Lesson Plans
Buried Onions
40
60
90
Day 1
Outcomes for Today
Prepare
Background
Gather background knowledge about a place, time, event, person, or thing.
Where is Fresno, California? Teachers can use any map source available or www.worldatlas.com to lead this lesson.
Teachers should use the introduction presented on the previous page to prepare students for the novel. Introduce the author and his history along with the metaphor of the buried onion.
Word Wall
Here are five vocabulary words to teach and add to the Word Wall.
Introduce 5 important, useful words from today’s reading.
|
mortuary (1) |
blistered (2) |
quiver (2) |
sagged (2) |
shimmer (2) |
Read
Review
Review the timeline from the beginning every day.
Read
Read the selection, usually in a Shared Reading Read React Predict Cycle of 2-3 pages.
Read pp. 1-2
|
Setting |
Characters |
Pages |
|
Fresno – city college |
Eddie |
1–2 |
|
Mexican-American community in Fresno |
Eddie |
2 |
Respond
Timeline
Agree on the facts in today’s reading, and list the 3–5 most important on the Timeline.
Discuss the reading and add 3–5 events to the timeline.
- Discuss the story to fix the facts: who, what, when, where, and why.
- Decide on the 3–5 most important events and add these to the timeline.
Students might mention:
- Eddie attends City College.
- His friend Juan attended City College, but was recently killed in a steel foundry.
- Juan’s sister was having her second child.
- Eddie’s apartment is located in a part of the city where many people do not have full-time employment.
Map
Add to ongoing class activities like a KWL chart or map: where did the characters go?
Open Mind Portrait
New character information can be added to an Open Mind Portrait.
KWL Chart
An answer can be added to a question from the KWL Chart.
Map
A new location or change can be added to the map.
Explore
Activity
Explore the reading more deeply with a visual or oral language activity.
Figurative Language Chart
This is an on-going activity that allows the student to explore the types of figurative language used by Soto in his writing. The suggested activity will run the entire unit.
Objectives of the suggested activity:
- Allow students an opportunity to explore language that communicates ideas beyond the literal meaning of the words (figurative language).
- Students will identify the types of figurative language of simile, metaphor, imagery, alliteration, assonance, and repetition.
- Allow students to work with classmates to build social skills and develop conversational skills.
Introduction: For each day’s reading, students will find one example of figurative language (15 total). Each student will keep track of the quotation on a sheet of paper or in a notebook, identify the page number where it can be found, state the type of figurative language, what is being compared or what particular image is conveyed (this will be at least two sentences). The following template (example provided) can be used:
|
Quotation |
Type |
Comparison/or Image |
Meaning |
|
“His hand was peppered with age marks and his skin looked as thin as a sheet of onion.” |
Simile |
An old man’s hand to an onion peel. |
A frail old man is weak and worn out from living. His hands show his frailty and age. |
Each student will then share his/her finding with another student. When possible, each student should be paired with a new person each day.
Variation: If student level warrants it, teachers can lead this activity on the board or overhead.
Background Knowledge: Direct Instruction
- Students will need to know or be instructed on the following types of figurative language:
- Simile = comparison of two unlike things (using like or as)
- Metaphor = comparison of two unlike things – something is something else
- Imagery = collection of images
- Alliteration = repetition of initial consonant sound
- Repetition = repetition of idea, sound, or phrase
- Personification = makes an inanimate object take on a human quality
Materials:
- Notebook and pen
- Buried Onions book
- Overhead or board if using
Discussion
Comprehension and higher-level questions for discussion.
Key Questions
- Explain the “vapors” that Eddie describes as the heat of the city.
- If you could compare your city to a food or object what would it be and why? Describe your reasons for your comparison.
- Eddie compares himself, and others like him, to strollers. In what ways is life for Eddie like a stroller?
Analyze
Analyze the key paragraph.
Key Paragraph, p. 2
“I returned to my apartment, which was in a part of Fresno where fences sagged and the paint blistered on houses. The swamp coolers squeaked like squirrels. Dogs pulled at chains, the clover leaf of their padded paws hardened by years of this kind of traction. Laundry wept from the lines, the faded flags of poor, ignorant, unemployable people. The old sat on porches, fanning themselves, stirring up the onion smell so that it moved up and down the block. Some guys, all of them Mexican like me, worked on their cars, and the young mothers stood on their front lawns, talking as they pushed their strollers back and forth a few inches. Still the babies cried, and their crying stirred up our frustration because we were like those strollers going back and forth, back and forth, getting nowhere” (p. 2).
Extend
Write
Have each student write a short product based on today’s prompt to connect to the unit theme.
Eddie has compared Fresno’s heat to onions and the pace of life to strollers. Write a narrative paragraph in which you describe your life you have and the life you want to have. Describe the people, the neighborhood, and the goals you wish to have. In what ways are you responsible for the actions and your place in life?
Close
Close by extending today’s lesson to life and the world.
Extend the reading to the students’ lives or to the world.
Day 2
Outcomes for Today
Prepare
Background
Gather background knowledge about a place, time, event, person, or thing.
What is Revenge? Revenge is the act of punishment for a wrong, or the act of vindictiveness, retaliation for injuries or wrong. Revenge is to inflict equivalent injury or damage for injury received.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/revenge
In today’s reading, you will read how one Eddie is torn between family loyalties and doing what is right, in his mind, to insure that he doesn’t become part of the sadness of the onion that grows beneath Fresno, California.
Word Wall
Here are five vocabulary words to teach and add to the Word Wall.
Introduce 5 important, useful words from today’s reading.
|
gaudy (3) |
stenciled (4) |
merciless (7) |
scam (9) |
cavernous (13) |
Read
Review
Review the timeline from the beginning every day.
Read
Read the selection, usually in a Shared Reading Read React Predict Cycle of 2-3 pages.
Read pp. 3–17
|
Setting |
Characters |
Pages |
|
Eddie’s Apartment |
Eddie Eddie introduces: Angel, Jesus, Juan |
3–6 |
|
Neighborhood |
Eddie, Lupe Eddie introduces: Aunt Dolores |
6-8 |
|
Holmes Playground |
Eddie, Angel |
8-12 |
|
North Side of Fresno |
Eddie, Husband Larry and wife (no name) |
12-17 |
|
Eddie’s Apartment |
Eddie |
17 |
Respond
Timeline
Agree on the facts in today’s reading, and list the 3–5 most important on the Timeline.
Discuss the reading and add 3–5 events to the timeline.
- Discuss the story to fix the facts: who, what, when, where, and why.
- Decide on the 3–5 most important events and add these to the timeline.
Students might mention:
- Eddie describes how Jesus’s, his cousin, was killed.
- Eddie goes into this apartment, gets something to drink, and grabs his items to begin his job, stenciling numbers on curbs.
- On his way to stenciling curbs Eddie runs into Lupe in the neighborhood.
- Eddie going to the playground and speaking with Angel.
- Angel tries to convince Eddie to go after the person who killed Jesus.
- Eddie helps an old man move an air condition, but doesn’t get paid for it.
- Eddie arrives back home to find tortillas from his aunt on the porch.
Map
Add to ongoing class activities like a KWL chart or map: where did the characters go?
Figurative Language Chart
For each day’s reading, students will find one example of figurative language (15 total). Each student will keep track of the quotation on a sheet of paper or in a notebook, identify the page number where it can be found, state the type of figurative language, what is being compared or what particular image is conveyed (this will be at least two sentences). The following template (example provided) can be used:
|
Quotation |
Type |
Comparison/or Image |
Meaning |
|
“His hand was peppered with age marks and his skin looked as thin as a sheet of onion.” |
Simile |
An old man’s hand to an onion peel. |
A frail old man is weak and worn out from living. His hands show his frailty and age. |
Explore
Activity
Explore the reading more deeply with a visual or oral language activity.
Bookmark
Create a bookmark shaped like an onion. On one side of the onion write the word Responsibility and the word Eddie. As you read the novel you will write on your bookmark the various ways Eddie shows responsibility.
Discussion
Comprehension and higher-level questions for discussion.
