Finding Home: The House on Mango Street

Lesson 14
icon/ela/white

ELA

Unit 4

7th Grade

Lesson 14 of 22

Objective


Explain how sexism and gender roles impact the lives of women in Esperanza's community.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros  pp. 79 – 91

Fishtank Plus

Unlock features to optimize your prep time, plan engaging lessons, and monitor student progress.

A Note for Teachers


Today's lesson addresses a number of sensitive topics including domestic abuse and child abuse. As part of intellectual preparation, teachers may wish to access the resource "Tips for Talking to Children About Child Abuse" to prepare for the content of this lesson. If students have questions, consult your school or district administrators for resources, in addition to informing a school counselor or other support staff about lesson content. 

Target Task


Discussion & Writing Prompt

What does the vignette "Beautiful and Cruel" (p. 88) reveal about how Esperanza's perception of self is influenced by gender roles in her community? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.

Sample Response

Upgrade to Fishtank Plus to view Sample Response.

Key Questions


Key Questions

  • How is Rafaela's experience of the world influenced by gender roles and sexism? Cite evidence from the vignette, "Rafaela Who Drinks Coconut & Papaya Juice on Tuesdays" (p. 79) to support your answer. 

  • In what ways does Esperanza's perspective of Sally differ from the way that other people see Sally? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer. 

  • How does the setting in "Bums in the Attic" (p. 86) inspire Esperanza's aspirations for the future? How do Esperanza's aspirations work to combat gender roles and stereotypes? 

  • How has Esperanza's mother's life been shaped by gender roles and social class? How does she feel about this? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer. 

Exit Ticket

Assess student understanding and monitor progress toward this lesson's objective with an Exit Ticket.

Vocabulary


Text-based

content

adj.

(p. 86)

in a state of peaceful happiness

Homework


To ensure that students are prepared for the next lesson, have students complete the following reading for homework. Use guidance from the next lesson to identify any additional language or background support students may need while independently engaging with the text.

  • Book: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros  pp. 92 – 98 — and pp. 101–102

While reading, answer the following questions.

  • What happens to Sally? 

  • Describe the monkey garden using evidence from the text. 

  • What do the boys ask Sally to do?

  • How does Sally react?

  • Why does Esperanza run to Tito's mother's house? How does she respond?

  • How is Sally's future decided for her? 

Notes for Teachers

Tell students that these pages include themes of child abuse and child marriage. Also tell students that they are going to skip the vignette "Red Clowns" on pages 99–100 because it includes Esperanza's description of a sexual assault.

Given that the "Red Clowns" (pp. 99–100) vignette in The House on Mango Street addresses sexual assault, it may be triggering, confusing, and/or distressing for students. To prioritize their emotional well-being, we suggest skipping this section during homework assignments and in class discussions.

Enhanced Lesson Plan

Fishtank Plus Content

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.

Common Core Standards


  • RL.7.3 — Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).

Supporting Standards

L.7.6
RL.7.1
RL.7.2
RL.7.4
RL.7.10
SL.7.1
SL.7.6
W.7.1
W.7.1.a
W.7.1.b
W.7.4
W.7.9
W.7.9.a
W.7.10

Next

Explain how Cisneros uses figurative language and symbolism to develop meaning in the vignette, "The Monkey Garden."

Lesson 15
icon/arrow/right/large

Lesson Map

A7CB09C2-D12F-4F55-80DB-37298FF0A765

Request a Demo

See all of the features of Fishtank in action and begin the conversation about adoption.

Learn more about Fishtank Learning School Adoption.

Contact Information

School Information

What courses are you interested in?

ELA

Math

Are you interested in onboarding professional learning for your teachers and instructional leaders?

Yes

No

Any other information you would like to provide about your school?

We Handle Materials So You Can Focus on Students

We Handle Materials So You Can Focus on Students

We've got you covered with rigorous, relevant, and adaptable ELA lesson plans for free