Eleven by Sandra Cisneros

by Sandra Cisneros

Journal Entry #4: Write about your most memorable birthday.

First Read:
http://mcgrawlibrary.weebly.com/uploads/1/7/8/4/17841249/eleven_-_sandra_cisneros_-_narrative_example.pdf
Allow students to share journal entries regarding memorable birthdays. I will read "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros to my students. Brief discussion.

Second Read:
Students will read the text individually. Highlighting any unfamiliar vocabulary, phrases, or figurative language.  Class discussion of unfamiliar terms. Analyze main character's actions. Analyze the teacher's actions. Discuss theme. Discuss figurative language. Highlight writer's use of similes. How does the writer's word choice affect the reader's reaction to the text? Cite textual evidence to how the main character feels about turning eleven.

Third Read:
Partner read the text. Partner A read first paragraph, Partner B responds to text with "I believe this paragraph shows..." Partner B reads the second paragraph, Partner A responds to the text with "I believe this paragraph shows..." continue taking turns until text is read completely.

Assessment: Students will complete multiple choice questions, short answer questions, and a writing assignment based on this text.
http://sandbox.bpe.org/files/MN3Eleven.pdf

Character Evolution Timeline for Rachael

Quote #1: Emotion- Curious
What they don’t understand about birthdays and what they never tell you is that when you’re eleven, you’re also ten, and nine, and eight, and seven, and six, and five, and four, and three, and two, and one. And when you wake up on your eleventh birthday you expect to feel eleven, but you don’t. You open your eyes and everything’s just like yesterday, only it’s today. And you don’t feel eleven at all. You feel like you’re still ten. And you are—underneath the year that
makes you eleven.
Quote #1 Description and Notes





Quote #2: Emotion--Surprised and Confused
“That’s not, I don’t, you’re not . . . Not mine,” I finally say in a little voice that was maybe me when I was four.
Quote #2: Description and Notes






Quote #3: Emotion--Horrified
But when the sick feeling goes away and I open my eyes, the red sweater’s still sitting there like a big red mountain. I move the red sweater to the corner of my desk with my ruler. I move my pencil and books and eraser as far from it as possible. I even move my chair a little to the right. Not mine, not mine, not mine.
Quote#3: Description and Notes






Quote #4:Emotion-- Hurt
This is when I wish I wasn’t eleven, because all the years inside of me—ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, and one—are pushing at the back of my eyes when I put one arm through one sleeve of the sweater that smells like
cottage cheese, and then the other arm through the other 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.
Quote #4: Description and Notes






Quote#5: Emotion-- Miserable
I put my head down on the desk and bury my face in my stupid clown-sweater arms. My face all hot and spit coming out of my mouth because I can’t stop the little animal noises from coming out of me, until there aren’t any more tears left in my eyes, and it’s just my body shaking like when you have the hiccups and my whole head hurts like when you drink milk too fast.
Quote #5: Description and Notes






Quote #6: Emotion-- Withdrawn
I’m eleven today. I’m eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, and one, but I wish I was one hundred and two. I wish I was anything but eleven, because I want today to be far away already, far away like a runaway balloon, like a tiny o in the sky, so tiny-tiny you have to close your eyes to see it.
Quote #6: Description and Notes



Creating Imagery:

If Rachael were an object she would be a ________________ because                ________________________________________________________________________________.


If Rachel were a song she would be_________________________ because__________________________________________________________________________.


If Rachael were an emotion she would be_________________because_______________________________________________________.


If Rachael were an animal she would be a/an ___________________ because ________________________________________________________________________________.