Lesson 9: The Last Cuentista, Chapters 10–11

Students use the Turn-and-Talk routine to reflect on what they read in Chapters 10–11 for homework.

Turn and Talk

Transition students into partners and have them take out their homework from the previous lesson, in which students were to read Chapters 10–11 of The Last Cuentista and annotate for key events and Petra’s reactions to those events.

Say these Directions: Take out your homework from the previous lesson and turn and talk to your partner to discuss the following questions.

Display the following questions.

• What key events happen in Chapters 10–11, and how does Petra react to those events? What do her reactions suggest about how the Collective is controlling memory or identity?

  • In Chapter 10, Petra wakes up on the ship at some point in the future. She hears Suma wake up, and when the Collective realizes some of her identity is still present, they put a Cog back in and put her back in the pod. Petra still knows who she is and realizes she will have to pretend to be “Zeta-1” to maintain her memories and her original identity. In Chapter 11, Petra has a memory of her mother, and we learn that the root of her name means “rock.” Her mom tells her she will be the “foundation” of something important, and Petra bristles about not being allowed to do what she wants, which is to “be a storyteller” (p. 76). Now that the children are awake, the Collective is actively suppressing identity. Petra hears Suma say, “Momma?” . . . “Ben?” (p. 71). Immediately, members of the Collective question whether to purge her. The Chancellor orders that she be returned to stasis to fully erase her previous identity. Petra knows she must pretend to be Zeta-1 in order to survive in the Collective’s new system.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Today, you will move beyond summarizing these events and closely read specific passages from Chapter 10 to analyze how the Collective controls memory, behavior, and identity, and how these actions develop important themes in the novel.

Introduce New Words Using Morphology

Display the target word.

Target Word: assimilation

• Say: We’re learning about the word assimilation today. It appears in The Last Cuentista on p. 70 when Petra thinks about how the doctors and scientists (like her parents) will react to the Collective. Let’s explore this word more deeply.

Introduce the Word: Present the word assimilation to students and pronounce it.

• Ask: Have you seen the word assimilation before? Where?

Identify the Root: Underline the root simil in assimilation. Explain that simil comes from Latin assimilāre, meaning “to assume the likeness of or “to make similar.”

• Ask: Do you know any other words with the root simil? Language Connection: Connect to similar and similarity (both relate to likeness).

Identify Affixes: Circle as- and -ation in assimilation.

• Ask: What do you think the prefix as- might mean based on words you know, like assent or assume?

  • to/toward

• Say: The suffix -ation means “the act or process of.” Language Connection: Spanish has asimilación with a similar meaning.

Determine Meaning:

• Ask: Using what we know about as-, simil, and -ation, what do you think assimilation means?

  • the act or process of becoming similar or the same

Build Word Relationships: Write assimilate next to assimilation.

• Ask: What is the relationship between assimilate and assimilation?

  • One is a verb, the other is a noun.

• Say: In the novel, assimilation is not a natural process, it is something the Collective forces in order to control people’s memories, identities, and behavior.

Encode the Word:

• Say: Now cover the word. In your Personal Dictionary, write the word from memory, using what you know about the prefix, suffix, and root to help you spell it correctly. Check your spelling against the board.

Turn-and-Talk

Transition students into talking about Petra’s name. The meaning of her name is important in the context of the story and her development as a character, and is related to other words that use the Greek root petr.

Present the name Petra and pronounce it.

• Say: In Chapter 11, Petra's mom reminds her that her name comes from the Greek root petr, meaning "rock or stone."

Say these Directions: Turn and talk to discuss the following question:

• What might be symbolic about Petra's name meaning "rock"? How does her name’s meaning connect to her role in the story?

  • It might be important that Petra's name means rock for two reasons. First, her dad is a geologist who studies rocks, so her name is a connection to him. Rocks are also very strong and have existed for a long time. This connects to her role in the story because her mother calls her “strong” and says that she will be the “foundation for something amazing,” which could be foreshadowing how she will resist the Collective’s intention to erase her identity (p. 76).

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: In Chapters 10–11, we learn more about what has happened on the ship while Petra was in stasis. As you read, pay attention to how the Collective enforces assimilation and how Petra resists it.

Part A: Close Reading—Waking Up to the Collective (RL.8.2, RL.8.3) (15 minutes)

Close Read and Annotation Protocol

Students will reread key excerpts from Chapter 10 and explore themes, character development, and events that propel the plot forward.

Say these Directions: Today, you will independently reread key excerpts from Chapter 10. You will annotate for the Collective’s attempts to shape behavior and thinking, Petra’s reactions and actions, and events that drive the plot. As you annotate, write at least one note for each code (T, C, and E) using a short phrase or sentence to explain your thinking.

Display the annotation codes.

