Concept Unit

Lesson Plan Template

Unit Working Title: How I Can Use Literature to Overcome Obstacles in My Own Life

Unit Big Idea (Concept/Theme): Approaching Adversity

Unit Primary Skill focus: Making an Argument

Week __1__ of 3; Plan #__2__ of 9; [90 mins.]

Plan type: _X_Full-Detail ____Summary

Content Requirement Satisfied: Reading Experience, Vocabulary Instruction in Context,

Modeling
(Note: Refer to the list in the document called Concept Unit Lesson Plans)

Unit Learning Objectives (numbered) [from my Backwards Design Unit Document],

followed by Specific lesson objectives (lettered) being taught in this lesson:

SWBAT:
Cognitive (know/understand):
9. Students will be able to annotate for a particular purpose or with a specific thing in mind
instead of just responding on an emotional level
a. students will know why annotating is valuable
b. students will know that annotating is adding notes to a text that give an explanation or
comment
c. students will use annotations to engage in close reading
d. students will know unfamiliar vocabulary words from the texts we read, learning them
in context as pre-reading activities

Affective (feel/value) and/or Non-Cognitive:

N/A

Performance (do):
8. Students will be able to make written and oral arguments about whether characters choices in
literature when faced with adversity were effective choices to make at the time
a. students will be able to close read passages from texts
b. students will be able to analyze passages using close reading

SOLs: [List with numbers portrayed in the SOL document]

7.4 The student will read to determine the meanings and pronunciations of unfamiliar words and
phrases within authentic texts
c. identify and analyze figurative language
d. identify connotations

7.5 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of fictional texts,
narrative nonfiction, and poetry
d. Draw conclusions and make inferences on explicit and implied information.
g. make inferences and draw conclusions based on the text

CCSs: [List with numbers portrayed in the CCS document]

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in
the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of
the range.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and
connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g.
alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story of drama.

Methods of Assessment:
[How will you know if the intended learning occurred?] List all methods of assessment used in
this lesson or which are related to this lesson and come in a future lesson. After each assessment,
indicate in brackets the number(s) and letter(s) of the unit objective and the related lesson
objectives that the assessment is evaluating.

Diagnostic Formative Summative

Before this lesson,
students will have
engaged in an
introduction to the unit,
defining the terms we
will use throughout the
unit (specifically
adversity, hardship,
perseverance). At the
beginning of this
lesson, I will ask
students if theyve ever
heard of annotating
before and if they have
what they know about
it (brain dump list on
the board)
I will pre-teach
unfamiliar vocabulary
in the text as well.
Objectives: 9c
CCSS.ELA-
LITERACY.RL.7.4
During class today after
a mini-lesson on
annotation with a
purpose, students will
practice annotating with
a specific prompt on a
passage that I will give
them. This will be the
same passage for all
students and at the end
of the annotating they
will be asked to draft an
answer that attempts to
fulfill the prompts
question. Questions will
differ for each passage.
(7b, 9)
At the end of the lesson,
students will complete
an exit card which has
the following questions:
1. Write down a
definition for
annotating in your
own words
2. Why do we
annotate? How
can annotations
be useful to you
when you are
reading and when
As part of their summative
assessment, students will have
to close read passages of text in
order to make an argument in
their partner Book Talk
presentation.
As part of their summative
assessment, students will
complete a personal reflection
writing activity where they
analyze their own process of
overcoming an obstacle in their
life. This assignment will be
graded on the following (as
components of a rubric):
1. Did they identify the
challenge or obstacle
clearly?
2. Did they examine their
responses to the
obstacle critically,
justifying their rationale
for their decisions?
Did they talk about why this
challenge was significant for
them and what they learned
from this experience?
Objectives: 8a, 8b, 9c
CCSS.ELA-
LITERACY.RL.7.10
SOL7.5 d, g; 7.4 c, d
 you are looking
back at a text?

If the majority of the

class did not respond to
these questions with a
well thought-through
answer that reflects
what we talked about in
class, I will plan to go
back and teach
annotating again.

Objectives: 9a, 9b,

SOL7.5 d, g; 7.4 c, d
CCSS.ELA-
LITERACY.RL.7.4

Procedures/Instructional Strategies
[Note: Any words that represent what I would say directly to students appear in italics.]

Beginning Room Arrangement: Students will be sitting in a horseshoe style circling around the
teacher and the board at the front of the room.

