MS Grade 6 Language Arts 1 Through ESOL
The Short Story: “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros
FCAT Reading & Writing Focus:
Recognizing Sequence
FCAT Support Skills:
Flashback, Simile and Imagery
Language Focus:
Contractions
Text:
Prentice Hall Literature: Copper Level
English
all of a sudden
argue
band-aid
bite
celebration
coatroom
corner
cottage cheese
disappear
edge
expect
flashes back
Spanish
de repente
discutir
curita
morder
celebración
guardarropa
esquina
requesón
desaparecer
borde
esperar
Haitian Creole
toudenkou
diskite
bandaj
mòde
selebrasyon
vestyè
kwen, bò, arebò
fwomaj blan
disparèt
rebò, arebò
espere
sonje, repanse
Portuguese
de repente
discutir
curativos Band-Aid
germs
going to
grown up
however
invisible
itchy
lap
narrator
nonsense
okay
onion
raggedy
rattle
realize
microbios
ir a, yendo a
adulto
sin embargo
invisible
picazón, comezón
regazo
narrador
tontería
bien
cebolla
andrajoso
sonajero
caer en cuenta
jèm, mikwòb
prale
gran, grandi
sepandan
envizib
grate
janm, kuis
naratè, rakontè
nyezri
oke, dakò, nòmal
zonyon
anranyon, chifonnen
sonnen
reyalize
germes
vamos
adulto
todavia
invisível
com coceira
colo
narradora
tolices
tudo bem
cebola
surrado
chacoalhar
really
remember
rings
scared
scolds
someone else
still
stupid
tree trunk
turn
voice
realmente
recordar
anillos
asustado
regaños
otro, otra persona
aún
estupidez, tonto
tronco del árbol
girar, tornar
voz
vrèman
sonje
bag, ano
pè
Reprimande
yon lòt moun
toujou
stipid
twon pye bwa
vire
vwa
realmente
lembrar
camadas
amedrontada
repreende
outra pessoa
ainda
tola
tronco de árvore
completar
voz
recordar
repentinamente
travar os dentes, morder
comemoração
recinto de agasalhos
canto
requeijão
desaparecessem
quina, extremidade
achar, supor
volta ao passado
chegar à conclusão,
compreender
MS Grade 6 Language Arts 2 Through ESOL: The Short Story
Page 1
English Summary
The Short Story: “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros
The narrator remembers her eleventh birthday, and realizes that people don’t
understand much about birthdays. They don’t tell you how you are really going to feel.
However, now the narrator realizes eleven still feels like 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1.
Rachel knows that when she feels scared, she just wants to sit on her mother’s lap.
That part of her is still five. Sometimes, when Rachel says something stupid, that part of
her is still ten. Even when you’re all grown up, Rachel says you may want to cry like
when you were three, and that’s okay. Rachel describes growing old like an onion, or
the rings of a tree trunk, because each year is inside the next one. The little dolls that fit
one inside the other is what eleven feels like to Rachel. Eleven years is like having
pennies rattling around in a Band-Aid box.
The narrator of the story flashes back on her eleventh birthday. She’s an elevenyear-old girl, named Rachel, who doesn’t feel any different on her birthday. She really
expected to feel different when she turned eleven. Rachel remembers being in her
classroom that day, and wishing she was much older than eleven. Rachel doesn’t know
what to say when the teacher Mrs. Price puts the red sweater on her desk. The raggedy
red sweater is old, ugly, and may be a thousand years old. It has been sitting in the
coatroom for a month. Everybody says it’s not hers, and that stupid Sylvia Saldivar tells
the teacher the sweater must be Rachel’s. Rachel thinks that Sylvia doesn’t like her.
When Mrs. Price puts the sweater on Rachel’s desk, Rachel tries to speak up, but
nothing comes out.
Finally, in a four-year-old little voice, Rachel says, “Not mine”. In front of
everyone, Mrs. Price says she remembers Rachel wore the sweater once. Rachel
doesn’t want to argue with the teacher, so she doesn’t answer. Rachel begins to feel
sick inside, and she wants to cry, but she just bites down on her teeth, closes her eyes
and remembers today is her birthday. Rachel’s mother is making a cake, and everyone
will sing happy birthday.
When Rachel opens her eyes, however, the red sweater is still sitting there.
Rachel pushes it to the corner of her desk until the sweater hangs off the edge. She just
wants math class to end so she can throw the sweater away. Mrs. Price scolds Rachel
in front of the class again, and tells her to put the sweater on right now and stop the
nonsense. Mrs. Price is angry, and Rachel feels like crying again. The sweater smells
like cottage cheese, but she puts it on. The sweater feels like it hurts, and Rachel feels
itchy and full of someone else’s germs. All of a sudden, she begins to cry in front of
everybody, and Rachel wishes she could be invisible. She cries so hard, her head hurts,
and she’s shaking.
Just before the bell rings, that stupid Phyllis Lopez remembers the sweater is
hers. Rachel hands over the sweater, and Mrs. Price acts as if everything is okay.
Rachel thinks about her birthday celebration, but it’s too late. Rachel wishes that eleven
would disappear, and that she was one hundred and two.
MS Grade 6 Language Arts 2 Through ESOL: The Short Story
Page 2
Spanish Summary
Cuento Corto: “Once” por Sandra Cisneros
La narradora recuerda cuando cumplió once años y se da cuenta que la gente
no sabe mucho acerca de los cumpleaños. No te dicen como te vas a sentir realmente.
Sin embargo, ahora se percató que cumplir once años es igual que tener 10, 9, 8, 7, 6,
5, 4, 3, 2, y 1. Rachel sabe que cuando tiene miedo, quisiera sentarse en el regazo de
su madre. Esa parte de ella es como si aún tuviera cinco años; y a veces cuando dice
una estupidez es como si aún tuviera diez. Aunque seas un adulto, dice Rachel, quizá
quieras llorar como cuando tenías tres, y eso según ella es normal. Rachel describe el
avanzar en edad como una cebolla o como los anillos del tronco de un árbol porque
cada año está adentro del próximo. Para Rachel, once años se sienten como las
pequeñas muñecas que van una adentro de otra. Once años es como tener monedas
de un centavo sonando en una caja de curitas.
La narradora de la historia repentinamente recuerda su cumpleaños número
once. Es una niña llamada Rachel, quien no se siente diferente el día de su
cumpleaños cuando realmente esperaba sentir algo especial al cumplirlos. Rachel
recuerda que estaba en su aula de clase ese día deseando ser mayor y que no supo
qué decir cuando su profesora, la Sra. Price, colocó un suéter rojo en su pupitre. El
andrajoso suéter estaba viejo, era feo, debía tener mil años y estado en el guardarropa
por un mes. Nadie reclamó ser su dueño y la tonta de Sylvia Saldivar le dijo a la
profesora que el suéter debía ser de Rachel, quien pensó que Sylvia no la quería.
Cuando Mrs. Price puso el suéter en el escritorio de Rachel, ella trató de hablar pero no
se le ocurrió nada.
Finalmente delante de todos, con la vocecita de una niña de cuatro años,
Rachel exclamó “no es mío”. La Sra. Price dijo que ella recordaba que Rachel lo había
usado una vez. Ella no quiso discutir con la profesora y no respondió; comenzó a
sentirse mal y a querer llorar, pero sólo apretó los dientes, cerró los ojos y recordó que
ese día era su cumpleaños, que su mamá estaba haciendo un pastel y que todos le
irán a cantar feliz cumpleaños.
Cuando Rachel abrió sus ojos, el suéter rojo estaba allí todavía; lo empujó hacia
el extremo de su pupitre hasta que quedó colgando del borde y lo único que deseaba
era que la clase de matemáticas terminara para poder botarlo. La Sra. Price
nuevamente reprendió a Rachel delante de toda la clase y le dijo que se pusiera el
suéter de inmediato y que se dejara de tonterías. La Sra. Price estaba disgustada y
Rachel sintió que iba a llorar de nuevo. El suéter olía a requesón pero se lo puso; sintió
que le molestaba, le causaba comezón y que la impregnaba de microbios de quien
sabe quien. De repente empezó a llorar delante de todos y quiso poder ser invisible;
lloraba tanto que la cabeza le dolía y estaba temblorosa.
Poco antes que la campana sonara, la necia de Phyllis López recordó que ese
era su suéter. Rachel se lo entregó y la Sra. Price actuó como si nada hubiera pasado.
Rachel pensó en la celebración de su cumpleaños pero ya era demasiado tarde.
Deseó que el número once desapareciera y haber tenido ciento dos años.
The Department of Multicultural Education Spanish Translation Team certifies that this is a true and faithful translation of the original document – (561) 434-8620 June 2004–SY 04-2801
MS Grade 6 Language Arts 2 Through ESOL: The Short Story
Page 3
Haitian Creole Summary
Ti istwa: “Onz” selon Sandra Cisneros
Naratè a sonje onzyèm anivèsè nesans li epi li reyalize se pa tout moun ki
konprann sa anivèsè nesans vle di. Yo pa di w kouman ou pral santi w vrèman.
Sepandan, kounye a naratè a reyalize onzan se tankou w te toujou santi w gen 10, 9, 8,
7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, ak 1 an. Rachèl konnen lè l pè, li anvi chita sou janm manman l. Pati sa
a nan li toujou gen senkan. Gendelè, lè Rachèl di yon bagay stipid, pati sa a nan li
toujou gen dizan. Menm lè ou fin gran, Rachèl di ou santi w ta vle kriye tankou yon
timoun twazan, epi pa gen mal nan sa. Rachèl dekri lè moun ap grandi tankou yon
zonyon oswa ano twon yon pye bwa paske chak àne rantre anndan àne k ap vini an. Ti
poupe ki antre youn andan lòt, se sa Rachèl santi onzan ye. Onzan se tankou yon
bann ti penich k ap sonnen nan yon bwat bandaj.