• T (theme) = a detail that shows the conflict between individuality and the Collective’s ideals and attempts to control behavior and thinking

• C (character) = how Petra’s character is developed through her actions and thoughts

• E (events) = incidents that add tension, reveal character, or drive the plot forward

Read and annotate the following passages from Chapter 10:

• Excerpt A: Begins with the first paragraph of the chapter and ends with “Purged. A new history.” (pp. 67–68)

• Excerpt B: Begins with “I’m more afraid than the time I found a rattlesnake. . . .” and ends with "Apologies, Chancellor." (pp. 68–69)

• Excerpt C: from "Suma’s eyes open lazily, and she flinches back . . ." through the end of the chapter. (pp. 71–74)

Circulate as students annotate and listen for students identifying the Collective’s systems and beliefs (e.g., memory erasure, reprogramming) influencing identity and/or behavior. Prompt students with questions such as: “What is the Collective doing here and why?” “How does this moment show assimilation?” or “What does this reveal about Petra’s response?” Provide quick feedback to help students move from summary to analysis.

When students finish their annotations, have them share with a partner one of their annotation choices and explain how the annotated text supports their understanding of theme, character, or events.

• In Excerpt A, I marked the line “Regardless, whatever that downloadable message was trying to tell me ‘I am’—isn’t going to work” (p. 68) with a C because it shares Petra’s thoughts directly and shows that she will fiercely protect her own identity.

Part B: Partner Discussion—Waking Up to the Collective (RL.8.2, RL.8.3, L.8.5.a) (15 minutes)

Turn-and-Talk

Transition students into partners to discuss how the events, characters, and ideas from Chapters 10-11 develop a theme in the novel.

Say these Directions: Work with your partner to discuss and respond to the questions below. Use your annotations and text evidence to discuss how the Collective’s systems and Petra’s responses develop themes about memory, identity, and control.

Display the following questions for students.

• How does Higuera use the allusion to Frankenstein to help readers understand Petra’s experience of waking from stasis? (p. 69)

  • Petra feels as if she is like the monster in Frankenstein that has electric gadgets and “impulses” put into her body (p. 69). She feels like she is being poked and prodded and being treated like the monster in Frankenstein as she comes back alive after stasis.

• How is the Collective enforcing “assimilation” as the children wake up from stasis? (p. 70)

  • The Collective limits what the people coming out of stasis can know or remember. In Chapter 10, Petra wakes up to hear a message repeating from her cog: "I am Zeta-1, Expert in botany and geology. I am here to serve the Collective," which essentially erases her identity (p. 67). Later in the chapter, the Collective reprograms Suma when she asks for her mother and remembers “Ben,” the Monitor who put her into stasis (p. 71). These systems promote assimilation by stripping the people of Earth of their memories and identities. By erasing memory and programming expertise and purpose, the Collective eliminates the ship’s inhabitants of their identity and the characteristics that make them unique.

• What themes are developed across Chapters 10 and 11?

  • One theme is that of conformity versus individuality across both chapters. Within Petra’s singular experience at the beginning of Chapter 10, readers see her internal struggle between the Zeta-1 message and her declaration: “My name is Petra Pena . . .” (p. 68). This moment, where Petra is battling the assimilation that the Collective has tried to force through the Cogs, conveys the theme that individuality is important. Another theme that is developed across these chapters is the power of memory to fight against conformity or assimilation. Petra goes back into her memories and remembers how her mom and dad “won’t tolerate assimilation.” She uses the memories of her family and the beliefs they had to protect diversity to pretend to be “Zeta-1, Expert in botany and geology,” so she can “find” her parents and not “forget” (p. 74), demonstrating her willingness to fight against the Collective.

• How does Petra’s memory in Chapter 11 connect to the themes developed in Chapter 10?

  • Petra remembers her mother and how her mother feels about her. She recalls her love of storytelling and the conflict she has with her parents over that desire. When her mother says, “I don’t know what, but you will be the foundation for something amazing one day” (p. 76), it foreshadows the fight that Petra is going to have to put up against the Collective to not have her memories erased. Chapter 11’s flashback supports the theme of memory’s ability to help people as they face new experiences.

Circulate as students discuss and listen for students connecting specific events or character actions to larger ideas about assimilation, memory, and identity. Prompt students to deepen their thinking by asking: “What does this moment suggest about the Collective’s goals?” “How does this connect to assimilation?” or “Which detail from the text supports that idea?” Encourage students to move from explaining what happens to explaining what it means.

Check for Understanding

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

Students reflect on the lesson by responding to the Quick Write prompt.

Say these Directions: Respond to the following prompt in two to three sentences. Use at least one piece of text evidence in your response.

• Name one system or rule the Collective uses to limit memory or personal identity in Chapters 10–11. Explain the purpose of the rule and how the Collective applies it.

  • In Chapter 10, the Chancellor reminds one of the Collective members of the rule of not mentioning Earth. The Chancellor says, “‘I’d ask you not to mention that word in front of them’” (p. 69). This rule is instituted to avoid possibly triggering a memory of the past and thus promotes assimilation into the Collective culture on the ship.

Instruct students to read Chapters 12–13 of The Last Cuentista and take notes in their Journal in response to the following prompt:

• What changes or escalates in Chapters 12–13? What kind of society has the Collective created on the ship?