Key Questions
- In what ways does Eddie show responsibility about his life?
- Describe Eddie’s neighborhood?
- How is Eddie like the “red ant” In his apartment?
- How does Eddie earn money?
- Why doesn’t Eddie want to see Angel?
- In what ways does Eddie show responsibility and irresponsibility in today’s reading?
- Do you have a friend like Lupe? Describe.
- Describe Angel.
- Do you believe in the saying “an eye for an eye?” Explain.
- Do you think Angel really knows who the guy is that killed Jesus?
- Do you think Angel will be successful in getting Eddie to help him get the guy who killed Jesus?
- Describe Eddie in your own words.
Analyze
Analyze the key paragraph.
Key Paragraph, p. 5
“I went to the garage to get my bike. My stuff—the paints and stencils, a piece of cardboard and a rag, a length of chain to lock my bike—was in the basket. I walked my bike to the front yard. The street was deserted. It was eleven o’clock and already everyone had retreaded inside, either to get away from the heat or to tune into the Mexican soap operas—telenovelas. I straddled my bike and sat on the seat, not wanting to go. But I forced myself, pushed on the pedal, because like that red ant, I had to come home with my own crumbs” (p. 5).
Extend
Write
Have each student write a short product based on today’s prompt to connect to the unit theme.
Eddie dreaded having to go into the heat and start his job of stenciling, but “like the ant” he has to make his own crumb. Write a narrative paragraph in which you reflect on a time in which you had to maintain responsibility. Describe in detail the actions you had to do to maintain that responsibility even when you do not want to.
Close
Close by extending today’s lesson to life and the world.
Extend the reading to the students’ lives or to the world.
Day 3
Outcomes for Today
Prepare
Background
Gather background knowledge about a place, time, event, person, or thing.
What is Miscommunication? Miscommunication occurs when two people have a conversation or another form of communication but come away with different understandings of what was said or communicated.
Some tips to avoid miscommunication include being clear, speaking up, avoid the “ums…and the errs….., be polite, and be understandable.
In today’s reading, Eddie and a boy miscommunicate and the boy believes Eddie has said an inappropriate word.
Word Wall
Here are five vocabulary words to teach and add to the Word Wall.
Introduce 5 important, useful words from today’s reading.
|
palsied (19) |
surveying (19) |
gnaw (20) |
fiery (21) |
ambition (24) |
Read
Review
Review the timeline from the beginning every day.
Read
Read the selection, usually in a Shared Reading Read React Predict Cycle of 2-3 pages.
Read pp. 18–7 and stop at “‘Ok boss’”
|
Setting |
Characters |
Pages |
|
Eddie’s apartment |
Eddie |
18–19 |
|
North side of Fresno – Mr. Stiles House |
Eddie, Mr. Stiles, Neighborhood boy on a bike |
19–24 |
|
Dump |
Eddie, Dump Employee |
25 |
Respond
Timeline
Agree on the facts in today’s reading, and list the 3–5 most important on the Timeline.
Discuss the reading and add 3–5 events to the timeline.
- Discuss the story to fix the facts: who, what, when, where, and why.
- Decide on the 3–5 most important events and add these to the timeline.
Students might mention:
- Eddie in his apartment thinking about Angel and his aunt.
- Eddie going to work on the North Side for a man named Mr. Stiles.
- Eddie tells the boy on the bike about the birth tree he is digging the hole for and the boy misunderstands him.
- Eddie is digging holes for various types of trees for Mr. Stiles .
- Eddie is accused of calling a kid a foul name.
- After a week of working with Mr. Stiles, Eddie is asked to drive to the dump yard.
Map
Add to ongoing class activities like a KWL chart or map: where did the characters go?
Figurative Language Chart For each day’s reading, students will find one example of figurative language (15 total). Each student will keep track of the quotation on a sheet of paper or in a notebook, identify the page number where it can be found, state the type of figurative language, what is being compared or what particular image is conveyed (this will be at least two sentences). The following template (example provided) can be used:
|
Quotation |
Type |
Comparison/or Image |
Meaning |
|
“His hand was peppered with age marks and his skin looked as thin as a sheet of onion.” |
Simile |
An old man’s hand to an onion peel. |
A frail old man is weak and worn out from living. His hands show his frailty and age. |
Explore
Activity
Explore the reading more deeply with a visual or oral language activity.
Scene Sketch
Draw a birch tree on one side and explain the symbolism of it on the other.
Character Chart
Fill out Eddie’s character traits.
Open Mind Portrait
Create an Open Mind Portrait of Eddie.
Discussion
Comprehension and higher-level questions for discussion.
Key Questions
- Who is Mr. Stiles?
- In attempting to teach the little boy about the tree he was planting, Eddie was confronted by Mr. Stiles for doing something wrong. How did Eddie handle the situation? How would you have handled the situation?
- Why do you think Eddie creates and tells stories about himself that are not true to people?
- In your words, explain whether or not you think Eddie should be trusted.
- At the end of the today’s reading Eddie lies about what is inside the truck for the dump. Do you think Eddie is going to get caught keeping some of the money Mr. Stiles has given him?
Analyze
Analyze the key paragraph.
Key Paragraph, p. 23
“‘Eddie,’ he said calmly as he walked up to me, his head lowered. He gave off a smell of cologne and coffee. A red vein throbbed by his left eye. ‘Eddie, my neighbor said that you called him…a foul name’” (p. 23).
Extend
Write
Have each student write a short product based on today’s prompt to connect to the unit theme.
In today’s reading, Eddie was accused of saying a foul name, when in fact he said the word “birch” not “bitch.” Think back to a time when you were accused of doing something you did not do. Write a narrative paragraph that is a detailed description of the event and how it made you feel? How did you handle the situation? Do you believe you handle it correctly? If so, how and why?
Close
Close by extending today’s lesson to life and the world.
Extend the reading to the students’ lives or to the world.
Day 4
Outcomes for Today
Prepare
Background
Gather background knowledge about a place, time, event, person, or thing.
What is faith?
Faith is having a strong or unshakable believe in something without proof or evidence. Faith is believing in something even when you cannot see it or feel it.
In today’s reading, the reader finds that Eddie is human—a person who gets down and feels defeated even though he is trying to do the right thing. Eddie is trying to follow the straight line but finds that on his way there are many bumps and stops on the way. Eddie’s faith is tested in today’s reading and he must choose the active side of morality is something that responsibility requires and that however tough, doing the “right thing” does not end up perfect.
Word Wall
Here are five vocabulary words to teach and add to the Word Wall.
Introduce 5 important, useful words from today’s reading.
|
stank (28) |
spongy (28) |
centerpiece (29) |
advice (31) |
ribbed (31) |
Read
Review
Review the timeline from the beginning every day.
Read
Read the selection, usually in a Shared Reading Read React Predict Cycle of 2-3 pages.
Read pp. 27–34
|
Setting |
Characters |
Pages |
|
The dump |
Eddie |
27–28 |
|
Eddie’s neighborhood and apartment |
Eddie, Mrs. Rios, Aunt Dolores |
28–34 |
Respond
Timeline
Agree on the facts in today’s reading, and list the 3–5 most important on the Timeline.
Discuss the reading and add 3–5 events to the timeline.
- Discuss the story to fix the facts: who, what, when, where, and why.
- Decide on the 3–5 most important events and add these to the timeline.–Students might mention:
- Eddie took a refrigerator for his apartment before leaving the dumpsite.
- Eddie stopped at his apartment to drop off the refrigerator.
- The truck was stolen from Eddie’s apartment.
- Aunt Dolores arrives at Eddie’s apartment with a gun.
Map
Add to ongoing class activities like a KWL chart or map: where did the characters go?
Figurative Language Chart
For each day’s reading, students will find one example of figurative language (15 total). Each student will keep track of the quotation on a sheet of paper or in a notebook, identify the page number where it can be found, state the type of figurative language, what is being compared or what particular image is conveyed (this will be at least two sentences). The following template (example provided) can be used:
|
Quotation |
Type |
Comparison/or Image |
Meaning |
|
“His hand was peppered with age marks and his skin looked as thin as a sheet of onion.” |
Simile |
An old man’s hand to an onion peel. |
A frail old man is weak and worn out from living. His hands show his frailty and age. |
Explore
Activity
Explore the reading more deeply with a visual or oral language activity.
