Chapter 5: "The Garden"

Reader's Theater:

Choose Narrator, Manny and Nardo

Read out loud as a play through page 80.

• Question: Manny finds, saves and reads a science magazine. What do these actions indicate about him?
  
• Question: Which boy encourages the other to keep working a little longer before taking a break?
  
• Answer: Manny (77)
  
• Question: Is this consistent with what we already know about him?
  
• Answer: Yes: hardworking, responsible.
  
• Question: On page 80 Manny describes his body. What does he say?
  
• Answer: "flabby waist"
  
• Question: Why doesn't the author give him muscles like Nardo.
  
• Answers: Drawing a contrast, stereotype - more sensitive, introspective people are not interested in developing their bodies.

Read silently to the end of the chapter.

• Question: How does Manny interact with his brother?
  
• Answer: Shares his dream. Playful.
  
• Question: On page 88 Manny is thinking. What is his vision for his grandmother's life after death? What does it say about him?

Chart: "Why don't we finish this first, we only got this to do." (77): Dialogue: Hardworking, Responsible

Pass out Three Level Questions .

Go over and assign that students create and answer three level questions for the next three chapters.

Chapter 6: "The Rifle"

Read silently charting the characterization of Manny Hernandez and creating and answering Three Level Questions .

• Question: What action on page 93 shows Manny again to be a dependable family member?
  
• Answer: Baby-sits Pedi for Magda.
  
• Question: Who found a quote on page 108 that shows how sensitive and introspective Manny is?
  
• Answer: 1. “For a long time I couldn't touch anything..."(108)
  2. "I thought about how Mom kept cleaning the house..."(108)