
• Question: How do Manny and Nardo compare in relation to their work ethic
  
• Question: Who was Cesar Chavez?
  
• Answer: Cesar Chavez organized the migrant farm workers of California and lead boycotts around the country to force the farm owners to provide better working conditions.

Homework: Pass out Descriptive Writing: Parrot in the Oven

Assignment: Students deconstruct passage from the book according to the senses that are included in the description.

Chapter 2: "Rico's Pool Hall"

Read again aloud to provide further practice determining, as a class, the examples of characterization.

• Question: How do Manny's parents discipline him? What do you think of their methods?
  
• Answer: Mother: "smacked" and "pounded" him (22)
  Father: grabbed him and threatened him (22-23)
  
• Question: Why is the father angry with the Garcia brothers?
  
• Answer: They destroy his dream to have a croquet setup in his yard.
  
• Discuss: Do you sympathize with him?
  
• Discuss: Do you have any neighbors who ruin things for other people on your block?
  
• Question: Describe Manny's neighborhood.
  
• Answer: See page 24, first complete paragraph.
  
• Question: Explain Mr. Hernandez' comparison of people to money.
  
• Answer: See last paragraph of page 25.
  
• Question: What effect might this attitude have on Manny? How much do parental attitudes toward life affect the personalities of children?
  
• Question: How does Manny handle the Garcia brothers?
  
• Answer: Remains quiet. Leaves as soon as possible.
  Question: What does his strategy tell about his personality?

Chart:

1. "I decided to head back home. I didn't want to risk running into them again.": (32) Action: Not a fighter, avoids conflict and physical violence.