Letter
Write a letter to Mr. Stiles explaining, in detail, what happened to his missing truck.
Discussion
Comprehension and higher-level questions for discussion.
Key Questions
- Explain what happened to the truck when Eddie stopped at his apartment on the way back from the dump?
- Eddie blames his ambition for the stolen truck incident. Do you agree, with Eddie, that ambition is unsafe or harmful?
- Would you have returned to Mr. Stiles house to explain what happened to the truck? Explain.
- What do you think Mr. Stiles response would have been if Eddie returned to his house without the truck and explained what happened?
- At the end of the chapter Eddie states that he is tired of trying to keep on the straight line. Do you think Eddie will give in and help Angel get the person who killed Jesus?
Analyze
Analyze the key paragraph.
Key Paragraph, p. 31
“I felt like a deflated inner tube hanging in a garage, black from depression, because I had done what people and the Bible told me to do: work. But that advice had failed me… the working life was a scam. I could stencil every curb in Fresno from pagan Monday to holy Sunday… But no matter how hard I tried to live a straight life. I could still mess up” (p. 31).
Extend
Write
Have each student write a short product based on today’s prompt to connect to the unit theme.
In today’s reading selection, the reader finds that Eddie is human—a person gets down and feels defeated even though he is trying to do the right thing. This quarter emphasizes the importance of doing what you should be doing right now – the active side of morality and something that responsibility requires. There are times, though, that doing the “right thing” does not end up perfect. People have to persevere through the difficult times knowing that the “right thing” is worth the effort in the end. It requires faith in ones goals and values. Write a narrative paragraph in which you describe a time a time when you felt you were doing the right thing, but things did not go as well as expected. How did you feel? What did you do? How did you handle the disappointment?
Close
Close by extending today’s lesson to life and the world.
Extend the reading to the students’ lives or to the world.
Day 5
Outcomes for Today
Prepare
Background
Gather background knowledge about a place, time, event, person, or thing.
What is the American Dream? The American dream is rooted in the idea that all men are created equal and that all persons have a right to the pursuit of happiness, where hard work and ambition lead to riches not necessarily defined as money. The idea that if one works hard than one is rewarded with wealth. For some, the American dream is freedom from poverty or slavery. For others, it is driving fancy cars and living in a big house.
Word Wall
Here are five vocabulary words to teach and add to the Word Wall.
Introduce 5 important, useful words from today’s reading.
|
sentries (37) |
tottered (38) |
sissy (38) |
hesitation (39) |
milling (41) |
Read
Review
Review the timeline from the beginning every day.
Read
Read the selection, usually in a Shared Reading Read React Predict Cycle of 2-3 pages.
Read pp. 35–43. Stop at break on page 43.
|
Setting |
Characters |
Pages |
|
Eddie’s apartment |
Eddie, Angel |
35–38 |
|
City College |
Eddie, Norma, Yellow Shoes |
38–43 |
|
Eddie’s apartment |
Eddie |
43 |
Respond
Timeline
Agree on the facts in today’s reading, and list the 3–5 most important on the Timeline.
Discuss the reading and add 3–5 events to the timeline.
- Discuss the story to fix the facts: who, what, when, where, and why.
- Decide on the 3–5 most important events and add these to the timeline.
Students might mention:
- Angel arrives at Eddie’s apartment.
- Eddie asked Angel to leave after Angel takes out the gun his aunt had tried to give him.
- Eddie sells his books back to the City College.
- Eddie speaks with a girl named Norma, who flirts with him.
- Eddie sees a person with “yellow shoes” and follows him the class and later confronts the man in yellow shoes.
- Eddie arrives home to a note from Mr. Stiles.
Map
Add to ongoing class activities like a KWL chart or map: where did the characters go?
Figurative Language Chart
For each day’s reading, students will find one example of figurative language (15 total). Each student will keep track of the quotation on a sheet of paper or in a notebook, identify the page number where it can be found, state the type of figurative language, what is being compared or what particular image is conveyed (this will be at least two sentences). The following template (example provided) can be used:
|
Quotation |
Type |
Comparison/or Image |
Meaning |
|
“His hand was peppered with age marks and his skin looked as thin as a sheet of onion.” |
Simile |
An old man’s hand to an onion peel. |
A frail old man is weak and worn out from living. His hands show his frailty and age. |
Character Chart
Add to complete character traits of Eddie.
Open Mind Portrait
Add to Open Mind Portrait of Eddie.
Bookmark
Add to the Responsibility bookmark.
Explore
Activity
Explore the reading more deeply with a visual or oral language activity.
Poster
Create a poster advising your version of the American Dream. Please use symbols to describe the American dream. Attached to the poster, write a paragraph explaining each symbol used in the poster.
Discussion
Comprehension and higher-level questions for discussion.
Key Questions
- How does Eddie describe the “good life”?
- Describe in your own words what you think the “good life” is.
- Do you think Angel took the truck? Explain?
- Explain what a sissy is in your own words? Do you think Eddie is a sissy?
- Why does the author reveal about Eddie when he writes, “I had my moments of gangster mentality”?
- Do you think the man with the yellow shoes is the person that killed Jesus?
- How do you think Mr. Stiles found Eddie apartment?
Analyze
Analyze the key paragraph.
Key Paragraph, p. 36
“I poured a bowl and splashed milk on those wimpy-ass flakes, remembering when I ate boatloads of Wheaties and believed they would make me a man one day. It didn’t work” (p. 36).
Extend
Write
Have each student write a short product based on today’s prompt to connect to the unit theme.
At the beginning of this lesson, the teacher and the class discussed the American Dream concept and the vision of the good life. Now, each student should write a narrative paragraph about a time in his/her life when his/her vision of the good life was reality. If more appropriate, have the student write about how the good life would play out in his/her future.
Close
Close by extending today’s lesson to life and the world.
Extend the reading to the students’ lives or to the world.
Day 6
Outcomes for Today
Prepare
Background
Gather background knowledge about a place, time, event, person, or thing.
What is responsibility? Responsibility is the active side of morality: doing what I should do, doing what I said I would do, doing what is best for everybody; especially doing the one thing I should be doing right now. In today’s reading Eddie took responsibility of a Mr. Stiles car just to have it stolen because he got a little over anxious and took the car home for a few minutes. Eddie in turns, writes a letter to Mr. Stiles explaining what happened to the truck.
Word Wall
Here are five vocabulary words to teach and add to the Word Wall.
Introduce 5 important, useful words from today’s reading.
|
dank (44) |
gawkers (46) |
dismantled (46) |
barren (47) |
absentmindedly (51) |
Read
Review
Review the timeline from the beginning every day.
Read
Read the selection, usually in a Shared Reading Read React Predict Cycle of 2-3 pages.
Read pp. 43–53
|
Setting |
Characters |
Pages |
|
Eddie’s Apartment |
Eddie |
43–44 |
|
Fresno, California |
Eddie, people of Fresno, little boy on the North side of Fresno |
44–48 |
|
Eddie’s apartment |
Eddie, Eddie’s Mom, Aunt Gloria |
48–53 |
Respond
Timeline
Agree on the facts in today’s reading, and list the 3–5 most important on the Timeline.
Discuss the reading and add 3–5 events to the timeline.
- Discuss the story to fix the facts: who, what, when, where, and why.
- Decide on the 3-5 most important events and add these to the timeline.
Students might mention:
- Eddie writes a letter to Mr. Stiles explaining that the truck was stolen.
- Eddie takes the bus and walks to Mr. Stiles house to deliver the envelope.
- Eddie saw the little boy who excused him of calling him a bad name.
- The boy excused Eddie of stealing the truck.
- Eddie at Mr. Stiles house.
- Eddie in his apartment with his mom and aunt.
- Eddie leaving for Norma’s house.