1. [3 min] Opening to lesson:

Hey guys, thanks for coming in quickly and quietly this morning. I am so excited to start reading
a text with yall today! It is called Mother and Daughter by Gary Soto. Have any of you heard
of him before or read anything from him? (Pause, wait for response) Great, I really like his
writing style and I think yall will too. Before we read the short story together as a class, we are
going to do some activities that will prep us to read the text and give us necessary context. Next,
yall will learn about annotating by watching me annotate. Finally, we will read the story as a
class and listen to the recording of it. While you are reading, you will practice your annotating.
Since this is a block period, you will have a scheduled 5-minute break between the end of the
lesson on annotating and when we start to read the text. Does anyone not understand the
schedule for today? (Could write this structure up on the board so they have a visual, would want
to do this before class though).

2. [30 mins.] Pre-reading Activities for Text: Pre-teaching Vocabulary and Anticipation
Guide
Vocabulary instruction (20 min):
The short story that we are going to be reading today has some words in it that are probably
unfamiliar to you guys, and thats okay. I want you to actually learn these words, not just look at
the definitions and then understand what they mean in a sentence. So today we are going to try
something different with vocabulary. Everyone please take out one piece of scratch paper and a
pen or pencil. (Pass out list of vocabulary words with definitions Appendix F, Go over the
definitions as a class, asking Spanish-speaking students to share the proper pronunciations of the
Spanish words if they feel comfortable) I am going to give you a list of the words and you will
create a story with them! We have 11 words, so the story will be 11 lines long.
Please make sure that each sentence doesnt go over a line on your paper. When you see the
word on the board, I encourage you to look at your sheet to find its definition if you need some
help! Keep in mind that you want your story to flow a little so it should come to some type of
conclusion, but dont worry, Ill let you know when you have only a few lines left and when
youre half way. If its okay with everyone, Id love to post the final products for these up on the
wall in our class, so make sure your sentences are appropriate and not too personal! Does
anyone have any questions? (Pause, go through exercise)

Great, I bet yall have some fun stories! Does anyone have a line or two that they want to share
with the class? (Pause, student talk). Fantastic, yall really took those in a bunch of different
directions. Please pass them in to me so I can display them in our classroom!

Anticipation Guide (10 min):

So guys, now we are going to move on to talking about more background information and
context for the short story we are going to read. (Put googledoc on board using projector,
Appendix G). Please get into groups of four to discuss these questions that relate to the short
story well be reading. I would really like for each person in your group to speak, even if you are
not saying a fully-formed thought. There is no way you can be wrong with this because it is all
based on opinion! There is no wrong answer! Since yall are in a horse shoe, lets just do the
closest four who are next to each other so not everyone has to move a lot. Please take 2 minutes
to rearrange your desks into a cluster. Ready, go! (If students are taking their time arranging
their desks, use proximity or a verbal reminder to redirect them to the discussion. Circulate
around the room and listen in on conversations, playing devils advocate if necessary)

Awesome, the first question is (Read from Appendix G) What did your group say for the first
question? (Student Talk, repeat this process for each question/sharing time on anticipation guide)

3. Read through the story once [10 min]

Students will complete this individually at their desks. I will tell them not to mark anything yet,
but just to get their first impressions of the story.

4. [13 mins.] Hook/Introduction to Annotating

Today we are going to learn about a thing called annotating. Has anyone heard of this word
before? (Pause, if someone says yes, ask them to say the context that theyve heard it in and a
guess for what they think it means, if no one responds continue) Annotating is a fancy word for
taking notes on what you read while you are reading. Im sure that you guys have done this
before in your English classes, even if you didnt call it annotating. Please write this down in
your notebooks: (Write on the board: annotating= taking notes while you read)

Who has an idea for the type of annotations that you could do? (Pause, wait for volunteers, if not
give an example or cold call) One annotation that I find myself using a lot is underlining. I
usually underline parts of a passage that I like, want to emphasize, or think are important.
Another type of annotation I like to use is a question mark. If theres any part of the text thats
confusing to me, say a part where Im not sure whats going on in the plot, this is an easy way for
me to mark it so I can go back later and try to decipher the meaning. Please make a list on your
paper labeled types of annotations where you write these down. Now, we have underlining
and question mark. Can anyone think of another type of annotating you can do? (Pause, wait for
volunteer, if not cold call)

Lets watch this video from a girl a little bit older than you who has used annotating to help her
in her English classes. As the video is going, please write down the different types of annotation
that she uses under your list in your notebook. When we come back together, Im going to
randomly choose some of you to share with me the types of annotations that she uses, so please
be prepared! (Pause, play video [Appendix A 4 min]) Awesome, now that weve all watched the
video together ____ can you tell me some of the things that this girl likes to mark in her books?
(Make a list of these on the board) Great, now guys, as were going over these as a class, please
add the ones that you didnt come up with to your master list.

