Lesson 33: “The Comet” and The Last Cuentista Socratic Seminar 2

Quick Write

Instruct students to think about the academic discussions they have engaged in over the course of this unit and previous units. Provide the following Speaking and Listening Standards for students to consider as they select a goal to focus on for this unit’s culminating Socratic Seminar.

Say these Directions: Read over the following Speaking and Listening Standards. Which of these standards do you want to work on during this lesson’s Socratic Seminar?

Speaking and Listening Standards:

• Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched the material under study, and explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.

• Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

• Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers, and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas.

• Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light of the evidence presented.

Say these Directions: Over the course of this unit and the previous units, we have engaged in a variety of academic discussions focused on these discussion standards. For this final academic discussion, set one speaking and listening goal to focus on based on one of these standards.

• Ask: What is one discussion skill you want to showcase during the Socratic Seminar?

  • (Student responses may vary.) I want to get better at building on someone else’s ideas instead of just saying my own point. If someone talks about how fast “The Comet” moves, I want to be able to connect that to something I noticed about The Last Cuentista, like how the story slows down when Petra remembers Lita’s cuentos. That way, I’m actually responding to them, not just waiting for my turn.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: You have set a goal for your participation in the discussion today, so the next step is to prepare for the Socratic Seminar.

Students prepare for the Socratic Seminar in the next part of the lesson.

Have students take out their completed 3-Column Chart graphic organizers from the previous lesson, in which students compared and contrasted the text structures of The Last Cuentista and “The Comet.” Explain that the ideas they recorded will serve as a basis for the discussion in the next part of the lesson. Remind students that after they make a comparison statement about both texts, they need to explain how those structural choices affect the meaning and style of the individual texts.

Teach: Analysis of Structural Comparisons

• Say: To prepare for the discussion, you need to not only identify a point of comparison about the structures of the two texts but also provide an analysis of what each structural choice means and how it impacts the style of the text. You should also support your comparison and analysis with specific evidence from both texts.

Display the following model for students. Read aloud as an example of a structural comparison and analysis that can be made during the Socratic Seminar.

• Both authors use word choice and syntax to speed up and slow down action, but Higuera relies on flashbacks and embedded stories to slow the pacing of her story way down while still moving the plot forward. For example, at the end of the novel, when the “wind whistles even louder” and “sounds more like a scream” (pp. 308–309), Higuera all but stops the action as Petra recalls Lita and her story of the fire snake. Petra then tells the Zetas the fire snake story, but she changes it to fit their experiences and their new life on Sagan. Higuera does not have Petra rush through the story, despite the characters’ need to take cover. She stretches it out and slows down time in order to gently lead the Zetas and the reader to the big discovery of “smoke” (p. 314).

• Ask: How does this model analysis demonstrate Higuera’s structural choices and the impact on meaning and style in her novel?

  • The model explains not only Higuera’s structural choice of how she slows down the pacing of her stories to include Petra’s storytelling but also the impact of that choice and how the story itself reflects the characters’ experiences and their new life on Sagan, while also moving the plot forward as the Zetas smell smoke.

Turn and Talk

Transition students into pairs.

Say these Directions: With your partner, briefly review the structural comparisons you made in your chart. Discuss how each of the structural elements affects the meaning and style of both texts.

After students briefly review their notes, have partners discuss the following question to prepare for the seminar in the next part of the lesson.

• Ask: Which structural comparison will you discuss first in the seminar? Why is it important? What specific examples from the texts will you use to support your comparison?

  • I think the biggest structural difference is that “The Comet” features events in chronological sequence, while The Last Cuentista transitions between the present day and the past and circles back to the beginning at the end. This comparison is important because it captures the essential differences in the texts’ structures. As a result of the author’s choices in structure, “The Comet” becomes more of a plot-driven story with several moments that address the characters’ feelings and thoughts. For example, Jim makes his way slowly out of the bank and then enters “a world of awful silence” and directly witnesses the horror on the street. This structural choice creates an alarming, tense, and fast-paced story. On the other hand, The Last Cuentista is a character-driven story because the author takes the time to build Petra’s identity through memory and embedded tales. Perhaps the most important is her retelling of the fire snake cuento at the end of the novel, because that makes the reader realize that Petra has become like Lita, a storyteller. It’s the same story Lita told at the very beginning of the book to comfort Petra when she was afraid.

Socratic Seminar: Structure Shapes Meaning and Style (RL.8.1, RL.8.5, SL.8.1.a-d, SL.8.6) (30 minutes)

Socratic Seminar

Transition students into an inner and an outer circle. Explain that for the first part of the discussion, the inner circle will discuss, and the outer circle will observe. Students will then switch so everyone has a chance to participate in the discussion.

Say these Directions: Make sure you have your goal from the beginning of class in mind, and keep your notes from the text open. When you’re in the seminar discussion, keep three discussion skills in mind:

• Make connections to your peer’s questions and comments with relevant evidence and ideas.

• Refer to specific text evidence to support your ideas.

• Be open to changing your thinking if you hear ideas that are convincing.

Explain to students that they will be in charge of leading the seminar discussion. Invite a student volunteer to begin the discussion by sharing a structural comparison of the two texts.

• Say: Listen closely as your peer shares a comparison. Respond meaningfully, connecting your ideas to build on an understanding of the texts. If you disagree, disagree with the idea, not the speaker. If you agree, explain why. If you need clarification or want to redirect the conversation, ask a pertinent open-ended question.