Map
Add to ongoing class activities like a KWL chart or map: where did the characters go?
Figurative Language Chart
For each day’s reading, students will find one example of figurative language (15 total). Each student will keep track of the quotation on a sheet of paper or in a notebook, identify the page number where it can be found, state the type of figurative language, what is being compared or what particular image is conveyed (this will be at least two sentences).
Character Chart
Add to complete character traits of Eddie.
Open Mind Portrait
Add to Open Mind Portrait of Eddie.
Bookmark
Add to the Responsibility bookmark.
Explore
Activity
Explore the reading more deeply with a visual or oral language activity.
Plot Storyboard
Recreate the story so far by using pictures. Under each picture write a heading that describes that picture. Draw at least 5 pictures.
Discussion
Comprehension and higher-level questions for discussion.
Key Questions
- Why didn’t Eddie just throw away the keys instead of returning the keys to Mr. Stiles?
- Did Eddie do the right thing by trying to deliver the explanation note and key to Mr. Stile? Why or why not?
- If you were Mr. Stiles would you have believed Eddie? Explain.
- What does the outside of Mr. Stiles house look like when Eddie arrives?
- How is the visual outside of Mr. Stiles house a reflection of the “onion” that is buried beneath it?
- What does Eddie’s mother do for a living?
- Why do you think Eddie’s mom and aunt are worried about Eddie not having a girlfriend or not being married?
Analyze
Analyze the key paragraph.
Key Paragraph, p. 47
“I felt for the envelope in my back pocket and scolded myself for being such a good Boy Scout. I should have just tossed the keys in the trash and forgotten about it” (p. 47).
Extend
Write
Have each student write a short product based on today’s prompt to connect to the unit theme.
Thus far in the novel, Eddie seems to admire Mr. Stiles and his sense of order. Eddie admires the lawn that is kept so nicely – the lawn representing security and calm that is the opposite of the chaos he sees daily in his neighborhood (the barrio). People of any age tend to look to others to see what they have – occasionally being jealous of what others seem to have. But, it is perfectly human to admire other people – especially in childhood.
Think back to your childhood. Who did you admire? Write a narrative paragraph in which you tell a story about a person from your childhood that you admired. What drew you to that person? What characteristics made that person someone to look up to? And why? Do you still look up to that person? Why or why not?
Close
Close by extending today’s lesson to life and the world.
Extend the reading to the students’ lives or to the world.
Day 7
Outcomes for Today
Prepare
Background
Gather background knowledge about a place, time, event, person, or thing.
Who and what are Marines? The Marine Corps is one of the most elite fighting forces in the world. The Marines are a part of the Department of the Navy and operate in close cooperation with U.S. Naval forces at sea. The Marine Corps' mission is unique among the services. Marines serve on U.S. Navy ships, protect naval bases, guard U.S. embassies, and provide an ever-ready quick strike force to protect U.S. interests anywhere in the world.
To perform the many duties of the Marine Corps, approximately 174,000 officers and enlisted Marines fly planes and helicopters; operate radar equipment; drive armored vehicles; gather intelligence. http://www.military.com
Word Wall
Here are five vocabulary words to teach and add to the Word Wall.
Introduce 5 important, useful words from today’s reading.
|
bellowed (57) |
conviction (57) |
heeded (57) |
tattered (61) |
patrons (62) |
Read
Review
Review the timeline from the beginning every day.
Read
Read the selection, usually in a Shared Reading Read React Predict Cycle of 2-3 pages.
Read pp. 54–68
|
Setting |
Characters |
Pages |
|
Norma’s pool |
Eddie, Norma |
54–56 |
|
Eddie’s apartment |
Eddie, Jose Dominguez, |
56–58 |
|
Jose’s car |
Eddie, Jose |
58–61 |
|
Cucas restaurant |
Eddie, Jose |
61–63 |
|
Parking lot |
Eddie, Jose, onion seller, |
63–64 |
|
Cuca’s restaurant |
Eddie |
65 |
|
Outside restaurant |
Eddie, Jose, winos, street thugs |
66 |
|
Hospital/Neighborhood |
Eddie, Jose, Dominguez family |
67–68 |
Respond
Timeline
Agree on the facts in today’s reading, and list the 3–5 most important on the Timeline.
Discuss the reading and add 3–5 events to the timeline.
- Discuss the story to fix the facts: who, what, when, where, and why.
- Decide on the 3–5 most important events and add these to the timeline.
Students might mention:
- Eddie is at Norma’s house.
- Norma tells Eddie that the neighborhood gossip is Angel killed Jesus.
- Eddies fried Jose Dominguez shows up at Eddie’s apartment.
- Jose takes Eddie to eat breakfast at Cuca’s.
- Eddie and Jose spot Mr. Stiles truck in front of a movie theater.
- Eddie calls Mr. Stiles and tells him where to find his truck.
- Jose gets stabbed trying to steal the truck back for Mr. Stiles.
Map
Add to ongoing class activities like a KWL chart or map: where did the characters go?
Figurative Language Chart
For each day’s reading, students will find one example of figurative language (15 total). Each student will keep track of the quotation on a sheet of paper or in a notebook, identify the page number where it can be found, state the type of figurative language, what is being compared or what particular image is conveyed (this will be at least two sentences).
Character Chart
Add to complete character traits of Eddie.
Open Mind Portrait
Add to Open Mind Portrait of Eddie
Bookmark
Add to the Responsibility bookmark.
Explore
Activity
Explore the reading more deeply with a visual or oral language activity.
Venn Diagram
Compare and Contrast the lives of Jose Dominguez and Eddie
Complete a Plot Profile Chart
- Decide on the 10 most important events in the story, chapter or segment you are analyzing. List them in order in the rows at the bottom of the chart. If you go back the Beginning-Middle-End Chart, this will be easier to do.
- Decide on a scale of 1 [low] to 10 [high] how intense you think this event is, and mark your score in the appropriate box.
- Connect the marks in the boxes to form a graph.
- This graph will help you to profile the plot. How it looks will depend on the story you are reading and whether you are plotting an entire story, or a chapter or segment.
Discussion
Comprehension and higher-level questions for discussion.
Key Questions
- Why do you think Norma told Eddie that Angel killed Jesus?
- What reason did Norma say was the reason why Angel killed Jesus?
- If you were Mr. Stiles, would you believe Eddie about the truck? Why or why not?
- How did Jose reach the American dream? Do you think Eddie can steal achieve it?
- What kind of person is Jose? Use examples from the book to support your answer.
- Why do you think the author had Eddie calling Mr. Stiles about his truck? Do you think it was a good idea for Eddie to call Mr. Stiles and tell him where to find his truck? Explain.
- Do you agree with Jose’s family that it is Eddie’s fault that Jose got stabbed? Explain.
- Do you think Mr. Stiles ever came and picked up his truck?
Analyze
Analyze the key paragraph.
Key Paragraph, p. 65
“‘Why did you do it, Eddie?’ he cried…’I’m telling you, I didn’t do it!’ I told him I had gone to the dump, done my job, and picked up a refrigerator, and when I took it home, someone snagged his truck” (p. 65).
Extend
Write
Have each student write a short product based on today’s prompt to connect to the unit theme.
Eddie and Jose appear to be doing the right thing. They are returning the stolen truck back to the owner. However noble, maybe they should have called Mr. Stiles first rather than try to handle the situation themselves. Write a narrative paragraph in which you describe a time in your life when you did the right thing even though it may have cost you a job, a trust, or friendship.
Close
Close by extending today’s lesson to life and the world.
Extend the reading to the students’ lives or to the world.
Day 8
Outcomes for Today
Prepare
Background
Gather background knowledge about a place, time, event, person, or thing.
What is the purpose of SPCA?
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is a non-profit animal welfare organization originally founded in England in 1824 to pass laws protecting carriage horses from abuse.
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA was the first humane organization in the Western Hemisphere. Our mission, as stated by founder Henry Bergh, is “to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States.” While there are SPCAs and humane societies all over the country, the ASPCA is not directly affiliated with them. However, the ASPCA works nationally to rescue animals from abuse, pass humane laws and share resources with many shelters across the country.