Great, so I bet you guys noticed that this student did A LOT of annotating. This video is not
meant to overwhelm you. Instead, I wanted it to show you how many different possibilities there
are for annotating. I think one of the reasons that annotating will really help yall with your
reading is that it can serve as an active outlet for your thoughts. Some of my books from middle
and high school are covered in annotations. Like this girl, you can also use a color-coding
system if that appeals to you. I had one for my own independent thoughts and then another for
comments that the teacher or my classmates made in class.

Since there are so many different ways you could annotate something, I came up with a list of
text codes to guide your annotations. I have a poster that I made of these to put up in the room,
so you can look at it if you ever get stuck! (Point to poster in room, list of things that will be on
this poster are Appendix B)

Awesome, now I want yall to consider the so what. Whats the purpose of annotating? Why do
we do it? Please turn to your elbow partner and discuss this question for 3 minutes. When we
are done having conversations, I will randomly call on some of you to share your thoughts so
please be ready to share! It might be useful to jot down a few notes about your conversation with
your partner. Ready, go! (Pause, set timer for 3 min, circulate around the room listening in on
conversations)

Awesome, I can tell that you guys understand why annotation is important. Thanks for letting me
listen in on your small group conversations! Since weve been sitting for awhile, take a 5 minute
break to get water, go to the bathroom, or just move around. Please be back in your seat by the
end of the 5 minutes.

**5 MIN BREAK**

5. [20 mins.] Mini-Lesson on Annotating: Modeling

Alright everyone, thanks for coming back from your break on-time and being ready to jump back
into our work for today. Now, were going to delve deeper into annotating. Im going to show
you how I annotate, then we will do some together, then you will do some independently. Please
stop me at any point in this process if you have questions about anything that I do. Since the
theme of our unit is adversity (and might I add that yall had such good conversations about the
definition of adversity last class) Im going to be annotating a text that deals with adversity. You
can use this text for your Character Talk final project, but you must use a different section
than the one that I annotate today.

The text Im going to annotate is an article about Oprah. You guys know who that is, right?
(Pause, opportunity for student talk if they want to share a few things they know about her or
have heard about her) I want to let yall know that the context of the article is a little tough
because its about abuse, so I want to remind yall to be respectful of each other and its okay if
you need to step out of the room for a second because of the nature of the content. Shes pretty
famous now, but I bet a bunch of you didnt know that she actually had a really tough childhood
during which she was abused. This story is also 100% true, so keep in mind that even though a
lot of the texts we will be reading are fiction, you can overcome adversity in real life too!
Using the text codes, Im going to go through and annotate a section of this article. Im also
going to pay attention to a guiding question, which is meant to direct my annotating. When you
guys are annotating right now, you will also have a guiding question. However, the text codes
are always good things to fall back on if youre not sure what to annotate. Has anyone ever
heard of a guided question before? (Pause, possible student talk) Its basically a question that
gives you some direction for what you are supposed to do. A guided question will guide you with
the text youre reading. Does anyone have any questions about guided questions? (Pause)

Okay, lets get started! My guiding questions are:

1. Make a list of the struggles or adversities that Oprah encountered in her life (put them in
the order they appear in the article)
2. This article makes it obvious that Oprah did not have an easy time growing up, but she
made it. What are some of the things that proved helpful in getting Oprah through?
Circle the words with a positive tone that contribute to this sense of overcoming an
obstacle.

Read passage aloud once then go back and add annotations. Add the majority of annotations
based on the guiding question, but also use the text codes for annotations as well. (Appendix I)

(Think aloud for annotating).