Naratè istwa a ap sonje onzyèm anivèsè nesans li. Li se yon jenn ti fi onzan ki
rele Rachèl, ki pa santi okenn diferans nan okazyon anivèsè nesans li. Li vrèman t ap
tann pou l te santi l diferan lè l vin gen onzan. Rachèl sonje kouman li te nan klas jou
sa a, epi li t ap swete pou li ta gen plis pase onzan. Rachèl pa konnen sa pou l di lè
pwofesè li madam Price mete chanday wouj la sou pipit l. Chanday wouj sa a ki sanble
ak yon moso ranyon pa manke vye, lèd, ou pa ta di li gen se 1000 ane. Se depi yon
mwa li blayi la nan vestyè a. Tout moun di se pa pou yo, epi stipid ki rele Sylvia
Saldivar la di pwofesè a chanday sa a pakab pa pou Rachèl. Rachèl panse Sylvia pa
renmen l. Lè madam Price mete chanday la sou pipit Rachèl, Rachèl eseye pale, men
chat pran lang li.
Finalman, ak ti vwa yon timoun katran, Rachèl di: “Se pa pou mwen.” Devan tout
klas la, madam Price di li sonje li te wè chanday la sou Rachèl yon lè. Rachèl pa vle
diskite avèk pwofesè a, li pa reponn. Rachèl kòmanse santi li malad anndan l, li vle
kriye, men se sèlman manje li kab manje dan, fèmen je l epi sonje jodi a se jou anivèsè
nesans li. Manman Rachèl ap fè yon gato epi tout moun pra l chante bòn anivèsè.
Sepandan, lè Rachèl ouvri je l, chanday wouj la toujou la tennfas. Rachèl pouse
l nan kwen jouk li rive pandye arebò pipit la. Li pakab tann kou matematik la fini pou l
voye chanday la jete. Madam Price reprimande Rachèl devan tout klas la ankò epi li
mande l pou l mete chanday la sou li tousuit epi sispann fè nyezri. Madam Price fache,
Rachèl santi li ta pete kriye ankò. Chanday la gen sant fwomaj blan, men li oblije mete l
kanmenm. Sanble chanday la ap fè l mal, Rachèl pran grate, genlè chanday la gen jèm
maladi yon lòt moun sou li. Toudenkou, li pran kriye devan tout klas la epi li swete pou l
ta vin envizib nan moman sa a. Li rele byen rele, tèt li pran fè l mal epi li kòmanse ap
tranble.
Jis avan klòch sonnen, ti stipid ki rele Phillis Lopez la vin sonje chanday la se
pou li. Rachèl lonje chanday la ba li epi madam Price fè kòmsi li pa konprann. Rachèl
sonje selebrasyon anivèsè nesans li, men li twò ta. Rachèl swete pou onzan sa a ta
disparèt epi pou laj li ta sandezan.
MS Grade 6 Language Arts 2 Through ESOL: The Short Story
Page 4
Portuguese Summary
O Conto: “Onze Anos” de Sandra Cisneros
A narradora se lembra de seu aniversário de 11 anos e chega à conclusão que as
pessoas não entendem muito de aniversários. Elas não nos dizem como vamos realmente nos
sentir. Todavia, agora a narradora compreende que onze anos são como se fossem 10, 9, 8, 7,
6, 5, 4, 3, 2 e 1. Rachel sabe que quando se sente amedrontada, ela só precisa do colo de sua
mãe. Este lado dela ainda tem cinco anos. Algumas vezes, quando Rachel diz algo tolo, este
lado dela ainda tem dez anos. Mesmo quando a gente se torna um adulto, Rachel diz que a
gente pode querer chorar como quando tinha três anos e não há nada de errado nisto. Rachel
descreve o envelhecer como uma cebola ou como as camadas de um tronco de árvore, porque
cada ano está dentro do próximo ano. Para Rachel, onze anos são como aquelas pequenas
bonecas colocadas uma dentro da outra. Onze anos são como moedas de um centavo
chacoalhando dentro de uma caixa de curativos Band-Aid.
A narradora da história volta ao passado, no dia de seu aniversário de onze anos. Ela é
uma menina de onze anos, chamada Rachel, que não se sente nem um pouco diferente no dia
de seu aniversário. Ela realmente achou que ia se sentir diferente quando completasse onze
anos. Rachel se lembra de quando estava em sua sala de aula, naquele dia, querendo ter
muito mais de onze anos. Rachel não sabe o que dizer quando a professora, a Sra. Price,
coloca um agasalho de lã vermelha sobre a sua carteira. Este agasalho está surrado, velho,
feio e provavelmente tem uns mil anos. Ele ficou jogado no recinto de agasalhos por um mês.
Todos dizem que o agasalho não pertence a ela e aquela tola da Sylvia Saldivar diz à
professora que o agasalho provavelmente pertence a Rachel. Rachel acha que Sylvia não
gosta dela. Quando a Sra. Price coloca o agasalho na carteira de Rachel, ela tenta se
expressar, mas não consegue.
Finalmente, com uma vozinha de criança de quatro anos, Rachel diz: “não é meu”. Na
frente de todos, a Sra. Price diz que se lembra de ter visto Rachel usando o agasalho uma vez.
Rachel não quer discutir com a professora e então não responde. Ela começa a se sentir mal
por dentro e com vontade de chorar, mas simplesmente trava os dentes, fecha os olhos e se
lembra que este é o dia de seu aniversário. Sua mãe está fazendo um bolo e todos cantarão
parabéns.
Quando Rachel abre os olhos, todavia, o agasalho vermelho ainda está sobre a sua
carteira. Ela o empurra para o canto da carteira, até que ele fique pendurado pela quina. Ela
quer apenas que a aula de matemática termine logo para que possa jogar o agasalho fora. A
Sra. Price repreende Rachel na frente da turma, novamente e diz a ela para vestir o agasalho
naquele momento e parar com tolices. A Sra. Price está zangada e Rachel sente vontade de
chorar outra vez. O agasalho cheira a requeijão, mas ela o veste, assim mesmo. O agasalho
machuca e Rachel sente uma coceira e se sente cheia dos germes de outra pessoa. De
repente, ela começa a chorar na frente de todos e gostaria de poder ficar invisível. Ela chora
tanto que tem até dor de cabeça e tremor.
Logo antes do sino tocar, aquela tola da Phyillis Lopez se lembra que o agasalho era
dela. Rachel lhe entrega o agasalho e a Sra. Price age como se tudo estivesse bem. Rachel
pensa na comemoração de seu aniversário, mas agora é tarde. Ela gostaria que os onze anos
desaparecessem e que ela tivesse cento e dois.
The Department of Multicultural Education Translation Team certifies that this is a true and faithful translation of the original document. July 2004 - (561) 434-8620 SY 04-2801
MS Grade 6 Language Arts 2 Through ESOL: The Short Story
Page 5
Beginning Listening Activities
Minimal Pairs
Objective: Auditory discrimination of confusing sounds in words
Procedure: Write a word pair on the board. (Example: there-dare) Write #1 above the first, #2
above the second. The teacher models by pronouncing one of the words without indicating
which. Teams guess which word they heard, #1, or #2. Pronounce both words in the pair.
Teams guess the order they heard (1-2, 2-1). Call out the numbers 1 or 2. Teams respond with
the word (Can be done with sentences). Use both words in the pair in otherwise identical
sentences. (Example: The Constitution is the heart of US government. The contribution is the
heart of US government.) Teams decide which sentence has meaning, and which is silly.
(Award points for correct responses.)
Minimal Pairs Activity:
edge/etch
cheese/tease
room/loom
bite/bait
tree/three
rings/wings
Bingo
Objective: Auditory comprehension of vocabulary from the lesson
Procedure: Choose vocabulary words or phrases from the lesson summary list or from
students' classroom texts. Give each team a blank Bingo card. Each team writes vocabulary
words/text phrases you provide on the board in the spaces of their choice. Randomly select
sentences from the text and read them aloud. Teams mark their Bingo spaces when they hear
the word or phrase.
Intermediate Listening Activities
Follow Directions
Objective: Listen for the purpose of following spoken directions.
Procedure: With one piece of paper and one pencil, team members take turns writing on paper
what the teacher directs to complete a task.
• For example, there might be a list of dates. The teacher might say the following: Draw a
circle around 1492. Make a star in front of 1546. Connect 1322 and 1673 with a line.
• The teacher might direct teams to make changes to a sentence. Example: He sailed to
the Americas in 1492. The teacher says, “Circle the verb. Put a box around the
preposition”.
• Another example: Change the verb to the present tense. Add 505 years to the date.
Change the subject to the third person plural.
• The teacher might also direct teams to complete a drawing, or draw the route of an
explorer on a map. Teams that complete the exercise correctly get a point.
MS Grade 6 Language Arts 2 Through ESOL: The Short Story
Page 6
Follow Directions Activity: Provide students with pencil and paper. Students listen for the first
person narrator, and the use of “I”. Students also listen selectively for variations of subject
pronouns “I” and “You”.
Directions:
a) Fold your paper in half.
b) Open the paper. You should have 2 boxes or columns.
c) At the top of one, write, “I”.
d) At the top of the second box or column, write, “You
Directions:
a) Listen carefully to the reading of the paragraph.
b) At the same time, place an "X” in the appropriate box every time you hear “I” or some
form of “I”. (I’m, I’ll, I’ve, etc.)
Teacher script: “Today I wish I was one hundred and two instead of eleven because
if I was one hundred and two I’d have known what to say when Mrs. Price put the
sweater on my desk. I would’ve known how to tell her it wasn’t mine instead of just
sitting there with that look on my face and nothing coming out of my mouth.”
Directions:
a) Listen carefully to the reading of the paragraph.
e) At the same time, place an "X” in the appropriate box every time you hear “you” or
some form of “you”. (you’re, you’ll, you’ve, etc.)
Teacher script: “Like some days, you may say something stupid, and that’s the part of
you that’s still 10. Or maybe some days you might need to sit on your mama’s lap
because you’re scared, and that’s the part of you that’s 5. And maybe one day when
you’re all grown up maybe you will need to cry like if you’re 3, and that’s okay. That’s
what I tell Mama when she’s sad and needs to cry. Maybe she’s feeling 3.”
Team Spelling Test
Objective: Listen for lesson vocabulary words and collaborate with others to spell them correctly.
Procedure: Place ten vocabulary words (or fewer depending on time) in a pocket chart or on a
chalk tray. Teams get 3-5 minutes to study the words. Hide the words from view. Each team uses
one pencil and one sheet of paper. (Team name at top; numbers 1-10 down the left margin) Read
the spelling words as you would during a traditional spelling test. The first team member writes
word number one with the team's help, and then passes the paper and pencil to the second team
member who will write word number two, etc. Students on each team take turns. Teams exchange
papers. Place the 10 words back in view. Teams check each other's tests. A team gets one point
for each word spelled correctly.