Word Wall
Here are five vocabulary words to teach and add to the Word Wall.
Introduce 5 important, useful words from today’s reading.
|
taunted (71) |
panting (73) |
inaudible (74) |
sludge (77) |
whimper (80) |
Read
Review
Review the timeline from the beginning every day.
Read
Read the selection, usually in a Shared Reading Read React Predict Cycle of 2-3 pages.
Read pp. 69–80
|
Setting |
Characters |
Pages |
|
Holmes playground |
Eddie, Coach, Samuel and his friends |
69–72 |
|
Neighborhood in Fresno |
Eddie, Samuel and his friends |
72–74 |
|
Nina’s house |
Eddie, his Nina |
74–77 |
|
Fresno and SPCA |
Eddie, Nina, Clerk at SPCA |
77–80 |
Respond
Timeline
Agree on the facts in today’s reading, and list the 3–5 most important on the Timeline.
Discuss the reading and add 3–5 events to the timeline.
- Discuss the story to fix the facts: who, what, when, where, and why.
- Decide on the 3–5 most important events and add these to the timeline.
Students might mention:
- Eddie goes in search of Angel and finds Coach instead.
- Eddie begins talking with coach and lining the field.
- Eddie is being harassed by Samuel and his friends.
- Eddie meets up with his Nina’s (grandmother) and she asks Eddie to accompany her to put down her dog.
- Eddie asks his mom to send him money so that he can go visit her for few weeks.
- Eddie kept half the money his Nina gave for the SPCA.
Map
Add to ongoing class activities like a KWL chart or map: where did the characters go?
Figurative Language Chart
For each day’s reading, students will find one example of figurative language (15 total). Each student will keep track of the quotation on a sheet of paper or in a notebook, identify the page number where it can be found, state the type of figurative language, what is being compared or what particular image is conveyed (this will be at least two sentences).
Character Chart
Add traits for Eddie’s character chart.
Open Mind Portrait
Add to Open Mind Portrait of Eddie.
Bookmark
Add to the Responsibility bookmark.
Explore
Activity
Explore the reading more deeply with a visual or oral language activity.
Obituary
Create an obituary for Jose. Use the information from the reading to create the obituary.
Discussion
Comprehension and higher-level questions for discussion.
Key Questions
- What did the Eddie mean when said that “[He] wanted to spring straight into the future but I kept running in circles”?
- What do you think the author is inferring about the future of the neighborhood by looking at the younger kids Eddie encounters?
- Why does Eddie have the desire the leave Fresno for a few weeks?
- In what way is Samuel an early version of Eddie?
- In what ways are Samuel and his friends like “vapors on the asphalt?”
- Why does Eddie want to leave the neighborhood for a few weeks?
- What was Eddie’s mother reply when Eddie asked her to send him money to go visit her for a few weeks?
Analyze
Analyze the key paragraph.
Key Paragraph, p. 72
“‘Little punks,’ Coach said, ‘I don’t know if they’re going to stay alive the way they act’” (p. 72).
Extend
Write
Have each student write a short product based on today’s prompt to connect to the unit theme.
The saying goes that a person gets wiser with age. In today’s reading Eddie sees a lot of his younger self in the faces of kids like Samuel and others in his neighborhood. Are there any friends that you no longer keep in touch with or talk to because you have “outgrown” your younger self? Write a narrative paragraph in which you describe a time when you realized that you had nothing in common with your childhood friends. How did you know? How did it make you feel? What were you doing when you first realized it?
Close
Close by extending today’s lesson to life and the world.
Extend the reading to the students’ lives or to the world.
Day 9
Outcomes for Today
Prepare
Background
Gather background knowledge about a place, time, event, person, or thing.
What is racial profiling? Racial profiling can be defined as the consideration of ethnic background or race during a criminal investigation and when deciding to stop, search, and make an arrest. Racial profiling disproportionately targets people of color for investigation and enforcement, alienating communities from law enforcement, hindering community policing efforts, and causing law enforcement to lose credibility and trust among the people they are sworn to protect and serve.
http://www.prosandconsof.net/what-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-racial-profiling/
https://www.aclu.org/racial-justice/racial-profiling
Word Wall
Here are five vocabulary words to teach and add to the Word Wall.
Introduce 5 important, useful words from today’s reading.
|
heaved (82) |
pummel (83) |
growled (81) |
dusk (82) |
slurred (83) |
Read
Review
Review the timeline from the beginning every day.
Read
Read the selection, usually in a Shared Reading Read React Predict Cycle of 2-3 pages.
Read pp. 80–86
|
Setting |
Characters |
Pages |
|
Lupe’s house |
Lupe, Samuel, Eddie |
80–82 |
|
Neighborhood streets |
Lupe and Eddie |
82–83 |
|
Neighborhood/Hospital |
Eddie, Lupe, Samuel, Jose, Angel |
84–86 |
Respond
Timeline
Agree on the facts in today’s reading, and list the 3–5 most important on the Timeline.
Discuss the reading and add 3–5 events to the timeline.
- Discuss the story to fix the facts: who, what, when, where, and why.
- Decide on the 3–5 most important events and add these to the timeline.
Students might mention:
- Eddie is at Lupe and Samuel’s house.
- Eddie and Lupe go to visit Jose in the hospital.
- On the way to the hospital Eddie and Lupe get stopped and questioned by the police.
- Upon arrival Eddie and Lupe notice Angel is there visiting Jose as well.
- Eddie apologizing to Jose for what happened to him.
Map
Add to ongoing class activities like a KWL chart or map: where did the characters go?
Figurative Language Chart
For each day’s reading, students will find one example of figurative language (15 total). Each student will keep track of the quotation on a sheet of paper or in a notebook, identify the page number where it can be found, state the type of figurative language, what is being compared or what particular image is conveyed (this will be at least two sentences).
Explore
Activity
Explore the reading more deeply with a visual or oral language activity.
Story Board
Recreate the story in six pictures.
Open Mind Portrait:
Add to the Open Mind Portrait of Eddie.
Bookmark
Add to the Responsibility bookmark.
Discussion
Comprehension and higher-level questions for discussion.
Key Questions
- Why did Eddie tell Lupe about Samuel’s behavior?
- Did Eddie want to help Samuel by telling Lupe?
- Why did Eddie and Lupe get stopped by the police on the way to the hospital?
- Jose tells Eddie that he is never coming back to Fresno? Do you agree with Jose feelings? If you could get out of your neighborhood for a better future would you?
- Explain why Eddie was worried that Angel was going to follow him home after his visit with Jose.
Analyze
Analyze the key paragraph.
Key Paragraph, p. 81
“I returned the next day toward the evening and told him (Lupe) that his asshole brother was messing up and if I had my way I was going to kick his ass” (p. 81).
Extend
Write
Have each student write a short product based on today’s prompt to connect to the unit theme.
Responsibility is the active side of morality and includes doing what is best for everybody. In today’s reading selection, Eddie did what he thought was best for everyone by telling Lupe that his brother was messing up. The way Lupe handled it may not have been appropriate, but one can assume that Eddie had good intentions in that he wanted to help Samuel. And by helping Samuel, Eddie would be doing what is best for everyone in the community.
Write a narrative describing a time when you did the best thing to better the community. Or, have you ever witnessed such an act. Or, has anyone tried to help you and upon reflection you realize that s/he was trying to do what was best for the community.
Close
Close by extending today’s lesson to life and the world.
Extend the reading to the students’ lives or to the world.
Day 10
Outcomes for Today
Prepare
Background
Gather background knowledge about a place, time, event, person, or thing.
What is the Army? The U.S. Army is made up of the most dedicated, most respected Soldiers in the world. These Soldiers protect America’s freedoms while serving at home and abroad, and they are always prepared to defend the nation in times of need. The Army is made up of more than 675,000 active duty and Army Reserve Soldiers. www.goarmy.com
Word Wall
Here are five vocabulary words to teach and add to the Word Wall.