6. [17 mins] Listen to story, (during reading activity: annotations)

13 min: YouTube video that is recording of someone reading the story (Appendix G)

Now that weve done our preparation for this short story and learned about annotating and how
to annotate, we are going to get to put these skills to the test. Ill play a recording of the short
story for all of you to listen to. As you are listening, please follow along with the text on your
copy. This time, though, you may make annotations as you wish. I would like for each person to
have at least 8 to 9 annotations for the story, which shouldnt be too hard. If you get stuck for
which types of annotations you could do, refer back to our class text codes for annotating (Point
to poster Appendix B)

Does anyone have any questions about what you are supposed to be doing? (Pause) While
students are listening to the recording, I will circulate and make sure they are annotating and
following along with the words. If necessary, I will pause the recording after certain points so
students have time to write down everything they need to.

7 min: Classroom share-out of the annotations you made

Show them a completed version of the text with my annotations. Ask them to give examples of
annotations that they made. If they said they liked or disliked a section, push them beyond that
answer. Why were they attracted or repelled from it? What were their thoughts about the story as
a whole? As we are sharing out, I will have a copy of the short story and write down some of the
students sample annotations. Students will be instructed to copy down annotations that they did
not have, but their peers did come up with.

7. [remaining min, if applicable]

Connect annotating explicitly to this thing called close reading. Ask if they have heard of that
term before. Come up with a working definition. Talk about the connection between annotating
and close reading (annotations can help you close read!). Talk about why you would want to
close read. Explain that we will be close reading next class. If theres a lot of extra time, start
delving into the texts for next class so they get exposure to more works.

8. [5 mins] Closure

Yall did such a great job today staying on task and I was so impressed by all of your hard work
with annotating Before you leave today, please rip out a small piece of paper from your notebook
and complete this exit card (Appendix D) Dont spend more than 3 minutes on this exit slip. I
will be at the door collecting these from you before you leave. Have a great rest of your day
everyone! (Formative Assessment)

Differentiated Instruction to accommodate one or more of my profiled students:

(This is where you identify specific aspects of this lesson which have been differentiated in order
to address the needs of one or more of your profiled studentsidentify them by name)

I incorporated a break for the students who get restless after sitting for a long period of time. I
tried to have a variety of different activities so students werent just working independently,
working with a partner, or working in a small group the entire time. Additionally, the exit slip is
tiered so students can challenge themselves by choice. For the Spanish-speaking students as well,
since this lesson incorporates Spanish words in the short story, I would love to ask them to share
the correct pronunciation of these words if they feel comfortable.

Additionally, I will be aware of the students who typically struggle with reading since this lesson
is reading heavy and be ready to provide them with extra scaffolds. For example, Stan will be
sitting next to students who are more advanced readers so that they make a heterogeneous group,
in the hopes that these students could help him. I will also be available for assistance.

Materials Needed (list):

Student notebooks
Computer with Projector and hookup
Whiteboard with dry-erase markers
Handout for Annotation Practice
Copy of Mother Daughter by Soto
Exit Slip for Annotating
Anticipation Guide
List of Definitions for Vocabulary Words
Recording of Mother Daughter for students to listen to

Materials Appendix: (e.g., supplementary texts, Ppts, overheads, graphic organizers,

handouts, etc.)

Appendix A: YouTube Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muZcJXlfCWs

Appendix B: List of Annotations System to Put on Poster in Classroom
Appendix C: Handout for Excerpts to Annotate (need 1 copy per student)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XWSYJL3XLUoxaaTmrblX-
hJEv9yb8biEKVd3YVLejAQ/edit
Appendix D: Exit Slip for Annotating
Appendix E: Copies of Mother Daughter by Gary Soto
Appendix F: List of Definitions for Vocabulary Words
Appendix G: Anticipation Guide (to put on projector)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ESzczB4YfnoZ16-
42xMQU2YU2h8kWvn9KN2ZlknLu3U/edit
Appendix H: recording of Mother Daughter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdf0CWGqAFs
Appendix I: Oprah Obstacles for Modeling Annotating

Appendix B: Types of Annotations (to put on decorative poster in room)

1. ?? (question mark)
a. I am confused, what is going on here? Need help, this
part doesnt make sense to me
2. _____________ (underlining)

a. I think this part is important, this part stood out to me,

I want to discuss this in class, I want to remember this
part for later
3. (circle with a squiggle for the outline)
a. a word I dont know
4. (heart)
a. I liked this part
5. Figurative Language (FL: write type of figurative lang.)
a. Whenever you see figurative lang. use FL to mark it
and then write the type of figurative language (e.g. FL:
simile)

Appendix D: Exit Slip for Annotating

Name____________________

Date____________________

Annotating: What is it? Why do it?