Options: Ask for additional information. For example, you may ask teams to write a sentence with
the word in it. You might ask for a specific tense, plural form, opposite, etc.
An alternative technique is to have each team member complete all spelling items on his/her own
paper. Team members are allowed to help each other. On completion, collect the one paper of
your choice. The grade on that paper will count for each team member.
Spelling Activity: Use these words:
argue, celebration, coatroom, invisible, itchy , narrator, nonsense, onion, raggedy, voice
MS Grade 6 Language Arts 2 Through ESOL: The Short Story
Page 7
Dictation
Objective: Listen to discriminate words in sentences and reproduce them in writing.
Procedure: Dictate sentences from the lesson, saying each sentence only two times (once if
listening skills allow) Team members take turns writing the sentences, assisting each other. (Teams
can write sentences on the board to correct them in class, or collect as a quiz.)
Option: An alternative technique is to have each team member complete all dictation items on
his/her own paper. Team members are allowed to help each other. On completion, collect one
paper of your choice. The grade on that paper will count for each team member.
Option: Dictate a sentence with an important word left out. Offer four choices for teams to write.
Example: Columbus landed in… a) Boston b) Haiti c) Argentina d) England
Option for Dictating Dates or mathematical concepts/formulas: Can be written in number form
or in word form (fourteen hundred and ninety-two) (All sides are equal in an equilateral triangle.)
Dictate the question, so teams can write them down. Then each team answers the question in the
group. (What kind of polygon has two parallel sides?)
Dictation Activity:
a) The narrator remembers and flashes back on her eleventh birthday.
b) Eleven years is like having pennies rattling around in a band-aid box.
c) Rachel doesn’t want to argue with the teacher, so she doesn’t answer.
d) Rachel’s mother is making a cake and everyone will sing happy birthday.
e) When Rachel opens her eyes, however, the red sweater is still sitting there.
Proficient Listening Activities
Interview
Objective: Role play a verbal interaction in the form of an interview
Procedure: You play the role of an informative person relative to the topic of the unit.
Choose a representative from each team and distribute the questions among them. These students
play the role of journalists. Provide students with these questions to interview you in your new role.
Teams must coach their representative, and take notes of the answers for Writing Activity #1,
Language Experience Story.
Interview Activity: You play the role of Mrs. Price. Choose several students to play the role of
Rachel. Provide these students with the questions below. They take turns asking you questions.
Students not asking questions must take notes of the Mary’s answers. Students should save notes
for Writing Activity #1, Language Experience Story.
a) Why did you think that ugly red sweater was mine?
b) Why did you embarrass me in front of the whole class
c) Why do you listen to Sylvia? She doesn’t like me.
d) Why did you say you remember me wearing that sweater when I never did?
e) Why did you embarrass me in front of the whole class again?
f) Why did you get angry with me? Didn’t you see that something was wrong?
g) Why didn’t you care when I started crying?
h) Why didn’t you apologize when you were wrong?
i) Do you like me? Why don’t you show me? Is there anything you can do now?
MS Grade 6 Language Arts 2 Through ESOL: The Short Story
Page 8
Beginning Speaking Activities
Intentional Intonation
Objective: Auditory discrimination and oral production of intonation/stress patterns in spoken
English
Procedure: Write the sentence on the board and then say it, stressing one word. Teams take
turns explaining the special meaning the emphasis brings to the sentence. Repeat this process
several times with the same sentence, each time emphasizing a different word. Example:
All for one and one for all! (not none) …..(not, “None for one and one for all!)
All for one and one for all! (not from) …..(not, All from one and one for all!)
All for one and one for all! (not three) …..(not, “All for three and one for all!)
All for one and one for all! (not or) …..(not, “All for one or one for all!”)
All for one and one for all! (not everyone) …..(not, “All for one and everyone for all!”)
All for one and one for all! (not to)….. (not, “All for one and one to all”!)
All for one and one for all! (not nobody) …..(not, “All for one and one for nobody!”)
Intentional Intonation Activity:
When Rachel finally opens her mouth, nothing comes out. (not after)
When Rachel finally opens her mouth, nothing comes out. (not Mrs. Price)
When Rachel finally opens her mouth, nothing comes out. (not really)
When Rachel finally opens her mouth, nothing comes out. (not closes)
When Rachel finally opens her mouth, nothing comes out. (not book)
When Rachel finally opens her mouth, nothing comes out. (not something)
When Rachel finally opens her mouth, nothing comes out. (not happens
Backwards Build-up
Objective: Auditory discrimination and oral reproduction of rhythmic patterns of spoken English
Procedure: Students practice the intonation, stress, and punctuation of sentences by repeating,
by teams, the increasingly larger fragments of a sentence modeled by you. Repeat each line (as
necessary) until teams can pronounce the segments well. Continue to build up to the complete
sentence. Teams completing the exercise correctly get a point.
Example:
…in fourteen hundred and ninety-two …blue in fourteen hundred and ninety-two
…the ocean blue in fourteen hundred and ninety-two. …sailed the ocean blue in fourteen
hundred and ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue in fourteen hundred and ninety-two.
Backward Build-up Activity:
a) Rachel describes growing old like an onion, or the rings of a tree trunk, because each
year is inside the next one
b) The narrator remembers her eleventh birthday, and realizes that people don’t understand
much about birthdays.
c) It is an old, ugly, raggedy red sweater that may be a thousand years old, and it has been
sitting in the coatroom for a month.
d) But Rachel begins to feel sick inside, and she wants to cry, but she just bites down on
her teeth, closes her eyes and remembers today is her birthday.
e) Mrs. Price scolds Rachel in front of the class again, and tells her to put the sweater on
right now and stop the nonsense.
MS Grade 6 Language Arts 2 Through ESOL: The Short Story
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Intermediate Speaking Activities
Charades
Objective: Oral production to determine word meaning and context of new lesson vocabulary
Procedure: Team members guess who/what the teacher (or student) is silently role-playing.
(Ex: famous person, geometric shape, scientific theory) The team guessing correctly gets point.
Charades Activity:
bite, all of a sudden, lap, argue, flashes back, germs, itchy , raggedy, scared, scolds,
realize, grown up
Mixed-up Sentence
Grades 6-8 SSS Language Arts Benchmarks: LA.A.1.3.2, LA.C.1.3.4, LA.D.1.3.1
Objective: Each team consults to give spoken directions to correct a “mixed-up” sentence.
Procedure: Write a sentence on the board that contains lesson vocabulary and grammar, but
scramble the order of the words and put a capital letter or two in the wrong places(s). Tell the
class the way the sentence should read. Example sentence: A dicot seed has two parts. You
might write on the board: “tWo a seed dicot hAs parts”. The person whose turn it is must
verbally give directions to make a correction after consulting with the team. The teacher follows
the exact directions given and, if correct, gives the team a point. Then s/he calls on next team.
Example: “Move the A to the front”. You might decide to erase letter “a” in “part” and put it at
the beginning of the sentence. Perhaps you erase an “a” and rewrite it on the wall somewhere in
front of the classroom. In both cases, you were not given the detailed instructions necessary to
complete the task, and you would move on to the next group without awarding a point. You are
looking for a response something like, “Remove the first capital A and replace it with a lower
case A.” Directions like these get teams points. Continue until the sentence is reorganized, with
a capital at the beginning and a period at the end.
Notes: This activity is very difficult and takes several weeks to master. Students will prefer to
show you what to do, but do not let them. The idea is to tell you, not show you. The first time
you use the activity do not spend more than five minutes. Stop and discuss the kinds of
directions they need to give in the future. Do not give up on this activity, no matter how
immature the students.
Proficient Speaking Activities
Twenty Questions
Objective: Ask oral questions about a photo or picture to determine meaning of vocabulary
words.
Procedure: A student from one team selects a photo or picture without showing it to members
of teams. Teams take turns asking YES/NO questions about the picture. The picture holder can
only answer yes or no. If a team guesses correctly, it receives 20 points minus the number of
questions that have been asked divided by two. Example: Is it from the fifteenth Century? Is it a
boat? (etc.)
Twenty Questions Activity: Photo or picture suggestions:
band-aid, celebration, coatroom, corner, cottage cheese, edge, germs, grown up, onion,
rattle, tree trunk, tree rings, nest of wooden dolls
MS Grade 6 Language Arts 2 Through ESOL: The Short Story
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FCAT FOCUS READING SKILL: Recognizing Sequence
Teacher-Student Grammar Notes are provided as a teaching resource or student study notes.
What to do and what to watch for-Organizing the events of the story in time order can help you
understand the information more easily. You can use a graphic organizer like the one below to list
the order or sequence of events in a passage or a story.
Chronological or time order. Events occur is a certain order in a reading. The order of the
events in time is called chronological (time) order. The ability to sequence events in chronological
order is an important skill. Pay attention to signal or transition words that tell time order and show
the sequence of events.
Sequence signal words. Transition or signal words will signal you when one event is completed
or the next event is beginning. Understanding these words helps you to understand the sequence
of the events. Refer to the chart below for examples.
SIGNAL / TRANSITION WORDS FOR RECOGNIZING SEQUENCE
first, second, third, etc.
now
at the beginning
the first/next/last thing
during
prior to
afterwards
finally
shortly thereafter
while
last
subsequently
soon
soon
next
simultaneously
at (in) the end
at the same time
then
before
following that
when
after
later
Example:
In the beginning, the girls were just talking while they waited for the bus. Suddenly a car
pulled up and blew its horn loudly. Next, a woman jumped out with her hair flying. At the same
time, the driver put the car in park and stepped into the street. When he did this, cars began
stopping. Next, the bus arrived and joined the line of stopped cars. Following that, the police
arrived. Soon they had the woman calmed down. Then they asked the driver to move his car out
of the way. When the street was clear, the line of cars moved on. Subsequently, the girls got on
the bus. The last thing they saw was a happy dog jump into the arms of the woman.
SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
In the beginning, the girls were just talking while they waited for the bus.
Suddenly, a car pulled up and blew its horn loudly.
Next, a woman jumped out with her hair flying.
At the same time, the driver put the car in park and stepped into the street.
When he did this, cars began stopping.
Next, the bus arrived and joined the line of stopped cars.
Following that, the police arrived
Soon, they had the woman calmed down.
Then, they asked the driver to move his car out of the way
When the street was clear, the line of cars moved on
Subsequently, the girls got on the bus.
