Curriculum / ELA / 5th Grade / Unit 5: Friendship Across Boundaries: Return to Sender / Lesson 18
ELA
Unit 5
5th Grade
Lesson 18 of 29
Jump To
Lesson Notes
There was an error generating your document. Please refresh the page and try again.
Generating your document. This may take a few seconds.
Are you sure you want to delete this note? This action cannot be undone.
Summarize the key events from Mari's letter.
Book: Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez pp. 227 – 246
We participate in the Amazon Associate program. This means that if you use this link to make an Amazon purchase, we receive a small portion of the proceeds, which support our non-profit mission.
Unlock features to optimize your prep time, plan engaging lessons, and monitor student progress.
Prior to the start of class, print out the quotes in the Hamlet Quote Card resource and glue/tape them to a notecard in order to be prepared for the opening activity. If possible, move the student desks/tables to the side of the room so that there is room for students to walk around. Alternatively, take students to a space outside the classroom where they will have more room to engage in the activity.
In this lesson readers learn what happened to Mari's mother when she was kidnapped. This lesson contains graphic information that may be sensitive for some students. If needed, skip sections of the text that may be particularly challenging for students. Or, read sections of the text in small groups to support students who may need help processing some of the sensitive topics.
Tasks that represents the peak thinking of the lesson - mastery will indicate whether or not objective was achieved.
Mari starts her letter with the following sentence: "But my heart is bursting with all the things that have happened since I left you."
Upgrade to Fishtank Plus to view Sample Response.
Questions about the text that will help guide the students understanding
What description does the author include to show how Mari is feeling? Identify at least four examples and explain the effect they have on a reader.
On page 246, Mari writes, "But unlike the names on that wall, she has come back to us." What is the significance of this quote? How is Mari feeling?
Tyler and Mari are true friends. Agree or disagree.
Literary terms, text-based vocabulary, idioms and word parts to be taught with the text
vigilant
adj.
carefully noticing problems or danger
apprehended
v.
to catch a criminal or a suspect
Bring your most engaging lessons to life with comprehensive instructional guidance, detailed pacing, supports to meet every student's needs, and resources to strengthen your lesson planning and delivery.
RL.5.2 — Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
RL.5.3 — Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).
Standards that are practiced daily but are not priority standards of the unit
L.5.4 — Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
L.5.5 — Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
RF.5.3 — Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
RF.5.4 — Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
RL.5.1 — Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
RL.5.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.
RL.5.10 — By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 4—5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
SL.5.1 — Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
W.5.10 — Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Next
Defend if Tyler has changed and if he truly understands Mari.
Explain what stereotypes are and why stereotypes should be avoided.
Standards
RI.5.1SL.5.1
Describe the conditions for migrant workers in Vermont.
SL.5.1SL.5.2W.5.1
Explain what happens in the chapter that Tyler doesn't fully understand.
RL.5.3
Explain how the letter helps a reader better understand Mari and her relationship with her family.
Defend if hope and fear play important roles in Mari's life.
RL.5.2RL.5.3
Explain what the events of the chapter suggest about Tyler.
Describe what happens on the bus and how the incident influences Mari and Tyler.
Defend if all members of the family have equal amounts of hope and fear.
Close-read a text in order to determine the challenges of being an undocumented Mexican laborer.
RL.5.2RL.5.3SL.5.1
Outline a multiple-paragraph essay to describe what life was like for undocumented workers.
W.5.1W.5.1.aW.5.1.bW.5.1.cW.5.1.dW.5.9.a
Explain what happens to Tío Felipe and how Mari and her family respond.
Compare and contrast Mari and Tyler by comparing and contrasting two or more characters in a text.
L.5.1.eRL.5.2RL.5.3RL.5.6SL.5.1
Write a multiple-paragraph essay comparing and contrasting Mari and Tyler.
RL.5.3W.5.1W.5.1.aW.5.1.bW.5.1.cW.5.1.dW.5.9.a
Analyze and defend if Tyler and Mari are developing a true friendship.
Close-read a text to determine what traditions are important in Mexican culture and explain how they help bring the Cruzes and the Paquettes together.
RI.5.1RL.5.2SL.5.3SL.5.4SL.5.5
Describe what motion is proposed at town meeting and analyze how different members in the community respond and why.
Summarize what the coyotes are demanding and what impact this has on Mari and her family and the Paquettes.
Summarize what happened to Mari's parents and compare and contrast Mari's response with other members of the Cruz and Paquette family.
Analyze if Mari is a brave and noble young lady.
Write a multiple-paragraph essay to describe what life was like for undocumented Mexican laborers and their families.
Defend if Stars and Swallows is the right name for the farm.
Compare and contrast Mari and Tyler and the way their relationship impacts both of their lives by stating a theory and supporting it with evidence from the entire text.
L.5.1.eRL.5.2RL.5.3SL.5.1
Analyze and debate unit essential questions using details and understandings from the entire unit.
RL.5.2RL.5.3SL.5.1SL.5.2
Gauge student understanding of unit content and skills with one of Fishtank's unit assessments.
3 days
Write an opinion piece defending if Mari and her family should have been allowed to stay.
L.5.1.eW.5.1W.5.1.aW.5.1.bW.5.1.cW.5.1.d
Create a free account to access thousands of lesson plans.
Already have an account? Sign In
See all of the features of Fishtank in action and begin the conversation about adoption.
Learn more about Fishtank Learning School Adoption.
Yes
No
We've got you covered with rigorous, relevant, and adaptable ELA lesson plans for free