Esperanza Rising 17:

Paragraph Writing, Part II

Based upon lessons created by Expeditionary Learning

Stephen J. O’Connor

ccss5.comsteve@wellsny.com

•I can find evidence in Esperanza Rising that will support my inferences about characters from the book.

•I can analyze how Esperanza responds to a key event in the novel, and what this shows about her character.

•I can write an essay in which each paragraph has a clear topic sentence, a body, and a conclusion.

Learning Targets

• Citing evidence

• Making inferences

• Key events from the beginning and end of the novel

• Paragraphs have topic sentence

• Paragraphs have supporting details

• Paragraphs have concluding sentence

Take out your two completed graphic

for Paragraphs 1 and 2, as well as

your incomplete draft of Paragraph 1.

Ranch set on fire

Esperanza escapes fire; loses everything

Esperanza needs clothes from the poor box

Mama… must we worry about some poor family who needs clothes?

Mama says they are poor

Esperanza had everything; now poor; can’t understand

Complete your 1st paragraph draftabout a challenge that Esperanza faced

in Chapter 5

Ranch set on fire

Esperanza escapes fire; loses everything

Esperanza needs clothes from the poor box

Mama… must we worry about some poor family who needs clothes?

Mama says they are poor

Esperanza had everything; now poor; can’t understand

One night, the ranch catches fire and burns to the ground! Esperanza and her family safely escape but lose almost everything they own to the flames. Because Esperanza and Mama do not even have clean clothes to wear, the nuns give them clothes from the “poor box.” When Esperanza sees the box left by the nuns, she asks, “Mama, at a time like this, must we worry about some poor family who needs clothes?” Mama calmly explains to Esperanza that they are the ones who are poor because they have no home and no money, and the clothes are for them. Esperanza can’t understand that she is no longer wealthy and will need to be grateful for the charity of others now.

Complete your draft of your first paragraph,then share your draft with your triad

Complete your draft of your first paragraph,then share your draft with your triad

Draft your second body paragraph.

Critique the second paragraph organizerof the others in your group

Ranch set on fire

Esperanza escapes fire; loses everything

Esperanza needs clothes from the poor box

Mama… must we worry about some poor family who needs clothes?

Mama says they are poor

Esperanza had everything; now poor; can’t understand

One night, the ranch catches fire and burns to the ground! Esperanza and her family safely escape but lose almost everything they own to the flames. Because Esperanza and Mama do not even have clean clothes to wear, the nuns give them clothes from the “poor box.” When Esperanza sees the box left by the nuns, she asks, “Mama, at a time like this, must we worry about some poor family who needs clothes?” Mama calmly explains to Esperanza that they are the ones who are poor because they have no home and no money, and the clothes are for them. Esperanza can’t understand that she is no longer wealthy and will need to be grateful for the charity of others now.

p. 249

p. 250

What is a phoenix?

Mythological bird resembling an eagle that lived for a long time,

then would burn itself out and be reborn from the ashes

A phoenix commonly appears in literature as a symbol of the end of one life and the beginning of a new

life.

•In what ways does Esperanza change as a person throughout the novel?

•Why do you think the author chose to compare Esperanza to a phoenix in these last pages of the book?

Would you have wanted to be Esperanza’s friend at the beginning of the novel? Would you want to be her friend at the end of the novel?

Why or why not?