The last thing they saw was a happy dog jump into the arms of the woman
MS Grade 6 Language Arts 2 Through ESOL: The Short Story
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Beginning Reading Activities
Pre Reading
Objective: Listen to a short series of oral sentences in order to answer simple questions.
Procedure: Use the short summary paragraph below (5-10 sentences). Read the paragraph to
the class two times. Then read the paragraph a 3rd time, stopping at the end of each sentence to
ask questions. Ask several questions for each sentence, and ask a variety of types of questions
(i.e. yes/no, either/or, and “wh-“). Ask the questions at a quick pace, and if the group cannot
answer quickly enough, move on to the next group.
Example: Columbus sailed to America in 1492. Sample Questions: Did Columbus sail to
America? Did Columbus sail to Europe? Did Columbus sail to Europe or America? Where did he
sail? Did King Ferdinand sail to America? Did Columbus or King Ferdinand sail to America? Who
sailed to America? Did he sail in 1942? Did he sail in 1492 or 1942? When did he sail?
Option: Read the paragraph a 4th time. Ask questions again. End the activity by dictating the
paragraph to the teams. Allow collaboration within the team. Collect/grade one dictation from each
team. Each student on the team receives the same grade.
Pre Reading Activity:
The narrator of the story flashes back on her eleventh birthday. Rachel remembers the old,
ugly, raggedy red sweater that her teacher put on her desk. It isn’t Rachel’s sweater, and she’s so
embarrassed that nothing comes out of her mouth. Rachel wants to cry, but she just bites down on
her teeth and remembers today is her birthday. Rachel’s mother is making a cake and everyone
will sing happy birthday. Rachel pushes the sweater to the corner of her desk until it hangs off the
edge. Mrs. Price scolds Rachel in front of the class, and tells her to put the sweater on right now.
Rachel feels itchy and full of someone else’s germs and she begins to cry in front of everybody.
Just before the bell rings, that stupid Phyllis Lopez remembers the sweater is hers. Mrs. Price acts
like everything is okay, but it’s too late.
Intermediate-Proficient Reading Activities
Total Recall
Objective: Read a text in order to ask and answer short questions.
Procedure: Teams prepare 3 (or more) questions and their answers from the text. Teams are
allowed to write notes about the text. Teams take turns asking each other their questions, and
challenging incorrect responses. Responding teams are not allowed to raise hands. The team
asking the question chooses which team answers. The same question cannot be asked twice. If a
team does not answer correctly, it loses a point and the team asking the question gets a point.
When a team does not agree with the answer that the questioner deems correct, it can challenge
that team. The challenging team must prove that it is also correct or that the questioning team is
incorrect. It does not need to prove both. All teams can join a challenge on either side
(questioner's side or respondent's side), but they must do so immediately. (Teams may wait to see
how many teams are joining each side, which is unfair.). Once the teams have taken sides on a
challenge, they look up the answer in the book. All teams siding with the correct answer get 2
points, and losers lose 2 points.
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Story Grammars
Objective: Identify a common organizational pattern or “grammar” of a reading text.
Procedure: Introduce story grammars by using the Language Experience Approach. The second
time, have each group prepare one. Once groups have mastered story grammars, individuals can
prepare their own, but include incentives for the group to help individual members. For example,
you might want to give a team a point for each member who receives a grade of B or higher.
Example: Setting:___, Characters:___, ___,Problem:___, Goal:___, Events Leading to goal (list in
order):___, ___, ___,Resolution: ___(Three possibilities include: character solves problem,
character learns to live with problem, problem defeats character)
Note: Story grammars help students understand that most stories have a common organization,
and they help students to write reports, evaluate the quality of stories, and write their own stories.
True or False
Objective: Read a text passage for the purpose of making true and false statements about it.
Procedure: Teams make a “T” chart (2 columns with titles--one side is for true, the other side is for
false). Teams make three true or false statements about the text. A representative from the first
team reads one statement aloud. The other teams listen and place their token on the appropriate
side of their True/False chart. The questioning team decides which choices are correct. Each
correct answer earns a team a point. In a disagreement, follow the challenge rules of Total Recall.
Scan
Objective: Scan a text for the purpose of asking and answering simple questions.
Procedure:
1. Teams write 3 questions about an assigned text. Next to each question, they write page number
and paragraph number where the answer is located.
2. A representative from each team asks the team’s questions. The other teams get 60 seconds for
each question to scan the text, find the answer, page and paragraph numbers, and write them
on a sheet of paper. Any team not getting the answer within that time loses a point.
3. Any time a responding team loses a point, the questioning team gets a point. The responding
teams take turns reading out their page and paragraph numbers. Then the questioning team
reads its page and paragraph numbers.
4. Team respondents who have the same answer as the questioner get an automatic point.
Respondents who do not have the same answer as the questioner are not automatically wrong.
Both the questioner and respondent read aloud their chosen paragraph. The questioner then
decides if the respondent is also correct (Many times the answer to a question can be found in
more than one place in a text). If the respondent is also correct, the respondent gets a point.
5. If the questioner says that the respondent is incorrect, the respondent may challenge (as in
Total Recall). The responding team must prove that it is also correct or that the questioner is
incorrect. It does not need to prove both. Other teams may join one side or the other. The
teacher then decides who wins. Winning teams get 2 points and losers lose 2 points.
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Judgment
Objective: Read a text for the purpose of identifying facts and opinions.
Procedure: On five separate strips of paper, each team writes (or copies) 5 sentences from the
text that show facts and opinions. Teams write their team name on the backs of the 5 strips, and
swap their sentences. Teams read the sentence strips they have, and place them in either a fact
basket or opinion basket in front of the room. The teacher reads each sentence strip from the two
baskets. For each, the teams decide if the sentence was correctly placed. If correct, the team with
its name on the strip gets a point. If not correct, that team loses a point. (This encourages effective
writing.)
Option: This activity may be adapted to focus on cause/effect, reality/fantasy or inferred/explicit.
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Beginning- Writing Activities
Language Experience Story
Objective: Use student-created writing as a text as a model for individual student writings, for
rereading or other written activities, including Story Grammars, RAFT, and Spool Writing.
Procedure: Language Experience instruction involves asking students to talk about some item
of relevance to the class. You may use information from Listening Activity “Interview” or
information learned in other unit activities. Individual team members and teams take turns
offering sentences to be added to the text. You write individual contributions on the board,
including non-standard forms or word order. Then ask teams to correct or change the text to
standard English grammar and syntax and to decide on an organizational format. Assist teams
in making necessary adjustments. After the text is corrected, students copy it in their notebooks,
or you can type and distribute it.
Indirect Speech
Objective: Write a familiar dialog in paragraph form, using indirect or reported speech.
Procedure: Use the dialog in this lesson written for Presenting Activity “Dialog”. After teams
have completed presenting their dialogs (see Presenting Activities), have each group write the
dialog in a paragraph format using indirect speech. Example:
COLUMBUS: “I need money to buy ships to sail west.”
Columbus asked the queen for some money to sail to the west.
Teams use one piece of paper and one pencil only. Each member takes a turn writing a line of
the dialog. Other team members can offer help, but they cannot write it for the individual whose
turn it is to write. Collect and grade. Each member of the team gets the same grade.
Indirect Speech Activity: Example:
Milady de Winter to Cardinal Richelieu:
I’ll give you more proof than you need!
Milady de Winter told Cardinal Richelieu that she would give him more proof than he needed.
Indirect Speech Activity: Example:
Mrs. Price to Rachel: Of course, it’s yours. I remember you wearing it once.
Mrs. Price told Rachel that of course it was hers. She remembered her wearing it once.
Intermediate-Proficient Writing Activities
Language Experience Story
Objective: Create a collaborative writing text to use as a model for re-reading, individual
student writing or other written activities (including Story Grammars, RAFT, and Spool Writing)
Procedure: Language Experience Story instruction involves asking students to talk about some
item of relevance to the class. (You may use information from Listening Activity 6, the Interview,
or information learned in other unit activities.) Teams take turns, through individual members,
offering sentences to be added to the text. You write their contributions on the board, including
non-standard forms and word order. Ask groups to change the text to standard English
grammatical and lexical forms and to decide on an acceptable organizational format. Help the
groups when they cannot make all of the necessary adjustments. After the text is corrected,
students copy it in their notebooks, or you can type and distribute it.
MS Grade 6 Language Arts 2 Through ESOL: The Short Story
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Framed Paragraphs
Objective: Use a “frame” (outline or template) for writing a paragraph that contains a main idea
(topic sentence), supporting details, and a summary statement (conclusion).
Note: Framed paragraphs are most useful in preparing students for exam questions. In fact,
framed paragraphs make very good exam questions.
Procedure: Introduce framed paragraphs to the class by creating a story collectively using the
language experience approach. The second time you assign framed paragraphs, have each
group prepare one. Once the groups have mastered framed paragraphs, have each student
prepare his/her own, but include incentives for the group to help individual team members. For
example, give a team one point for each member who receives a grade of B or higher. After
constructing a model, paragraph with the class, assign groups, pairs, or individuals to find
examples in the text.
Social Studies Example: There are many cultures of people living in Florida. First....
Second.... Third.... These groups and others....
Language Arts Example: ..., a character in the novel... by... is.... An example of this behavior
is... Another example is.... Finally.... Therefore, this character is...
Science Example: OBSERVATION: After observing...HYPOTHESIS: I think…MATERIALS:
1…2…3…PROCEDURE: 1…2…3…DATA: 1…2…3…ANALYSIS: The results of the
experiment show...This was caused by....Therefore, my hypothesis was(not) correct because....
Framed Paragraphs Activities: Sample #2: (Literary Device-Flashback) Use this as a
starter: At the beginning of the story, the narrator (an adult now) flashes back on her 11th
birthday and remembers the details:
a) Rachel remembers being embarrassed and crying in class when her teacher put an old
red sweater on her desk and made her wear it.
b) She could barely get a word out to say it was not her sweater. When the teacher finds
this out, Mrs. Price acts as if everything is okay.
c) Rachel remembered it was her birthday, but it was too late. Her birthday was ruined.
_____ (Author) uses flashback in his/her _____ (poem, short story, novel, etc), “_____”, to
present a story from the past. First, the story takes place in the present when _____. This is
important to the story because he/she remembered vividly how _____ (Detail #1). In addition,
_____. This information gives the reader incites into _____ and _____ (Detail #2). Finally, the
author uses flashback in a dramatic way when_____. These details help to _____ (Detail #3).