Display the following discussion norms and sentence stems for support.

Socratic Seminar Discussion Norms:

• Listen to understand, not just to reply.

• Refer to classmates by name when building on ideas.

• Use text evidence instead of vague phrases like “somewhere in the story.”

• Ask at least one question that connects two speakers’ ideas.

• Revise your thinking out loud when new evidence changes your view.

Sentence Stems:

• Building on what ___ said, I think the structure also ___.

• Where in the text do you see that structure affecting ___?

• I want to change my idea because now I think ___.

• Text evidence that supports this is when ___.

• I see it a little differently because the structure in ___ leads the reader to ___.

Remind students that a Socratic Seminar is student-led. They should address each other, not the teacher. Also, they should participate in ongoing student-to-student discussions; no hand raising should be necessary.

If students need more support with their student-led discussion, consider asking the following questions to keep the discussion flowing.

• Ask: How do both authors use structural choices to demonstrate similar understandings of what it means to be human?

  • Higuera and DuBois use different narrative points of view, but both of these points of view allow the reader to see what a character or characters are thinking and feeling. DuBois uses third-person omniscient narration that allows the reader to see the world through both Jim and Julia’s eyes at different moments in the story. Higuera uses first-person narration, which lets the reader see the world through Petra’s eyes. In “The Comet,” the reader follows along as Jim and Julia come to recognize that, above all else, they are both human beings, despite differences like race or class that keep them separated in society. In The Last Cuentista, Petra retains her humanity despite the Collective’s attempt to erase it. As she plots her escape, she recognizes the shared humanity of the other Zetas, as well as members of the collective, like Len and Voxy.

  • The settings of each story are also important to understanding what it means to be human. Both The Last Cuentista and “The Comet” are set after catastrophic events that end in mass death (though “The Comet” is immediately after, and The Last Cuentista is hundreds of years after). Both of these stories demonstrate that personal stories and history contribute to how people behave in the face of such horrible circumstances. In “The Comet,” Jim’s first reaction to being the only person left alive is to go to find the people he loves, and he is stopped on his way to do that by another person, whom he goes to without hesitation. This emphasizes how important connection and relationships are to being a human. In The Last Cuentista, Petra boards the ship with her family, with the understanding that they will all be reawakened together on the new planet to carry on the human race. The idea of families being together is so important that there are “monitors” on the ship who will spend their whole lives caring for the people in pods in order to ensure their survival.

• Ask: How do the authors' structural choices develop ideas of hope and resilience?

• The endings of both stories emphasize hope and resilience. Higuera and DuBois make choices to end their stories somewhat ambiguously, but with moments of hope and resilience. As Petra and the other Zetas find their way on Sagan, Petra retells the fire snake story and explains that after the destruction of the Earth, “brave humans” are trying to find “a new home for their children, and their children’s children, and all humans to come” (p. 311). Through this story, Petra is demonstrating that there is still hope for them to make a new life on Sagan. When they smell smoke and hear music, Petra tells Rubio, “That, is home.” Similarly, DuBois concludes his short story with hope, even though the racist systems and structures are restored. Jim finds himself reunited with a loved one and emits a “sob of joy.” This shows the reader that even though Jim has lost loved ones and is returning to a world built upon oppression, there is joy to be found in community with the people we love. Jim has people and places where he is at home, and the appearance of the woman and their embrace emphasize this point.

• Ask: How does text structure contribute to the tone and style of each story?

  • The fast pacing and chronological order of “The Comet” establish a tone of urgency and alarm. As Jim and Julia drive “up and down, over and across, back again,” readers feel the desperation of the situation and the futility of the characters’ search for survivors. On the other hand, The Last Cuentista establishes its own even tempo, using flashbacks and embedded stories to further develop the characters and the meaning within the story, rather than just moving from one present-day event to the next. Higuera uses a slower pace when Lita or Petra shares a story, which creates a tone of joy and appreciation for the art of storytelling. The embedded cuentos also help create links between the past, present, and future. Though Petra is living in 2361, the cuentos connect Petra (and the reader) to Petra’s past life on Earth, Lita’s life on Earth before Petra, and generations that came before either of them.

Provide students with a Reflection (i.e., 1–5). As needed, model how to demonstrate a level of confidence using the continuum.

Quick Write

Have students return to the goal they wrote during the Lesson Launch and reflect on their discussion participation during the seminar in a Quick Write response.

Say these Directions: Reflect on the goal you drafted during the Lesson Launch. In your Quick Write, explain one skill you applied during the discussion and one skill you want to improve. Be specific by using at least two moments from the seminar to explain your reflection.

• (Student responses may vary.) One strength I showed was building on my classmates’ ideas by posing questions and responding to their questions with relevant text evidence. One of my peers said “The Comet” feels faster because it stays in one crisis, and I added that the structure also makes the ending feel really sudden, when Julia’s family comes back and the moment between her and Jim is interrupted. I still want to get better at revising my thinking out loud. Someone said the circular ending in The Last Cuentista creates hope, and I started to change my mind about the book just being slower, but I didn’t say that clearly enough in the seminar.

Instruct students to read their independent reading book for 20 minutes and complete a reading log entry.

Read your independent reading book for 20 minutes. In your reading log, record the date and pages you read, write 1–2 sentences about what happened or what you learned, and respond to this week’s prompt using evidence from the text.