English Language Arts Activity: The House on Mango Street By Sandra Cisneros Context: Grade 10 Immigration Unit- Towards

the end of the unit, as students move through learning about immigration.
Common Core Standards for Grade 10: Speaking and Listening: SL.9-10.4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task. Speaking and Listening: SL.9-10.6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. Writing: W.9-10.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole. Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative. Description of Activity: After students have read The House on Mango Street, they will choose a vignette from the book, and write their own version of it. For example, they will write their own Name vignette. They will then form groups of four and each student will read his or her vignette aloud; as they listen, they will write down similarities that are present in both the book, and in the student's vignette. Once each student has read aloud, the group will choose one to present as a choral reading; they will spend approximately 15-20 minutes rehearsing. Rationale: This activity gives students the opportunity to connect personally to the reading by writing their own vignette based on what they read. Collaborative learning is also reinforced during the choral readings, which gives them the ability to learn how to work well with others. While the students are writing and working in their groups, they will obtain a better understanding of the material, because they can relate to it. The students will also improve their public speaking, because they have to present in a clear, coherent manner so audience members can understand what is being said. Source: Cisneros, Sandra. The house on Mango Street. New York: Vintage Books, 1991. Print.