Flashback is an important tool the authors use to connect details from the past like_____, _____
and _____with present elements in the story (Restate key points briefly).
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Framed Paragraphs Activities: Sample #1: (Simile and Imagery)
Use the following examples from the poem “Harlem” to illustrate simile. Then describe the
pictures or images left in the reader’s mind:
Similes to describe how it feels to grow up and to become eleven years old:
a) “Because the way you grow old is kind of like an onion, …
b) or like the rings inside a tree trunk …
c) or like my little wooden dolls that fit one inside the next one. That’s how being eleven
years old is.”
d) “…eleven years rattling inside me like pennies in a tin Band-Aid box.”
e) “And maybe when you’re all grown up maybe you will need to cry like if you’re three, and
that’s okay.”
Tears and crying:
f) “…all of a sudden I’m feeling sick inside, like the part of me that’s three wants to come out of
my eyes…”
g) “…it’s just my body shaking like when you have the hiccups and my whole head hurt like
when you drink mild too fast.”
Putting on the red sweater:
h) “…the sweater that smells like cottage cheese…”
i) “…and stand there with my arms apart like if the sweater hurts me and it does, all itchy and
full of germs that aren’t even mine.”
In the story, “_____”, the author _____, uses a series of similes to create images in the
reader’s mind (Topic Sentence). The writer compares _____ to _____, _____, _____ and
_____. In the first comparison of_____ to_____, the writer creates an image in the reader’s
mind of_____ (Detail #1). This simile _____ (creates a real sense or sensation of an
experience, place or person/appeals to the senses of sight, taste, touch, hearing and smell). In
the second simile comparing _____ to_____, the writer leaves an image in the reader’s mind
of_____ (Detail #2). This simile _____. (creates a real sense or sensation of an experience,
place or person/appeals to the senses of sight, taste, touch, hearing and smell) In the third
comparison of_____ to_____, the writer creates a picture of_____. (Detail #3) This simile _____
(creates a real sense or sensation of an experience, place or person/appeals to the senses of
sight, taste, touch, hearing and smell). In the fourth simile comparing _____ to_____, the poet
creates an image in the reader’s mind of_____ (Detail #4). This simile _____ (creates a real
sense or sensation of an experience, place or person/appeals to the senses of sight, taste,
touch, hearing and smell). By using the literary devices of simile and imagery, the writer makes
comparisons that create powerful word pictures in the reader’s mind. (Conclusion).
MS Grade 6 Language Arts 2 Through ESOL: The Short Story
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Opinion/Proof
Objective: Organize ideas and information to find the supporting evidence for an opinion. (This
is a good pre-writing activity)
Procedure: Introduce the concept by having students read a selection from which opinions can
be formed. Draw a “T” chart on the board. On the left side of the “T”, write OPINION and on the
right, PROOF. Under OPINION, write the students’ opinion(s) of the selection. For each opinion,
students must find factual statements from the text that support the opinion.
Example: OPINION: Napoleon was a great leader. PROOF: He ended the revolution. He drew
up a new constitution. He made taxation fair. He chose government workers for their ability.
Option: Opinion/Proof may be used for several written activities described in this document,
including Story Grammars, RAFT, and Spool Writing. It can also be used by students as a
format for note taking from books, videos, and lectures. Option: Allow teams to write their own
opinion and to support it with proof. (This can be done as a think/pair/share activity).
Opinion/Proof Activity: Opinion/Proof may be used for several written activities described in
this document, including Story Grammars, RAFT, and Spool Writing. Students can also use it as
a format for note taking from books, videos, and lectures. Allow teams to write their own opinion
to support with proof if they are at an proficient level. This can be used as a think/pair/share
activity as well. Use the following as a starter for less proficient students:
Opinion
The teacher is not a sensitive person. She’s insensitive.
Proof
Mrs. Price concluded that the sweater was Rachel’s, even though she said it wasn’t.
Rachel was so embarrassed she could hardly talk, but the teacher didn’t notice.
The teacher took Sylvia’s word that it was Rachel’s sweater, even though it wasn’t.
The teacher held the ugly sweater in the air for everyone to see, and put it on Rachel’s desk.
The teacher said to Rachel, “Of course it’s yours.”
Mrs. Price scolds Rachel for moving the sweater and makes her put it on in front of everyone.
Rachel cries so hard she’s shaking and making noises, but the teacher does nothing.
When she found out she was wrong, the teacher didn’t apologize to Rachel.
Spool Writing
Objective: Write a “spool” (5-paragraph essay with an introduction, 3-paragraph body of
supporting arguments with evidence, and a concluding paragraph.
Procedure: Use organizers, summary, modeled writing, and guided writing to plan prewriting
activities for developing a “spool”. A spool is a five-paragraph essay in which the first paragraph
is an introduction (controlling idea, or thesis). The next 3 paragraphs make up the body of the
essay. Each of these paragraphs begins with an argument sentence to support the thesis and
has three supporting sentences for the argument sentence. The weakest argument should be
presented in the first paragraph of the body, and the strongest argument in the last paragraph of
the body. The final (5th) paragraph is the conclusion, which begins with a restatement of the
thesis sentence, and is followed by a restatement of the 3 argument statements of the body.
Introduce the spool essay by creating a story collectively using the Language Experience
Approach. The second time, each group prepares one. Once groups have mastered spool
essays, include incentives for the team to help individual members write individual essays. For
example, give a team one point for each member who receives a grade of B or higher.
MS Grade 6 Language Arts 2 Through ESOL: The Short Story
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Sample Spool Writing format for book report:
The title of the book is... The author is… The book is about... In this paper, I am going to...
First, I think that... One reason I feel this way is ... In addition... Finally...
First, I think that... One reason I feel this way is ... In addition... Finally...
First, I think that... One reason I feel this way is ... In addition... Finally...
In conclusion, I think that... This is because... It is also because... Finally…
Spool Writing Format for Recognizing Sequence
There is a clear sequence of events (description of the steps in a process or sequence
of data) in the story/paragraph/poem/chapter _____ (title), by _____ (author). This sequence
begins with _____ (step #1) and ends with _____ (last step) (Topic sentence/introduction). The
events or steps in between show _____ and _____ (identify two important steps, events or
data).
It is easy to follow the order of information (steps, events) in the reading (Topic
Sentence). The sequence of events (steps in a process or sequence of data) is organized in
_____ (a paragraph, list of steps, numbered sequence, chronological order). The use of _____
(transition words for time order, order of steps, charts, graphs, etc.) such as _____ and _____
assist the reader to follow the information. The information (story, process) is ordered to help
the reader understand _____ (state main idea or topic).
At the beginning of the story (sequence of data, process), is _____ (Topic Sentence).
The following information (events or data) is closely related to this event (step or data). First,
_____ Also, _____ After that, _____ This establishes the information (events or data) that
appears (occur) later.
The author goes on to show several important events (steps or pieces of data) that help
to _____ (tell the story events, show the steps or illustrate the data) in an interesting and
organized way (Topic sentence). One of these events (data, steps) includes _____. After that,
_____ At the end of the story (process, chart, data, etc.) is _____ (summarize the last part of
the information or events).
The author provides an order to the information (events in the story, steps in the
process) by organizing them in _____ (a paragraph, list of steps, numbered sequence,
chronological order). The reader can clearly understand (or visualize) the process (events or
information) from beginning to end. The author starts with _____ (step or event #1) and ends
with _____ (last step or event). Everything in the middle makes the story come alive in the mind
of the reader (helps the reader visualize the process, or clearly organizes the data, etc).
Spool Writing Activities:
Use these events as starters for sequence of events:
a) The adult narrator reflects back on her eleventh birthday.
b) Rachel was embarrassed when her teacher put an old red sweater on her desk.
c) The teacher made Rachael wear the sweater. She was embarrassed and began to sob.
d) Rachael could barely get a word out, and cried. Her birthday was ruined.
e) In the end, the teacher realized it wasn’t Rachel’s sweater, and acted like everything was
okay
MS Grade 6 Language Arts 2 Through ESOL: The Short Story
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RAFT
Objective: Write on a topic in a specific format, understanding your role as a writer and your
audience.
R-A-F-T is a system for making sure that students understand their role as a writer (R), their
audience (A), the format of their work (F), and the topic of the content (T). Examples: persuade a
soldier to spare your life, demand equal pay for equal work, or plead for a halt to coal mining in our
valley.
(R): For role (R), of the writer, the writer considers who s/he is (Examples-a soldier, Abraham
Lincoln, a slave, a blood cell, or a mathematical operation).
(A): For audience (A), the writer considers to whom s/he is writing (Examples-to a mother, to
Congress, to a child.)
(F): Format (F) determines what form the communication will take. (Examples-letter, speech,
obituary, conversation, memo, recipe or journal)
(T): The topic (T) consists of a strong verb as well as the focus.
Procedure: Introduce RAFT by creating a story collectively using the Language Experience
Approach. The second time you assign RAFT, have each group prepare one. Model for students,
explaining that all writers must consider their role as a writer, their audience, the format, and the
topic These four components are critical in every written assignment. Assist teams to brainstorm
ideas about a topic. Work with teams to list possible roles, audiences, formats, and strong verbs
that are appropriate for each topic. Once the groups have mastered RAFT, have each student
prepare his/her own, but include incentives for the group to help individual members. For example,
you might want to give a team a point for each member who receives a grade of B or higher.
RAFT Activity: Students write according to their role as a writer, and considering their audience,
the format, and the topic. This topic may be used as a RAFT exercise.
R-Your role as a writer is yourself.
A-Your audience is a teacher, former or current. (Use fictitious name or none.)
F-The format of your writing is a paragraph.
T-Your topic is to explain how the teacher embarrassed you and how it made you feel.
FCAT Writing
FCAT Writing: Lesson Topic: (Persuasive or Expository Prompt) Distribute the planning sheets
and writing folders containing the prompts to the students. Provide students with the writing
situation and directions for writing. Remind the students to budget their time: approximately ten
minutes on brainstorming and prewriting, twenty-five minutes on drafting, ten minutes on editing.
Record the time and give students the command to begin. After 45 minutes, ask the students to
stop writing and place their planning sheets inside their folders.