Introduce 5 important, useful words from today’s reading.
|
confessional (87) |
puissant (88) |
perpetual (89) |
jabbering (92) |
slogging (95) |
Read
Review
Review the timeline from the beginning every day.
Read
Read the selection, usually in a Shared Reading Read React Predict Cycle of 2-3 pages.
Read pp. 87–95
|
Setting |
Characters |
Pages |
|
Holmes Playground |
Eddie, Coach, Samuel, kids from the neighborhood |
87–95 |
Respond
Timeline
Agree on the facts in today’s reading, and list the 3–5 most important on the Timeline.
Discuss the reading and add 3–5 events to the timeline.
- Discuss the story to fix the facts: who, what, when, where, and why.
- Decide on the 3–5 most important events and add these to the timeline.
Students might mention
- Eddie needed to talk to someone so he went to talk to Coach.
- Eddie tells Coach he wants to leave Fresno.
- Eddie still feels bad about Mr. Stiles truck and so Coach offers to call him.
- Coach speaks with Mr. Stiles.
- Eddie wants to leave Fresno but doesn’t know.
- Samuel sees Eddie waiting for Coach to get off of phone and gives threatens to get him when Eddie is not “looking”.
- Coach convinces Mr. Stiles wants to hire Eddie back.
- Eddie agrees to sign up for the Navy.
Map
Add to ongoing class activities like a KWL chart or map: where did the characters go?
Figurative Language Chart
For each day’s reading, students will find one example of figurative language (15 total). Each student will keep track of the quotation on a sheet of paper or in a notebook, identify the page number where it can be found, state the type of figurative language, what is being compared or what particular image is conveyed (this will be at least two sentences).
Open Mind Portrait
Add to the Open Mind Portrait of Eddie.
Bookmark
Add to the Responsibility bookmark.
Explore
Activity
Explore the reading more deeply with a visual or oral language activity.
Venn Diagram
Create a Venn diagram of the pro and cons of Eddie leaving Fresno.
Advertisement
Create an advertisement poster for the Army or Navy.
Venn Diagram Chart
Discussion
Comprehension and higher-level questions for discussion.
Key Questions
- Why did Eddie feel the need to talk to someone?
- Describe Holmes Playground?
- Do you find it odd that Eddie was able to explain he “life story” to Coach and it took “only” 10 minutes? Explain.
- In your opinion, explain Eddie’s rationale for leaving Fresno.
- If you were Eddie would you join the Army? Why or why not.
- Why did Eddie want to leave Fresno?
- Do you think Eddie should go back and work for Mr. Stiles? Why or why not.
- Why did Eddie finally decide to join the navy?
Analyze
Analyze the key paragraph.
Key Paragraph, p. 94
“I wanted to get out of Fresno, but at the same time it alarmed me. I was nineteen and I hadn’t been anywhere – two times to L.A. an four times to Sacramento. But Sacramento didn’t count. It looked a lot like Fresno” (p. 94).
Extend
Write
Have each student write a short product based on today’s prompt to connect to the unit theme.
Eddie wants to leave Fresno, but he is scared. Understandable, change can be frightening even if it seems the right thing to do. In fact, even when it seems the best thing for you. Write a narrative in which you describe a time in your life that you were afraid to make a change. Why were you afraid? Did you actually try the change? What was the result of the change? If you did not follow through with the change, why not?
Close
Close by extending today’s lesson to life and the world.
Extend the reading to the students’ lives or to the world.
Day 11
Outcomes for Today
Prepare
Background
Gather background knowledge about a place, time, event, person, or thing.
What is the Navy? The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces. A navy is a fleet of waterborne military vessels (watercraft) and its associated naval aviation, both sea-based and land-based. www.navy.com
Word Wall
Here are five vocabulary words to teach and add to the Word Wall.
Introduce 5 important, useful words from today’s reading.
|
trudged (95) |
recruiting (95) |
ancestors (96) |
ambition (98) |
redeemed (103) |
Read
Review
Review the timeline from the beginning every day.
Read
Read the selection, usually in a Shared Reading Read React Predict Cycle of 2-3 pages.
Read pp.95–104
|
Setting |
Characters |
Pages |
|
Fresno Navy Recruitment Office |
Eddie, Navy recruiter – Darrell, Larry |
95–100 |
|
Eddie’s apartment |
Eddie |
100 |
|
North side of Fresno – Mr. Stiles house |
Eddie, Mr. Stiles, young boy on bike, police |
100–104 |
Respond
Timeline
Agree on the facts in today’s reading, and list the 3-5 most important on the Timeline.
Discuss the reading and add 3-5 events to the timeline.
- Discuss the story to fix the facts: who, what, when, where, and why.
- Decide on the 3-5 most important events and add these to the timeline.
Students might mention:
- Eddie arrived at the Navy recruiter office.
- Eddie’s acquaintance from high school arrives at navy office wanting information to join.
- Eddie goes to Mr. Stiles house.
- Mr. Stiles called the police when Eddie arrived at the house to dig holes for the trees.
Map
Add to ongoing class activities like a KWL chart or map: where did the characters go?
Figurative Language Chart
Add one example of figurative language (15 total) to the chart.
Explore
Activity
Explore the reading more deeply with a visual or oral language activity.
Plot Profile Chart
Using the reading for the last few days create another plot profile chart of the main events to date. Scale them 1–10 regarding level of importance to the story
Advertisement
Create an advertisement poster for the Navy
Pro and Cons
Create a list of 5 Pros and 5 Cons of Eddie joining the Navy or the Army. Predict whether or not you think Eddie would join either.
Discussion
Comprehension and higher-level questions for discussion.
Key Questions
- Why was Eddie hesitant to sign up for the navy once he arrived?
- Eddie returns to Mr. Stile’s house. Do you think that was a good idea?
- Explain why you feel it is important for Eddie to feel trusted? Should Eddie be trusted?
- Would you have called the police if you were Mr. Stiles? Explain
- What reason did the cops give Eddie for hauling him off the jail?
- Was it ambition or more of an option to get out of a neighborhood that was spiraling Eddie downward?
- What do you think is going to happen to Eddie?
Analyze
Analyze the key paragraph.
Key Paragraph, p. 101
“… I didn’t have to knock on Mr. Stile’s door. He was in the garage, wearing safety goggles, sawing planks the length of a coffin.
‘Eddie,’ he said.
We shook hands. I told him how sorry I was about his truck. ‘I wouldn’t steal from you,’ I nearly blubbered. I was glad to be trusted. I felt that would slave for this man, work until there was nothing left in my shoulders and back” (p. 101).
Extend
Write
Have each student write a short product based on today’s prompt to connect to the unit theme.
Eddie has always felt that Mr. Stiles was a great man and that he wanted Mr. Stiles to trust and believe in him. Have you ever broken a trust or bond between you and a family member or friend? Write a narrative in which you describe a time where you were no longer trusted by a friend, family member. How did it make you feel? Describe the incident in which the trust was lost. Were you able to repair the trust? Use detailed examples and feelings to write you paragraph.
Close
Close by extending today’s lesson to life and the world.
Extend the reading to the students’ lives or to the world.
Day 12
Outcomes for Today
Prepare
Background
Gather background knowledge about a place, time, event, person, or thing.
What is fate? According to the Webster dictionary fate is defined as: the will or principle or determining cause by which things in general are believed to come to be as they are or events to happen as they do an inevitable and often adverse outcome, condition, or end http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fate
In this chapter fate has entered Eddie’s life. Eddie is struggling with finding his path in life. He is bogged down by the vapors of society. His life comes full circle as he is digging the holes for Mr. Stiles trees for the second time, before he is hauled off the jail. Eddie did not like being in jail. Could this be what Eddie needed to finally leave Fresno or begin a new chapter in his life?
Word Wall
Here are five vocabulary words to teach and add to the Word Wall.
Introduce 5 important, useful words from today’s reading.
|
gaffed (106) |
smirking (106) |
briskly (108) |
paced (109) |
scowl (111) |
Read
Review
Review the timeline from the beginning every day.
