Exploring Multiculturalism Through Sandra Cisneros's 'The House On Mango Street'

The following unit plan is for Sandra Cisneros's novel, The House on Mango Street. The unit will be taught within four weeks. During this duration, various strategies and activities will be employed, which will culminate into an evaluative exam and a writing project. The novel reflects multiculturalism; hence, a culture will play a supplemental role for the entire unit. Consequently, students will be introduced to various essential concepts. At the end of the unit, the learner should be able to relate much of the unit content to their personal lives.

Unit Theme:

The central theme highlighted in this unit plan is identity and how one identifies their identity as they grow from childhood. Some factors contribute to one's personality. In the novel, the leading character, Esperanza, uses several elements to identify herself. She uses name, cultural heritage, and house located on Mango Street to identify herself. She is defined by and becomes part of her house. The ideas regarding identity, as derived from the novel, are explored in this unit plan and related to student lives.

Unit Concept:

This unit covers several concepts. Foremost, students will be introduced to literary techniques such as juxtaposition, symbolism, and theme. Secondly, students will be introduced to the idea of a culture, both in Esperanza's perspective and that of the student. The unit will analyze the different themes highlighted in the novel and how they relate to the primary theme of identity. Thirdly, students will learn about writing skills and be introduced to a vignette. This final concept will be part of the student project at the end of the unit.

Unit Rationale:

The central theme in Sandra Cisneros' novel, The House on Mango Street, makes it a vital part of adolescent literature. Besides the numerous literary concepts that help the student to understand the novel, it helps to evoke the critical subject of identity for students in their adolescent years, most of whom struggle with identity. The novel highlights a subject matter which is relatable to students who are in 7th grade who are growing up and need to define their identity.

Class Description:

This unit plan targets a particular class structure. The diverse 7th-grade class consist of thirty-five male and female students (in the ratio 17:18 respectively). The class is made up of five Hispanic students, eight African-American students, seven Asian Students, and eight Caucasian students. The cultural composition of the classroom makes the novel even more relevant, considering its central theme of identity. The lessons will try to relate the issue of cultural identity to the student's lives, and allow the students to explore their cultures if they so wish.

On top of being an identity unit, this class will equally be inclusive in the sense that it will bring together students with different learning abilities. Within the group of learners are three with recorded ADD/ADHD traits, two who are categorized as illiterate, and one dyslexic student. While covering the unit, measures will be put in place to ensure that such learners enjoy the typical attributes of the learning process.

Minimal distractions will be allowed to ensure that students with ADD/ADHD are kept maximumly attentive. Therefore, most of the learning material appearing around the classroom during the unit will be relevant to the unit content. Most of these materials will be the product of individual and group assignments. Students will be split their notebooks into four sections: vocabularies, journal entry, writing, Responses. This division will ensure the organization during the learning process. The unit will be administered through short lecture sessions, writing activities, group work, presentations, individual assignments, and experience-based learning.

The needs of the dyslexic student will also be addressed. As such, the student will not be forced to read out loud. The learning environment will need to be accommodative enough to allow the student to volunteer to participate in reading tasks. The teacher will ensure that the student is adequately supported up to the point when they feel stuck, at which point the teacher should take over. The student will also be awarded additional time above that assigned for oral assignments and exams when need be.

Various strategies will be used to ensure that the non-readers are accommodated in the learning process. Lessons will employ real-life situations to ensure that non-readers/illiterates can relate the subject tangibly. Additionally, graphic materials will be used to organize and present the lessons using hands-on tools that engage such students. Lessons will also include reading out loud, which will help such learners to grasp what is learnt. These strategies will help to ensure that students who are otherwise reluctant to read by themselves have a grasp of what the unit requires.

Unit Goals and Objectives:

This unit aims to achieve the Georgia Common Core Performance Standards (CCGPS).

Subject: 7th Grade ENG Day Day 1

Concept Developing a connection between the author and the literature so that the student gains enough background knowledge in readiness for the reading.

CCGPS ELAGSE7RL1

ELAGSE7RL2

ELAGSE7RL3

Lesson Overview For this lesson, the student will be introduced to the author of the novel that will be covered in this unit. Background research on the author, Sandra Cisneros, will offer insight into the reading.

Performance Objectives SWBAT:

Use their research skills to gather information regarding the author.

Draw relationships between their search results and the novel

Draw a connection between the culture depicted in the novel and that of the author.

