Grade 5, Module 1, Unit 2: Overview

Case Study: Esperanza's Story

In this unit, kids learn about human rights. Human rights are things every person should have, like being treated fairly and kindly.

Students read a story called Esperanza Rising, written by Pam Muñoz Ryan. It is about a girl named Esperanza. She used to live a nice, easy life in Mexico in the 1930s. But then she has to run away to California. Life gets very hard for her. The story shows how she works to rise above her troubles.

Students also read true (nonfiction) texts that explain the history behind the story.

Almost every day, students write short pieces in a reading journal. They write down what they think about parts of the book. They also look at how characters handle hard times, and how Esperanza changes as the story goes on.

Partway through the unit, students read a new chapter by themselves. They write about the problems Esperanza faces, how she deals with them, and what this shows about her.

Later, students compare Esperanza to other characters. They look at how each character handles the tough things happening at their work camp, and whether the workers should go on strike (stop working until things get better). Students write a poem using two voices to show how two characters react differently to the same problem.

At the end, students write an essay about how Esperanza changes from the start of the book to the end.

A note for teachers: This book is not too hard to read word-by-word, but its ideas are more grown-up and need careful thinking about.

Big Questions We Ask

• What are human rights?
• What can stories and real life teach us about human rights?
• We learn about human rights from real people and from characters in books.
• Characters change over time because of the hard things that happen to them.
• Different people react in different ways to the same problem.
• Writers do research and pick their words carefully to make readers feel and understand things.

Checking What Students Learn

Check 1: Reading a New Chapter Alone
Students read a chapter of Esperanza Rising at home. Then, on their own, they answer questions about it. They point out the tough things Esperanza deals with and how she responds. They use words straight from the book to show their thinking. They also answer questions about tricky words and about figurative language (words that don't mean exactly what they say, like "raining cats and dogs").

Check 2: Essay on How Esperanza Changes
Students write an essay explaining how Esperanza grows and changes. They pick two or three important moments from the book — some from early on, some from later — to show how she is different by the end.

How This Connects to Social Studies

This unit is mainly about reading and writing. But it also touches on social studies ideas, such as:

People's rights are a little different depending on which country they live in. Rules and laws help keep countries safe and fair, and protect people's rights. Different people can see the same event in different ways. When people move to a new country, they bring their ideas and way of life with them. This is called cultural diffusion. There are strong connections between people in different parts of the world, through things like moving to new places, culture, and technology.

The Books Used

The main book is Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan.

Students also read a plain-language version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, made by the United Nations. This document lists rights that belong to every person.

A Look at the Lessons

This unit takes about 3 weeks, or 18 lessons.

A note for teachers: Esperanza Rising is a long book. During this unit, students usually read one chapter a night for homework, then talk about important parts in class the next day.

Lesson 1: Learning Where and When the Story Happens
Students read Chapter 1. They learn that the story is "historical fiction" — a made-up story set in a real time and place from the past. They find out about the setting: Aguascalientes, Mexico, in 1924. Students practice summarizing the story and true facts, and they look at figurative language, like metaphors and similes (ways of comparing two things).

Lesson 2: Getting to Know Esperanza
Students read Chapter 2, called "Las Uvas/Grapes." They talk in small groups and use quotes from the book to answer questions about Esperanza and the setting. They also practice making inferences — figuring out things the book doesn't say directly, using clues from the text.

Lesson 3: How Characters Handle Hard Times
Students read Chapter 3, "Las Papayas/Papayas." They find parts of the story where a character's rights are challenged. They make inferences about Esperanza, her mama, and her grandmother (Abuelita). They use clues in the sentences to figure out what tricky words mean. Then they write to explain their thinking.

Lesson 4: How Characters Handle Hard Times (Continued)
Students read Chapter 4, "Los Higos/Figs." Again, they find moments where someone's rights are challenged, and they make inferences about the characters. They compare characters to each other. They keep working on figuring out word meanings from context, and they write about their ideas.

Lesson 5: Learning About Mexican Immigration, California, and Hard Economic Times
Students read Chapter 5, "Las Guayabas/Guavas." They also read a true (nonfiction) text to learn background information about Mexican immigration, California, and the Great Depression — a very hard time when many people didn't have enough money or jobs. Students practice finding the main idea and summarizing what they read.