Read
Read the selection, usually in a Shared Reading Read React Predict Cycle of 2-3 pages.
Read pp. 105–111
|
Setting |
Characters |
Pages |
|
Police station |
Eddie, police officers |
105–106 |
|
Fresno/Hospital |
Eddie, nurse |
106–108 |
|
Eddie’s Apartment/Neighborhood |
Eddie, neighborhood boy, Jose, Coach |
108–111 |
Respond
Timeline
Agree on the facts in today’s reading, and list the 3–5 most important on the Timeline.
Discuss the reading and add 3–5 events to the timeline.
- Discuss the story to fix the facts: who, what, when, where, and why.
- Decide on the 3–5 most important events and add these to the timeline.
Students might mention:
- Eddie is at the police station, but gets released after a few hours.
- Eddie went to go visit Jose in the hospital but Jose was released to family members.
- Eddie arrived home from the hospital to find a 6-pack of 7-up, his bike, and a note.
- Eddie stayed in his house for two days.
- Coach and Eddie came by to Eddie’s apartment to take him fishing.
Map
Add to ongoing class activities like a KWL chart or map: where did the characters go?
Figurative Language Chart
For each day’s reading, students will find one example of figurative language (15 total). Each student will keep track of the quotation on a sheet of paper or in a notebook, identify the page number where it can be found, state the type of figurative language, what is being compared or what particular image is conveyed (this will be at least two sentences).
Open Mind Portrait
Add to Open Mind Portrait of Eddie.
Bookmark
Add to the Responsibility bookmark.
Explore
Activity
Explore the reading more deeply with a visual or oral language activity.
Symbol Sketch
Create a symbol that you believe best describes Eddie and his life so far. Under the symbol write a paragraph in which you explain the symbolism.
Plot Storyboard
Recreate the story so far by using pictures. Under each picture write a heading that describes that picture. Draw at least 5 pictures but no more than 10.
Discussion
Comprehension and higher-level questions for discussion.
Key Questions
- If you were in Eddie’s position, how would you feel towards Coach, Mr. Stiles, and the police officers?
- Should Eddie forgive Mr. Stiles for calling the police?
- Did Mr. Stiles do what was best for the community and thus need no forgiveness?
- Do you think that Eddie and Mr. Stiles are now even since Eddie lost his truck and Mr. Stiles had him arrested for a crime he didn’t commit? Explain your answer.
- What reasons did Mr. Stiles give for calling the police?
- Why do you think Eddie didn’t leave his house for two days?
- Explain why Eddie didn’t use the money that was left to him from Mr. Stiles to go visit his mom? Do you think Eddie really wants to leave Fresno? Explain your answer.
Analyze
Analyze the key paragraph.
Key Paragraph, p. 109
“In those two days I wavered between hate for Mr. Stiles to something like love for him because he was the kind of guy who was putting together a life for his family. I still couldn’t make up my mind” (p. 109).
Extend
Write
Have each student write a short product based on today’s prompt to connect to the unit theme.
Write a narrative paragraph in which you describe a time in your life when you could not make up your mind if someone was trying to help you or hurt you. Include how it made you feel and if today you believe the same thing as you did when it was happening. In other words, today, do you believe the person was trying to help you or harm you?
Close
Close by extending today’s lesson to life and the world.
Extend the reading to the students’ lives or to the world.
Day 13
Outcomes for Today
Prepare
Background
Gather background knowledge about a place, time, event, person, or thing.
Word Wall
Here are five vocabulary words to teach and add to the Word Wall.
Introduce 5 important, useful words from today’s reading.
|
pondered (113) |
glint (113) |
recklessly (115) |
surged (115) |
diverted (116) |
Read
Review
Review the timeline from the beginning every day.
Read
Read the selection, usually in a Shared Reading Read React Predict Cycle of 2-3 pages.
Read pp. 112–120
|
Setting |
Characters |
Pages |
|
Outside of Fresno/River |
Eddie, Jose, Coach |
112–120 |
Respond
Timeline
Agree on the facts in today’s reading, and list the 3–5 most important on the Timeline.
Discuss the reading and add 3–5 events to the timeline.
- Discuss the story to fix the facts: who, what, when, where, and why.
- Decide on the 3–5 most important events and add these to the timeline.
Students might mention:
- Eddie, Jose and Coach head to Centerville to go fishing.
- Eddie reminisces about having gone to Centerville when he was younger.
- Jose saw the people who stabbed him but didn’t recognize any of them.
- Jose, Eddie, and Coach spend the day at the river talking about life and music.
Map
Add to ongoing class activities like a KWL chart or map: where did the characters go?
Figurative Language Chart
For each day’s reading, students will find one example of figurative language (15 total). Each student will keep track of the quotation on a sheet of paper or in a notebook, identify the page number where it can be found, state the type of figurative language, what is being compared or what particular image is conveyed (this will be at least two sentences).
Open Mind Portrait
Add to the Open Mind Portrait of Eddie.
Bookmark
Add to the Responsibility bookmark.
Explore
Activity
Explore the reading more deeply with a visual or oral language activity.
Acrostic Poem
Use either Eddie or Responsibility as your subject word; create an acrostic poem where each line of the poem begins with a letter of this word. Use a dictionary or thesaurus to help you find words that go with your theme.
Scene Sketch
Draw a picture of his/her favorite childhood spot or activity. Students could also opt for drawing a picture of the “perfect” future spot.
Discussion
Comprehension and higher-level questions for discussion.
Key Questions
- As far back as you can remember, what did you do or where did you go as a child that brought you great joy?
- Do you believe Jose when he said he didn’t recognize the people who stabbed him?
- Eddie appears to want people to believe that he is doing well in life. Why doesn’t Eddie do well in real life instead of fantasizing about doing well for himself?
Analyze
Analyze the key paragraph.
Key Paragraph, p. 120
“We stopped at a drive-in dairy and bought bottles of chocolate milk. We each got our own bottle, nearly as cold as the river. We drank them leaning on a fence, our bellies filling with that beautiful childhood liquid. In the dusk, in the quiet before actual night, cows chewed their grass and the flies chewed their cows” (p. 120).
Extend
Write
Have each student write a short product based on today’s prompt to connect to the unit theme.
Write a narrative paragraph in which you describe your favorite childhood memories. Describe the people, events, and places that brought you great happiness. Try and use as many of your senses as possible to paint the picture. Describe why these memories are so memorable and important to you.
Close
Close by extending today’s lesson to life and the world.
Extend the reading to the students’ lives or to the world.
Day 14
Outcomes for Today
Prepare
Background
Gather background knowledge about a place, time, event, person, or thing.
What is the journey of life? Life is a journey filled with lessons, hardships, heartaches, joys, celebrations and special moments that will ultimately lead us to our destination and our purpose in life. The road to get to where you want to finally arrive at will not always be smooth. There will often be roadblocks, potholes, and dead ends. It is not always about the path to get to your destination but the journey. What is it that was learned from the challenges on your journey? Jose’s journey took him away from Fresno and away from the onion that lies beneath. Eddie’s journey begins in Fresno; will he use the road blocks and the challenges as motivation to leave Fresno?
Word Wall
Here are five vocabulary words to teach and add to the Word Wall.
Introduce 5 important, useful words from today’s reading.
|
adjoining (121) |
eternally (123) |
foliage (125) |
desolate (125) |
crouched (130) |
Read
Review
Review the timeline from the beginning every day.
Read
Read the selection, usually in a Shared Reading Read React Predict Cycle of 2-3 pages.
Read pp. 121–139
|
Setting |
Characters |
Pages |
|
Eddie’s apartment |
Eddie |
121–122 |
|
Eddie’s neighborhood |
Eddie, Belinda, Angel, child in his backyard |
122–126 |
|
A&W restaurant |
Eddie, Lupita |
126–129 |
|
Eddie’s neighborhood/Angel’s house |
Eddie, Angel, Samuel |
129–133 |
|
Jose’s house |
Eddie, Jose, Jose mother |
133–135 |
|
Neighborhood/Hospital |
Eddie, Jose, Angel |
136–139 |
Respond
Timeline
Agree on the facts in today’s reading, and list the 3–5 most important on the Timeline.
