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Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources for Esperanza Rising

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Use Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan to turn your read aloud or small group work into a time to improve comprehension and talk about the text in purposeful ways.

Set during the Dust Bowl, Esperanza Rising tells the story of a young Mexican girl who was born into wealth and privilege. Esperanza's story is one of many mountains and valleys, good times and difficult. Through paying careful attention to the challenges and struggles Esperanza faces, students will learn to determine the overarching themes of this beautifully written novel.
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Explore lesson plans and activities to help you teach with Esperanza Rising in the drop down below.

Instructional Overview

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Instructional Overview

The instructional overview includes instructional background for determining theme, instructional objectives for each of the Book Club meetings and a list of the materials and preparation necessary to the Esperanza Rising Book Club.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
  • RL.5.4RL.5.3RL.5.2RL.5.1RL.5.5SL.5.1cL.5.6L.5.5L.5.4aW.5.9W.5.8SL.5.1bSL.5.1aRF.5.4RF.5.3RL.5.10RL.5.9RL.5.7RL.5.6
TEKS Alignment
  • 5.7C5.9A5.8D5.8C5.8B5.8A5.7G5.7F5.7E5.7D5.9B5.7B5.7A5.6I5.6H5.6G5.6F5.6E5.6D5.6C5.10B5.13H5.13E5.13C5.13A5.10G5.10F5.10E5.10D5.10C5.6B5.10A5.9F5.9E(iii)5.9E(ii)5.9E(i)5.9D(iii)5.9D(ii)5.9D(i)5.6A5.1D5.1A5.1C
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Management Resources

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Management Resources

The management resources include a Book Club Calendar, conversation prompts, Student Self-Evaluation forms, Reading Response Board (with optional Common Core alignment), and an Expectations for Book Club anchor chart.
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Meeting 1

An important part of being able to think deeply about Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan is being able to understand the text's theme. Over the course of this Book Club, students will examine how theme is developed and identified in the text.
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Meeting 2

As readers search to determine the theme in Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan, it is important to look for clues in the lessons that the characters learn as they encounter challenges. Students will use their Reader's Notebook to track their thinking about theme.
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Meeting 3

As students work towards determining the theme in Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan, they can practice by identifying the messages presented in their favorite books, songs, and movies.
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Meeting 4

Many times, theme can be broken down into just one word. These words are often character traits that are part of being a good person; acceptance, respect, kindness, sacrifice. Student discussion involves brainstorming possible one word themes for Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan.
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Meeting 5

Building on the concept of one word themes from the last Esperanza Rising Book Club, students will now add clarity by turning their one word suggestions into phrases.
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Meeting 6

This Esperanza Rising Book Club meeting takes an artistic twist! Students will discover that making a quick sketch of the characters and events of the chapter helps the reader to identify theme words by titling their drawing.
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Meeting 7

Author Pam Muñoz Ryan presents challenges to her characters in Esperanza Rising. Careful readers will look for times of challenge as a clue to watch for a possible change in the character.
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Meeting 8

Tracking the changes in the characters in Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan is an important step in identifying the story's theme. Student discussion examines the challenges faced by the characters and how they responded.
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Meeting 9

During this Esperanza Rising Book Club meeting, students will connect their ideas on character challenges and changes with theme using a graphic organizer.
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Meeting 10

In addition to responding to challenges in the story, characters also learn lessons from interacting with other characters. This Esperanza Rising Book Club meeting shows students how to use a story strip with conversation bubbles to track lessons that the characters learn from each other.
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Meeting 11

Not only do the characters in Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan learn from each other, but the reader is able to learn the lessons as well. Students will create a character trait web for the character of their choice that includes positive traits for the reader to include in their own lives.
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Meeting 12

As the reader comes to the end of Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan, he/she can use the work that has been completed throughout this Book Club to determine the story's theme. In order to do so, the reader will need to consider the challenges and responses of the characters, lessons learned, the story as a whole, and his/her own background knowledge.
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Vocabulary Connections with Esperanza Rising

This set of vocabulary development resources for Esperanza Rising highlights the words that are most important for students to know and understand while reading the book.  Through engaging in fun word games, matching words to definitions, and practicing how to categorize words, students will develop the vocabulary necessary to comprehend this story and many others.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
L.5.4a,L.5.5,L.5.6
TEKS Alignment
5.7E,5.7F,5.3A,5.3B
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Focus Assessment and Rubric

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Focus Assessment and Rubric

Use this six-question assessment to determine whether or not students understand the key concepts associated with determining theme.
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Comprehension Assessment with Esperanza Rising

This 9 question Common Core aligned assessment can be used to determine students' overall comprehension of Esperanza Rising and their mastery of the Common Core State Standards.
Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Running Record with Esperanza Rising

Use this Running Record to assess oral reading fluency with Esperanza Rising. Track meaning, structure, and visual accuracy using the first 100 words of the text to determine whether or not this book is a good fit for the readers in your classroom.

Common Core State Standards Alignment
TEKS Alignment
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Management Resources - Spanish

The first page of Book Club for Esperanza Rising Management Resources

Management Resources - Spanish

The management resources include a Book Club Calendar, conversation prompts, Student Self-Evaluation forms, Reading Response Board (with optional Common Core alignment), and an Expectations for Book Club anchor chart.
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About the Book

The cover for the book Esperanza Rising
Title: Esperanza Rising
Author: Pam Muñoz Ryan
Genre: Historical Fiction
Themes: Self Management, Family, Self Awareness, Cultural Diversity, Decision Making, History
ISBN: 9780545532341
Publisher's Summary:
Esperanza Rising, written by Pam Muñoz Ryan, is a poignant historical novel that follows the journey of Esperanza Ortega, a young girl who must adapt to a life drastically different from the one she knew. Raised in the lush comfort of her family's ranch in Aguascalientes, Mexico, Esperanza enjoys every privilege—beautiful dresses, a loving family, and devoted servants. Her world is turned upside down when her father is tragically killed, forcing Esperanza and her mother to flee to California during the Great Depression. There, they join a migrant worker camp and must face backbreaking labor, financial hardship, and cultural challenges. Through Esperanza's struggles and growth, students can explore themes such as resilience, hope, family bonds, and the realities of immigration and social inequality. The novel offers rich opportunities for classroom discussion, touching on historical events and universal issues of identity and perseverance. Esperanza Rising is a heartfelt, accessible introduction to complex social topics, making it a valuable addition to any classroom library.
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