Esperanza Rising
Esperanza Rising is a great novel to teach in the middle school setting, especially if you have English language learners or want to spread cultural awareness. Esperanza, a young Mexican girl, has absolutely everything she could ever hope for, but when her world gets turned upside down, she and her mamá must move to the United States.
The story quilt below is created for a 6th grade English, and it is used to help students understand theme. This quilt focuses specifically on hope, Abuelita's blanket is a symbol of hope in the novel. Each student will create a quilt square that includes a symbol or a quote, for example, from the novel. They must then recreate that "image" so that it fits within the theme of hope. After their quilt square is completed, students will present their squares, giving rationales to their choices, and then put their square on the board to become part of the class quilt.
This activity supports my philosophy as students become more curious about symbols, more confident in their understanding of theme, and more aware of overarching concepts. Students will also have the opportunity to get creative in the classroom and use art as a form of literature.
The story quilt below is created for a 6th grade English, and it is used to help students understand theme. This quilt focuses specifically on hope, Abuelita's blanket is a symbol of hope in the novel. Each student will create a quilt square that includes a symbol or a quote, for example, from the novel. They must then recreate that "image" so that it fits within the theme of hope. After their quilt square is completed, students will present their squares, giving rationales to their choices, and then put their square on the board to become part of the class quilt.
This activity supports my philosophy as students become more curious about symbols, more confident in their understanding of theme, and more aware of overarching concepts. Students will also have the opportunity to get creative in the classroom and use art as a form of literature.