Discuss the reading and add 3–5 events to the timeline.
- Discuss the story to fix the facts: who, what, when, where, and why.
- Decide on the 3–5 most important events and add these to the timeline.
Students might mention:
- Eddie is having difficulty sleeping because he is a little paranoid over Angel.
- Eddie’s mom sent him fifteen dollars and instead of going to Sacramento he purchases groceries.
- Eddie spotted Angel and ran away from him, worried that Angel was going to shoot at him.
- Eddie decides he is going to go to Angel’s house to fight him.
- Eddie thinks that everyone he sees is a spy for Angel.
- Eddie seeks out Angel at Angel’s house, and finds Samuel there.
- Eddie gets in a fight with Samuel and Angel.
- Eddie apologizing to Jose for what happened while recovering at his house.
- Eddie and Jose at the hospital; Angel and Eddie saw each other in the stairwell and began fighting.
Map
Add to ongoing class activities like a KWL chart or map: where did the characters go?
Figurative Language Chart
For each day’s reading, students will find one example of figurative language (15 total). Each student will keep track of the quotation on a sheet of paper or in a notebook, identify the page number where it can be found, state the type of figurative language, what is being compared or what particular image is conveyed (this will be at least two sentences).
Explore
Activity
Explore the reading more deeply with a visual or oral language activity.
CD Project
Your novel deals with many issues and themes that are present throughout many people’s lives. You can find these themes being discussed and/or expressed in many different places, i.e. art, film, music, dance, etc. For this, you will create a CD Cover that reflects the themes from your novel. You will include songs in this project that illustrate these different issues. You may choose songs from any genre (rock, alternative, oldies, rap, etc.) as long as the songs relate directly to the themes in the book.
Discussion
Comprehension and higher-level questions for discussion.
Key Questions
- What did Eddie do with the fifteen dollars that his mom sent him?
- How long has Eddie been living on his own?
- Why do you think Eddie says it is better that his dead is dead? What reasons do you think Eddie has for believing it?
- Describe the Golden Rule for Homies?
- Do you really believe that Eddie should have fought Angel?
- Why do you think Eddie is surprised to find happiness in the world? What do you think would make Eddie happy?
- Describe the friendship between Eddie and Jose.
- What other options are available to Eddie and Angel when they see each other in the stairwell?
Analyze
Analyze the key paragraph.
Key Paragraph, p. 138
“Instead of taking the elevator we took the stairs, and whether it was God’s choice or the devil’s I don’t know, but at the landing at the bottom stood Angel, his eye swollen from a row of new stitches” (p. 138).
Extend
Write
Have each student write a short product based on today’s prompt to connect to the unit theme.
In today’s selection, the author writes, “Maybe there was no way to look back. Maybe we should stare into the future. I didn’t even try to help with the rearview mirror.” This statement came from a car ride that Eddie and Jose were taking to the hospital. But, looking back helps people learn about the future. When a person reflects on past behavior that led to trouble, the person hopefully learns to modify future behavior. Write a narrative describing a past event that led to trouble for you and discuss what you learned from it. Then, write about what you can do differently if the same thing happened in the future.
Close
Close by extending today’s lesson to life and the world.
Extend the reading to the students’ lives or to the world.
Day 15
Outcomes for Today
Prepare
Background
Gather background knowledge about a place, time, event, person, or thing.
What is Self-Reflection?
In today’s reading, Eddie reflects back on his life and realizes the best thing for him is to leave Fresno and join the Navy. His journey has been field with disappointment, death, despair, and loss. Today reading has Eddie reflecting on his life as he must decide if he is going to be a man that must allow his tragedies to be turned in life lessons or a boy stuck by the smell of the onions buried underneath the earth.
Word Wall
Here are five vocabulary words to teach and add to the Word Wall.
Introduce 5 important, useful words from today’s reading.
|
wilted (141) |
savagely (141) |
litany (142) |
clods (146) |
braggart (145) |
Read
Review
Review the timeline from the beginning every day.
Read
Read the selection, usually in a Shared Reading Read React Predict Cycle of 2-3 pages.
Read pp. 140–146
|
Setting |
Characters |
Pages |
|
Eddie’s Apartment |
Eddie, Angel, Lupe, Mrs. Rios |
140–142 |
|
Nina’s house |
Eddie, Nina |
142 |
|
Naval Recruiting Office |
Eddie, Larry, Other recruits |
143–144 |
|
Central Valley, California |
Eddie, Larry, Navy recruiter, other recruits, men in the fields |
145–146 |
Respond
Timeline
Agree on the facts in today’s reading, and list the 3-5 most important on the Timeline.
Discuss the reading and add 3-5 events to the timeline.
- Discuss the story to fix the facts: who, what, when, where, and why.
- Decide on the 3-5 most important events and add these to the timeline.
Students might mention:
- Jose tried to offer Eddie a ride home but Eddie refused.
- Eddie made it home.
- Lupe came looking to fight Eddie for hurting Samuel.
- Eddie went to see his Nina (grandmother) before entering the navy.
- Eddie meeting up with Larry in the recruiting office.
- The van breaks down.
- Eddie meeting up with the two men in the fields.
Map
Add to ongoing class activities like a KWL chart or map: where did the characters go?
Figurative Language Chart
For each day’s reading, students will find one example of figurative language (15 total). Each student will keep track of the quotation on a sheet of paper or in a notebook, identify the page number where it can be found, state the type of figurative language, what is being compared or what particular image is conveyed (this will be at least two sentences).
Explore
Activity
Explore the reading more deeply with a visual or oral language activity.
Rewrite the Ending
At the end of the novel, you are left wondering if Eddie went back to the van or if he has decided to stay in Fresno. Recreate the end of the story. Use information and your impression of Eddie to rewrite the ending.
Discussion
Comprehension and higher-level questions for discussion.
Key Questions
- What does buried onions mean to the author? What does it stand for in your opinion?
- Why didn’t Eddie get in Jose’s car when Jose tried to offer him a way home?
- In your opinion should Eddie have asked Angel if he killed Jesus as opposed to assuming what Norma said was true?
- Explain in your own words why you think Eddie didn’t tell Jose he was entering the Navy?
- What do you think happened to Eddie at the end of the novel?
Analyze
Analyze the key paragraph.
Key Paragraph, p. 146
“… I hurried over the clods, my legs suddenly heavy, hurried to meet these brothers. I slowed to a stop. I stood within a yard of them and could have touched their faces but knew it wouldn’t be right. They were dirty but hard-muscled, these men who were sweaty but making a living from leftovers” (p. 146).
Extend
Write
Have each student write a short product based on today’s prompt to connect to the unit theme.
Final Assignment:
Unit: Responsibility Requires Action
Novel: Buried Onions by Gary Soto
Final Assignment: Autobiographical Essay
Task: Write an autobiographical essay.
Directions
Over the past three weeks, you have read the novel Buried Onions by Gary Soto. In the novel, Soto guides the reader through the life of a young Mexican-American growing up in Fresno, California – in a neighborhood burdened with violence, frustration, and anger. But the main character, Eddie, believes there is more to life than the violence and depression. Throughout the story the reader is given insight into Eddie’s views through his reflections and commentary on the happenings around him. He shares who he is and what he hopes for through the story.
Using the writing snapshots you kept over the three weeks, write an autobiography sharing a period of time in your life. You should use the section on Autobiographical Writing to guide you through this exercise.
Remember that one paragraph should flow into the next. In order to produce this effect, you may have to re-write some sentences or paragraphs from your daily snapshots. You may also need to add leading or unifying sentences at the beginning or end of paragraphs to aid your reader in following the direction of your essay.
- Type your essay.
- Spell check it.
- Save it.
- Print and trade with a peer. Edit each other’s essay using the rubric discussed in class.
- Revise your essay.
- Save and print again.
If you have a portfolio, place the final autobiographical writing inside the folder.
Close
Close by extending today’s lesson to life and the world.
Extend the reading to the students’ lives or to the world.