Directions: Choose one of the three directions (straight ahead, uphill, or mountainous) to

complete about the work we did with annotations today. **ONLY COMPLETE 1

Straight ahead: 1. Write down a definition for annotating in your own words

Uphill: 2. Annotate this passage using this guided question: Circle all of the images and write
down the effect of these images on the passage. Why would the author use them?

The evening was warm but thick with clouds. Gusts of wind picked up the paper lanterns
hanging in the trees and swung them, blurring the night with reds and yellows. The lanterns
made the evening seem romantic, like a scene from a movie. Everyone danced, sipped punch,
and stood in knots of threes and fours, talking.

Mountainous: 3. Why do we annotate?

a. How can annotations be useful to you when you are reading and when you are
looking back at a text?

Appendix E: Mother Daughter by Gary Soto

Mother and Daughter by Gary Soto **Vocabulary words are underlined and bolded**

Yollies mother, Mrs. Moreno, was a large woman who wore a muumuu and butterfly- shaped
glasses. She liked to water her lawn in the evening and wave at low-riders, who would stare at
her behind their smoky sunglasses and laugh. Now and then a low-rider from Belmont Avenue
would make his car jump and shout Mamacita! But most of the time they just stared and
wondered how she got so large.

Mrs. Moreno had a strange sense of humor. Once, Yollie and her mother were watching a late-
night movie called They Came to Look. It was about creatures from the underworld who had
climbed through molten lava to walk the earth. But Yollie, who had played soccer all day with
the kids next door, was too tired to be scared. Her eyes closed but sprang open when her mother
screamed, Look Yollie! Oh, you missed a scary part. The guys face was all ugly!
But Yollie couldnt keep her eyes open. They fell shut again and stayed shut, even when her
mother screamed and slammed a heavy palm on the arm of her chair.

Mom, wake me up when the movies over so I can go to bed, mumbled Yollie.OK, Yollie, I
wake you, said her mother through a mouthful of popcorn. But after the movie ended, instead
of waking her daughter, Mrs. Moreno laughed under her breath, turned the TV and lights off, and
tiptoed to bed. Yollie woke up in the middle of the night and didnt know where she was. For a
moment she thought she was dead. Maybe something from the underworld had lifted her from
her house and carried her into the earths belly. She blinked her sleepy eyes, looked around at the
darkness, and called, Mom? Mom, where are you? But there was no answer, just the throbbing
hum of the refrigerator.

Finally, Yollies grogginess cleared and she realized her mother had gone to bed, leaving her on
the couch. Another of her little jokes.

But Yollie wasnt laughing. She tiptoed into her mothers bedroom with a glass of water and set
it on the nightstand next to the alarm clock. The next morning, Yollie woke to screams. When her
mother reached to turn off the alarm, she had overturned the glass of water. Yollie burned her
mothers morning toast and gloated. Ha! Ha! I got you back. Why did you leave me on the
couch when I told you to wake me up? Despite their jokes, mother and daughter usually got
along.

They watched bargain matinees together, and played croquet in the summer and checkers in the
winter. Mrs. Moreno encouraged Yollie to study hard because she wanted her daughter to be a
doctor. She bought Yollie a desk, a typewriter, and a lamp that cut glare so her eyes would not
grow tired from hours of studying.

Yollie was slender as a tulip, pretty and one of the smartest kids at Saint Theresas. She was
captain of crossing guards, an alter girl, and a whiz in the schools monthly spelling bees.

Tienes que estudiar mucho, Mrs. Moreno said every time she propped her work-weary feet on
the hassock. You have to study a lot, then you can get a good job and take care of me. Yes,
Mama, Yollie would respond, her face buried in a book. If she gave her mother any sympathy,
she would begin her stories about how she had come with her family from Mexico with nothing
on her back but a sack with three skirts, all of which were too large by the time she crossed the
border because she had lost weight from not having enough to eat.

Everyone thought Yollies mother was a riot. Even the nuns laughed at her antics. Her brother
Raul, a nightclub owner, thought she was funny enough to go into show business. But there was
nothing funny about Yollie needing a new outfit for the eighth-grade fall dance. They couldnt
afford one. It was late October, with Christmas around the corner, and their dented Chevy Nova
had gobbled up almost one hundred dollars in repairs.

