Finding Home: The House on Mango Street

Lesson 7
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ELA

Unit 4

7th Grade

Lesson 7 of 22

Objective


Analyze how texts contribute to a central idea or message about identity and belonging.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros  — p. 28

  • Article: “Young Latinos: Born in the U.S.A., carving their own identity” by Suzanne Gamboa, Sandra Lilley, and Sarah Cahlan 

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A Note for Teachers


The article "Young Latinos: Born in the U.S.A., carving their own identity" discusses identity and terms used by members of the Hispanic/Latinx community including Latino/a, Hispanic, Chicano/a, Afto-Latino/a, etc. It also references the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA) program, which allows undocumented young people brought to the U.S. as children to remain in the country. This may be a sensitive topic for students. Consider how to best support students when reading the article and addressing the topic of immigration and identity. As a part of intellectual preparation, review the following articles:

Target Task


Discussion & Writing Prompt

How do the article and the vignette "Those Who Don't" deepen the reader's understanding of the challenges faced by young Latinos in the U.S.? What similarities can be drawn between the challenges discussed in the article and the way outsiders view Esperanza's community in "Those Who Don't"? Cite evidence from both texts to support your answer. 

Sample Response

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Key Questions


  • How does Esperanza's perspective of her own neighborhood differ from that of people who do not live there? How does Cisneros develop this difference in perspective? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer. (The House on Mango Street

  • What role does language play in the struggles young Latinos face when maintaining their cultural heritage and integrating into American society? ("Young Latinos…")

  • In what ways do societal perceptions and stereotypes regarding race impact the identities of Latino youth? How do these perceptions shape their experiences and opportunities? ("Young Latinos…")

  • How do the lives of Esperanza and the individuals in the article contradict the stereotypes believed about them? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer. ("Young Latinos…" and The House on Mango Street)

Vocabulary


Literary Terms

anecdote

a short story about a real incident or person that demonstrates a larger idea or argument

Text-based

empower

v.

to give someone the authority or power to do something (Gamboa, Lilley, & Cahlan, para. 18)

combat

v.

to take action to reduce or prevent something (Gamboa, Lilley, & Cahlan, para. 31)

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. 29 – 42

While reading, answer the following questions.

  • Who are the Vargases? What is notable about their family?

  • Who is Alicia? What kind of life does she have?

  • What do some neighbors give to Lucy, Rachel, and Esperanza?

  • What does "And Some More" reveal about the four girls?

  • What do Lucy, Rachel, and Esperanza do with the shoes?

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Common Core Standards


  • RI.7.2 — Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
  • RI.7.3 — Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).
  • RL.7.2 — Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

Supporting Standards

RI.7.1
RI.7.4
RI.7.10
RL.7.3
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.b
W.7.10

Next

Describe how Cisneros uses references to nursery rhymes and fairy tale structures to reveal Esperanza's loss of innocence in The House on Mango Street.

Lesson 8
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