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FCAT Writing Activity (Persuasive Prompt):
Writing Situation:
It can be difficult to express yourself, especially when you may feel embarrassed.
Sometimes it can be helpful to use similes that others can feel, hear, see, sense, touch,
etc. in their minds. For example, if you’re feeling tired, you could say it is “like” the end of
the twentieth lap in PE class, or it’s “like” walking all around the mall in your most
uncomfortable shoes the fourth time in a row to find your friend.
Directions for Writing
Think of a time when you had difficulty expressing yourself because you felt
embarrassed. What was the situation? How did you feel? What did you need to express
that you couldn’t express at the time? If you had the chance to go back to express your
ideas and feelings and try to be more persuasive, what would you say? What similes
could you use to express your ideas and feelings? What was your experience “like?” Be
specific.
Now, write to persuade someone that your ideas and feelings are important by
explaining what they are “like”.
MS Grade 6 Language Arts 2 Through ESOL: The Short Story
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Beginning Presenting Activities
Dialog
Objective: Write a short dialog of 4-6 lines between two familiar characters.
Procedure: A dialog can be between 2 historical characters, 2 fictional characters in a story,
novel, play, etc. or between 2 imaginary characters such as a germ and a white blood cell. The
topic of the dialog should be related to the subject being studied, and the grammar and vocabulary
used in the dialog should reflect the grammar and vocabulary focus of the unit. Model each line of
the dialog, having the entire class repeat after you. Then, say each line and call on whole teams to
repeat the line. Then say each line and call on individual students to repeat the line. Practice
dialog lines using the whole class, a whole team, and individuals until students can know the lines
of the dialog. Example:
Character A: These items are expensive. We are not selling very many.
Character B: We need to sell more of them.
Character A: But, then the price will decrease!
Character B: But, we will still get more money because the volume will increase.
Character A: We do not have enough money to make more than we do now.
Character B: Then we will borrow some money by issuing bonds.
Option: You take the part of A and the class takes the part of B. Then you take part B and the
class takes A. Then work with whole teams and you, then individuals and you, then groups and
groups, then individuals and individuals. Move back and forth among these combinations until you
think the majority have adequate intonation, stress, and pronunciation.
Option 1: Erase two words at random from each line during repetition. Then erase two more, two
more, and so on until there are no words left on the board. Option 2: Each group chooses a
member to represent them by presenting the dialog with a member from another group in front of
the class. If the representative can say his/her lines correctly then the group gets a point. Option
3: Have each group rewrite the dialog from memory. Groups are to use one piece of paper and
one pencil or pen only. Each member takes a turn writing a line of the dialog. Other team
members can offer help but they cannot write it for the individual whose turn it is to write. Collect
the paper and grade it. Each member of the team gets the same grade.
Dialog Activity:
Mrs. Price:
Rachel:
Mrs. Price:
Rachel:
Mrs. Price:
Whose is this? It’s been sitting in the coatroom for a month. It has to belong to
someone.
That’s not…I don’t…you’re not…Not mine.
Of course, it’s yours. I remember you wearing it once. You put that sweater on
right now and no more nonsense.
But it’s not…
Now!
MS Grade 6 Language Arts 2 Through ESOL: The Short Story
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Intermediate Presenting Activities
Show and Tell
Objective: Present orally on a familiar topic and respond to questions on the topic.
Procedure: A student brings something to class related to the subject at hand and, within 3
minutes, makes an oral presentation about it. Teams take turns asking the student questions
about it. For each question the presenter can answer, his/her team gets a point. For each
question he/she cannot answer, the team loses a point.
Proficient Presenting Activities
Making the News
Objective: Present orally to a group on a familiar academic topic in a news format.
Procedure: Teams take turns developing a 3-4 four-minute news broadcast about the subject
being studied. There may be several related stories. There must be one story (no matter how
short) for each member of the group. The reporting group may refer to notes but not to the text.
Other teams can refer to their texts, and have the opportunity to each ask two questions of the
reporting team. The reporting team members take turns answering questions, but other team
members may help them. The questioning group gets two points for each question the reporting
group cannot answer. The reporting group gets a point for each question it can answer. Follow
the rules for Total Recall when there is a challenge. Examples: Columbus gets the jewels from
the Queen of Spain, the long voyage, Hispaniola landing
Making the News Activities:
Unhappy Birthdays More Common Than We Know
Red Sweater Disaster
How Many Years Do You Carry Around?
Intermediate-Proficient Viewing Activities
Total Recall, True or False, Judgment
Objective: View a video or speech for the purpose of asking and answering simple questions,
making true and false statements, and distinguish facts from opinions.
Procedure: Modify reading activities, such as Total Recall, True or False, and Judgment to use
when viewing a video or speech. The effectiveness of a challenge is not as high as with a
written text.
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Beginning Vocabulary Activities
Line of Fortune
Objective: Identify and recreate words and word parts from spelling clues.
Procedure: (This activity is very similar to Hangman, but involves more complex team decisionmaking.) Choose a word from the lesson's vocabulary and write the appropriate number of dashes
to represent the letters of the word. For example, for the word dicot you would draw five dashes. A
team member guesses a letter. If the letter is not found in the word, write the letter under the
dashes and move on to the next team. If their letter is found in the word, then write the letter on the
appropriate dash. When a team guesses correctly, they have the option to guess the word. If they
choose not to guess the word, call on the next team. If they choose to guess and successfully
guess the word, then they receive ten points minus the number of letters written under the dashes
from incorrect previous guesses, and the game is over. If they choose to guess and do not guess
the word, then they lose points equal to the number of letters written under the dashes, and you call
on the next team. If no team can guess the word before ten incorrect letters are written under the
dashes then all teams lose points equal to the number of teams in the class.
Concentration
Objective: Identify vocabulary words and their meanings.
Preparation: On twenty 8" x 5" index cards, write the numbers 1-20, one number per card. Place
these cards in order, 3 per line in a pocket chart. On another 20 index cards, write, one word per
card, 10 vocabulary items from the lesson 2 times each. Shuffle these cards and place them behind
the numbered cards.
Procedure: Teams will match the vocabulary words with their meanings. Choose one team to go
first. A member of that team picks two numbers. Remove those cards from the chart, leaving the
words behind them visible to the class. The student reads the words, with the team's assistance if
needed. If the words match, leave them showing and give the team a point. If they do not match,
replace the numbers and call on the next team.
Option: Instead of writing each noun 2 times, write it once in the singular and once in the plural.
When working with verbs, write one in the present tense and one in the past. Matching variations
such as these helps the students understand that, despite certain differences in the visible spelling
of two words, they are still semantically related at a deeper level.
Concentration Activity: Matching:
germs
microorganisms
nonsense
garbage, junk
invisible
out of sight, unseen, imperceptible
raggedy
tattered, torn, shabby, worn
realize
understand, comprehend
disappear
vanish, evaporate
band-aid
dressing, covering
all of a sudden
without warning, suddenly
celebration
festivity, party
itchy
prickly, scratchy, irritating
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Intermediate Vocabulary Activities
Wrong Word
Objective: Identify, analyze, and correct errors in vocabulary usage.
Procedure: Teams find the word that is “wrong” and correct it. Teams get a point for each
correction. Read a sentence with a wrong word in it. Examples: The contribution tells us how
the government will operate. (should be Constitution) Many people have moved to Florida for
the arctic climate. (should be tropical)
When teams get good at this activity, embed an
incorrect sentence among other correct sentences. Teams can make sentences with incorrect
words for other teams to correct.
Wrong Word Activity:
a) Rachel tries to speak up, but anything comes out. (nothing)
b) Rachel hands in the sweater to Phyllis Lopez. (hands over)
c) She just wants math class to and. (end)
d) The narrator members her eleventh birthday. (remembers)
e) Rachel thinks about her birthday celebration, but it’s two late. (too
Jeopardy
Objective: Use clues to identify vocabulary words, characters’ names, places, etc. in the story.
Preparation: Place 3 cards across the top of a pocket chart, the first with the letter A printed on
it, the second with B, and the third with C. Down the left side of the chart (one per line), place
three cards with the numbers 2, 3, and 4 respectively. Place three easier vocabulary items (not
visible to the class) next to the number 1 card, and below each of the letter cards, place 3 more
difficult words on line 2 in the same manner, place three of the most difficult words on line three.
Procedure: Choose one team to go first. A member of that team picks the word s/he wants to
guess (“2-C” for example). Give the student a definition of clue for the word (This animal barks.)
The student, with the help of his team, responds with the word presented in question format
(What is a dog?). If the answer is correct, that team gets 2, 3, or 4 points, depending on the
word's level of difficulty. If the answer is incorrect, the next team tries for the same word but for
one point less than the previous team. For example, if the first team guessed incorrectly for a
word worth 3 points, the next team to try would get 2 points if it answered correctly. If it too
guessed incorrectly, the next team would get one point if it answered correctly. If no team can
answer correctly before the points are reduced to zero, then all teams lose 1 point.
Jeopardy Activity:
Question
Answer
a) What Mrs. Price called Rachel’s behavior
nonsense
a) How eleven feels mostly
like 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, etc.
a) Who put the sweater on Rachel’s desk
Mrs. Price
b) What pennies in a Band-Aid box do
rattle
b) When Phyllis Lopez says it’s her sweater
at the end of class
b) What the sweater smells like
cottage cheese
c) Why Rachel thinks Sylvia doesn’t like her
she’s too skinny
c) What everybody in the class says
“Not mine.”
c) Where the rings of a tree are
trunk
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Classification
Objective: Classify vocabulary into two or three groups.
Procedure: Model the activity, beginning with several words for teams to classify into groups.
Ask students to identify an appropriate label for the groups they create. Discuss other words
that could go into each group. Each team gets out one pencil and one sheet of paper. The
captain writes team name and divides the paper into the appropriate number of columns
(groups). The captain labels columns for classifications and sets timer for 5 minutes. Team
members take turns writing words in appropriate columns (as in the Team Spelling Test). Note
that words do not have to come from the lesson vocabulary. When the timer rings, collect
papers. Teams get one point for each word they place correctly. Spelling should not count.
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Beginning Grammar Activities
Teacher-Student Grammar Notes are provided as a teaching resource or student study notes.
CONTRACTIONS
Contractions are used to shorten groups of words both in writing and in speech. A contraction
occurs when a letter or letters are omitted and replaced with an apostrophe. In Standard
English, contractions are made with a pronoun + “to be” or helping verbs. Study the
examples below.
