Lesson 18: The Last Cuentista, Chapters 19–20

Think-Pair-Share

Organize students into pairs. Instruct students to use the Think-Pair-Share routine to respond to a quote from Chapter 20 of The Last Cuentista.

• Say: In the previous lesson’s homework, you read Chapters 19 and 20, annotating for the development of themes.

Have students turn to Chapter 20, near the bottom of page 165, to locate the following quotation for discussion.

Say these Directions: Turn to page 165 in The Last Cuentista. Petra overhears as Glish and Hammerhead discuss their views on the Collective. Petra thinks to herself, "Just because someone says something over and over doesn't make it true. And, suddenly, after all this time, I truly understand what the word dogma means” (p. 165).

Think about the following questions as they relate to the quotation and to your annotations from last night’s homework. Then discuss your responses with a partner. Be prepared to share your discussion with the class.

• What does this quote mean? What does it show about Petra’s understanding of the Collective?

  • It means that just because the Collective says over and over again that “unity and agreement on all things ensures we will never return to the ways of conflict,” it is not entirely true. Petra is realizing that because Glish and Hammerhead have never experienced diversity like different kinds of art or different food “choices from udon to bucatini,” they just accept the “dogma” the Collective tells them. Petra now understands that the Collective brainwashes their members into believing that “diversity” and “choices” are negative and will create “war and famine,” but that is not necessarily “true” (p. 165) from her experience on Earth.

Invite 2–3 partners to share brief responses with the class.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: In Chapters 19–20, you read about the different ways Petra and the Collective respond to Len's experience on Sagan. Today, we’ll explore how those differences relate to important themes developed in the novel.

Using Context Clues

Target Words: compassionate, nopales

• Say: We’re learning about the words compassionate and nopales today. These words show up in Chapters 19–20 of The Last Cuentista. Let’s explore these words more deeply using our target sentence.

Display the target sentence from the text with the target word compassionate.

Target Sentence:

• “I want to tell Len how unfair this is, but then he’ll know I remember what it is to be compassionate and kind.” (p. 156)

Read the sentence aloud.

• Say: This sentence includes a word we may not fully understand yet. Use the context—the words and sentences around it—to figure out what it most likely means. First, we’ll look at the word compassionate.

Read the Surrounding Sentences

Display or reread the sentences before and after the key sentence.

• Say: Review page 156 of The Last Cuentista. As we reread, listen for words or ideas that help you explain what is happening or describe the word compassionate more clearly.

Identify Context Clues

Have students work with a partner to answer the following questions:

Say these Directions: Work with a partner to answer the following questions.

• What is happening in this part of the text?

  • Len becomes ill. Petra shows concern for him and tries to help him.

• Which words or phrases help explain the target word compassionate?

  • help him, empathy, kind

Infer a Meaning

• Ask: Based on these clues, what does the word compassionate most likely mean in this text?

  • caring, concerned

Test the Meaning in Context

Direct students to substitute the inferred meaning back into the key sentence.

• Ask: If we replace the word with our meaning, does the sentence still make sense?

Confirm or revise the inferred meaning as a class. Have students refer to a dictionary or thesaurus to verify meaning as needed.

• Say: Now that you have tested your guess, use a dictionary to verify the meaning of compassionate.

Quick Application

Have students work with a partner to create a new sentence that fits the meaning of the word compassionate.

• Say: Work with your partner to create a new sentence that fits the meaning of the word compassionate.

Repeat this process for the word nopales.

Display the target sentence.

Target Sentence:

• “...the old woman went to the kitchen to boil water to cook nopales, hoping the meager cactus would be enough for the long journey to the cave” (p. 175).

Say these Directions: Review page 175 of The Last Cuentista. As we reread, listen for words or ideas that help you explain what is happening or describe the word nopales more clearly.

Say these Directions: Work with a partner to answer the following questions.

• What is happening in this part of the text?

  • Petra is telling a cuento about an old woman who is cooking some food in her kitchen.

• Which words or phrases help explain the target word nopales?

  • The sentence says that nopales are cactus.

Infer a Meaning

• Ask: Based on the context, what does the word nopales mean?

  • an edible part of the cactus that people eat

Confirm or revise the inferred meaning as a class. Have students refer to a dictionary or thesaurus to verify meaning as needed.

• Say: Now that you have tested your guess, use a dictionary to verify the meaning of nopales.

