The Power of Reading

Lesson 16
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ELA

Unit 6

1st Grade

Lesson 16 of 26

Objective


Explain why Sylvia and her family cannot attend the local public school and what action her family takes.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh  pp. 1 – 19

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Target Task


Discussion & Writing Prompt

Why can Sylvia and her family not attend the local public school? What action does her family take?

Sample Response

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Key Questions


  • Why did Sylvia and her family need to enroll in a new school? What did Sylvia think of the new school?

  • What happened when Aunt Soledad tried to enroll the children in school? How did it make Sylvia feel?

  • What happened when Mr. Mendez tried to enroll the children?

  • Describe the “Mexican school.” How is it inferior from the local public school?

  • What action does Mr. Mendez take? How do others respond?

  • What advice does Mr. Mendez get? What does he decide to do?

Vocabulary


inferior

adj.

lower in rank or quality

integrate

v.

to open to all members of all races, ethnicities, and other groups

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Common Core Standards


  • RL.1.2 — Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
  • RL.1.3 — Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.
  • RL.1.7 — Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.

Supporting Standards

L.1.1
L.1.2
RL.1.1
RL.1.10

Next

Explain how the Mendez family fought for justice and why their fight was important.

Lesson 17
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Lesson Map

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