VERB
PRONOUN EXAMPLE
CONTRACTION
am
I am studying.
I’m studying.
is
She (He, It) is going.
She’s (He’s, It’s) going.
are
We (You, They) are waiting.
We’re (You’re, They’re) waiting.
has
She (he, it) has gone.
She’s (He’s, It’s) gone.
have I (you, we, they) have eaten.
I’ve (You’ve, We’ve, They’ve) eaten.
had
I (you/he/she/it/we/they) had
I’d (you’d/he’d/she’d/it’d/we’d/they’d) gone.
gone.
will
I (you/he/she/it/we/they) will go.
I’ll (you’ll/he’ll/she’ll/it’ll/we’ll/they’ll) go.
would I (you/he/she/it/we/they) would
I’d (you’d/he’d/she’d/it’d/we’d/they’d) go.
go.
Modified Single Slot Substitution Drill
Objective: Substitute alternative vocabulary, syntax, and grammatical forms in a familiar
sentence in a single slot.
Procedure: The teacher writes a sentence on the board and underlines one word. Teams take
turns replacing the underlined word with a new word. When students can no longer think of
substitutes, the teacher underlines a different word, and the activity continues.
Example:
The soldiers who surrendered were killed.
Possible substitutions for killed:
butchered, kissed, hugged, spared
The soldiers who surrendered were butchered.
Possible substitutions for surrendered: spared, killed, ran, slept
The soldiers who surrendered were spared.
Possible substitutions for soldiers: people, police, robbers, children
Notes:
• Sometimes, changing one word necessitates changing another word as well.
The queen was dancing when the soldiers arrived. (Substitute
king and queen)
The king and queen were dancing when the soldiers arrived.
• It is not necessary for the sentences to be historically correct, sensible, or even possible. It is
important for the correct part of speech to be used.
Modified Single Slot Substitution:
(a) All of a sudden, (b) Rachel (c) begins to cry (d) in front of everybody.
Possibilities:
a) after that, later on, without warning, suddenly
b) she, the narrator, Sylvia, Phyllis
c) starts to shake, gets a terrible headache, wishes to be invisible, feels itchy
d) at her desk, in the middle of math class, in the raggedy sweater, in front of the teacher
e) the sweater begins to hurt, the sweater feels itchy
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Word Order Cards
Objective: Identify and use appropriate word order in sentences.
Procedure: Choose some of the more complex sentences of the summary to cut up for this
exercise. After writing a sentence on a sentence strip, cut up the sentence into individual words.
Shuffle the words. With the team's support, one member rearranges the words to reform the
sentence. The team gets a point if the cards are rearranged correctly.
Intermediate Grammar Activities
Sentence Builders
Objective: Expand sentences by adding new words in the appropriate order in a sentence.
Procedure: The teacher says a sentence, and, after a pause, an additional word or words.
Teams must make a new sentence that adds the new word(s) in the correct place in the
teacher's original sentence. Give a point for each correct answer. Example:
Teacher:
Fish is a food. (healthy)
Team Response:
Fish is a healthy food.
Teacher:
Fish is a healthy food. (fresh)
Team Response:
Fresh fish is a healthy food.
Sentence Builders:
a) Rachel describes growing. (old) (like an onion) (or the rings of a tree) (trunk)
(because each year is inside) (the next one)
Rachel describes growing. (old)
Rachel describes growing old (like an onion)
Rachel describes growing old like an onion (or the rings of a tree)
Rachel describes growing old like an onion or the rings of a tree (trunk)
Rachel describes growing old like an onion or the rings of a tree trunk (because each
year is inside)
Rachel describes growing old like an onion or the rings of a tree trunk because each
year is inside (the next one)
Rachel describes growing old like an onion or the rings of a tree trunk because each
year is inside the next one.
Continue with the following:
b) The narrator remembers. (her birthday) (eleventh) (and realizes that people don’t
understand) ( much) (about birthdays)
c) Rachel knows. (that when she feels scared) (she wants to sit) (just) (on her mother’s
lap) (and that’s the part of her that is still five)
d) It is an old, sweater. (ugly) (raggedy) (red) (that may be a thousand years old) (and it
has been sitting) (in the coatroom) (for a month)
e) Mrs. Price scolds Rachel. (in front of the class) (again) (and tells her to put the
sweater on) (right now) (and stop the nonsense
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Multiple Slot Substitution Drills
Objective: Substitute alternative vocabulary, syntax, and grammatical forms in a familiar
sentence in a multiple slots.
Procedure: This drill is often taught together with or right after the single slot substitution drill.
Its organization is similar to single slot substitution, but more that one part of the sentence
changes. Give a point for each correct answer. Example:
Columbus sailed in 1492. (Pizarro)
Pizarro sailed in 1492. (1524)
Pizarro sailed in 1524. (arrived)
Pizarro arrived 1n 1524.
Multiple Slot Substitution:
(a) Eleven years (b) is like (c) having pennies rattling around in a band-aid box.
Possibilities:
seems like, twelve years, the rings of a tree trunk, getting older, the layers of an onion, was like,
growing up, little wooden dolls that fit inside each other, feels like, turning eleven
Flesh it Out
Objective: Use key words in the appropriate order in a grammatically correct sentence.
Procedure: The teacher gives the key words of a sentence and teams puts them into a
grammatically correct sentence. Give points for correct answers in the oral format. Give grades
in the written format.
Key words:
he/sail/america/1492.
Answer: He sailed to America in 1492.
Key words:
he/sail/america/? (past)(yes/no)
Answer: Did he sail to America?
Flesh it Out Activities:
a) Rachel/describe/grow/old/like/layer/onion (present)
b) Turn/eleven/be/like/ring/tree/trunk/because/each/year/be/inside/next.(present)
c) Little/doll/that/fit/one/inside/other/be/what/eleven/feel/like/Rachel. (present)
d) Narrator/story/flash/back/on/eleventh/birthday(present)
e) Rachel/not/want/argue/with/teacher/s0/she/not/answer (present)
Transformation Exercises
Objective: Change the form or format of a sentence according to the situation.
Procedure: Students change the format of a sentence based on teacher directions or prompts.
Give points for correct answers in the oral format. Give grades in the written format.
Examples:
1. Is it raining? (Answer the question, yes.) Yes, it is raining.
2. It is raining. (Ask a yes/no question.)
Is it raining?
3. Many Indians died from disease. Many Indians died from starvation. (Combine 2 sentences
into one sentence.) Many Indians died from disease and starvation.
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Transformation Exercises:
Students respond negatively to the questions using contractions.
Example: Did you eat your lunch? No, I didn’t eat my lunch.
a) Is Rachel proud of herself in class?
b) Does Mrs. Price hug Rachel?
c) Is Rachel going to forget her birthday?
d) Would Rachel like to be
e) Are you going to remember this story?
f) Has the narrator ever been a teacher?
g) Have the students in Rachel’s class learned about compassion?
h) Will the narrator write a poem about her eleventh birthday?
Who What, When, Where, How, Why
Objective: Listen to a sentence and respond to “Wh" questions in writing.
Procedure: Read a sentence and then ask the “wh" questions about it. Teams write a short
answer on a numbered sheet of paper. Example:
Teacher: The heart constantly pumps blood to the body 24 hours a day to keep the body alive.
What? (Teams write heart.)
Where…? (Teams write to the body)
How? (Teams write constantly)
Why? (Teams write to keep the body alive)
When? (Teams write 24 hours a day)
Team members take turns writing answers on the board (for class discussion) or on a
team/individual paper (for a grade). An alternative technique is to have each team member
complete all items on his/her own paper. Team members are allowed to help each other. On
completion of the activity, collect the one paper of your choice. The grade on that paper will
count for each team member.
Who, What, When, Where, How, Why Activities:
a) Mrs. Price scolds Rachel in front of the class again, and tells her to put the sweater on
right now and stop the nonsense. (who, what, where, when)
b) Even when you’re all grown up, Rachel says you may want to cry like when you were
three, and that’s okay. (who, what, when, how)
c) Just before the bell rings, that stupid Phyllis Lopez remembers the sweater is hers. (who,
what, when)
d) When Mrs. Price puts the sweater on Rachel’s desk, Rachel tries to speak up, but nothing
comes out. (who, what, where, when)
e) All of a sudden, she begins to cry in front of everybody, and Rachel wishes she could be
invisible. (who, what, where, when, how)
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Sentence Stretchers
Objective: Expand grammatically correct sentences by adding new words in appropriate order
Procedure: One team begins by making a sentence orally that contains the language or
content focus of the lesson. (Make the starter sentence as short as possible.) For example, in a
lesson focusing on weather and on adjectives, the first team might say, The cloud is floating.
The first team gets a point. Other teams take turns expanding the sentence, getting a point each
time something is added successfully or until teams run out of expansions.
The white cloud is floating.
The fluffy white cloud is floating in the sky.
The fluffy white cloud that looks like a boat is floating in the sky. Etc.
Sentence Stretcher: Begin with the sentence: Mrs. Price gives a sweater.
Mrs. Price gives a sweater.
Mrs. Price gives Rachel a sweater.
Mrs. Price gives Rachel an old sweater.
Mrs. Price gives Rachel an old, ugly sweater.
Mrs. Price gives Rachel an old, ugly, raggedy sweater.
Mrs. Price gives Rachel an old, ugly, raggedy red sweater.
Mrs. Price gives Rachel an old, ugly, raggedy red sweater that may be a thousand years old.
Mrs. Price gives Rachel an old, ugly, raggedy red sweater that may be a thousand years old,
and has been sitting.
Mrs. Price gives Rachel an old, ugly, raggedy red sweater that may be a thousand years old,
and has been sitting in the coatroom.
Mrs. Price gives Rachel an old, ugly, raggedy red sweater that may be a thousand years old,
and has been sitting in the coatroom for a month
Look it Up
Objective: Identify specific grammatical structures and change them according to the situation.
Procedure: Teams look up sentences in their text that have a specific grammatical structure.
As an oral practice, teams get a point for a correct answer. As a written exercise, it can be
graded. Version One: Discuss the grammar point with the students then have them find
example sentences in their texts. You might want to limit the pages they are to search.