We dont have the money, said her mother, genuinely sad because they couldnt buy the outfit,
even though there was a little money stashed away for college. Mrs. Moreno remembered her
teenage years and her hardworking parents, who picked grapes and oranges, and chopped beets
and cotton for meager pay around Kerman. Those were the days when new clothes meant limp
and out-of-style dresses from Saint Vincent de Paul. The best Mrs. Moreno could do was buy
Yollie a pair of black shoes with velvet bows and fabric dye to color her white summer dress
black.

We can color your dress so it will look brand-new, her mother said brightly, shaking the bottle
of dye as she ran hot water into a plastic dish tub. She poured the black liquid into the tub and
stirred it with a pencil. Then, slowly and carefully, she lowered the dress into the tub.

Yollie couldnt stand to watch. She knew it wouldnt work. It would be like the time her mother
stirred up a batch of molasses for candy apples on Yollies birthday. Shed dipped the apples in
the goo and swirled them and seem to taunt Yollie by singing Las Maanitas to her. When
she was through, she set the apples on wax paper. They were hard as rocks and hurt kids teeth.
Finally they had a contest to see who could break the apples open by throwing them against the
side of the house. The apples shattered like grenades, sending the kids scurrying for cover, and in
an odd way the birthday party turned out to be a success. At least everyone went home happy.

To Yollies surprise, the dress came out shiny black. It looked brand-new and sophisticated, like
what people in New York wear. She beamed at her mother, who hugged Yollie and said, See,
what did I tell you?

The dance was important to Yollie because she was in love with Ernie Castillo, the third- best
speller in the class. She bathed, dressed, did her hair and nails, and primped until her mother
yelled, All right already. Yollie sprayed her neck and wrists with Mrs. Morenos Avon perfume
and bounced into the car.

Mrs. Moreno let Yollie out in front of the school. She waved and told her to have a good time but
behave herself, then she roared off, blue smoke trailing from the tail pipe of the old Nova. Yollie
ran into her best friend, Janice. They didnt say it, but each thought the other was the most
beautiful girl at the dance; the boys would fall over themselves asking them to dance.

The evening was warm but thick with clouds. Gusts of wind picked up the paper lanterns
hanging in the trees and swung them, blurring the night with reds and yellows. The lanterns
made the evening seem romantic, like a scene from a movie. Everyone danced, sipped punch,
and stood in knots of threes and fours, talking. Sister Kelly got up and jitterbugged with some
kids father. When the record ended, students broke into applause.

Janice had her eye on Frankie Ledesma, and Yollie, who kept smoothing her dress down when
the wind picked up, had her eye on Ernie. It turned out that Ernie had his mind on Yollie, too. He
ate a handful of cookies nervously, then asked her for a dance.

Sure, she said, nearly throwing herself into his arms. They danced two fast ones before they
got a slow one. As they circled under the lanterns, rain began falling, lightly at first. Yollie loved
the sound of the raindrops ticking against the leaves. She leaned her head on Ernies shoulder,
though his sweater was scratchy. He felt warm and tender. Yollie could tell that he was in love,
and with her, of course. The dance continued successfully, romantically, until it began to pour.

Everyone, lets go insideand, boys, carry in the table and the record player, Sister Kelly
commanded. The girls and boys raced into the cafeteria. Inside, the girls, drenched to the bone,
hurried to the restrooms to brush their hair and dry themselves. One girl cried because her velvet
dress was ruined. Yollie felt sorry for her and helped her dry the dress of with paper towels, but it
was no use. The dress was ruined.

Yollie went to a mirror. She looked a little gray now that her mothers makeup had washed away
but not as bad as some of the other girls. She combed her damp hair, careful not to pull too hard.
She couldnt wait to get back to Ernie. Yollie bent over to pick up a bobby pin, and shame spread
across her face. A black puddle was forming at her feet. Drip, black drip. Drip, black drip. The
dye was falling from her dress like black tears. Yollie stood up. Her dress was now the color of
ash. She looked around the room. The other girls, unaware of Yollies problem, were busy
grooming themselves. What could she do? Everyone would laugh. They would know she dyed
an old dress because she couldnt afford a new one. She hurried from the restroom with her head
down, across the cafeteria floor and out the door. She raced through the storm, crying as the rain
mixed with her tears and ran into twig-choked gutters.

When she arrived home, her mother was on the couch eating cookies and watching TV. How
was the dance, mija? Come watch the show with me. Its really good. Yollie stomped, head
down, to her bedroom. She undressed and threw the dress on the floor. Her mother came into the
room. Whats going on? Whats all the racket, baby?