Materials

Handout

Markers

Poster paper

Internet/Library

House on Mango Street

Learning Activity Poster Presentation

Lesson Opening 10 minutes - The teacher will explain to the students that the unit will cover the novel, The House on Mango Street. To ensure that the students have a rough understanding of the cultural aspect, the style, and origin of the novels, the teacher will ask them to research the author. This task will be performed in groups of five with each group handling a specific search area, as indicated in the Handout.

Twenty minutes - The teacher will lead the students to the library where they will sit in groups and perform their respective searches on the assigned areas. Besides the guiding questions provided to them, the students will be encouraged to come up with more relevant questions and search for their answers. Students will be required to note down their responses as well as the sources.

Twenty minutes - After the brief research session, students will be led back to the classroom where they will be guided through a poster-making session. Each group will be required to develop an informative presentation that captures both the responses to their assigned questions and the sources of their responses. Once the posters are developed, each group will present the information to the rest of the class. The resulting posters will be hung on the classroom walls for the entire unit duration.

Ten minutes - In the final section of the lesson, a relationship between the author and the novel is drawn. The teacher will ask the students some leading questions to help them build this relationship, such as;

Is there a relationship between the author's biography and the novel setting? Are there cultural resemblances between Esperanza and Cisneros? What is the likely source of inspiration for the novel?

Homework Based on the lesson, the students will create a journal entry.

Subject: 7th Grade ENG Day Day 2

Concept The focus will be on the literary style employed, and the vignette.

CCGPS ELAGSE7RL4

ELAGSE7RL5

ELAGSE7RL6

Lesson Overview For this lesson, the student will be introduced to the literary style employed and the vignette.

Performance Objectives

SWBAT:

Identify and define the style used in the novel.

Identify and define what a vignette is.

Determine the use of vignette in the novel, The House on Mango Street.

Materials

House on Mango Street

Overhead Projector

Lecture Notes

Learning Activity Description of an environment

Lesson Opening 10 minutes - The teacher will provide an introductory lecture regarding literary style in general and vignette in particular. The student will be expected to put down short notes. A brief question-answer session will end the introductory section.

30 minutes - After the lecture, each student will be handed a copy of The House on Mango Street. The teacher will ask the students to identify the first vignette in the novel. If the students are unable to identify the vignette, the teacher will assist them. The teacher will then take the students through the initial chapter of the novel, after which s/he will ask the students to identify instances of vignettes in the chapter. Some of the elements that the student should be expected to look for in a vignette include the mood, character, description, tone, length

20 minutes - After the brief research session, students will be led back to the classroom where they will be guided through a poster-making session. Each group will be required to develop an informative presentation that captures both the responses to their assigned questions and the sources of their responses. Once the posters are developed, each group will present the information to the rest of the class. The resulting posters will be hung on the classroom walls for the entire unit duration.

10 minutes - In the final section of the lesson, a relationship between the author and the novel is drawn. The teacher will ask the students some leading questions to help them build this relationship, such as;

Is there a relationship between the author's biography and the novel setting? Are there cultural resemblances between Esperanza and Cisneros? What is the likely source of inspiration for the novel?

Homework Students will be required to go through the first chapter of the novel, "The House on Mango Street," on their own. Based on the description provided in the story, the student will describe their home environment by employing vignette. The student will describe the physical layout of their home environment and mention persons that share that environment with them. The description should answer the following questions: How does your home environment impact your identity? Do cultural elements define your home environment? How? The students will develop a WordPress blog and reflect on the day's lesson.

Subject: 7th Grade ENG Day Day 3

Concept The focus will be on the definition of a home setting.

CCGPS ELAGSE7RL7

ELAGSE7RL9

Lesson Overview

For this lesson, the student will be introduced to themes as a vignette that is common in all literary pieces in general and the novel, The House on Mango Street in particular.

Performance Objectives

SWBAT

Define and identify themes in a story.

Identify a theme in a vignette.

Materials House on Mango Street

Overhead Projector

Lecture Notes

Learning Activity Description of a home

Lesson Forty minutes - The teacher will allow each student a few minutes to make presentations of the assignment for the previous day. The students will read out loudly their journals as well as show the class a sketch of their home. Each of the presentations will be hung around the classroom for the rest of the unit.

Ten minutes - The teacher will then deliver a brief lecture on the theme home. Students should jot down short notes on the vocabulary obtained from the lecture. The teacher will explain to the student how "home" is the initial vignette in the novel.

Ten minutes - The teacher will explain and assign the homework.

Homework Instruct the s...