Version Two: Write sample sentences on the board in a tense not usually used in the text. Ask
students to find similar sentences in the text and to determine the difference between the text
sentences and the sentences on the board. In history books, for example, most sentences are
in the past tense, so the sentences you write on the board would be in the present tense. During
a discussion of the difference between the text sentences and your sentences, you would help
the class discover why the text uses past tense sentences so often.
Version Three - Students locate sentences in the text with a specific grammatical structure and
then restate or rewrite the sentence in a new form specified by you. For example, change
statements into questions, affirmative to negative, past to present tense, pronouns to proper, or
passive voice to active.
Look it Up: Teams locate examples of contractions in the text/summary.
MS Grade 6 Language Arts 2 Through ESOL: The Short Story
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Rewrite the Paragraph
Objective: Identify specific grammatical structures in English and change them according to the
situation.
Procedure: Write a paragraph based on the text, and using the language focus structures of
the lesson or another familiar structure. Ask teams to change one structure in the paragraph to
another. Teams read the paragraph and discuss the necessary changes. Members of each
team work together to rewrite a grammatically correct paragraph with the changes. Collect one
paper from each team for a grade. (Examples: Change from one verb tense to another, change
nouns to pronouns, change adverbs to adjectives, etc.)
Rewrite the Paragraph Activity: Teams will rewrite the paragraph in the past.
The narrator of the story flashes back on her eleventh birthday. Rachel remembers an
old, ugly, raggedy red sweater that her teacher put on her desk. It isn’t Rachel’s sweater, and
she’s so embarrassed that nothing comes out of her mouth. Rachel wants to cry, but she just
bites down on her teeth and remembers today is her birthday. Rachel’s mother is making a cake
and everyone will sing happy birthday. Rachel pushes the sweater to the corner of her desk until
it hangs off the edge. Mrs. Price scolds Rachel in front of the class, and tells her to put the
sweater on right now. Rachel feels itchy and full of someone else’s germs and she begins to cry
in front of everybody. Just before the bell rings, that stupid Phyllis Lopez remembers the
sweater is hers. Mrs. Price acts like everything is okay, but it’s too late.
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Name ____________________________ Date __________
Eleven: Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks with the correct word.
itchy
edge
embarrassed
right now
germs
too late
sing
narrator
scolds
raggedy
The __________ of the story flashes back on her eleventh birthday. Rachel
remembers an old, ugly, __________ red sweater that her teacher put on her desk. It
isn’t Rachel’s sweater, and she’s so __________ that nothing comes out of her mouth.
Rachel wants to cry, but she just bites down on her teeth and remembers today is her
birthday. Rachel’s mother is making a cake and everyone will __________ happy
birthday. Rachel pushes the sweater to the corner of her desk until it hangs off the
__________. Mrs. Price __________ Rachel in front of the class, and tells her to put the
sweater on __________. Rachel feels __________ and full of someone else’s
__________ and she begins to cry in front of everybody. Just before the bell rings, that
stupid Phyllis Lopez remembers the sweater is hers. Mrs. Price acts like everything is
okay, but it’s __________.
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Name _____________________________________ Date _____________
Eleven: Exercise 2
Read each sentence and decide if it is true or false. If it is true, write the word “true” on
the line. If the sentence is false, rewrite the sentence to make it a true.
1. Rachel pushes it to the corner of her desk until the sweater hangs off the edge.
______________________________________________________________________
2. When Mrs. Price puts the sweater on Rachel’s desk, Rachel tries to speak up.
______________________________________________________________________
3. Eleven years is like having quarters rattling around in a band-aid box.
______________________________________________________________________
4. Rachel doesn’t want to argue with the teacher, so she doesn’t answer.
______________________________________________________________________
5. Sylvia thinks that she’s too skinny and Rachel doesn’t like her.
______________________________________________________________________
6. Rachel’s mother is making a cake, and everyone will sing happy birthday.
______________________________________________________________________
7. Just before the bell rings, that stupid Sylvia remembers the sweater is hers.
______________________________________________________________________
8. Even when you’re all grown up, you may want to cry, and that’s okay.
______________________________________________________________________
9. Mrs. Price bites down on her teeth because she is so angry.
______________________________________________________________________
10. Suddenly, Rachel begins to cry, and she wishes she were invisible.
______________________________________________________________________
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Name ____________________________ Date __________
Eleven: Exercise 3 (FCAT Practice/Reading Comprehension)
Read the statements. Then complete the sentences in the chart below placing the
events in the order in which they happened.
1. Silvia Saldivar tells everyone the sweater is Rachel’s.
2. Phyllis Lopez announces that it is her sweater.
3. Rachel says the sweater is not hers, but Mrs. Price disagrees and gives it to her.
4. Mrs. Price finds a sweater in the coatroom and asks whose sweater it is.
5. Mama is making a birthday cake because today is Rachel’s birthday.
6. Mrs. Price punishes Rachel in front of everybody for no reason and Rachel cries.
First,
Second,
Then,
Next,
After that,
Finally,
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Name ____________________________ Date __________
Eleven: Exercise 4 (FCAT Practice/Reading Comprehension)
Read the list of details from Sandra Cisneros short story, “Eleven”. Then classify the
details in the three circles below.
1. the part that’s three want to come out of her eyes
2. hanging all over the edge like a waterfall
3. no more nonsense
4. shaking like when you have hiccups
5. in a little voice like four
6. sitting there like a big red mountain
7. already on page thirty-two in the math book
8. full of germs
9. pretends like everything’s okay
10. smells like cottage cheese
11. Put it on now! Now!
12. eleven, ten nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two and one
CLASSIFYING DETAILS
Mrs. Price
Rachel
The Sweater
1.
1.
1.
2.
2.
2.
3.
3.
3.
4.
4.
4.
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Name ____________________________ Date __________
Eleven: Exercise 5
Fill in the blanks.
The narrator remembers her __________ birthday, and realizes that __________ don’t
understand much about __________. They don’t tell you __________ you are really going
__________ feel. However, now the __________ realizes eleven still feels __________ 10, 9,
8, 7, __________, 5, 4, 3, 2, __________ 1. Rachel knows that __________ she feels scared,
she __________ wants to sit on __________ mother’s lap. That part __________ her is still
five. __________, when Rachel says something __________, that part of her __________ still
ten. Even when __________ all grown up, Rachel __________ you may want to __________
like when you were __________, and that’s okay. Rachel __________ growing old like an
__________, or the rings of __________ tree trunk, because each __________ is inside the
next __________. The little dolls that __________ one inside the other __________ what
eleven feels like __________ Rachel. Eleven years is __________ having pennies rattling
around __________ a Band-Aid box.
The __________ of the story flashes __________ on her eleventh birthday. __________
an eleven-year-old girl, named __________, who doesn’t feel any __________ on her birthday.
She __________ expected to feel different __________ she turned eleven. Rachel __________
being in her classroom __________ day, and wishing she __________ much older than eleven.
__________ doesn’t know what to __________ when the teacher Mrs. __________ puts the
red sweater __________ her desk. The raggedy __________ sweater is old, ugly, __________
may be a thousand __________ old. It has been __________ in the coatroom for __________
month. Everybody says it’s __________ hers, and that stupid __________ Saldivar tells the
teacher __________ sweater must be Rachel’s. __________ thinks that Sylvia doesn’t
__________ her. When Mrs. Price __________ the sweater on Rachel’s __________, Rachel
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tries to speak __________, but nothing comes out.
__________, in a four-year-old little __________, Rachel says, “Not mine”. __________
front of everyone, Mrs. __________ says she remembers Rachel __________ the sweater
once. Rachel __________ want to argue with __________ teacher, so she doesn’t
__________. Rachel begins to feel __________ inside, and she wants __________ cry, but she
just __________ down on her teeth, __________ her eyes and remembers __________ is her
birthday. Rachel’s __________ is making a cake, __________ everyone will sing happy
__________.
When Rachel opens her __________, however, the red sweater __________ still sitting
there. Rachel __________ it to the corner __________ her desk until the __________ hangs off
the edge. __________ just wants math class __________ end so she can __________ the
sweater away. Mrs. __________ scolds Rachel in front __________ the class again, and
__________ her to put the __________ on right now and __________ the nonsense. Mrs. Price
__________ angry, and Rachel feels __________ crying again. The sweater __________ like
cottage cheese, but __________ puts it on. The __________ feels like it hurts, __________
Rachel feels itchy and __________ of someone else’s germs. __________ of a sudden, she
__________ to cry in front __________ everybody, and Rachel wishes __________ could be
invisible. She __________ so hard, her head __________, and she’s shaking.
Just __________ the bell rings, that __________ Phyllis Lopez remembers the
__________ is hers. Rachel hands __________ the sweater, and Mrs. __________ acts as if
everything __________ okay. Rachel thinks about __________ birthday celebration, but it’s
__________ late. Rachel wishes that __________ would disappear, and that __________ was
one hundred and __________.
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Name ____________________________ Date __________
Eleven: Exercise 6
Rewrite the sentence, using contractions for the pronoun and helping verb.
Example:
Rachel thinks about her birthday celebration, but it is too late.
Rachel thinks about her birthday celebration, but it’s too late.
1. The narrator realizes that people do not understand much about birthdays.
______________________________________________________________________
2. When she feels scared, Rachel wants to sit on her mother’s lap, and that is okay.
______________________________________________________________________
3. When Rachel says something stupid, that is the part of her that is still ten.
______________________________________________________________________
4. Even when you are all grown up, you may want to cry like and that is okay.
______________________________________________________________________
5. She is an eleven-year-old girl who does not feel any different on her birthday.
______________________________________________________________________
6. She does not know what to say when Mrs. Price puts the red sweater on her desk.
______________________________________________________________________
7. An old, ugly, raggedy red sweater may be a thousand years old.
______________________________________________________________________
8. Everybody says it is not hers, and Sylvia tells the teacher it is Rachel’s.
______________________________________________________________________
9. Rachel, Sylvia and Phyllis are eleven. They are all in the same class.
______________________________________________________________________
10. Rachel does not want to argue with the teacher, so she does not answer.
______________________________________________________________________
11. Rachel’s mother is making a cake, and they will sing happy birthday.
______________________________________________________________________
12. Rachel has been growing up for a long time.
______________________________________________________________________
13. We are interested in reading other people’s stories of their childhood.
______________________________________________________________________
14. She cries so hard, her head hurts, and she is shaking.
______________________________________________________________________
15. She would like the teacher to understand that the sweater is not hers.
______________________________________________________________________
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