My students and I just finished reading Pam Munoz Ryan's novel, Esperanza Rising, as a class. This was my second time deviating from the required Houghton Miflin Language Arts Curriculum that is usually shoved down our throats. The biggest drag with this anthology is that each week, for a series of 4 weeks, we are required to race through a different snippet of piece of literature. Most of the time the kids have no idea what the story is about, because we only get to read one chapter. We only spend a week on it which is both too long and too short at the same time. Last year, another teacher and I requested that instead of one of the anthology themes, that lasts 5+ weeks, we would create a unit with the mentioned novel. She supported our idea. This second time around things are going really well. We had the opportunity to analyze character growth- the main character is a perfect example of maturity throughout the novel. We also discussed symbolism, setting, and difficult themes like illegal immigration, worker's rights and the reasons to strike, segregation, and racism. As well as the values of family and what makes a person's life rich. Now that we have finished the novel, we are continuing this week with a series of different extended projects.
My class is very crafty, so I knew they would love the project I introduced to them on Thursday. We each made a yarn doll. The project was based out of what the main characters make in the novel and the doll is referenced several times throughout the story. Each student had to help his/her partner to complete each doll successfully. Even the boys took to the project with energy and enthusiasm. The results were adorable. Each doll took on a different personality! They were so adorable.
I highly recommend you check out this novel. It was especially pertinent to my
students' life experiences and we all loved it!
**notice the title in the first photo- credit goes to Lex for creating beautiful bulletin board letters for each theme!
(theme 5 is right around the corner...hint, hint)
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