Quick Application

Have students work with a partner to create a new sentence that fits the meaning of the word nopales.

• Say: Work with your partner to create a new sentence that fits the meaning of the word nopales.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: As we revisit Chapters 19–20, look for ways Petra’s compassionate personality and actions bring her closer to or set her apart from other characters in the novel.

Part A: Determining Themes in Chapters 19–20 (RL.8.2) (15 minutes)

Transition students to the activity by briefly discussing themes in Chapters 19–20.

• Say: In earlier units, and in this unit, you’ve discussed the idea of theme in literature. A theme is a universal idea that an author develops or explores in a text. It is the lesson that the author wants the reader to take away from the literature.

Invite students to share the themes they identified as they read Chapters 19–20 for homework. Write their responses on the board in two columns: “Themes Related to Petra” and “Themes Related to the Collective.”

• Ask: What are some themes that you identified as you read Chapters 19–20?

  • Themes Related to Petra:

    • The importance of caring and showing compassion for others when they are hurt or need help.

    • Differences and individualism are important and should be upheld.

    • Stories build community and understanding of situations.

  • Themes Related to the Collective:

    • The expectation of sacrifice for the Collective at all costs.

    • Conformity as a tool of control.

    • If you are not useful to the Collective, then your life does not hold value.

Distribute copies of the T-Chart graphic organizer to each student. Organize the class into small groups. Direct students to select one theme related to Petra and one theme related to the Collective. Then have the small groups find at least two examples of how the author develops each theme in Chapters 19–20.

Say these Directions: With your small group, choose two themes the author develops in Chapters 19–20: one related to Petra and one related to the Collective. Find two pieces of evidence from the text that show how the author develops each theme. Record your evidence using the T-Chart graphic organizer. Then, write 1–2 sentences that synthesize your findings.

Invite 3–4 volunteers to share their responses with the class.

Part B: Allegory in The Last Cuentista (RL.8.2, RL.8.9) (15 minutes)

Transition students into the second part of the lesson by briefly reviewing what they have learned about allegory in earlier units.

• Say: In Unit 2, you learned about allegories, or stories in which people, events, and ideas can have hidden or symbolic meaning to represent abstract ideas, morals, or political situations. For example, in Unit 2, we read Animal Farm, an allegory of the Russian Revolution. In The Last Cuentista, Petra uses her cuentos to share deeper meanings and bigger ideas with the other Zetas than the story might suggest on the surface. Recall that when we analyze an allegory, first we look at what happens. Then we reflect on what characters or events in the story might represent. Finally, we determine the message the allegory communicates.

Organize the class into small groups of 3–4 students. Distribute copies of the 3 Column Chart graphic organizer to each student.

Say these Directions: Work with your group to reread Petra’s cuento about Los Viejos on pages 172–176. Use the 3 Column Chart graphic organizer to:

1. Describe what happens in the story.

2. Determine what the characters or events in the story represent in the novel.

3. Explain the message the story communicates in the novel.

Invite groups to share their responses with the class. Time permitting, lead students in a brief class discussion about Chapter 20:

• Ask: How do the Zetas respond to the cuento? What does this suggest to Petra?

  • The Zetas are excited to hear the cuento. They occasionally interrupt, which gives Petra glimpses of their true personalities. Their reactions to certain parts of the story, such as the greed of the neighbor, suggest to Petra that the Collective did not reprogram who they truly are deep down.

• Ask: What clues tell us that Petra is developing as a storyteller?

  • Petra is developing as a storyteller by making the cuento her own and adapting it to her situation. On page 172, she explains how Lita’s version is different from her own and then thinks to herself, "from now on, this story lives on through me and my new version."

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

Quick Write

Have students reflect on their learning by responding to the following Quick Write prompt.

Say these Directions: Respond to the following question in 1–2 sentences:

• Why do you think Petra uses allegories to share information or ideas with the other Zetas?

  • Petra uses allegories to share information or ideas with the other Zetas because their reprogramming makes them resistant to thoughts or ideas that are not approved by the Collective. The allegories are a way to gently help them accept beliefs or ideas that they might not otherwise be receptive to.

Provide students with a copy of the story “El Conejo en la Luna: The Rabbit in the Moon.” Instruct students to read the story and take notes in their Journal on the following prompt:

As you read the story, annotate the text for the following:

• Similarities and differences between the traditional myth and how Petra reimagines it in her dream in Chapter 19