© Gay Miller
Do you need additional teaching
resources? Check out Esperanza Rising
Book Unit on Teachers pay Teachers.
Instructions
Making the Pockets
1. Print the two pockets on colored paper.
2. Have students color the flags.
3. Student cut out the pockets on the bold lines.
4. To make the pockets, fold the left and right sides toward the back of the pockets on the dotted lines.
5. Next fold the bottom flaps up toward the back.
6. Glue the flaps in place.
7. Have students glue the pockets on two adjacent pages in their interactive notebooks.
Making the Cards
1. Print the cards onto cardstock. If you wish students to have lines for writing, you will need to print back-to-front
copies (Page 11 is the back for all three picture cards.
2. Have students color the characters.
3. Students cut the cards apart.
4. Have students write character traits and/or a brief description of each character on the back of the cards.
© Gay Miller
© Gay Miller
Activity
Have students sort the characters by the place the character was born by placing the character in the correct
pockets.
After printing this page on colored paper, have the students cut out the pocket on the bold lines. Next
fold the left and right sides toward the back of the pocket on the dotted lines. Then fold the bottom flap
up toward the back. Glue the flaps in place. Finally glue the pocket onto the interactive notebook.
© Gay Miller
Born in Mexico
After printing this page on colored paper, have the students cut out the pocket on the bold lines. Next
fold the left and right sides toward the back of the pocket on the dotted lines. Then fold the bottom flap
up toward the back. Glue the flaps in place. Finally glue the pocket onto the interactive notebook.
© Gay Miller
Born in the U.S.
Miguel
Sixto Ortega
Abuelita
Ramona Ortega
Marisol Rodriguez
© Gay Miller
Esperanza Ortega
Esperanza Ortega
• son of Alfonso and Hortensia
(workers for Esperanza’s family)
• grows up with Esperanza
• believes that living in the United
States is better than living in
Mexico because he has the
opportunity to advance
Miguel
• Esperanza’s father
• good man
• wealthy ranch owner in Mexico
• generous to those who work for
him
• killed in an ambush
Sixto Ortega
• Esperanza’s grandmother and
Ramona’s mother
• lives with the family on the ranch
in Mexico
• When Tío Marco burns down the
house, Abuelita hurts her ankle
and cannot make the trip to
California.
• Abuelita lives with her sisters in a
convent until Miguel brings her to
California with the money
Abuelita
• Esperanza’s mother
• refuses to marry her cruel
brother-in-law, Tío Marco
• He wants to send Esperanza away
to boarding school.
• In California, Ramona becomes ill
with Valley Fever
• She spends five months in the
hospital before she recovers.
Ramona Ortega
• Esperanza’s best friend in Mexico
• Marisol’s father helps Esperanza
and Ramona escape from Mexico.
• Esperanza flees too quickly to tell
her friend goodbye.
Marisol Rodriguez
© Gay Miller
Answer Key
• 13 years old
• main character and protagonist of
this story
• lives on parent’s beautiful ranch in
Mexico
• When her father is killed, flees
with servants to California.
• must learn how to live as a poor
farm worker
Tío Luis
Hortensia
Isabel
Tío Marco
Pepe and Lupe
© Gay Miller
Alfonso
Alfonso
• antagonist of the story
• Papa’s step-brother
• responsible for burning down
Esperanza’s house
• wants to marry Mama and send
Esperanza away to boarding
school.
Tío Luis
• Miguel’s mother
• She takes care of Esperanza as
part of her duties on the ranch in
Mexico.
• Esperanza must adjust to a new
relationship with Hortensia once
they move to California.
Hortensia
• Isabel the eight-year-old daughter
of Juan and Josafina
• At first she annoys Esperanza.
• Esperanza learns to love her.
• Isabel helps Esperanza adjust to
her new life by teaching her how
to perform many duties on the
farm.
Isabel
• antagonist of the story
• Papa’s step-brother
• responsible for burning down
Esperanza’s house
Tío Marco
• Isabel’s twin baby brother and
sister
• One of Esperanza’s duties on the
farm is to care for them, which is
very challenging at first.
Pepe and Lupe
© Gay Miller
• Miguel’s father
Juan
Josafina
© Gay Miller
Marta
Marta
• relatives of Hortensia and Alfonso
in California
• Esperanza and her mom go live
with them
Juan
• relatives of Hortensia and Alfonso
in California
• They help Alfonso, Hortensia and
Mama get work after the ranch
burns down.
Josafina
© Gay Miller
• Marta is a girl who is not very nice
to Esperanza when they first
meet.
• Marta pushes everyone to strike
because she believes they are
being treated unfairly.
• When there is a sweep of the
camps, Esperanza helps Marta
escape.
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© Gay Miller
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