The dress. Its cheap! Its no good! Yollie kicked the dress at her mother and watched it land in
her hands. Mrs. Moreno studied it closely but couldnt see what was wrong. Whats the matter?
Its just little bit wet. The dye came out, thats what. Mrs. Moreno looked at her hands and
saw the grayish dye puddling in the shallow lines of her palms. Poor baby, she thought, her brow
darkening as she made a sad face. She wanted to tell her daughter how sorry she was, but she
knew it wouldnt help. She walked back to the living room and cried.

The next morning, mother and daughter stayed away from each other. Yollie sat in her room
turning the pages of an old Seventeen, while her mother watered her plants with a Pepsi bottle.
Drink, my children, she said loud enough for Yollie to hear. She let the water slurp into pots of
coleus and cacti. Water is all you need. My daughter needs clothes, but I dont have no money.
Yollie tossed her Seventeen on her bed. She was embarrassed at last nights tirade. It wasnt her
mothers fault that they were poor.

When they sat down together for lunch, they felt awkward about the night before. But Mrs.
Moreno had made a fresh stack of tortillas and cooked up a pan of chile verde, and that broke the
ice. She licked her thumb and smacked her lips.

You know, honey, we gotta figure a way to make money, Yollies mother said. You and me.
We dont have to be poor. Remember the Garcias. They made this stupid little tool that fixes cars.
They moved away because theyre rich. Thats why we dont see them no more.

What can we make? asked Yollie. She took another tortilla and tore it in half. Maybe a
screwdriver that works on both ends? Something like that. The mother looked around the room
for ideas, but then shrugged. Lets forget it. Its better to get an education. If you get a good job
and have spare time then maybe you can invent something. She rolled her tongue over her lips
and cleared her throat. The county fair hires people. We can get a job there. It will be here next
week.

Yollie hated the idea. What would Ernie say if he saw her pitching hay at the cows? How could
she go to school smelling like an armful of chickens? No, they wouldnt hire us, she said. The
phone rang. Yollie lurched from her chair to answer it, thinking it would be Janice wanting to
know why she had left. But it was Ernie wondering the same thing. When he found out she
wasnt mad at him, he asked if she would like to go to a movie.

Ill ask, Yollie said, smiling. She covered the phone with her hand and counted to ten. She
uncovered the receiver and said, My mom says its OK. What are we going to see? After Yollie
hung up, her mother climbed, grunting, onto a chair to reach the top shelf in the hall closet. She
wondered why she hadnt done it earlier. She reached behind a stack of towels and pushed her
chubby hand into the cigar box where she kept her secret stash of money.

Ive been saving a little every month, said Mrs. Moreno. For you, mija. Her mother held up
five twenties, a blossom of green that smelled sweeter than flowers on that Saturday. They drove
to Macys and bought a blouse, shoes, and a skirt that would not bleed in rain or any other kind
of weather.

Appendix F: Vocabulary Instruction Definitions of Unfamiliar Words

Unfamiliar words for Gary Sotos Mother Daughter
1. Muumuu: n. a full, long, loose-fitting dress. Originally worn in Hawaii, muumuus are
usually brightly colored with bold patterns.
2. Matinees: n. afternoon performances of a play or movie (from the French word matin
meaning morning)
3. Croquet: n. a racket sport similar to tennis
4. Hassock: an upholstered footstool or ottoman
5. Antics: n. playful or silly acts
6. Meager: adj. slight, small amount
7. Las Mananitas: n. a traditional Mexican birthday song
8. Sophisticated: adj. worldly; elegant and refined
9. Mija: n. Spanish word for daughter
10. Coleus: n. a type of plant in the mint family
11. Tirade: n. long, scolding speech

Appendix I: Article on Oprah Overcoming Obstacles for Modeling Annotating

Overcoming Obstacles: What Oprah Winfrey

Learned From Her Childhood of Abuse
Elizabeth Street

January 7, 2015
Lifestyles , Live & Learn

0 Comments
Facebook725TwitterPinterest13Google+EmailMore1.2K
This is one in a series of profiles on famous
people who overcame incredible obstacles, failed
many times or defied grim odds in order to succeed.

She was born to a single teenage mother on welfare in rural Mississippi. She felt unwanted and
was shuttled back and forth from her grandmother to her mother and then to her father by the
time she was 14. She lived in poverty and suffered abuse for years. This does not sound like the
beginnings of a media mogul who would go on to own a cable network and become one of
Americas most influential people and the first African-American billionaire, and yet it is.

A Childhood of Abuse

In fact, Oprah had to overcome many challenges and

obstacles before achieving the success she enjoys today. She began life on a small farm in
Mississippi where her strict grandmother raised her. I was beaten regularly, she told David
Letterman during a lecture series at Ball State University. She recalled a time that her
grandmother punished her for putting her fingers in a bucket of water she had retrieved from the
well. She whipped me so badly that I had welts on my back and the welts would bleed, she
said, which then stained her good Sunday dress. So then I got another whipping for getting
blood on the dress. She was also lonely much of the time and due to her familys poverty,
conditions were poor. But her grandmother taught her to read before she was three years old and
she still recalls the positive reception she received when she recited Bible verses at her
grandmothers church. The sense of approval and acceptance she felt after speaking to the
congregation stayed with her and influenced her future career choices.

At six years old, Oprah went to live with her mother in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Since her mother
worked long hours as a maid, Oprah was neglected. At nine years old, she was left in the care of
her 19-year-old cousin who raped her. She continued to suffer sexual abuse from other relatives,
including her mothers boyfriend, until she was 13 years old, when she ran away from home. At
14, she became pregnant (the baby died shortly after birth) and she moved in with her father in
Tennessee.

Learning from her Painful Past

The human experience of yours is stunning, David Letterman told Oprah during the Ball State
University interview. I am so grateful for my years literally living in poverty, she replied,
because it makes the experience of creating success and building success that much more
rewarding. Oprah has continued to build on her own success; she created a monthly
magazine, O, The Oprah Magazine, has produced a variety of films, syndicated television
programs, and a Broadway musical, and was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role
in The Color Purple. In 2011 she launched her own cable network, OWN. Time.com and CNN
have called her the worlds most powerful woman and she has appeared on Times 100 most
influential list ten times since 2004the only person to have appeared on the list that many
times. And from 2004 until 2010, she was ranked among the 50 most generous Americans,
giving away nearly $400 million to educational causes.

Oprah developed a number of character traits as a result of living through these childhood
traumas, many of which she now attributes to her success. My story just helped define and
shape me as does everybodys story, she said in the Letterman interview.

Below are some of the lessons Oprah learned through her difficult childhood that are still
relevant to children and parents today:

Developing Resilience
Sadly, Oprah is not the first or last child to grow up under the shadow of abuse, poverty, and
neglect. Such obstacles can be overwhelming and many have trouble ever rising above them, but
those who do have developed a certain level of resilience. When they step into a situation,
[resilient kids] have a sense they can figure out what they need to do and can handle what is
thrown at them with a sense of confidence, said psychotherapist Lynn Lyons. Some kids are
naturally resilient, but resilience can be taught. To be resilient, a child needs to have good self-
esteem, a positive outlook, and encouraging adults to provide guidance. For every one of us that
succeeds, Oprah said in her biography, its because there is somebody there to show you the
way outfor me, it was teachers and school.

Thinking Positively
Studies have shown that positive thinking can produce beneficial results for many people,
including less stress, better coping skills and increased health. Oprah has been a strong proponent
of positive thinking and has devoted many of her programs to this topic. The greatest discovery
of all time, she said, is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.
Although a persons situation has a great deal to do with their wellbeing and their state of mind,
so does their attitude. As Abraham Lincoln once said, most folks are about as happy as they
make up their minds to be. Having an optimistic outlook is useful when working to overcome
major obstacles.

Taking Advantage of Opportunity

Some might say Oprahs rise to success was a result of luck or being at the right place at the right
time, but Oprah did learn to recognize opportunities and utilize them. I feel that luck is
preparation meeting opportunity, Oprah has said, and she learned to never waste an opportunity
to improve or achieve something more. Successful people learn to see opportunity where others
may not and they are open to new possibilities and quick to try something new. Psychologists
have learned that often people who think of themselves as lucky are really just better at seeing
and seizing opportunities.

As has been true with so many who have learned to overcome major obstacles in their lives,
Oprah found a way to not only overcome her childhood abuse and traumas but to use what she
learned from them to become extremely successful in her adult life. And she continues to
encourage others to do the same. Turn your wounds into wisdom, she tells the viewers of her
network.